Manual On Gravel Roads

PREFACE
This document is one of several produced by the Local Highway Technical Assistance
Council, (LHTAC) in an attempt to assist the Local Highway Jurisdictions in managing
the local roads system. It is the intent that the document be applicable to City, County
and Highway District Jurisdictions equally regardless of size. It is hoped that the Local
Highway Jurisdictions will utilize this manual to help, on a statewide basis, to better
maintain gravel roads, through construction best practices, proper drainage,
adequate surface gravel and stabilization to reduce the amount of dust in our air. More
pressure begins to come to bear as the state becomes more urban and people feel the
need for clean air and better driving surfaces. If you already have a gravel road
maintenance and dust abatement program within your jurisdiction, please continue to
use that which you feel is the most appropriate. This manual is for your assistance in
developing a program or to modify your current program.
LHTAC welcomes comments, questions, and suggestions concerning this manual.
LHTAC
3330 Grace Street
Boise, Idaho 83703
You can view or download this manual on our website www.lhtac.org.

FORWARD
This document has been prepared by the Local Highway Technical Assistance Council,
(LHTAC) staff with assistance from numerous publications and experiences. LHTAC
would like to specifically thank Mr. Peter Bolander, Pavement Engineer for the Pacific
Northwest Region of the United States Forest Service, Department of Agriculture. Mr.
Bolander’s “Dust Palliative Selection and Application Guide” was invaluable in helping
with the various tables and material information included in this manual.
In addition, we want to especially thank Mr. Jeff Dobson owner of Roadwise in Tacoma,
Washington. Mr. Dobson has participated within the state, helping to train the Local
Highway Jurisdictions’ personnel in the use of dust abatement materials and developing
the cost evaluation forms utilized in this manual.
LHTAC offers our special thanks to both of these gentlemen for their important input to
this document
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE
FORWARD
1 Gravel Road Maintenance

1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 1
1.2 Proper Equipment and Operation ........................................................... 2
1.3 Roadway Crown ..................................................................................... 3
1.4 Roadway Shoulder and Reshaping ....................................................... 5
1.5 Gravel Road Rehabilitation ..................................................................... 6
1.6 Corrugations “Washboards” ................................................................... 7
1.7 Evaluating Route Requests - 129,000-Pound Trucking .......................... 7
2 Drainage
2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 9
2.2 Ditches.................................................................................................... 9
2.3 Culverts and Small Bridge ...................................................................... 10
2.4 Drains ..................................................................................................... 14
3 Surface Gavel
3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 15
3.2 “Good” Gravel ......................................................................................... 15
3.3 Crushed Stone and Recycled Asphalt .................................................... 15
3.4 Material Testing ...................................................................................... 16
3.5 Securing “Good” Gravel .......................................................................... 17
3.6 Stockpiling Material ................................................................................ 18
3.7 Surface and Base Preparation................................................................ 18
3.8 Hauling and Spreading ........................................................................... 18
4 Dust Abatement
4.1 Why Worry about Managing Dust ........................................................... 20
4.2 How do we Pay for it ............................................................................... 20
4.3 Tort Liability ............................................................................................ 21
4.4 Deciding When To Use Dust Abatement ................................................ 22
A. Cost of Lost Material Verses Cost to Treat the Roadway …….…. 22
B. Other Cost Considerations ……………………………………..….. 30
4.5 What Material to Use…………………………………………………...….. 31
A. Dust Palliative Basics ……………………………………………..... 31
B. Suppressant Selection Tips ………………………………….…..... 32
C. Suppressant Application Tips …………………………………….... 32
D. General Application Tips …………………………………………..... 39
E. Water Application Tips ……………………………………………..... 40
F. Chloride Application Tips …………………………………………...... 40
G. Petroleum Application Tips ………………………………………… 40
H. Organic Non-Petroleum Application Tips ………………………… 40
I. Electro-Chemical Application Tips …………………………............. 40
J. Polymer Application Tips ……………………………..….…............. 40
K. Clay Additive Application Tips …………………………..…............. 40
L. Environmental Impacts …………………………………..…............. 41
SUMMARY…………………………………..….......................................................... 43
REFRENCES…………………………………..…....................................................... 44
Figures and Tables

Figure 1: Example cross-section for a typical gravel road........................................................................................... 1
Figure 2: Gravel road with poor crown and cross-slope, flat shoulders and inadequate drainage............................... 4
Figure 3: Well established gravel road with proper crown, shoulders and drainage.................................................... 5
Figure 4: NIATT guide cover and Gravel Road Assessment Flowchart....................................................................... 8
Figure 5: Gravel road lacking adequate roadside ditch................................................................................................ 9
Figure 6: Example of proper culvert placement beneath a gravel roadway................................................................. 11
Figure 7: Clogged culvert and unmaintained riprap..................................................................................................... 11
Figure 8: Small bridge structure (span less than 20’) on local gravel road.................................................................. 12
Figure 9: Example Small Structure Inventory Map for Prairie Highway District........................................................... 13
Figure 10: Recently constructed bridge (Greater than 20’ Span) ............................................................................... 13
Figure 11: Gradation table for aggregate material ...................................................................................................... 17
Table 1: Minimum ADT for dust suppressants……………………………..................................................................... 23

Table 2: Case study cost comparison of treated vs. untreated roads ......................................................................... 29
Table 3: Road Dust Suppressants ...............................................................................................................................33
Table 4: Product Selection Chart..................................................................................................................................38
SECTION 1: GRAVEL ROAD MAINTENANCE
1.1 INTRODUCTION
The State of Idaho has almost 28,000 miles of local roads, those not part
of the Federal or State highway or interstate system. About 12,000
centerline miles of those roads are paved, leaving almost 16,000 miles of
our local road network either unpaved, consisting of dirt, gravel, or a
treated gravel surface. Many of these roads will remain gravel far into the
future, as the explosive growth within the State remains in the urban
centers. Our local highway jurisdictions are responsible for maintaining
this network, with limited resources in many rural environments.
Understanding the needs of your roadway system, and improving your
gravel road maintenance strategy will allow you to better spend those
valuable tax dollars.
Gravel road maintenance starts with basic roadway geometry;

development and maintenance of an adequate roadway crown, a shoulder
to direct runoff away from the travelled road surface, and a ditch to
ultimately convey runoff away from the roadway section. Many of our
gravel roads in Idaho were not constructed in this manner, having been
derived from wagon train trails, abandoned railroad lines or roughed in
accesses for mining and logging. Our local highway jurisdictions have
developed and improved these narrow and difficult trails into traversable
roadways for modern day automobile and truck traffic.
Figure 1: Example cross-section for a typical gravel road
Gravel roads require significantly more routine maintenance than paved

roads. Changes in seasons, weather, and traffic can all significantly
impact the condition and shape of a gravel roadway. Wet and snowy
weather can lead to puddles, rutting, runoff and freeze-thaw conditions
which can impact the roadway surface, shoulders, ditches, and subgrade.
Dry weather can also lead to material loss in the form of dust and gravel
displacement from heavy traffic. All of these conditions can lead to
distress and ultimately failure of the roadway. This manual will assist road
superintendents and equipment operators in the overall management of
their gravel roadway networks.
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1.2 PROPER EQUIPMENT AND OPERATION
The primary tool in gravel road maintenance is the road grader or

motorgrader. This is a very versatile tool both in shaping of the roadway
crown, but also in shouldering, material recovery, and clearing of roadside
ditches. This section will discuss proper equipment operation, including
maintaining appropriate speed, articulation of the moldboard or “blade” as
it is commonly known, stability of the machine, and articulation.
Speed is the enemy of an equipment operator in gravel road maintenance.

Too fast and the grader will bounce, cutting gouges in the road surface
and subsequently leaving behind material to form ridges. This leads to an
uneven travel surface, which will reduce the lifespan of the last
maintenance treatment of your roadway, driving up operating costs and
complaints from the motoring public. Operating speeds of no greater than
3 to 5 miles per hour are recommended to achieve optimal stability of your
equipment.
The moldboard directs where the aggregate and fine material of your
roadway will go. There are two components to moldboard operation: the
moldboard angle, what direction the blade is positioned and the
moldboard pitch, the tilt of the blade. The moldboard angle may be set in a
fixed position on older graders, or adjustable on newer models. The
primary angle for proper aggregate spread and recovery from the shoulder
is between 30 and 45 degrees. A lower angle will cause your aggregate to
fall off the primary road surface to the shoulder or into the ditch. A higher
angle will reduce the overall spread of aggregate across your moldboard,
leading to an uneven finished wearing surface on the roadway.
The second component to adequate moldboard operation is the pitch or

