Crushed Stone, Sand and Soil Delivery in Little Rock, AR

Ground that is fully built over

The USDA soil survey maps the ZIP's center point as Urban land and rates 100 percent of that map unit as paved or built over. No natural soil is exposed at that spot. Whatever lies under a slab or a lot surface there is a mix of fill, old base and whatever earlier construction left behind.^[1]

Opening that kind of ground for a planter or a parking strip can turn up brick, concrete pieces, cinders and pockets of clay. Firm, well packed material can stay as part of a new base, but soft or organic pockets should come out and be replaced with compacted Crushed Concrete or Road Base.^[1]

Deeper down, the USGS geologic map places the center point on the Jackfork Sandstone, a Pennsylvanian unit of sandstone and shale. Sandstone is hard and blocky, while shale weathers into a fine, slick clay. A deep excavation may hit either one, sometimes in alternating layers.^[2]

The ground at the center point stands 330 feet above sea level.^[3]

Sandstone pieces dug from a deep excavation can find a second use as edging stones or as steps in a planted bank.^[2]

Heavy rain and a real winter

The NOAA normals station at Little Rock AP Adams FLD, AR, about 3 miles away, averages 50.4 inches of precipitation a year. Rain arrives in all seasons, and spring storms can be intense. On built-over ground, nearly all of that water runs off roofs and pavement, so every stone surface needs a drainage plan.^[4]

Snow averages 3.8 inches a year at the airport station. It logs 50 days a year with a low of 32 F or colder. Freezing nights can lift stone that sits in water, so a base that drains is worth the extra effort.^[4]

The median last spring freeze at that station is March 21. The median first fall freeze is November 10. Spring planting and new beds fit after the March date, and fresh mulch before the November date helps protect roots.^[4]

Ice storms are a risk in a climate with both heavy rain and freezing nights. Angular stone on a walk or a parking area grips better than smooth pavement, and a sprinkling of Concrete Sand gives traction on icy steps.^[4]

Light snow rarely stays long, but clearing a gravel surface still calls for care: keep the shovel blade a little above the stone so the top layer stays where it belongs.^[4]

Courtyard drainage and surface stone

On small, built-over lots, roofs and pavement send water toward the few open spots. A courtyard or a side strip can turn into a pond in a heavy rain. Start any project by finding where the water comes from and where it can leave, whether that is a street gutter, a storm drain or a planted area.^[1],[4]

A trench drain filled with Drain Rock along the low edge of a courtyard catches surface water and carries it to an outlet. Under a downspout, a basin of #57 Crushed Stone or River Rock slows the flow and spreads it out. Line both with fabric so silt does not clog the stone.^[4]

For a parking strip or a service area, dig out to firm material, lay fabric if the subgrade is soft, and compact Road Base or Crushed Concrete in thin lifts. Top it with 3/4" Crushed Stone or Driveway Gravel. Slope the surface toward the drain so water never sits in the base, which keeps winter freezes from lifting it.^[1],[4]

For a courtyard surface, the choice is between #57 Crushed Stone and Pea Gravel. #57 Crushed Stone is angular, about the size of a grape or a bit larger, and it locks into a stable surface that drains fast. It handles chairs, tables and light carts without shifting much.^[1],[4]

Pea Gravel is smaller and rounded, softer to walk on and nicer to look at in a seating area. It drains just as well but moves under feet and furniture, so it needs firm edging and a base of compacted stone underneath. In heavy rain, Pea Gravel can float toward low spots if the area is not level.^[4]

A mix works well: #57 Crushed Stone under heavy-use areas and Pea Gravel in sitting spots and around planters. Each stone looks good next to brick and sandstone, and each is easy to rake level.^[1]

Planters and small green spaces

With no native soil at the surface, planting downtown happens in raised beds, planters and tree pits. Fill them with Garden Soil, and put a thin layer of #89 Crushed Stone at the bottom of deep planters so water drains out. Top each one with Compost once a year to keep the soil rich.^[1],[4]

Mulch keeps planters from drying out in summer and stops heavy rain from splashing soil onto pavement. Black Shredded Mulch and Red Mulch both look sharp against concrete and brick. Keep mulch a few inches below the rim so it does not wash over in a storm.^[4]

Before the median first freeze in early November, add a fresh layer of mulch to planters with perennials and shrubs. The extra cover helps roots ride out the cold nights of winter.^[4]

Sheds, bins and service corners

A downtown property may need a firm, level spot for trash bins, a utility box, a bike rack or a small shed. A stone pad is quick to build and drains far better than bare ground. Frame the area with timber or steel edging, dig out loose material, and compact Crushed Concrete or #4 Crushed Stone in thin lifts.^[1],[4]

Finish the pad with a thin layer of Stone Dust Screenings, which can be screeded flat and compacted into a smooth, hard surface. Pitch it slightly toward a drain or a planted area so rain runs off. A pad that drains stays firm through freezing nights, while one that holds water can heave and crack the frame.^[4]

Where a pad sits next to a building, keep its surface a little below any door sill or vent, and leave a strip of Drain Rock between the stone and the wall. That gap lets roof water soak away instead of running back toward the foundation.^[1]

Housing in 72201 and across Little Rock

The Census counts 604 housing units in ZIP 72201. Detached single-family houses make up 2 percent of them.^[5]

The median home in ZIP 72201 was built in 1972. Owners occupy 35 percent of the occupied homes.^[5]

Little Rock as a whole holds 99,643 housing units. Detached houses make up 60 percent of the citywide total.^[5]

The median build year across Little Rock is 1978.^[5]

The Arkansas transportation department calls its stone layer under pavements Aggregate Base Course, Class 7, under Section 303 of its Standard Specifications for Highway Construction (2014).^[6]