New Driveway - Lots of Time

[drudgery1971]

New here but not too wet behind the ears and need some opinions. Building a new driveway (Northeastern OH) - total about 830 ft long x 10 ft wide. Doing from the road in 230' right now. I attached a couple of pictures of what I am thinking is going to be a problem area. The majority of the 830 ft drains well except I must go right through the lowest part of property. In the Driveway picture you can see the "low" spot. The Stone_Drain picture is in the low spot and takes the water from evereywhere left of the drive. It is a 4" pipe running through the neighbors field and works well - unless we get 5' off hard rain in 24 hours like we just did. In that case it causes a pool about 8 inches deep and 10 ft. diameter near where the drive has to go. Soil is about 4-8" deep then red clay - soil already removed but need to but down another 2 inches for aggregate.

So what I am thinking is to put in a 6" pipe across the drive at the low spot and backfill about 40 ft on both sides (should pull up the driveway about 16" total with aggregate for the drive. Planning on using a geotextile for about 100 ft over this area just in case????? What about doing the whole drive with geotextile (waste of $?) The base will be 80 tons (about 6-8") of #1 and 2a stone and then 40 ton of #304???? This is just for the 230 ft piece. Any thoughts? This is just for a couple years before I would put a top coat on - probably #57. Thanks for any help.

[Mike44]

Yes, you will definately need a culvert running underneath of the driveway in the low spot - no smaller than 6". You might even consider extending or moving the opening of the drain to just beside the driveway so that it removes the water that will collect around it.

From the sound of it, you will be spreading the material yourself?? If you've got some machinery? If so, you'll definately want to raise the level of the driveway like you were saying in the low area - but don't get rid of the low area in the grass!! It needs to be there! And the culvert can help to move water across the driveway and to the drain.

Not too sure about the classes of gravel for the driveway (I can get back to you on that one in about a week) but you'll definately want a coarse base and getting progressively finer up to your top layer. Again, I can check what I put on my driveway when I get back home though.

And finally, as for the geotextile, I personally think it's a great idea! If you can afford it and have the time to lay it, I would say to go for it! The fabric will help to redistribute the load of tires over a larger area that's being transferred through the gravel and into the soil. Check out this website and go down to around Figure 4 - it explains everything. It's great! It even gives you installation tips! http://ohioline.osu.edu/aex-fact/0304.html If you don't want to put it across the whole driveway, that's fine too, but I would strongly recommend it in the low area. It will help to prevent the driveway from sinking, shifting, and developing pot holes or ruts when you're driving over it in the spring because the load from the tires will be evenly distributed to the soft soil and not just down to one point. Not to mention that it will prevent weeds from growing through the gravel in the thinner spots!!!

Anyways, enough rambling!

Mike

[drudgery1971]

Thanks Mike - I appreciate the response.

We have an old mule 25 horse 4 wheel drive Kubota we have used to cut in the drive and about a million other things so we can move dirt (albeit a litttle at a time) - like I said I have time. I like the geo material too. I don't like spending more than I need but I also hear friends complain and see and drove over too many drives that should have had something similar. A load of gravel every year of every other is more than what its costs so I am going to do it. The only reason I was thinking 6" pipe under the drive is the stone drain is onlt 4" and I am only 10-15' from it so I guess my thought was why shove 1000 gpm toward a pipe that can only take 500 gpm- or whatever tha number is (smaller pipe)? WHat I was also thinking was the added 2" pipe diameter will raise me even more and I wanted to minimize the difference, while maintaining enough clearance to saty "dry" but I am kind of thinking through what you said.

Anyway - I appreciate you helping out someone new. Will see what I think after running the transit over it this next week -- Andy

[Mike44]

Okay, I see your standpoint too about the amout of water that you can get through the culvert. Definately very important! But I was also thinking that you shouldn't go less than 6" just because it might get clogged with grass clippings, stones, dirt, debris, etc. since it will be sitting horizontal. Yeah, I know you won't be sending 1000 gpm towards the pipe, but a large pipe will definately help keep the pipe a little clearer for water to get through to the other side. And then once the water is on the other side, the drain can take as long as it needs to get rid of the water.

Good call on the geo material too! If you're going to be doing any landscaping as well, you can lay it down in the flower beds to prevent weeds from coming through! You just cut slits in it wherever you're going to plant your plant so it gets into the soil, then put mulch over top of the fabric. It works great! 1001 uses! Well, maybe not 1001......


Mike

[tscarborough]

I am no expert, but it would seem to me that you would want the driveway grade to be above natural, and crowned. In which case, you have to provide culverts anywhere that natural flow across the drive is impeded.

[TheDoctor]

I am also not an expert but I just had my driveway done and it took a whole of a few days. Seems like spending weeks trying to learn to do it yourself is a little overkill, but if you insist, here are some great "How-To" videos on leveling and building at pacificpavingstone.com

[angdeer]

Doing the job yourself saves a ton of time. I give you credit seems like a big mess.