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1 Attachment(s)
Attachment 2608Our 45 acre ranch is at the end of a private, steep, curvy, 5 mile gravel road that goes from sea level to 1800' elevation in 5 miles. We (the HOA) spend about $15,000 each year on grading, culvert replacement, and other general road work. We have one of the best private ranch roads in the area. A few years ago, we started using a product called Permazyme, which is enzyme based. The enzyme causes the the fines to bond together and create a rock-like base. It comes in a concentrated liquid which is diluted with 3,000 gallons of water in a water truck, and then spread on a scarified section of roadway, then compacted with a roller. Our test sections have held up extremely well, with a minimum of "washboarding" compared to non treated areas. It's expensive, total cost including the contractors work, about $3,000/mile, but well worth it. Something to consider.
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I used crushed Basalt---larger stuff for the base then small stuff on top. That was 7 years ago. I need to add more small stuff this spring. It's super hard and it locks together, so it doesn't shift around much.
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I would probably avoid organic material such as sawdust.
1)Grass will likely grow in the road.
2)Depending where you are, sawdust and moisture, when/if it freezes, it can take a much longer time to thaw than one would expect.
I would stick with inorganic solutions.
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What about sand? I'm surprised that no one has mentioned sand. Sand is what they use between patio pavers to keep them from shifting around. I think it would work great in this situation, and sand's very cheap.
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I wouldn't use sawdust either. It seems to me that it would just wash away or cause other problems like mold and weed growth. We always just graded it once or twice a year.