Anyone ever hear of "hard dirt"?

[Major Debacle]

I gotta redo a drive way strip that a redwood tree uplifted. It's one of those old driveways where there are two strips of concrete about 30" wide with dirt in the middle.

Some of the roots of the redwood tree are level with the top of where the driveway strip should be so the lady wants to pour around the roots. Makes sense to me. She said she talked to someone and all she could come up with was "hard dirt". Now that don't sound like anything I ever heard of, but who knows?

I figure, form up around the roots, pour the conc and fill in with whatever it is she is calling 'hard dirt' around the roots. I don't know what the hell she might mean, but I guess there might be something out there to fill the bill.

Anyone got any ideas?

[LouB]

Probably just clay.

A bane to many cause it is hard to get grass to grow in it.

Lou

[trader4]

That makes sense to you? The roots are flush with the top of where the new pour is going and you think it's ok to just pour concrete around them? Should look great. And regardless of how it looks, it's going to fail. Even if the roots are just BELOW the concrete they will eventually cause it to beak up.

She said she talked to someone and all she could come

[ransley]

Your county probably has a tree expert on hand that will come out free and give ideas that will last and not hurt the tree. Neither of you know what is right for the tree and to make it last.

[norminn]

Crushed stone? I know it is used for underlayment for pavers. Use compacter for that.

[gfretwell]

They may be talking about "soilcrete" where you till portland cement into the existing soil, compact it and wet it down. It was all the rage in the late 70s but quickly disappeared. I am guessing it didn't work that well. I did do some here about 25 years ago but it is under a low deck so I have no idea how well it would have actually worked out in the open. I just wanted to stabilize the dirt and make sure grass wouldn't grow. It did get pretty hard but there is no traffic over it..

[Major Debacle]

Actually, no. I was ambiguous in the description. By "pour around the roots" I actually nmeant to covey that I would be pouring around the roots, but not up to the roots, in much the same way boat goes around an island or a plane goes around a mountain.

Anyway , the stuff I was looking for is decomposed granite with a stabilizer mixed in.

[Major Debacle]

The laday called a tree guy out and he recommended decomposed granite with a stabilizer. Plan on pouring conc where root free and DG near the roots.

[Teleprompter]

that's the stuff between your ears.

[Teleprompter]

he sounds more like Major Dumbass.

[Major Debacle]

Not bad for a dumbass: