Balancing performance, budgets and environmental regulations is an increasing challenge

for road builders

Conventional soil additives can help stabilize local soils but their costs are increasing also
Liquid enzyme stabilizers work well and are more cost effective than conventional soil
additives
Soil stabilization technology has been repeatedly proven effective in comprehensive studies
This new technology is successfully in use in more than 30 countries worldwide
Why Soil Stabilization?
For road engineers and contractors in both the public and private sectors, finding a way to balance road
performance, limited budgets and tightening environmental regulations is an increasing challenge.
Treatments that improve the long-term performance of conventional pavements are becoming less and
less cost-effective. Road budgets - especially for maintenance, seem to shrink annually relative to the
task at hand. Environmental regulations mandating dust control and sediment control for road shoulders
and unpaved surfaces continue to tighten. Moreover, common amendments such as gravel and well-
graded soil for upgrading road structures are becoming less available and increasingly expensive.

For many years, road engineers have used additives such as lime, cement and cement kiln dust to
improve the qualities of readily available local soils. Laboratory and field performance tests have
confirmed that the addition of 6% to 10% of such additives can 'increase the strength and stability of such
soils. However, the cost of introducing these additives has also increased in recent years. This has
opened the door widely for the development and introduction of other kinds of soil additives including
highly cost-effective liquid enzyme formulations.

Liquid enzyme soil stabilizers can significantly enhance the properties of the soil used in the construction
of road infrastructure. Results include a better and longer lasting road with increased loading capacity
(CBR) and reduced soil permeability. Stabilization with the right brand of liquid enzmes can lower a road's
construction and maintenance costs while increasing the overall quality of its structure and surface.

The promise that soil stabilization technology can actually improve the mechanical qualities of local road
soil so that stronger, more durable roads can be built has prompted multi-lateral banks and national road
ministries around the world to conduct extensive testing to verify that this new technology is truly cost-
effective. For example, a comprehensive two year World Bank study in Paraguay confirmed the benefits
of soil stabilizers.

The result is that this new advance in “soil stabilization” technology is increasingly being used in both
constructing and improving/rehabilitating unsurfaced and paved roads worldwide. It has been used with
excellent and consistent results in more than 30 countries including the US and Canada, and countries in
Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Scores of successful projects have been completed, including
rehabilitation of nearly 300 kilometers in Honduras and almost 1,000 kilometers in Malaysia.
Increasing pressure on road engineers has opened the door for broader use of soil
stabilizers
The World Bank tested these newer, more cost effective soil stabilizers
The World Bank study found that while some soil stabilizers work very well, all brands did
not perform the same
World Bank Study -  Soil Stabilization
The increasing challenge for road engineers to maintain road performance, work within limited budgets
and meet the tightening of environmental regulations has opened the door for the introduction of other
kinds of soil additive stabilizers including highly cost-effective liquid enzyme formulations.

Since the advent of soil stabilizers, road executives and construction engineers have sought to learn if
stabilizers actually work as advertised and whether there is a performance difference between the various
soil stabilizer brands on the market. The World Bank, with the implementation support of the Government
of Paraguay, funded a definitive study of the effectiveness of new soil stabilization technology on
secondary or rural roads and made the results available to the world road construction community.

This World Bank study, "Octavo Proyecto de Carreteras - Prestamo del Banco Internacional de
Reconstrucción y Fomento (BIRF) 3685-PA, shows that some soil stabilizers consistently showed
superior performance compared with untreated, adjacent test road sections. It also proved that there was
a significant performance difference between the soil stabilizer brands that were used in the test.
Request a copy of the World Bank Soil Stabilization Study
Use of local materials could solve construction cost and materials availability issues.
Mining, forestry and agricultural industries also have these needs
Roads using local materials and treated with TerraZyme experience several beneficial effects
TerraZyme stabilizes soil to superior density and load bearing strength
Treated soils can reach maximum compaction with less energy
Pore water is also decreased and water penetration is inhibited
How TerraZyme Works 
The decreasing availability and increasing cost of construction materials and uncertain economic climates
force engineers to consider more economical methods for building roads. An obvious solution is to use
locally available materials. However, all too often, these materials fall outside of required specifications.
This situation becomes even more critical when an increasing demand for roads in underdeveloped rural
areas and informal settlements comes into play.

