I have a gravel driveway on a slope. Rainswater makes ruts and carries away the gravel and base into the back yard. I have made some swales and “speed bumps” to divert the water, but I need something more effective.
The drive is ~30 years old. I was not here then, but it has a very good base of crushed stone. I was thinking of putting in a perforated PVC pipe, but I was not sure how durable it would be. I occasionally have heavy equipment in the driveway (septic tank, lp gas, bucket truck, etc..) and I don’t want to dig it up and replace it for a long time.
Any suggestions on PVC? How about the crushed stone base, is that permeable enough to allow water to seep into the pipe? (I think any gravel will rapidly be filled up with fines from the crushed stone.)
Thanks…
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I now I've used this line here on BT before, but I think it bears repeating.
I'm sure you've heard that the 3 most important things in real estate are location, location, and location. Well, IMHO the 3 most important things in driveway maintenance are drainage, drainage, and drainage.
Are there ditches on both sides of the driveway? Is the driveway crowned? Are the driving lanes higher than the sides of the drive?
You asked about using perforated PVC, but don't indicate what you're thinking of doing with it.
Any chance of getting pictures of the driveway? That would help us all get an idea of what you're dealing with.
I am not sure I could take a picture that would help too much. Part of the problem, that I did not mention, is that the part that is most problematic is circular, and on a slope (it averages out to about 10' per 100'). So all the water that is shed off to the center (as well as everything that falls there) comes out at the bottom. So, I want something to drain that water out to daylight under the driveway...once the water is out of the way of the driveway it is not really a problem.Also, there is swale in the drive just before our parking pad. I'd like to move the water that collects there better. I can only go one way because my nice dry house is in the way. If I can solve this drainage problem I will pave the parking area with concrete...So again, I need to go under part of the gravel driveway to reach daylight.So, if several French drains (Ok, I know it is not really a french drain if it has a pipe, but that is what everyone calls it) pitched out to daylight would catch much of the surface water
It sounds like you have quite a bit of elevation to wiggle with. I'd be tempted to drain things to a couple of catch basins, and run a 12-inch corrugated metal pipe, or some 10-inch sewer pipe out to daylight. Particularly if you intend to put a concrete or asphalt surface in.
Like Jigs said, you need a 12" pipe at the bottom of the circle. If you get a thunderstorm with an inch or two of rain in an hour, French drains are likely going to be overwhelmed.
And the rest of the driveway needs a healthy crown.
I had a gravel driveway for years (1/4 mile long) on a steep slope. Maintainance and an occasional load of 21A with 12" pipes where the solution to preventing storm damage.
Runnerguy
French drains weren't meant to drain surface runoff - They're better suited to slowly drain off standing water. Not to mention that the surface of your driveway is probably packed with fines, so water doesn't percolate down through it very well.I don't understand why you say pictures wouldn't help. I think what I said before is stil true - Get the water off to the side of the driveway, then drain it somewhere. BTW - You didn't answer my questions about if you have ditches and if the driving surface is higher than the surrounding area. One other thought comes to mind - My Uncle takes care of 48 miles of rural roads. One of the things that he does when there are drainage problems is to go look at the problem area while it's raining. Then he can see first hand what's going on and how much water he's dealing with.
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So a few things....I am out there every time it rains...water is the best level. There are so many contours and the area is wooded so in combination I do not think pictures would help too much. The area is high and there are ditches to the side. However, the circle still collects water (from the crowns) and it all drains out the bottom. As an asied, on the side towards the house, the crown is way over to the side to push the water the other way. This works great to keep it away from the house, but it moves it across the bottom of the circular part of the drive. I like the idea of the PT wood box that was suggested. Something like that might just do the trick.Thanks, Jeff
Sounds like you need grading, ditching, and a culvert.But I can only see it in my imagination, guided by your text.
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Lots of times on foundation drains they put the perferated pipe in fabric sleaves--maybe that would work? Or lay some landscape fabric over the pipe and then coarse gravel. I see on highway projects they use combinations of landscape fabric stretched on stakes and straw bales to prevent erosion and migration of silt and dirt from the site (though that might not look the best!).
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I lived in the NC mtns and the most common fix was make a trench across it at a slight diagonal and line it with a U of PT 2x6 up rights and a 2x8 bottom. This trough or more than one will act as a gutter and slough off the water before it gets a good head and washes out the gravel.
They hold up even with fairly heavy traffic, and don't even have a grate on top, which could be added if so desired.
Slope it toward a side swale and catch basin or drywell of a big rock filled hole.
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I have the same problem can u look at my pictures?
Any ideas?
I have the same problem can u look at my pictures?
Any ideas?
brag..
If my driveway looked that good I'd want a pic in better homes and gardens mag. Seems like we have dry spells interspersed with floods these days. Drive way is about worst shape in 30 years...
Diagonal Ditch
Like Spehere said, cut a diagonal ditch across the lane in a couple of strategic locations to take the water off the drive and into ditch aloing the side or off into the woods. It's a common practice on the gravel Forrest Service roads.
Diagonal Ditch
sorry, double post
drainage trench
Could you please let me know how deep and how wide you made this trench. I have a quarter mile driveway all downhill and feel that this is my best solution any advice you can give me about the construction of this kind of trench would be great me appreciated thank you so much