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Fort Distributors

Fort Distributors Ltd.

EN1 Road Stabilizer

Roadbond EN1 Chemical Soil Stabilizer

Chemical Soil Stabilization

ROADBOND EN 1 patented soil stabilizer fundamentally alters the ability of clay to hold adsorbed water, which is water held by electrical attraction. ROADBOND stabilizer causes clay to release weakly ionized water molecules from the clay matrix and replaces the water with strongly ionized sulfate radicals. The exchange is permanent and takes place at normal pH levels.

As in lime stabilization, metal hydrates are formed which help increase the strength of the clay and by leaving the clay matrix intact, the permeability is significantly reduced.

When mixed with base material and compatible in-place material, ROADBOND EN 1 stabilizer dissolves the mineral salts and natural cementitious properties of the soil. Mixing the soil disperses the dissolved material into the void spaces between the soil grains where it cures and crystallizes.

The re-crystallized mineral salts and natural cements form an effective bond that results in improved strength, load-bearing capacity and durability. The replacement of weakly ionized water molecules with strongly ionized sulfate radicals along with the increased dry density make the treated soil more resistant to water penetration. This reduces shrink-swell potential along with freeze-thaw damage.

Samples of treated and untreated soil were molded into cylinders and allowed to cure 21 days. After curing, thin cross sections (60 microns) of these cylinders were cut with a gem saw and mounted on slides. The thin sections were then magnified 60 times and photographed.

Chemical Soil Stabilization & Soil Stabilization Methods

Microphotographs of the slides are shown in the images. The treated sample (on the right) is more dense than the untreated sample. The abundant pinks and greens in the treated sample are crystallized rock mineral and natural cements that have filled the void spaces and bonded the soil grains together.

The large dark areas of the untreated sample (on the left) are void spaces. These void spaces are weak adhesions between the soil grains that result in less strength and load-bearing capacity.

Roadbond EN1 How It Works

Replace

Replace: Lime In Clay Sub-Grade Soil

ROADBOND EN 1 is used in lieu of lime to stabilize clay subgrade soils. The advantages over lime include reduced water use, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions. It is also placed, mixed, compacted, and finished in one operation without the need to remix. Many projects are placed and paved in less than 5 days!

Lab tests and field trials have been conducted on high P.I. clay soils in order to evaluate the effectiveness of ROADBOND EN 1. The general findings are that ROADBOND EN 1 improves the strength of clay soils and the strength improves over time. Also, the dry weight of the treated soil increases slightly and the treated soil is 2-times less permeable than untreated soil and 4-time less permeable than lime treated soil.

Advantages

  • Reduces the Carbon Footprint of the project
  • No Adverse Reaction to Sulfates in the Soil
  • Installs in One Day Instead of Several Days
  • Does Not Require Remixing

Benefits

  • Provides A Working Table For Construction In Adverse Weather
  • Improves The Strength of soil
  • Reduces The Swell Potential
  • Reduces The Permeability And Suction
  • It is simple, safe and easy to use and requires no additional construction steps or procedures.

Need more information about how Roadbond can save you thousands while keeping your project green and on track while under budget? Call our sales team for your free estimate and more information. While it may be tempting to remain with flawed but accepted practices, the benefits of ROADBOND EN 1 are difficult to ignore.

Reduce

Reduce: Amount of Portland Cement & Flyash

ROADBOND EN 1 is used to Improve Portland Cement & Flyash. ROADBOND EN 1 is used to enhance the effectiveness of conventional stabilizers such as Portland cement and fly ash. This means the amount of conventional stabilizer can be reduced by 40% to 50% without a corresponding drop in strength.

Many tests clearly indicate a significant strength gain when ROADBOND EN 1 is used with conventional stabilizers. The Texas Department of Transportation conducted strength tests on sandy gravel base and 4% flyash, with and without ROADBOND EN 1. The result was an increase from Class II base with fly ash alone to Class I base simply by adding ROADBOND EN 1 to the mix design.

Advantages 

  • Reduce the Carbon Footprint and Environmental impact of the Project
  • Saves 25% To 35% Of The Cost Of Conventional Stabilizers
  • Significantly Reduces Reflective & Block Cracking Commonly Associated With Portland Cement Stabilization
  • No Down-Time Waiting For Third Party Vendor To Deliver Bulk Material
  • Reduces Water Requirements
  • Reduces The Impact Of Portland Cement & Flyash Shortages & Delivery Restrictions
  • Save Time, Money, And Natural Resources

While Portland cement is a very useful and necessary product, there are five major concerns when using it:

  • Environmental impact of calcination
  • Cost Per Square Yard Reflective
  • Cracks That Lead To Maintenance Problems
  • Construction Delays Due To Shortages
  • Portland Cement’s Use Is Generally Limited To Lower P.I. Granular Soils

ROADBOND EN 1™ reduces or eliminates each of these problems & provides a better end result for less money. Our product will save construction dollars and more importantly maintenance dollars by reducing reflective cracks without compromising the strength and durability of the pavement structure. It is simple, safe and easy to use and requires no additional construction steps or procedures.

