THE MOST Frequently Asked Questions

Assuming that we can give an exhaustive answer only after having verified the properties of the earthy mixture to be stabilized (tennisolite) and the characteristics of the site (position, dimensions, accesses...), in general, technological stabilization NATURE STABIL ROAD it would lead to greater functional stability, a drastic decrease in maintenance frequencies, a reduced risk of vegetation propagation but also an increase in the rigidity of the support, which would undoubtedly be felt by athletes in case of use as a sports area (the more rigid a support is, the less it absorbs shocks).

Given that the increase in mechanical performance and durability are proportional to the elastic modulus of the stabilized support and therefore to its rigidity, it would be appropriate to evaluate in this specific case what the reason is why it is necessary to stabilize the tennisolite surface and to technically evaluate which is the best compromise between the objectives to be achieved.

The use of quarry aggregates or in any case of the material present on site in the "recipe" for the creation of stabilized earth floors allows us to verify in advance through specific tests carried out by the technicians of the laboratory SOLID EARTH, the permeability obtainable with the material to be used. The results are different as they relate to the type of material used. However, our experience allows us to inform you that permeability often does not vary despite the use of technologies that have the purpose of "binding" "unbound" materials. A correctly stabilized material does not wash away with rain. The procedural process adopted by our company includes laboratory tests to guarantee that the result is obtained

In this case it is not recommended to perform a direct stabilization treatment. It would also be advisable, before carrying out a fill in stabilized earth, to provide for the sloughing of the topsoil, the formation of a box with good load-bearing material (CBR >60), with variable depth depending on the characteristics of the material to be used and the destination of road use.

 The material coming from the milling of road pavements, usually in bituminous conglomerate, is in all respects waste, so much so that Reserve storage of this material is envisaged in special authorized centers for recovery and disposal (Legislative Decree 152/2006), following analysis of each batch to verify any transfer of heavy metals (transfer test pursuant to Legislative Decree 186/ 2006).

In light of the above, the use of these materials, as such, should not be validated for the construction of rural roads, as they have a strong impact and are not sustainable from an environmental point of view.

Furthermore, in general, it is preferable not to lay floors in direct contact with topsoil as this support has poor load-bearing characteristics.

Given that the creation of a stabilized earth fill is an unusual operation on top of a concrete slab, (except in cases of severe deterioration of the cement conglomerate) from a technical point of view there are no particular contraindications for the realization of what required.

The feasibility study and the possibility of indicating any costs, however, are a function of some factors which depend on the state of degradation of the underlying pavement, on the verification of feasibility according to any heights, on the intended use of the square itself, on the its geometry, the existing topographic gradients, the presence or absence of a water flow network, the type of raw materials available in the surrounding areas.

The differences in level present on a dirt road, if they are not such as to present danger, generally do not constitute an impediment to the stabilization process. Depending on the stabilization technique to be implemented, it will be possible to evaluate whether a remodeling of the flooring is essential, before the actual intervention, or whether this precaution is not necessary.

The stabilization of dirt roads, involving a constant pavement thickness, will not significantly transform the slopes, therefore maintaining the original appearance of the route unchanged.

Evaluating the current need to preserve and enhance the historical, landscape and environmental importance of old earthen floors, it is possible to assert that stabilizing the materials on site, through milling, is always the best choice to make.

This stabilization technique, while providing high load-bearing capacity, eliminates the environmental impact and keeps the natural characteristics of the road unaltered.

However, it is necessary to keep in mind that the stabilization of the soil on site, through milling, will not always be able to guarantee the correct load-bearing capacity, especially if the materials to be stabilized do not have suitable characteristics and the expected traffic conditions are very severe.

In the event that the materials on site are not adequate, it will therefore be necessary to resort to a stabilization system by filling in compliant earthy material. The technical service of TERRE STABILZZATE, after having carried out all the necessary analyses, will always agree with the client which is the most suitable technique.

In the construction of road embankments, dirt roads, earth dams, etc., it is essential to give the whole a high density. It is also important that the subsoil on which the embankment rests has specific qualities such as not to jeopardize the characteristics of what will be built above.

