Fix dip in dirt drive.

[jmlcolorado]

Not REALLY in the garage.....but it leads up to the garage.

I have a fairly large dip in my driveway and need to fix it.
What's the proper way to fill so it doesn't come back again?
I remember when I was a kid, we had one of these damn things, and no matter how many times we filled it, it would come right back.

 

[JJThrasher]

Where's the dirt going?

 

[ZRX61]

Shovel & a wheelbarrow?

 

[kd3pc]

load it with some stone and top with dirt/clay mix, I would cut a small ditch to the side yard and let the water out..and allow it to drain when it does rain.

 

[Redwolf947]

I've dealt with potholes at my dads a lot. Like JJThrasher asked where does the gravel go that should be there?. Is there something near that drains there causing it to be always wet? (Think sink hole).. My dad installed a water softener and has it draining to a floor drain now theres a muddy spot in the driveway my guess is the drain comes out somewhere we haven't found.

You need to fill the hole over mound it compact it and repeat leaving it a little high. Make sure the weather drains off and doesn't sit in that spot. best i can say is make sure to crown the whole drive to shed water off completely..

 

[rburke65]

Sell me that rat rod and I'll tell you how to fix the hole!

 

[CNGsaves]

Load it with some stone and top with dirt/clay mix, I would cut a small ditch to the side yard and let the water out..and allow it to drain when it does rain.

^ ^ ^ This. However, critical point is take out LARGER section than just that "sink hole" now. Take away wide swath of entire roadway, then put down stone/gravel. Finally top it with plenty of "Oklahoma red dirt" so there is CROWN to road so that water from culvert uphill doesn't end up where that sink hole is now. Road needs to stay dry with water running to both sides.

That good red dirt doesn't absorb water and keeps road dry !!

 

[TonkaJoe]

Yep, as CNGsaves mentioned, the only way to fix potholes are to "cut" them out.. simply filling an existing hole with material still allows water to be forced down inside and push any of the new unpacked material right back out. Scarify or rip up the section of driveway around the pothole, then dig all the mud out of that hole until you hit hardpan. Backfill with some 3/4'' crusher run or whatever you guys have in comparison down there. Using small lifts.. say 3" of stone per lift then pack, spraying lightly with water to moisten the stone, add another 3" and repeat until you have the driveway crowned, highest point being in the middle of the drive so water runs off properly like a roadway. The misting of water will help with packing the fines in the crusher run.

 

[Richard Cranium]

that is what I was told that you would have to take it down to the lowest point and then build it back up so that it will drain.

 

[jmlcolorado]

Where's the dirt going?

Couldn't tell ya. I think it just turns to mud and gets distributed across the driveway and street as we drive away. It was like this when we moved in.

Shovel & a wheelbarrow?

Yeah.....I figured there would be some of that.

Sell me that rat rod and I'll tell you how to fix the hole!

"A+" for effort, but I haven't even been able to enjoy it for myself yet

^ ^ ^ This. However, critical point is take out LARGER section than just that "sink hole" now. Take away wide swath of entire roadway, then put down stone/gravel. Finally top it with plenty of "Oklahoma red dirt" so there is CROWN to road so that water from culvert uphill doesn't end up where that sink hole is now. Road needs to stay dry with water running to both sides.

That good red dirt doesn't absorb water and keeps road dry !!

Thank you!

Yep, as CNGsaves mentioned, the only way to fix potholes are to "cut" them out.. simply filling an existing hole with material still allows water to be forced down inside and push any of the new unpacked material right back out. Scarify or rip up the section of driveway around the pothole, then dig all the mud out of that hole until you hit hardpan. Backfill with some 3/4'' crusher run or whatever you guys have in comparison down there. Using small lifts.. say 3" of stone per lift then pack, spraying lightly with water to moisten the stone, add another 3" and repeat until you have the driveway crowned, highest point being in the middle of the drive so water runs off properly like a roadway. The misting of water will help with packing the fines in the crusher run.

Thank you!

.....

$$$$$




Sounds like very similar steps to prepping the base for the shop slab on grade. Sounds like I'll tackle this hole at the same time.
Was planning on using Select Fill for the shop fill.
There is a drainage culvert directly below this. The hole contacts the top of the culvert. It only collects water when we get weather. This mud is a result of this from a week and a half ago:

 

[csp]

It looks like that entire driveway could use some roadbase added to it.

Elbert County?

 

[dodgejunkie]

A good base and calcium was what the old farmers use to do! I don't know if it will work or not! Been a cement creature for a while!

 

[jmlcolorado]

It looks like that entire driveway could use some roadbase added to it.

Elbert County?

Indeed! Good eye! Elizabeth to narrow it down.
I was thinking of resurfacing with recycled asphalt.
The whole drive is pretty thin as it sits. Just moved in end of December. Lots of Honey Do's. This is one.

 

[csp]

I have recycled asphalt and really like it. There's no dust and snow melts quickly due to the dark color.

The driveway looks just like the dirt roads in Elbert county, including the pothole!

 

[T_R]

I find some big rocks, fill them in, then put dirt over the top and drive over it. Usually works out ok for a while.

My driveway is a mess this year, it never froze up good since the winter was so mild. I tore it up plowing a few times and now have about 15-20 holes that size now. I'm going to have to pay to get it graded and graveled this year, it's beyond what I can do myself.

 

[wasfuzz]

We had the same issues with our drives. Ended up digging to China or so it seemed, about 8 feet to fine firm ground, then brought it up a little, compacted and repeat tell it is mound over full. It will last a few years and then its back again.

 

[Nexussian]

What's with all the reflectors?

Driveway markers, as in the street is right there, or something else?

