New concepts for control of fugitive particle emissions from unpaved roads

Abstract

An analysis of the forces that produce emissions from unpaved roads shows that if fine material can be reduced or moisture increased, emissions will be reduced. Instead of collecting emissions, this new approach would decrease the emissions by reducing the fine material or by making minor increases in the moisture content of the road. In either case, a stable, rot-resistant, water-permeable fabric would be used to separate road ballast from the subsoil. Preliminary evaluation and economic analysis indicate that roads constructed in this way can be cheaper than conventional unpaved roads when subsoil load-bearing characteristics are poor. The paper describes the theoretical analysis, preliminary results, and economics of the idea.