Best Way To Fill Dip In Driveway

[4evermaat]

3km from the beach in Pathio, Chumphon. It is about 2 meters wide (perpendicular of main road to drive way) by 9 meters long (parallel to the main road) . The depth of the gap is 5-6 cm at the lowest point, and as more cars/motorbikes/rain, maybe it will get deeper. You can definitely feel the drop when you drive motorbike. When it rains heavy, it gathers in that whole zone. Plus, the run-off rain from the main road also empties into this zone. You have to come in from the gravel angle (in photo, on the right) to avoid most of the water.

There is gravel, which would cost about 500 baht. But if it isn't too much more cost, I want to explore either concrete, packed dirt or maybe combinations or other filler options. What should the cost be? Is it worth it?

I saw some other driveways connected to main road and some looked like pure dirt, some were dirt and something else (gravel?) and they seemed to hold up fine.

Attached photo with markup.

Edited January 7, 2012 by 4evermaat

[Crossy]

Have a look at Laterite, it's what many of the dirt roads here are surfaced with. I've forgotten what we paid per load but it wasn't horribly expensive and now it's been driven over a few times (ok lots) it's rock hard.

[4evermaat]

Have a look at Laterite, it's what many of the dirt roads here are surfaced with. I've forgotten what we paid per load but it wasn't horribly expensive and now it's been driven over a few times (ok lots) it's rock hard.

http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__4582211

Ok. They would dump this on the spots and then pack it? Should there be any additional gravel mixed in, or only the laterite?

[Crossy]

To do it properly you have to dig out what would be mud, it needs a reasonably stable base, then dump in the laterite. Pack it down as well as you can by driving the delivery truck over it then add more until it's just a bit high. Traffic packs it tight and it's remarkably durable.

You can probably get a local contractor to do the job in a spare afternoon for a reasonable price.

[bbradsby]

From the limited scope of the pic: the existing condition appears to be a water drainage channel, from main road [as you state] and maybe also from upstream & parallel to main road. If so, if you just build it up, you'll create a dam and exascerbate the problem. The main road has an engineered base, the drive/side soi is also likely to have a decent base, but not as good - and so water is washing out the juncture. If water runs quickly there, I'd put a small concrete pipe in, then compacted angular gravel fill across it, extend rebar into road base just below pavement and then pour a stiff mix of concrete to 'bridge' it to your side driveway/soi. Proper driveways have a grid of hollow hexagonal concrete piers driven in to minimize subsidence. But unless you know your drive has these, I'd not put them in your 'bridge.'

[Kwasaki]

From picture a basic fill like Crossy said will be the cheapest, dig down and get a concrete base constructed more expensive but permanent.

[4evermaat]

I caught a break. The gov't is installing what appears to be a drainage pipe of some kind along the main road. This required them to dig up peoples driveways about 15m from the road on our side. So I had the gf ask one of the workers if he could take the extra dirt/laterite and fill the original gap in the driveway in question and use the tractor to pack it in. He did this, sort of in a hurry but it is holding up. If he did the edge where the main road pavement meets the road a little bit more, it probably would last longer. He made 500 baht for his efforts . I'm interested to see how it will hold up after a heavy rain.

From picture a basic fill like Crossy said will be the cheapest, dig down and get a concrete base constructed more expensive but permanent.

The guy working on our toilet said he could do the entire lower part of the drive way 14m x 20m or so for 3000 baht. You think that's good price?

[4evermaat]

upon further inspection, the laterite/dirt that filled the gap needs to be mixed in with some gravel in order for it to not just be a mud pile. gravel packed in should make it sturdy enough. I re-checked the other driveways and they looked like they had a significant amount of gravel mixed in to make it non-muddy. That's why I was waiting for a good rain to see the results.