Nothing but #304 gravel driveway?

[Nic3456]

I've met with 4 different contractors on installing a 550 ft gravel driveway and they are all over the board on what rocks & thickness they are going to use on the drive. The guy I'm leaning towards using is heavily pushing using 8" of #304 and then 4" of #57 after construction. We are using the fabric, but I was thinking we still needed to put down say 4" of #2 and then 4" of #304. I've never done this before, but I haven't read any articles saying 1 layer of the same rock was a good idea (but I've seen a few posts about how the fabric can change needs). If it makes a difference we have 8-10" of top soil and I'm in Central OH. Thoughts?

 

[mjw357]

not sure why they would put 304 down first with 57 on top? seems backwards. we just put down course of #2 and letting that get packed in, we'll follow up with 57 or 304 next year . If you put down anything smaller than #4 in dirt you'll just lose it, it'll sink to china.

fabric can be a great help IF it is made for roadway construction, normal landscape fabric won't help much under the load of a vehicle.

 

[Nic3456]

not sure why they would put 304 down first with 57 on top? seems backwards. we just put down course of #2 and letting that get packed in, we'll follow up with 57 or 304 next year . If you put down anything smaller than #4 in dirt you'll just lose it, it'll sink to china.

fabric can be a great help IF it is made for roadway construction, normal landscape fabric won't help much under the load of a vehicle.

I'm not sure on the #57 on top, but all 4 contractors said that is what their top coat would be. I'm thinking the #2 is the way to go as base even with fabric seems the safer bet.

 

[Ford850]

Fabric is good, I wish I used it on mine. 304's are the base material of choice, consisting of 2" (?) stones down to dust. I don't like the 4" of 57's though. Those are loose with nothing to tie them together. I would use 411's on top of the 304's. That will create a hard packed drive. If you want to dress off the top, then you would use the clean stone, either 57's or 8's/9's, but I would only use a couple inches at most.

 

[Nic3456]

So your saying the full 8" of 304 are fine or suggest the 304 on top of #2? I'll have to look more into the #57, i will say the other contractors were only going to do 2" of 57.

 

[Ford850]

I think the 304's are good for the base, and that's what is usually used. I think I had 6" or 8" of 304's.

 

[Paddy]

I'd say equally as important to gravel type is site prep. Make sure you have a raised road bed with good drainage. Too many time folks just want to pour gravel in to it

 

[Streetcar]

Several questions
What type of geogrid or fabric are you planning to use
What is the base soil like
304 is an odot specification for various gravels. What is gradation of stone does contractor plans to use
Finally a comment, 57 are a uniform gravel. It will not last as a unconfined surface course of aggregate
Make sure you have proper drainage for length of road. Any low spots will be a bathtub and future problem