Gravel Delivery in Virginia

Near the coast the ground is young, loose sediment. The state geologic map shows sand at the Virginia Beach center point, and sand and silt at the Norfolk, Chesapeake and Hampton center points. These are deposits laid down by the sea and by rivers near their mouths. Loose sand like that holds no hard rock close to the surface, so crushed stone for coastal jobs travels in from inland.^[1]

Richmond's center point maps a mix of gravel, silt, sand and clay. Ground of that kind forms where rivers spread their load over a wide plain, and it can hold rounded gravel that suits beds and dry creek beds. Stone from those beds is smooth and rolls, so a drive needs crushed, angular rock on top of it.^[1]

Roanoke's center point is different. It reads shale, siltstone, sandstone, dolostone and limestone, the layered, folded rock of the western hills and valleys. Dolostone and limestone crush into hard, grey, angular stone that locks when packed. Shale and siltstone are softer and break into flat chips.^[1]

Soil at the surface tells a similar east and west story. The USDA soil survey reads fine sandy loam at the Norfolk and Hampton center points, both classed poorly drained. The Virginia Beach center point shows loam, somewhat poorly drained. Newport News's center point reads loam, moderately well drained, and Alexandria's reads sandy loam, well drained.^[2]

Ground height shows the same split. The ground at the Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Chesapeake center points stands 10 feet above sea level. Newport News's center point reads 20 feet and Alexandria's 40 feet. Inland, Richmond's center point stands 180 feet and Roanoke's 920 feet. Each figure is one spot on the map.^[3]

The Virginia Department of Transportation sets out its rules for the stone layer under its roads as Aggregate Base Material, Type I, Size No. 21A, Section 208, in its 2020 Road and Bridge Specifications.^[4]

For a coastal buyer, poorly drained sandy and loamy ground means water stays close to the surface. A drive or patio there needs fabric, a compacted base and a way for water to leave. In the hills, rocky ground can be firm enough that the main job is leveling.^[2]

Rain is steady across the state. The weather station used for Norfolk averages 53.3 inches of precipitation a year. Chesapeake's station logs 48.6 inches, Hampton's 47.8 inches and Virginia Beach's 46.6 inches. Inland, Richmond's averages 45.5 inches, Newport News's 45.1 inches, Roanoke's 42.8 inches and Alexandria's 41.8 inches.^[5]

Wet, low ground is the main access risk near the coast. On poorly drained fine sandy loam, like the Norfolk center point reading, a lawn can feel firm on top and still let a heavy truck sink after a few days of rain. Plan the drop on a paved drive, a street edge or an existing gravel pad.^[2]

Snow and cold rise as you move inland and west. The Roanoke station averages 14.8 inches of snow a year, Alexandria's 13.7 inches and Richmond's 8.8 inches. Near the coast, Virginia Beach's station logs 3.4 inches and Hampton's 2.7 inches. A snowy, sloped drive can stop a loaded truck, so clear the path first.^[5]

Freezing days follow the same pattern. The Roanoke station counts 77 days a year at 32 F or colder, Richmond's 74 days and Newport News's 64 days. Alexandria's station logs 60 days. Chesapeake's and Hampton's each record 52 days, and Norfolk's and Virginia Beach's each 50 days. Frozen ground carries a truck in the morning, then can turn soft and greasy when it thaws.^[5]

Check overhead and around the drop spot. A dump bed rises high as it tips, so it needs room clear of wires and branches. On an older street with tight lots, the only open space may be at the curb. In the hills around Roanoke and Christiansburg, a steep or winding drive may change where the truck can stop. Tell Gravel Valet about it ahead of time.^[3]

Coastal driveways start with the water. On the poorly drained fine sandy loam at the Hampton center point, lay a woven fabric, then a compacted layer of Road Base or Crushed Concrete, then Driveway Gravel or 3/4" Crushed Stone. Build the drive a little above the yard and crown it so water runs off both sides. Asphalt Millings also pack into a firm, dark surface.^[2]

Drainage is the other big coastal job. With the ground at the Chesapeake center point at 10 feet above sea level and 48.6 inches of yearly precipitation at its station, water can sit in a yard after a storm. A French drain of perforated pipe in Drain Rock or #57 Crushed Stone, wrapped in fabric, gives it a way out. A swale lined with River Rock carries surface flow to a ditch.^[3],[5]

Garden beds on wet ground do best raised. On the somewhat poorly drained loam at the Virginia Beach center point, build beds up with Garden Soil or Topsoil mixed with Compost so roots stay above wet soil. Cover them with Brown Shredded Mulch, Black Shredded Mulch or Red Mulch. On the well drained sandy loam at the Alexandria center point, mulch helps hold water through dry spells.^[2]

Patios and walkways need a firm, drained base. Pack Road Base, then set pavers on a bed of Concrete Sand or Stone Dust Screenings. For a gravel walk, 3/8" Crushed Stone or Walkway Gravel packs firmer than Pea Gravel. On the moderately well drained loam at the Newport News center point, a standard build with a light slope away from the house works well.^[2]

Hillside jobs come up in the west. Riprap holds a cut bank above a drive, and #57 Crushed Stone or #4 Crushed Stone fills a culvert apron where storm water lands. With 77 days a year at 32 F or colder at the Roanoke station, keep fines out of the base so ice does not lift it.^[1],[5]

Shoreline and yard edges in the east need stone that stays put. Riprap armors a bank against runoff, and a layer of #57 Crushed Stone behind it lets water drain out. Fill Sand raises a low pad before a shed goes in, and Fill Dirt shapes a yard so it slopes away from the house. With 53.3 inches of yearly precipitation at the Norfolk station, even small grade changes help water find its way to a ditch or a drain.^[5]