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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.

USAEC Dust Control Selection Guide (TPD9907004)

Summary

Developed as a field-use decision tool for military installations, the U.S. Army Environmental Center’s guide offers a structured selection matrix for dust palliatives based on traffic volume, soil type, climate, and operational priorities. Among the top-tier recommendations, polymer-based suppressants—which align with Soiltac, Soilworks’ synthetic copolymer emulsion—are repeatedly cited as primary solutions across varied conditions, especially for wheeled vehicle traffic on sandy, clay, or loamy soils. The guide emphasizes polymers for their performance in arid to humid climates, ability to withstand frequent vehicular passes, and environmental compatibility. It further notes that polymers offer better cost-efficiency over repeated applications compared to traditional salts, oils, and electrochemical stabilizers, particularly on surfaces where paving is not feasible.

For military engineers, base facility managers, and environmental compliance officers, Soiltac delivers a high-performance, field-tested alternative that meets the guide’s criteria for durability, dust control, and reduced environmental risk. When non-water-dependent solutions are needed—such as during dry-season operations or remote staging—Durasoil provides long-lasting PM control without evaporation or runoff. Soilworks supports agencies with climate- and soil-specific application plans, deployment logistics, and ongoing performance monitoring strategies. Contact Soilworks to implement products already aligned with DoD’s recommended dust control protocols.

43. Recommended product category for the trafficked surface:

Primary: Polymers              Go to 44

see references 17, 20

Secondary: Petrol               Go to 44

see reference 20

  1. The economic evaluation for prolonged and repeated use of this product at 60- to 90-day intervals is:
    1. Economical Go to 45
    2. Not economical Go to 46
  2. A trial application of the product category has proven:
    1. Effective Go to 47
    2. Not effective Go to 46
  3. Consider paving or use of an alternate dust
  4. Implement large-scale use of product category and a monitoring program.

US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS®

 

 

US Army Environmental Hotline

1-800-USA-3845

 

Printed on Recycled Paper

This key is designed to help military installations evaluate solutions for dust control problems. It recommends categories of chemical dust palliatives according to traffic volume, climatic factors, and soil types and textures.

The recommended palliatives recorded the best results in both empirical studies and literature surveys, though products may be about 50% to 75% less effective in areas where tracked- vehicle traffic predominates.

Work through the questions in this key to find the most effective chemical dust palliative for your installation. For best results, you’ll need the following data:

  • predominant traffic type of the area supports
  • estimated traffic volume during times of heaviest use
  • characteristics of the trafficked surface, such as materials used to construct it, surface geometry, drainage patterns and maintenance schedules (all available from the Roads and Grounds division of the Directorate of Public Works)
  • average annual precipitation
  • predominant soil texture of the trafficked

Once you determine the best chemical palliatives for conditions on your installation, consult the product manufacturers for application rates and concentrations. For more information on cost-effective dust control, check these publications:

  • USACERL Technical Report 97/69. Gebhart and Hale. 1997.
  • USAEC/USACERL Technical Report SFIM-AEC-ET-CR96196. Gebhart and Hale.1996.
  • Dustproofing Unsurfaced Areas: Facilities Technology Application Test Demonstrations, FY 84. CEWES Technical Report GL-85-1. Styron III, et. al.1985.
  • Dustproofing Unsurfaced Areas: Facilities Technology Application Test (FTAT) Demonstration, FY 85. CEWES Technical Report GL-86-20. Robert A. Haas. 1986.
  • Dustproofing Unsurfaced Areas: Facilities Technology Application Test (FTAT) Demonstration, FY 86. CEWES Miscellaneous Paper GL-87-19. Jeffrey P. Armstrong. 1987.
  • Consumers Guide to Dust Control Technologies. J.P. Zaniewski and A.K. Bennett. 1989.

Dust Control Selection Key

  1. Has the area been identified as having a dust control problem?
    1. Yes Go to 2
    2. No Palliative may not be necessary
  2. Does the area support military vehicle traffic?
    1. Yes Go to 3
    2. No Palliative may not be necessary
  3. Does the area support aircraft traffic?
    1. Yes Go to 4
    2. No Go to 6
  4. Is the type of aircraft fixed-wing?
    1. Yes Go to 10
    2. No Go to 5
  5. Are the aircraft helicopters?
    1. Yes Go to 43
    2. No Go to 3
  6. Does the area support land vehicles?
    1. Yes Go to 7
    2. No Go to 14
  7. Are the vehicles tracked or wheeled?
    1. Tracked Go to 9
    2. Wheeled Go to 8
  8. Estimated number of wheeled vehicle passes per day during periods of heaviest use:
    1. More than 250 Go to 11
    2. Less than 250 Go to 13
  9. Estimated number of tracked vehicle passes per day during periods of heaviest use:
    1. More than 100 Go to 11
    2. Less than 100 Go to 13
  10. Estimated number of aircraft landings per day during periods of heaviest use:
  11. Has the surface been evaluated for geometry, materials, drainage, and maintenance practices?
    1. Yes Go to 20
    2. No Go to 15
  12. Does the geometry of the surface appear to have a crown that facilitates drainage?
    1. Yes Go to 16
    2. No Go to 19
  13. Do surface and subsurface materials appear to be stable and without significant potholing, washboarding, or other forms of erosion?
    1. Yes Go to 17
    2. No Go to 19
  14. Does the surface have adequate drainage for local conditions?
    1. Yes Go to 18
    2. No Go to 19
  15. Is surface maintenance performed on a regular basis?
    1. Yes Go to 20
    2. No Go to 19
  16. Upgrades to drainage, surface and subsurface materials, grading, and/or maintenance practices may solve the dust control problem. Chemical dust suppressants should be considered if mechanical stabilization is not cost-effective and/or dust problems persist. Mechanical stabilization, which may include the addition, grading, mixing, and compaction of fresh aggregate materials, costs about $2 to $3 per square yard. Most installation Directorates of Public Works and state transportation departments can provide detailed information about mechanical stabilization practices and specifications.

