Gravel binding/locking solutions?

[highland145]

Re did the circular drive. The parking pad is ~25X30 clay pavers with squared off edges and tight joints. Nice and flat. Works remarkably well for a basketball court for the kid....:whiste: The entrances have 1/4" sharp/angular dark grey gravel that's supposed to lock together and not spread. After 4 months, it works well....except for the gravel the tires track on the pavers. These are chipping the paver edges. In the short run, it adds some character. In the long run, it's going to suck for a basketball court which was one of the main reasons for doing it.

Some of my choices are:
asphalt the entrances....nope.
put pavers down on all of it....i like the look of the gravel.
go with a larger gravel that the tires may not track..not confident about that.
find some type of binder that will hold the gravel together but not really change the look.

TIA

 

[waffleironhead]

Interesting problem. I wonder If adding something like paver locking sand to the gravel would be enough to hold things together. It's a polymer modified sand to lock pavers together.

http://www.menards.com/main/buildin...er-materials/paver-locking-sand/p-1934749.htm
Pour on the gravel, water it and see.

 

[highland145]

Interesting problem. I wonder If adding something like paver locking sand to the gravel would be enough to hold things together. It's a polymer modified sand to lock pavers together.

http://www.menards.com/main/buildin...er-materials/paver-locking-sand/p-1934749.htm
Pour on the gravel, water it and see.

My "yard guy" is looking into a solution. He's also a close friend so I know where to find him. :sneaky: This might be the trick. I'd be happy with a lighter color if it held the rock in place.

Thanks.

As an aside, the short back story is that some South American gentleman dug the base 2' deep (instead of 12")....so nearly that much crush/run had to be brought in. Drainage isn't an issue. The guy dug the sidewalk the same 2'.... I could drive my truck over the walk with no issues.

Anyone else? Maybe with an emulsion(?) product.

 

[Greenman]

I don't believe you'll find anything that will bind the surface of the gravel together well enough to drive on. If such a thing was made they'ed use it for roads.

 

[highland145]

I don't believe you'll find anything that will bind the surface of the gravel together well enough to drive on. If such a thing was made they'ed use it for roads.

Asphalt...Thanks for your reply. This job has already hurt my wallet. I can't just let it continue or fail to be the basketball court. My friend knows this so we'll work out some solution.

Pavers the whole way but the look is ...meh...and it's more $$.

Why is nothing ever cheap/easy?

 

[Greenman]

Asphalt...Thanks for your reply. This job has already hurt my wallet. I can't just let it continue or fail to be the basketball court. My friend knows this so we'll work out some solution.

Pavers the whole way but the look is ...meh...and it's more $$.

Why is nothing ever cheap/easy?

Looking at that way, it's also concrete.

The cheap dirty might work solution is 2" of 1/4 by dust. It packs as tight as road base, but it's much finer rock. It's sometimes sold as decomposed granite. Some would certainly scatter on your paver's, but it might not be as damaging since it's smaller stone.

 

[boomerang]

I don't believe you'll find anything that will bind the surface of the gravel together well enough to drive on. If such a thing was made they'ed use it for roads.

In Michigan it's referred to as 'road gravel'. The type of small stone they use tends to lock together and the binder they use is, I honestly don't know what. Once laid down and after a rain, it becomes a fairly solid surface. On back roads it of course breaks down and must be graded but on a driveway it will last a good while.

When I had my home built I had it put down initially before I eventually asphalted it

 

[highland145]

Looking at that way, it's also concrete.

The cheap dirty might work solution is 2" of 1/4 by dust. It packs as tight as road base, but it's much finer rock. It's sometimes sold as decomposed granite. Some would certainly scatter on your paver's, but it might not be as damaging since it's smaller stone.

That's another solution. Stained with a pattern stamped in it might be nice.

The 1/4 by dust (decomposed granite) sounds like what they used for the leveler for the pavers. I'd have to ask.

 

[NoTine42]

Macadam?
http://www.drivewayguide.com/driveway-types/macadam-driveway/

(Sometimes known crudely as Tar and Chip)

 

[highland145]

Macadam?
http://www.drivewayguide.com/driveway-types/macadam-driveway/

(Sometimes known crudely as Tar and Chip)

This is what my FIL has been describing how roads were made before asphalt.

He says:
crush/run
old crank case oil
sand
let the traffic compress it.
win.

Thanks, I'll pass this on to the yard guy.

 

[highland145]

My yard guy is looking at a gravel binder like these.
http://www.spec-net.com.au/press/0813/sto_280813.htm
http://www.pouron.com.au/buy-online/pour-on-resin/cl/

That's the ticket but it's going to have to be a heck of a lot cheaper.

 

[slag]

This is what my FIL has been describing how roads were made before asphalt.

He says:
crush/run
old crank case oil
sand
let the traffic compress it.
win.

Thanks, I'll pass this on to the yard guy.

Called Chipseal around here and pretty common on some country roads that are too cheap to pave them.

 

[highland145]

Called Chipseal around here and pretty common on some country roads that are too cheap to pave them.

Mentioned that to him and he nixed that idea. One, the look and two, it still wouldn't prevent some rock from getting on the pavers.

 

[rocco518]

You could try locking the existing gravel together with #10 Limestone screening. It is the same material used for the leveling base under the pavers. Is your existing drive compacted well, or does it loosen when you "steer your tires" on it? Was it ever compacted in any way, such as a roller or plate compactor? It makes a huge difference. A potential problem might be the two foot excavated depth that you described,(overkill), which may allow your drive to constantly shift, causing stones to chip, as well. Digging too deep can be problematic, just as not digging deep enough. What part of the country do you live in? You may want to add limestone screening and keep washing it in to create a tighter base. I have had a stone drive for over twenty years. We dug eight inches deep, used broken concrete chunks, and then filled the voids with #411 limestone gravel, (1 1/2 inches to fines), and then #10 limestone screening on top. Take a look at some of the polymer sealers out there, Gator Dust, by Alliance, works with patio installs. Perhaps they can offer some ideas.

 

[highland145]

The base is good in my unprofessional opinion. The pavers on the 20X30 aren't moving at all, 4 months. It's the rock we're dragging up on the pavers that are chipping them.

I have had a stone drive for over twenty years.

If we had stone, I doubt there would be a problem.

Had dinner with my yard guy tonight and he's working on it. Thanks for the Alliance suggestion.

 

[richardycc]

Gravel-lok.