What is the difference between crushed stone and Natural Pea Gravel?

Crushed stone is angular rock that has been run through a crusher, and the sharp faces let it lock together and stay put. Natural Pea Gravel is rounded, washed stone, usually about 3/8 inch. That rounded shape makes it comfortable underfoot and good for walkways, play areas and dog runs, but it will not knit into a load-bearing base the way crushed limestone does.

Should I order material by the ton or by the yard?

Either works, and the choice comes down to how you like to think about the job. Tonnage measures weight, and yardage measures volume. Because the two do not convert at a fixed rate, there is no single number to multiply by. Each product page has a calculator, so you can size the load there and order in whichever unit you prefer.

Which stone is best for drainage in Saline County?

Clean washed stone of the right size for the job. On this ground, where silty soil sheds water and the chalk and shale below sit close to impervious, 1 inch clean is the usual choice for French drains, foundation drains and pipe bedding. For a smaller drain or tight bedding, 3/4 inch crushed stone or drain rock works. Keep fines out of a drainage layer.

Saline County, KS Aggregate and Rock Delivery

Kansas Rock Supply handles gravel, stone and aggregate delivery in Saline County, KS. Start with the calculator on the product page to size your load, then pick the material.

AB-3 is the Kansas name for dense-graded crushed limestone base, and it is the term a contractor here uses when ordering base rock.

Saline County sits in Smoky Hills, Blue Hills and Post Rock country, where silty and clayey soils sit over Cretaceous rock. That ground shapes what you put on top of it, and how much of it you need.

Ground Conditions Across Saline County

Across this part of the state, silty upland soil crusts over and sheds water. The chalk and shale beneath it sit close to impervious, and summer storms drop a lot of rain in a short time.

Water that cannot soak in has to go somewhere, so drainage material earns its place here.

The working season matters too. A long dry stretch either side of a short wet spring means rapid drying and dust, and dust is as much of a problem as rain when you are trying to compact material.

Timing a delivery around that window is worth more than any single material choice.

Wind and water both work on bare ground in this region. Exposed silt blows, and short intense storms gully bare slopes and scour river banks.

If your project exposes a slope, plan the stone for it before the soil moves.

Winters here are cold and dry with sharp temperature swings. Repeated freezing and thawing loosens compacted surfaces and heaves gravel drives.

Frost depth in Kansas is set jurisdiction by jurisdiction, not statewide, and north-central Kansas jurisdictions reckon it deeper than south-central Kansas does.

Materials Delivered in Saline County

AB-3 and the other requirements for aggregates for base construction sit in Section 1104, inside Division 1100 of the Kansas Standard Specifications for State Road and Bridge Construction.

City and county work references the same class, so AB-3 is the term to use when you order base.

Below those sizes, 3/8" Crushed Stone handles fine drainage and paver joints. 3/8" Natural Pea Gravel is the rounded stone for walkways, play areas and dog runs.

Mason Sand and Washed Sand cover brick work, bedding under slabs and concrete.

Choosing the Right Material

McPherson County sits on different ground. It is the Wellington-McPherson Lowlands, with sand, gravel and silt laid down by the Arkansas River, stabilized dune sand, and a sandy loam on top.

Sandy ground drains on its own, so a drainage layer matters less there than it does over the tight clay and silt here.

Dickinson County and Ellsworth County share Saline County's ground region. Silty and clayey soils over Cretaceous rock, Dakota sandstone, Greenhorn limestone and Niobrara chalk, with loess on the uplands.

The ground is the same, so the base and drainage choices are the same.

On ground like this, start with the base. AB-3 gives you a compacted layer that carries a drive or a pad.

If the spot stays soft, 1 inch minus is the smaller dense-graded stone for patching it. Where water needs to move, switch to clean rock: 1 inch clean, 3/4 inch crushed stone or drain rock.

For slopes and banks, rip rap is the answer. Round stone does not hold a slope, so keep Kansas River Rock and Natural Pea Gravel for beds, borders and walking surfaces.

Delivery Across Saline County

Kansas Rock Supply delivers bulk material across Saline County, including Salina, Assaria, Gypsum, Brookville, Falun and New Cambria. You order online, choose a quantity by the ton or by the yard, and pick a delivery date at checkout.

A dump truck tips the load on site in one pile. Each product page has a calculator if you want to size the load before you order.

Order Aggregate Delivery in Saline County

Kansas Rock Supply delivers AB-3, clean rock, sand, topsoil and mulch across Saline County, from Salina out to Assaria, Gypsum, Brookville, Falun and New Cambria. Size your load with the calculator, order by the ton or the yard, and choose your delivery date at checkout.

Place your order online and we will bring the material to your site.

AB-3, Sand and Gravel Delivery in Saline County, KS