# Road work and clearing acreage



## ozarkansas (Dec 31, 2015)

Hi All! We’ve been manually working on our property in small ways for about 3 years now, but time has finally come to pay to do some improvements.

As a reminder we’re in the Ozarks and the land is 100% wooded. 

In summary, we’re improving an existing logging road that been washed out pretty bad and is full of ruts, etc. It’s about 4000’ x 10’ wide. We’ll dump approx 10-20 loads of gravel and install 6 culverts (18”x20’). TBD on plastic or steel. We don’t expect it to be a nice “driveway quality” project (that would likely take way more gravel), but needs to be a lot better than it is now. And while the machinery is out there they will also entirely clear 3 acres of trees and demolish/bury an old nasty trailer. Lot to do!!

What general watch outs should I have? I’m 90% decided on the contractor but would love to ask questions based on what you all have experienced in similar past experiences. Anybody done something like this before??


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

Wow, 4000' of driveway is substantial. Hopefully, you've seen some of the contractor's work in this regard. I would lean towards the top end of your dump truck range...20 loads will get lost on 4000'.
Was the OEM driveway just a bulldozed job? Are they going to 'high point' the driveway so water runs off? Are they using lots of rock (roadbase material). If fines are the primary material, you'll run into issues sooner than later...imho
Any switchbacks on driveway? Those are problem areas...ask those be widen. 
Have any pics? Curious about elevation change, type of material your plowing through. How big is your acreage?


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## ozarkansas (Dec 31, 2015)

Hi Melli! Great questions. And BTW your thread is one of my absolute favorites to keep up with. 

Here are a few pics of the road when wet. 

The road follows the topographic map at around 1800’. Probably only a 50’ or so climb throughout various parts and only 1-2 spots that get a little steep all at once. No real switchbacks, but one sharp left shown in pic. That’s the worst spot on the road as two valleys converge there with a lot of runoff. That’ll probably need 2 culverts. 

I know I need more gravel than I can afford. Il just have to apply strategically I guess! Each load will probably cost me $400 or so as the quarry isn’t too close. That’ll add up fast!


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## ozarkansas (Dec 31, 2015)

melli said:


> Wow, 4000' of driveway is substantial. Hopefully, you've seen some of the contractor's work in this regard. I would lean towards the top end of your dump truck range...20 loads will get lost on 4000'.
> Was the OEM driveway just a bulldozed job? Are they going to 'high point' the driveway so water runs off? Are they using lots of rock (roadbase material). If fines are the primary material, you'll run into issues sooner than later...imho
> Any switchbacks on driveway? Those are problem areas...ask those be widen.
> Have any pics? Curious about elevation change, type of material your plowing through. How big is your acreage?


I forgot to answer a few other questions. I think the road hasn’t been “improved” since it was cut in the 70s. I can see a few old culverts that have since collapsed. But yes, I think it was just a bulldoze job. We’re able to drive it now with a 4WD Tacoma but it’s a crawl! 

And wow, your 2nd paragraph makes me feel pretty oblivious. I think those are questions I need to research more and then ask to sound intelligent to the contractor! 

We have 96 acres to explore and enjoy.


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

Great pics! Easy to why you need a driveway job. I would hope the contractor ditch the high side and use material to raise road bed, then strategically place culverts to grab ditch runoff. 
I would tell contractor that grabbing material from side of road where possible is ok, and taking out shrubs/trees is ok where need be...doesn't take long for road to get crowded again. 
How long does the contractor plan to spend on it? (days/weeks)
What kind of machinery are they using? 
Is it mostly sandstone down there? A monster 30-40 ton excavator can do wonders. I've seen a crew spend a week on a driveway here (~1000'), albeit, mostly granite. 
I am all about the 'bones' of a driveway...making it smooth (pretty), would be the least of my worries. Lots of newer machines have self leveling features for grading. 

Making sure roadbed is solid would be top of mind.


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## oldtruckbbq (Aug 8, 2016)

As melli said, stay away from "fines" (crusher run in our neck of the woods). The small stuff and the really fine stuff in it will soon be lost down into the mud. Go with 2" rock to start the road out. After that has been run on for a while and you have worked out drainage issues, then you can go with crusher run to get a smoother drive. Ozark soil tends to compact and rut up pretty bad.