Reinforce

Reinforce: Improves Strength and Durability of Roadbase

ROADBOND EN 1 is used to Improve Portland Cement & Flyash for Soil Cement Stabilization ROADBOND EN 1 improves the strength of base material and recycled in-place material. Field trials and lab tests confirm that soil treated with ROADBOND EN 1 is significantly stronger than untreated material and that the strength improves over time. This allows the use of reclaimed material and lower quality local base material for many projects that would otherwise require the hauling of more expensive crushed stone base to the job site. ROADBOND EN 1™ saves time, transportation expense, and natural resources. Lab tests, field trials and many years of general use speak to the effectiveness of ROADBOND EN 1. Hundreds of projects in differing climates, soil types and constructions methods have led to the widespread acceptance of ROADBOND EN 1 as a proven soil stabilizer.

Benefits
Base stabilization has long been a proven method to increase road base strength, durability, and weight baring capacity. However, stabilization has not always been affordable or practical. Roadbond EN1 changes that. Roadbond EN1 is very economical and easy to use. It requires no special equipment or extra steps to incorporate into road maintenance. Simply dilute EN1 with water and use the solution to wet the road base material. When properly applied, EN1 will increase the following characteristics of your road base:• Strength
• Durability
• Density
• Compacting
• Flexibility
• Dust ReductionTested in the Lab, Proven in the Field:When incorporated into the base material, EN1 dissolves the crystallized minerals and clay particles in the road base. When the road base cures, the minerals and clay recrystallize to form a solid surface chemical bond between the remaining aggregate. Tests have shown that road base material treated with EN1 is up to 50% stronger than the same untreated base material! This results in an improved base that will last longer and require less road maintenance. Environmental Advantages of Green Road Sprays like RoadBond

EN1 is safe and easy to use. In diluted form, EN1 will not harm skin, clothing, equipment, vehicles, or vegetation. EN1 is non-toxic and will not leach outside the road base.

Interested in solidifying your roadbase, parking lot, driveway, path, or other aggregate passage?

Call our sales team for your free quote!

The Application Process
EN1 is brought to the site in 5 gallon pails as a concentrate. Once the road area to be covered is determined, water is mixed with EN1 for application to the road surface. A single gallon of EN1 mixes with 300 gallons of water.  Each gallon of mixed product treates 33 yards of base material. This represents extreme value as an application for roadbed surfaces when compared to other treatments currently available. Once sufficient road base material is obtained, it is win-rowed to the middle of the roadway for treatment. A minimum of 6 inches of base material is required to be treated for adequate solidification and product performance. The mixed EN1 is then ready to be mixed with the aggregate. Our trucks (or your spray trucks) are then able to add the Roadbond Stabilizer to the aggregate. If available, a rotovator incorporates the EN1 into the aggregate. As an alternative, a grader can be uses to blade mix the materials. We have mixing equipment and spray equipment available for your needs across all of central Canada at affordable rates!

In our experience, the best results are obtained with a spreading disk system to ensure that the Roadbond product is equally and thoroughly added to the aggregate at the pre-mix stage.

Once the EN1 has been incorporated into the roadbed material it is then win-rowed off to the side of the road and brought over in 1″ lifts. Packers then pass over the surface after each lift.

It takes 7 days for the road to cure and 28 days for the complete curing process to occur. Anytime during the process, there is no interruption to traffic or need to detour or divert traffic flow.
We recommend a seal coat as an economical and durable topping.

Need more information about how Roadbond can save you money on your roads, parking lots or other gravel based infrastructure? Call our sales team today for a quote and more information about this green, environmentally friendly money saving innovation in road construction technology.

Questions & Answers

MATERIAL

A - EN1 Will improve most soil types however, experience has shown to be careful with soils containing excessive black dirt, alkali, large rocks, pure gravel, pure crushed limestone, or more than 40% sand.

A - Samples should be taken and subjected to a Hydrometer Test, Grain Sieve Analysis, and Atterberg Limit evaluation. This will tell us if any gravel or clay needs to be added or if the existing material is okay.