tilt. Having the pitch too far forward will only slightly drag the surface of the
roadway, and not allow for adequate mixing of the aggregate and fine
material to maintain a good road surface. If the moldboard pitch is too far
back, your material will begin to build up in front of the blade and not roll
forward and follow the angle set to discharge off the end of the moldboard.
The intention is to pick up the loose material that has been cast to the
shoulder of the roadway from traffic, and move it back up onto the
roadway surface to fill in any potholes or uneven surfaces along with
mixing the material so it binds together and stays in place.
It is also important to know the difference between the heel and toe of the
moldboard. Much like a human foot, the heel of the moldboard is the
trailing “back” edge of the blade, with the toe being the leading “front”
edge. The toe will direct material displaced to the edge of the roadway and
move it back toward the heel to be spread evenly across the surface.
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Once you have the attributes of your moldboard under control, you can
move on to the stability of your grader. A grader pivots “articulates” near
the center of the machine, allowing for more control of the moldboard and
a longer “reach”. This manual won’t go into all of the details of articulation,
but here are a few tips.
If your grader feels as though it is rocking back and forth, this may be due
to matching angles of the moldboard and rear axles. Adjusting the angle of
the moldboard can counteract this effect. As discussed above, if your
machine feels as though it is jumping up and down, you may need to
reduce speed to achieve better control. More modern graders come with
frame articulation. This allows the operator greater stability and a longer
reach with their moldboard. Frame articulation is effective for ditch clearing
and shouldering to clear debris and recover material.
1.3 ROADWAY CROWN
The most important element to gravel road construction and maintenance

is having a proper crown to your roadway. The desired crown can vary
dramatically across the State of Idaho due to different climates and
infiltration rate of the surrounding soils. A rule of thumb is approximately ½
inch of crown per foot of roadway width, which works out to a 4% cross-
slope. It is important not to fall too far above (greater than 6%) or below
(less than 2%) this recommendation. A flatter cross-slope will lead to poor
drainage, water pooling and surface rutting. A steep cross-slope can
encourage vehicles to leave the roadway, creating a serious safety
concern. In the figure below, we see several failures due to inadequate
roadway crown, minimal shoulder slope as well to promote drainage to the
sides of the roadway.
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Figure 2: Gravel road with poor crown and cross-slope, flat shoulders and inadequate drainage
As you can see from the wheelpaths, users are inadvertently widening the
road and further damaging the shoulder to avoid the soft saturated areas.
The ideal road crown would be uniform in shape, from the shoulder to the
peak at the center of the road. Over time, a road crown can become
parabolic, or more curved with a flat spot in the center. This typically
occurs due to excessive road wear from traffic, lack of maintenance, width
restrictions or the type of material composition of the roadway. Another
contributing factor can be equipment maintenance, more specifically
wearing of the moldboard. Over time, the factors mentioned above can
take their toll on a blade, leading to premature wear toward the heel edge.
This can be remedied by either reinforcing the moldboard or cutting off
uneven wear areas with a torch.
Maintaining a consistent crown can be one of the most difficult elements to

control. A crown gauge can be added to the cab of the grader to assist the
operator in controlling roadway crown, and more modern graders may
include electronic slope controls. Handheld “smart” levels can also be a
great inexpensive tool to check cross-slope from time to time.
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Figure 3: Well established gravel road with proper crown, shoulders and drainage
1.4 ROADWAY SHOULDER AND RESHAPING
The shoulder of a roadway can vary dramatically in width due to

environmental constraints (i.e. rock outcroppings, trees, steep slopes) or
manmade obstructions such as signs, fences, etc. A shoulder provides a
safe refuge for drivers who may lose control of their vehicle, need
additional room to pass, or are dealing with a vehicle breakdown. The
shoulder is also an important component of drainage, directing water away
from the roadway surface and toward the roadside ditch.
The shoulder should meet the edge of the lane at the same shape as the
roadway to provide stability and support. It should also not be too steep or
flat, as this may not only be a safety concern but could impede or
accelerate drainage from your roadway.
A high shoulder or no shoulder at all may contain runoff on the roadway,

causing pooling or erosion. Pooling of water will ultimately soften the
entire subgrade leading to additional damage to your roadway. Erosion
will move material from your roadway and shoulder and deposit it into your
ditch, drainage pipes or completely away from your roadway where it is
unrecoverable. A high shoulder may develop for many reasons, improper
maintenance, cutting too deep with the moldboard or rolling material off
the toe. Heavy loaded trucks on weak subgrade can cause rutting and
ultimately shove material to the edge of your roadway, or heavy traffic can
move loose aggregate and fine material to the shoulder as well. Winter
maintenance can also lead to road material being moved to the shoulders
by plowing or heavy sanding.
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This material should not be considered lost, a good operator can recover
this material and spread it back across the roadway. Caution should be
used to ensure contaminated and unsuitable material is not spread back
across the roadway. Where practicable, this material should be cut from
the shoulder and/or ditch, loaded and hauled away. Proper maintenance
and surveillance of your road network prior to, during, and after storms
can help pinpoint problem areas.
More significant shoulder issues may require reshaping and compacting

the surface. This work can primarily be completed with your grader, and
the help of a roller for compaction. The grader can help cut and reshape
the shoulder and roadway, work best completed in Spring with minimal
roadside vegetation. Natural moisture is also available in the road
material, reducing the need and cost associated with hauling and
distributing water. Some supplemental gravel may be necessary to fill in
low areas, or offset lost material achieve an optimum product. Once you
have bladed the shoulder and roadway, a roller can follow close behind to
compact this loose material to better maintain the new shape of the
shoulder. Rubber tire rollers are typically used for gravel roadway
compaction, and in some instances these can be mounted to the back of
your grader to reduce operation and equipment costs.
1.5 GRAVEL ROAD REHABILITATION
Blading, shouldering, and adding gravel are considered routine

maintenance activities for a gravel road. However, over time routine
maintenance may not be the answer, and a more significant investment in
your infrastructure may be necessary in the form of rehabilitation.
Your roadway may encounter serious damage from winter travel and
maintenance, a major storm event, or significant loading from heavy
vehicles. In these instances, a major repair or reshaping of the roadway
may be necessary to reconstruct the optimal roadway structure and
shape.
Smaller local highway jurisdictions may have limited equipment and

budgets to handle these situations. Luckily, most rehabilitation efforts can
be handled “in-house” with the proper equipment and materials. In most
instances, a grader, loader, dump truck and loader are all that is
necessary for significant rehabilitation. Many rehabilitations can take the
form of shoulder shaping as described above, with more attention focused
on reshaping of the roadway itself. This will likely involve a full reshaping
of the cross-section, but do not require engineered plans or field survey.
An experienced operator and strong roadway superintendent should have
the skill and knowledge to accomplish the task. In the case of a larger
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emergency or disaster declaration, LHTAC may be able to provide
assistance to the local highway jurisdictions.
1.6 CORRUGATIONS “WASHBOARDS”
Almost anyone who has ever traveled a gravel road will complain about
“washboards”, and inevitably blame the grader operator. In reality, very
few instances of poor grader operation will lead to corrugations beyond
excess grader speed and poor roadway crown.
Corrugations are formed primarily by the traveling public, either by

excessive acceleration or braking, or driving at high speeds can also
promote washboarding. Dry weather and a lack of moisture in the roadway
material can also lead to washboards. The composition of the gravel
surface is slowly broken down, with the aggregate and the fine material
breaking their bond allowing the fines to float to the surface. This fine
material can align itself with the washboard further increasing the problem.
Beyond grader operation and vehicle traffic, poor gravel material on the
roadway may also be a contributing factor to corrugation. A proper
combination of aggregate, sand and fines is necessary to achieve a bond
and strong travel surface.
The final cause of corrugation is poor drainage, more specifically a lack of

crown in the roadway. Water is the enemy of a gravel road with poor
drainage, it pools in flat or low areas and quickly erodes the road surface
creating potholes as traffic is applied. The longer the roadway is allowed
to remain in this condition, the potholes and corrugations will deepen. It is
imperative for maintenance to keep the roadway material mixed to prevent
this from occurring. Ideally, while moisture is present in the roadway after
a storm event, it is worthwhile to rework these trouble spots to prevent
future corrugations.
1.7 EVALUATING ROUTE REQUESTS - 129,000-POUND TRUCKING
LHTAC recently teamed up with the University of Idaho and the National
Institute for Advanced Transportation Technology to develop a guide for
local highway jurisdictions to evaluate routes for trucks weighing up to
129,000 pounds. The guide is available on LHTAC’s website at this link:
https://lhtac.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/NIATT-Route-
Request-Guideprint.pdf.
7
Figure 4: NIATT guide cover and Gravel Road Assessment Flowchart (Source: Guide to Assist Local
Highway Jurisdictions in Evaluating Route Requests for Trucks Up to 129,000-Pounds)
The guide was established based upon legislation passed in 2013

increasing allowable truck loads from 105,000 to 129,000-pounds GVW.
Section 3: Pavement and Gravel Roads in this guide includes specific
information and procedures to assess your gravel roads to safely carry
these heavier loads. The flowchart in the image above provides steps to
assess your roadway. You will notice the primary concerns are crown and
shoulder, topics previously covered in this manual. LHTAC staff are
available to assist with questions associated with this manual and your
route requests.
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SECTION 2: DRAINAGE
2.1 INTRODUCTION
It can’t be said enough, proper drainage is the cornerstone to longevity

and reduced maintenance for gravel roads. Anytime water is allowed to
collect on or adjacent to a gravel roadway, the result will be frustration for
the superintendent and maintenance operators of your local road network.
This manual previously discussed maintaining a good crown, cross-slope
and shoulders. This section will continue to elaborate on drainage:
ditches, culverts, small bridges, and drains.
2.2 DITCHES
Every roadway needs a place for water to travel, preferably as quickly