When carrying out earthworks, we proceed in phases:

1. The soils that will be used for the construction of the works are studied in the laboratory, in order to determine the best mixtures, the appropriate percentage of water, etc.; .
2. The types of operating machines (rammers) and related practical tests are chosen to obtain: type of load, number of passages, layer thickness, etc.;
3. We move on to the execution of the work and the related checks (on site and in the laboratory) regarding: density, water content, grain size, etc.;
4. Finally, final checks are carried out to check the compliance of the work with the design data.

In the specific case of the construction of a road, or a square, in beaten earth, where there are vertical structures, drains, manhole covers or inserts in marble or stone, it will be necessary to carefully take care of the compaction even in the most difficult points because, although aforementioned, the combination of aesthetic quality and mechanical performance will only be satisfied if optimal compaction is guaranteed. In some cases, where the compaction system with a steam roller is not effective, it will be necessary to use suitable compacting means such as vibrating plates or manual compactors. The technical service of laboratory TERRA SOLID ITALIA, present on site for site start-up assistance (checks on the packaging of the mixture and its laying are foreseen)

Thank you Mr. Giovanni for the opportunity he offers us to make more aware of the potential of our technologies Naure Stabil Road which, as industry experts now know, are often the best eco-friendly solution for the stabilization and consolidation of natural earthen floors.

Less known but equally notable are the results obtained in stabilizing marine sands. The high content of chloride salts and the presence, sometimes massive, of organic and silty clay substances make sea sand almost unusable in the construction sector.

Even if used with due diligence, and in compliance with the washing treatments it requires, sea sand remains the least reliable in the construction sector.

Less known but equally notable are the results obtained in stabilizing marine sands. The high content of chloride salts and the presence, sometimes massive, of organic and silty clay substances make sea sand almost unusable in the construction sector.

Even if used with due diligence, and in compliance with the washing treatments it requires, sea sand remains the least reliable in the construction sector.

In the stabilization sector, TERRA SOLIDA technologies are able to reduce the actions of the harmful components of sea sand in the following way:

1. The absence of metal armor (which is not necessary) and the combined action of the complex salts makes the corrosive and disruptive action of the chloride salts ineffective; 
2. The harmfulness of organic substances is canceled out through the formation of gels – colloids; 
3. Through the dispersing action of the hydraulic binder (also cement or lime) and of the finer components, within the silty material, the effectiveness of the binder itself is increased, thus giving the support correct and homogeneous mechanical resistance.

From previous experiences, as stated above, it can be stated with certainty that the TERRA SOLIDA system allows marine sands to be stabilized with excellent results, whether they come from coastal areas, lagoon strips or even deep dredging in the open sea. Excellent results have recently been obtained in the stabilization of silty-organic sands coming from the coastal area of ​​Grado (GO), for the construction of a driveway.

It may happen that it is necessary to remove, partially or totally, a flooring made with SOLID EARTH technology, for example unpaved dirt roads, cycle paths, various stabilized surfaces, etc.

The demolition of these floors is carried out by mechanical milling and the new intended use of the affected area will be decisive in the choice of disposal operations or any new stabilization.

Only in the event that the area is to be used as agricultural land, or in any case intended to be recomposed as a green area, will it be necessary to completely remove both the flooring and the substrate and remove the material as required by national and local mandatory laws; subsequently it will be necessary to bring back some vegetable soil suitable for the intended use. In all cases where the flooring needs to be restored, we will proceed with the technique of stabilizing the milled material by milling and stabilizing the soil in situ.

The material resulting from the demolition of the road can in fact be bonded again with SOLID EARTH technologies, thus guaranteeing excellent chromatic uniformity and texture of the work. In these cases, the intervention of one of our laboratory technicians is very important.

If, on the contrary, the resulting material is not to be reused, it can be peacefully disposed of as normal waste.

The particular SOLID TERRA technologies are versatile and allow not only the creation of low environmental impact flooring that is durable over time but also the ability to remove and subsequently repair any portions that need to be demolished while fully respecting the environment.

Dear Alessandro, I infer from the "aesthetic character" question that you could be a landscape architect. In any case, we thank you for the opportunity you give us in responding to you.

Earth flooring was and is certainly the first, most widespread and cheapest flooring used.

