If you run a construction, civil, or mining company, you understand that road maintenance is one of the most challenging tasks. Vehicles that often use unpaved roads are more susceptible to sustaining damage. Hence, it is imperative to maintain the roads at the construction site in good condition to save on potentially expensive repair costs. Implementing dust control and road maintenance will help in protecting your fleet. It will also increase the site’s efficiency.
Dust control systems are beneficial on unsealed roads because your trucks will have an easier time getting to the destinations. These techniques also ensure that your fleet is not contributing to dust production at the worksite. You can look up the website of IQIP since they specialize in sustainable practices in different industries, including the construction industry. Here are some of these strategies.
1. Reduce the traffic
When vehicles use an unpaved road, they stir up dirt. Hence, high traffic on these roads will inadvertently increase the level of dust production. Similarly, when traffic is lower is reduced, the dust production also goes down. You could quickly achieve this by imposing a fleet limit, as well as a weight limit.
2. Lower speed limits
The higher the speed of your vehicles, the more dust is stirred up, increasing dust production. Once you put up signs and enforce speed limits, you’ll be able to reduce dust production significantly. Putting up bumps and good drainage channels along the road is also effective for slowing down the vehicles. The neighboring community has to agree with you for any of these limits to come into effect.
Good drainage channels play a crucial role in reducing dust. They ensure that once it rains, water drains efficiently. This prevents it from stagnating on the road, causing accumulation of displaced soil along the sides of the road. Moreover, with poor drainage, there are higher chances of getting potholes once the water dries up.
3. Reducing the exposed ground
There is a much lower dust production when there’s the vegetation on the ground as very little dust is blown up. Any dirt parking lot or footpath is a source of dust. Therefore, there is increased dust production when there are more people at the construction site. An effective way of lowering it is to ensure that natural vegetation is retained on the site as much as possible. Moreover, ensure that your trucks are only driven along the designated trails. Apart from the shrubbery reducing dust production, the plant roots will also hold these soil particles together in place.
4. Slowing down the wind
Windbreaks act as practical barriers by breaking the forward wind movement and redirecting this wind. Therefore, you can use them to slow down the dust production on your site. Windbreaks do so without generating excessive wind eddies. The redirected onshore and offshore wind can be used to generate power. This will be profitable for your business even after the construction is complete.
Some examples of windbreaks that will slow down the wind are snow fences. To get the best out of your purchases, ensure that your windbreaks are designed for specific directions.
These four tips are among the most effective in managing and reducing dust at worksites. Each technique comes with a different cost variation. Hence you can go with one that falls within your budget.
