Evaluation of SFDR Stabilizing Products

Status: Complete
Report Date: 01/30/2023

Summary:

Beltrami and Hubbard counties planned separate rehabilitation projects on a road located in both counties. In the pavement process, they used different stabilizers to strengthen the road base under the asphalt. These projects presented a unique opportunity to compare two stabilizers: engineered emulsion in Beltrami County and Base One in Hubbard County. Reviewing pavement designs, costs and performance, researchers determined that both products met the counties’ expectations for pavement strength. While the engineered emulsion was significantly more expensive per mile, it did perform better after one year, resulting in less cracking from low temperatures. The engineered emulsion requires an extra step of designing the specific mix for the road and different equipment for its application. County engineers will monitor the asphalt conditions over the next several years. Both products give counties options to choose from based on the average road traffic and resources available.

Project Personnel:

Principal Investigator: Michael Marti

Co-Principal Investigator: Daniel Wegman

Technical Liaison: Bruce Hasbargen

Project Coordinator: Marcus Bekele

Panel Members:
Jed Nordin - Hubbard County Highway Department
Jim Foldesi - St. Louis County Public Works
John Brunkhorst - Stonebrooke Engineering
Kaye Bieniek - Olmsted County Public Works
Steven Bot - City of St. Michael

Final Deliverables:

Evaluation of SFDR Stabilizing Products (Report #2022-06)
Comparing Additives Used in Stabilized Full-Depth Reclamation (Research Summary)