If this is in the wrong thread please move it to the appropriate place, as i'm still getting use to the site. thanks. this is of the longer area of road i needed cut. it is rough i need to take about 5-10 foot of hump out to bring down climb as the upper end dips down in the area i'm going to put my turning point. it was pouring downnnnn rain, so it looks rough. one good question: once i determine my banking on road and ditch line, etc. Which gravel combo would be good, i thought of using basic 57's first, then maybe some crusher run to top that I plan on using it graveled for a while to make sure i don't have to change anything later before paving cost. But I have been told I'd be better off using the larger stone like railroad uses to begin with then top with 57's or crusher run. I need the best gravel for the money, I can't afford to triple layer things, etc. your input is appreciated. thanks.
Can you get any bank run in your area ? What i do is go with about 10 inches of bank run then top off with about 3 inches of crusher. Soil stabilization is is the real factor here. It looks kinda sandy to me which can be good and bad . If you start halling and find a sink hole you may need to bring in some really bony stuff for a base. Good luck.
Here in my neck of the woods we would use woven fabric, 18 inches of 4 inch minus, then top it up with 4-6 inches of 3/4 inch minus. All crushed. Its interesting to see what's available for rock and the terms people use for it in other areas. Whatever rock you choose, fabric under it would sure help to stabilize things. Good luck. AO
Eighteen inches?? I wouldnt go that heavy, unless you plan on driving loaded triaxles on it on a daily basis. Fabric is never a bad idea but seems a little overkill to me, especially on a little farm lane. Check it out: Start with some kind of bony shale type material, as long as the ground is firm you can stay with maybe 4" of this. Then go to a blend of stone, 1" and under should do fine. Go another 4" with this and then COMPACT THE HELL OUT OF IT!!!! You can drive your truck up and down it all day if thats what it takes. Tip: if you have a mason dump of a small single axle truck available, the best way to spread stone is to set the chains on the back of the tailgate and let it trickle out. You do it right it looks like it was laid by hand; like a real pro
I didn't pick up on the farm lane part! I've seen plenty of people "save money" by using less rock base then end up fixing the road with more rock after the first winter. I guess it all comes down to what you intend to run over your road.
One thing to consider first is the quality of the sub-grade. The road will only be as strong as your sub base. There are several ways to go about it with proper fill and compaction being the first, easiest and widely used option. Of course there is fabric, geo-grid, etc that can be used to make a suitable sub base out of less than suitable material. My plan of action would be to use what material you have on site and make it suitable for your application if possible. From the pictures it looks like you have some decent size fills - 4-6 FT. What other equipment do you have at your disposal for compaction? A D5G has the ability to compact the soil to a desired density, but so does your feet, it's just how long you want the job to be. Of course an 815 or 563 compactor would be great, as well as a D8, pan and so on, but you have a job to complete with the resources you have. I have found different pull-behind static compactors as reasonable prices that would work as well. Sheepsfoot, pneumatic and smooth drum pull behind rollers are out there, you just have to look for them. With the advent of the vibratory compactor, they have went to the wayside. Here are a few examples: http://www.machinerytrader.com/list...6366215&GUID=BFC98C2C9A634EBABDC750F9280C3F29 http://www.machinerytrader.com/list...6155542&GUID=BFC98C2C9A634EBABDC750F9280C3F29 Or you may choose to rent a vibratory roller for when you need it. I wouldn't suggest buying an older vibratory roller that is cheap, just too much maintenance and cost to keep it running. Those pull-behinds will be a little aggravating having to run the length of the road, turn-around and go back up. Just depends on your train of thought. One of the rollers listed above would be the same cost as renting a 48-60" roller for a couple of weeks. With rent you spend the money and send it back. If you can buy something that may not be as efficient but you paid for it at the end of the first job, you have it for the next job. Now on to the gravel. I would not suggest using #57 stone on a drive. It will wash and tires will spin easily due to it's size. #8910 works OK if the drive is not steep, otherwise it washes too much. Crusher run would be my choice due to the varying size from fines to 1"+. The different sizes of stone lock together better since you have the fines and smaller stone to fill the voids in the larger stone and keep it from moving. Proper grade and drainage will play just as big a role in keeping the stone in place as the choice of stone. As far as thickness goes, that depends on what kind of traffic will be on the road. For light duty traffic, pick-ups, cars and the occasional heavy truck, I would go with 8-10" of well compacted crusher run. With that being said, I am a southerner and we do not have a winter, so any frost heaving and the like needs to be taken into consideration. The stone you use will need to be compacted and the examples I listed above are not what I would use to compact the stone. (I looked for a smooth drum pull-behind but had no luck.) A vibratory smooth drum would be the cat's meow. You may want to consider renting one when the gravel goes down or use your D5 ( see feet refrence above ) . But as with everything in life there is a trade-off, more undercarriage wear using your dozer as a compactor.
