Making a road or parking on your biz property.

[treevet]

I have seen in park trails where on steep hill gravel trails they put incremental slanted 2x4 crossmembers buried in the ground so the water runs off before it moves further downhill sideways to prevent erosion. Just a guess.

 

[ggoodman]

youj got it although I prefer not to use wood as it will eventially rot. large rocks are abit nicer. but a lanscape timber or railroad ties would last a while as it rots though the bar will go away.

 

[BC WetCoast]

Depending on your location and the local verbage, but a water bar and cross ditch are usually synonymous. On steeper roads, they are designed to do two things, get the water off the road surface and get the water out of the ditch and over bank on the downhill side.

Water flowing down the road and ditch has energy which can cause erosion. The steeper the road, the greater the energy. One of the keys to erosion control on roads is to get the water off the road and out of the ditch.

I'm talking about gravel roads in a forest environment.

 

[capetrees]

Used to do this type of work extensively in a previous life.

Mix 3/8, 3/4 and 1 1/2" stone, crushed stone (as opposed to sifted (bank run)) and lay it out smooth with the bobcat or dingo. The larger rocks set the level and the other smaller rocks fill the voids. providing you don't spin your tires, it should create a solid base and you can then top it with 3/4 crushed as years go by as some of the stone settles in deeper. Crush all of it in with a pavement roller or vibratory roller if you have access to one.

Crushed stone is better than bank run because the angular stone will lock together as opposed to the rounded edges of the bank run stone which simply rolls under you tires like marbles would.

 

[treebilly]

Good drainage and a solid base are what you need. Strip all topsoil and get the water going somewhere. Big stone with smaller stone on top and roll it in good with a vibrating smooth drum roller. Don't go light on the stone either. Most commercial lots spec for 8" of stone and 4" to 6" of asphalt

 

[treevet]

My prop. drains well and is pretty flat as well. It was a huge baseball facility back at the previous turn of the century I am told. But since then with the invasives and their annual shedding build up changing to dirt, over the years, it is not hardpan on the surface. I look at the 2" with the later crushed limestone atop as not as good as the paving process with the excavation but in return you can pay in installments and do a lot of it myself, which is what I need. Eventually with this process I THINK I can ultimately pave over it without excavation after years of compression....but not sure.

 

[capetrees]

The paving company may level it a bit but yes, you can pave over the crushed base in years to come

 

[treebilly]

So there is already a decent base under it. Just dig out any bad spots and refill then compact then top dress the whole lot and roll it in. Always seems that stone lots tend to be a little spongy early spring as the frost leaves. Just watch the soft spots during that time

 

[treevet]

It is a little over an acre so the entire lot will take a bit of time but got a turn around and parking for my collection for now. Also have Timberwolf splitter and conveyor and heaps of logs mostly ash ready to bust. Just slammed a 110' double leader Cottonwood last week to regain a little more space as the post and rail fence and turn around is making it seem much smaller.