from the surface as possible. A well established and maintained ditch will
compliment your shouldering and crown work, and dramatically reduce
your long-term maintenance and road repair costs. In the example below,
the shoulder is far too flat and a proper ditch has not been established
leading to erosion of the roadway shoulder.
Figure 5: Gravel road lacking adequate roadside ditch
Ditches can come in many shapes, sizes and forms. The most common
are the v-ditch and the flat-bottomed ditch. A v-ditch is as the name
implies, a v-shape cut along the edge of the shoulder to contain and direct
9
water along the roadside. These ditches are commonly cut along hillsides
and perform best in areas with vegetation to reduce erosion.
A flat-bottomed ditch is preferred in locations where soils are susceptible

to high erosion. Check dams, typically made of rock, may be necessary to
slow down water flow. Seeding and other erosion control measures should
be used following ditch reshaping to ensure longevity and good operation.
Ditch maintenance is recommended prior to the wet season to keep

ditches clean and clear of debris and restore proper drainage channels. A
grader should be sufficient for this operation in most instances. Rarely, an
excavator, loader and dump truck may be necessary to clear a more
significant obstruction.
2.3 CULVERTS AND SMALL BRIDGES
A compliment to a well-established ditch is a culvert or small bridge to help

convey runoff away from your roadway. Culverts are a critical component
of your gravel road to ensure water can follow its natural course under,
and not through your roadway. Proper maintenance and cleaning of these
assets is essential to your operation. At a minimum, an annual inspection
and cleaning to remove obstructions and verify proper flow is necessary to
extend the lifespan of each of these structures. A backhoe, water truck
with a jet attachment, and a pump are recommended equipment.
New culvert installations should always be placed at the flow line of the
ditch to promote excellent drainage. Culverts or small structures should
cross your roadway at the natural low point and follow traditional drainage
paths. These pipes and structures need to be sized to appropriately
convey runoff and prevent overtopping of your road leading to erosion.
When installing a new culvert, there are several items to pay close
attention to. After excavation of the channel for the new pipe or structure,
adequate bedding material (typically gravel) needs to be placed and the
grade or slope verified for proper drainage. The pipe or structure can then
be set in place and backfilled in lifts of similar material to your pipe
bedding. This material should continue over the top of the structure at a
minimum of 1 foot depth or half of the diameter of the structure, whichever
is greater. It is very important to include adequate cover to prevent
crushing. The figure below demonstrates the proper installation of a new
culvert.
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Figure 6: Example of proper culvert placement beneath a gravel roadway
Riprap should be placed at the outfall to prevent erosion of the bank,

shoulder, and ultimately the roadway. Keep in mind that riprap may need
infrequent maintenance and cleaning as well. This maintenance can be
completed with the same equipment described above. See image below
for an example of unmaintained riprap and culvert.
Figure 7: Clogged culvert and unmaintained riprap
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Figure 8: Small bridge structure (span less tn 20’) on local gravel road
LHTAC recently completed a comprehensive inventory of all local small

bridges, those with spans between 10-20 feet in length (see example in
Figure 8). This inventory is available on LHTAC’s website in graphic form
(http://gis.lhtac.org/small_structure/). Specific inventory reports and maps
have been prepared for each local highway jurisdiction in the State, see
example in Figure 8.
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Figure 9: Example Small Structure Inventory Map for Prairie Highway District, (Source: LHTAC)
ITD manages the inventory and inspection of all larger bridges, greater
than 20 feet in length including condition assessment records. LHTAC
also has a graphic representation of these structures and associated
information on their website as well ( http://gis.lhtac.org/bridges/).
Figure 10: Recently constructed bridge (Greater than 20’ Span) KN13419: Westside Rd; Trout Creek
Bridge Boundary County, ID
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2.4 DRAINS
Many local roads are constructed over natural springs or wetland areas,
as it is not always feasible to route a road around these features. In these
instances, a geotextile fabric or underdrain system may be necessary to
separate these zones and help convey water out of the subgrade.
Typically, perforated pipe is used, placed in a bed of suitable drain rock
and the pipe wrapped in a geotextile fabric to prevent fine material from
clogging the system over time. Overall, this method is highly successful in
reducing saturated subgrade in roadways and can be installed by your
local maintenance crews.
This type of system may not perform well if the adjacent roadside ditches
have standing water or tend to backup in a storm event. In this case, a
more significant system may need to be designed and constructed.
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SECTION 3: SURFACE GRAVEL
3.1 INTRODUCTION
The State of Idaho is considered by many to be one large rock. This

provides our local highway jurisdictions with plentiful sources of material to
construct their roadways. In some instances, reclaimed materials such as
recycled asphalt may be available as a source for aggregate. This section
of the manual will discuss some common sources of gravel material, and
what constitutes “good” gravel.
3.2 “GOOD” GRAVEL
A quality surface gravel material can make or break a good gravel road. A
strong surface gravel material will consist of the right mixture of crushed
aggregate stone, sand, and fines. The aggregate provides strength,
supporting the heavy loads on your roadway. The sand will fill in the
spaces, or voids, between the aggregate and helps stabilize. Finally, a fine
material, typically a clay acts as the binder or glue to hold the matrix
together. When the appropriate amount of moisture is applied to this
combination, along with compaction, your road surface can closely mirror
that of a paved road. This combination is essential to develop the strong
bond necessary to create a long-lasting wear surface.
3.3 CRUSHED STONE & RECYCLED ASPHALT
In rare instances, a material source may be able to provide a gravel

without performing some type of processing, either screening or crushing.
Crushing is very common in gravel processing; it allows the material
supplier control over the size and type of material they produce. It
provides a great benefit to the purchaser as well, a guarantee of a uniform
product and fractured stones. Fractured aggregate and fractured faces,
the side of the stone where the fracture occurs, provide a much higher
resistance to slipping and movement. This increases the stability of the
aggregate in your gravel mixture, as these stones are less likely to move
around under loads from automobiles and heavy truck traffic.
Another common material found in may quarries is recycled asphalt.

Asphalt that has aged and is need of replacement is commonly milled or
crushed and hauled away. This material can be recycled either as an
additive to new asphalt pavement, or reclaimed as aggregate for gravel
mixtures. The aggregate is almost always a fractured material and will
contain oxidized asphalt which when exposed to heat can help act as a
supplemental binder to your fines. It is recommended to mix this material
with new surface gravel, in a blend anywhere from 30-60% for optimal
performance.
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3.4 MATERIAL TESTING
Enough can’t be said about using a quality material in surfacing your

gravel roads. Many roadway test sections and studies have been
performed to analyze the impacts of poorly graded material in place of
“good” gravel. These studies have shown a dramatic decrease in overall
maintenance costs and lost aggregate, well offsetting the additional cost
per yard or ton of this “good” material. While there is a cost associated to
material testing, a significant investment is being made in procuring a
large quantity of material. This small cost of testing will far outweigh the
overall benefit of a higher quality product for the local highway jurisdiction.
The quality of the surface gravel material can be determined by collecting

a sample in the field and conducting testing in a qualified material’s testing
laboratory. Sampling should be conducted by staff of the same company
providing the laboratory services. There are specific procedures involved
in sampling, far beyond a shovel of material thrown into a bucket. An
argument will be made by your material supplier if the test results return a
failure and the sampling method is questionable. There are many
variables associated with laboratory testing, it is imperative to remove as
many unforeseen variables to prevent controversy later on.
Once a sample has been taken, it is submitted to the laboratory for testing.
The laboratory will conduct a sieve analysis, basically a stack of screens
the sample is poured through and vibrated or shaken. This test will
determine the amount of course material that is retained or stays on the
individual screens, known as percent retained, and the fine material which
will pass all the way through to a pan at the bottom, known as percent
passing. This information is collected and summarized by the material
tester into a report, which is provided to the agency requesting the testing.
This level of quality control will ensure your material investment is secure,
and your material remains uniform. Below is an example from ITD’s
Standard Specifications of their gradation requirements for aggregate:
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Figure 11: Gradation table for aggregate material (Source: ITD Standard Specifications For Highway
Construction, 2018)
Pay special attention to the ¾ inch Type B column, this is a standard