A - very well! EN1 reduces the shrink/swell capability of highly plastic soils by 75 to 85% and is effective with the old asphalt provided is broken down to 3/4" minus and has 15 to 20% clay with it.

 

PREPARATION

A - In some cases, as determined by tests, clay or gravel will be added, and in some situations, asphalt must be broken up. In either case, simply rip worst verify the material after adding clay or gravel if required and then disk to break it down to 3/4" minus.

A - Our objective is to ensure all material is smaller than 3/4" but in some cases this becomes an unrealistic and too costly goal so we do the best we can I running a rock picker through the material to get the majority of the rocks.

A - In severe cases, the areas should be excavated and back filled with appropriate material then apply Geo textile to this upgrade. These areas need to be repaired so the spots do not reflect through the EN1 structure.

A - Poor drainage will affect the end result. Better drainage extends the life of any road.

A - Under normal circumstances, one half mile per day can be rolled out.

A - Due to the following potential scenarios, no guarantees are stated or implied.

  • Material inconsistencies
  • Sub grade inconsistencies
  • Water damage
  • Improper application

A - For best results, we want to end up with a 3" to 4" crown.  Having this adds to the lifespan of your chip/seal.  Our objective is to ensure the final EN1 structure is uniform.

A - For best results, the EN1 structure should be 8 to 10" thick.

 

APPLICATION

A - In an 8" structure, peel 4"into a windrow on one side of the road, leaving 4". Spray EN1 onto the material at the prescribed rate with the discs following the water truck to incorporate the chemical. Then, add enough water while mixing with the discs to bring the material to 2% above optimal moisture. When the mixing of that 4" is complete, roll into a windrow on the opposite side of the road and repeat the process with the first 4"

A - Normally 40,000 gallons are required for each mile. That may vary depending on the type of material, equipment used, and whether. In very hot conditions with a high percentage of fines in the material, we have had to use up to 90,000 gallons per mile.

A - We must ensure there is enough moisture to carry the chemical into contact with all the material. Water is the carrier.

A - Yes! If the surface dries, subsequent lifts of new material will not bond to it. The existing surface must remain damp prior to adding new material to it.

A - Yes, we will train you and/or your contractor in performing the preparation and application as well as monitor the first mile. After your training, you will be responsible for ensuring proper procedures for application.

A - No! With the amount of moisture we need to use, the material will squish up between the Packer wheels. The first couple of lifts should be 1/2 to 1" thick to ensure a bond to the old sub grade, subsequent lifts can be up to 1 inch thick.

NOTE: At are not interested in packing for density. You simply want to knit the material together. EN 1 gets its strength from curing, not from packing.

A - No.

 

EQUIPMENT

A - For maximum efficiency we recommend:

  • Two graders, one with a ripper or scarifier
  • One tractor/disk - offset or tandem farm disks are preferred over breaking discs
  • Two water trucks with a minimum of 2500 gallon capacity, pressure pumped, not gravity fed
  • Two 13 wheel wobblie packers - sheepfoot or pad packers are an option but surface must be finished with rubber

A - We would be happy to recommend an approved contractor experienced with laying EN 1 roads.

A - It will be as smooth as your greater operator! We have also observed that material of high clay content cares less evenly and can produce a rougher surface. If this upgrade is pocked or uneven the EN1 treated material may conform to it.

A - EN 1 has a curing action similar to cement. If you have hot weather you will get shrinkage cracks on the surface. These are to be expected and did not pose a problem.

A - you must chip/seal the surface:

  • to seal the water out and retard based deterioration
  • to reduce maintenance costs
  • to provide a wear surface similar to pavement

A - Our experience shows that a high traffic volume will quickly deteriorate a single chip/seal.

A - The road must be completely dry and hard. It must be able to support large heavily loaded trucks without leaving any evidence of writing are tracking on the surface. Never chip/seal within at least 48 hours a rain and only then if good drying conditions have occurred in the intervening period.

A - Yes. In this case you do not require a 4"lift. You can use a 1.5" to 2".  This is the optimum approach and will provide the best long-term results. It is important to note that you should still chip/seal pavement to provide a wear surface.

A - it will look like chip/seal pavement but will rarely be as smooth.

 

SAVINGS

A - Compared to a standard asphalt structure, including sub grade, sub bass and 4" of ash fault, you should realize savings of approximately $400,000 per mile.

A - compared to a grid road claycap or reconstruct, you will see modest savings, however, you'll have a low maintenance road capable of handling high volume and weight combined with the luxury of a dust and stone free surface.