Gravel Roads Shop Talk: A Session for Supervisors and Operators

A team of workers wearing hi-vis vests gathers on a gravel road

Date and Location

Not currently scheduled.

About the Event

Gravel roads aren’t just "dirt and rocks"—they're a science, and you're the ones managing them every day.

Whether you're dealing with constant washboarding, soft spots that won't go away, or a budget that never seems to cover enough gravel, you've likely found a few tricks that work. This shop talk is a chance to get off the grader and into a room with other operators from across the region to swap those "boots-on-the-ground" solutions.

This isn't a classroom lecture. It’s a facilitated "solution swap" where we focus on the practical stuff that makes your job easier and the roads better.

The best ideas usually come from the person in the next county over. We've carved out dedicated time for a "tips and tools" roundtable. Bring your biggest maintenance headache and your best "field fix" to share with the group.

No suits, no fluff—just road talk with the people who supervise and do the work.

Topics Covered

Expand all

Topics Covered

Supervisor standards

  • Gravel depth
  • Width of roads
  • Slope
  • When to inspect roads and what to look for
  • Maintenance needs per season
  • The benefit of using good gravel
  •  How to select good gravel
  • Negative and positive impacts of not having a good gravel road program
  • Best uses for other gravel materials
  • Equipment

Operating standards

  • Blade speed
  • Moldboard angle
  • Blade pitch
  • Slope
  • Wet blades versus dry blades
  • Two-pass versus six-pass grading
  • Maintaining techniques and materials to use for spring, summer, and fall
  • The best time to add gravel

Material secrets

We'll discuss which aggregate mixes attendees are using to meet the challenges.

Drainage and dust

Share what's working (and what isn't) for keeping water off the road and dust out of the air.

The tool box

Compare notes on different grading techniques, attachments, and equipment tweaks that save time and fuel.

Facilitators

  • Mike Suska, Nicollet County Assistant Public Works Director M&O
  • Devron Havemeier, Nicollet County Maintenance Supervisor

Questions?

Please contact Minnesota LTAP at [email protected]. 

Sponsors

This event is presented by the Minnesota Local Technical Assistance Program (MnLTAP) at the Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota. MnLTAP is sponsored by the Minnesota Local Road Research Board (LRRB) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This event is subsidized through funding from LRRB and FHWA.