material placed on many State highways and local roads immediately prior
to paving. As described above, a sieve analysis is performed and the
results must meet these requirements: The percent passing the ¾ inch
sieve is required to be between 90-100%. This means 90% or more of the
material is ¾” or smaller, and no greater than 1 inch as shown by 100%
passing the 1 inch sieve. On the other end, the smallest sieve is a No.
200. In the case of this same ¾ inch Type B material, the requirement is
3-9% passing. This is the fine material binder, usually a clay to assist in
developing that strong bond we desire. Also pay attention to the No. 4 &
No. 8 sieves, these screens range from approximately 0.1-0.2 inches. The
percent passing in these ranges are your sand material which will fill the
voids in your aggregate matrix, between 30-65%.
3.5 SECURING “GOOD” GRAVEL
Ultimately, there are two extremes you want to avoid; a road material
containing large aggregate and few fines, or a material primarily consisting
of fines with few aggregates. Either of these situations will lead to very
upset equipment operators and road superintendents. While large
aggregate would appear to be optimal for strength, it will lead to increased
maintenance costs for your equipment and a rough ride for the travelling
public. Too fine of material, and you will constantly blade the road and
never achieve a nice compacted surface. Use the information in this
manual to assist you in developing the specification to meet your local
needs.
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Depending on the size of your local highway jurisdiction, you may have
access to your own material sources or require the purchase of these
materials from a local supplier. A reputable supplier will conduct business
with many entities in your region, and should be able to supply you with
high quality material to meet your needs. Many will have material testing
results readily available, and in the case of your own source, contracting a
material testing firm is a simple process. Independent testing and
sampling is highly recommended in either scenario to ensure a quality
product.
3.6 STOCKPILING MATERIAL
You have gone through the process of testing, procuring and either
hauling or having delivered your material. Now how do you stockpile this
material to ensure it continues to meet your needs for the future?
Over time, wind, rain and snow can all affect the uniformity of your
material. Fine material can be carried away by the wind during dry
weather, or be washed to the bottom of your pile by rain and snowmelt.
Proper observation and loading of this material is essential to ensuring a
uniform product when delivered to your road surface. Stockpiles need to
be worked starting from the end and working across the face to mix the
fines piled at the bottom with the exposed aggregate on the face of the
pile. Loading material from different sections of the pile will keep the
variability to a minimum.
3.7 SURFACE AND BASE PREPARATION
Prior to delivering your “good” gravel to the site, some basic site
preparation should occur. Areas with poor drainage need to be addressed,
either clearing and grading of ditches, or the installation of new culverts
and drains. The surface of the existing road should be roughed up, also
known as “scarified” to help promote a good bond between the existing
and new material being placed and spread. The crown of the road may
need to be re-established, shoulders and ditches prepped and cleared,
and any undesirable material removed prior to introducing your new
gravel. These best practices will ensure the long-term investment in your
road both in material, and time and effort expended by your maintenance
crews.
3.8 HAULING AND SPREADING
The first question to ask prior to hauling any material to your worksite is
how much material do I need? This is often overlooked, or “eye-balled”
without much thought given to the time and expense associated with
hauling and placing material. A good rule of thumb with loose-material
18
loads, expect 25-30% of your volume to be reduced once spread and
compacted on your roadway. In the case of a typical 10-12 cubic yard
dump truck, you will realistically only end up with 7-8 cubic yards of
material in place. Use this same thought process when calculating your
stockpile needs. You don’t want to come up short or long, especially if you
are hauling long distance. Take the time to sit down and come up with a
detailed estimate of your material prior to setting out to tackle a project.
It's time to deliver the material to your site, and you want to reduce the
effort necessary for your grader to properly spread and distribute this
material. Take the time to evenly dump your load, you may not have
access to a loader to clean up or redistribute an errantly placed pile of
gravel. The grader needs to be able to create a windrow or berm of
material to be evenly spread across the road surface. In Section 1 we
discussed the proper moldboard operation of your grader. The heel-toe
working of this material alogn the moldboard ensures one final mixing to
achieve the desired matrix. The final in-place compacted thickness should
target a minimum depth of material equal to or greater than two times the
aggregate diameter, a similar process used in determining asphalt lift
thickness. Finally, don’t forget to add moisture as needed prior to final
spreading and compaction.
19
SECTION 4: DUST ABATEMENT
4.1 WHY WORRY ABOUT MANAGING DUST?
Dust is particulate matter which when created by automobiles traveling on

a local road it is actually road material that is being lost from the roadway
system. It is just a matter of time and traffic before the material will have
to be replaced and that relates directly to dollars.
Besides being a loss of revenue from our local road system, the
Department of Environmental Quality for the State of Idaho, in their Idaho
Administrative Procedures Act 58.01.01, Section 650-651 of the Rules for
Control of Air Pollution, “requires that all reasonable precautions be taken
to prevent the generation of fugitive dust”. This relates to dust being a
nuisance for the public, however, the existence of dust in the air not
bothering the public is still a loss of material from our road system.
In addition, Title 52-101, Idaho Code, addresses a nuisance issue. It

defines a nuisance in part as, “Anything which is injuring to health or
morals, or is indecent, or offensive to the senses, or an obstruction to the
free use of property, so as to interfere with the comfortable enjoyment of
life or property, …” Dust from an unpaved roadway could certainly be
considered a nuisance under this definition.
With these two issues to deal with, it seems sensible to manage the dust
from our roadway system in an economical and expedient manner.
For ease of definition of this manual, the terms; dust suppression, dust
abatement, dust palliative, and dust management all effectively mean the
same thing, in that we are trying to control the dust that is coming from
unpaved roads on the local highway system in Idaho. Dust palliatives or
suppressants are materials that are used to control the dust. Dust
abatement and dust management are merely procedures to utilize the
control measures dealing with dust.
4.2 HOW DO WE PAY FOR IT?
When we really get down to the bottom line of who pays for the service,
we only have one source of funds, and that comes from the taxpayers.
The money may come to us in various forms, and under various fund
sources, but those sources were all driven by our local taxpayers, and
those are the people we are trying to serve.
There are a number of ways the Local Highway Jurisdictions provide dust
abatement materials to our unpaved roads. They range from the
Jurisdictions’ using their general budget to provide the money for
20
purchasing the materials, to requiring the property owners to pay for the
material that is placed on the road. We suggest somewhere in between.
Several successful programs include requiring the property owner who

wants the road in front of their house treated, to provide one half of the
cost for the liquid material; (the type of material will be discussed later in
this manual). The Local Highway Jurisdiction will prepare the roadbed
and provide the other 50% for the chemical to be applied. In this particular
scenario, it is very important to get the property owner’s payment up front
before the work is done, so that you are assured participation in the
partnering program by the adjacent property owners.
If after a number of years of using this particular process, you feel

comfortable in a certain number of people paying on an annual basis,
without much objection, you could develop a billing process that would be
sent out on an annual basis.
You also might want to consider what to do in those cases where it would
be an extreme hardship for the property owner, particularly in a row of
houses, where one of the property owners could not afford to pay for the
material. The adjacent property owners might want to pay that share so
the roadway would be completely treated.
Before beginning a dust abatement program, you may be wise to

inventory your system, and send out a questionnaire asking who would be
interested in cost sharing for a dust abatement program. You may find
that you just have pockets of interest, and the areas could be addressed
for a small amount of the Jurisdiction’s budget. It is difficult to justify using
the general funds of a Local Highway Jurisdiction to do dust abatement,
because many of the residents in your Jurisdiction live on paved roads.
On a statewide basis, for instance, close to one half (1/2) of the roads on
the local highway system are surfaced in some manner. The remaining
15,700 miles are unsurfaced, either treated gravel, gravel or dirt. If you
live on a paved road, for example, you would not want to feel like you
were providing dust abatement for someone who lives on an unsurfaced
road.
4.3 TORT LIABILITY
The Idaho County Risk Management Program, (ICRMP) has a good

discussion of tort claims and the method for processing those claims on
their Web page at www.icrmp.com. Basically, a tort is a civil wrong that
results in damages or injuries. As a public entity, you fall under the Idaho
Tort Claims Act. This Act defines what needs to be done to file a claim
against a public entity. It also lists several protections for public entities in
the event of a claim.
21
If your Jurisdiction receives a tort claim for dust damages, it should be
immediately referred by your attorney to the ICRMP representative or your
insurance agent for your Local Highway Jurisdiction.
We know of no court cases that have resulted from dust on roads,

however adjacent property owners’ complaints due to dust from the
roadways are increasing at an alarming rate.
4.4 DECIDING WHEN TO USE DUST ABATEMENT
A. COST OF LOST MATERIAL VERSES COST TO TREAT THE

ROADWAY
Historically, the local elected officials have decided to use dust abatement
methods when the cry from the public became unbearable. Usually this
would mean shifting funds from another maintenance operation to buy
chemicals to complete the dust abatement. In some areas this is still the
case, however, many jurisdictions have decided to develop a dust
abatement policy.
There is, however, the economic side to deciding when to do dust

abatement. As mentioned previously, dust leaving your roadways is a
loss of surface material. Basically, it is a matter of time and traffic as to
when that material will have to be replaced. A simple comparison of the
cost for treating the surface with a stabilizer, against replacing the material
using new gravel can be made.
As a guide, a research project done at Colorado State University titled,

“Relative Effectiveness of Road Dust Suppressants” by T.G. Sanders, V.
Qaddo, A. Arimello and W.E. Heiden, measured the loss of fine materials
(dust) from a section of a gravel road using three (3) suppressants and an
untreated section. Depending on the cost of replacing the lost gravel, a
correlation can be made to indicate when treatment becomes cost
effective. The research produced the following table:
22
Minimum Average Daily Traffic (ADT) at which use of dust suppressants is
economically feasible.
Cost of Aggregate Lignosulfate Calcium Chloride Magnesium Chloride

Per Ton ADT ADT ADT
$5.00 232 225 180
$7.50 180 180 140
$11.57 130 130 100
$15.00 105 105 80
Table 1: Minimum ADT for dust suppressants
These numbers can be used as a threshold in deciding when to do a true

cost-benefit analysis for your jurisdiction using the following worksheets.
The following example calculates what the cost per mile is to maintain a
gravel road when we do not use some type of treatment but allow the dust
and surface material to leave the roadway.
The following format can be used to calculate the cost of additional

material on a one (1) mile section of road, 26 feet in width:
23
EXAMPLE
Cost Evaluations - Untreated Road
A. Cost per ton of road base at the pit X tons used per mile. It is assumed that
six (6) inches of material depth will be placed. Whichever amount you actually
use should be included in this calculation. The cost per ton should include the
material, all crushing costs, loading, supervision, and employee benefit cost for
the activity.
$4.50/ton X 5000 tons/miles = $22,500/mile
B. Cost per hour for belly or dump trucks X round trip hours X the loads per
mile. These numbers will vary depending upon your jurisdiction, and the size of
your equipment that you are using. The cost per hour should be those you have
calculated for the piece of equipment, or taken from Equipment Watch Rental
Rates. It will also depend on the distance from your gravel source to the road
being repaired.
$55.00/hr X 1 hr X 250 truck loads = $13,750/mile
C. Hours of grader usage per mile X cost per hour. Again, this would include
your equipment rental rates X the number of hours it takes for the grader to
process the new material.
15 hrs/mile X $75.00/hr = $1,125/mile
D. Hours of water truck usage per mile X cost per hours. This is similar to the
grader costs and will depend on your specific equipment and time of use.
15 hrs/mile X $55.00/hr = $825/mile
E. Hours of roller usage per mile X cost per hour. Again, similar to the above
two items. This will be unique to your situation.
F. Number of hours of supervision and/or office staff to complete above

operations X cost per hour X hours per mile. In all of these costs, you should
include the total hourly rate (loaded rate) for your employees, which includes
insurance, retirement and all benefits.
G. This is a subtotal of the costs per mile for items A-F.

