Australia’s road system is a vast network of urban and rural arterial roads. Of the over 800,000 km of roads in Australia, more than 50 percent (466,000 km) of this road system is unpaved.

This staggering number represents a significant environmental risk to the local populace.

Unpaved roads and rough bush tracks generate vast dust clouds, particularly when heavy traffic movements are involved. These clouds of road dust can cause adverse effects such as breathing or respiratory problems and driver impairment.

And while the benefits of paved roads are well known, the local councils who bear the responsibility of maintaining these arterial road networks cannot meet the sizable cost of traditional road building. This is where dust suppression systems play an essential role.

What is the purpose of dust suppression?

Dust suppressant programs aim to minimize and control the dust emissions that unpaved roads produce. As mentioned, dust clouds are more than just a nuisance. The more traffic that unpaved roads experience, the more dust that is generated.

These dust particles can cover huge areas, settling in nearby communities and agricultural land.

Dust can have serious economic implications as it can negatively affect crop yields. Massive traffic movements can also increase road wear and tear, which reduce surface longevity, resulting in increased maintenance costs.

Dust control solutions use a chemical application to stabilize the road surface. The utilization of a precisely engineered chemical solution creates a temporary or permanent restriction on airborne dust particles, preventing dust fly-away.

Benefits of an effective dust suppressant system

Dust suppression is vital to keeping Australia’s road network drivable and safe. For local councils with limited budgets, an effective dust suppression system can contribute to the following benefits:

Increased road durability

Untreated local roads are susceptible to quick deterioration. The erosion of public roads and rough bush tracks can lead to severe surface degradation like potholes, ruts, and corrugation. In dense traffic areas, the loss of road integrity can cause serious safety risks.

Dust suppressants bind dust particles to the road’s surface area, stabilizing the road’s surface material. By sealing unpaved roads with non-toxic, biodegradable stabilization solutions, natural materials are strengthened.

This creates a more sustainable road, thus improving road performance.

Improved road safety

Loose aggregate on a road surface can contribute to increased frequency of traffic accidents and motor collisions. Loose gravel can be kicked up and damage windshields, impairing driver visibility. Loose gravel can also result in loss of vehicle traction, intensifying accident potential.

Evidence found by Australia’s Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport committee found that the driving conditions of unpaved roads contributed to more significant driving challenges and most of the road accidents on regional and remote roads.

By controlling dust with surface treatment solutions, road surfaces provide a more exceptional grip, resulting in safer driving conditions. This reduces the risk of accidents and the potential for injuries or fatalities.

Lower road maintenance costs

As the surface of an unpaved road is more permeable than its concrete counterpart, rapid deterioration can occur. The typical expected service life of an unpaved road without maintenance is roughly one year.

Paved roads, on the other hand, have a service life of approximately 20 years.

With investment funds limited to regional and rural councils, dust management products are a cost-effective alternative to acquiring quality roads. Roads constructed with a dust suppressant system are more resilient and less prone to immediate degradation.

In one case study, the application of road dust control products resulted in overall savings of 46 percent over 10 years.

Improved environmental protection

Dust control not only provides a more stable road condition, but it also helps reduce the environmental impact of airborne dust particles. Dust produced by unpaved roads is a leading contributor to environmental air pollution in regional and rural areas.

By suppressing the amount of dust dispersed into the air, communities adjacent to unpaved roads can experience improved air quality. This dramatically minimizes the amount of fugitive dust that escapes road surfaces, reducing the hazards of inhalable or respirable dust particles.

New technology also means that many dust suppression products don’t contain heavy metals. Engineered solutions like a dust control polymer sealing result in dust suppression that is non-toxic, non-corrosive, and non-bio accumulative, reducing environmental harm.

Industries that can make use of dust control technology

Road construction is not the only application that benefits from the use of dust suppression systems. Dust control is applicable in a wide variety of industries, such as:

Mining

As mining firms must work within stringent environmental and health regulations, there is a critical requirement to protect workers' health and safety while maintaining the bottom line.

And with various sources of dust making mining a hazardous work environment, dust collection and suppression solutions work hard to strip airborne dust from becoming a health and safety issue.

The use of dust suppression on haul, service, and access roads make processing and transport a safe and efficient process.

Oil & Gas

Creating a clean work environment is a priority for all oil & gas companies. Dust and soil erosion control in vital focal points like hardstand areas ensures the required facilities can be built with an environmentally friendly solution at a cost-effective price.

Using soil stabilization products and dust control technology, oil and gas companies can address dust-related health concerns and maintain regulatory compliance. Dust suppression products play an essential role in maintaining road access, addressing environmental and maintenance concerns.

Military

Rapid deployment of military forces can mean little to no ground preparation time. This presents some significant dust control challenges such as visibility issues, increased maintenance costs due to dust, and health and safety concerns.

Dust suppression can address these areas of vulnerability, transforming unpaved landing sites and runways into dust-free zones. Military camps and bases can also use dust control products to weigh down dust particles and prevent them from becoming a visibility and health issue.

Conclusion

In remote regions in Australia and several industries, the surrounding air quality can be quickly compromised by dust particles. Uncontrolled dust brings some severe hidden costs, creating some serious environmental, economic, and health concerns.

To avoid the effects of dust, such as diminished air quality and poor visibility, effective management of soil and earth is necessary. By dramatically improving the containment of dust, enormous cost savings and environmental and health benefits can be realized.

AUTHOR BIO

Troy Adams is the Managing Director of Global Road Technology, an international engineering technology company in Australia that specialises in engineered solutions for dust suppression, erosion control, soil stabilisation and water management. A pioneering, socially conscious Australian entrepreneur, Troy is passionate about safer, healthier and more cost-effective solutions in the mining and infrastructure sectors and beyond.