Abstract:
Overwhelming evidence supports the importance of gravel roads. However, road agencies are increasingly faced with the necessity of relying on marginal materials in construction of low-volume roads. Use of these materials necessitates that stabilization be used to alter the engineering parameters to ensure that corrugation, erosion, rutting, poor passability, dust, and low-bearing capacity are avoided. Soil stabilization is increasingly being used as an unsealed-road asset management tool in an attempt to reduce the impacts of these issues, and nontraditional soil stabilizers have been a primary area of focus. Yet few such products have gained widespread acceptance. This paper looks at the lack of usage of alternative stabilizers in the marketplace today from the viewpoint of the product supplier. It aims to identify the issues facing the supplier in introducing a competent nontraditional soil stabilizer product to road agencies and to identify the measures such suppliers can take to advance those products that show good potential. Measures that could be introduced to better manage the field of soil stabilization for unsealed and low-volume sealed roads have been suggested. These measures include the following: established guidelines, specifications, test methods, and management principles, all prepared in a format that is readily acceptable and adoptable by industry engineers; an industry association; and the adoption of a dedicated research protocol establishing minimum requirements for research on such additives.