SUBTOTAL = $38,950/mile
24
H. The subtotal above cost per mile divided (÷) by the life expectancy of the
material (number of years). A general number for the number of years on
surface material would probably be 5-7 years. If your experience is longer for a
particular road, then use that number.
38,980 ÷ 5 = $7,790/yr
I. The subtotal of Line G times the current interest rate will give you the
interest cost, if you know what the interest is. This line item is not absolutely
necessary, but will give a more accurate cost of what the value of your money
actually is. We used zero for this example.
0 X 0 = $0
J. Grader usage more than once per year X the cost per hour for grader usage
X the hours per mile. This will depend upon the commitment you make to
maintain the road surface during the year. It could probably be anywhere from 5
to 10 times per year, and could take an hour and a half (1½) to truly process the
surface. This line is basically the maintenance per mile for this type of road.
10 times X 75.00/hr X 1.5/hr = $1,125/year
K. This will be the total of items H-J, and will be in terms of dollars per mile.
TOTAL $8,915/mile
The following abbreviations were used in the example shown above:

ft = foot; hr = hour; yr = year; sf = square foot; sy = square yard; gal = gallon; mi = mile
25
Cost Evaluations - Untreated Road Form
A. Cost per ton of road base at the pit X tons used per mile.
$ /ton X tons/miles = $ /mile
B. Cost per hour for belly or dump trucks X round trip hours X the loads per
mile.
$ /hr X hr X truck loads = $ /mile
C. Hours of grader usage per mile X cost per hour.
hrs/mile X $ /hr = $ /mile
D. Hours of water truck usage per mile X cost per hours.
E. Hours of roller usage per mile X cost per hour.
F. Number of hours of supervision and/or office staff to complete above

operations X cost per hour X hours per mile.
G. This is a subtotal of the costs per mile for items A-F.

SUBTOTAL = $ /mile
H. The subtotal above cost per mile divided (÷) by the life expectancy of the
material (number of years).
÷ = $ /yr
I. The sub total of Line G times the current interest rate will give you the
interest cost, if you know what the interest is.
X = $
J. Grader usage more than once per year X the cost per hour for grader usage
X the hours per mile.
times X $ /hr X /hr = $ /year
K. This will be the total of items H-J.

TOTAL $ /mile
26
EXAMPLE
Cost Evaluation - Treated Roadway
The following form can be used to determine the estimated costs for treating the road
with various chemical combinations. Those chemicals will be discussed in Section 4.5
of this manual.
The following form has been itemized, with discussion concerning each line item:
Cost Evaluations - Treated Road
A. Width of road in feet X 5280 ft/mile ÷ 9 sf/sy X 0.5 gal/sy ÷ 184 gal/ton x
$50/ton = cost to treat one mile of road. As in previous discussions, the cost
will depend upon your location and the freight to get the various materials to you.
26’ wide x 5280 ft/mile ÷ 9 sf/sy x 0.5 gal/sy ÷ 184 gal/ton x $50.00/ton = $2,072/mile
B. Minus cost of equipment maintenance. This line could be, for instance, the
reduction in the amount of maintenance you will have to do to the road because
you have treated it. Experience has shown that if a treatment is performed
properly, and the road has the correct cross-section, it will not require
maintenance for as much as six (6) months.
- $100/mile
C. Total of items A-B. TOTAL $ 947/mile
D. Cost per mile for an untreated road – the cost per mile for a treated road =
the savings to treat. This is the cost evaluation for untreated roads which have
been discussed on the previous forms. Line item C on this form will give you the
saving or the difference in cost per mile, for either treating or not treating the
roads. If line item K, on the previous form, is less than this line item C, then it is
not cost effective to treat the roads. On the other hand, if C is less than K then
the savings will be shown on this line.
$8,915 - $19 = $6,943/mi

Cost to not treat Cost to treat
Saving to treat
A blank form is immediately behind this page. Remember in all of this road
maintenance that proper road preparation is necessary, including the proper crown.
REMEMBER: “potholes will not form where water will not stand”.
27
Cost Evaluation for Treating the Roadway Form
The following form can be used to determine the estimated costs for treating the road
with various chemical combinations. Those chemicals will be discussed in the Material
Section of this manual.
The following form has been itemized with the following discussion concerning each line
item:
Cost Evaluations-Treated Road
A. Width of road in feet X 5280 ft/mile ÷ 9 sf/sy X 0.5 gal/sy ÷ 184 gal/ton x
$50/ton = cost to treat one mile of road.
’ wide x ft/mile ÷ sf/sy x gal/sy ÷ gal/ton x $ /ton = $ /mile
B. Minus cost of equipment maintenance.

- $
C. Total of items A-B. TOTAL $ /mile
D. Cost per mile for an untreated road – the cost per mile for a treated road =
the savings to treat
- =$ /mile
Cost to not treat Cost to treat Savings to treat
A case study was performed by the Lakes Highway District to analyze the
costs associated with gravel road maintenance. Using a similar approach
to the examples provided above, they analyzed the costs of an untreated
gravel road versus a treated gravel road. The results are shown in Table 2
below:
28
Table 2: Case study cost comparison of treated vs. untreated roads (Source: FHWA Unpaved Road Dust
Management, 2013)
As you can see, there is a definite cost-benefit associated with providing a

treatment to your gravel road. The maintenance interval was significantly
reduced, from 18 times per year to two. The costs continue to decrease in
the second year even with a rejuvenation application of dust suppressant.
29
B. OTHER COST CONSIDERATIONS:
It is known that dust can cause problems with the lungs of both humans
and animals, and when ingested over a long period of time can be fatal.
Suggested reasonable precautions include surfacing the roadbed with
asphalt, oil, the application of water, or other environmentally safe
chemical dust suppressants when needed for the drier seasons when
fugitive dust is most likely to be generated. Regularly scheduled
maintenance, and posted speed limits are additional precautions to reduce
fugitive dust. As mentioned in Section 4.3 of this manual, tort claims are
possible, and Local Highway Jurisdictions should do their part to mitigate
dust where practicable.
Secondly, Title 52, Chapter 1, §52-101, Idaho Code, addresses the

nuisance issue. In this section, a nuisance is defined as: “Anything that is
injurious to health or morals, or is indecent, or offensive to the senses, or
an obstruction to the free use of property, so as to interfere with the
comfortable enjoyment of life or property, or unlawfully obstructs the free
passage or use, in the customary manner, of any navigable lake, or river,
stream, canal, or basin, or any public park, square, street, or highway, is a
nuisance.” Because of the expanse of the unpaved roads within the Local
Highway Jurisdictions of Idaho, it is imperative that we address the air
quality situation and utilize dust palliatives whenever cost effective.
Finally, dust palliatives or dust treatments will generally also stabilize the
roadbed, which in effect reduces runoff. The total maximum daily loading,
(TMDL) presently being calculated for all drainage in the State of Idaho,
will have limits on the amount of silt that can enter the streams from our
roadways. Stabilizing those surfaces with various treatments will help to
eliminate or at least reduce the siltation from our roadbeds, and help us to
comply with the drainage basin criteria.
In addition to the basic cost calculations, the above discussion can assist
you in making the decision to take a proactive stance in the management
of the dust from local roads. Concerns for air quality and stream pollution
is not likely to go away until major changes are made in the quality of both.
A dust abatement program can help make those changes throughout the
State of Idaho.
30
4.5 WHAT MATERIAL TO USE
A. DUST PALLIATIVE BASICS
There are a wide variety of suppressants available on the market today

and there will continue to be more in the future. They can be divided into
seven basic categories; water, water absorbing products, petroleum-
based products, organic non-petroleum-based products, electro-chemical
products, polymer products, and clay additive products. The categories
are listed in order based on an estimate of past usage/popularity. Typical
suppressants under each category are:
• Water
• Water Absorbing Products (deliquescent/hydroscopic)
- calcium chloride brine and flakes
- magnesium chloride brine
- sodium chloride (salt)
• Organic Petroleum Products
- asphalt emulsions
- cutback asphalt (liquid asphalt)
- dust oils
- modified asphalt emulsions
• Organic Non-Petroleum Products
- animal fats
- lignosulfonate
- molasses/sugar beet
- tall oil emulsions
- vegetable oils
• Electro-Chemical Products
- enzymes
- lonic products
- sulfonated oils
• Synthetic Polymer Products
- polyvinyl acetate
- vinyl acrylic
• Clay Additives
- entonite
- montmorillonite
Table 3 gives an overview of these seven categories listing their attributes,

limitations, typical application rates, and common names based on Foley
et al. (1996), UMA Engineering (1987), TTAO (1986), Bolander (1997),
and Scholen (1992).
31
B. SUPPRESSANT SELECTION TIPS
Important benefiting factors (Langdon 1980) of dust palliatives that should

be considered when evaluating and selecting the proper dust palliative
include:
• Cohering the dust particles to themselves or to larger particles