Go to 20

  1. Determine dominant climate influences, trafficked- surface soil textures, and suitable dust control product Go to 21
  2. The climate of the installation is classified as:
    1. Arid less than 121 of precipitation per year
  1. Recommended product category for the trafficked surface: All product categories are suitable

Go to 43

see references 10, 20, 31, 35

  1. Recommended product category for the trafficked surface:

Primary: Organic, Non-Bituminous

Go to 43

see references 20, 37

Secondary: Salts or Electro-Chemical Stabilizers

Go to 43

see references 31, 35

  1. Recommended product category for the trafficked surface:

Primary: Salts                    Go to 43

see references 31, 37

Secondary: Organic, Non-Bituminous

Go to 43

see references 20, 37

  1. Soil texture of the trafficked surface is best classified as:
    1. Sand/gravel Go to 31
    2. Loam Go to 32
    3. Clay Go to 33
    4. Limestone Go to 34
  2. Soil texture of the trafficked surface is best classified as:
    1. Sand/gravel Go to 35
    2. Loam Go to 36
    3. Clay Go to 37
    4. Limestone Go to 38
  3. Soil texture of the trafficked surface is best classified as:
    1. Sand/gravel Go to 39
    2. Loam Go to 40
    3. Clay Go to 41
    4. Limestone Go to 42
  4. Recommended product category for the trafficked surface:

Primary: Petrol                   Go to 44 see references 10, 35

  1. Recommended product category for the trafficked surface:

Primary: Organic, Non-Bituminous

Go to 44

see references 3, 11, 12, 13, 33 Secondary: Salts          Go to 44 see references 18, 21

  1. Recommended product category for the trafficked surface:

Primary: Organic, Non-Bituminous

Go to 44

see references 3, 11, 12, 13, 16, 20, 23, 24, 33, 36

Secondary: Salts                 Go to 44

see references 3, 11, 12, 13, 16, 21, 24, 2 , 36

  1. Recommended product category for the trafficked surface:

Primary: Organic, Non-Bituminous

Go to 44

see references 11, 12, 13, 20, 23, 24

Secondary: Electro-Chemical Stabilizers

Go to 44

see reference 7

  1. Recommended product category for the trafficked surface:

Primary: Salts                    Go to 44 see references 8, 15, 18, 21 Secondary: Organic, Non-Bituminous

Go to 44

see references 15, 23

  1. Recommended product category for the trafficked surface:

Primary: Petrol                  Go to 44

see references 20, 2

Secondary: Organic, Non-Bituminous

Go to 44

see references 14, 18

  1. Recommended product category for the trafficked surface:
  2. More than 50 Go to 14
  3. Less than 50 Go to 13
  4. Temperate

Go to 22

 121-361 of precipitation per year

Go to 23

Secondary: Organic, Non-Bituminous

Go to 44

see reference 20

Primary: Salts                    Go to 44

see references 16, 31

Secondary: Electro-Chemical Stabilizers

 

  1. Are permanent surface treatments, such as paving, economically feasible? Paving costs are about $6 to
  1. Humid more than 361 of precipitation per year

Go to 30

  1. Recommended product category for the trafficked surface: Primary: Salts Go to 44

see reference 2

Go to 44

 

$10 per square yard, but can be significantly higher if

predominantly tracked-vehicle traffic is expected because thicker pavement is required for satisfactory performance.

  1. Yes Go to 12
  2. No Go to 14
  1. Apply permanent stabilization practices. Paving the surface will be more cost-effective than periodic unsurfaced road maintenance and regular application of dust suppressants.
  2. Use of chemical dust suppressants may not be economically iustified based on low traffic volumes. Good construction and maintenance practices are recommended instead. However, when safety or air quality concerns are a high priority, low traffic volumes should not preclude the use

 

  1. Soil texture of the trafficked surface is best classified as:
    1. Sand/gravel Go to 24
    2. Loam Go to 25
    3. Clay Go to 26
    4. Limestone Go to 27
  2. The temperate climate is classified as:
    1. Semi-arid 121-241 of precipitation per year

Go to 28

  1. Sub-humid 241-361 of precipitation per year

Go to 29

  1. Recommended product category for the trafficked surface: Primary: Organic, Non-Bituminous

Go to 43

see references 1, 20, 37

Secondary: Salts or Petrol Go to 43

see references 1, 4, 20, 31, 37

 

see references 1, 2, 10, 25, 27, 28, 32, 36

Secondary: Organic, Non-Bituminous

Go to 44

see references 1, 2, 6, 10, 20, 25, 32, 36

  1. Recommended product category for the trafficked surface: Primary: Organic, Non-Bituminous

Go to 44

see references 6, 20, 30

Secondary: Petrol               Go to 44

see reference 20

  1. Recommended product category for the trafficked surface:

Primary: Salts                    Go to 44

see references 18, 28

Secondary: Organic, Non-Bituminous

Go to 44

see references 18, 30

 

  1. Recommended product category for the trafficked surface:

Primary: Salts                    Go to 44 see references 4, 14, 20, 2 Secondary: Organic, Non-Bituminous

Go to 44

see references 14, 20

  1. Recommended product category for the trafficked surface:

Primary: Salts                    Go to 44 see references 4, 16, 17, 18 Secondary: Organic, Non-Bituminous

Go to 44

see references 16, 17, 18

 

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USAEC Dust Control Selection Guide (downloadable PDF)

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