Governments and road makers are investigating on-going management of carbon emissions, water use and local environmental damage. Unsealed road maintenance is a significant part of this list.
PolyCom Stabilising Aid is a new approach to the maintenance of unsealed roads that gives local governments and other road makers significant opportunities to reduce their carbon liabilities and environmental impacts and the potential to reduce project costs.
Take a common unsealed road in rural Victoria, 1km long by 6 metres wide over one year.
Historically this road needed maintenance grading four times a year on average and was scheduled to be re-sheeted with a 75mm layer of imported pit gravel sourced 20 km away from the site at the time of the study.
Instead of re-sheeting, the road was treated with PolyCom Stabilising Aid. Maintenance crews scarified the road to 100mm depth, blade mixed PolyCom treat the road material and compacted the road as per standard practice. No new gravel was imported to the site.
Results:
- No intervention or maintenance was required for that road for one year
- A water saving of 80 % was achieved over this period
- CO2 emissions were reduced by 90%
- Traditional Method produces 7,217 kg of CO2-e per km
- Polycom Stabilising Aid method produces 834 kg of CO2-e per k
Other Significant Benefits
- Significant cost reductions due to the elimination of quarry material in the construction and maintenance process.
- Reduction of the damage en route to roads caused by transport and tipping of quarry material to the site.
- Overall reductions in plant and machinery use.
- The product is environmentally inert and is listed with Eco-Buy Victorian Centre for Environmental Purchasing, and NSW Local Government Sustainable Choice.
Collateral Benefits
- Polycom Stabilising Aid containers are fully recyclable (HDPE #2).
- Reduced corrugations of the road surface due to avoidance of intense traffic during transport of quarry material to and from the site.
- Material compacted with PolyCom Stabilising Aid reduces sediment run-off into storm water drains.
