Driveway Grading
Pot Holes – Annoying depressions in the driveway that rattle parts of a vehicle, sometimes spilling your coffee or other drinks while exiting or entering the residence. Also, at times, a part of rural living.
Wash-outs – Areas of the driveway, on a downslope or where a small stream formed after the winter thaw or a rain storm. Typically washing away part of the driveway, causing visible erosion. Also, another reason why a drink may spill.
Living in the county is beautiful and at times challenging. Not having a cement or asphalt driveway can add to the challenges of country living (I can relate). Gravel, limestone or dirt driveways do not always hold up for years and do require maintenance. If you’re having one of the above problems, don’t fill the holes in with boards or other materials not designed to be used in a driveway, call us to take a look at it and develop a solution that works on your budget.
We have two options for driveway grading, loader tractor with a 6’ box blade and a skid steer. We can move the material back into the driveway or grade from other high locations. If small amounts of stone are required, we can haul it in. If, the driveway is in rough condition, and requires many tonnages, we can spread it after it is trucked in from another source.
Potholes are caused by the expansion and contraction of ground water under the surface. Common in the Fall, Winter, and Spring months or after heavy rains (All year in Michigan). If the water does not have a direct route to leave the property, it is a threat to creating potholes. The less water near the driveway, the less problems that may occur. Another cause is the original driveway was not installed properly. The topsoil may not have been removed to the hard pan, therefore causing material to sink into the Earth. Think about this the next time you’re bouncing down a rough dirt road, that years ago was only a two-track and evolved over time.
If you’re dealing with washouts, the preferred method of handling, is to reroute the water or to build a support along side the driveway area to prevent further erosion. We tend to do work that is on a budget, making use of easily obtained materials such as field stone or rough sawn oak logs. Building a small embankment is a simple solution to an annoying problem.
Now the correlation of the two, potholes and washouts may be obvious, water. Standing, pooling, or flowing water. Relocate the water, add life to the driveway.
If the decision is made to build up the driveway and add more material, the formula used is to find cubic yards. Where it becomes confusing is, the material is sold by the ton. Limestone averages 2500 lbs. per cubic yard.
Determine cubic yards: Length ft X Width ft X Height ft (Use decimal form) = Cubic Ft / by 27 (amount of cubic feet in a cu yd.) = Cubic Yards.
Height is determined by what the end state goal is. Also referred to elevation.
Multiply Cubic Yards by 2500. And divide that by 2000 (pounds in a ton). That answer will give number of tons. To be safe, add a couple extra for equipment compaction.
If a driveway is 100’ long, 12’ wide, and is to be elevated 6”, 6” in decimal form will be .5’.
100 x 12 x .5 = 600 cu ft. 600 / 27 = 22.22 cu yds. 22.22 x 2500 = 55,500 pounds.
55,500 / 2000 = 27.775. Therefore, 28 tons of limestone will be needed to reach an approximate elevation of 6”.
There are many choices of driveway material, two most common is crushed gray limestone mix and white washed limestone mix. White wash is a few more dollars per ton due to the extra step of “Washing” the stone.
When you are ready, or want to discuss options, please give us a call.