Product testing on County roads

Over the last few years, Woodlands County staff have tried several products while doing road work. At a
recent Woodlands County Council meeting, Andre Bachand, Director of Infrastructure Services, provided
an overview of two products. The first was called Geoweb. “It’s a nylon material. If you look at it head-
on, it looks like a net; however, it’s ten to fifteen centimetres thick, and it gets spread out and filled with
gravel or sand and is used to bridge over very soft areas,” he explained.
He said the cells of the product work independently while at the same time supporting the surrounding
cells. “We used it in three locations, and the results were excellent. We will be using that material in the
future where the conditions warrant that,” said Bachand.
The second product was Gravelock, a liquid mixed with water. “It is applied to gravel where it is not as
soft as where we would use the Geoweb, but it’s more of a surface issue. It’s mixed into gravel, spread
out and rolled, and it can be reworked. We used it in three locations. Two, it worked well, and one, not
so well. The product needs clay to show its strength. The one area where it did not work, there wasn’t
much clay.” He said one of the “by-products” of Gravelock was that it acts as a dust suppressant.
Bachand said they had used Gravelock on RR 120 and said it did well. “We did use it on one road where
it did not work so good, and that was on Cartwright Hill (Tower Rd), but, again, it’s a product that we will
be using in a few locations this year on some of the hills on Range Road 121 and a couple of other
spots.” He said there isn’t enough clay to use Gravelock, and the area doesn’t work for Geoweb. “At this
point, we are looking for other products that we might be able to use. Cartwright Hill has been an issue
forever.”
When asked how the determination was made that the products were working, Bachand said it was
pretty straightforward. “We know the condition of the road before, how severely it rutted. Once the
Geoweb was applied, we haven’t seen any rutting at all. That’s pretty easy to quantify and determine
that the product is working.”
For the Gravelock, Bachand said they continue to monitor treated areas. Some distinctions they are
making include whether the product is keeping the surface material together and if they can rehabilitate
it, and how well it holds up. He said they would treat an area, grade the road, and see if the surface
material holds its strength and if the dust is kept down.
Councillor Burrows asked about signage near areas treated with either of the two products to inform
residents about it. “The signs went up, and then they came down, and then they went up, and now they
are down again. I would think that with a product that costs this much,” paused Burrows, gathering his
thoughts. “One of the best feedbacks that we get is from residents. Over a period of time, they are going
to forget where it is. We might have it in our GIS, but we need that feedback. If a product is supposed to
last for three years, then the signs should stay up for three years. If a product is supposed to last for 30
years, they should stay up for thirty years for that test section.” Burrows felt that residents would know
best if a product worked because they drive the roads and know the area.
Reeve Kusch agreed and wondered if a policy needed to be created to ensure the signs stayed up.
Bachand said it wasn’t specified how long the signs would remain. “I know the Gravelock signs, I believe,

are still up. The Geoweb signs, I would say it was an oversight. When they did the construction, they
were removed. If Council’s wish is that signs stay up for the life of the product, that’s doable.”
Councillor Kuelken said signs would give residents the knowledge they need to provide feedback,
enabling them as Council to understand better the life cycles, cost, and value of the products. Bachand
said Administration had received four calls from residents about the Geoweb but that most were to ask
what it was and what staff were doing. “Since it’s been there, I don’t recall getting any calls on it from
the public.” He added that he wasn’t aware of any calls about the Gravelock test section.
The Geoweb is expected to last 20-25 years. Gravelock, being a newer product, doesn’t have the same
history of use behind it. “I believe there are some sites in Alberta that have had this for roughly five
years but talking to the suppliers, they estimate an 8-10 year lifespan,” said Bachand.
One area in the County that has proved tricky received attention from Councillor Wilhelm. “With regard
to RR 120, I will give Administration props. The condition of 120 has gotten a lot better in the last couple
of years. I do find still that section, where you are leaving Mountain Road East or entering Mountain
Road East, still ruts up pretty bad, and I think it’s because it’s a hilled section where people have to
accelerate into the hill or deescalate coming out of the hill. Would putting Geoweb into that section
solve that issue?”
Bachand said that Geoweb would not work there. “We did put Gravelock there, and it did improve it,
but because the acceleration right off the asphalt and with people slowing down, it’s not rutting, but it is
getting washboard. As far as resolving that on a gravel road, it’s pretty tough.”
Councillor Burrows motioned to send the conversation of signage for product testing sites to an
upcoming Governance and Priorities Committee meeting. “I think there’s a really good opportunity here
to get some good feedback. We’ve even talked about having a smart tag on the corner of the sign so you
can walk up, and it’ll take you to a page where you can give feedback. If you ask for feedback, you’ll get
it. I don’t think we’ve been asking for it and don’t think we’ve been advertising it very well.” The motion
passed.