I am having a rough time trying to cut a ditch and elevate a road in sandy soil. The soil is so soft that after my road is done a truck needs to be in 4wd to go down it without getting stuck. If any movement is made with blade washboards develop and results in lumpy road. I have found that if i cut an agressive ditch putting all the material in the middle then backdrag with blade fully angled it results in a fairly smooth surface but when pushing forward almost impossible to maintain a smooth roadway. Is this a common problem with soft soil or is there a trick to doing it better.:Banghead
In the pic it looks fairly smooth but trust me it is lumpy.
Might have to make smaller lifts and pack as you go. Does look good from here.
I'd suggest more water. Keep it wet and top it with some good gravel.
I don't have much experience in sandy soils, only worked one project close to the gulf that was mostly sand and it's aggravating. Do you have a source close by for a material with higher clay content?
Keep your blade angled about 10* so both tracks don't dip at the same time while going forward, carry a blade full, if you dip, stop and back up and pick you grade back up. Like others said wet sand will grade better, think of the beach, the closer to the water, hard and firm, away and closer to the dunes the looser it gets and the harder it is to walk on it. A good slow soaking rain will make grading a lot easier and sometimes you have to use a geo tech material to help stabilize your base. It can be a real pain to maintain a sand base road, a clay base mix could also give it some help, dumping rock it will eat it unless some type of liner with a base rock and smaller to top off with. There are also some additives that can be put down and disked in to firm it up depending on you needs. I have about 400' of sand and mixed driveway myself, I have had to put the sprinkler on it as needed to keep it firm since it's been so dry the last several years.