Are you going off grid? I can't imagine what it would cost to get power run to the place. Ozark Border will run 1000' of line at no cost as long as we are building a home with at least 1000 square feet. After that, it gets pretty pricey. Of course, if they go straight from the nearest power line, it may be less than 1000' as the crow flies. Our drive will be 275' long, but the power run will only be 150' because they go straight from the road instead of curving like our drive does.


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## oldtruckbbq (Aug 8, 2016)

melli said:


> Great pics! Easy to why you need a driveway job. I would hope the contractor ditch the high side and use material to raise road bed, then strategically place culverts to grab ditch runoff.
> I would tell contractor that grabbing material from side of road where possible is ok, and taking out shrubs/trees is ok where need be...doesn't take long for road to get crowded again.
> How long does the contractor plan to spend on it? (days/weeks)
> What kind of machinery are they using?
> ...


The Ozarks are mostly limestone, although there are areas of sandstone. Most of that tends to be in upthrust areas. We have what they call karst terrain down here. Lots of springs, sinkholes, caves, and sinking streams. Unless you are in a river or creek bottom, the soil is very thin and rocky. It is beautiful, but unless you have bottom land, your best bets are clearing it for pasture, timber harvesting, and after a lot of work, a home garden. We are clearing just enough for a drive, home site, garage, and garden. The rest of ours I will go in and clear out dead stuff, undergrowth, and selectively thin out some of the bigger trees to make it easier to navigate. The forest gets so thick you almost need a machete or chainsaw to get through it.


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## Steve_S (Feb 25, 2015)

You've gotten good advice here so far and I would like to add a thought, I've used both steel & plastic culverts, both do the job but the plastic ones outlast the metal. Like any culvert, they do have to be properly installed and packed in. Cost differences is very little with the plastic being a tad cheaper. As long as you can run a ditch on the high side (left side of photos) and drain the water out via culvert down the other side you should be good. I've never had to do such a driveway on that kind of terrain, no mountains here just very hilly and rocky from glacial deposits.


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

Your road doesn't look that bad to me. Are there any water bars to divert water off the road? I'd concentrate on the few places with the highest potential for damage by water. Water has already started to cut into the roadway in the picture. Your local NRCS office might be able to help you size the culvert. They can determine the acreage that the location drains and use rainfall data to give you a minimum size and a larger size for rarer flooding events.

I suspect the loggers spent as little as possible.

Once you fix the spot pictured, I'd do very little until I thoroughly scouted the road during heavy rains. Depending on the water flow, placing gravel first could be a waste of money. The cheapest way to get the water off the road is with a water bar. *Level *muddy spots can be easily fixed permanently by spreading geotextile over the area and then placing crusher run gravel over the fabric to level out the surface. You want the fines to help the gravel pack together. Limestone is better than sandstone for that. But free sandstone from your place once broken up is cheap.

In order: 1. fix locations where water naturally crosses under the road. 2. Scout the road. 3. Cut water bars to move water off the road to limit quantity and velocity causing erosion. 4. Fix level spots with areas that hold water. 

That will improve the road with minimal expense.

It looks like you have lots of rock close to the surface. If so that means ditching on the uphill side is not advised unless you plan to install culverts at more locations.


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## ozarkansas (Dec 31, 2015)

melli said:


> How long does the contractor plan to spend on it? (days/weeks)
> What kind of machinery are they using?
> Is it mostly sandstone down there? A monster 30-40 ton excavator can do wonders. I've seen a crew spend a week on a driveway here (~1000'), albeit, mostly granite.
> I am all about the 'bones' of a driveway...making it smooth (pretty), would be the least of my worries. Lots of newer machines have self leveling features for grading.
> ...


The initial estimate is 2-3 weeks for the road, clearing, and trailer removal. I meet them at the site tomorrow for review and more detailed discussion. 

They’ll use a CAT D6K dozer with LGP wide blade/tracks and rippers. Also a CAT 308 excavator with thumb and blade. 

I’m probably operating with a bit too much “blind faith” but they seem to know what they’re doing and I sure don’t have any expertise in this space.


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## ozarkansas (Dec 31, 2015)

oldtruckbbq said:


> Go with 2" rock to start the road out. After that has been run on for a while and you have worked out drainage issues, then you can go with crusher run to get a smoother drive. Ozark soil tends to compact and rut up pretty bad.
> 
> Are you going off grid? I can't imagine what it would cost to get power run to the place. Ozark Border will run 1000' of line at no cost as long as we are building a home with at least 1000 square feet. After that, it gets pretty pricey. Of course, if they go straight from the nearest power line, it may be less than 1000' as the crow flies. Our drive will be 275' long, but the power run will only be 150' because they go straight from the road instead of curving like our drive does.


