Can gravity help me?

[MikeT]

I thought I knew how to post, but in case this does not work, please bear with me and I will repost the picture that illustrates what my situation is and what I am thinking about doing.

There is a gap of about 15 feet between the top of the road where I need to have rock delivered and the inside area of the foundation where I want it to end up as the base for my concrete slab.  There is also a six foot drop that I have to deal with.  I am wondering if I can build a chute or ramp out of 20 foot long 2x 10s and 4 x 8 sheets of 3/4" plywood (coated with malamine-for foundation forming) and have the rock dumped on the ramp and have it run down into the foundation area.  If some did not make it and instead fell into the gap, that would not be the end of the world either because I will need to backfill the gap with more rock than is currently there.

Thanks for any thoughts.

[glenn-k]

There are gravel shooter trucks if you can find one.  Also you might check into having a cement truck deliver the gravel - just an idea - they already have chutes.

The ramp may work with round rock - not to sure about crushed , but doesn't seem likely that it will go that far.

[builderboy]

IMO you'll have to help gravity a bit. A 6 ft rise over 15 ft isn't all that steep for crushed rock to travel unassisted. The shooter trucks are great but not do it yourself.

[Daddymem]

I looked it up in my reference books: Standard industry values for angle of repose for crushed gravel is 35-40 degrees, some use 37 degrees for design.  
35 degrees=.70 ft/ft
37 degrees=.754 ft/ft
40 degrees=.839 ft/ft

Your 6 feet in 15 feet is .40 ft/ft or 21.8 degrees, much lower than what you need.  You would need to assist the rock down that slope quite a bit IMHO.  

Those rock shooters are cool if you can fine one and afford it delivered that way, I'd go for it.  The driver, if skilled, can lay the whole basement with rock very level at your required thickness.

[JRR]

If you end up using the home-built chute ... it will work better if you tack a strip of roll galv flashing on its bottom inner surface.

[glenn-k]

Aha --- that's what engineers are used for.

I didn't know you could do that , Daddymem.  What will they think of next.  Good info.

[MikeT]

Thanks to all for your thoughts and to Daddymem for the calcs.  I will head down to the coast this weekend and do some more careful measurments and ask around.  The alternative is just to have the rock dumped on top and then have the guy whom I have "hired" to help me bring in his big backhoe to scoop and dump.  That is probably a $300 solution in addition to the rock.  That is the reason I was hoping to find a chute type solution.

m

[jraabe]

Jeez we're all learning stuff here. Good info Daddymem.

I never got out to so many job sites when I had to actually go there, physically I mean.  
Don't you love this virtual work? No need to clean your boots before coming in the house.

[Amanda_931]

If your plans include a hefty garden tractor or what may be called an "estate tractor" getting it now might well give you a loader.  Still kind of annoying, but that's what a good deal of the work my tractor has done has been--moving gravel, up or down the hill.

But loaders are nice!