Lower Road Maintenance Expense
Budgets for road maintenance and improvement are under constant pressure, yet motorists, residents and businesses demand quality roads that are safe and comfortable to drive on. Solutions that reduce the cost of labor and materials spent keeping roads in acceptable condition can provide significant relief to road commissions and the taxpayers they serve. Use of effective dust suppression products is one such solution. Effective dust control can reduce the overall cost of unpaved road maintenance by 30% or more. Field trial results have shown that when calcium chloride is used on unpaved road surfaces to suppress dust, blading frequency decreased by 50% and aggregate life doubled.1 Field trials in South Africa revealed that the anticipated interval between regraveling was extended from 7 to 14 years when roads were treated with calcium chloride. The cost of paving gravel roads is significant, particularly when traffic volume is relatively low. For most counties, maintaining existing gravel roads is the only realistic option. Effective dust control enables road authorities to maintain roads in safe, drivable condition at significantly lower cost than when roads are untreated.
1The Incorporation of Dust Palliatives as a Maintenance Option in Unsealed Road Management System, D. Jones, E. Sadzik and I. Wolmerans: Paper from 20th ARRB Conference, 19-21 March, 2001.