• Resisting wear by traffic
• Remain on the road
• Resist aging
Based on the above characteristics, the product selection chart shown in

Table 4 should aid in selecting the most suitable dust palliative (Foley et
al. 1996; UMA Engineering 1987; Bolander 1997; Bolander 1999; Scholen
1992; Langdon et. al. 1980; Han 1992). When using the information in
Table 4, first perform a soils analysis to classify the surface material.
Some palliatives require a clay component (plasticity index) or specific
amount of fines to properly bind and/or agglomerate.
Table 3 provides additional information about dust suppressant limitations,

application methods, and environmental impact, which helps further in
selecting the best dust palliative.
C. SUPPRESSANT APPLICATION TIPS
Once a suitable product is selected, the next step is to determine the

appropriate application rate and frequency. Table 3 lists broad ranges of
application rates for various products that can be used as a guideline.
Manufacturer’s literature, past experience, and field or laboratory test plots
over a square meter (1 square yard) can also be used to help guide in
determining the appropriate application rate.
Generally higher application rates or increased frequency are required

when the following conditions are present:
• High traffic volumes with high speeds and larger percentage of truck
traffic
• Low humidity conditions, especially when using calcium chloride
• Low fines content in surface, typically when there is less than 10
percent passing the 75 µm (No. 200) sieve
• Poorly bladed surface and/or loose wearing surface.
32
Road Dust Suppressants
Dust Suppressant Attributes Limitations Application Origin Environmental Impact

Category
Water • agglomerates the • evaporates readily • frequency depends • any potable water • none
surface particles • controls dust on temperature and source
together generally for less humidity; typically
• normally, readily than a day only effective from
available • generally the most 1/2 to 12 hours
expensive and labor
intensive of the
inorganic
suppressants
Water Absorbing; • ability to absorb • requires minimum • generally 1 to 2 • by-product in the • water quality
Calcium Chloride water is a function humidity level to treatments per form of brine from impact: generally
(deliquescent) of temperature and absorb moisture season manufacture of negligible if the
relative humidity; for from the air • initial application; sodium carbonate proper buffer zone
example, at 25oC • doesn’t perform as • flake @ 0.5 to 1.1 by ammonia-soda between treated
(77oF) it starts to well as MgCl in long kg/m2 (1.0 to 2.0 process and of area and water
absorb water from dry spells #/sy), typical bromine from • fresh water aquatic
the air at 29% • performs better application 0.9 natural brines impact: may
relative humidity than MgCl when kg/m2 (1.7 #/sy) @ • three forms: develop at chloride
and at 38oC (100oF) high humidity is 77% purity flake, or Type I @ concentrations as
it starts to absorb present • liquid 35 to 38% 77 to 80% purity low as 400 ppm for
water at 20% • highly* corrosive to residual @ 0.9 to pellet, or Type II @ trout up to 10,000
relative humidity metal, highly to 1.6 l/m2 (0.2 to 0.35 94 to 97% purity ppm for other fish
• significantly aluminum and its g/sy), typical clear liquid @ 35 to species
increases surface alloys, attracts application is 38% 38% solids • plant impact: some
tension of water film moisture thereby residual species susceptible
between particles, prolonging active concentrate applied such as pine,
helping to slow period for corrosion undiluted @ `1.6 hemlock, poplar,
evaporation and • rainwater tends to l/m2 (0.35 g/sy) ash, spruce, and
further tighten leach out highly • follow-up:@ 1/2 to maple
compacted soil as soluble chlorides 1/3 initial dosage • potential concerns
drying progresses • if high fines content with spills of liquid
• treated road can be in treated material concentrate
regraded and the surface may
recompacted with become slippery
less concern for when wet
losing moisture and • effectiveness when
density less than 20%
solution has
performance similar
to water
Table 3: Road Dust Suppressants

(Source: C.H. PITT, U of Utah, Results of Corrosion Tests Performed on Steel Samples In Magnesium Chloride and Various Chemical Solutions)
33
Table 3 - Road Dust Suppressants (continued)
Dust Suppressant Attributes Limitations Application Origin Environmental

Category Impact
Water Absorbing; • starts to absorb water • requires minimum • generally 1 - 2 • occurs naturally as • water quality
Magnesium Chloride from the air at 32% humidity level to treatments per brine (evaporated) impact: generally
(deliquescent) relative humidity absorb moisture season negligible, function
independent of from the air • initial application: of the buffer zone
temperature • more suitable in 28 to 35% residual between treated
• more effective than drier climates @ 1.4 to 2.3 l/m2 area and water
calcium chloride • in concentrated (0.30 to 0.5 g/sy), • fresh water aquatic
solutions for solutions slightly * typical application impact: may
increasing surface corrosive to steel is 30% residual develop at chloride
tension, resulting in a (note: some products concentrate concentrations as
vary hard road may contain a applied undiluted low as 400 ppm for
surface when dry corrosive-inhibiting @ 2.3 l/m2 (0.50 trout up to 10,000
• treated road can be additive), attracts g/sy) ppm for other fish
regraded and moisture thereby • follow-up: species
recompacted with prolonging active • @ 1/2 initial • plant impact: some
less concern for period for corrosion dosage species susceptible
losing moisture and • rainwater tends to such as pine,
density leach out highly hemlock, poplar,
soluble chlorides ash, spruce, and
• if high fines content maple
in treated material • potential concerns
the surface may with spills
become slippery
when wet
• effectiveness when
less than 20%
solution has
performance similar
to water
Water Absorbing; • starts to absorb water • requires minimum • generally 1 - 2 • occurs naturally as • same as calcium
Sodium Chloride from the air at 79% humidity level to treatments per rock salt and brines chloride
(hygroscopic) relative humidity absorb moisture season
independent of from the air • higher dosages
temperature • moderately corrosive than calcium
• increases surface to steel in dilute treatment
tension slightly less solutions
than calcium chloride • tends not to hold up
as well as a surface
application
34

Category Impact
Organic Petroleum • binds and/or • under dry • generally 1 to 2 • cutback asphalt: • wide variety of
Products agglomerates conditions some treatments per season SC-70 ingredients in
surface particles products may not • initial: 0.5 to 4.5 l/m2 (0.1 • Asphalt emulsion: these products
because of maintain resilience to 1 g/sy) depending on SS-1, SS-1h, • “used” products
asphalt adhesive • if too many fines in road surface condition, CSS-1, or CSS-1h are toxic
properties surface and high in dilution, and product mixed with 5+ • oil in products
• serves to asphaltenes it can • the higher viscosity parts water by might be toxic
waterproof the form a crust and emulsions are used for volume • need product
road fragment under the more open-graded • modified asphalt specific analysis
traffic and in wet surface materials emulsions • potential concerns
weather • follow-up: @ reduced • emulsified oils with spills and
• some products are initial dosages • mineral oils leaching prior to
difficult to maintain the product
“curing”
Organic Nonpetroleum; • binds surface • may cause • generally 1 to 2 • water liquor • water quality
Lignin Derivatives particles together corrosion of treatments per season product of sulfite impact: none
• greatly increases aluminum and its • initial: 10 to 25% residual paper making • fresh water
dry strength of alloys @ 2.3 to 4.5 l/m2 (0.5 to process, contains aquatic impact:
material under dry • surface binding 1.0 g/sy), typical lignin in solution BOD may be high
condition action may be application is 50% • composition upon leaching into
• retains reduced or residual concentrate depends on raw a small stream
effectiveness completely applied undiluted @ 2.3 materials (mainly • plant impact: none
during long dry destroyed by l/m2 (0.50 g/sy) or wood pulp) and • potential concern
periods with low heavy rain, owing • 50% residual concentrate chemicals used to with spills
humidity to solubility of applied diluted 1:1 extract cellulose;
• with a high solids in water w/water @ 4.5 l/m2 (1.0 active constituent
amounts of clay, it • becomes slippery g/sy) is neutralized
tends to remain when wet, brittle • may be advantageous to lignin sulfuric acid
slightly plastic when dry apply in two applications containing sugar
permitting • difficult to maintain • also comes in powdered
reshaping and as a hard surface, form that is mixed 1kg to
additional traffic but can be done 840 liters (1 lb to 100
compaction under adequate gallons) of water and then
moisture sprayed
conditions
35

