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Balancing performance, budgets and environmental regulations is an increasing challenge for road builders
Conventional soil additives can help stabilize local soils but their costs are inceasing also
Liquid enzyme stabilizers work well and are more cost effective than conventional soil additives
Soil stabilization technology has been repeatedly proven effective in comprehensive studies
This new technology is successfully in use in more than 30 countries worldwide
For road engineers and contractors in both the public and private sectors, finding a way to balance road performance, limited budgets and tightening environmental regulations is an increasing challenge. Treatments that improve the long-term performance of conventional pavements are becoming less and less cost-effective. Road budgets - especially for maintenance, seem to shrink annually relative to the task at hand. Environmental regulations mandating dust control and sediment control for road shoulders and unpaved surfaces continue to tighten. Moreover, common amendments such as gravel and well-graded soil for upgrading road structures are becoming less available and increasingly expensive.
For
many years, road engineers have used additives such as lime, cement and
cement kiln dust to improve the qualities of readily available local soils.
Laboratory and field performance tests have confirmed that the addition
of 6% to 10% of such additives can 'increase the strength and stability
of such soils. However, the cost of introducing these additives has also
increased in recent years. This has opened the door widely for the development
and introduction of other kinds of soil additives including highly cost-effective
liquid enzyme formulations.
Liquid enzyme soil stabilizers can significantly enhance the properties
of the soil used in the construction of road infrastructure. Results include
a better and longer lasting road with increased loading capacity (CBR)
and reduced soil permeability. Stabilization with the right brand of liquid
enzmes can lower a road's construction and maintenance costs while increasing
the overall quality of its structure and surface.
The promise that soil
stabilization technology can actually improve the mechanical qualities
of local road soil so that stronger, more durable roads can be built has
prompted multi-lateral banks and national road ministries around the world
to conduct extensive testing to verify that this new technology is truly
cost-effective. For example, a comprehensive two year World Bank study
in Paraguay confirmed the benefits of soil stabilizers.
The result is that this new advance in “soil stabilization”
technology is increasingly being used in both constructing and improving/rehabilitating
unsurfaced and paved roads worldwide. It
has been used with excellent and consistent results in more than 30 countries
including the US and Canada, and countries in Latin America, Africa, and
Asia. Scores of successful projects have been completed, including rehabilitation
of nearly 300 kilometers in Honduras and almost 1,000 kilometers in Malaysia.
