Gravel Delivery in Ohio

Shale shows up again and again on the state geologic map. The Columbus and Cleveland center points both read shale and black shale. Toledo's reads dolostone and shale, and Dayton's shale and limestone. Shale is hardened mud, laid down in thin sheets on an old sea floor. It splits easily and weathers into clay, so it rarely goes into a driveway surface. Black shale carries a lot of carbon and looks dark when it is freshly broken.^[1]

The northeast cities have a wider mix. The Akron center point reads shale, siltstone, sandstone, conglomerate, limestone and chert, and the Parma center point reads the same six rocks. Canton's center point lists shale, siltstone, limestone, sandstone, claystone and bituminous coal. Sandstone and conglomerate are grains of sand and pebbles cemented together. Chert is hard and glassy and holds a sharp edge when crushed. Bituminous means a soft coal seam runs among the layers there.^[1]

For a buyer, the useful rock is the limestone and dolostone found at the Toledo, Dayton, Akron and Canton center points. Quarries in carbonate rock like this crush it into the gray, angular stone that most Ohio driveways use. Crushed limestone packs tight because its fine dust binds when wet. Glaciers that crossed much of the state also left sand and gravel beds, and washed stone from those beds becomes Pea Gravel, River Rock and the clean rounded sizes.^[1]

Silt loam leads the soil readings. The USDA soil survey reads silt loam, somewhat poorly drained, at the Columbus, Cleveland and Parma center points. Akron's center point shows silt loam, moderately well drained, and Canton's silt loam, well drained. Toledo's center point reads fine sandy loam, somewhat poorly drained. Silt holds water and turns soft when wet, and it pumps up into stone laid straight on top of it. A fabric layer between the silt and the base stops that.^[2]

The ground rises toward the northeast. Canton's center point stands 1,060 feet above sea level and Akron's 1,010 feet. Columbus reads 910 feet, Dayton 730 feet, Toledo 610 feet and Cincinnati 460 feet at their center points. Ohio's Department of Transportation sets its rules for the stone layer under state pavements in Aggregate Base, Item 304, of its Construction and Material Specifications, dated 2023.^[3],[4]

Precipitation runs high in the south and lower in the north. The weather station used for Cincinnati averages 43.4 inches a year. Dayton's and Canton's stations each read 41.6 inches and Parma's 41.0 inches. In the north, Cleveland's station logs 33.3 inches, Akron's 32.5 inches and Toledo's 32.4 inches. Columbus's station sits in between at 35.8 inches. Somewhat poorly drained silt, like the Columbus reading, can stay soft for days after a soaking rain, so a truck should stay off a wet lawn.^[2],[5]

Cold weather lasts a long time in every city on the list. Canton's station counts 120 days a year at 32 F or colder, and the Akron and Toledo stations each count 118 days. Columbus logs 112 days, Parma 111, Dayton 107 and Cincinnati 102. Cleveland's station reads the fewest, 92 days. Snow varies more: the Parma station averages 63.8 inches a year, Canton's 47.2 inches and Dayton's 12.3 inches.^[5]

Spring thaw is the hardest time for a heavy truck. As frozen silt thaws from the top down, water gets trapped above the frozen layer and the surface turns to soup. A drive or lawn that held a truck in January may rut in March. In places like Parma, with 63.8 inches of snow a year at its station, plan a drop on pavement until the yard dries out.^[2],[5]

Pick the drop spot before the truck comes. A dump truck needs a firm, level patch, room to raise its bed and no wires or limbs overhead. Suburban lots in Columbus, Dayton and Marysville tend to have a wide drive, while older streets in Cleveland and Cincinnati can be tight. Gravel Valet can drop on a tarp to protect a paved drive from stone dust and stains. For a long drive, the driver can spread stone as the truck pulls forward, which saves hours of shovel work if the base is already firm.^[5]

Gravel driveways on silt top the list. On the somewhat poorly drained silt loam at the Cleveland center point, strip the topsoil, lay a woven fabric, and build up a compacted layer of Road Base or Crushed Concrete. Finish with Driveway Gravel or 3/4" Crushed Stone. The fabric keeps the base from sinking into soft silt, and a crown helps rain leave the surface quickly. Top up worn spots each spring with a fresh layer of the same surface stone, and rake it level before cars pack it down.^[2]

Frost changes the recipe. With 120 days a year at 32 F or colder logged at the Canton station, water left in a base can freeze and lift the surface. A coarse bottom layer of #4 Crushed Stone or 1-1/2" Crushed Gravel gives water room to drain. Asphalt Millings can also form the top layer, since they pack hard and shed water once traffic warms them. Rake and roll millings in warm weather, when the old binder in them softens and knits the pieces together.^[5]

Wet yards need drainage stone. On the somewhat poorly drained ground at the Columbus center point, water can sit in low spots after a storm. A French drain, a fabric lined trench with perforated pipe and Drain Rock or #57 Crushed Stone, gives that water a way out. Downspout runoff goes the same way. River Rock lines a swale and slows water where it would otherwise cut a groove.^[2]

Patios and walks follow. Dig down past the topsoil, lay fabric, compact Road Base, and set pavers on a bed of Concrete Sand or Stone Dust Screenings. Walkway Gravel and 3/8" Crushed Stone make a firm garden path. On the fine sandy loam at the Toledo center point, the subgrade drains better than silt, but fabric still keeps the layers apart.^[2]

Beds and lawns finish the job. Silt soil packs hard, so new beds do well with Garden Soil or Topsoil and a layer of Compost worked in. Black Shredded Mulch, Brown Shredded Mulch or Red Mulch holds moisture in summer and shields roots in winter. Fill Dirt raises a low corner, and Fill Sand works under a pool or a shed slab. Fill Dirt settles over its first winter, so add a little more than the low spot needs and tamp it in layers. Playground Sand and Wood Chips suit play areas.^[2]