Asphalt millings for driveway

[mosquito13]

I had never heard of the stuff, but asked a friend to prep along my cement driveway for shell with his tractor ( Its what we use in FLA could be gravel any aggregate) and he recommended millings. Laid it down 5" thick with rail road ties on edge to level - cement driveway on other edge level.

2/3rds the cost of shell , looks like rough asphalt roadway, plants are not supposed to grow through it (think thats from all the red dye diesel he told me to spray on it.
Had it now for two weeks . Smell from the diesel has faded. After filling the bed of my truck with water and red neck rolling the thing it is great. Takes static wheel turning without tearing up. No rutting. Lot of black dust , but hopping that will go away with a couple rains. Pic is from day one diesel and light rolling with a van. Will get a more recent pic.

 

[QuickBpBp]

"Lot of black dust"

I am sure that guy was happy to dispose of it as everywhere I know of they do not allow that as driveway material. I know people use it but not in residential areas. The black dust is a proven carcinogen and people have sued and won damages from poor air quality in their homes some have even gotten sick. The dust never leaves.... Good luck.

E. ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HAZARDS

The bitumen binder used in asphalt paving applications contains a relatively large concentration of a family of carcinogenic compounds which can pose serious human health and environmental concerns in certain circumstances such as when asphalt material is ground into very small particles that easily blow off of or wash from the surface. These compounds, known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are specified as targeted pollutants by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and are present in asphalt at much higher levels than the criteria established by the DEP for general use in a loose fashion on land. Asphalt millings used alone without a paved top surface have the potential to significantly migrate from the roadway through the actions of water, wind, and physical displacement and possibly contaminate surrounding soils and/or surface water sediments. Traffic traveling on the unpaved asphalt millings would generate dust containing the compounds referenced above and the dust would be a major migration route of the millings to the surrounding environment.

 

[mosquito13]

Huh , I did a fair amount of research before pulling the trigger, even asked code enforcement and was told not a issue. I checked out a car dealership here locally that used it for their rear lot. They were real happy with the product, year in place . Never read or told any thing about black lung. If the dust doesn't go away with some rain( hasn't rained here in over four weeks) . Will think about sealing it with some asphalt topper if it turns into a issue. May also try another 20 gallons of diesel , that was what was used a a binder, before rolling. I might have gone light on my application.
QuickBpBp have you actual experience with millings? Did the law suit take place in PA. Would like to look it up.

 

[Richard Cranium]

I'm sure that another 20 gallons of diesel fuel dumped into the ground is not a concern at all.

 

[ws23jrt]

If it had a lable that it said it was "organic" it might be easier to take. It will settle back in the ground to be mined in the future..
I personally feel good about the roads and freeways we drive on. That are paved with a "natural" and organic substance.
We are turning the soil--if you will--just as worms turn the soil so things grow better.

BTW -asphalt grinding and re-paving with that matierial is practical.

 

[QuickBpBp]

Huh , I did a fair amount of research before pulling the trigger, even asked code enforcement and was told not a issue. I checked out a car dealership here locally that used it for their rear lot. They were real happy with the product, year in place . Never read or told any thing about black lung. If the dust doesn't go away with some rain( hasn't rained here in over four weeks) . Will think about sealing it with some asphalt topper if it turns into a issue. May also try another 20 gallons of diesel , that was what was used a a binder, before rolling. I might have gone light on my application.
QuickBpBp have you actual experience with millings? Did the law suit take place in PA.

No not in Pa. but I am sure there have been some. I have heard of a few but the biggest one was a big farm out in the Mid west. Guy put it on his entire driveway and it was long like 1/2 mile and the neighboring house had to close all of their windows as the semi's rolled in and out of the farm creating the black dust. It contaminated their pool water, garden and their children got sick with breathing issues and some other health problems. They sued him and won. He had to remove it or seal over it and pay all damages. It's fine as long as it's sealed as I have friend who blacktop's for a living. While the cost maybe 2/3rds cheaper now it may cost more in the long run. I also can't believe no neighbor has complained once the diesel was dumped out as I know I have spilled it in the back of my truck maybe a pint and it smelled for days.....

 

[RT K_line]

I would think that with some type of sealer/paint the issue of dusting would be eliminated. I'm not a bilogical engineer or anything. JMO

 

[ws23jrt]

I would think that with some type of sealer/paint the issue of dusting would be eliminated. I'm not a bilogical engineer or anything. JMO

Many of us live in old houses. Old houses likely contain lead and asbestos. We can run screaming in panic or not.
Learning stuff has great healing properties.
Stop and take a breath. --Do it again. -- We do not live on the edge of a world that spills over.

