Calcium Chloride for Stablization

[TruBrit]

Do anyone have any experience with using Calcium Chloride to stabilize a gravel road. I have a Client who want to prevent rutting in their access road but cannot pave it. I found a few web site on the subject but nothing substantial.

 

[rconner]

I have no experience, but I happened to notice (when curious about another inquiry regarding calcium chloride on another engineering forum) the site at

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004291523_treekill19m.html,

that claimed some form of CaCl in another road application was allegedly damaging "thousands" of trees, and may also have "disoriented" some kind of finches, making them "roadkill" (I guess when they pecked at the stuff wanting gizzard grit!!) Some concentrations of this as a concrete admixture have reportedly also resulted in corrosion of e.g. steel reinforcement. Other sites of course may more stress the alleged positives!

 

[civilperson]

Try lime for conditioning the subgrade soil.

 

[woofar]

You might also consider ionic stabilisation. Take a look here.

http://www.roadpackers.com/products/roadbond.htm

Cheers
Michael

 

[civilman72]

My local County uses mag chloride to solidify their gravel road surfaces. They have over 600 miles and use surface stabilization on about 1/3 of their roads. It makes a huge difference on limiting deterioration of the road surface, which substantially cuts down on road maintenance during the summer.

If your client can afford mag/calcium chloride, it will more than likely serve its purpose.

The environmental impacts have been debated, and your Client may want to research this.

 

[oldestguy]

Back about 1955 I was on a field trip in central New York State and a county highway dept bragged about their stabilization of gravel roads using ordinary salt, sodium chloride. The roads looked fine.

It was then promoted by the Ag Engineering Dept at Cornell U., Ithaca, NY

Depending on where you are, paper mills have a waste product, lignin ? that has been used also.

 

[oldestguy]

Look up this link. It tells a lot.

http://www.saltinstitute.org/symposia/symposium2/duncan.pdf