What material for new driveway approach

[econometrics]

Howdy fellow TBNers,

Just about finished with our new build. We had a 30x20' concrete apron poured at the approach for our two-car garage for now. I wanted to wait to pour more concrete until we move out there and get a feel for our entering / backing out of the garage habits.

So right now, it's just very clay-like red East Texas dirt at the approach of the apron. I'm wanting to put down about 20' of some kind of gravel or driveway grade material to go over all the dirt and provide a nice transition onto the driveway - but also material that could be scraped up and dumped on my long driveway if we decided to do more concrete in the coming months.

What's the best stuff for this kind of job? I had thought about caliche (which is what I have on my long driveway), but figured that would not be as nice to scrape up and move in the future. It can also be a little mucky when it rains real hard.

Do I just go with some type of medium sized wash rock?

Let me know what has worked for y'all.

Much appreciated!

 

[Tollster]

After I leveled the soil base, I put down 3 course aggregate as the base layer. Its rough at first, but packs and interlocks, however also allowing water drainage. this was prior to construction, so with tri axles working it in, I plan on adding more of needed, to level out any wagon tracks, then driving over that until its interlocked, then topping with 2 crushed, to further interlock the smaller cavities.

 

[econometrics]

After I leveled the soil base, I put down 3 course aggregate as the base layer. Its rough at first, but packs and interlocks, however also allowing water drainage. this was prior to construction, so with tri axles working it in, I plan on adding more of needed, to level out any wagon tracks, then driving over that until its interlocked, then topping with 2 crushed, to further interlock the smaller cavities.

Thanks! This is really the kind of thinking I had as well... putting in some kind of base layer for right now that I could either scrape up and move OR overlay with a little bit of finer rock later on if we keep the concrete apron as is.

 

[Egon]

Some crushed gravel.

 

[RDrancher]

Yes, what Egon said. Ask for unwashed, crushed "utility gravel". It will have a little bit of fines in it. If the area you're graveling is a bit thick, try to get a split load (pup and truck) of crushed concrete washout (not recycled concrete) for the base and top it with the utility gravel. Whichever material you want more of have them load that in the truck. The pup trailer doesn't hold as much.

 

[bigtiller]

I had some 1" "clean" white rock for a top layer and didn't like it. It would compact but it wouldn't consolidate. I covered it with some 3/4 minus and I am a lot happier with it.

 

[econometrics]

Thanks for the replies, everyone!

Got R done this AM, before the rain hits again tomorrow / Thurs.

I'll leave it like this for a while and let the 1" rocks get good and packed into the clay base, then probably put some finer stuff down on top in a couple months.



Where the trailer is parked is where the rest of the driveway will be put in a couple weeks down the road... which is why I spread the gravel out the way I did - wanting to keep it out of the pasture as much as possible.