PRODUCT

GRAVELOCK is an anionic synthetic thio compound, with surface active properties.

GRAVELOCK is specially manufactured, exclusively in South Africa, for the purpose of treating natural soils by improving the workability, density, and strength.

GRAVELOCK is distributed worldwide, in plastic drums, each of which is marked with serial numbers for the purpose of reference and tracking.

Nature and Characteristics of GRAVELOCK Liquid Soil Stabilizer: GRAVELOCK replaces the water adsorbing ions in the soil, with ions that repel water!

GRAVELOCK has the properties of a surface agent (surfacing related qualities). It transforms the hydrophilic nature of the clay material into a hydrophobic nature.

Properties of GRAVELOCK Liquid Soil Stabilization Technology:

GRAVELOCK has the following physio-chemical properties:

  • Totally water soluble with no solid residue.
  • Non-flammable.
  • Non-corrosive.
  • Non-toxic and safe.
  • Non-hazardous.
  • User and environment friendly.
  • Unlimited shelf life.
  • Safe for transport by air, land or sea.
  • GRAVELOCK is a highly concentrated liquid, of which 100 liters will treat between 10,000 to 20,000 square meters of soil to a depth of 15 cm when diluted with water.

Because of its concentrated form, transport costs for the product to remote sites worldwide is low when considering the length of road that can be treated with each 100 liter drum.

Permanently Stable -- Water Repellent Road Surfaces.

GRAVELOCK is a unique cation reactive organic thio compound, which forms protective, oily layers on the surfaces of soil and clay particles. It reduces ion mobility and ion exchange and simultaneously makes the clay material hydrophobic by eliminating the adsorption of water. (Adsorbed water is ionically bound to the clay particles.) The result is a soil material that is much less sensitive to moisture, more workable and which can be compacted to a better particle-interlock state by equipment and traffic forces.

  • Better particle-interlock means higher internal friction and improved bearing capacity.
  • It also means greater density and less penetration of water.
  • The effect of GRAVELOCK on clay materials is permanent.

GRAVELOCK will treat a wide spectrum of materials ranging from clays and silty sands to gravel. The materials must display some cohesive properties (i.e., contain clays).

Roads treated with CBR turn from mud surfaces into roads that are trafficable in wet weather.(See also Technical Information)

Environmental Factors:

Tests using GRAVELOCK have been conducted by: GRAVELOCK North America Inc., to Canadian Standards. The tests that were conducted incorporated hazardous ingredients, physical data, fire and explosion data, reactivity data, toxicological effects, preventative measures, first aid measures, and environmental effects.

Furthermore, the tests included sensitivity testing with rainbow trout, microtox and daphnia magnia, as well as leachate testing. All the tests confirmed that the product, in the diluted form at which it is applied, is non toxic and environmentally acceptable. It is also safe to be used near streams, due to its resistance to leaching and in farm or forest roads as it does not affect plants.

Other tests show that the product is non-flammable and non-corrosive to the equipment used for its application to the road.

Use of GRAVELOCK Liquid Soil Stabilizer:

GRAVELOCK allows engineers to use in-situ material in either single or multi-layer pavement construction by reducing the importation of materials from unsightly and environmentally degrading borrow pits; thus minimizing the environmental degradation.

Advantages of using GRAVELOCK:

  • Construction Aid: Improves workability of soils.
  • Increases soil shear strength.
  • Consolidation Aid: Increases density/bearing capacity.
  • Reduces dust on unpaved roads.
  • Reduces maintenance on gravel roads.
  • Reduces the need for gravel replacement.
  • Reduces construction costs.
  • Saves haulage on borrow material.
  • GRAVELOCK is a soil treatment - not stabilizer!

GRAVELOCK has been extensively used in many countries to overcome the problems of using marginal quality construction material for road pavement layers.

Construction and maintenance costs of GRAVELOCK treated roads can save vast amounts of money, meaning that more kilometers of road can be built with the same budget.