Gravel Delivery in Arkansas

The state geologic map places sandstone and shale at Little Rock's center point. Fayetteville's center point carries the same two rocks plus limestone. Sandstone is sand grains cemented into stone, and it can be hard or crumbly depending on how well it is bound. Shale is hardened mud that splits into thin flakes and softens when it is wet for long. Limestone is the rock most often crushed into the gray, sharp stone used for driveways and base layers.^[1]

For surface soil, the USDA survey reads stony loam at Fayetteville's center point and classes it well drained. Stony loam is a mix of sand, silt and clay with rock fragments through it. Water moves through it at a fair pace, but the stones make digging slow and can leave a lumpy grade unless they are raked out or covered with a layer of fill.^[2]

The ground at Little Rock's center point stands 330 feet above sea level. Fayetteville's center point is much higher, at 1,540 feet. In hill country, soil over rock can be thin on one lot and deep on the next. A test hole dug with a spade before a big job shows how far down the rock starts and whether the soil under the grass is stony, wet or firm.^[3]

The Arkansas Department of Transportation describes the stone layer beneath its highways in Aggregate Base Course, Class 7, Section 303, Standard Specifications for Highway Construction (2014). For a homeowner, the plain lesson is that well graded, crushed stone packed in layers is what carries weight. Shale fragments break down in water, so a home base works best when built from hard crushed rock such as limestone, or from Crushed Concrete, rather than from loose local shale.^[1],[4]

The weather station used for Little Rock averages 50.4 inches of precipitation a year, and Fayetteville's averages 47.0 inches. Rain of that kind can leave a yard soft for a few days after a storm. Shale and clay near the surface hold water, so the top of a lawn may feel firm while the layer under it is still slick. A load is easiest to place after a dry stretch.^[5]

Winter is a bigger factor in Fayetteville. Its station logs 94 days a year at 32 F or colder and averages 6.5 inches of snow. Little Rock's station logs 50 days at 32 F or colder and averages 3.8 inches of snow. A frozen yard can carry a truck well in the morning and turn soft by afternoon once the top thaws. Ice on a sloped drive can make a backing truck slide, so a clear, sanded lane helps on cold days.^[5]

Slopes shape the drop in hill country. A dump truck must be close to level side to side when the bed is raised, or the load can shift and tip it. On a sloped lot near Fayetteville, pick a flat spot at the top of the drive or on the street edge where that is allowed, and move the material down by wheelbarrow or loader. Check for low branches, overhead wires and narrow gates along the way in.^[3]

Think about where water will run before you choose a spot for the pile. Rain on a sloped yard carries loose soil and mulch downhill, and a pile placed in the path of runoff can end up in the street. Put soil and mulch piles on the high side of the drive, cover them with a tarp if a storm is close, and keep sand away from storm drains.^[5]

Rocky ground affects the crew as much as the truck. On the stony loam mapped at Fayetteville's center point, a shovel hits stone often, and spreading a load by hand goes slower than on soft soil. A small loader or a rented skid steer saves hours on a big job. Order soil and mulch for a dry week so the piles stay loose while you move them.^[2]

Driveways are the most common job. On the stony, well drained loam mapped at Fayetteville's center point, the native ground often supports a drive with less digging, but loose rocks should be raked out before the base goes down. Spread Road Base or Crushed Concrete in layers and pack each one firm. Top it with Driveway Gravel or #57 Crushed Stone. On a steep drive, 3/4" Crushed Stone locks together better than round stone and resists washing downhill.^[2]

Drainage keeps a sloped drive from turning into a creek bed. Cut a shallow ditch along the uphill edge, and use a culvert or a stone-lined swale where water must cross. Line ditches with Drain Rock or #4 Crushed Stone, and armor steep runs and pipe outlets with Riprap. With 50.4 inches of yearly precipitation at Little Rock's station, a French drain filled with #57 Crushed Stone is a common fix for a wet basement wall.^[5]

Garden beds on rocky ground benefit from new soil on top. Rather than digging out every stone, build a raised bed and fill it with Garden Soil or a blend of Topsoil and Compost. Cover the surface with Brown Shredded Mulch or Black Shredded Mulch to slow drying in summer and to protect roots on cold nights. River Rock and Pea Gravel make good borders and drip edges, and they hold up on slopes where mulch would slide.^[2]

Retaining walls and terraces are common on hilly lots. A block wall needs a packed footing of Road Base and a column of clean #57 Crushed Stone behind the blocks so water can drain instead of pushing the wall over. Patios on a cut terrace use the same packed base with a thin bed of Concrete Sand or Stone Dust Screenings under the pavers. On shale and sandstone like the map shows at Little Rock's center point, a fabric layer under the base keeps fine soil from working up into the stone.^[1]

Smaller jobs fill out the list. Fill Sand backfills trenches and levels spots under above-ground pools. Fill Dirt raises a low corner, and Topsoil finishes a lawn area for seed. Playground Sand and Wood Chips suit play spaces. Asphalt Millings make a durable, darker surface for a long rural drive or a parking pad, and they firm up as they warm in the sun.^[2]

A gravel parking pad for a boat, trailer or extra car is a common add on. Strip the sod, lay fabric, pack Road Base in lifts and top it with #57 Crushed Stone or 3/4" Crushed Stone. On a slope near Fayetteville, set the pad on a level cut and drain the uphill side so runoff passes around it.^[3]