Over time, unpaved roads that become well traveled can leave people stranded or, more literally, unable to get from one side of the street to the other. In Kabul, Afghanistan, this is exactly the situation. An area called Shah Bobo Jan Street, part of a 900 mile stretch of road that is unpaved, has created havoc for those seeking passage through the area.
In the summertime, the road has little to no dust control, causing strong winds to blow dirt wildly, leading to devastating lung issues. In the rain or monsoon season, an impenetrable muddy road barely serves travelers who get stuck in the muck.
There are actions that can be taken to help eradicate such issues as dust control, but they take time, effort and awareness. To learn about ways to improve the arid areas around you, contact Soil Tech for more information.
Dust control on dirt roads is an important concern, both for environmental and health reasons. To avoid paving a road over to get the dust under control, here are five other options to try first.
Reduce Traffic Speed
This is very simple: The faster a vehicle is moving on a dirt road, the more dust will be made. Slowing from 40 mph to 20 mph reduces dust drastically. You can add signs stating the speed limit to a road; but if you want to really make sure people slow down, you can add speed bumps or drainage tunnels.
Reduce the Wind
It’s common sense that more wind means more dust. Decrease the effects of the wind on dirt roads by adding windbreaks such as trees, shrubs, or fences. As an added bonus, these additions will also enhance the property’s appearance.
Water the Road
When dirt particles are wet, they stick together, making it less likely they’ll become dust. A single watering can last either for hours or days, depending on the weather conditions.
Cover the Road With Gravel
Gravel decreases the amount of dust on dirt roads by providing a hard barrier between a car’s wheels and the dirt. However, over time, the gravel will simply get pushed down into the dirt. For this to work as a long-term solution, the gravel must be mixed with aggregates or soil adhesives.
Increase Moisture Content
There’s another way besides watering a dirt road to increase the amount of moisture it contains. Adding a deliquescent salt such as calcium chloride or magnesium chloride will absorb water from the air so the dirt particles are able to stick together, reducing the amount of dust. This method will work for about a year without reapplying the salt.
Have you ever been stuck behind a street cleaner on a back road and wondered why it’s so important for roads that few people see be dust-free? Dust control on the highways and even the lonely back roads is more important than you ever imagined!
Saving Money
When roads get dusty, they start to degrade. The dust works like sandpaper to erode the top layers, and eventually loosens the aggregate material. This means higher maintenance and repair of potholes.
Driver Safety
Dust decreases visibility, which is always a bad thing for drivers. Once the road starts to degrade, loose gravel can fly up and hit windshields, causing damage to the vehicle and sometimes accidents by startled drivers.
Healthy Locals
Excess dust is constantly stirred up and will drift into local homes and businesses, which can increase respiratory complications.
Land reclamation specialists will use calcium chloride to pull moisture from the air and keep the roads dust-free under even the harshest summer conditions. The mixture binds to the aggregate, keeping it together longer and thus requiring less maintenance. Who knew just how much we depended on road cleaners for our economy, safety, and health?
William Close this year introduced his genius instrument, The Earth Harp to millions via America’s Got Talent. His invention has been recognized as the largest string instrument in the world! William’s talents spans from teaching music to adolescents to creating all of his musical instruments from scratch including this one he first constructed back in 1999. Much of his Earth Harp performance is also paired with melodic drums for a dramatic, brilliant affect.
The Earth Harp is a pure example of nature working hand in hand with sound and beats. William Close first setup this masterpiece, that is approximately 1,000 feet long in an outdoor valley. No dust control was needed here! Just spectators enjoying music in a natural, beautiful place that would normally be utterly silent. Since its creation William was also a regular performer at the annual Burning Man, performing naturally outdoors, where it all started!
Soil-Tech is Las Vegas’ premier dust control and construction environmental mitigation. It all started in 1990, when Soil-Tech decided to become a leader in the nascent green movement by taking a role of responsibility in keeping construction sites as environmentally sound as possible. They understood that restoring and repairing the damage construction does to the native landscape is part of a contractor’s responsibility, and made it their business to learn the best and most effective ways to accomplish this goal.
Twenty-two years later, Soil-Tech is still going strong as Southern Nevada’s leader in environmental mitigation and land reclamation. They specialize in returning the desert to its natural beauty and removing all traces of human habitation and activity. They also specialize in dust control and desert restoration across the Mojave Desert, making them the largest environmentally-friendly construction firm in the Southwest. Their stated goal is “Balancing Construction With Nature,” so as not to impede human progress and development while encouraging coexistence and harmonious assimilation with the natural habitat.
Soil-Tech’s construction and environmental support role is highly sought after. Major companies such as gas and oil companies, developers, local, state, and federal construction oversight agencies, and alternative and conventional energy companies trust Soil-Tech’s experience to assist in safeguarding the native environment from the ravages of construction and reducing the impact of human usage on the area.
In addition to their protection roles in surface construction, Soil-Tech also boasts some of the most advanced and Eco-friendly desert restoration and soil stabilization products around. Many of these were actually custom-developed and tailor-made to their strict specifications, to ensure they leave the smallest possible footprint behind. One such advance is their rock stain, designed to mimic the qualities of weathered, exposed rock. By doing this and employing ecologically sound re-vegetation techniques, they can make even a heavily-developed and hard-used area appear as though man had never set foot upon it. Which, of course, is the entire point of what Soil-Tech does.
There are a lot of dust control companies in Las Vegas, but none offer the wide range of environmental and ecological safeguarding services Soil-Tech has to offer. When you’re planning your construction project, no matter what size or type, contact the area’s leader in environmentally sound dust control and desert restoration. We all have a responsibility to help maintain and protect our natural resources, and Soil-Tech is leading the charge for a healthier environment for the humans, plants and animals who call the Mojave home.
