Gravel alternative

Howdy,

I’m looking to install a gravel-esque driveway to connect our asphalt driveway to the back acreage of our property and a looking for suggestions on a gravel alternative. As I understand it, regular gravel has a lot of negatives associated with its production, not to mention the price.

This driveway is going to be quite long (300 feet or so), so I’ll need something I can get in large quantities. It will also be relatively permanent, so something I can source often enough for maintaining.

We’re in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Thanks in advance.

Welcome to the forum.

Regular crushed rock will continually sink into your road base.

I always ask for fifty cent size washed rock so that I do not have that problem.  This is the kind of rock usually used to make septic tanks.

A lot depends on the soil you are placing the rock over.
If it is hard dry clay I would recommend a 11/2 roadbase, its a mixture of big and small and fines.
If it is softer soil or damp clay I would start with a 4 inch layer of 11/2 inch aggregate only.
Over time it will sink into the ground and may need a top up later of a 1 1/2 or 3/4 roadbase depending on  factors as depth of sink, smoothness required.
I would then spread what ever you use with a box grader or a bobcat.

Hi Justin!
If you have access to crushed concrete look no further. Our farm had several long, steep driveways. Gravel kept washing away and then we discovered crushed concrete. There are two grades here in NC. One is solid, small chunks. The cheaper variety is solid chunks with a lot of small bits. Those bits work their way into the mix and become quite hard. Even on the very steepest parts we did no maintenance for three years.
Even the higher grade concrete is much cheaper than gravel. Hope it goes well for you!

Go to Cornell University website and and read thru their rural roads program.
https://cceschoharie-otsego.org/emergency-preparedness/cornell-local-roads-program

I strongly suggest you use a filter fabric over the existing soil.  This is standard practice for reducing the problem of the subsoil 'mixing' with your driveway aggregate and 'softening' the driveway surface.  It should also allow you to reduce the amount of road base material you will need.  (Tip: Old carpet can also fill this need for a filter fabric membrane.)

Crown the subsoil for water drainage, provide swales or ditches on both side to drain away surface water, lay down your soil filter fabric, apply road base (mix of #2, #1, and fines of crushed rock) that is unevenly spread at 3 to 4 inches deep, wet down to help the fines fill the gaps between the #2 and #1 rocks, then compact the road base (or let it dry for a couple weeks without driving on it) and this will give you a hard flat surface that will actually shed a great deal of any water (rain or snow) that falls on it.

Justin Henney wrote:Howdy,
I’m looking to install a gravel-esque driveway to connect our asphalt driveway to the back acreage of our property and a looking for suggestions on a gravel alternative. As I understand it, regular gravel has a lot of negatives associated with its production, not to mention the price.  

Check out Crusher Dust, Justin. It is usually quite cheap, packs great. It is usually 3/8" minus depending on what size rock was being processed/made up, plus some sand, various sizes of rock dust.

There is almost never any round rock, more shale like as it is, as the name says, it is a by product of rock crushing. One doesn't need a huge depth to make a great base.

With the rain and type of soil in our area,(clay sandy loam), we used 3" shot or crushed rock as the first layer, then 5/8 minus shot/crushed as the last layer.   6" for the first layer, then 4 inches the last.  We've live here since 1998 and this year looking at putting a couple inches of 5/8.  Our driveway is low use and mostly regular vehicles.

I've seen in a few places around the area that have used a honeycomb matrix that gravel is poured into.  It seems to keep the gravel in place and spread the pressure from vehicles out pretty well.  It could be economical to use depending on how long one would need.  Another thing i've seen is recycled pavement.  Results are variable, probably depending quality of the recycled material, on sublayer and knowledge of the person laying it down.  It seems one would want to do it during hot weather and a roller/compactor would make a better product.  It does get tracked around when freshly applied.

Some folks have had real success using wood chips.  If you can get them for free that would be an added bonus.

They might need to be replaced every years though just think you are building soil health!

This is one of several:

https://permies.com/t/204939/Wood-chip-driveway-success-story

Scott Stiller wrote:Hi Justin!
If you have access to crushed concrete look no further. Our farm had several long, steep driveways. Gravel kept washing away and then we discovered crushed concrete. There are two grades here in NC. One is solid, small chunks. The cheaper variety is solid chunks with a lot of small bits. Those bits work their way into the mix and become quite hard. Even on the very steepest parts we did no maintenance for three years.
Even the higher grade concrete is much cheaper than gravel. Hope it goes well for you!

Hi Scott, Where do you get crushed concrete in NC?  That sounds better than the crush and run I recently got.

Craig Thorne] - I've seen in a few places around the area that have used a honeycomb matrix that gravel is poured into.  It seems to keep the gravel in place and spread the pressure from vehicles out pretty well.  It could be economical to use depending on how long one would need.  

+++++++++++++++++++

Is that honeycomb matrix a plastic product, Craig? How much does it add per sq yard?

T

Along the Gulf Coast you find lots of oyster shell used for roads and driveways. I never knew a road with gravel until I moved North.

Used to know a man who had a peach cannery dump some of their pits on his driveway. It was on flat land and drew flies for a while, but only needed basic grading.

oyster shell would be better used as media in water filters for dams etc

Thanks everyone for these suggestions! This gives me an awesome start for deciding what is best for our situation.

I’m glad to have found Permies as I get started on the homesteading journey. Cheers to you all!

True, unless you needed a driveway...

Reclaimed asphalt
Crushed rock
Crushed cement
Pet rocks

Hi Harold.
I made some calls after reading your comment. The fellow I bought my crushed concrete from retired and moved to Myrtle Beach.🏖️
I did some searching and found several places it can be purchased in bulk around NC. I can’t speak for any of them though. I hope you’ll be able to find some close to you.