Anybody have a unique steep driveway with ideas?

6BangBronk

6BangBronk

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2005
Location
Durham
So one of my next steps to plan for my mountain property is a driveway. Only bad is I only have 50' of road frontage to work with but I need to go 470' in horizontal distance and 150' in vertical distance up the corridor just to get me where the property opens up. Then I'll have all kinds of options. But the slope averages 32%. It's a bit less at the bottom (like 20-25%) and a tad more at the very top for like 100 feet horizontally (like 40% grade). Being a civil designer you'd think would be a plus for ideas but I design in RDU area where the max. slope is 8%. :shaking: So this is starting from scratch. I just know there will be a lot of money involved and I'd like to do something right the first time for a change.:flipoff2:

Pinterest had a few ideas. Besides that, I know you guys have some ideas and possibly pics.

I printed a pic of it from Google Maps but really there's nothing there to see but a hill.:shaking:

I contacted the local DOT and know a driveway permit is free. And I already have a mailbox registered with the local post office. I need 10' on one side for water and power. This will be a private drive.

I saw some pics of drives with steps in the middle but I don't want steps. If I can't drive something, the mail will not get checked.

Saw where someone on Google had some sort of snow melting device under theirs?

I'd be more inclined to just do whatever I'm going to do with just 2 parallel tracks but I don't want the maintenance and runoff issues in between if possible. So it will be full width but with some sort of compromise going down the middle.

I've discovered that both neighbors on each side is a tad proud of their land so I'm just going to make it happen by myself. One even claims an access easement to the adjoining property so I've already started off on the right foot to get all the skeletons out of the way. I simply told them "I wasn't aware but didn't have reason to doubt. Only that I needed proof." Having a plat done now so after it gets signed off by the surveyor, he said next step was to send a notice to the neighbor for proof within 30 days for there is no easements recorded under all the researched deeds. People tend to screw themselves instead of compromising for they will no longer have access to their garden. Cutting into their bank was no where near an option to them. The mention brought out the easement comment right off the bat so I just zipped it and told them to have a nice day. They will regret their conversational approach.:popcorn:

I'm sure there's some unique drives on here. Best I saw so far someone concreted rocks sticking out ever so often like every 8-12". Tedious but definitely accomplishing.

Any help with unique ideas would be appreciated.
 
Could just heat where the tires will be and save a few $.

The bottom pic is cool.
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If it's that steep the actual ground footage will be a lot further than the horizontal distance. Whatever you do, getting building materials up the slope will be a beotch.
 
mommucked said:
If it's that steep the actual ground footage will be a lot further than the horizontal distance. Whatever you do, getting building materials up the slope will be a beotch.
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I've been planning this transition for 15 years now knowing it would some day happen. Figured later than sooner but it's now a timely reality. One option is I have a large collection of winches to place stationary. Or, figured some sort of anchors deep into the ground at 80' intervals just for starters if I just wanted to use a mounted winch and snatch block. I have one cool 30k grease-able snatch block that should hold up for the duration of the winch collection.

I can drive any rear wheel locked 2wd vehicle I have up it with enough right peddle on any given dry day. Wet requires same with 2 locked axles and good tires. But either way you loose anything not tied down from the dash into the floor.

Simply some gravel would do wonders considering it's just dirt but seems a waste due to it would erode under it in no time if I didn't have a good solid diversion ditch in it of some kind.

I imagined a winding back and forth with ditches winding in opposite direction. And one straight shot up the middle for dead loads???
 
A good base of ABC or crusher run would work wonders and compacted right, would reduce the erosion effects.

Crown the road and keep the water off and it will last. Getting that diverted water somewhere that's not going to cause problems is not as easy and hard to solve without looking at specific site conditions.
 
Switch backs? That's what all the logging roads near me are and they are on the sides of mountains.
 
rockcity said:
A good base of ABC or crusher run would work wonders and compacted right, would reduce the erosion effects.

Crown the road and keep the water off and it will last. Getting that diverted water somewhere that's not going to cause problems is not as easy and hard to solve without looking at specific site conditions.
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This seems to be the best timely manner to do this and just fix the issues as they happen. But then it could also lead into a part time job. :shaking:

Distant neighbor down the road told me to just use rip-rap (8"+ dia. rock) and just drive up and down on it and drive it in the ground. I know rip-rap you gotta place it strategically from the bottom of the hill up.
 
Next step before I touch the drive is have Health Department to do perk testing to see exactly how many units I can do. That should be in the next month hopefully???

And all of this is hinging on the idea that the property is even suitable for septic. It appears to be but it's not my eyes to determine. So a lot of sleepless nights still to come...
 
There are different classes of rip rap.

I wouldn't use it as a road base but some construction and logging operations use surge stone to set a temporary base during construction or operations. It's usually removed during final grading.

I'd use good sized riprap in the ditches to control erosion. It does need to be the appropriate thickness too.



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6BangBronk said:
Next step before I touch the drive is have Health Department to do perk testing to see exactly how many units I can do. That should be in the next month hopefully???

And all of this is hinging on the idea that the property is even suitable for septic. It appears to be but it's not my eyes to determine. So a lot of sleepless nights still to come...
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So you aren't going to hide in the woods overnight with a vile of water to control the "perk"??? ;). :lol:
 
rockcity said:
So you aren't going to hide in the woods overnight with a vile of water to control the "perk"??? ;). :lol:
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rockcity, I know absolutely nothing about perk testing for suitable soils. Guess that's why it's so scary to me right now... I've only become a master of UN-suitable soils here in Durham.:shaking:

The driveway planning is what's getting my mind off of it. I won't be able to be up there anyways since I work all the time and it's 4 hours away. I'm sure this will get done by County HD during the week.
 
I assume the property lines are splayed out from the 50' @ the ROW so you will have some room for switchbacks? are the adjoining lot's developed? Maybe you could work w a neighbor- go halves on a road up the hill in a better location and get an access easement from them?
 
mommucked said:
I assume the property lines are splayed out from the 50' @ the ROW so you will have some room for switchbacks? are the adjoining lot's developed? Maybe you could work w a neighbor- go halves on a road up the hill in a better location and get an access easement from them?
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At this point an access easement don't look likely. 50' is it. No splays. Flares out to closer to 50.5' at the top if that helps.:lol:

Left side has a house on 6+ acres. Right side is like 2 acres undeveloped. Neither neighbor has been cooperative at this point. Right side undeveloped will be had by the balls to grant me some easement if everything goes as planned.

It's looking like switch backs would be designed for smaller vehicles to go up. Then I'd have a straight path up the middle for trailer loads or trips back down or days I'm in a hurry. But 50' is barely enough to work with if even enough to consider. It may be a straight up and be done?

A standard cross section of a parking lot with straight lined parking on both sides with a 2 way center drive isle is about 51' wide for comparison. Still just wide enough for some switch back but I'd have to go over the water and UG electric. Gravel wouldn't be an issue.

I like the rock in the concrete idea best so far for some switch back and just have a dirt trail up the middle.
 
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Looking down right where the corridor opens up before the ride down to the right.
 

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