Steep road to the River

Qweaver · July 01, 2013, 07:11:44 PM

I just dozed out a road to the river. It's kinda steep...I'm guessing 25 deg. On the advice of a Dept of highways guy, we 1. put down geo cloth, 2. then one layer of 6 to 8" shot rock, 3. a layer of 2-3" rock, 4. final layer of "57s" ( about 3/4 to 1") It looks really good but how do I get it to pack down. I've tried the tractor, dozer, four wheelers, gator. It's just not packing down. I had to pull out the jeep today with the tractor. I may have to put on more 57s and get a roller on it. I hate to buy a $300 roller just to do one job.

Corley5 · July 01, 2013, 07:50:35 PM

Water it.

clww · July 01, 2013, 07:57:55 PM

+1
That's what I'm thinking, too.

Qweaver · July 01, 2013, 08:07:03 PM

We've had a lot of rain since we put the rock down, but I'll try anything. We have steeper hills on our deer lease and the rock is holding well on them. I'm beginning to think that the big rock was not such a good idea. I just know nothing about road building and can only go with what I'm told. I may try a load of crush and run. I used C&R on my other road and it is almost like concrete.

clww · July 01, 2013, 08:12:20 PM

As time goes by, I think you will be thankful for that larger rock being there as the road bed base layer. As written, it's going to stay in place much better than the smaller stuff will.

turbo885 · July 01, 2013, 08:21:40 PM

you need some fines mixed in with the top or it just wont pack

mesquite buckeye · July 01, 2013, 08:29:40 PM

Just roll a heavily loaded truck up and down the slope if you can make it, then smooth it out with a blade. Steep grades like that are always a problem.

We did one similar to that in Missouri and just used clean 3". 15 years later it is still good and no washouts to worry about.

SAWMILL BUDDY · July 01, 2013, 08:41:14 PM

You need some 21a or crush and run mixed in. You'll just spin your tires on 57s

clww · July 01, 2013, 09:17:22 PM

We brought in many loads of crush and run on our driveway at the cabin. Every area that wasn't solid rock, or level, got it. After that, crawled over it with an excavator several times.

snowstorm · July 02, 2013, 07:17:57 AM

calcium on the gravel. the sharpness of the gravel makes a huge difference on wether it will pack or not. small round rocks dont lock together like small sharp edged rocks do. if its really a 25% grade it will wash in heavy rain. a 25% grade drops 25ft in a 100ft. any roller you can buy for $300 will not be of any help. go rent a dnyapac

Qweaver · July 02, 2013, 08:08:56 AM

This is not gravel, it is crushed limestone. Lots of sharp edges. I'm ordering a load of C&R today.

scsmith42 · July 02, 2013, 11:14:00 AM

Quinton, good choice with the crusher run. The big rock is great for a base, but you need the crusher run to fill in all of the voids on top. A thin layer of 57's on top (about an inch) of the crusher run will provide an attractive surface but will good traction.

SAWMILL BUDDY · July 02, 2013, 06:36:55 PM

The crush and run will lock it all together like concrete

Qweaver · July 03, 2013, 06:21:44 AM

26 ton of C&R cost over $600

Last year it was just over $400. We have no inflation...Right.

TimRB · July 03, 2013, 10:36:21 AM

Quote from: snowstorm on July 02, 2013, 07:17:57 AM
if its really a 25% grade it will wash in heavy rain. a 25% grade drops 25ft in a 100ft.

Okay, so now I'm confused. Is it 25 percent, or 25 degrees as it said in the OP? 25 degrees is insanely steep--about 46 percent.

Tim

Qweaver · July 03, 2013, 05:44:26 PM

Well, I just checked and the slope is 19 deg. Steep but not bad. I spread the CR and that did the trick. I do need to pack it down some but the tractor does not spin now. The road is only 9' wide so I need a narrow vehicle with smooth tires. :D

Qweaver · July 03, 2013, 05:56:06 PM

Quote from: scsmith42 on July 02, 2013, 11:14:00 AM
Quinton, good choice with the crusher run. The big rock is great for a base, but you need the crusher run to fill in all of the voids on top. A thin layer of 57's on top (about an inch) of the crusher run will provide an attractive surface but will good traction.

I've never heard it called anything but crush and run but I'll bet that crusher run is the right name. The guys driving the trucks call it crush and run too. live and learn ;)

beenthere · July 03, 2013, 07:58:02 PM

19° is about 34% slope. So it is quite steep. Our township won't permit a driveway over 12% (or 7°).
degrees to percent slope calculator

What will be run up/down this road? And if sliding, how far to the river... :

trainwreck · July 03, 2013, 08:30:30 PM

i have built miles of road and worked in a few rock pits here in oregon, but i have no idea what "crushand run" is???? and what are "57's"

Brucer · July 03, 2013, 11:12:07 PM

For roads, "round" rock is bad and rock that is all one size is even worse. The sized rock doesn't nest together. You want the fines to fill in the voids between the larger pieces.

The best stuff around here is pit run mine rock (this used to be a mining town).

Sized, round gravel is ideal for drainage, precisely because the pieces won't nest.

Qweaver · July 03, 2013, 11:32:26 PM

This is a very short road, about 30'. It was a very steep bank that we just dozed out to get access to the river.

BaldBob · July 04, 2013, 03:01:59 AM

Quote from: beenthere on July 03, 2013, 07:58:02 PM
19° is about 34% slope. So it is quite steep. Our township won't permit a driveway over 12% (or 7°).

What will be run up/down this road? And if sliding, how far to the river... :

Actually 19 Deg. is 42% slope. ( 45deg is 100% slope - 1 ft change in elevation for each horizontal foot = 100%. 19/45 = 42%). 7 deg is a 15.6%slope.

BaldBob · July 04, 2013, 04:44:40 AM

Sorry you are correct & I am wrong. It's not a straight line relationship, but is dependent on the Tangent of the angle.

Qweaver · July 04, 2013, 07:56:44 AM

I know nothing about how slopes are marked, BUT!
Pythagoras is my friend and A square plus B square = C square and the sine of the angle A is equal to the opposite over the hypotenuse... so I know that my angle is right. :D

scsmith42 · July 04, 2013, 10:24:15 AM

Quote from: Qweaver on July 03, 2013, 05:56:06 PM
Quote from: scsmith42 on July 02, 2013, 11:14:00 AM
Quinton, good choice with the crusher run. The big rock is great for a base, but you need the crusher run to fill in all of the voids on top. A thin layer of 57's on top (about an inch) of the crusher run will provide an attractive surface but will good traction.
I've never heard it called anything but crush and run but I'll bet that crusher run is the right name. The guys driving the trucks call it crush and run too. live and learn ;)

A long time ago I worked for a business holding trust that had interests in a cone type rock crushing operation. When producing specific sized aggregate (57's, rip rap, etc) the output from the rock crusher was sifted through several screens to produce the different sized aggregate, the size of which depended upon the cone setting in the crusher.

However, when making material for road base, the quarry operators referred to this material as "crusher run" because they simply set the rock crusher at a medium (usually around 1-1/4") dimension and everything that ran through it went into the base pile, with nothing screened out. Hence the term "crusher run".