Catweazle Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 How would I go about making a rough road across a field to a barn. Suitable for tractor, 4X4 and occasional van. Do I really need to dig out soil or can I just bash some hardcore into the grass ? A local yard sells 3" rock, would this be OK to bash in ? Or, would this be a false saving, and should I hire a mini-digger to scrape a few inches of soil off first ? I'm not bothered if grass grows through or it looks rubbish, as long as I can drive over it in winter ( or summers like this year ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 You need to remove the soil and any other stuff that will turn to mush if it rains.Roll out some terram or stabilization membrane then some free draining stone(quite small) to alow surface water to drain away. then compact or roll it. Any less and it will rut and pothole as soon as it rains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digger Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 reduce the ground level by about 300mm then lay some crushed hardcore. Blind this with type one and roll it using a vibrating roller. spray weedkiller into this layer, add another 100 mm of type one and roll again. weeds will pull the lot apart so best avoid them. leave the surface 100mm proud of the feild to aid draining Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrycatcat1 Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 Have you applied for "prior notification" from the council ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catweazle Posted August 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 Have you applied for "prior notification" from the council ? No, but I will if I have to. I wasn't sure if I need to notify anyone if I just spread a load of rock and bash it in. If i have to dig out 300mm and leave it 100mm above the grass level, plus the cost of geotextile membrane, it might be better to lay reinforced concrete instead. How thick would that have to be ? The road will be about 90yds long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catweazle Posted August 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 reduce the ground level by about 300mm then lay some crushed hardcore. Blind this with type one and roll it using a vibrating roller. spray weedkiller into this layer, add another 100 mm of type one and roll again. weeds will pull the lot apart so best avoid them. leave the surface 100mm proud of the feild to aid draining That sounds like a good road, but - is there a cheaper way ? I really don't want to spend a fortune. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catweazle Posted August 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 You need to remove the soil and any other stuff that will turn to mush if it rains.Roll out some terram or stabilization membrane then some free draining stone(quite small) to alow surface water to drain away. then compact or roll it. Any less and it will rut and pothole as soon as it rains. So I dig a shallow trench, line it with Terram, and fill with stone ? That sounds cheap, might be the solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 That sounds like a good road, but - is there a cheaper way ? I really don't want to spend a fortune. You can have a cheaper road but it wont last,wheels will find soft spots and create depressions which fill with water and as you drive over the water it makes the holes deeper. A man with a machine and a big pile of stone will make a lot of road in a day Concrete will be a fortune So I dig a shallow trench, line it with Terram, and fill with stone ? That sounds cheap, might be the solution. If the soil is deep its gotta go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catweazle Posted August 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 OK, it looks like I'll have to bite the bullet and spend some money. Thanks for the advice, much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 Go with what digger said . From an ex earthworks foreman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digger Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 reinforced concrete will cost you a fortune. Crushed hardcore isnt that dear and type one is not that much more. If you are removing top soil you should be able to swap it for the hardcore or type one so halving your cost. on the phone but if you are in the south (cant see your location ) pm me as i know loads of suppliers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catweazle Posted August 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 reinforced concrete will cost you a fortune. Crushed hardcore isnt that dear and type one is not that much more. If you are removing top soil you should be able to swap it for the hardcore or type one so halving your cost. on the phone but if you are in the south (cant see your location ) pm me as i know loads of suppliers I'm in Wales, near Cardigan, so probably a bit out of your area. I'd keep the soil for some raised beds I want to build. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
four-wheel-drive Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 (edited) One thing you have not told us is what is the type of ground have it would seem that it has grass on it but in my area it is very stony so we could probably get away with just putting some hard core on top if the grass. If you have soft sandy earth then you would need to dig some of that out so that you have a firm base to work up from clay would also need a lot of hardcore to stiffen it up. On hard ground I have seen plastic/metal stuff pushed in to the ground to stop wheels digging in in the wet that may be worth looking at if you will not be using it that much. I forgot to add your local gypsies will lay you a strip of tarmac quite reasonably if you ask them nicely :good: Edited August 20, 2012 by four-wheel-drive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catweazle Posted August 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 One thing you have not told us is what is the ground kind of ground have you got ok it would seem that it has grass on it but in my it is very stony so we could probably get away with just putting some hard core on top if the grass. But if you have soft sandy earth then you would need to dig some of that out so that you have a firm base to work up from clay would also need a lot of hardcore to stiffen it up on hard ground I have seen plastic/metal stuff pushed in to the ground to stop wheels digging in in the wet. I forgot to add your local gypsies will lay you a strip of tarmac quite reasonably if you ask them nicely :good: I have a couple of possible routes to the