Help with ramp to garage

[speg]

Hi

Need help figuring out the best way to create a sloped entrance to our new garage and how to figure out how much material.

We are looking at a soil/gravel slope with wood or retaining wall stone sides frame.

The height to the opening is 15.5" x 10' wide and approximate run is 12'.

It will only be used for the occasional movement of my wife's jeep. Height clearance is also to be considered, door height is 7', jeep height is 76".

Thanks!

 

[The Metric System]

We had a similar situation with our shed last year; our solution was to drop a railroad tie on each side of the door, stake it down with rebar, and fill the space between them with road bond.

It was inexpensive, worked very well, and has held up to semi-regular automotive traffic as we move cars in and out.

 

[speg]

We had a similar situation with our shed last year; our solution was to drop a railroad tie on each side of the door, stake it down with rebar, and fill the space between them with road bond.

It was inexpensive, worked very well, and has held up to semi-regular automotive traffic as we move cars in and out.

Good idea!
How did you figure out the correct slope and amount of material?

 

[manwithtools]

How did you figure out the correct slope and amount of material

A little bit of trigonometry shows that you'll need 77.5 cu ft or ~ 2.9 cu yds of material to make a ramp 15.5" high, 10' wide and 12' long.

 

[PoorUB]

A little bit of trigonometry shows that you'll need 77.5 cu ft or ~ 2.9 cu yds of material to make a ramp 15.5" high, 10' wide and 12' long.

You don't even have to know trig for a simple ramp. L x W x H then divide by 2.

 

[whateg01]

You don't even have to know trig for a simple ramp. L x W x H then divide by 2.

There's nothing that we can't make way more complicated than necessary!

 

[speg]

A little bit of trigonometry shows that you'll need 77.5 cu ft or ~ 2.9 cu yds of material to make a ramp 15.5" high, 10' wide and 12' long.

Thanks! Trig isint my strong suit.
Do you think 3/4 gravel would be sufficient or should I use a base material?

 

[Dodgepu360]

I would use road base, you want this stuff to pack down and give you a nice solid surface

 

[manwithtools]

3/4 should be fine. If it was mine, I'd use 3/4 minus or Crusher Run as it may be called in your area. It will pack better than plain 3/4.

 

[The Metric System]

Do you think 3/4 gravel would be sufficient or should I use a base material?

You absolutely want road base. We have a conventional gravel surface adjacent to our road bond shed ramp, the straight gravel is nowhere near as solid and does not hold up well to vehicle traffic.

How did you figure out the correct slope and amount of material?

In our case the slope was largely determined by the geometry of the shed and the layout of the space we're working with. We only had about 8' of run and a similar height, and the resulting ramp is gentle enough that even a low-ground-clearance 2WD car can navigate it no problem.

Your 15" height x 12' run will result in a slope that is even less steep than ours and well within what any car could handle, much less that Jeep.

We determined quantity via the formula above (L*W*H/2) and then just rounded up to the next half-yard for convenience and to make sure we had enough.

We ran a power tamper over the road bond after it went down because we had one on-hand for another project, but it would have been fine without it.

 

[speg]

Great, thank you for your help.
I will have to find the equivalent of road bond as I do not see this option listed at any of my local suppliers

 

[The Metric System]

Great, thank you for your help.
I will have to find the equivalent of road bond as I do not see this option listed at any of my local suppliers

What people call "road bond" seems to vary by region, I've also heard it as "road base", "crusher run", "crush and run", and "ABC".

Whatever they call it by you, it's a mix of larger gravel and small fine grains that allow it to compact down and stay in place. The people at the stoneyard should be able to help you with the local lingo.

 

[speg]

What people call "road bond" seems to vary by region, I've also heard it as "road base", "crusher run", "crush and run", and "ABC".

Whatever they call it by you, it's a mix of larger gravel and small fine grains that allow it to compact down and stay in place. The people at the stoneyard should be able to help you with the local lingo.

Perfect, thanks !

 

[no704]

It’s a jeep, put her in 4 low and creep in.

 

[speg]

It’s a jeep, put her in 4 low and creep in.

 

[Old Man Roger]

I got lucky when I needed a ramp for my Ted’s Shed. The local Home Depot had a clearance on pressure treated 4x4, decking, and screws. I think I built the whole thing for under 200 bucks. Pulled my silverado in and out regularly.

I think it was 12x12 IIRC.

 

[Skiff Builder]

Are you going to let the aggregate lie up against the building or have a type of "headboard" to isolate the siding from contact?

In a similar situation I built a wood ramp- 6x6 runners ( aligned with wheel track of veh.) planked over with 2x6. No contact issues with siding. Handles a Yukon XL / boat trailer fine.

 

[speg]

I got lucky when I needed a ramp for my Ted’s Shed. The local Home Depot had a clearance on pressure treated 4x4, decking, and screws. I think I built the whole thing for under 200 bucks. Pulled my silverado in and out regularly.

I think it was 12x12 IIRC.

What size decking?

 

[Old Man Roger]

What size decking?

1x6 I placed the stacked 4x4’s close enough together that almost any vehicle could be supported.

 

[Pluribus]

Didn't see that you posted a location, so I'll throw another term at you for materials. In my neck of the woods, they use "(size) minus" to categorize the stone that comes with fines. I tend to use 1-1/4" minus for my driveway, and it packs really well. 5/8" minus is also common locally.

Having the (sandy) fines allows it to compact and be solid. If you just used 3/4" with no fines, it will move all over the place when you drive on it. I did exactly what you're planning on doing for an entrance to my shipping container. I threw a bunch of random rocks, bricks, and concrete chunks down as free fill, then I topped it with 5/8" minus (because I had some left over in a pile at the time.) Over time, it will compact and erode a little bit, which reminds me that I need to save some stone for that when I get another load for the driveway.

 

[speg]

Didn't see that you posted a location, so I'll throw another term at you for materials. In my neck of the woods, they use "(size) minus" to categorize the stone that comes with fines. I tend to use 1-1/4" minus for my driveway, and it packs really well. 5/8" minus is also common locally.

Having the (sandy) fines allows it to compact and be solid. If you just used 3/4" with no fines, it will move all over the place when you drive on it. I did exactly what you're planning on doing for an entrance to my shipping container. I threw a bunch of random rocks, bricks, and concrete chunks down as free fill, then I topped it with 5/8" minus (because I had some left over in a pile at the time.) Over time, it will compact and erode a little bit, which reminds me that I need to save some stone for that when I get another load for the driveway.

Great, thanks for the advice

 

[OccupantRJ]

For an occasional situation I might consider buying two U-Haul loading ramps off FB marketplace and place concrete block midway for support. I see the aluminum ramps on there often. If it is for use each day I would built the sloped approach.