Post by leokeeler on Jun 6, 2016 21:16:10 GMT -7
I just sent this idea in to the Road Committee. I hope it helps cut the costs for road maintenance.
During tonight's Road Committee meeting I wanted to bring up a question on how often the roads are graded and how that relates to gravel being lost. It appears GLA grades the roads only twice a year and does not consider how multiple gradings may save money. We ran out of time before I could bring this up.
I think we all know that cars cause gravel to be thrown to the edge of the road, and yes round gravel will displace easier and mover further, and faster, but even crushed gravel will be moved by cars. Though the fines that bind the gravel together may be blown away, the gravel itself is still valuable and efforts should be made to keep it spread evenly on the roads.
When I was administering logging sales that had lots of recreational and logging traffic, the roads were graded several times a year. The purpose of grading multiple times a year was to catch the gravel before it was thrown into the ditches or off the edges and out of reach of the graders. My Father used a simple guideline for managing gravel roads that were used by his trucks hauling silica to the copper smelters.
The principle my father used, and basically matched the Forest Service schedules for loggers, was to monitor when the packed tire tracks showed distinctly, and you could see small mounds between the tracks. Then it was time to grade again to catch the gravel near the edges of the road along with that in between the obvious tire tracts and to grade to spread it out to help keep the crown of the road and maintain good drainage.
.
If it only costs $5,000 for both North and South grading, wouldn't a mid summer grading possibly catch gravel that is still useful and not just let it be thrown off the road?
Please consider this in your next meeting.
Thanks for considering this suggestion
Leo Keeler
During tonight's Road Committee meeting I wanted to bring up a question on how often the roads are graded and how that relates to gravel being lost. It appears GLA grades the roads only twice a year and does not consider how multiple gradings may save money. We ran out of time before I could bring this up.
I think we all know that cars cause gravel to be thrown to the edge of the road, and yes round gravel will displace easier and mover further, and faster, but even crushed gravel will be moved by cars. Though the fines that bind the gravel together may be blown away, the gravel itself is still valuable and efforts should be made to keep it spread evenly on the roads.
When I was administering logging sales that had lots of recreational and logging traffic, the roads were graded several times a year. The purpose of grading multiple times a year was to catch the gravel before it was thrown into the ditches or off the edges and out of reach of the graders. My Father used a simple guideline for managing gravel roads that were used by his trucks hauling silica to the copper smelters.
The principle my father used, and basically matched the Forest Service schedules for loggers, was to monitor when the packed tire tracks showed distinctly, and you could see small mounds between the tracks. Then it was time to grade again to catch the gravel near the edges of the road along with that in between the obvious tire tracts and to grade to spread it out to help keep the crown of the road and maintain good drainage.
.
If it only costs $5,000 for both North and South grading, wouldn't a mid summer grading possibly catch gravel that is still useful and not just let it be thrown off the road?
Please consider this in your next meeting.
Thanks for considering this suggestion
Leo Keeler