barn, one of which might be quite stony as it's along the top of a small ridge. A different route has a slight gradient at ninety degrees to the route, I was wondering if I could half bury railway sleepers along the downhill side and stack the rock up to it, thinking any sections that sunk I would just chuck some more rock in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 If,as suggested, your soil is stony, you can scrape off the grass and add some graded stone small to large lumps - 'crusher run' its usually called. The graded stone forms an interlocking matrix - the original 'macadam' - the Romans used this on their roads. If however your soil is sloppy clay, the stone will vanish. and you will need the membrane/geotextile/Terram and to dig out and fill with stone. With terram (etc) the depth you need to cut out will be reduced, 200MM dig and terram and stone. If you plan to run heavy vehicles and a lot of them, the depth goes up - I..e lots of HGV's and 400mm with graded stone - the odd couple a week and the 200 + membrane will do it. If the ground is very stoney, like chalk, you can just chuck stone on the soil and that will do. Drainage is the key - if its free draining soil, it tends to be granular and may be stony, less material or none. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
e2000e2000e Posted August 21, 2012 Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 Does the road need be metalled over the whole width? 2 trenches, an axles width apart and then fill with compacted stones etc, should keep you good in bad weather and be about half the price. I work on airfields, electrical, but when there are temporary vehicle tracks build for construction works that is what they do and they seem to hold up even with plant and heavies using it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catweazle Posted August 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 Does the road need be metalled over the whole width? 2 trenches, an axles width apart and then fill with compacted stones etc, should keep you good in bad weather and be about half the price. I work on airfields, electrical, but when there are temporary vehicle tracks build for construction works that is what they do and they seem to hold up even with plant and heavies using it! I hadn't even thought of that ! That's a whole new idea - I could get the required depth with less rock. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazsl Posted August 21, 2012 Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 http://www.grassform.co.uk/ground-reinforcement-solutions.htm?gclid=CND_7OSk-LECFdKBfAod3UcAEA try this save time and energy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medic1281 Posted August 21, 2012 Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 A lot of the farmers around here are making farm tracks out of what look to be concrete railway sleepers. I assume they are cheap at the moment as several of the farms local to me have piles of them ready to go down, and some quite impressive tracks made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hornet 6 Posted August 21, 2012 Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 I have a little experiance of this, 2 tracks over 1/2 mile long to fishing club lakes. grade the area level and take it down as far as possible, I did one of them 6 inches deep, the other about 8 inches. Line with a Teram, top of with course crushed concrete, just a single layer will do, over that fine crushed concrete. Roll it down with a vibrating roller, bigger the better, the one we hired is around 5 ton, once it is down and compressed a top layer of road plannings raked out and around 2 or 3 inches thick, roll that down as well as possible, keep it sprayed with water while rollong, then let it settle for a while for best results, also as others have said, keep it weed free, we spray ours every year. If finances allow, when rolling the road plannings use diesel instead of water, and do it on a hot day. Neil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandspider Posted August 21, 2012 Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 A thought - a simpler / cheaper / less permanent way - what about the cleated / spiked metal runner things you see on parking fields for Glastonbury etc? Just lay them on top of where you want to drive (spiked /cleated side down ) and cut back the weeds every so often. I got out of Glastonbury in mud 6" deep without problem once I reached the metal things, though my car had to be towed to the metal things by a tractor... If the ground gets too boggy around them, lift them up and move them to the other route...? Don't know what they cost, but assume it would be less than the other method, if less permanent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clakk Posted August 21, 2012 Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 yeah dont just dump hardcore down it doesnt last 5 minutes.a paintball site i worked at got loads of free hardcore off the m6 toll builders,first rains unevened the surface and frost destroyed it .your man seems to be giving the best advice for a permanant solution .but if its temporary theres a army surplus at alrewas nr burton can sell u a tracked volvo snowcat makes its own roads ,have fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12borejimbo Posted August 21, 2012 Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 We can tarmac it for you? 01473829129 James at Toppesfield. www.toppesfield.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wibbsy Posted February 21, 2017 Report Share Posted February 21, 2017 I am looking to make a 400m track over a private field to access an outbuilding. Access will be by 4x4s, cars, and the occasional tractor.Ideally I would like to do this once and not have to be filling in potholes every year. However given the length is 400m+ trying to be conservative with the costs and perhaps build 2 wheel tracks rather than excavating a full road.I looked at the rest of this post but I just want to check if I've understood correctly.Option 1Would this be a good track construction? If not what is missing/wrong? I've listed Limestone on the top to give it a bit more aesthetic appearance but I guess this could just as well be sandstone or gravel?Extended OptionIf I placed the dugout soil to the side of the tracks like so and maybe planted some foliage/shrubs in them would that be a good or bad thing in terms of draining?Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vampire Posted February 21, 2017 Report Share Posted February 21, 2017 wow time warp 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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