Asphalt Millings on established dirt lane

We're finishing up a house build in a wooded terrain. The "driveway" to the house is an old logging road that is more or less kept up, though it has potholes, etc. The contractor is suggesting asphalt millings instead of gravel for a slight road upgrade. He says they last longer, and I do like the idea of them being a second use of roadway. But does the asphalt leach?

I googled and found this;
leaching from Asphalt
The use of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) as road base material is an increasing trend in the road construction business.
... When subjected to rain water, these heavy metals and PAHs have the ability to leach out of the road base and
infiltrate into the water table, potentially impacting the quality of drinking water.

John C Daley wrote:I googled and found this;
leaching from Asphalt
The use of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) as road base material is an increasing trend in the road construction business.
... When subjected to rain water, these heavy metals and PAHs have the ability to leach out of the road base and
infiltrate into the water table, potentially impacting the quality of drinking water.

Hey John, I did some googling too, and found some of what you'd reported. I also looked here on the forums and saw a couple folks posting about using millings, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask. Sounds like better safe than sorry. Thanks!

If you are filling holes, have you seen recycled concrete.
Its crush concrete about 5/8 inch sized with fines. It sets a bit as well.

<I was eating lunch and took my time typing so John beat me to the post, but, John's post above is a short story version of what I am explaining here>

Asphalt is tar mixed with gravel, and probably other materials and other petroleum products.  I don't know how the petroleum products would NOT break down and chip off and leach into the ground every time a car or truck drove over them and ground the chips against each other.  

I suspect your contractor gets the asphalt millings far cheaper than gravel or any other product but I suspect he is not passing that saving on to you.  With all the roads being torn up and repaved with new asphalt that sticks the construction company with an over abundance of the asphalt millings.  What else are they going to do with them?  They have to sell them cheap and push them hard to move the giant piles out of their storage yards.  Call a couple of your local gravel suppliers, ask for a quote on 10 yards of gravel to cover your driveway, then ask for a quote on 10 yards of crushed concrete, then ask for a quote on 10 yards of milled asphalt.  My guess is the asphalt is much cheaper, but the environmental cost to YOUR property will be much higher.

For those not familiar, crushed concrete is basically recycled cement/concrete a construction company broke up out of an old road, driveway, sidewalk, or foundation that was crushed into a small gravel or coarse sand.  When spread out and packed down the pieces crush together and pack in tightly forming a very dense surface that should prevent weeds from growing up and will greatly reduce the amount of water seeping into the driveway, limiting or reducing muddy areas in your driveway.  There may be different grades, or sizes, ask what is available.

Here is someones write up on their crushed concrete driveway, it is very wordy and they have a ton of adds mixed into their post but you will quickly see what I am referring to.
https://ladyleeshome.com/crushed-concrete-driveway/

Michael Fundaro wrote:
I suspect your contractor gets the asphalt millings far cheaper than gravel or any other product but I suspect he is not passing that saving on to you.  

I haven't loved a couple things about this process with our contractor, but he's been good about telling us which options are less expensive (including this one).

I think I suspected that it wasn't going to be a good idea, but liked enough about the idea (the savings, the re-use of road surfacing) that I was considering it. Thanks to you and John for steering me right!

We have an 800 foot long driveway and have been considering using asphalt milling to fill it in. It is pot-holed and looks like the Army and Marine Corps were using it in an artillery competition. Driving over 3MPH is not recommended. What do you suggest to use as an alternative?

Not to be contrary but...

I would use asphalt millings. In fact I have done so, filling in a couple pot holes at the end of my driveway. My reasoning is they already exist and they are leaching somewhere already. Might as well be doing something useful since it's not like they are gonna shoot 'em into the sun if I don't use 'em. I am not growing food in my driveway so I am not worried about it too much but I sure wouldn't use grindings for my garden paths... I know that often you (or your contractor in this case) can get the grindings for free or next to it so that will save money for sure but rock is already cheap. I would definitely not make this decision until you get a quote for both. It's the delivery that you are gonna pay for either way.

Also, they last longer? Than rocks?

Dan Fish wrote:Not to be contrary but...

I would use asphalt millings. In fact I have done so, filling in a couple pot holes at the end of my driveway. My reasoning is they already exist and they are leaching somewhere already. Might as well be doing something useful since it's not like they are gonna shoot 'em into the sun if I don't use 'em. I am not growing food in my driveway so I am not worried about it too much but I sure wouldn't use grindings for my garden paths... I know that often you (or your contractor in this case) can get the grindings for free or next to it so that will save money for sure but rock is already cheap. I would definitely not make this decision until you get a quote for both. It's the delivery that you are gonna pay for either way.

Also, they last longer? Than rocks?

I understand your points, but if they have to be somewhere I would prefer the leachings not be on my property.  Heck, I hate the fact the county tarred and graveled the few roads that circle the neighborhood.

The storage place down the road used the milled asphalt to gravel their parking lot.  If I wear boots the sharp edged gravel gets caught in between the lugs on the soles, and the small pieces get stuck in between the grooves in the soles of the shoes.  I know that can happen walking anywhere but it is multiplied considerably on the milled asphalt.

It might be worth a drive to the gravel yard and compare everything in person.

Everyone will have their own desire.  I am not an environmental activist but I am amazed they have not tried to outlaw blacktop and asphalt paving.  How can they not object to pouring tar on the ground and letting the rain leach it into the soil and groundwater?

Right, I totally agree that there are better ways to harden a road. Especially considering that the reason asphalt groundings exist is that it doesn't last!

Just putting this out there, I used to be heavily involved with building dirt roads for the national forests. We only put gravel where there was uncontrollable water problems. We never used grindings. Drainage is the key with a dirt road. You have to be militant about getting the water off the road or nothing else matters.

It's curious that millings are considered a waste material at all.

In my area, they are milled off the road surface, remixed, reheated, and reapplied.

Paul, the only way to fix your drive is to rip it up,turn it over, regrade and then put a roller over it.
Any hole you have now will simply reform again if you keep filling them.
Also, somehow enforce a speed limit .
I have tried on mine and failed.
Speeding vehicles will trash a driveway.

Best equipment a grader and multi tyred roller.
If you put gravel over it then, the best tool may be a box grader.
Watch box grader

John C Daley wrote:Paul, the only way to fix your drive is to rip it up,turn it over, regrade and then put a roller over it.
Any hole you have now will simply reform again if you keep filling them.
Also, somehow enforce a speed limit .
I have tried on mine and failed.
Speeding vehicles will trash a driveway.

Best equipment a grader and multi tyred roller.
If you put gravel over it then, the best tool may be a box grader.
Watch box grader

We do have a friend who every so often (tho not in recent years) graded the driveway. That is an option, or perhaps a few years we can get our own small tractor and grade it ourselves. regarding the speed limit; it's self-imposing. Only an idiot would drive much beyond 5MPH upon seeing it