1B stone for 800' driveway

[Rkh]

Is 1B stone(or pea stone) a good source for 800' driveway with 5 other people on
this driveway. With the traffic from these people, mail delivery, garbage, etc.
Will this withstand all the traffic? It is a private drive, not a township road-we
are responsible for all maintenance, snow removal.

 

[Russ from MN]

Where I am from we use what is called Class 5 gravel, it's a mixture of 3/4 + fines and a little clay. It packs well and stays put, and doesn't erode. The problem with pea rock is it's hard to plow the snow off without taking some of the rock, but I do have some pea rock right in front of our cabin because it doesn't track in. I have to be extra careful when removing that snow. I don't know what is available in your area, and terminology changes in different regions.

 

[steve_in_mo]

Yes, if you are preparing to put that on top of a solid,
properly graded base and add tar to hold it in place.
Pea-sized gravel is the rock used in what's called chip
and seal up north here.

 

[rustyfarmall]

If starting from scratch, you need to put down some large (2") or so crushed rock. Drive on it for a year, then put down the 3/4" stuff on top. If you already have a solid base, just go with the 3/4". Pea gravel will never stay in place. It is more ornamental than it is functional.

 

[Gary Mitchell]

I second what Rustyfarmall says. If the trash truck alone is of any weight at all, it will seriously rut the road w/o a good base. Where I come from, (West central Missouri), 2 inch rock is generally the base rock. gm

 

[timcasbolt]

(quoted from post at 14:50:23 04/11/19) Is 1B stone(or pea stone) a good source for 800' driveway with 5 other people on
this driveway. With the traffic from these people, mail delivery, garbage, etc.
Will this withstand all the traffic? It is a private drive, not a township road-we
are responsible for all maintenance, snow removal.

I would think crusher run would be better.

 

[old]

What I would use if 1.5 or 2 inch dirty. But here in Missouri we get what is called shot rock which is lime stone that has been blown out of a mountain side and then run threw a screen. The dirty has powdered lime stone in it so it packs down almost like it was concrete

 

[JayinNY]

We use crusher run around here or sometimes #2 crushed stone. I can't imagine the mess you would have plowing snow off peastone! It's bad enough with the #2

Just got a tandem load of crusher run this am.

 

[Idaho Digger]

If you already have a solid base, drop in some 5/8-. Easy touch-up with a shovel or rake, plus freezes solid and acts like asphalt during the winter.

 

[DRussell]

You're better off with what Jay said such as crusher run. Sometimes it's called 2A modified. It has stones up to about 3/4" down to fines. Because it has the fines it will pack very hard and it will last for years.

 

[grizz02]

5/8 crushed it will lock its self together, you will cruse the day you put down pea gravel it will be like driving on marbles and it will be in the ditch in no time

 

[MJMJ]

Pea gravel moves too easily for my liking. Crusher run makes a great surface. Around here you can also get #8 limestone. 1/8"-3/8". No dust and no larger pieces. Packs great, like concrete, but fairly expensive.

 

[GEO-TH, In]

I used #8 gravel, half the price of white rock. It packed in.

 

[Bob Harvey]

I agree with 'crusher dust'. My drive is 200M and some steepish parts. I have had it wash out (grand canyon ruts) in the past. Cross ditching is critical. The last few years I have been using 'road base' for repairs. It has 3/4- down to fines. Works great and is not expensive.

 

[JayinNY]

By the way for that long of a driveway, If you get the material from a company with a good driver you can probably have them tailgate the loads, they chain the gate open a small amount and drive while dumping the load, so you will not have to spread out piles of stone.

 

[David G]

I would never do pea gravel on a drive.

 

[grizz02]

its called gate spreading

 

[JayinNY]

The drivers here ask, do you want me to tailgate it. Just a different term for it I guess.

 

[BobReeves]

Too small, I made the mistake of putting 1/2 inch crusher run on our drive one year. In less than 3 months it was ground down to dust. Was nice for a while but went back with 3/4 which lasts about a year. This is on a 20 year old drive that has allot of traffic.

 

[D beatty]

I use 3/4 down to fine on on the top of mine 39 years ago. I have never graded since it was put in but it has a 4 Ft. base of field rock,silo staves,and the 60 ft. concrete pads that my mobile home set on. I plan on giving it a 2" of 3/4" to fines.

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 16:13:16 04/11/19) its called gate spreading

Around here they call it tail gate spreading. As others have said NO! NO! NO! not 3/8 stone. get 3/4 crusher run or crushed gravel or whatever they call it there.

 

[Brian G. NY]

(quoted from post at 23:23:44 04/11/19) By the way for that long of a driveway, If you get the material from a company with a good driver you can probably have them tailgate the loads, they chain the gate open a small amount and drive while dumping the load, so you will not have to spread out piles of stone.

