A more durable driveway

[tyb525]

We have a 1/4 mile gravel lane. Every 2 or 3 years we have to bring in more gravel, because eventually it turns to dust and gets really sloppy when it rains. This has been going on since the farm was here (100+years) I'd guess. We put a new culvert in last spring, and when I dug down with the backhoe there was probably 16" to 2 feet of crushed rock, sand basically.

We get #6 crusher run with fines, and we have tried without fines also and seem to get similar results.

I figured many of you would have experience with this, so what I'm asking is what is a good thing to put down that will last longer?

I was thinking maybe put down some large stones and fill in with #6? Or I've also seen recycled asphalt used, does that last a long time and is it expensive?

[Norm]

Is this limestone you're using now Ty?

[talldog]

Reclaimed asphalt is super.Its also quite expensive.I had it put on my drive a couple years ago.No mud,instant packing,no dust,and it melts snow and ice away quite quickly when the sun shines

[Bandmill Bandit]

The reclaimed asphalt is about as close as you can get to asphalt. It packs well and the sun and heat will actually help it to re-bond and seal your lane. The sealing is the real key. You can add sealer to it to get a better finished seal after couple of months of hot weather as well.

Normal traffic will deposit mud and other earth common materials on top of your gravel which over time builds up and mixes in with your gravel. This is the main reason you need to add clean gravel on top. If you could do a vertical clean cut you would  probably be able to count the layers and see how much the lane has built up over the years. Almost like the growth rings of a tree.  

The asphalt product will seal the surface so that normal rain fall will help to wash the contaminate material to the sides. Just make sure you build a slight crown into your lane BEFORE you lay down the recycled asphalt. You will be much happier with the result.

I know it is more expensive but you get what you pay for. 3 inch minimum is what I would recommend.

FYI   I am assuming a very well built minimum 18 to 24 inch base laid down in in 4 to 6 inch lifts and compacted to 90% before surface material is applied.

TYB in your case I am pretty sure that you will have at least that already in place as a result of the years your lane has been in use. The county grader will be able to crown the drive way for you if the county allows for that. Geo tech material is a good idea but I only use it conditions of unstable or boggy/surface spring locations to keep the silt contaminates from rising into the the road bed substrate with the rise and fall of the surface water table.

[tyb525]

Limestone is what we currently use. And it has worked a crown in the middle of the years anyways, but we always get puddles in the tracks.

Sounds like the recycled asphalt is the way to go, I wasn't sure how well it would pack.

[Ironwood]

Actually, I have a 3/4 mile long regrind asphalt drive, it is over mostly solid bedrock.

 IF, I were starting with anything less than a bedrock base I would use Geomatting (your common cheap skate could use synthetic carpet from your local dumpster outside the carpet shop) lay it down under the gravel, then put the regrind on top. The regrind is AWSOME, it just needs a VERY good base. You dont want the spring frost creating a soft base that then cracks your new "asphalt".  I used really old "green" home heating oil (green algae) to reemulsify the tar in the regrind. rolled it with HEAVY forklift and a roller HEAVY w/ vibratory action (one case of beer, priceless) Been down for.......5 years or so. Great stuff. I 'll bet I have spread 20 triaxles worth, and another 10-14 tandems in a pile we draw from when needed.

            Ironwood

[Radar67]

I have been studying on driveways recently. I have 900 feet of clay that I have to build my road over. Everything I read leads to geo textile as underlay and 3 to 4 inches of gravel on top. There has to be a good crown on the road and bar ditches where needed to keep the surface dry and drained. The more open and the less trees shading the road, the better. The wind and sun work wonders on drying things out after a rain, if it can get to it.

[beenthere]

Re-claimed asphalt costs about the same as limestone here.

[Norm]

I've used limestone for years and have the same problem Ty. Reclaimed asphalt is not available so we've gone to using gypsum. Last a lot longer for us.

[mad murdock]

We have a steel mill in the vicinity, and the slag that they produce makes pretty good material, especially after it has set for a couple months, it gets almost like concrete.  The mill sells it for $10 a dump truck load (loading fee), or if a guy has a loader and his own truck, it is free.  The stuff is sized large (2-3" minus), and small (3/4" minus).  Many of the commercial timberland owners in this country use "pit run" (4-6") rock, and if it is a more used road throw a little 2" minus on top.  The pit run stuff does make for a real solid base.

[Al_Smith]

Depends on where you live I suppose .I'm right in limestome country so it's at least 8 inches of number 1s and 2s and 6 inchs of 304 over that .If it needs top dressed after a few years it's 411 .The stone numbering system  seems to vary depending on the geographical location .

