Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate road stabilizers and dust palliatives on a construction project of FHWA's Central Federal Lands Highway Division for long-term performance and to recommend products with acceptable performance for use on other projects. The evaluation addressed product performance for dust control, rutting, washboarding, raveling, material stabilization, and cost-effectiveness. Roadway stabilization or dust abatement products are classified into the following seven categories: water, water absorbing, organic petroleum, organic nonpetroleum, electrochemical, synthetic polymer, and clay additives. Six soil stabilizers were applied, each on a 1.6-km (1-mi) section to a depth of 150 mm (6 in.) at the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in south central Arizona, and were monitored at 6-month intervals for 2 years. Visual evaluation included effectiveness in controlling dust, washboarding, and raveling. Physical evaluation included moisture and density, gradation, liquid limit, plastic limit, R-value, California bearing ratio, and silt loading. Analysis included an overall ranking of the six materials and their performance. All products performed well for this semiarid desert location and nonplastic roadway material. The best-performing group had two organic nonpetroleum plus water-absorbing combination products. The second group had one water-absorbing and one organic nonpetroleum product. The third group had two electrochemical products and one synthetic polymer product.
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