Earthen paving has always been the simplest to create: nature teaches that natural paths, such as tracks marked by the transit of animals, are always the best ways to travel, precisely due to the effect of the natural compaction of the soil which this reason possess: 

1. a more resistant surface than the surrounding ground;
2. less compliance of the surface when passing through; 
3. almost total absence of vegetation which cannot grow on asphyxiated ground and with continuous transit (and which makes the route itself recognisable);
4. no need for materials and maintenance; 
5. practically no construction costs.

The development of human activities and the growing needs for movement and transport have made it necessary to develop, over time, different types of flooring, aimed at ever greater performance; Among modern technologies, black bituminous conglomerate pavements seem to be the most suitable for the transit needs of today's means of transport.

Over time, the historical, landscape and environmental value of old earthen floors has been increasingly devalued but now there is a real need to deal with the constant disturbance of the landscape: the innovative, completely natural technologies of Terra Solida allow create a dirt road that responds to both historical-landscape and structural needs.

Very often it happens that it is necessary to stabilize paths where, for the reasons described above, stabilized landfill materials are present which, from a geological and landscape point of view, have nothing to do with native soils; in this case the use of colored earth or natural pigments makes it possible to give the on-site flooring an appearance of absolute coherence with the surrounding environment so as to be able to cancel the environmental impact without having to remove the material on site: the use of natural pigments, considering the peculiarities of Terra Solida technologies, if necessary, it is not only possible, but strongly recommended.

Dear Mrs. Enrico, thank you for this question through which we will be able to clarify the topic of slopes on natural dirt roads, but not only that, very important for a correct technical evaluation and optimal construction of the pavement.

The construction of sloping roads has constraints related only to the operation of the machines used. In particular, the construction of roads with slopes greater than 20–25% becomes difficult to complete due to the danger involved in laying or milling operations and especially rolling: the danger of slipping or even overturning of heavy vehicles can seriously endanger the operator safety and should therefore be avoided.

However, it must be considered that dirt roads rarely have gradients above 15-18%, also due to the objective difficulties that motor vehicles have in having to then travel along them.

However, it is possible to evaluate specific materials and techniques for installation and compaction, should the stabilization of very steep paths become necessary.

Dear Mr. Marco, thank you for this question which allows us to give space to evaluations which, in the design and construction of specific paving for stabilized dirt roads, are sometimes overlooked.

It goes without saying that the following considerations can be extended to car parks, cycle paths, roads in general, etc. etc. to stabilize. It should be noted that the principle of STABILSANA, the active component of the eco-friendly binder NATURE PREMIX, is based on the peculiar action of complex salts which perform seven main functions:

1. The neutralization of active organic substances that affect the formation and stability of bonds;
2. The formation of gel – colloids with the organo-mineral material present in natural soils, in order to increase mechanical performance;
3. The reduction of intergranular cohesion which prevents the homogenization of the conglomerates with natural soil;
4. The dispersion of clay minerals in the mixture so as to allow the binder to take root on the coarser grain size fractions;
5. The dispersion of the binder (cement or lime) in the earthy material, to favor a homogeneous distribution of the same and to maintain the original color of the soil;
6. The limitation of the harmful consequences determined by the withdrawal without the need to use metal mesh or polymeric fibers, which are poorly suited to integration with the environment;
7. The drastic reduction of the effects induced by freeze/thaw on the hardened natural conglomerate.

The peculiar potential of STABILSANA, an exclusive technology of TERRA SOLIDA ITALIA, involves the use of natural materials for the construction of roads, therefore the functionality and behavior of the paving created with this technique will depend on the type of raw materials used and their chemical characteristics – physical.

In the particular case of roads built in a harsh climate and with high slopes, it will be necessary to evaluate the availability of earth-aggregate mixtures in which the inert fraction has frost-proof characteristics and high resistance to abrasion: in this case the road pavement may possess characteristics of high load-bearing capacity, the hardening phenomenon of the hydraulic binders will be irreversible and the flooring will have excellent durability. The freeze-thaw cycles, the action of studded tires or chains in case of ice and the use of snow-removal vehicles, determine mechanical actions such as to be able to destroy in a few months the road pavements made in a careless manner (asphalt and concrete included), therefore the TERRA SOLIDA laboratory will always evaluate, with its own technicians, the design of the mixture to be stabilized and the methods of execution of the work.