Asphalt Millings for Driveway / Parking around shed?

[LarryBud]

Here in Eastern MO, we've had a sold 7"+ of rain in the 20 days or so. Some torrential downpours. As a result, my gravel drive ( which I'm planning for an upgrade ) has eroded with a 8" wide / 8" deep gully forming through it at the most sloped area.

I'll need to do some grading / water management or this will be a problem moving forward once the new gravel is installed. I was kicking this around with a couple of gravel haulers I ran into and they said " skip the gravel and use asphalt millings ". Pack it down good and let the water flow over it.

I sure like the idea vs grading and reestablishing grass as I don't see an easy way to reroute the current water flow in heavy rains. Does anyone have and experience with asphalt millings vs gravel? It's also about 1/3 the price per ton around here.

 

[Bmyers]

I will be interested in seeing how it turns out. Sounds like a good solution if it works as they have suggested.

 

[The_Al]

Here in Eastern MO, we've had a sold 7"+ of rain in the 20 days or so. Some torrential downpours. As a result, my gravel drive ( which I'm planning for an upgrade ) has eroded with a 8" wide / 8" deep gully forming through it at the most sloped area.

I'll need to do some grading / water management or this will be a problem moving forward once the new gravel is installed. I was kicking this around with a couple of gravel haulers I ran into and they said " skip the gravel and use asphalt millings ". Pack it down good and let the water flow over it.

I sure like the idea vs grading and reestablishing grass as I don't see an easy way to reroute the current water flow in heavy rains. Does anyone have and experience with asphalt millings vs gravel? It's also about 1/3 the price per ton around here.

Here is what has worked for me on a flatish driveway with millings vs. gravel. I use millings for my main drivevway that heads to the street (>1/3 mile long) and it works well here in MA; I usually get a couple of dumps every few years to fill in "cracks" and such from plowing the dirveway. I find that is the biggest issues are associated with my plow and plowing of the driveway; which is reasonably flat. I tried using gravel years ago, but it did wash away a bit, even in flat (mostly rain graded areas) so I moved to millings.

I think we had a similar rain count here as well over the past few days here in MA, and I will say the front of my driveway tends to wash away, similar to what you described, but the rest of my driveway has stood up strong for many years; I keep a pile of millings on hand and re-fill with large-ish pieces for the bottom tamped down, and then with finer at the top tamped down both by hand and then I run over it with the tractor and vehicles. For things like ramps and such it also works great, and if it is built up I do not see it wash out ever.

As an aside, in the past I would tamp/roll it down with a steam/similar roller, but now I just back blade in the spring as needed and let the summer sun set in to set. Works well, and is much (much) cheaper than paving (I talked to someone who said expect to pay >50K); btw I pay ~$250 for ~20-24yards as these guys overload for us. One note is that there tends to be large pieces in the pile, which I hand pull out so that I do not gouge the driveway apart when back blading. Some folks I know spay it with specific additives, which may help, but I have never done that over the many years of doing this.

Hope this helps

 

[BAP]

They work best to do it when hot out and roll them in with a vibrating roller. Doing it that way and you can make a nice, pretty smooth surface

 

[Motion]

I prefer pea gravel it doesn't walk like larger size gravel and dresses' up real nice.

 

[D2Cat]

Larry, didn't realize you were in Eastern MO.

 

[frozenorangejuce]

I would use the existing trench the water made to French drain so the future rains have a channel. If you asphalt thr driveway the water will just dig a trench where the asphalt ends.

 

[dirtydeed]

They work best to do it when hot out and roll them in with a vibrating roller. Doing it that way and you can make a nice, pretty smooth surface

X2

The trick is to find "decent" millings with enough binder left in them. As BAP pointed out, rolling them on a hot day will make all the difference.

I have a large secondary driveway composed of millings. I never rolled it so it took a long time for them to firm up. Still better than modified stone. Keep an eye out for local road resurfacing projects as you could get them for free if the timing/distance is right.

 

[Geezer3d]

My driveway was originally built with bank run gravel. It is a little over 600 feet long with a hill for about 75 of those feet and a parking area at the top about 75 x 75 feet. A couple of years ago I had it resurfaced with asphalt tailings and they held up well, but still washed away a little where water runs down the hill and in one spot where water ran directly across during an unusually heavy and prolonged rain. The tailings do not pack as smooth and tight as some other materials but they do not disappear into the ground or wash away as easily. This season I am raising the low spot with small stone (number 1 and 2 mixed) to prevent water from running across in the future. I plan to top it with tailings again. The alternative in my area is a mix of small crushed stone and stone dust that is called 'item 4'. It packs well but disappears into the soil quickly.