Category Impact
Organic Nonpetroleum; • provides temporary • limited availability • not researched • by-product of the • water quality impact:
Molasses/Sugar Beet binding of the sugar beet unknown
Extract surface particles processing • fresh water aquatic
industry impact: unknown
• plant impact:
unknown, none
expected
Organic Nonpetroleum; • adheres surface • surface binding • generally 1 • distilled product of • water quality impact:
Tall Oil Derivatives particles together action may be treatment every the kraft (sulfate) unknown
• greatly increases reduced or few years paper making • fresh water aquatic
dry strength of completely • initial: 10 to 20% process impact: unknown
material under dry destroyed by long residual solution • plant impact:
conditions term exposure to @ 1.4 to 4.5 l/m2 unknown
heavy rain owing (0.3 to 1.0 g/sy);
to solubility of typical application
solids in water 40 to 50% residual
• difficult to maintain concentrate
as a hard surface applied diluted 1:4
w/water @ 2.3 l/m2
(0.50 gal/sy)
Organic Nonpetroleum: • Agglomerates the • limited availability • generally 1 • some products: • water quality
Vegetable Oils surface particles • oxidizes rapidly, treatment per canola oil, impact: unknown
then becomes season soybean oil, • fresh water aquatic
brittle • application rate cotton seed oil, impact: some
varies by product, and linseed oil products have been
typically 1.1 to 2.3 tested and have a
l/m2 (0.25 to 0.50 low impact
g/sy) • plant impact:
• the warmer the unknown, none
product, the faster expected
the penetration
• follow-up: apply at
reduced initial
dosages
36

Category Impact
Electrochemical • changes • performance • generally diluted 1 • typical products • need product
Derivatives characteristics of dependent on fine part product to include; sulfonated specific analysis
clay size particles clay mineralogy anywhere from oils, ammonium • some products are
• generally effective • needs time to “set- 100 to 600 parts chloride enzymes, highly acidic in their
regardless of up”, i.e. react with water ionic products undiluted form
climatic conditions the clay fraction • diluted product
• difficult to maintain then used to
if full strengthening compact the
reaction occurs scarified surface
• limited life span
Synthetic Polymer • binds surface • difficult to maintain • generally 1 • by product of the • water quality
Derivatives particles because of as a hard surface treatment every adhesive impact: none
polymers adhesive few years manufacturing • fresh water aquatic
properties • initial: 5 to 15% process impact: generally
residual solution • typically 40 to 60% low
@ 1.4 to 4.5 l/m2 solids • plant impact: none
(0.3 to 1.0 g/sy); • need product
typical application specific analysis
is 40 to 50%
residual
concentrate
applied diluted 1:9
w/water @ 2.3 l/m2
(0.50 gal/sy)
Clay Additives • agglomerates with • if high fines content • generally 1 • mined natural clay • water quality
fine dust particles in treated material, treatment every 5 deposits impact: unknown
• generally increases the surface may years • fresh water aquatic
dry strength of become slippery • typical application impact: none
material under dry when wet rate is at 1 to 3% by • plant impact: none
conditions dry weight
37
Product Selection Chart
Traffic Volumes, Average Daily
Traffic Surface Material Climate During Traffic
Plasticity Index Fines (Passing 75 µm, No.200, Sieve)
Medium Heavy, Wet
Light, 100 to >250 &/or Damp Dry
Dust Palliative <100 250 (1) <3 3-8 >8 <5 5-10 10-20 20-30 >30 Rainy to Dry (2)
Calcium A A B C B A C B A B C C A C
Chloride (3) (3,4)
Magnesium A A B C B A C B A B C (3) C (3,4) A B
Chloride
Petroleum B B B A B C B B B C C B A B
(5) (6) (3)
Lignin A A B C B A C B A A B C A A
(6) (3,6) (4)
Tall Oil A B C A B C C B A (6) B C B A A
(6)
Vegetable Oils B C C B B B C B B C C C B B
Electro- A B B C B A C B A A A B B B
Chemical (3,4)
Synthetic A B C A B C C A A (6) C C B A A
Polymers
Clay Additives A B C A A B A B B C C C b A
(6) (3)
Table 4: Product Selection Chart
Legend
A = Good B = Fair C = Poor

Notes:
(1) - May require higher or more frequent application rates, especially with high truck volumes.
(2) - Greater than 20 days with less than 40% relative humidity.
(3) - May become slippery in wet weather.
(4) - May leach out in heavy rain.
(5) - SS-1 or CSS-1 with only clean, open-graded aggregate
(6) - Road mix for best results.
38
D. GENERAL APPLICATION TIPS
The performance of any dust suppressant is related to many application

factors. Application method, rate, frequency, and product concentration
represent a few of these factors. A stable, tight surface that readily sheds
surface water is another. If properly applied and constructed, a longer life
and higher level of service can be expected from the dust abatement
efforts (Foley et al. 1996; UMA Engineering 1987; Washington Dept. of
Ecology 1996; Giummara, Foley, and Cropley 1997). Since dust
suppression and road maintenance are usually combined, it is prudent to
include the following practices in the maintenance and rehabilitation of
road surfaces prior to applying a dust palliative:
• Repair unstable surfacing and/or subgrade areas

• Adequately drain (crown and cross-fall) the road surface
• Remove bony (poorly graded) surface material
• Grade sufficient depth of roadway to remove ruts, potholes, and
erosion gullies
• Compact the roadway (depending on treatment and sequence of
operations).
Maximum benefits can also be realized by achieving adequate penetration

of the liquid dust suppressant. This penetration should be on the order of
10 to 20 mm (3/8 to 3/4 inches). Proper penetration mitigates loss of the
palliative resulting from surface wear. Adequate penetration also resists
leaching, imparts cohesion and resists aging (Langdon 1980).
Application tips that apply to all liquid dust suppressant products include:
• Apply suppressants, especially salts, immediately following the wet

season.
• If possible, apply after rain so materials are moister (aids mixing) and
more workable. If applied just before a rain, the material may wash
away.
• Adhere to manufacturers’ recommendations on minimum application
rate, compaction and curing time prior to allowing traffic.
• If the surface material is dry, dampen, except when using cut-back
asphalt products.
• If a hard crust is present, break up and loosen the surface.
• Use a pressure distributor to uniformly distribute the dust suppressant.
• Ensure that the necessary “residual” of the product is applied. The
residual is the amount of product that remains after the evaporation of
water from the concentrate, as well as that used to dilute the product
prior to application. The residual (sometimes called solids or binder) is
the portion of the product that is responsible for the binding and/or
agglomeration of the particles.
39
E. WATER APPLICATION TIPS
Regular, light watering is more effective than less frequent, heavy

watering.
F. CHLORIDE APPLICATION TIPS
Light compaction is recommended after a chloride brine application.
G. PETROLEUM APPLICATION TIPS
Soil type and density greatly affect the rate and amount of penetration. In
all instances, it is desirable to attain a 12 to 25 mm (1/2 to 1 inch)
penetration. Most products (with the exception of SS- and CSS-1) will
penetrate and coat most soils if they have been loosened by scarification.
For surfaces which have not been scarified; only those products with low
viscosities will penetrate.
H. ORGANIC NON-PETROLEUM APPLICATION TIPS
Remove loose material prior to application unless one is going to road-mix

or compact after the spray application. When applying vegetable oils the
top 25 to 50 mm (1 to 2 inches) of the surface should be loose to improve
penetration.
I. ELECTRO-CHEMICAL APPLICATION TIPS
Typically, these products are mixed into the road surface.
J. POLYMER APPLICATION TIPS
Light compaction is recommended after a polymer application unless the

polymer is mixed into the road surface.
K. CLAY ADDITIVE APPLICATION TIPS
Ensure that the clay and associated water used for compaction is
uniformly distributed throughout the surface material. Requires a
minimum of 8 passes with a motor-grader or use of a cross-shaft rotary
mixer.
All dust suppressants have a limited lifespan and require regular

applications to satisfactorily control dust on a long-term basis.
Subsequent applications should be made if and when dust levels exceed
40
acceptable levels. These subsequent applications may be lighter than the
initial application.
L. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
Any suppressant ingredient may migrate due to carelessness in

application, run-off, leaching, dust particle migration, or adhesion to
vehicles. Carefully review the product literature, Material Safety Data
Sheet (MSDS), and manufacturer’s instructions before purchase and use.
Observe all safety precautions and follow manufacturer’s directions when
handling, mixing, and applying dust suppressants. Application of all dust
suppressants must comply with Federal, state, and local laws and
regulations. These vary by locality and need to be checked prior to
implementing the dust abatement program.
The primary environmental concern with dust palliatives is how they

impact the groundwater quality, freshwater aquatic environment, and plant
community. Take all necessary precautions to keep dust palliative
material out of water drainages and roadway ditches leading to streams.
The impact of dust palliatives on groundwater quality is based on how the

suppressant migrates to the local groundwater table in conjunction with
the chemicals used in the suppressant. Chemical analysis of the
suppressant will assist in determining if harmful constituents are present.
Knowing the depth to groundwater and the permeability of the native soil
will assist in determining how and if the chemicals will leach to the
groundwater table. A direct way to evaluate the contamination of harmful
constituents to the groundwater table is to conduct water quality sampling
of the surrounding area before and after dust palliative application.
The impact of dust palliatives on the freshwater aquatic environment is

