Finishing new house and detached workshop... They are starting on the flat work including driveways... The lowest car I have is about 5.3" at the mid-point with a 105.6" wheel base (mid point 52.8"). (base stock 2010 C6)
I'm dealing with strings and gravel and forms at this point... The driveway into the attached garages goes UP at about a 14% grade. Using the car dimensions above - I'm calculating that this car can handle about a 15% grade transition into level garage floor without bottoming out in the middle (when the front axle is halfway in and the rear is halfway out and middle is at lowest point with front edge of garage... but it sure seems close. Anway - Does this sound about right?
Here's an example I found (left image)...
The detached workshop has a driveway that goes DOWN - I'd estimate at about an 11.5% grade. For drainage purposes it goes back up 'slightly' for about 10 or 15' before entering garage (I don't know this grade - it's very slight probably 2-3% negative grade from workshop). I can probably change the location of this 'valley' in or out but it needs to be there to drain water away from workshop that is otherwise coming down the hill towards the workshop doors.
In this case aggregating the 2 pitches gives a combined ~13% grade change - the concern here being as you nose in - the front of a low car might potentially come in contact with the drive as you transition from the downward drive into the apron entering the shop. My lowest car does not have a splitter and the air dam is rubberized and designed to deflect. Crude measurements from the front axle to the tip of the nose is about 33" with a height of about 6.5 inches at the nose suggests I can take a pretty aggressive transition here - maybe 19% (the air dam starts deflecting at <15% but I can live w/ that...)
Here's an example I found ...
Due to the lot layout - the 2 drives are actually connected. Hard to describe but if I reduce the grade of the attached garage a little - the downward grade into the workshop get's steeper.
I think I'm going to request the contractor add more material at the drive up and into the attached garage to lessen the up hill grade a little. The resulting increase in the downward grade into the workshop will get steeper. But I think I can handle that more readily and I will use that portion of the driveway far less frequently. Thoughts?
I'm dealing with strings and gravel and forms at this point... The driveway into the attached garages goes UP at about a 14% grade. Using the car dimensions above - I'm calculating that this car can handle about a 15% grade transition into level garage floor without bottoming out in the middle (when the front axle is halfway in and the rear is halfway out and middle is at lowest point with front edge of garage... but it sure seems close. Anway - Does this sound about right?
Here's an example I found (left image)...
The detached workshop has a driveway that goes DOWN - I'd estimate at about an 11.5% grade. For drainage purposes it goes back up 'slightly' for about 10 or 15' before entering garage (I don't know this grade - it's very slight probably 2-3% negative grade from workshop). I can probably change the location of this 'valley' in or out but it needs to be there to drain water away from workshop that is otherwise coming down the hill towards the workshop doors.
In this case aggregating the 2 pitches gives a combined ~13% grade change - the concern here being as you nose in - the front of a low car might potentially come in contact with the drive as you transition from the downward drive into the apron entering the shop. My lowest car does not have a splitter and the air dam is rubberized and designed to deflect. Crude measurements from the front axle to the tip of the nose is about 33" with a height of about 6.5 inches at the nose suggests I can take a pretty aggressive transition here - maybe 19% (the air dam starts deflecting at <15% but I can live w/ that...)
Here's an example I found ...
Due to the lot layout - the 2 drives are actually connected. Hard to describe but if I reduce the grade of the attached garage a little - the downward grade into the workshop get's steeper.
I think I'm going to request the contractor add more material at the drive up and into the attached garage to lessen the up hill grade a little. The resulting increase in the downward grade into the workshop will get steeper. But I think I can handle that more readily and I will use that portion of the driveway far less frequently. Thoughts?
