Reference Library

Soilworks products are the industry’s top standard due to our insistence on creating high performance soil stabilization and dust control products that stand up to rigorous testing – both in the lab and in the field. Our commitment to quality and performance has led to our involvement and testing in hundreds of real-world situations. The following library of reports, presentations, specifications, approvals and other similar documents provide you, our customer, the transparency and dependable assurance that is expected from Soilworks.

Rapid Soil Stabilization Technologies (TPD0811007)

Objective

To employ mats, soil stabilizers, fibers, geotextiles, etc… for rapidly constructing airfield facilities

  • Low logistical effort
  • Minimal stabilization
  • Reduced cure/construction times
  • Weatherproofing/dust control
  • Repair

 

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Photo: Soil Improvement (with Heavy Equipment)

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Photo: Aircraft Parking

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Photo: Matting Systems

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Photo: ERDC HVS Test Facility, C-130 Wheel, 30,000 Lbs on 6” of Stabilized Soil

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Photo: Dust Control Application

 

APPROACH

 

  • Applied Research (6.2) – Development of promising technologies for soil stabilization
    • Polymer/Cement blends
    • Fiber/Cement blends
      • Synthetic
      • Wood/cellulose
    • Polyurethanes/Epoxies
      • Single and two-component mixtures
    • Cold-weather curing of cements
  • Demonstration Technology (6.3) – Utilize existing technology for military applications
    • Scale-up of polymer/cement and fiber/cement stabilization from laboratory to field
    • Testing of commercial mat systems for airfield applications

 

Products

 

  • Airfield Matting
    • Materials
    • Construction and design methodology
  • Dust Control
    • Materials
    • Application and Construction Methods
  • Soil Stabilization
    • Materials – Including Freeze-thaw areas
    • Aircraft Specific Thickness Design
    • Construction Methods

 

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Photo: Dust Control Application

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Photo: ERDC HVS Test Facility, c-130 Wheel, 30,000 Lbs on 6” of Stabilized Soil

Rapid Stabilization Work Unit Plan

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Table: Rapid Stabilization Work Unit Plan

 

Pertinent Work Units

 

  • C-17 Shear-Resistant Stabilizer Development – FY07 End
  • Dust Control Technologies – FY07 End
  • Stabilization of Thawing Soils – FY05 End
  • Rapid MOG Enhancement Technologies – Need Extension through FY06
  • Demonstration of Advanced Stabilizer Technologies (C-130) – FY05 End
  • Field Testing of Advanced Stabilizer Technology (C-17) – FY06 End
  • Evaluation of Structural Requirements for Stabilized Airfields – FY06 End
  • Maintenance and Repair of Stabilized Layers – FY06 End
  • Demonstration of C-17 Stabilization Technology – FY06 New Start

 

Accomplishments Thru FY04

 

  • Progress:
    • Tested Commercial Mat Types Over Different Soil Strengths
      • C-130 contingency weights
    • Rapid Soil Stabilizers
      • Fibers and fast-setting cements
      • Polymers and fast-setting cements
    • Improved Dust Abatement
      • Best construction techniques
      • Best application equipment
      • Evaluated commercial products
    • Developed Cold Weather Stabilizers
      • Admixtures in cement for curing under freeze-thaw conditions
    • Ft. Bragg Demo

 

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Photo: Airfield Matting

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Photo: Soil Stabilization

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Photo: HUMVEE Sprayer

Ft. Bragg Demo – Mat testing for C-130 Loads

Test

Mat

6” Clay-Gravel Base (40-50 CBR)

Pressure Cell

Buckshot Clay 24” Subgrade (8-10 CBR)

Test

Mat

6” Base

Pressure Cell

Buckshot Clay 24” Subgrade (8-10 CBR)

Test

Mat

6” Base (3-5 CBR)

Pressure Cell

Buckshot Clay 12” Subgrade (8-10 CBR)

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Photo: 6” Clay Gravel Base

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Photo: Installing Pressure Cells at Top of Clay Subgrade

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Photo: C-130 Load Cart on Durabase

Ft. Bragg Demonstration – Materials

 

  • ACE Mat
    • Lightweight, easy to handle
    • Easy to install
    • Fiberglass
  • Polymers and Fibers – Why?
    • Reduced Logistics
      • Polymers and fibers weigh less than half of cement
    • Improved Performance
      • Less cracking means less FOD
  • Polymer/Cement Synergy
    • Polymer/fiber helps cement
    • Cement Helps polymer/fiber

 

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Table: Fort Bragg Soil Strengths

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Photo: Fibers

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Photo: Polymer

C-130 Load Testing of Stabilized Surfaces

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Photo: ERDC HVS Test Facility

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Graph: Rut Depth with Number of C-130 Wheel Passes

Ft. Bragg Demo Candidates – Testing

 

  • C-130 Wheel load 30,000 lb, 750 passes
  • One Day Cure
  • SM Soil

 

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Photo: Loaded C-130 Wheel on SM Soil

