Rural Councils are seeing the benefits of innovative solutions to roadworks with the application of PolyCom Stabilising Aid to treat their existing marginal materials and construct a reliable and sustainable pavement.
One such Shire experienced significant pavement failures along an important sealed road recently, and applied PolyCom to reconstruct the road.
The sealed road carries heavy vehicles and has been subject to many years of flood, causing the subgrade to become saturated and unable to support the pavement. Consequently the road failed in a number of areas and was providing an unacceptable level of service to the users, including farmers who rely on an efficient road network to service their properties.
Council’s traditional solution was to excavate and sidecast the existing gravel subbase (also saturated) to subgrade level and attempt to bridge the highly saturated subgrade with scalpings. Any usable gravel subbase is then placed over the top followed by a 150mm layer of high quality crushed rock and sealed.
This remote shire was looking for an innovative solution to replace the expensive and time-consuming traditional approach.
With surrounding Shires experiencing the improved strength, workability and ease of application that PolyCom Stabilising Aid brings, the Shire used PolyCom to treat the weak subgrade and the subbase.
The subgrade was treated to a depth of 200mm and the subbase to a depth of 150mm. The result was a subgrade with adequate strength to support the pavement and a much stronger, well-bound subbase without the need to import additional gravel. The resheet overlay was also reduced from 150mm to 100mm due to the strength benefits gained by treating the subgrade and subbase with PolyCom Stabilising Aid.
PolyCom works were completed quickly and economically, using only internal Council staff and standard plant, grader, water cart, pad foot roller and multi-wheeled roller.
The PolyCom treated materials provided a pavement that meets required specifications with significant cost and time savings as well as ensuring greater utilisation of internal Council resources.
*Copy supplied by PolyCom
For more information please visit the website at: www.roadmaker.com.au