Really great advise on the 2”. I’ll push for that. 

At the moment this is recreational property for us. My dad and I are building a cabin out there entirely on our own. We started in December of 2016 and at this point it’s 100% dry and insulated. Next step is interior flooring, then a wrap around deck, outhouse, etc. Very special for me to have that time with him. 

Ironically power is already on site (150’ from the cabin) but at this point we’re choosing to not hook it up. Maybe we will in the future. But at this point our power needs are minimal and we just have a tiny bit of solar for lights. We also have a generator which is what we’ve used for all our power tools up to this point.


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## ozarkansas (Dec 31, 2015)

Steve_S said:


> the plastic ones outlast the metal.


At first I was adamant on metal, but now I’m leaning towards the plastic. Just seems a bit counter intuitive. Great point on proper install and I’ll emphasize that tomorrow.


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## ozarkansas (Dec 31, 2015)

Darren said:


> Your road doesn't look that bad to me. Are there any water bars to divert water off the road? I'd concentrate on the few places with the highest potential for damage by water. Water has already started to cut into the roadway in the picture. Your local NRCS office might be able to help you size the culvert. They can determine the acreage that the location drains and use rainfall data to give you a minimum size and a larger size for rarer flooding events.
> 
> I suspect the loggers spent as little as possible.
> 
> ...


Yeah pictures don’t do it justice. I agree it doesn’t look terrible, but it’s to the point where pretty much my dad and I are the only ones comfortable driving it. We joke and call it our natural trespass prevention method! 

Really appreciate all the help so far. Would welcome any more advise if there’s any out there.


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## ozarkansas (Dec 31, 2015)

I probably could’ve, would’ve, should’ve made a thread documenting progress over the last 14 months but didn’t. It’s been a ton of work, but a ton of fun. Pretty much an every weekend commitment since we started. But that’s all we can put into it since I’ve got a day job. But since I mentioned the cabin here is the latest (with the view pic from the fall).


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## Steve_S (Feb 25, 2015)

Cabin & Place looks pretty sweet there ! Many good times to come I am sure.
BTW: I have rotted galvanised steel culvert at my place, replaced that with plastic. The old steel stuff is 18 years old and had to be pulled 3 years ago, not fun !


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Ok on our old place used Large Ground Rock from the Quarry then Dirty Base on top of that. I made lots of roads through the brush, good when dry.



















Our Water Gap that Pipe was put in, really was better putting a Concrete Slab in.










I might add you want to keep it clear way back around your Cabin because being on top the hill it will burn if you don't.

That is why we sold out I decided our House would be safer in the holler and started to build down there. Our neighbor just Deer hunts said it would cut the Deer off so bought us out.

big rockpile


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

oldtruckbbq said:


> As melli said, stay away from "fines" (crusher run in our neck of the woods). The small stuff and the really fine stuff in it will soon be lost down into the mud. Go with 2" rock to start the road out. After that has been run on for a while and you have worked out drainage issues, then you can go with crusher run to get a smoother drive. Ozark soil tends to compact and rut up pretty bad.
> 
> Are you going off grid? I can't imagine what it would cost to get power run to the place. Ozark Border will run 1000' of line at no cost as long as we are building a home with at least 1000 square feet. After that, it gets pretty pricey. Of course, if they go straight from the nearest power line, it may be less than 1000' as the crow flies. Our drive will be 275' long, but the power run will only be 150' because they go straight from the road instead of curving like our drive does.


I don't know on this situation. But we had to buy Power Right of Way then, pay for clearing, then for Poles. Many thousands of Dollars.

big rockpile


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## ozarkansas (Dec 31, 2015)

I know costs widely vary depending on proximity to quarry etc, but is $500 per load of crushed gravel delivered and spread a reasonable figure? I am very rural and I think the closest quarry is approx 45 minutes away. 

Also, do costs vary widely based on material? For example is 2” crushed gravel notably more expensive than fines or would they generally carry the same cost per load?


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

ozarkansas said:


> At first I was adamant on metal, but now I’m leaning towards the plastic. Just seems a bit counter intuitive. Great point on proper install and I’ll emphasize that tomorrow.