In a former life with former wife I put in 600 feet of lane using reclaimed rail road ballast .Balite limestone, hard as granite . At a buck and a quarter a ton loaded how could I go wrong ? That was 1980 though .

[SwampDonkey]

Packed crushed shale works good, about 4 inches. The only thing about this natural stuff, and we don't have heavy clay up where I live, is weeds will grow in it over time. Especially something like chickweed and pineapple weed and some grasses I suppose. Usually growing up in the less packed crown.

[Bro. Noble]

We've used a limestone product that is pretty course but with a lot of fine material in it-----I don't remember what it's called.  It has worked pretty well for us except in steap areas.  Once it starts washing a ditch,  it grows with each heavy rain.  We have considered paving with asphalt or concrete,  but worry that the rapid runoff would create bigger problems.  Any ideas?

[Ironwood]

We have a VERY steep approach to the house directly, and another "truck route" out and around. The best method is to work with nature, I let nature cut the inside edge for years before the regrind went down, this created a natural waterpath, AND the less "improvements the better, things like culverts, they require maintance. I found that out early on. I maintain about 1.5 miles of road with numerous creeks and pipes. My truck route is gravel and the direct route is regrind. The regrind has held up VERY well. I do NOT miss the maintainence issue on the steep. My biggest issue is the mud season on the truck route, when the frost comes out of the ground, once that is gone I am golden! I already went thru 20 ton of lmestone on the drive and shop area this year. It is an annual issue, especially near the shop and mill, lots of debris build up, bark, saw dust, dirt from pressure washing. I usually scrape it out (haul it w/ crawler/dump) to the long truck drive and put fresh in the shop area. Natural revolution. I wish we could get mill slag here where I grew up in Ohio it was everywhere and NEVER rounds over like limestone, my Grandmothers drive never eroded (like limestone) for 20 years

 Ironwood

[SwampDonkey]

When we built coastal roads we just used crust shale and steep climbs had water bars. The flat out roads were never graded where I works and never turned to mud. Back here in NB, they don't know how to build forest roads worth snot. They still think clay and coarse sand makes good roads. Only when it's dry. When it wet, it either washes (sand shoulders) or turns to a sesspool (clay) that a truck usually ends up sinking to the bed of a log trailer. They will spend $Millions a year grading roads at least twice a week all during the mild seasons, non stop. These are the forest companies. If they would just used crushed stone they would be eons and $$ ahead.

[Al_Smith]

It depends on where the limestone comes from as to the hardness .This stuff around here is pretty hard and doesn't powder up .It just disappears and goes to China after a while .I think it was maybe two years ago I had something like 90 -100 tons of 411  hauled to top  about 600 feet of 12 foot wide drive .Once every 15 years ,I'm not going to beller too loud .

I got rid of my F-600 Ford some time ago .I figured with what they can haul on a 5 axle and counting my time ,fuel, insurance and tags I was working for 4 dollars an hour .The very last year I had 500 in tags and insurance and hauled 50 tons --no brainer .

[Al_Smith]

Let me add something .The idiot that lived here before me had no equipment .Every couple of years he had 703's hauled in which is grit  .He could work it out with a garden rake but it makes a poor top surface .In addition it tracks on peoples shoes and gets into the house making ones better half extremely proud of you . The guy also mowed about 3/4 of an acre of grass with a push mower . He must have been a glutten for punishment is all I could figure .

[SwampDonkey]

The guy also mowed about 3/4 of an acre of grass with a push mower . He must have been a glutten for punishment is all I could figure .

I mow an acre by the old fashioned way and that's after a week of cutting brush on 5 acres of woods. The mowing don't pay much though.

[stumper]

Reclaimed asphault is awesome.  However, I would suggest 6 inches of it.  You could do that with 3 inches this spring an 3 more next if money is tight.  We have found that less then 6 inches will not hold up much better then gravel.  On the other hand I have seen 6 inches hold up on a section of road with 3000 vehicles a day and loads of up to about 140,000 pounds for 4 to 5 months.  

It is what I plan to use on my drive as money allows.  I am choosing that over asphault because the clay heaves my drive and asphault would crack.  This will also crack but will also reseal with summer heat.

[MudBud]

I also use pavement reclaim. It lasts about 10 years and then we recoat, roughly around $30/ton or if they are doing a parking lot repaving then its just the hauling fee.  Also reground concrete works good.  Some small driveways use mussel/clam shells from restaurants after they send them to the lanfill, they charge $10 truckload.

Be careful with Gypsum and some Limestone.  Both do carry trace amounts of salt and when wet it will get on the undercarriage of your vehicles and stick like cement!