Asphalt Millings + Geo Grid

[VSICCA]

Our only regret with the entire process was using a 4” grid. If we could go back in time would have ordered the 3” instead so you’d see none of the grid but still have the same coverage with the stabilization underneath.

Going to keep as is for the rest of the year then have another 4-5 tons dropped next spring to cap it off by an inch or so. Have an idea of using a lawn aerator to make holes in the surface then apply a heavy coat of Hawk Seale or an oil based sealer then compact a few times as temps warm up next spring. Works at least in my head, so we’ll see how it does in real time.

 

[paredown]

Impressive! Nice to see people who can still work hard the old-fashioned way!

 

[Hooked]

Ya'll did a great job and it looks great!! After a few weeks of hot temps you'll be surprised how well it hardens.

 

[VSICCA]

Thanks everyone. Just had the first stress test after wrapping up and installing the lip along the road. Not a problem whatsoever as a t-storm passed by and poured for @ 15 min. No washouts and everything remaining in place. Feeling good with our results now.

 

[like2wheel]

I did millings over existing #57 gravel. Had an area with giant mud holes I could only get through on 33+ tires and 4wd that had never been graveled / or it long since sunk in I filled with maybe square foot chunks from demoed concrete/ corduroyed it then abc on top. Then on the part where nothing previously existed I went geofabric covered with abc topped with millings.

Couldn't be happier with the millings as a top surface.

I'll say this though, that part where it practically looks like regular asphalt right now, won't last that long. Within a year it starts to look more like fines over a dark base....but you can also spray it with sealer right when it gets where youre happy and it's back.

Just for a bit of suckage.....theres a supplier 1 mile from my house and I pay $60 per 4 ton load of whatever I choose, from abc to millings.

Can you tell me how thick you went with the millings over the 57?

I have an existing driveway that has held up well over the years, but needs a refresh. I can prob only go a couple of inches unless I take out a bunch.
Not sure if that’s enough.

 

[Old Moparz]

Looks great.

It's definitely a lot of hard work. My wife & I did something very similar in our backyard almost 30 years ago to create a large, flat area for the garage we built. I work for a site contractor who sent someone over to the house with a backhoe to excavate tree stumps & strip the topsoil. Once that was done I built the retaining walls & my boss sent over several truckloads of gravel, almost 275 tons total.

Every day after work & weekends we shoveled & loaded wheel barrows to spread it around & fill behind the 4' high wall because my boss couldn't free up any of his excavating equipment for me. I did have a few friends come by one time, bought pizza & beer while they all helped with some of the work. They mysteriously disappeared for months afterwards.

 

[rockettauto]

Can you tell me how thick you went with the millings over the 57?

I have an existing driveway that has held up well over the years, but needs a refresh. I can prob only go a couple of inches unless I take out a bunch.
Not sure if that’s enough.

Probably not even quite that , 1 1/2" I'd say

 

[VSICCA]

Can you tell me how thick you went with the millings over the 57?

I have an existing driveway that has held up well over the years, but needs a refresh. I can prob only go a couple of inches unless I take out a bunch.
Not sure if that’s enough.

We went 4” over the 57 with a combination of the millings and a Geo Grid to hold it in place. Has worked out perfectly on our heavily sloped yard. Hope that helps.

 

[VSICCA]

Looks great.

It's definitely a lot of hard work. My wife & I did something very similar in our backyard almost 30 years ago to create a large, flat area for the garage we built. I work for a site contractor who sent someone over to the house with a backhoe to excavate tree stumps & strip the topsoil. Once that was done I built the retaining walls & my boss sent over several truckloads of gravel, almost 275 tons total.

Every day after work & weekends we shoveled & loaded wheel barrows to spread it around & fill behind the 4' high wall because my boss couldn't free up any of his excavating equipment for me. I did have a few friends come by one time, bought pizza & beer while they all helped with some of the work. They mysteriously disappeared for months afterwards.

MAN!!! Does that sound like a lot of work … but also my kinda time too! Lol. Would have definitely been there to help out, have a beer and pizza afterwards and some good laughs. Beautiful garage btw!

 

[VSICCA]

5 month update. After a very wet summer to a very dry autumn and our recent heavy leaf drop, lots of traffic from college students, blowing leaves and such the driveway and millings have held up perfectly.

Over the summer had quite a few heavy rain storms dumping 3-5 inches at a time. Once we figured out where to divert the river coming down our street away from the drive we never had another issue with wash outs.

There’s only two minor issues we’ve found so far. (pictured) One is some minor exposure of the Geo Grid in two places, which in the springtime will be addressed with some raking and possibly the addition of another 2 tons of millings. Second is some dirt migration into the millings where rain water from the yard passes over the driveway, which this spring we’ll address with the removal of the dirt and adding a border + new millings in that spot.

Other than that working perfectly. There’s now a hard layer of fines just below the surface (3’5” or so) with a gravelly top layer of @ half inch. Blowing it with a backpack to clear leaves and sticks isn’t an issue other than losing a few bits of the gravel down the street, but nothing to be concerned with.

Hope that helps anyone looking to do a similar project.

 

[Adam R]

I put down a couple of inches of millings on our 700 foot driveway earlier this summer. I hand spread and raked it as flat I could. Over the summer it compacted and looks a lot like real asphalt. In this past month, I had 500 yards of dirt delivered in tandem dump trucks. The driveway looks as good as ever. No complaints with using the millings and at $12/yard, the cost is much more reasonable that buying crushed rock.

 

[hrw]

Our only regret with the entire process was using a 4” grid. If we could go back in time would have ordered the 3” instead so you’d see none of the grid but still have the same coverage with the stabilization underneath.

Going to keep as is for the rest of the year then have another 4-5 tons dropped next spring to cap it off by an inch or so. Have an idea of using a lawn aerator to make holes in the surface then apply a heavy coat of Hawk Seale or an oil based sealer then compact a few times as temps warm up next spring. Works at least in my head, so we’ll see how it does in real time.

Just came across your posting in my research of asphalt with geocell/grid. It’s been over a year and was wondering if you had any updates/thoughts on the two products together? I’m looking for a solution for our 1/3 mile long incline up to our property in North Eastern Washington State where it snows and gets pretty hot. Geocell is the way to go for the grade but I’m researching the best product for weather variations and longevity. Thanks for your input.

 

[Farmall450]

Finding that there’s a supply issue here in far NE Tennessee with millings. Can’t find them anywhere within 45 min, and none of the local haulers will bring them to us. May have to go with plan B of using crushed concrete or 57 gravel. Really wanted millings though, but refuse to contact the local pavers as every single one has wanted a 2 - 3 hundred percent markup on laying asphalt. Just not playing that game.

Crushed concrete *****, stay away.