If it's in the budget buy the culvert with the smooth lining rather than the plain corrugated interior which traps soil and small rocks and, depending on velocity, ends up blocking the culvert to some extent. Opt for the best options for your worse situations. The rest can wait.


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## bobp (Mar 4, 2014)

I'm unclear where you are in the Ozarks, but in Arkansas most county judges will sell you culverts at cost. And at the public road junction they'll install one for free if you buy the culvert... Comes with gravel too....

On the road pics and work needed you've gotten lots of advice... I wouldn't fix anything that isn't broken.... It's an old existing road... It's showing you the weak spots....And showing you it's strengths... 
....Fix the weak spots....... Install culverts where necessary, don't cut ditches where they're not absolutely needed.. you'll cause more issues.... They don't ditch them because sometimes they drain better without it.

When you do buy limestone I suggest B stone in the softer areas as it will bridge on itself... Cover with class 7 base rock. Otherwise use 2" rock with base rock to.cover...

I wouldn't gravel the whole thing... If you do it a few loads at a time it'll be cheaper... 

When I built my last house we had a driveway about 3/4 mile.... I bought a small 8 yd dump truck... Hauled 150 or so loads my self.. spread em with a tractor... Except the B stone...It was spread and packed with a dozer.


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## bobp (Mar 4, 2014)

You can find an old dump truck for 5-7 grand or so that will be reliable enough to do what you need, and still.only use farm tags... Mine didn't raise my insurance any to speak of...

An old track loader for 6-10 grand will still bring 6-10 grand in a couple of years when your done with it too...

But I'm a DIY type of person... My labor is free!!


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

ozarkansas said:


> I know costs widely vary depending on proximity to quarry etc, but is $500 per load of crushed gravel delivered and spread a reasonable figure? I am very rural and I think the closest quarry is approx 45 minutes away.
> 
> Also, do costs vary widely based on material? For example is 2” crushed gravel notably more expensive than fines or would they generally carry the same cost per load?


Sweet Cabin and View!

I used to get a yearly price list from pit...it was a one pager, but to me, it was like getting a Xmas catalogue...lol
I'd pore over it, deciding what I could afford. Usually, prices were in $/ton. Didn't include trucking. Trucking for me was about $100/trip (in CDN dollars). I am 20min from dump (~50 min rountrip as it takes times to load/dump etc.).

Anyways, material prices ranged from $8-20/ton (or about $100-$250 per truckload, assuming a truck would carry about 12-14tons). 

'Fill' is the cheapest...mostly sand with 10-20% silt...anything finer, and you end up with a soup when wet. It rains a lot here, and silt/clay are avoided at all costs. 

Next up is Navvy Jack, a mixture of sand and gravel...ideal for mixing your own concrete. I used to get a wagon load for my concrete 'play', and it makes a solid base for pathways, driveways. 

Torpedo is 1/2" pebbles with no fines. I used to get that for level parking areas...drains well. Avoid using that on hills. Was about $12/ton

3/4" clear gravel (uniform washed gravel) is ideal for driveways...stuff, if laid well, compacts, but allows good drainage. Pit guy wants top dollar for this stuff. Not good for steep slopes. $20/ton

Road base is crushed rock with sand...looks like fill, but is heavy on rock flakes. Stuff compacts really well, and doesn't wash away. More of a topping coat for driveways that have plenty of rock underneath. Good for steep slopes. 

Now, the pit guy would try to offload spoils from sorting machines...I did get some 2" - 4" rock because it was cheap...a mistake. Unless one really buries it, stuff is a pain to grade and tires kick it up, so you have these loose hardballs on surface. 

Now, the pit has changed owners, and the new guy is heavy into rock crushing and charges per truckload, not per ton. At any rate, prices have gone up a bit. I usually stick with fill (cheap) because once it settles, it is compact and over time, I can grow grass in it. For your driveway work, road base and gravel would be my choice. 

With the machinery, it sounds like they are going to reconstitute your driveway by ripping it up, and regrading. The small excavator will take care of the culverts, and vegetation. Ideally you want a thick driveway base (high crown), as it makes life easy when it comes to regrade. I do this on my driveway a couple times a year...fill in ruts. My driveway is only 300' long, but is all steep hill. Over time, a couple of spots become 'washboards'. I grade those out. If I have a good road base to work with, I have material to work with. 

