Is dust from your dirt or gravel roads making it hard to enjoy the outdoors? Are you tired of vehicles getting dusty and malfunctioning from excessive dust? Is dust posing safety concerns for workers at your construction site? Dust is not only annoying, but it can also pose health concerns. The most popular dust-producing locations that benefit from dust control include quarries, construction sites, solar farms, dirt roads, gravel roads, and baseball fields. Read more to learn about Calcium Chloride and Magnesium Chloride dust control products for gravel roads and all other dust-producing areas below.
How Does Dust Form?
Dust forms when loose soil and dirt particles escape the ground surface and fly into the air. This typically happens in dry conditions where gravel and dirt is not secured to the ground. Excessive dust can be dangerous for a number of reasons. Dust in the air reduces visibility and can make both driving and walking conditions unsafe. If dust is present at a construction site, this could make operating heavy machinery hazardous and lead to greater accidents. Dust can also get in people’s eyes and throats, causing irritation. Dust in the lungs can cause excessive coughing and pose other health risks. Additionally, dust can cause structural damage to property and enter the small cracks in machinery causing dangerous malfunctions. Luckily, there is a simple solution to eliminate these risks caused by loose soil and dirt particles escaping into the air.
Dust Control for Gravel Roads: Products from SISCU
The best way to treat excessive dust is with chloride products such as Calcium Chloride and Magnesium Chloride, offered at SISCU. Both products are very similar in nature, but depending on your pavement conditions and surroundings, one product may be the better option for your dust control. Make sure to consult a professional dust control company such as Rasevic in order to choose the right product for your job.
Calcium Chloride
Calcium Chloride is considered the most effective dust control product due to its high chloride concentrations. Calcium Chloride is a hygroscopic salt that is able to absorb moisture from the air to keep ground surfaces damp. This process traps dust particles from gravel or dirt roads because any loose soil cannot escape the damp surface. Calcium Chloride dust control requires the least amount of product to achieve the same results, and one application of Calcium Chloride can keep road surfaces damp for extended periods of time, no matter what the weather conditions look like. Unlike water treatments, Calcium Chloride does not evaporate in the same way.
Magnesium Chloride
Magnesium Chloride is another hygroscopic salt that keeps road surfaces damp and prevents excessive dust by absorbing moisture from the air. Magnesium Chloride products are slightly less concentrated, meaning slightly more product may be required to achieve the same dust prevention results as Calcium Chloride. With this being said, Magnesium Chloride is the more environmentally friendly dust control product option. Magnesium Chloride has been shown to be safer for people, plants, and animals, and is less irritating to the skin. If your dirt or gravel roads are next to lots of plant life or receive frequent animal traffic, you may want to consider a Magnesium Chloride product to prevent excessive dust without endangering the health of other living things.
How to Apply Chloride Dust Control Products
The best way to apply dust control chloride products such as Calcium Chloride and Magnesium Chloride is with a large sprayer or spreader truck and a professional dust control crew. A dust control company will be able to apply the product evenly without the possibility of excess waste, which will save you both time and money. Smaller areas could also be treated with a manual handheld spreader. This equipment ensures that no part of your dirt or gravel road will be left untreated, and also minimizes run-off or waste. If you have a spreader that is typically used for fertilizer in the warmer months, it can be repurposed to apply dust control products. If you do not have access to a professional dust control service or equipment, it is advised to use Magnesium Chloride products over Calcium Chloride, because they are less irritating to the skin. Ensure that you have the proper protective gear and try to spread the product as evenly as possible while avoiding grass and unwanted areas.
Alternative Dust Control for Gravel Roads
If you find yourself in a situation that requires immediate dust control attention but you do not have access to chloride products, there are some “natural” ways to reduce dust production on dirt or gravel roads. One alternative method of dust control is to continuously apply water to the dust-producing area. Water acts similar to chloride products and keeps the surface damp to prevent dust particles from escaping into the air. Water, however, evaporates quickly and requires frequent treatments. This, in turn, requires a large water truck and the crew to operate the machinery. In the end, this method could prove just as costly as applying chloride products and is less effective and efficient. Another way to reduce dust production on dirt and gravel roads is to reduce vehicle traffic and speed. If you are able to reduce the speed limit on your gravel road, the slower vehicle movements could lessen dust production. Additionally, having less cars on your dirt roads also minimizes dust production, as there is less movement to kick up dust. These options are typically not very practical, as dirt and dust roads operate as essential travel routes for many. These alternative treatments should be seen as temporary solutions with chloride application being a great long-term fix.
Dust Control for Gravel Roads with Calcium Chloride and Magnesium Chloride at SISCU
SISCU offers the best high-quality dust control chloride products to help you minimize annoying and hazardous dust hindrances. Find all the varieties of Calcium Chloride and Magnesium Chloride that you could need here. Fill out the form below to get a quote for your first dust control order and start taking back your dirt and gravel roads!