This driveway washes out about once a year (I just repacked it). At one point I installed a French drain diagonally across the driveway, but after a few months it became silted up and actually caused more erosion.
What other options do I have? Would a traffic rated trench drain work?
by OSUmountaineer
39 Comments
I’d put in a one or two plastic or steel trench drains cutting across catching that water and discharging it into the swail on the left.. just to edit this: depending on the length of the driveway, maybe 1 to however many of the cheaper trench drains cutting across the entire width of the driveway. Easy to install and really no piping at all..
Can you construct it so the water runs off to the sides?
Ditches/swales along both sides would help. The water right now has nowhere to go but over the driveway – you basically have a gravel creek bed.
You need to use GAB. Not random stone.
If this is a reoccurring problem then you may want someone with water management, drainage, or related engineering experience to look at it. Ideally, you may know someone who knows someone who could take a look at it and give you some specific recommendations (maybe you have a local college that has a civil engineering department?). If you can’t find someone that way, you’re probably gonna need to call companies that offer erosion control or drainage solutions. Hopefully you can find some with a low initial consultation fee so you know your long term options before spending a lot of money. If this is still happening after some DIY efforts, that may be a sign to have an engineer look at it.
Fix depends on if it is ground water or surface water.
Rather than a French drain, I think burying a culvert ( metal or pvc pipe) under the driveway right at the spot where the water tries to cross over to the other side is the best option. Angle just slightly the direction you want the water to flow. I’m assuming left to right, so slightly lower on the right side. Trench out an area on that right side so the water has somewhere to drain off to. Then “drag” the driveway so it is higher in the middle and pitches water off the sides. I had a dirt driveway that had similar issues and culverts work amazingly well.
Wait. Where’s the grass? I was informed by posts here that all gravel driveways have grass that needs to be removed.
What you need to do is install some water bars along your driveway. I have several on my steep gravel driveway and I haven’t had any erosion issues. They’re pretty simple to install, you drive right over the top of them, and it’s a solution that many county engineers use on gravel roads.Here’s a link for an example.
https://www.atlasbelt.com/waterbars.php
You’ll want to have a ditch to control the water when it hits the bar, and then proper drainage at the end of your driveway to convey the water downstream.
Forget landscapers. You need a civil engineering solution for stabilization and drainage.
Cut small trench’s at 35-45 degree angles. Shallow so not to damage vehicles. Some line with drain rock never works.
Possibly water bars if your vehicle can handle it. It’s how they keep trails from washing out.
You need a Geo grid stabilizing mesh & drainage pea gravel
Stone is sheeting water instead of letting it communicate. Should be clear crushed over geotex I think.
Gotta build your road up. Base rock, then bigger gravel, then the gravel you have currently. Culverts, ditches
Crown in the middle, and use road bond instead of gravel, it’s a mix of different gravel and crushed recycled concrete, once it gets wet and packed down it’s basically poor man’s concrete
Concrete or asphalt
It needs to be crowned with drainage ditches on both sides
In Europe these metal channels are used in dirt roads:
https://www.fluegel-gmbh.de/produkte/wasserableiter/wasserableiter/feuerverzinkte-wasserableiter-zur-entwaesserung-von-forstwegen-f11.330.25
Asphalt.
Gravel glue
Yes, its a real thing.
You’ll want to research which would be best for a driveable surface, as some do cause the rocks to be slippery when wet.
And, it obviously won’t be able to hold the rocks together against the force of a car… But as long as you don’t make a point to drive over every part of the drive evenly, like a psychopath, it’ll atleast help.
I’d put Geo grid in the problem spots.
A crowned road, with a ditch on both sides, covert a needed per the grade. Facetted rock with lots of fine.
If done well, you never fot to touch it again. Even grading potholes can be hard.
If it were me, I’d try building some ridges/water bars or rolling dips along the length of it to try to divert the water to the sides instead of flowing down the little gravel river you’ve got.
I’m also a cheap diy-er and my method would take a lot of trial an error and adjustments to get it right. I’m no pro.
There’s not enough spatial context in your vid for anyone to give you a real solution, but some problems are still apparent..
(1) you don’t seem to have a designed road bed and your surface material should probably be 3/4” crushed stone/crusher run/road base that’s at least 3-4” thick and crowned (or sloped to one side).
(2) that existing ditch can be improved by (a) installing a culvert or lining with geotextile and using 3-5” “rip rap”
(3) the runoff coming in from the right side (in the vid) needs to be addressed but without knowing the source and slope of land on that side it’s impossible to know the best practice for that… maybe a swale up top redirecting flow, maybe cutting another ditch like on left, maybe a small culvert carrying it under the driveway to the opposite side etc etc?? Would have to see the larger layout of the area to suggest any specific remediation though.
(4) look into building gravel driveways (google or YouTube) for ideas on the design/materials of the roadbed itself as well as drainage.
Drainage has to be the #1 design criteria followed by a properly constructed roadbed imo.
Pave it.
By making it too flat the water is eroding. You need to make it higher in the middle. Like a broad triangle. Only a few inches.
1. Swale both sides.
2. Camber the driveway.
3. Seal it.
A French drain is for standing water. You would need a grated trench drain if you want to collect moving water.
are you my dad?
compaction, loose stones. not just the stones but the dirt underneath. where the tires run is creating a divot. that prevents it from running off to the sides on the hill. water takes the path of least resistance and travels straight down.
we had a long driveway like this growing up on hilly land. dad’s been fighting it for 30+ years. most people either have flat land or a gradual grade. with inclines you basically need gravel to be perfectly laid. (teenagers pretending to be Richard Petty will not help).
i’d try crushed asphalt next time. it’s a lot more “sticky”
I’d use limestone 57, it’s heavier and interlocking. But that’s very cheap around here. Might be different choice in your area. If the public road is running off to your property whoever maintains the road might come fix the issue at the property line for free. My neighbor’s driveway the city turned in a creek by improving ditches above us on hill, they came and extended storm sewer up to his spot.
Leveling the driveway so the water runs to the side be very effective too. Or using some speed bumps spaced down the hill to force the water away. I’d assume someone would consult your driveway for low cost if you want to do work after.
Needs a ditch and less curve while you’re at it if possible.
You A. Need to have a ditch and have it sheet drain with at least a 4% grade to one side or B. Have 2 ditches and a crown in the middle and again a 4% grade to the ditch. Regardless it’s a gravel driveway and will need to be routinely maintained.
water bar flaps made of rubber positioned like a chevron every 20 ft
Dig and mortar in some ruts that go diagonal to the low side.
Yeah…. concrete and lots of money. Like… a shit load of money. You need to channel all the water somehow into one centralized ditch. Or If you pour your driveway you also pour the water channels on both sides, to remove the waters ability to erode under the newly poured conctet.
Add in some water bars to periodically divert water off the road. It’s a standard practice. You can get spacing by asking Google for spacing based on the slope angle.
Needs a crown and cut a ditch.
Try bigger rocks!