Dirt roads make up nearly one-third of public roads in America, and that’s not counting the millions of miles of public and private dirt roads worldwide.1 With so many people counting on them, dirt roads are here to stay.
But what if there was a better way to build dirt roads? What if you could spend less on dirt road construction that lasts longer and performs better? You can.
With Perma-Zyme, dirt road construction is a breeze. This eco-friendly enzyme soil stabilizer helps you create cost-effective dirt roads that last longer with less maintenance. Let’s explore the top seven reasons to use Perma-Zyme for dirt road construction:
We've all had the displeasure of driving on a rutted, washboarded dirt road. Thankfully, Perma-Zyme has been solving unpaved road problems like these since 1972.
Perma-Zyme permanently bonds soil particles together into a hard, concrete-like surface over 10 times stronger than native soil alone. This hard surface is almost totally impermeable, so it resists all types of erosion from water, wind, and freeze-thaw cycles. It’s also strong enough to stand up to all traffic types, including heavy vehicles and equipment.
With Perma-Zyme, you’ll enjoy smoother dirt roads with far less washboarding, potholes, ruts, and other surface issues.
When your biggest goal is to save time and money on maintenance, you need a soil stabilizer that works the first time. No rework, no reapplications. That’s why we engineer Perma-Zyme to give you long-term results with just one application. Our customers have seen their unpaved roads last for seven, 10, or even 15 years. Unpaved roads can last even longer. Emery County, Utah, treated a paved road subbase with Perma-Zyme in the mid 1990s, and it’s still going strong.
Fun fact: Perma-Zyme is for more than just roads. Contractors built the 30-acre Lake Sahara in Las Vegas with Perma-Zyme in the early 1980s, and it’s still going strong.
Many traditional soil stabilizers appear low-cost at first glance. Take gravel, for example. Crushed limestone is the most common type of gravel in America, and it only costs $10 to $50 per ton.2 Many people use it to stabilize their dirt roads for that reason. But, material costs are rising. And like most soil stabilizers, gravel doesn't last long. Some counties re-gravel roads every six to twelve weeks. At that rate, you could use well over 200 tons per mile each year.3 Suddenly, $30 per ton turns into $6,000 per mile… plus hauling and operating costs.
Now, we’re not saying gravel is bad or that you shouldn’t use it. It will always play a role in road construction projects. We’re merely using it to illustrate how costs add up long-term. You could have the same problem with chlorides or another traditional soil stabilizer.
With Perma-Zyme, you’ll get cost-effective results. Construction costs up to 80% less than traditional methods since Perma-Zyme uses soil and rock that’s already onsite, reducing the need for material hauling. After that, you’ll save money on maintenance year after year (more on that in section 5).
Fun fact: You can use Perma-Zyme to lock in a gravel topcoat, so you get all the traction of a gravel road without the material loss.
Perma-Zyme is a soil stabilizer first and foremost, but it does have some dust suppressant properties. As we mentioned earlier, it permanently binds soil particles into a hard, concrete-like surface. This prevents those particles from escaping into the atmosphere as dust. Perma-Zyme is especially effective on clay soils, which are prone to dust since their particles are miniscule and dry out quickly.
Perma-Zyme’s dust control capabilities don’t last as long as its soil stabilization. But they’re nothing to sneeze at! Laramie County, Wyoming, used to apply chlorides to County Road 136 every two months. After applying Perma-Zyme, they went over eight months without a single chloride treatment. Other roads around the U.S. have gone two, three, or even four years with no dust control treatments besides Perma-Zyme.
Perma-Zyme requires little to no maintenance after the initial application. We’re talking no more constant repairs and no repeat treatments. You can even prevent material loss by applying a gravel topcoat during construction; the Perma-Zyme will cause the soil to bond around the gravel, locking it in.
Our customers love Perma-Zyme because it saves them hundreds of hours of manpower on grading and other maintenance tasks. So, their crews are free to go work on other vital projects.
Even better, they save tens of thousands of dollars. Your savings will depend on how many miles of road you treat and other factors, but to give you some perspective, many of our customers in Michigan report saving around $5,800 per mile per year since applying Perma-Zyme.
By now, you might be thinking, Wow, those are impressive results… building a dirt road with Perma-Zyme must be pretty complicated. Nope! Road construction with Perma-Zyme is simple and straightforward.
Perma-Zyme is compatible with many soil types, and we offer free soil evaluations to help you check your soil’s level of compatibility. Construction itself is quick and easy. Most customers can treat at least half a mile of road in one day—and that number rises as they gain experience with the process. And if you do have any questions about Perma-Zyme, we’re always ready to help.
Perma-Zyme is an eco-friendly soil stabilizer. It’s 100% natural and organic, with most ingredients coming from food-grade materials. And there are many things that Perma-Zyme is not: it is not hazardous, toxic, or corrosive. It will not contaminate water or soil.
So, you can feel confident that Perma-Zyme is safe for your community, your crew, and the environment. You can use it around anyone or anything—from people and pets to crops and livestock to rivers and lakes.
Perma-Zyme is environmentally safe and sustainable, and so is our manufacturing process. We make it with green manufacturing techniques with a minimal carbon footprint and no negative impact on our community.
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