Use of Soil Stabilizers on Highway Shoulders

About the report:

This study evaluated soil additives as stabilizers for aggregate and topsoil shoulders. Its purpose was to determine (1) the effect soil stabilizers have on the strength and stability of soil shoulders, and (2) the costs and benefits of using stabilizers versus paving the shoulder or maintaining the shoulder as originally composed. The study used test and control sections to assess two stabilization products, Soiltac and Centrophase AD, used with one type of shoulder material (crusher run stone). The experimental sections were installed at one location along a primary highway in Virginia. The investigator concluded that soil stabilizers mixed with crusher run stone do not increase the stiffness or bearing strength of the shoulder material or prolong the period of optimum strength. Data were insufficient to determine if soil stabilizers improve the resistance of the surface to erosion by water or traffic, but a cost-benefit comparison indicated that the use of the stabilizers is not a cost-effective substitute for proper design or preventive maintenance practices.

Authors