asphalt repair

[meackerman]

our gravel driveway ends at our neighbor's paved driveway. Over time the vehicle traffic, especially the garbage trucks have been breaking up the asphalt ramp that goes from our driveway (3/4" ab gravel) up to the neighbors paved driveway. Its about a 1 1/2" step up.

Can something like the Sakrete Blacktop Patch be used to replace/repair the small ramp, its 6-8" wide, 10-12 long? Or is that just going to get chewed up in no time?

Like to find something that's not too expensive that will last more than a couple months. No idea when the ramp was originally put down, we've been here for 3 years and its just now getting chewed up...could have been done when the neighbor's driveway was put in 10 years or so ago or it could have been right before we moved in, I dunno.

[Lynden]

meackerman said:

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Can something like the Sakrete Blacktop Patch be used to replace/repair the small ramp, its 6-8" wide, 10-12 long? Or is that just going to get chewed up in no time?

No idea when the ramp was originally put down, we've been here for 3 years and its just now getting chewed up...could have been done when the neighbor's driveway was put in 10 years or so ago or it could have been right before we moved in, I dunno.

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I don't think any cold-mix product will hold up under garbage truck wheel loads in a transition ramp from a gravel driveway to a paved driveway. Cold mix needs to be held in place around the total perimeter of the patch, such as in a pothole repair. Your gravel driveway will not provide any lateral support to the ramp. Also, the gravel will allow water infiltration under the ramp.

The existing ramp may have been hot mix, which is why it lasted three years.

[daveferg]

Mark---I don't know if it's just the garbage trucks causing the problem. Our street hasn't been repaved in the 27 years we've lived here-----a few cracks, but was OK---until recently when it now looks like one of those dried up river beds you see out in the desert-----like a spiderweb of cracks.

I'm no expert, but can't help but think this may be caused by the drought making the subsoil extremely dry.

In any event, I agree there is no great solution---as I've tried most of them---including the asphalt caulk-like patch, cold patch. most of the pore-on blacktop stuff just makes things a nice new looking black---but the cracks are still there.

[meackerman]

the asphalt driveway is in great condition, better condition than the county road it extends from (we're at the end of the road).

Just the transition ramp is starting to break apart.

[meackerman]

not sure what it is. could have been there a lot longer than 3 years.

One thought on supporting the asphalt patch would be to dig into the gravel a bit so instead of tapering to a point it would be thicker where it meets the gravel.