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Cypher Environmental Announces Soil Stabilization and Dust Control Project With Brandon University

Cypher Environmental is pleased to announce a recent undertaking of a soil stabilization and dust control related research project, jointly funded by Brandon University and Cypher Environmental. The project involves a very detailed look in the lab at the improved engineering properties of clay soils with ROAD//STABILIZR® and DUST/BLOKR®, as well as an evaluation of 3 miles of roads being built with ROAD//STABILIZR® and DUST/BLOKR® in the Rural Municipality (RM) of Cornwallis, just outside the City of Brandon, Manitoba.

There is a critical need for better construction techniques and stabilization of unpaved roads throughout rural and Northern Manitoba as well as across the country.  The current project is aimed at providing a low cost and sustainable solution to these problems through the use of cheaper clay-rich aggregates and non-toxic organic catalysts, ROAD//STABILIZR® soil stabilization and DUST/BLOKR® dust control solution, that cause high-density packing and strong semi-permanent bonding of clay-aggregate mixtures, leading to durable roads that require only light maintenance. This project’s successful implementation will yield a breakthrough in techniques available to rural municipalities and private industry located in rural areas that are in need of solutions to build roads more economically and in a more sustainable fashion.

Seeing the need to not only demonstrate the unique road soil stabilization and dust control solutions offered by the company on selected demonstration roads, Cypher Environmental realized a detailed look at the improved engineering properties was needed in order to prove the efficacy of their solutions, and therefore partnered with Brandon University to work on the extensive lab portion of the project. This research is currently ongoing and once completed at the end of the first quarter of 2016, Cypher will be eager to publish the results and make them available to all its distributors and customers worldwide.

To date, 2 miles of road have been built using Cypher’s road stabilization solutions. These roads are in separate locations and have fairly unique needs. So far, the road maintenance needed, or the lack thereof, on these roads has been excellent. The engineering reports have been great thus far as well. Normally a target density of 95% compaction is desired, but the testing has shown compaction as high as 110%!

Mile 1 – Lori Road

Lori Road is a very busy rural road, with access to Highway 110 and acts as the perimeter road around the City of Brandon. Further increasing the heavy traffic loads on Lori Road is that it is the only access point to the Glenlea Golf Course, the closest 18-hole course to the City of Brandon. Previously, the road needed weekly maintenance as the dust was choking out golfers playing the holes adjacent to the road. In the two months since the application of the stabilization solutions there has been no need for any maintenance whatsoever. Something that is highly unusual for an unpaved road and this type of traffic load. The dust is a thing of the past!

The effects of the soil stabilization are evident by the photos below, showing the road with no dust, and to top it off, tire skid marks, showing the hard, stabilized road surface.

Mile 2 – Curries Landing Road

Curries Landing Road is the ultimate challenge for an unpaved rural road, as it provides the only access to 6 gravel quarries. The RM has counted 250 heavy haul trucks per day travelling on the road, which provides for significant abuse. This heavy traffic load required constant maintenance in the past, and to cope with the dust, the RM has had to apply a toxic chloride product (calcium chloride / magnesium chloride) up to 6 times per year! Since the road has been treated with DUST/BLOKR® and ROAD//STABILIZR®, no maintenance has been required, and there is no longer any need to be applying non-sustainable chloride dust control products.

In fact, not only is the project between Brandon University, Cypher Environmental and the RM of Cornwallis demonstrating that more practical and environmentally friendly road solutions exist, it is also helping to create jobs and promote a healthy economy, as can be seen by the sign posted near the road. Pictured as well are some views of haul trucks travelling on the now dust free roads.

For more information on our road dust control and soil stabilization solutions, or for more information on this innovative research project, please contact us. More details will be released on the third mile of road built with ROAD//STABILIZR® and DUST/BLOKR® in the RM of Cornwallis soon.

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