That is the norm around here.....the driver usually gets about $20 a load as a "tip".
Good for the customer and good for the driver. Well worth it!

 

[MJMJ]

Is having the driver spread the load actually something special some places? There's not a hauler around here that doesn't spread the gravel as part of the delivery. If I want it in a pile I have to specify that. I sure as heck don't pay anyone extra to do it.

 

[rustyfarmall]

Terminology can be confusing. I live on a "gravel" road, and I have "gravel" on my driveway, but actually it is NOT gravel. It is crushed rock. Gravel is something else entirely and does not do the same job.

 

[D beatty]

Around here you might get a running dump if it is a tri axle dump truck but if it's a semi they will only dump in pile.

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 06:40:53 04/12/19) Is having the driver spread the load actually something special some places? There's not a hauler around here that doesn't spread the gravel as part of the delivery. If I want it in a pile I have to specify that. I sure as heck don't pay anyone extra to do it.

I have been hauling and delivering dirt for nearly ten years. Spreading is always by request only. Most quarries will not let their drivers do it due to liabilities. I have hauled for a number of different companies from many different quarries and to hundreds of sites.

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 08:12:25 04/12/19)
Terminology can be confusing. I live on a "gravel" road, and I have "gravel" on my driveway, but actually it is NOT gravel. It is crushed rock. Gravel is something else entirely and does not do the same job.

Around here gravel is what we get out of the crusher. After it is screened you can have it screened into various sizes of stone and gravel.

 

[Destroked 450]

If this is a new drive put down some geotextile fabric then have them spread crusher run "what we call dense grade" on about 4" thick.
The fabric will help support the rock and keep it from mashing down into the ground.
The lime dust in crusher run will seal off the top to prevent water from leaching thru keeping the dirt under the fabric from turning to mud.
We layed out 950 ft of 17" wide fabric for our poultry house drive way plus a 100x240 parking lot and two 275 ft drive ways between the buildings.
All was covered with 4" of crusher run rock, we've rerocked everything one time in 12 years, it gets graded once or twice per year and is traveled on by 30 semi trucks each month plus our 3-4 plus times daily travels to and from.

I can not imagine the thousands of tons of rock it would have taken to maintain this area had we not used geotextile fabric under the rock.

 

[D beatty]

The guys around here are running these frameless trailers. They have to be careful where they dump because
these trailers are easy to flop.

 

[jtwat]

I install gravel driveways in Fla and use what we call 57 stone and concrete fines. It is all recycled from used concrete. The 57 stone is 3/4 to 1" in size and packs well with the smaller fines on top. Dusty when new but that goes away with time.
Also get it rolled if you can

 

[Dusty MI]

I've always used lime stone for driveways.

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 05:34:10 04/13/19)
I've always used lime stone for driveways.

Yes, Limestone is good unless it has to be trucked from four hours away, then it gets kind of expensive.

 

[the tractor vet]

Back in the mid seventy's i built many miles of oil field lease roads , first 150-200 feet off and road be it a state hyway or a township back road were cut down to the yellow / Clay and around here that ranges from 6 to 12 inches down . Once the top soil was removed i would go the extra depth around a foot deeper and bring on the trucks with was called Slag from the steel mills it weighed less per ton of lime stone so yield went feather and i would put down between a foot to foot and a half of # 1 slag and between the trucks backing over it and the dozer spreading it it got somewhat packed down then i would top cover with what we called 304 or clean up as it was a mix of everything from #57 on down to fines and that would lock up the big stiff . Once put down it was there to stay. they saw real heavy truck traffic as the drilling rigs weighed in over 200000lbs and all the supporting equipment thaat went along with each drilling rig then came all the pipe that went into the holes , then came the fracing of the well and once again lots of heavy truck traffic hauling in the water to fill the frac tanks then here comes the frac crew and more heavy trucks in all weather . and the old oil field boys loved to play in the mud , but on the locations that this one company that had me do there lease roads they did not have to be pulled in with dozers they just drove on back and did there things and were gone . To this day those lease roads are still there and still passable in all weather. with what ever you want to drive on back to the well head.

 

[Stephen Newell]

Pea gravel is good but it needs a good footing. I would put down a good layer of limestone screenings first and pack it down.

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 08:06:14 04/13/19) Pea gravel is good but it needs a good footing. I would put down a good layer of limestone screenings first and pack it down.

The only good thing about pea gravel is that it is cheap. Due to the small size it will never make a hard surface so it will need frequent regrading.