My situation is different than yours...here, we are granite, with very little overburden. A ripper cannot chew into granite. We usually have monster excavators with monster jack hammers (or blasting) that carve out driveways. The excavators then compact rubble, and topping coats are put over it.


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

ozarkansas said:


> I know costs widely vary depending on proximity to quarry etc, but is $500 per load of crushed gravel delivered and spread a reasonable figure? I am very rural and I think the closest quarry is approx 45 minutes away.
> 
> Also, do costs vary widely based on material? For example is 2” crushed gravel notably more expensive than fines or would they generally carry the same cost per load?


A lot of contractors will build a road for you. The problems will start later. Stone of all the same size is like driving on marbles. I've yet to see any contractors or loggers even at the mill use geotextile. If you have a deep muddy area stone will simply sink over time. Geotextile stops that. If you have cuts eroded by water running down the road, grading them level does nothing. The water will recut them and wash the gravel away.

Unless you have a huge budget, I'd have the contractor only install culverts as mentioned before.


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

Glad to hear they are going to spend some 'time' on it. 2-3weeks sounds great...doesn't sound like a quick makeover, but a real job. 
If they take the full 3 weeks, should be a good job.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

ozarkansas said:


> I know costs widely vary depending on proximity to quarry etc, but is $500 per load of crushed gravel delivered and spread a reasonable figure? I am very rural and I think the closest quarry is approx 45 minutes away.
> 
> Also, do costs vary widely based on material? For example is 2” crushed gravel notably more expensive than fines or would they generally carry the same cost per load?


Ok it depends on size of load but our last we spent $160 a Load. I just can't see $500.

As far as working on the road now it usually rains from now until middle of June.

big rockpile


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

You need to put a Storm Door over your Door or you'll have problem with water.

big rockpile


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## oldasrocks (Oct 27, 2006)

Steel rots out fast in the Ozarks as most of the soil is comprised of rotten oak leaves- read acid- and even steel fence posts only last about 10 years. so for sure use plastic culverts. Over size them as we tend to get flash flood type rains here. I replaced the rock in our driveway 3 times before I figured out to put speed bump type piles of rock in to slow the water going down the hill. We're just north of Lebanon. Our driveway is only 700 ft but about straight down.

Two inch rock is right if on clay soil to make a base them use 1 inch dirty- cheaper than one inch clean. We're only 6 miles from the quarry so we get it for $50. freight. The rock is a little over $100 a truckload. I do use a lot of fines. Once the fines are packed in it seeks little or none of it washes off in heavy rains. I'm thinking that the water does not have a good surface to push against the fines to remove it??


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

oldasrocks said:


> Steel rots out fast in the Ozarks as most of the soil is comprised of rotten oak leaves- read acid- and even steel fence posts only last about 10 years. so for sure use plastic culverts. Over size them as we tend to get flash flood type rains here. I replaced the rock in our driveway 3 times before I figured out to put speed bump type piles of rock in to slow the water going down the hill. We're just north of Lebanon. Our driveway is only 700 ft but about straight down.
> 
> Two inch rock is right if on clay soil to make a base them use 1 inch dirty- cheaper than one inch clean. We're only 6 miles from the quarry so we get it for $50. freight. The rock is a little over $100 a truckload. I do use a lot of fines. Once the fines are packed in it seeks little or none of it washes off in heavy rains. I'm thinking that the water does not have a good surface to push against the fines to remove it??


Hi neighbor! Two inch rock is what the Conservation Department uses on all their Woods Roads.

Around here we have many Wild Fires and Rock Corner Post and Steel T Post are the way to go.

big rockpile


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## oldtruckbbq (Aug 8, 2016)

Talk about a million dollar view! Beautiful place.


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## ozarkansas (Dec 31, 2015)

Quick update in case it’s helpful for others later...

Work has begun and the contractors are 1 week into their efforts. It’s been REALLY wet and has slowed down work. The dozer slides around and pushing sloppy mud makes it near impossible. I expect they still have 2 weeks to go. 

I went with 9 culverts instead of the 6 planned previously. The contractors found a few places that needed it and looking back I 100% agree. We went with the heavy duty plastic ones (smooth interior lining). I’m very pleased with the quality. One is 24”x20’ and eight are 18”x20’. So far they’ve installed 5 and I’m generally pleased but it still take a bit of “mental creativity” to imagine the finished product of what I’ll see in two weeks. Total cost of these was about $2400 after purchase, tax, delivery, and a tiny bit extra profit for the contractors to totally manage. 