my question is what is the road going to be used for? light trucks and cars? heavy equipment? heavy trucks once and awhile or very often? does it compact well, can you drive your truck over it without sinking in? how soon are you wanting to pave it?
my avalanche, my d5, and everyonce in a while maintaince trucks delivery, to include bit rig with wood, etc but only one or twice a year as i'm building. compacts well the picture is first run and with it first cut during a downpour. paving in about a 2-4 years, depending on asphalt pricing.
checking on this site: http://www.three-z.com/gravel_and_stone_sizes.htm i was comparing the stone sizes, and didn't see the 8910? where does it fall in on say this chart. from what i'm reading on the chart i was thinking either: 304
The stone sizes I am accustom too start with the lowest number being the larger stone. IE - #1 is bigger than #4. #57 is a combination of #5,6,7 size stones. #8910 is sizes #8,9,10 and it is usually 3/8" size and down to fines, although sometimes you get a little larger stone with it, but nothing the size of standard 57. I buy my stone at Vulcan Materials and the sizes I stated are ALDOT specs. Vulcan has a nice volumne/tonnage calculator - http://www.vulcanmaterials.com/vcm.asp?content=cagcalc Hope this helps.
This is my supplying quarry that is near my location, under the west virginia chart. Thanks. http://www.pmqc.com/products.html i just found this chart of their material, I was thinking the 3 in. base, with a 3" Crusher Run if it is two rough after packing. ps. the more i use my d5G it's gets more addicting.
For roads and driveways, I have always put down a 4-6" of 1&2's and top dress with 304. The 1&2's will bridge or fill in soft spots, and the 304 locks the whole thing together. Tune it up once a month of so, and it will be fine. Its a driveway not a airport runway, keep it simple. If you can get it, recycled concrete will be cheaper, but watch for wire, especially in the 1&2's.
just wanted to say THANKS to all the responses to my questions on the board for the short time i've been on here, and to all the great information that is hidden in the threads here. I call honestly tell ya that the info is almost as valuable as paying a someone to work on something or trying to get the truth out of a salesman, or a nite with a supermodel who just says thank you and good bye. what a minute I might be going a little to far. no seriously all is appreciated, as through reading here and asking questions, I think and feel i've made a super choice with my 05 D5G (much better than that mid-life sports car to play with)
With what you said that you're going to be driving over it. I would just start out with 3"-4" of crusher run over well compacted dirt. see how that does for awhile. Then dress it up and/or top it off with an inch or so when needed. Thats how we build our driveways/farm roads around here.
Being in a freeze thaw area, we generally use 6-8 inches of stone. Most of that is 21AA, or 304, or im going to assume "crusher run." Ill spread 6-7 inches of 21AA, make sure its good and compacted. Then ill top it off with an inch or two of 6AA. Same as 57s. 304/21aa tends to be muddy with the fines in it. The 57s have no fines so it keeps things a lot cleaner. If you have any wet/soft areas 6 inches of 1x3 or #2s would be a good thing
don't for get geotec fabric once rough grade is set
for a simple driveway, 6" of something like a 4"- and then a couple inches of something like some 5/8"- compact it good, dont let your rock get too dry when you're working it. fabric wouldnt hurt,
thanks thanks for all the suggestions.....i'll post pictures when i get to that point i have a long way to go yet. another questions....Has anyone every heard of using shredded tires for road base instead of gravel, if so can it be used without paving for a short time, etc. i just heard a guy talking about it on a TV show and just caught the end of it.
Even though Vulcan is our competition , I'll chime with my thoughts. 4" of #3 stone (Railroad ballast) under 4" of GABC (Crusher run). Leave about 6" of #3s on either side of the road uncovered to facilitate drainage. Normal water flow will run under your driving surface instead of over it saving you from having to maintain the road as often. Both of those stone sizes will most likely be cheaper than blended rock, like 57s, because there are less production costs involved in making them. GABC and #3s come straight off the front end of our plant, with most plants being similar, so no further processing is involved. Hope this helps.
Unfortunately, Vulcan has two quarries very conveniently located on either side of town, otherwise I do not like there "take-it or leave it attitude" and would purchase stone elsewhere. How far away are you guys from B'ham?............ We do have Martin Merrietta, Cheney Lime, Caramuse, Chemical Lime and a few others around, although most of the last three produce a powdered lime product. Sorry for the hijack, just doing some catching up.
B'ham Rail, our locomotive repair contractor, makes it in 2 hours. What color is your truck so I can be looking for ya. Hey Farmer, I was thinking a little more on the matter. If you go to your quarry of choice, just ask what their un-finished products are. These are products that require no further processing once they go throught the primary plant. These will also almost always be cheaper. They might not be the exact sizes as mentioned in this thread but you should be able to find something close. Also see if they have any scrap rock that meets the sizes you want. When we pull shots on the upper benches, we get a lot of weathered rock mixed in the muck pile. The weathered rock is softer than the granite so it doesn't meet DOT specification. This rock is usually marked down and would serve your purpose just fine.