I'm looking for some solid advice or a good tutorial video on how to install a driveway culvert. I have a rough idea of the process, but I'm confused about what to use for filling around the pipe and how to get it up to road grade. I'm worried about how to keep the gravel in place when I raise it about four feet. I have access to a skid steer and maybe even a mini excavator. By the way, how long should I expect this to take? Is it realistic to finish it all in one day?
2 Answers
CulvertMaster98 has a good point! For your setup, I’d suggest laying down about 6 inches of 1-inch clear stone under the pipe. Not exactly sure what class 5 fill is, but we use a mix called 3/4 inch with fines from the quarry around here, and it compacts like a dream. Before you start, definitely check in with your local town or county about getting the right permits; you don’t want to get in trouble for messing with their right-of-way!
You can definitely get it done over a weekend if you've got the mini excavator handy! I recommend using class 5 fill, which is often known as base material, to pack around the pipe. Just make sure you dig out enough of the driveway to fit a tamper or plate compactor in between the pipe and the drive so that you can compact the base material properly. If you don't, you might end up with a sunken spot at the end of your driveway where the culvert is. Depending on your site, you could arrange for a crew to lay down about 6 feet of asphalt on top for a solid finish, which might make a nice project for the weekend too!
Since my driveway is gravel and the road is too, I think I'll just stick to that instead of asphalt. The culvert will be placed in the current ditch.
How much do you think that kind of work would cost?