As for gravel, that delivery will start on Monday. We plan 3-6 loads of the bigger B-stone and probably 12-15 loads of SB-2 road base. We’ll put the B-stone on the worst/wettest areas and then apply the SB-2 throughout. I’ll post a few pics now to show progress but I’m sure it’ll look very different next time I post. 

Thanks again for all the feedback...I really did use it. I modified my culvert plans and my gravel plans based on what you all said. So much appreciated!


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## ozarkansas (Dec 31, 2015)




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## Ryss (Nov 29, 2011)

What a beautiful view!


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## HeavyHauler (Dec 21, 2017)

We build roads a little differently here.

We use several sizes of rock for the base and go to smaller grades/bases when nearing the actual road top. The only paved roads are in town, at the airport and going to the waterfalls.

The rest is seal coated rock. Including all of the highways up here, at least the one coming in and the one leaving. The rest is just plain ol' rock in several sizes.

The company I work for does road construction and rock crushing mostly. Also hauling ore at the local nickel mine. I have done work for all 3, currently working at the mine loading/hauling ore.

The permafrost wrecks roads up here fast.


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

I'd look at any wet spots at the toe of hills that extend into the roadway. I'd consider placing geotextile down before the stone in those areas to prevent the stone from sinking into the subgrade or rutting. That also depends on the depth of the soil above bedrock. You won't regret the additional culverts. You won't regret the geotextile either if you have wet areas that indicate subsurface flow. Otherwise you may end up with a yearly need to add more stone as it sinks.


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

Any updates?
Dying for more pics...lol
Kind of cool to own almost a mile long driveway. I'm thinking it would make a good jogging/walking trail when done.


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## itsb (Jan 13, 2013)

dont do any burning around your plastic whistles, when they catch on fire they will burn under the dirt and you can not put them out, then your road falls in


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## ozarkansas (Dec 31, 2015)

Well, lots of progress over the past ~2 weeks but I must say it’s been quite the stressful process. I’ll spare the gory details, but in summary the roads were still so saturated with the heavy rains that the dump trucks have REALLY struggled. Bad. Two have gotten stuck and had to be pulled out with the dozer and excavator. And one culvert has collapsed so far due to the weight of a loaded truck passing over. I planned and budgeted for about 20 total loads of gravel. At this point we’re at 15 with 8 coming tomorrow. The bad thing is that’ll just barely get to the 1/2 way point. So I’ll be way over budget on gravel AND it still probably won’t get as far as it needs to. I try to stay upbeat, but it’s been a hard 2 weeks. 

The other bad thing is that some drivers refused to tailgate their load and the dozer essentially couldn’t get it spread the way it needed to. So at some places what I had hoped was a ~10’ driveway with 2-3” of gravel is more like 15’ wide with 4-6” of gravel.

In the big picture I still don’t have regrets, but it definitely hasn’t gone as I had hoped.

Here comes some pictures. Enjoy!


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## ozarkansas (Dec 31, 2015)




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## ozarkansas (Dec 31, 2015)

If you look closely you can see the difference between the B-Stone and the SB2 road base. And that is a fun picture of the dump truck sunk down to the axel, right?!? I’ll also post some of the completed culverts later. 

Also, the part I haven’t mentioned yet is the trailer demolitions and the land clearing. Both are nearing completion and I’ll share pics on that later. But it’ll be really nice to have a 3 acres clearing since the property is entirely wooded. And it’ll be really nice to get those 2 old trailers gone...they’ve been a liability and I’ll have peace of mind with them no longer there. 

Thanks for the questions and feedback so far. At the very end of all this I’ll share my main learnings to help others that opt to do this in the future.


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

Wow, some wet boggy spots...not much one can do there, except to keep layering it. Over time, it will compact. Looks like the dump truck ran into a thick layer of roadbase. 
When I was getting loads of fill for yard, when things were still wet, the dump truck would sink further down after every load...until it either hit bedrock or the axles.
It seems once I leveled things out, and after several rains, it compacted well. I can drive on it, without sinking. 
Starting to look pretty good! Thanks for pics.


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## HeavyHauler (Dec 21, 2017)

I suggest getting a smooth drum packer, or a tractor with Wobblies to pack the road down once it's all layered.

You could go over it until you feel it's compacted enough, or do a test on it. Though I am not sure if you can rent that machine to do it.


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