<Cracked at edge of wheel path, 5” rut>

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Photo: C-130 Testing on Emulsion Polymer/Cement

<Cracked at edge of wheel path, 3” rut>

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Photo: C-130 Testing on Fiber/Cement

<1/2” rut @ 750 passes>

Ft. Bragg Demo – C-130 Parking Aprons

 

  • Two C-130 Parking Aprons – 40,000 sq. ft. each
    • Apron 1
      • Half ACE mat
      • Half polymer/cement
    • Apron 2
      • Fiber/Cement

 

• Sicily ALZ, Ft. Bragg, NC

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Photo: Apron 1 – ACE Mat/Polymer/Cement

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Photo: Apron 2 – Fiber/Cement

FY05 Activities

 

  • C-17 Load Testing – Contingency loads at 206 kips/gear
    • Commercial Mats
      • Soloco Durabase – Heavy Duty
      • Soloco Bravo – Lightweight
      • ACE mat – Lightweight
    • Stabilized Soil
      • Fiber/Cement
      • Synthetic
      • Wood/Cellulose ?
  • Laboratory Testing
    • Moisture-Cure Polyurethanes
    • Different fiber types
      • Monofilament vs. fibrillated
      • Wood/cellulose
    • Improve fiber/soil/cement adhesion

 

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Photo: Test Facility

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Graph: Stress vs. Strain

MATS

 

  • What have we learned so far?
    • Durabase is an excellent load-bearing mat
      • Logistically unwieldy
      • Heat resistance?
    • Bravo mat suffered mechanical failure
    • ACE Mat is an excellent lightweight mat for medium strength (CBR >8) soils
      • 1000 passes of C-17 at contingency operating weight (206 kips) with minimal damage over CBR 8-10 SM soil
      • Needs proper anchoring for wind loads

 

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Photos: Various Mats

 

Soil Stabilization

 

  • Laboratory Testing of Soil Stabilizers
    • Moisture-Cure Polyurethanes
    • Different fiber types
      • Monofilament vs. fibrillated
      • Wood/cellulose
    • Improve fiber/soil/cement adhesion

 

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Photos: Laboratory Testing of Fiber Types

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Graphs: Stress vs. Strain

Moisture Cure Polyurethanes – MCPUR

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Graph: Unconfined Compressive Stress vs. MCPUR, 1% Soil Moisture

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Graph: Unconfined Compressive Stress vs. MCPUR, 5% Soil Moisture

Moisture Cure Polyurethanes – MCPUR

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Graph: Toughness vs. MCPUR, 1% Soil Moisture

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Graph: Toughness vs. MCPUR, 5% Soil Moisture

MCPUR Cure Time – UCS

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Graph: Unconfined Compressive Stress vs. Cure Time (Days) 

MCPUR Cure Time – TOUGHNESS

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Graph: Toughness vs. Cure Time (Days)

So Why not MCPUR?

  • Advantages
    • Super stress and strain properties
    • Would be great with added fibers
  • Disadvantages
    • Hard to construct with
    • Viscosity like honey
    • Sticks to equipment
    • Difficult to clean
    • Very expensive
    • Poor shelf life
    • Hazardous

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Photos: Application Equipment

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Photo: Aircraft/Airfield 

Effects of Cement and Fibers on Soil

  • Stress/Strain Response – ¾” Fibers

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Graph: Stress/Strain Response, Load Lbs. vs. In.

Effects of Fiber Type and Concentration

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Graph: Unconfined Compressive Stress vs. Stabilizer Type

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Graph: Toughness vs. Stabilizer Type

 

Soil Stabilization

  • What have we learned so far?
    • Cement is hard to beat – Economical, ubiquitous, easy to use
      • FOD nightmare when it fails
    • Fibers are excellent in blends with binders such as polymers and cements
      • Fibers reduce cracking – less FOD
      • Too long and fibers are hard to construct with
    • Emulsion polymers are easy to use
      • Great for weatherproofing, dustproofing surfaces
      • Don’t perform as well as fibers in blends with cement
      • Slow to cure without ‘help’ (cement)
    • Fibers
      • Improving adhesion of fiber to cement/soil is beneficial- ongoing research
    • Curing Polymers – Epoxies/polyurethanes
      • Single Component Moisture Cure Polyurethanes (MCPUR)
      • Great Properties
      • Hard to control, construct with
      • Two-Component Polyurethanes/Epoxies
      • Great Properties
      • Strict mixing requirements – special equipment needed
      • Can be controlled better than MCPUR

FY06-07 Activities

  • FY06 – C-17 Loads
    • Field Studies
      • Soil Stabilization
      • SM Soil 6” Depth, CBR 8-10
        • Synthetic Fiber/Cement Blends
        • Wood/Cellulose/Cement Blends
      • Clay Soil
        • Candidate materials will be based on laboratory studies
      • Maintenance and repair will be accomplished during field studies
      • Mat testing over Clays
    • Laboratory Studies
      • Stabilization of Clay Soil
      • Cement, lime, fibers, ionic stabilizers
  • FY07 – C-17 Demonstration

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