Enviroseal sets up Dubai base
Through its recently set-up Dubai office, US-based Enviroseal offers contractors, quarry managers and builders fast-track roads to their worksites.
01 February 2006
Enviroseal Corp, a US-based specialty chemical products company offering cost-effective geo-technical products – as a smart alternative to conventional construction methods – has set up its base in Dubai, giving contractors, quarry managers and builders numerous options to construct roads and temporary access ways to sites.
Enviroseal’s patented formulations – which blend acrylic polymer products for stabilisation of poor and high-grade soils – have been tested, approved, and successfully used by the US military for the construction of expedient runways, assault landing zones of rotary wing aircraft, highways and mining haul roads, says a company spokesman.
“Keeping in mind the pace of construction in the region, especially in Dubai, the corporation sees a lot of potential for its construction and sealing chemicals in the market and is keen to explore avenues for working with the major contractors in the Middle East,” he says.
“Be it building strong access roads for heavy vehicles, mining roads to crushers/quarries, stabilising sloped embankments, building aircraft landing strips, repairing broken asphalt roads, or controlling dust easily across large areas, Enviroseal has a solution for all with standard construction equipment or sometimes no mechanised equipment at all,” says Thomas Stevens, the president and founder of Enviroseal Corp.
“Through building roads painlessly and delivering paths that last, in the shortest possible time, Enviroseal has been able to substantially reduce overall costs of commercial construction projects to what the conventional methods would cost,” he points out.
Soil stabilisation additive
Enviroseal’s premiere product the M-10+50 acrylic polymer additive – which has been extensively tested by the US Army Corps of Engineers – can significantly increase the bearing capacity of poor grade soils. As opposed to the several commercially available additives, which have been evaluated over the years, the M-10 enhances the sustained compressive strengths of soils by over 1,000 per cent, even under wet conditions,” says the spokesman.
According to him, research conducted under the Joint Rapid Airfield Construction program of the US Army Corps of Engineers shows:
• The ERDC reports indicate that the Enviroseal M10 increased unconfined compressive strength over the neat soil after 28 days of cure time for both the dry and wet testing conditions. The M10 exhibit showed unconfined compressive strength values similar to 9 per cent cement after 28 days of cure.
• The higher toughness values when compared to cement-stabilized specimens reflect upon the ability of Enviroseal M10 surfaces to manage higher strains prior to yielding or breaking. M10 cement/polymer emulsion blends displayed synergistic behaviour in some cases. The rate of strength gain of the polymers is improved by blending with cement and the polymers improve the strain properties of cement. The cement can utilise the water from the polymer emulsion to hydrate.
• M10 exhibited higher strengths at lower additive amounts than cement after 28 days of curing. Cement/polymer blends demonstrated improved strength gains with time compared to polymer only. Cement/polymer blends exhibited higher toughness values than cement only after seven and 28 days of curing.
• M10 improved retained wet strength and toughness and had higher wet retained toughness than the cement stabilised soil at 28 days of cure time. Cement/M10 combinations exhibited higher RWS (retained wet strength) than cement or polymer alone.
Enviroseal-LBS
The company’s LBS (liquid base stabiliser) effectively reduces the plasticity and dehydrates clay-bearing soils by chemically changing the ionisation of clay particles to expel moisture. Additionally, it aids in lubricity for faster compaction with less compactive effort. Typically LBS-treated soil loses plasticity within hours of application. Once the soil is treated with LBS, it is sealed with M-10+50 to prevent the reintroduction of water.
Enviroseal can achieve specific engineering characteristics that are suitable for most clay-bearing soils. This product has been used extensively to manufacture low-cost environmentally-friendly bricks in Brazil.
Enviroseal manufactures several other low VOC (volatile organic compounds) sealers for applications to both new and old construction projects such as:
Duraseal concrete sealer: A clear concrete sealer commonly applied to brick, concrete, stucco, and paver-bricks, Duraseal is formulated for high UV (ultraviolet) applications and the elimination of efflorescence. It prevents premature failure and aids in the retention of original appearance by blocking common stains such as motor oil and rust.
LAS-320 liquid asphalt sealer: Tested and approved by the US Air Force for use as an asphalt sealer on runway applications, LAS-320 is also in use for commercial parking lots. The sealer dries within an hour of application, making it a money and resource-saving tool for road maintenance.
Headquartered in Port St Lucie, Florida, Enviroseal Global was founded in 1996 by Thomas Stevens and vice president, Andy Stevens. The company prides itself in supplying low VOC products that perform to the highest standards while exceeding requirements set by regulatory authorities such as the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and EC environmental guidelines. Enviroseal’s technologically sophisticated formulation enhances soil-engineering characteristics with a line of acrylic-based sealers for commercial and industrial applications.
The company has, through the years, worked successfully in conjunction with the US Army Corps of Engineers, US Department of Defense, US EPA, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, New York and Washington State Park Departments, the US Forestry Service, along with various international government agencies and offers a wide range of products which are suitable for various construction applications.
