How proper dust control for gravel roads can save you money
Hint: it’s all about the “glue”
Most traditional methods of reducing dust, like water and chlorides, only work for a short period of time. Water evaporates. And chlorides don’t bind to the dust particles, so are easily dislodged.
At Midwest, we prefer a longer-term approach. Enduring, successful dust control for gravel roads requires an approach that “glues” the dust particles together, keeping them in place. This saves you maintenance costs by accomplishing the following:
- Larger aggregate will stay locked in place. Studies have shown that up to one ton of aggregate is lost per year for every car that passes over a road daily. That can add up to a lot of gravel you have to replace!
- Loose aggregate leads to issues such as washboarding, which makes maintenance very difficult and expensive.
- Finally, stronger, longer-lasting roads means less blade maintenance, which translates to significant savings in equipment expense and labor.
For municipal governments, better dust control for gravel roads will also create better community relations (and might even save lives). Improved visibility protects drivers while improved air quality creates a better quality of life for anyone who lives or walks near the roads.
For private enterprises, proper dust suppression protects equipment from excess wear and workers from respiratory health issues. It also protects agricultural products from contamination.
The following represent examples of our capabilities in dust control for gravel roads, as well as areas of outstanding performance and service.
Where state-of-the-art nanotechnology meets custom application.
Paved-quality roads – for 20% of the cost
Tasked with repairing sandy, unpaved roads, Midwest improved the structural performance of the road until it matched that of paved roads. However, we accomplished this for only 20% of the cost of paved roads, and we had fewer traffic interruptions. As townships and municipalities face the combined challenges of increasing repair needs for paved roads and decreasing budgets, gravel roads are an affordable alternative.
Now, with Midwest’s proprietary products, long term dust control for gravel roads is possible, as is matching the performance of paved roads. With this mix of affordability and long-term durability, there’s no longer the need to consider the expense of paving your roads.
Midwest’s EK35 survives washout conditions in rural Alaskan community
Between 2007 and 2009, Tanana, a tiny, Native Alaskan town, applied Midwest’s EK35 synthetic fluid product to a runway, access roads, and part of the village roads. Due to delivery time limitations, an alternative dust suppressant was used on about two-thirds of the village roads.
After heavy rains, the alternative dust control product was washed out of some of the roads. But the other areas and the runway, where EK35 had been applied, still looked great. In the end, EK35 was the only dust suppressant capable of withstanding the severe weather conditions present in central Alaska.
SUPERIOR DUST CONTROL
Midwest participates in and supports numerous Environmental Technology Verification and Certification Programs in the United States, Canada and in the global community.
OUR PRODUCTS ARE INDEPENDENTLY CERTIFIED FOR PERFORMANCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY.
If you require measurable evidence and documentation of control effectiveness and compliance, ask our Engineering Group for information on the Environmental Engineering and Compliance Services we provide customers.
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