Gravel or Crushed Concrete for a Driveway?

We’re wanting to put in a driveway and were intending to put gravel down as the surface material (we are not planning to pave over it). A friend told us that crushed concrete (which is about the same price) is better because it packs harder. Would crushed concrete be a good or better choice for a driveway surface given that it is the same price as gravel? We’re also putting in a retaining wall and will use the leftover gravel or crushed concrete to fill in behind the wall. Would crushed concrete be a good choice for packing behind garden wall block? We want to allow for drainage behind the wall through the gravel so I am concerned that crushed concrete may pack too tightly for that. Thanks for the help!

4 Comments on “Gravel or Crushed Concrete for a Driveway?

  1. ok let me advise you on a couple of things.

    you can buy either 1 for your driveway, but it is best to buy gravel that has really find sands in it, as that is the only way that it will compact better and stay compacted longer over the years.

    crushed concrete is a recycled product, so it would be best for you to make a trip to the source of the gravel and pick up a handful and look for the fines in it.

    (fines once again are like sand or very small grains of a product.

    good luck with your project, and I would suggest laying down a thickness of at least Four 6 for this

    http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1366&bih=671&q=gravel+for+drivways&oq=gravel+for+drivways&gs_l=img.3…4434.16437.0.17704.70.34.0.4.1.15.138.3072.24j8.32.0…0.0…1ac.1.8.img.5jwCa4uFv9M

  2. crushed concrete is ugly,.. instead,.. use 1/4 to zero, limestone…(grey, or brown)
    Pea gravel never packs, and grass and mud work through too quick.
    If you put sand,..it will make it’s way in the house,..bad idea..

  3. If drainage is your main concern stick with gravel. Crushed concrete is very porous and quite messy.

  4. If the costs are the same, I’d choose the gravel over the crushed concrete. The crushed concrete will tend to have sharp edges to it, making it less desirable for a driveway. The gravel you want for your driveway would not be desirable to use as fill behind your retaining wall. For the driveway, you want a mix that has fines in it, ask for a road base mix. For the retaining wall, you want larger stones that will aid drainage.