Not sure if this is the right area but thought I'd try here. A guy asked me to put in gravel that would stand up to construction equipment while the builds his house. I think there are layers of different gravel to use for heavier trucks but not sure where to look. Anyone have any pointers or links? Thanks!
3"-4" utility rock works well for a base for construction. Check your local concrete recycler and you may get better pricing than stone. You can add a 3" layer of road base later for a finished driveway. If your customer can swing it, a geotextile placed between the dirt and utility rock would be the best way to go. Here's a link for a company that I've ordered from that has pretty good prices on geotextiles. http://www.landmsupplyco.com
If I were putting it in, after peeling the vegatation off with a dozer or whatever you're using to strip I would lay down a 4 oz filter fabric, run about a 1 foot of sand throughout the length on top of the fabric then cap it with a 23a or 22a maintence gravel..... 23a has more clay in it than 22a but it just depends on how high and dry you are.... the more moisture makes the 23a kind of snotty to drive on if it's real wet..... we use the fabric just for the fact it keep the gravel from pushing into the existing ground.... hope this helps a bit
Cut out the drive way area about a foot, put fabric down. Then add 4" minus crusher run, straight 4's, or 3's & 4's mixed. that will hold up to heavy traffic and will give him a proper base for the finishing material. That fabric really is the key if its a soft area. It will change soft, get your pickup stuck ground into stuff that you can drive a triaxle on. You need to have sufficient cover on the fabric though, I would say 6" minimum, 12" of more prefered, 18" if the road will see a steady diet of heavy loads. Something like the construction enterance to a development or simular.
Thanks for all the good responses. I am reading this and just realized, I am working with a guy who is an accountant and is...frugal... I know he isn't going to pay for fabric or 12 inches of rock. I need to work on my internal customer translator. :duh Let me ask it this way. What is the minimum, cheapest route for a gravel driveway to hold up to the construction traffic required to build one house. :thumbsup He will be eventually putting in a concrete driveway over this once the construction is done. Also, the ground is yellow/whiteclay which is hard and doesn't drain/absorb water for crap. I say this because I dont' think i want to strip much off otherwise I would be trapping water under the gravel.
Pit run.. Like sand yet has a couple nuggets in there to help ya stay afloat.... Oh and tell him to get off his wallet cuz he's going to want fabric when he goes to pave.... Tell him to bite the bullet and do it now LOL!!
Pay a little now or pay a lot later. Strip off the organic and roll out some geo-tech put down about 6"-8" of #3 or #4 stone and top with 2-3 inches of 2a mod. Also might not be a bad idea to have a load of 2a on site to touch up every now and then. Once there done with the construction you should be able to concrete right over the temp. drive. If you go cheap all you will do is waste stone. After the trucks run everything into the mud you will have remove all that then put down fresh stone to pour concrete.