Crushed Gravel
Palmer sells ten types or sizes of commercial-grade crushed gravel products. Some of our products meet state specification requirements, while others were developed for our customers’ preferences. We thought our customers might find it useful to know more about these products and how they can best fit your usage applications.
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3/8″ Minus
This product is the finest (i.e. smallest top size with the most fines) of our crushed gravels. It is almost all crushed product. Because some of the particles are so small, they are similar in size to sand. It has a fairly consistent sieve analysis with fairly equal parts of the particle sizes of 3/8″ and below. 3/8″ Minus crushed gravel packs very well and has often been used in trail construction or in any situation where a small-size product that produces a hard-packed surface is wanted.
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5/8″ Minus State Spec.
Our traditional 5/8″ Minus State Spec. product is for the construction of streets and roads containing crushed rock and about 50-60% fines (i.e. sandy binder), thus is suitable for roads, driveways, and packs quite well. For the homeowner, it’s a good driveway gravel where a firm base has already been established.
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1-1/4″ Minus State Spec.
Our 1-1/4″ Minus State Spec. crushed gravel is your traditional base course product for the construction of streets and roads. In a typical road-section example, the first four inches of 1-1/4″ State Spec. is placed below two inches of 5/8″ State Spec. and after compaction, the road-section is paved. 1-1/4″ State Spec. contains 40-50% fines (i.e. 3/8″ Minus) and thus packs quite well. It’s a good driveway gravel where a firm base has already been established.
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3/4″ Homeowner’s
Our Homeowner’s 3/4″ was developed to serve the homeowner market. This product is something of a compromise between the State Spec. 5/8″, which has 50-60% fines or sandy binder and the 3/4″ Clear which has only 5% fines. The Homeowner’s 3/4″ has about 20-30% fines. While it still packs (though not as well as State Spec. 5/8″), it also shows a lot of the larger sizes of crushed gravel. Many homeowners appreciate a slightly coarse product that shows the rocky look of crushed gravel but still packs.
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3/4″ Clear
Our 3/4″ Clear is similar to our 1-1/4″ Clear, but with a smaller top size. 3/4″ Clear is the largest sized and the coarsest of our similar-sized products and generally has about 5% fines (i.e. sandy binder). Most of the rocks will be around 3/4″ in size with some larger and some smaller sized rocks. Because it lacks fines, it does not pack as well as either a State Spec. 5/8″ or our Homeowner’s 3/4″. Many customers will use this product in a soft or muddy situation where they want a finished appearance. If conditions are right, the very coarse (95% crushed gravel) will embed itself into the softer ground where it is being used. This product can also be used in a situation where you want a crushed gravel that is free of fines and will still drain.
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1-1/4″ Clear
Our 1-1/4″ Clear is first crushed and then screened so that the product is “clear” of most fines. It is a very coarse crushed gravel with most of the particles in the 1-1/4″ to 1/2″ size. It generally has about 5% fines (i.e. otherwise known as a sandy binder). Because it lacks fines, it does not pack as well as the State Spec. 1-1/4″. Many customers find this very coarse crushed gravel useful in soft or muddy situations where too many fines would do little to firm up the soft or muddy conditions. This product can also be used as a solution where you want a crushed gravel that is free of fines and will still drain.
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2″ Minus Single Pass
Our 2″ Minus Single Pass is similar to railroad ballast, but with more fines. By single pass, we mean that the product passes through a rock crusher a single time. This product is created by crushing large gravel, rocks, and stones with the resulting sieve (i.e. the size consist of the product) being predominantly 2″ and below, with a few pieces that are slightly larger. This product is very coarse but has 10-20% fines. It’s a great product for firming up a muddy site or as an interim or final application for use by large trucks or equipment.
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3/4″ Clear Blue-Gray Rock
Our 3/4″ Clear Blue-Gray Rock is similar to our 3/4″ Clear, but bluish-gray in hue. Most of the rocks will be around 3/4″ in size with some larger and some smaller sized rocks. Because it lacks fines, it does not pack as well as either a State Spec. 5/8″ or our Homeowner’s 3/4″. Due to the blue-gray hue of the gravel, it brings a nice decorative addition to landscape projects and driveways.
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1-1/4″ Clear Blue-Gray Rock
This blue-gray product, like our standard 1-1/4″ Clear is first crushed and then screened so that the product is “clear” of most fines and known as 1-1/4″ Clear Blue-Gray. It generally has about 5% fines (i.e. otherwise known as a sandy binder). Because it lacks fines, it does not pack as well as State Spec. 1-1/4″. Like the standard 1-1/4″ Clear, this blue-gray coarse crushed gravel is also useful in soft or muddy situations where too many fines would do little to firm up the soft or muddy conditions. Due to the blue-gray hue of the gravel, it brings a nice decorative addition to landscape projects and driveways.