 

[MtMan]

Different places around the country call crushed stone different sizes. What I use for my driveway in NE Pa. is called 1/2 minus. It is stone the size that will fall through a 1/2 inch square screen and is mixed with crusher dust. It is just stone dust and no dirt. One bucket of each mixed. Works great and very easy to level and work with. I have driven dump trucks for years and have tail-gated many loads. There is no job any more unsafe to do than tail-gating. You really have to watch out for low wires and trees. Also if the ground isn't level it can flip a truck. Not much tire print on the ground with the body up for stabilizing

 

[Mule Meat]

Crusher run here.

800' be a good amount of gravel.

Check with your loal gravel yard. Here they will cut you a good deal if you buy a semi trailer load (30 - 50 ton) at a time and can dump it on your property.

Depending on your road and the type of trailer. They will tailgate it (as we say). He will not even attempt to tail gate with his frameless trailer. Tried once and failed. Now he will only dump it on the concrete pads where he piles the gravel and sand.

 

[Pops1532]

If you use pea gravel you will forever be adding more and having to grade it. If you're building a new road put geotextile fabric down first!
What you want is what's called crusher run in some places. Here it's called road mix. Basically it's 1 1/2" and smaller stone all the way down to the dust from when it's crushed.
Have the driver tail gate the stone and grade it with a crown, then drive on it to pack in. It sould last decades with minor maintenance.

 

[Destroked 450]

If the road is level enough find a local guy with a single axle or tandem axle dump truck to tail gate spread the rock.
Semi loads may save a little money but you'll work you tail off hauling and spreading a 800 ft drive a bucket full at a time with a FIL or skid steer.

Tree limbs and overhead wires will also determine if they can tail gate spread or not

 

[Mule Meat]

(quoted from post at 06:16:08 04/14/19) ... If you're building a new road put geotextile fabric down first!

NO WAY IN HADES would I ever put or even suggest using that stuff on any road..

It traps water which washes the dirt out from under it and you end up with a void between the fabric and dirt making ruts that feels like you are driving on trampoline. It can only fixed by ripping the fabric out with a good sized tractor and subsoiler or ripper on a dozer. Saw it happen to many times around here.

Its good for a parking lot. But never on a road that sees a lot of traffic.

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 11:22:13 04/14/19)

(quoted from post at 06:16:08 04/14/19) ... If you're building a new road put geotextile fabric down first!

NO WAY IN HADES would I ever put or even suggest using that stuff on any road..

It traps water which washes the dirt out from under it and you end up with a void between the fabric and dirt making ruts that feels like you are driving on trampoline. It can only fixed by ripping the fabric out with a good sized tractor and subsoiler or ripper on a dozer. Saw it happen to many times around here.

Its good for a parking lot. But never on a road that sees a lot of traffic.

Mule Meat I'm sure that you would be amazed to find out how many miles of geotextile that you drive on in a year.

 

[hd6gtom]

You will be forever sorry if you use pea gravel. It never packs down, just rolls around.

 

[Mule Meat]

(quoted from post at 13:51:30 04/14/19)

(quoted from post at 11:22:13 04/14/19)

(quoted from post at 06:16:08 04/14/19) ... If you're building a new road put geotextile fabric down first!

NO WAY IN HADES would I ever put or even suggest using that stuff on any road.... .

Mule Meat I'm sure that you would be amazed to find out how many miles of geotextile that you drive on in a year.

It may work on a hivhway where everything is compacted and compacted again every step of the way..

But on a graveled driveway it is useless. And I can get you photos of what it will after it gets washed out and you cant do anything to fix the road except rip it out so that the voids can be filled.

 

[Destroked 450]

And I can post pics of my 13 year old gravel driveways with geotextile fabric that haven't given any of the problems you've mentioned.
The 950 ft main driveway plus two 300+ ft secondary drives have had nearly 5000 semi loads hauled on them plus my trucks and equipment.

I put small crusher run stone on top of the fabric with lots of dust to seal off the road bed thus preventing water from leaching thru to the dirt under the fabric.

Weather one uses fabric or not if you don't seal off the surface of the road with fine rock and dust, once water leaches down to the dirt your going to have a mess.

Personally I won't build another road without fabric.

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 22:14:53 04/14/19)

(quoted from post at 13:51:30 04/14/19)

(quoted from post at 11:22:13 04/14/19)

(quoted from post at 06:16:08 04/14/19) ... If you're building a new road put geotextile fabric down first!

NO WAY IN HADES would I ever put or even suggest using that stuff on any road.... .

Mule Meat I'm sure that you would be amazed to find out how many miles of geotextile that you drive on in a year.

It may work on a hivhway where everything is compacted and compacted again every step of the way..

But on a graveled driveway it is useless. And I can get you photos of what it will after it gets washed out and you cant do anything to fix the road except rip it out so that the voids can be filled.

Lets see, how does that saying go? Oh yes,

Some people can destroy an anvil with a rubber mallet.

Sure, someone can totally screw a job up so that it has to be done over, and someone else can claim that one time was 21.