 

[khryslerkid]

They sell it in Maryland. Normally it's put down with a box spreader, then just rolled with a roller. No oil applied. Works great if done on a hot day.

It's hard to find in PA because of the lack of road repair/maintenance in this state. They just pave right over damaged roads or spread tar and chip.

 

[bm02tj]

Get your local sealcoat company to sealcoat your drive way it will be like real asphalt if done in hot weather

 

[YY1]

It's just the ripped up old asphalt from new paving jobs, sifted and cleaned of rocks and debris.

Over time it has a tendency to repack and bond back together.

I had my shop driveway partially paved and the company suggested millings as a lower cost alternative for the remaining portion. The quote was about 5/8 the cost of hot asphalt.

They even gave me a reference customer that had recently had it laid down, so I could see it.

 

[moparwacko]

Used to own a small fleet of Tri-Axle dumps here in PA. I was actually contracted to haul milling, and it was always back to the HMA plant. BUT.......last loads of the day somehow made it to my shop. Used it many times for base, and always covered it with "tar & chip" on parking lots, driveways, etc.
BP BP may be correct with the dust issue, but......IMO there's more of an issue hauling HMA and the cleanup afterwards if you get my drift.

 

[QuickBpBp]

Get your local sealcoat company to sealcoat your drive way it will be like real asphalt if done in hot weather

Exactly.. It's used a lot it just has to be bonded or sealed over. It just how they treat lead paint and asbestos as long as it's sealed it's fine.

 

[mosquito13]

QuickBpBp you got a link to any of these law suites. I did a google and got nothing.

 

[QuickBpBp]

No links just going by memory... I saw 2 stories over the years about it on 60 minutes and or 20/20 about feuding neighbors and lawsuits over unsealed asphalt millings... These were big applications. Part of that dust is silica from cutting it. I am sure you heard of law suits from Silicosis....
It's just not a good option to leave it unsealed. Even you mentioned "lots of black dust" that's the harmful part. I also think you are exposing yourself by pumping out diesel fuel especially in the Hot Florida sun it has to be filling the surrounding homes with the fumes. While it may have been cheaper to put in it's one of those things that will actually cost more in the long run. I would have it sealed by a professional and not the guy who is telling you to dump red diesel on it which is just dyed and cheaper for agricultural use only (no tax)...

 

[aldal]

Exactly.. It's used a lot it just has to be bonded or sealed over. It just how they treat lead paint and asbestos as long as it's sealed it's fine.

x2

Also avoid any more diesel fuel that will actually break it down and make it softer.
Just pack the heck out of it with some type of roller and seal it up.

 

[mosquito13]

No links just going by memory... I saw 2 stories over the years about it on 60 minutes and or 20/20 about feuding neighbors and lawsuits over unsealed asphalt millings... These were big applications. Part of that dust is silica from cutting it. I am sure you heard of law suits from Silicosis....
It's just not a good option to leave it unsealed. Even you mentioned "lots of black dust" that's the harmful part. I also think you are exposing yourself by pumping out diesel fuel especially in the Hot Florida sun it has to be filling the surrounding homes with the fumes. While it may have been cheaper to put in it's one of those things that will actually cost more in the long run. I would have it sealed by a professional and not the guy who is telling you to dump red diesel on it which is just dyed and cheaper for agricultural use only (no tax)...

red dye is taxed at a much lower rate, Lot of us use it in our trucks, for kicks on a fridays been know to add some filtered used transmission fluid to the tank for kicks when passing Prius's . Not going to worry about it more . Did a bunch of searches since you brought it up, and nothing /nada came up about law suites. The lawyers must not be able to make any money on it, with the big push on the millings being billed as repurposing material now, hell being billed as a green product ...

 

[kiwigtx]

A friend of mine did his entire driveway and yard area with 'slag' from our local Steel Mill. Very cheap, very little dust, compacts and stays put, looks great, and doesn't creep around when you drive on it. It is actually the by product from the molten steel direct out of the melting pots - I have seen the trucks tipping it out at the Mill. from about 100 metres away you can still feel the heat as it pours. The trucks are specially designed to avoid catching fire as they move the stuff around.
Video below shows the driveway.

 

[mopar 3 B]

Hard to get here as contractors are allowed to blend a percentage to new base product. No disposal fee and requires less new material.
Rent a roller and seal it.

 

[1967coronet]

We have a drive with a drop from the sidewalk to the street, rock would always wash down, its on the city side of the walk so I was not going to fork over the $ for concrete, They got tired of me asking for more rock so the last time they filled it with the black top millings, It has stayed put , does not wash out and is now packed down great. I like the stuff myself.