Leveling a dirt carport

[MatBirch]

My new home has an old carport that has probably been in use for more than 40 years. Over time, there are significant hollows in the parking areas, as you are required to turn sharply to get in from an alley. They are deep enough that the car sit at a pretty good angle, and the drivers door swings out violently if your not careful. There are also steel post holding the structure up. The other day, I was getting into my wife’s car, and not being used to it, the door swung out and smashed my finger between the door and the post. Pissed me off enough to find a solution!
The dirt has separated over the years to the point that there is gravel, and there is powder. (I’m also worried that the powder will turn into mud once winter sets in). There’s no good mix of materials. Anyway, I know that just grabbing shovels, rakes, and implements of destruction will only give short term results. What can I mix in to stabilize it better? I’ve seen people just spread quickcrete mix onto pathways to firm them up. Do I need to excavate it further down? I’ve seen enough failures trying to fill potholes on a dirt road in my time.
Replacing it all isn’t in the cards right now. For one, I Hope tear it all down and replace it with a garage someday in the next year or two.

Thanks for the help!

 

[kwb]

Short of Concrete this will require upkeep. My wife is a creature of habit and has created a miniature rut as described as she backs out of the garage onto our gravel driveway.

Adding in some larger gravel topped with 5/8minus is your best bet. Expect to need to rake it out periodically.

 

[Don1357]

Get a truck of fill dirt (gravely, no organics) and rent a tamping tool/compacting machine. You may get somebody that does dirt work for foundations to do this for a reasonable fee. once everything is flat, and tamped down hard enough to remove gipsy curses, get a truck of nice gravel to make everything pretty.

As with cement work the key is preparation of the substrate. You'll be surprised how well the gravel holds on a well tamped subsoil, and if anything a rake can take care of small issues.

 

[matt_i]

I think crusher run will be your best bet. The fines will settle and help lock it together. You might need some more at that point.

If its really soft and muddy some woven geotextile fabric would be an ideal starter overlay before the crushed stone goes on. Basically keeps the stone from getting smashed down into the soft undergrade.

But by the time you did all of that it might be easier to just pour concrete. If you can setup a system of forms where you can screed across with a piece of wood it becomes pretty easy to level and then broom finish.

 

[wasfuzz]

Crusher run as described above, then find some mill tailings from when they are grinding black top roads, spread it out on a warm day and rent a packer and go to town. Will set up almost like blacktop and last.

 

[MatBirch]

I found this stuff. Several brands and configurations. Probably a few hundred bucks to complete the job, but I think it’s something I could tackle without much help. My breaker hammer and a McLeod could get the space lowered and leveled, then fill this stuff up...

 

[MatBirch]

Crusher run as described above, then find some mill tailings from when they are grinding black top roads, spread it out on a warm day and rent a packer and go to town. Will set up almost like blacktop and last.

I’ve never worked with tailings. I don’t think it’s a regularly used product around here. Does it get mixed in to the crusher run, over the top, how thick...???

Thanks