 

[jmlcolorado]

I have recycled asphalt and really like it. There's no dust and snow melts quickly due to the dark color.

The driveway looks just like the dirt roads in Elbert county, including the pothole!

Yeah, Elbert county isn't know for good road maintenance. Fortunately, I only have 2 miles of dirt road before I'm home. They paved the 5 mile stretch last summer right before I moved in. They're (homeowners) are pushing to have this road paved. I'm all for it. Dust gets rediculious around rush hour.

What's with all the reflectors?

Driveway markers, as in the street is right there, or something else?

That's the culvert. It drops off about 2 feet past those.
Reflectors were a temporary solution till I build some fancy driveway entrance.

 

[Nexussian]

That's the culvert. It drops off about 2 feet past those.
Reflectors were a temporary solution till I build some fancy driveway entrance.

Looks like your culvert may have a leak, or it's too small.

I expect you have similar freeze and thaw cycles as we do here.

If it's not buried deep enough, here, you get a hump there in winter, that wears away, then leaves you a hole in summer.


If the culvert is intact, possibly hurry it deeper, then make the driveway surface taller, preferably with a crown.

If you have access to enough recycled asphalt, it worked well for us at the bottom of the paved section of our driveway (when the state redid the road in front of our place it left our driveway too steep for dirt in their books, so they paved a short stretch).

We put it at the end of their pavement as there is a grade change at that point, snow plow would dig the dirt out if the ground wasn't frozen solid yet.

 

[jmlcolorado]

Looks like your culvert may have a leak, or it's too small.

I expect you have similar freeze and thaw cycles as we do here.

If it's not buried deep enough, here, you get a hump there in winter, that wears away, then leaves you a hole in summer.


If the culvert is intact, possibly hurry it deeper, then make the driveway surface taller, preferably with a crown.

If you have access to enough recycled asphalt, it worked well for us at the bottom of the paved section of our driveway (when the state redid the road in front of our place it left our driveway too steep for dirt in their books, so they paved a short stretch).

We put it at the end of their pavement as there is a grade change at that point, snow plow would dig the dirt out if the ground wasn't frozen solid yet.

I guarantee its not a leak. I can see clear through the culvert under the drive. It's a 16" culvert. Google earth photos indicate the previous owners........were uh......well.......didn't care for the properry well.
I suspect it started years ago and nothing has ever been done with it.

 

[toolmiser]

Put a politician in it. It will fill a void and I doubt they will be missed.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,..... Readin' this thread, you'd think fixin' a pothole is rocket science,.....

All ya gotta do, is fill in the hole with gravel, 'n raise that side slightly, buildin' abit of pitch to the culvert,.....

The hole forms, because water lays there, 'n when ya drive through it, tiny bits of gravel are thrown with the splashed water,....

Put some pitch, to one side or the other, for the entire length of the driveway, 'n ya won't have any potholes,....

 

[xtremek]

I'd see if the bottom is mucky right now. If it is, dig it out until you hit something solid. Then fill it with 2"-4" rock, drive over a few times, then cover with crushed asphault or crushed concrete. My preference would be asphault as it's less dusty. Make sure it's not a natural low spot.

 

[Pluribus]

You need to fill the hole over mound it compact it and repeat leaving it a little high. Make sure the weather drains off and doesn't sit in that spot. best i can say is make sure to crown the whole drive to shed water off completely..

You beat me to it, and I'll add that you should fill it while it's dry.

It's a different setup, but on my driveway, I had a weird sinkhole in one spot where no water pooled. Ended up digging the hole out, then filling it with large rocks, then covered it with gravel like the rest of the driveway. No movement now for five years. I'm guessing there might have been some organic material like a stump under there somewhere, and as it rotted, it settled.

 

[truckman5000]

What id did,
3inch road base compacted, concrete mix with stone 2inches or so, then 1 inch of the same stone above that. Ive never had to add more rock, my neighbor adds rock yearly and has pot holes.
Or do the recycled tar,
Like said it looks like a drainage problem? Were dose all the water go on a big storm??If it crosses the drive their, you may need to dig and add another culvert

 

[jimgood]

Pot holes start small and for some effing reason, people can't seem to avoid them. Every tire that splashes through them sends a small amount of material out with the water, leaving less and less material in the depression.

I've always found it best to just overfill the pot hole slightly with whatever material the driveway is made of. Leave a slight crown in it. Run over it a lot. It will settle and prevent water from pooling and it won't come back. At least, not in the same place.

 

[cdestuck]

Get a small load of 2RC or modified shale. Its a mixture of diff sized small stone and dust. Rake it in and with some rain or hose it down and it sets up like concrete

 

[NUTTSGT]

Before you get carried away with building up that driveway, I suggest you look at the overall picture of drainage.

I spy a walk out basement door. You don't want to have water draining off the driveway and funneling into your basement. I can guarantee that your wife won't be pleased with that.

 

[larry_g]

It looks to me that you may have low ground on each side of that section of road. Is there a swale there that should be flowing water that is blocked by the road? You may need a culvert there to allow water to flow under the road instead of bubbling up into it giving you the soft spot you have.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[jmlcolorado]

It's not a low spot on the sides of the drive. I haven't seen any issues with water flow through the culvert.

There was flooding out here last year, which filled everyone's drainage ditches. It could be a result from that. That happened before we moved in.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,... Just fill the pothole, 'n crown the driveway to get rid of the water,....

 

[MScott]

You do not have a drainage problem UNDER the dip. You do have a drainage problem to the side and into the culvert. Dig out a trench from the dip to the side and fill it with rock. Then, as stated, fill the dip with gravel and pack it down by driving over it. Be sure to overfill the dip so it packs down with a slight crown.