Cold weather isn’t a friend of most construction projects. That includes road-building jobs, among many others. Still, it’s not necessary to automatically put project plans in a deep freeze just because it’s gotten downright frosty outside. If soil stabilization is your primary concern because you think the ground is too cold to proceed, you should know that the right mix of materials and know-how make soil stabilization possible — with some limitations — even in frigid temperatures.
Depending on project scheduling and other completion factors, cold weather stabilization and soil modification work can take place on projects such as these examples, and many others:
- Parking lots that must be paved before seasonal asphalt plant closures
- Mass grading sites (allowing building pad construction to stay on schedule)
- Roads for your subdivision development with the tight deadlines
- Construction of a new athletic field at the local school or park district
Subgrade strength is critical for these projects. Sometimes, so is the ability to keep working in less-than-ideal conditions.
THE “HOW” BEHIND SUCCESSFUL COLD WEATHER SOIL STABILIZATION
As mentioned earlier, there are some limitations to attempting soil stabilization once the cold hits. If the ground is completely frozen, all bets are off. Heavy frost can cause damage to the tiller that mixes materials into the soil. More importantly for your project, when the ground is frozen, it’s not always possible to achieve a homogenized mix of soil and stabilizing material.
However, the onset of cold temperatures doesn’t necessarily mean the ground has frozen. Subgrade temperatures do not change as quickly as the air temperature. If temps fall from 60 degrees Fahrenheit on an Autumn Day to 25 degrees overnight, the ground is not going to freeze that quickly. Even if there’s been an extended cold snap, there’s hope. Enter quicklime, a material most often used for soil modification.
One of quicklime’s primary purposes is to strengthen soils that have a high plasticity rating. Fortunately, it also produces heat, and that means it can melt ice or burn off frost. If there is less than 3 inches of ground frost, soil stabilization thus may still be possible. An on-site call must be made by an experienced professional regarding what percentage of quicklime will be needed to burn the frost and warm the soil. Once the frost is burned off, a homogenized mixture of cement and/or other soil stabilizing materials can be achieved allowing the treated area to gain the strength needed for successful stabilization.
You can say that quicklime makes a material difference. Again, there are limitations. A subsequent cold snap can cause the upper few inches of the stabilization to freeze, loosen and become unraveled. So, due diligence is required in the form of watching the weather forecast for the period after the planned stabilization. The soil stabilization project should then be scheduled accordingly.
RELY ON ROCK SOLID FOR SOIL STABILIZATION
If cold weather has you pondering putting off a project due to soil stabilization concerns, reach out to us at Rock Solid to fill us in and take advantage of our expertise. We’ve been providing soil stabilization and other services for projects throughout the Midwest and from coast to coast since 2007. Applications for our soil stabilization services are virtually limitless.