I am digging out a new roadway 400x50x7 to remove peat and replace with structural gravel. Anyone have any ideas how to dry the peat out with limited room in the winter/spring? It will suck to load and haul mud. Last roadway we did we put into a stockpile and it took over a year for it to dry out. We had to use crane mats so the excavator didn't sink into the pile to shape it when we were done. This job we dont have the room to do that. Also the area around the peat is very unstable so access from the sides is limited. Just looking to tap the experienced people on the board, its always nice to hear how others would do it.
I am digging peat here in Minnesota now.... driving trucks right on the frost. Is it possible for you to haul the peat away now? Dig it, load it right into your truck and go....dont know what your weather is there tho
It never froze this winter due to early snow cover before the deep freeze. I can get site trucks out on it just not over the road trucks. Im trying not to handle it twice.
My Comments: remove the tree stumps and top vegatation and large rocks, wider then the road width needed. place culverts 24 inch diameter size, most subsurface flow occurs in the top 12 inches of the peat (how many? be sure its enough for the water to flow from one side to the other side of the road with backing up and you end up with a swamp). At the end of the culverts dig out peat for 4 feet in front of the culvert end and area around it Yes the culverts are half way out of the peat so the road is built up higher then the ajoining surface. place geotextile on top of the peat, it has to be wider then the road width needed, say for a 12 foot wide road place gextile say 22 feet minimal wide. You could place the culverts on top of the fabric, I would lay down a second layer of fabric under the culvets to help carry the road bed material above the culvert, say 6 feet each side of the length of culvert. The culvert locations would have to be dug down a little so they the culverts are half way in the peat. place relatively clean rock on top of fabric, not big size but say under 4 inches. depending of weight of trucks traveling on it say minimal thickness 12 inches, and I mean minimal 12 inches thick. after a dozer places rock evenly over fabric use small roller to settle rock or plate packer so rock sets up. might want to place another layer of fabric on top of rock layer. place class five or pit run with out large rocks ontop of (rock layer) or second fabric. use roller to compact. this should give you a solid driving surface. I have used this method it works. Try going to this web site for information www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/stewardship/accessroads/recommendations.thm I believe I copied the address correct if not contact me [email protected]