Gravel driveway - Advice on gravel driveway

[mikec1972]

Morning all,

Have a 3.5m wide driveway to build, approx 30m long, driveway will be used by horsebox's so would need to be fairly robust. The existing ground is quite soft/marshy, so was going to propose 300mm type 1 sub-base, overlain with 50mm deep 10mm single size angular chippings, couple of questions.....

1. Would 300mm deep type 1 be sufficient, or would type 3 be better given the gravel surface?

2. Would the sub-base require any special finish in whindust or sand blinding prior to laying the 10mm gravel?

3. Any recommendations on the gravel finish? Been told a mix of 10mm down to 5mm would bed down better into the sub-base.

4. Given the driveway is only 3.5m wide would you crossfall it or camber about a crown? Was proposing a filter drain down one side of a crossfall arrangement which might also help prevent any waterlogging of the sub-grade.

5. Not sure about which edgings to use, or whether to use them at all, Arch has proposed timber edgings but was worried once the path settles these might prevent the over the edge drainage into the parallel filter drain, but then would like some restraint given to the sub-base/chippings, or maybe set the timeber edgings slightly lower flush with the top of sub-base, not sure really, what do you think.

Thanks in advance

[matty brock]

I pressume you will be excavating the ground not going on top so that should remove all the soft ground and get down to something firm at 350mm.

1 300mm is well enough. Personally I would use a recycled stone like for the first say 150mm, roll and top off with 150mm Type 1

2 I would just rake as you go and pull and heavy stone to the bottom and try and leave the fines at the top and roll.

3 I prefer 20mm gravel as it tends not to move as much under traffic or pick up in tyres as much. Consider a 1m wide rumble strip

4 I wouldn't of though you needed to add a drain or consider a crossfall as you have a massive amount of stone underneath to absorb the water but if it's poorly draining ground then a camber to land drain

5 Concrete square top edging would be best, then timber, then nothing, just depends on your budget. Any edging needs to be slightly higher to prevent the gravel from spreading.

Cheers, Matty

[local patios and driveway]

150mm max. Use terram, then 75mm of type 2 crushed concrete, compact, then 75mm of type 1 mot, compact, then gravel.

[mikec1972]

Thanks all for the replies think i'll go with the concrete edgings, as you say slightly more expensive but long term should much better cope with any over-run. I was going to crossfall the driveway (ie no high point in the middle just sloping across the full width from one channel to the other), this could save on having to have two lots of filter drains down each side, would there be any issues in crossfalling the road in this way? Also for the edgings, mindful we have over the edge drainage, is there likely to be any pooling of water at the edging once the road settles, what would be the best level to set them at, slightly lower than the surfacing or flush?

[scousermouse]

I have a front garden grassed area about 4 metres x 7 metres in area. The top surface has been chewed up by parking a car on it. I was thinking of putting down gravel to make it into a drive. From some of the other posts, it seems that I would have to put down some type of hardcore. It would only be used for parking a Ford Fiesta on it. How deep would I have to dig down for the base layer? I would really appreciate any advice, because even though I am a Bloke, I am useless at DIY!:)

[Tony McC]

See Gravel Driveways page on main website

[scousermouse]

Thanks Tony McC. I need all the help I can get!;)