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Small Cabin Forum / Properties / Anyone know anything about dirt roads?
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paulz
Member
# Posted: 10 Aug 2015 10:15 - Edited by: paulz
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I've cut a steep road to my cabin. Dirt has gotten powdery and slippery. I can get ground up asphalt for free or recycled road base for $15 a ton, just a couple miles away and I have a dump truck. Would either of these help? Do I need to scrape the soft stuff away first? I have a tractor with drag box.
0422151424.jpg
0422151424.jpg


creeky
Member
# Posted: 10 Aug 2015 11:34
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how deep is the soil? and what's under it?

from the pic I can't tell if that's sand or clay. kinda looks like clay/leaf litter.

If you put road base on soft soil the weight of your tires will push it into the ground. and come spring it will disappear.

google "geotextile road". the formula is tarp (geotextile). 4" of 3" crushed. cover with road topper (5/8" crushed or similar). I imagine you could use all recycled road base. what size is it?

the tarp is pricey but it will keep your crushed rock from vanishing.

I'm looking at that and boy does it ever remind me of a mountain bike trail a couple of friends built (washed out the first winter). you might want to look at where the water coming down the slope is coming from. and where you want it to go. culverts ditches are some'at to think some on anyway.

looks like a real nice spot.

paulz
Member
# Posted: 11 Aug 2015 21:29 - Edited by: paulz
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Thanks Creeky. Yeah it's pretty soft. Looks like the tarp stuff would be about $500 for the 300ft. or so I need. Not bad. If I could just use the recycled road base on that it'd save me a bunch, the crushed rock is $60 compared to $15.

So I was advised to camber the road in towards the hill for the straigtaway, and inward on the U-turn. I have been working on that but need to finish up before I start spending. I dug a ditch where the hill hits it and ran it straight all the way down past the curve. The road has actually been in for a couple of winters and doesn't wash out that much, nothing I can't fix in a day.
0422151424a.jpg
0422151424a.jpg


rky60
Member
# Posted: 11 Aug 2015 22:17
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The geotextile does work very well. On a hill like that I think it would be best to put a lot of stakes in it to hold it in place.

I did exactly as creeky described, geo, then 4's, then 2rc topper stone. And I covered some serious mud.. The corner in these pics got no sunlight, and I got impatient waiting for it to dry out, if it ever would. Thought about scrapping it off, needed that area for parking, but would just need to fill it back in anyhow, buried it...
Before
Before
Geotextile, no loss of material and solid now
Geotextile, no loss of material and solid now


AK Seabee
Member
# Posted: 11 Aug 2015 22:43
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The ground up asphalt or RAP (Recycled Asphalt Product) is an outstanding leveling course and wear surface. It compacts and binds wonderfully. Also, no dust and is more effective than D1 in wet conditions.

Remove the overburden and sluff, place the fabric, place and compact a non frost susceptible soil (NFS) (two feet) and place and compact the RAP.

You will have a wonderful surface that will last for years with little to no maintenance..

Coastal
Member
# Posted: 12 Aug 2015 00:13
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Asphalt grindings are awesome! If you can get them for free go for it. No dust, compacts like a real Asphalt road after a couple years, it's really the best option.

bobrok
Member
# Posted: 12 Aug 2015 16:13
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+1 on the asphalt grindings. Have had a steep, wet stretch of road with a 90° bend covered with this for at least 10 years now.
Last year loggers ran 18-wheelers up (empty) and down (loaded) and the stuff held up fine for the most part. They dug drainage also before using this stretch.

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