 

[BigG]

Looks like a good way to keep the salesman away from the house.

 

[ruger1980]

I've worked around asphalt in one capacity or another for over 35yrs. Millings can make a nice driveway but they do have to be rolled in well and as said it is best of done before hot temps so the heat can help set them. You can also spray them with diesel fuel to help bind them.

They will still wash out when it rains heavily and they never fully set up. If you leave a vehicle especially one with high ground pressure on them it will leave an impression. I know my driveway was all asphalt millings at my old house before I paved it.

The other thing is if you have it near your house it will collect on your shoes and it will track into the house. And it is also getting harder to get millings because all the municipalities and contractors want them for themselves. That and they are used heavily in the making of new asphalt.

 

[34by151]

Here in OZ we get what is called profilings and millings. Profiles are the when they rip up the whole surface. Millings are ground up taken when they grove the surface.

I had gravel which would wash away evey cycline. Replced it with millings 150mm deep. Spread it out in summer and used a 2ton twin drum roller to bead it in. The day was about 35-40 DegC so it was sticky. Once it was compaced well dusted with Diesel and rollered it smooth.

Its lasted 2 cyclones where we get well over 100mm of rain per hour. No damage so far.

Diesel does wonders but dont use a lot.
Heat is great for setting it in.
Rollering is a must

 

[LarryBud]

Thanks for all of the feedback. I put my name on the list and should have a availability in the next 2-3 weeks.

I better get going on the prep work!

 

[Henro]

Here in Eastern MO, we've had a sold 7"+ of rain in the 20 days or so. Some torrential downpours. As a result, my gravel drive ( which I'm planning for an upgrade ) has eroded with a 8" wide / 8" deep gully forming through it at the most sloped area.

I'll need to do some grading / water management or this will be a problem moving forward once the new gravel is installed. I was kicking this around with a couple of gravel haulers I ran into and they said " skip the gravel and use asphalt millings ". Pack it down good and let the water flow over it.

I sure like the idea vs grading and reestablishing grass as I don't see an easy way to reroute the current water flow in heavy rains. Does anyone have and experience with asphalt millings vs gravel? It's also about 1/3 the price per ton around here.

I think it is all about keeping the water from carrying away whatever you put down.

Millings, gravel, crushed stone...all will be carried away by water you did not divert from the driveway.

My experience is you either make a solid surface that water will not damage, or you play the game like I do, pretending to make a difference when nature proves you wrong time after time...

Such is life where I live...

 

[random]

Would these millings be the same thing as "crushed asphalt"? That's what the neighbor called it.

I've got a large section of my road covered with it. I don't know about heat, but it seems that rain plus a lot of driving compacts and sets it really well. That part of the road is now almost like a paved road for traction and stability.

 

[BigG]

Would these millings be the same thing as "crushed asphalt"? That's what the neighbor called it.

I've got a large section of my road covered with it. I don't know about heat, but it seems that rain plus a lot of driving compacts and sets it really well. That part of the road is now almost like a paved road for traction and stability.

Different name but the same stuff.

 

[mikester]

It might be that our summers don't get hot enough but all the driveways I've seen using millings never compact properly and it's like loose pea gravel. Always see your foot prints and tire tracks. I would never use the stuff considering I have to clean snow each winter.

 

[B737]

Mike that was my experience as well, I think they really need a steam roller $$$. I've seen millings put down, and they usually just turn into a hard lumpy mess. In the communist state of NJ, uncapped asphalt millings are considered hazardous waste because they leach chemicals into the ground (according to the state).

 

[tbeckett]

We put the ground up Asphalt on our drive a few weeks ago. Took 5 20 yard loads and it is setting up nicely. I am thinking about spraying Diesel on it in a couple places to see how that works. It really makes a good driveway in my opinion.

 

[mikester]

I am thinking about spraying Diesel on it in a couple places to see how that works.

Nothing says "Good Morning!" like the smell of spilled diesel and tar chips. It's also a know attractant of environmentalists. It's their pheromone.