Installing a Recycled Pavement Driveway

Measure the width of the site with measuring tape. Lay long ropes on the ground where the sides of the driveway will go, spacing them at least 10 feet apart for one car or 16 feet wide for two.

Dig out grass and topsoil from the site with a shovel or rented excavator. The depth of the site must be uniform and at least 8 inches. Scoop the soil in a pile on a tarp to re-use in low areas. Pitch the subsoil toward the curb by digging down another inch deeper with every 8 feet of length on a smooth slope.

Tamp the base of the driveway with a tamping tool or compactor.

Scoop two 4-inch layers of recycled pavement over the dirt and tamp each down before adding the next. The edges of the ground pavement will wedge together under pressure. Stop tamping once the pieces don’t shift under the machine. The oils inside of the crushed asphalt bind the pieces together so a base of recycled pavement doesn’t need to be as thick as an ordinary gravel base.

Add a mix of stone dust and small 3/8-inch gravel over the compacted base. The gravel mix should be laid in the center down the length of the driveway. Rake a small amount of gravel to the edges to make a slight crown on the surface so water will naturally run toward the sides.

Drive over the driveway to compact the small gravel and stone dust.