We are seeking advice for what our best remediation options could be for this poor unfortunate access road. It came with the farm so we can’t take credit for the horrific placement, but it is our problem now.
The curve around the barn becomes a mud pit after any rain. And the barn is at the bottom of ~100 foot, ~10 degree slope down from the road.
We’ll be talking to excavation companies, but I want to have some ideas about possible solutions or pitfalls. A French drain for example?
It seems that just about everything about the set up of the current road is working against it. Can’t say we love the location of the Dutch barn either, but I don’t think moving it will be an option. We are considering trying to move the smaller barn on the left to elsewhere on the property.
Thank you for any advice or recs for other subs to ask in!
by lilcyfer
13 Comments
I don’t think a French drain is necessary. It looks like water is puddling more because the base material is just dirt/mud. Once you scrape that top layer off and lay down a good base material like class 2 or asphalt grindings, you probably won’t have this issue. Your driveway is also going downhill so as long as you have a crown in the middle of the driveway that diverts water to either side, you shouldn’t have that issue anymore
Consider building up a well packed access road with definite sloping ditches on either side away from the barn. I’d leave the ditches open with rip rock to allow the water to flow with minimum erosion. Locally here, we use flyash or iron ore for a good base with 1/4” angled rock to pack the road. Then when money is no object—concrete a road with rebar and footers on the side. I’d center the road between—make it more straight and cut that berm down on the left significantly.
Yall need gravel
I think a gutter on the barn with a drain running underneath the road and a long ways off is the true long term fix.
Then all the suggestions about gravel/road base come in and will last a lot longer
I’d make this a gravel drive
Take it from someone who’s lane is also a logging access road:
Get you some gravel!!!
I had a very very similar situation. Mine was probably worse actually. I talked to a local road crew that builds subdivision roads in my area. This is what they told me, this is what I did, it worked flawlessly and is still working today.
1. You need water to be able to move/migrate under your road. DO NOT put 100% base material as your road. It will block the water. That’s why you see all these peoples back roads and driveways washing out or having huge pot holes.
2.Excavate the top layer of organic, usually this is 6-8” or so, Until the color shifts to something more neutral like grey/light brown/ orange.
3.Back fill with a coarse grain sand. It needs to be something that will set firm, but will not pack. Something that water will flow through no matter how many times you drive over it. This layer should be 3”.
4.Place a solid base material over this. Clay, asphalt millings, concrete millings etc. it’s hard to lay this correctly as you need to maintain the sand layer. Most people want to spin their equipment around and destroy shit then smooth off the top. You have to maintain your sand layer. It’s a bit tedious.
5.After you get 6” of base material, pack the hell out of it. Drive over it with tractors, then cars. Get it super packed. Let it dry out.
6.Once your base is packed, dry and set, add a top cap. This is only needed if you used something like clay as your base. A top cap would be asphalt millings or crushed concrete so if you used those as your base you’re good. You can also use pretty rock at this point over your base to dress it up. But the point remains.
7. Maintain it. The top cap is protecting your base from washing out. Maintain your top cap when it degrades and your road will last a lifetime. You won’t need heavy equipment at this point (if you did it right). Just fill in any damage with more top material and drive over it to pack.
Good luck. Worked for me! I was driving across a field that would turn into a swap (literal standing 6-8” of water) about 2x per month.
You mentioned not liking the placement, if you’re already talking to excavation companies could you consider cutting a new driveway where it makes more sense to you?
The existing driveway could be abandoned and you could treat the drainage around the barn as a separate problem?
Or is it literally an access road with an easement? Maybe it’s worth seeing what you can do with the road from the county?
Crown, ditch, and gravel the road. With a ditch between the road and the bar and the water will just travel downhill.
20 yards or so of asphalt millings or crushed concrete would do wonders.
Add clean #57 stone on top. No excavation and it’s not an impervious surface so no zoning or permitting issues as it’s just maintenance on an existing drive. Full triaxle load of stone $600. May need a few depending on length. Afterwards put a load on every few years as needed.
I would talk to a paving company if i wasn’t doing it myself.
It also doesn’t help that both barn roofs drain towards your driveway. Thats a lot of water being dumped on the road. I agree with digging out the driveway in that area and replace it with a coarser rock base to encourage drainage.