asphalt millings

[rwebb]

I have a gravel driveway with approximate dimensions of 40 feet x 60 feet. I have friend who has several dump trunks full of asphalt millings. I would like to excavate the gravel and dirt and put down 4 to 6 inches of the millings. I have access to rollers and compactors that I'll use while putting it down.

My question: Is there any product available that would help in bonding the material when I put it down? Or are the retailer sealers adequate?

I have seen mention of emulsifiers that can be added but if anyone knows of something that would be available at the retail level, that would be great.

[BobK207]

Home made asphalt? Sounds a little risky.......I'd do a test batch about 3' x 3' to make sure it works before I committed to a ~40 yds potential disaster

How much sealer will you need? Again, a trial batch help answer these questions

I'm thinking you'd need 100's of gallons.

cheers Bob

[webber1998]

Thanks Bob,

We are already committed to the millings and have no problems using it just compacted. I wouldn't call it home made ashpalt. Just looking for a way to cut down on all the loose gravel. W've used the millings on a couple of driveways, compacted it well and it works just fine. Typically longer driveways and the millings are a lot better then gravel.

On this particular driveway, my son in law was wondering about seal coating or some other substance to keep the excess gravel down and would that, or something else, help to bond the millings.

[barry]

I'd look for one of the contractors who does "original-style" macadam paving, with sprayer for liquid asphalt. Layer of stone, spray asphalt, top layer of stone.

Sealer ain't gonna bond anything for long.

HTH, J

[Chris Lewis]

According to webber1998 :

Out of curiousity, I looked it up and found this:

[New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Guidelines]

See section F3 and F4.

Basically, "loose" and "simple compaction" aren't permitted.

A binder (they mention "liquid asphalt" - this isn't driveway sealer) or heat (essentially using it in a "normal" paving process

- provided that there's enough asphalt in the "millings").

[hallerb]

yeah and cost more than asphalt too.

hot tar is the way to go

[webber1998]

I think I would be perfectly happy with compacting and rolling the millings. I'm not looking for perfection. If I was, I'd just hire someone to pave it.

Thanks again. !

[Richard J Kinch]

By "millings" you mean old waste asphaltic concrete from scarifiers? "Asphalt" is petroleum tar, not asphaltic concrete (asphalt plus gravel).

That recycled stuff is basically a low-quality gravel, weak and brittle, that can only be used in small proportions in new paving material for the sake of getting rid of it. And that has to be done by lots of heat and mixing with fresh asphalt in a big mixing plant. Not something you can accomplish in your driveway.

There's a reason this old material was torn up. It's no good for paving any more. You might as well try to pave with kitty litter or bread crumbs.

Yeah, it's called asphalt. See above.

You mean the water emulsions of asphalt? Forget it.

[David Nebenzahl]

Richard J Kinch spake thus:

The OP said he's used it before and it worked well. Why shouldn't we take his word for it?

[Ether Jones]

Have you ever tried it?

The county was tearing up the "asphalt" road in front of my home. I talked the crew into dumping and rolling of load of at the end of my gravel drive. No special prep, no sealers, no nothing - just dump it, spread it, and roll it down.

Looks great, wears like iron. Wish they'd done the whole 200 feet.

[Richard J Kinch]

For loose gravel, OK.

The OP was trying to improvise some kind of concrete from it.

[David Nebenzahl]

Richard J Kinch spake thus:

I don't think so; what they said was "[I've] used the millings on a couple of driveways, compacted it well and it works just fine.".

[webber1998]

LOL.....re-read my original post.

Must be in the asphalt business.

A pretty asphalt driveway and parking area is NOT what I'm looking for. With 125' of driveway and a 40x50' parking area. Forget it. It is NOT worth the money.

As I said in my original post, I've used this stuff several times before. It is durable and holds together pretty well, compared to gravel.... And no, it isn't asphalt.

We have several in the community that have held up really well while their neighbors stone driveways have been washed several times by weather.

I was trying to see if anyone knew of any product for helping with the bonding. I KNOW what it is, HOW I've used it, WHAT to expect and how WELL it holds up, compared to the gravel driveways.

The best part is the COST. It costs me the FUEL for the dump truck. I've got access to all the other equipment.

[webber1998]

Thats the best part. Sometimes you can get the stuff for free and put it down if you have the equipment.

What I have now is 125' that basically looks like a worn asphalt driveway and it has held up a hell of a lot better then stone EVER could, but certainly NOT like a new asphalt driveway. The previous owner did that 5 years ago. And left the driveway near the house stone. We enlarged this area to a 40' x 50' and are looking to fill this in. The 125' we will do when it needs it.

[webber1998]

Thanks for the info... I appreciate it....

[webber1998]

No, not trying to improvise ANYTHING.

I know what it is, where its from and how it works. I've used it before and the previous owner put 125' of it on the length of my driveway leading to my house and parking area. Would you like a photo of it after over 5 years ??? IT SURE THE HELL ISN'T GRAVEL.

[Chris Lewis]

According to webber1998 :

The key to it working is how much asphalt is left, and how badly it's deteriorated (some of it evaporates, believe it or not).

If it's still "juicy" enough , simple compaction will work if done properly. But mixing it with liquid asphalt will replenish even real stale asphalt, or applying it with heat will make it possible to reuse staler asphalt without adding fresh asphalt.

It's better to avoid taking chances, and use one or the other to make sure it stays put and doesn't crumble on you. All the better if it's on a firm packed base. Eg: an already well-used gravel driveway.

There is road building equipment that drives along, grinds and picks up asphalt and immediately re-lays it behind. They do both - add hot tar and heat - the "tar truck" is ahead of the machine. Then the big rollers come along and compact it while it's still hot.

[Richard J Kinch]

The please explain what this term "millings" means.

Asphalt pavement is a concrete consisting of gravel aggregate in asphaltic cement. Recycled asphaltic pavement consists of the same. Mostly gravel.

[webber1998]

I went out and checked what they had for me and yes, it is still fairly "juicy". Yesterday was fairly sunny and it was pretty goopy stuff. ( Love that English ! ). I can get the heat, but not sure about the liquid asphalt.

Thanks !

[Chris Lewis]

According to webber1998 :

Heh. I spent a couple of summers working in a refinery lab, where one of the most frequent tests I did was on road building asphalt.

It's _startling_ how soft/gooey it is even at room temperature when in the unmixed state. Took me a while to believe that was what it was, because I was _sure_ anybody driving on it would sink right through. In the raw/unmixed state, it starts turning liquid around

85-95F. Yeah, really.

The aggregates mixed into it makes all the difference.

Well, short of buying a tanker truck full...

It might be worth contacting a driveway paver, and see what they say about using your material... That'd make things very simple.