(Trinidad Express) If roads were repaired and built using a soil cement stabilisation process, then repairs and construction would cost less and the roads would be more durable.
This is according to Avaleen Mooloo, civil engineer with the Trinidad Cement Ltd (TCL) Group.
On Tuesday, TCL launched what was termed a “trial strip using soil cement stabilisation technology”.
The project launch took place at TCL’s quarry in Mayo. Local Government Minister Dr Surujrattan Rambachan attended the function.
One of the roads leading to the quarry was repaired using the technology.
The 50 metres of road was stabilised using cement and aggregate from the quarry in its base and sub-based layers.
The road was formulated to endure weight of at least 60 tonnes, Mooloo said.
She said there was a need for more sustainable roads and there was a depletion in the quality and quantity of aggregate used for road construction.
Some of the benefits of the technology, Mooloo said, included that it “enhanced load distribution, eliminates rutting of base, reduces moisture problems and reduces deflation.”
Mooloo said TCL’s aim was to reveal other uses of cement, develop new markets in the construction industry and to develop a new product — 30 per cent pozzolam blended cement.
She said, “Our project is ideal for agricultural roads. Our road is really designed for heavy-capacity vehicles so it could be used for agricultural roads as well as in areas where soil type is very poor. This is ideal for building the foundation aspects of the road. When you treating with your sub-grade and your base level we are saying that it is ideal for road application and you could put your surface layer of your asphalt or whatever. For any type of road it is applicable.”
Mooloo said strength tests on the trial strip were in progress and the results would be available by year’s end.