Optimal Use Case:
Construction site entrances and base layers for heavy equipment traffic.
General Characteristics:
Processed rocks sorted by size, separated into coarse aggregates and fine aggregates.
Advantages:
Strong, durable, provides immediate structural support, and does not rely on chemical additives.
Considerations:
Different sizes suit different projects and must be matched to specific need.
Optimal Use Case:
High-speed, heavy-traffic primary highways and urban arterials.
General Characteristics:
A surface treatment that stabilizes the roadway itself, sometimes using emulsions.
Advantages:
Eliminates washboarding, ruts, dust, and mud, producing a smooth, permanent, clean surface.
Considerations:
Surface-only treatment, generally requiring other methods to stabilize base with high upfront costs.
Optimal Use Case:
Paved road subbases with coarse aggregate or granular soils.
General Characteristics:
A powdered or liquid chemical that hardens and stabilizes paved road subbase.
Advantages:
Works for most soil types and, once set, provides strong, long-term support.
Considerations:
Is vulnerable to temperature, moisture, and mixing errors, and takes about 28 days to cure fully.
Optimal Use Case:
Short-term dust suppression on
low-volume unpaved roads.
General Characteristics:
Salts in liquid or dry form that draw moisture from the air and lubricate particles for compaction.
Advantages:
Extremely effective dust suppressant, best for temporary or seasonal use.
Considerations:
Can harm the environment and vehicles, washing out during rainy weather and requiring frequent reapplication.
Optimal Use Case:
Budget-conscious paved road projects with oversaturated subgrades.
General Characteristics:
A dry powder byproduct of coal-fired power plants that bonds and strengthens soil similarly to lime and cement.
Advantages:
Mostly cost-effective and absorbs moisture well, making it suited to wet soils.
Considerations:
Availability and price varies by location, making it a less stable choice.
Optimal Use Case:
Slope stabilization, retaining walls, and avalanche prevention.
General Characteristics:
Ranges from woven cloth to large plastic sheets, embedded in or placed on soil.
Advantages:
Physically hold soil and rock in place on steep or unstable grades, improving drainage and preventing erosion.
Considerations:
Bigger projects and coarser soils require thicker, sturdier, and more expensive geosynthetics.
Optimal Use Case:
Paved road subbases with expansive clay soils.
General Characteristics:
Made from heat-treated limestone that binds soil particles and hardens the surface.
Advantages:
Chemically neutralizes swelling, shrinking, and shifting in clay-heavy soils and dries out wet subgrade.
Considerations:
Amounts should be set by a geotechnical firm, and application carries significant health concerns.
Optimal Use Case:
Combination with other methods
for reinforcement.
General Characteristics:
Uses heavy machinery for compaction with static or vibratory rollers and over-excavation to stabilize soil.
Advantages:
Eliminates voids and increases density without chemical additives, boosting the effectiveness of other treatments.
Considerations:
Rarely 100% effective alone and works best paired with another stabilization method.
Optimal Use Case:
Mixed traffic unpaved roads and base stabilization for paved roads.
General Characteristics:
Chemically bonds soil particles into a hard, concrete-like surface, and works best with clay soils.
Advantages:
Eco-friendly, up to 4.5x higher CBR rating than untreated roads, resists ruts and frost heaving, and requires minimal maintenance.
Considerations:
Needs a 72-hour rain-free cure and soil amendments if the existing soil isn't compatible.
Optimal Use Case:
Erosion control on roadside slopes, embankments, and waterways.
General Characteristics:
Biological soil stabilization that uses root systems to hold soil in place.
Advantages:
Eco-friendly, absorbs runoff, and offers environmental and aesthetic benefits.
Considerations:
Not effective on every soil type or project, limiting its use.
Optimal Use Case:
Building foundations with coarse soil.
General Characteristics:
Synthetic and natural long-chain molecule stabilizers, either injectable binder polymers or water-based polymer emulsions.
Advantages:
Act as high-strength glues that boost tensile strength and load-bearing capacity for non-clay soils.
Considerations:
May struggle to bind fine soil or break down due to moisture.
Soil Properties:
Classification, gradation, plasticity, moisture behavior, and compatibility.
Project & Application:
Road type, traffic load, construction method, and structural requirements.
Climate & Moisture:
Seasonal moisture, freeze-thaw conditions, drainage, and site exposure.
Longevity & Performance:
Desired service life, performance expectations, and acceptable maintenance.
Environmental Concerns:
Regulations, site conditions, and potential environmental impacts.
Budget:
Upfront cost, imported material, equipment requirements, and long-term maintenance.
Need Help Deciding Which Stabilization Method Is Right For You?
Because every project is different, it’s important to ensure you know how each method might work for you. Our stabilization experts are happy to help guide you through the right methods for your project.
Talk With A Soil Stabilization Expert
Not sure which approach fits your road or site? Our team can review your project and help determine whether Perma-Zyme is the right fit for you.