measured by both the toxicity to fish and the availability of oxygen. Each
state sets its own standards and may vary by watershed and the type and
age of the fish population. The test to determine toxicity is the LC50 test
and the test to determine available oxygen is the Biochemical Oxygen
Demand (BOD) test. The LC50 test measures the lethal concentration
(LC) of product, expressed in parts per million (ppm) that will produce a 50
percent mortality rate in the test group in 96 hours. The larger the
concentration, the less toxic the material. Typically, less than 100 ppm is
considered toxic, 1,000 ppm is considered practically nontoxic, and
greater than 10,000 is considered nontoxic. The BOD test measures the
oxygen used by microbes as it digests (feeds on) the product in water.
Typically, the products that are derived from organic nonpetroleum
products would be the most likely to have high BOD results.
41
There are no standard tests for measuring how dust palliatives impact the
plant community; however, some tests have been performed that simply
observe the impact on plant life.
Addo and Sanders (1995) summarize a number of environmental impact

studies of the use of various chlorides on water quality, plants, and
animals. Heffner (1997) updates the work by Schwendeman (1981)
concerning the environmental impacts of some of the most common dust
palliatives used by the USDA Forest Service. Based on their effort the
following is recommended when using these palliatives once or twice a
year at their typical application rates:
Lignosulfonate - Determine prior to application if significant

migration (water drainage) might occur from the treated area into
local streams, ponds, and lakes. Ensure that migration will not
impact the oxygen needs of the aquatic community.
Calcium and Magnesium Chlorides - Restrict the use of chlorides

within 8 meters (25 feet) of a body of water. In areas of shallow
groundwater determine if significant migration of the chloride would
reach the groundwater table. Restrict the use of chlorides if low
salt tolerant vegetation is within 8 meters (25 feet) of the treated
area. Typical low tolerant vegetation includes various varieties of
alder, hemlock, larch, maple, ornamentals, and pine.
Evaluations of any of the other dust palliatives have not been made. If
there is a concern regarding the impact of a dust palliative on the
environment, then as a minimum, the LC50 and BOD tests should be
performed. Results can then be used to estimate the potential impact of
the dust palliative in question on the local aquatic and plant communities.
42
SUMMARY
A roadway, whether gravel or paved, needs to have a proper shape. The

crown needs to be established, a shoulder where space allows will add
additional stability and a place of refuge for safety. The shoulder should
remain high enough to establish a ditch to convey water away from the
roadway surface and minimize surface erosion. The ditch needs to direct
the water to its natural drainage, and adequate culverts or small bridge
structures may be necessary to achieve this result.
A well graded “good” gravel material is the topping to the roadway section
you have established. Adequate material testing is necessary to ensure
the gravel product meets the desired needs of the local highway
jurisdiction. The proper quantity, mixture, placement and compaction of
the material will ensure a long-lasting road section. The costs associated
with this additional effort can be offset by the reduced maintenance load
on your roadway network.
Dust suppression and pallative treatments are important to both the health
and well-being of our surrounding environment, but also play an important
part in retaining the fine particles that bind our road surfaces. These
treatments should be evaluated based on need, cost and impact to the
surrounding property owners and the motoring public.
Ultimately, the combination of all of these efforts will lead to a long-lasting,

low maintenance and reduced long-term cost roadway to promote the
economy of the State and the safety of the general public.
43
REFERENCES
Addo, J., Sanders, T. Effectiveness and Environmental Impact of Road Dust Suppressants,
Mountain-Plains Consortium, Colorado State University, MPC Report No. 92-28A, March 1995.
Bolander, P., Chemical Additives for Dust Control - What We Have Used and What We Have
Learned, Transportation Research Board, Transportation Research Record No. 1589,
Washington D.C., August 1997.
Bolander, P., Laboratory Testing of Nontraditional Additives for Dust Abatement and
Stabilization of Roads and Trails, Transportation Research Board, Proceedings from the
Seventh International Conference on Low-Volume Roads, Washington D.C., May, 1999.
C.H. PITT, U of Utah, Results Of Corrosion Tests Performed On Steel Samples In Magnesium
Chloride and Various Chemical Solutions.
Foley G., S. Cropley, and G. Giummarra, Road Dust Control Techniques - Evaluation of
Chemical Dust Suppressants’ Performance, ARRB Transport Research Ltd., Special Report 54,
Victoria, Australia, October 1996.
Giummarra, G., G. Foley, and S Cropley, Dust Control - Australian Experiences with Various
Chemical Additives, Transportation Research Board, Transportation Research Record No.
1589, Washington D.C., August 1997.
Han, C., Dust Control on Unpaved Roads, Minnesota Local Roads Research Board (LRRB),
Report No. MN/RC-92/07, March 1992.
Heffner, K., Water Quality Effects of Three Dust-Abatement Compounds, USDA-Forest Service
Engineering Field Notes, Volume 29, January-April 1997.
Ibrahim, A., Nielsen, R., Abdel-Rahim, A., Saras, N., Larrea, M., Guide to Assist Idaho Local
Highway Jurisdictions in Evaluating Route Requests for Trucks Up to 129,000-pounds, National
Institute for Advanced Transportation Technology (NIATT), December 2016.
Idaho Transportation Department, 2018 Standard Specifications for Highway Construction,

2018.
Langdon, B., An Evaluation of Dust Abatement Materials Used in Region 6, Transportation

Research Institute, Civil Engineering Department, Oregon State University, Research Report
80-3, January 1980
Langdon, B., G. Hicks, R. Williamson, A Guide for Selecting and Using Dust Palliatives,
Transportation Research Institute, Civil Engineering Department, Oregon State University,
Research Report 80-13, December 1980.
Scholen, D.E., Non-Standard Stabilizers, Federal Highway Administration, FHWA-FLP-92-011,

Washington D.C., July 1992.
Schwendeman, T., Dust Control Study - Part 2 - Dust Palliative Evaluation, USDA-Forest
Service, Gallatin National Forest, September 1981.
44
UMA Engineering Ltd., Guidelines for Cost Effective Use and Application of Dust Palliatives,
Roads and Transportation Association of Canada, Ottawa, Canada, 1987.
United States Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. Gravel Roads

Construction & Maintenance Guide, August 2015.
United States Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Unpaved Road

Dust Management: A Successful Practicioner’s Handbook, January 2013.
Washington Department of Ecology, Techniques for Dust Prevention and Suppression,

Washington Department of Ecology Fact Sheet, 96-433, 1996
45

Manual On Gravel Roads

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PREFACE

LHTAC welcomes comments, questions, and suggestions concerning this manual.

You can view or download this manual on our website www.lhtac.org.

1 Gravel Road Maintenance

Figures and Tables

Table 1: Minimum ADT for dust suppressants……………………………..................................................................... 23

Gravel road maintenance starts with basic roadway geometry;

Figure 1: Example cross-section for a typical gravel road

Gravel roads require significantly more routine maintenance than paved

The primary tool in gravel road maintenance is the road grader or

Speed is the enemy of an equipment operator in gravel road maintenance.

The second component to adequate moldboard operation is the pitch or

1.3 ROADWAY CROWN

The most important element to gravel road construction and maintenance

Maintaining a consistent crown can be one of the most difficult elements to

1.4 ROADWAY SHOULDER AND RESHAPING

The shoulder of a roadway can vary dramatically in width due to

A high shoulder or no shoulder at all may contain runoff on the roadway,

More significant shoulder issues may require reshaping and compacting

1.5 GRAVEL ROAD REHABILITATION

Blading, shouldering, and adding gravel are considered routine

Smaller local highway jurisdictions may have limited equipment and

1.6 CORRUGATIONS “WASHBOARDS”

Corrugations are formed primarily by the traveling public, either by

The final cause of corrugation is poor drainage, more specifically a lack of

1.7 EVALUATING ROUTE REQUESTS - 129,000-POUND TRUCKING

The guide was established based upon legislation passed in 2013

It can’t be said enough, proper drainage is the cornerstone to longevity

Every roadway needs a place for water to travel, preferably as quickly

Figure 5: Gravel road lacking adequate roadside ditch

A flat-bottomed ditch is preferred in locations where soils are susceptible

Ditch maintenance is recommended prior to the wet season to keep

2.3 CULVERTS AND SMALL BRIDGES

A compliment to a well-established ditch is a culvert or small bridge to help

Riprap should be placed at the outfall to prevent erosion of the bank,

Figure 7: Clogged culvert and unmaintained riprap

LHTAC recently completed a comprehensive inventory of all local small

The State of Idaho is considered by many to be one large rock. This

3.2 “GOOD” GRAVEL

3.3 CRUSHED STONE & RECYCLED ASPHALT

In rare instances, a material source may be able to provide a gravel

Another common material found in may quarries is recycled asphalt.

Enough can’t be said about using a quality material in surfacing your

The quality of the surface gravel material can be determined by collecting

Pay special attention to the ¾ inch Type B column, this is a standard

3.5 SECURING “GOOD” GRAVEL

3.6 STOCKPILING MATERIAL

3.7 SURFACE AND BASE PREPARATION

3.8 HAULING AND SPREADING

4.1 WHY WORRY ABOUT MANAGING DUST?

Dust is particulate matter which when created by automobiles traveling on

In addition, Title 52-101, Idaho Code, addresses a nuisance issue. It

4.2 HOW DO WE PAY FOR IT?

Several successful programs include requiring the property owner who

If after a number of years of using this particular process, you feel

Before beginning a dust abatement program, you may be wise to

4.3 TORT LIABILITY

The Idaho County Risk Management Program, (ICRMP) has a good