Likewise, there are increasing pressures on the mining, forestry and agricultural industries to minimize the
production costs of their roads while delivering optimum performance and low maintenance costs. An
economically feasible solution for achieving these objectives is the use of enzyme soil stabilization.

Nature Plus, Inc. is a basic fermentor and formulator of soil treatment products that create enzyme
stabilization of base and sub-base soils used in road construction. We have found from our extensive
worldwide experience that enzyme stabilization is effective when the soil contains a sizable fine-grained
component. Little if any improvement is achieved in clean sands or gravels. In a study of the performance
of over 40 miles of road surfacing stabilized with enzymes, the US Federal Highway Administration found
that the best performance was obtained with well graded aggregates mixed with higher clay contents (5%
to 15% <0.002mm). Roads treated with TerraZyme experience a cation exchange effect, a clay-water
effect and an enzyme stabilization effect.

TerraZyme soil stabilization products are also designed to improve soil strength by increasing the density
of initial compaction and facilitating the removal of pore water, which minimizes the destructive impact of
water under conditions of loading. Combined with the impact of TerraZyme on the electrical double layer
of clay particles, these factors can promote the formation of a stabilized soil structure of superior density
and load bearing strength even in soils lacking a significant plastic fines fraction.

Field results indicate that soil treated with TerraZyme can reach 95% Modified Proctor with significantly
reduced compaction effort. These superior initial densities correlate with lower void percentages in the
treated and compacted road layer. Higher densities and reduced percentages of voids indicate that
realignment of soil particles may have occurred during compacting, thus allowing treated soil particles to
achieve closer proximity and higher strength.

The reduction in voids resulting from this realignment decreases pore water within the treated road layer
and inhibits water penetration. This impact of the TerraZyme treatment process on soil structure
correlates with observed reductions in permeability.

Increasing pressure on road engineers has opened the door for liquid enzyme soil stabilizers
The World Bank tested a number of soil stabilizer brands and found that TerraZyme was a
performance leader
In a USAID test in Honduras, TerraZyme was the only soil stabilizer chosen for extensive use
The test looked at five key criteria and TerraZyme was chosen over all other commercial soil
stabilizer brands
In the end, TerraZyme was used to stabilize nearly 300 kms of roads
Typically, 25% of the Malaysian palm nut oil harvest must be left in the fields due to road
washouts from monsoons
TerraZyme was chosen to stabilize Malaysia's extensive plantation roads, resulting in harvest
increases and dramatic savings in road maintenance
RAP paving is gaining support because it greatly increases CBR loading, is cost efective and
requires less gravel or pavement to maintain strength needs
A 4.5 km TerraZyme-stabilized RAP road saved $1 million for the Montana Bureau of Indian
Affairs
TerraZyme Test Results
World Bank Study

The increasing challenge for road engineers to maintain road performance, work within limited budgets
and meet the tightening of environmental regulations has opened the door for the introduction of highly
cost-effective liquid enzyme soil stabilizers. The World Bank, with the implementation support of the
Government of Paraguay, funded a definitive study of the effectiveness of new soil stabilization
technology on secondary or rural roads and made the results available to the world road construction
community.

This World Bank study, "Octavo Proyecto de Carreteras - Prestamo del Banco Internacional de
Reconstrucción y Fomento (BIRF) 3685-PA, showed that TerraZyme was a leading soil stabilizer,
performing effectively in the stabilization of the clayey, sandy clay and salty sand soil types. Request a
copy of the World Bank Study.

USAID Study

Further, in a USAID-funded project to rehabilitate roads devastated by Hurricane Mitch in Honduras,

TerraZyme was the only soil stabilizer chosen for extensive usage. One objective of the project
states: “Rebuilding Better – The USAID Honduras reconstruction program should do more than just
replace what was lost; it should be an opportunity to transform the country into something better - the
development of improved design specifications and use of new technologies in road rehabilitation”.

This objective required rebuilding critical roads with the best technology possible, within the government's
budget constraints. To achieve this, a number of commercial soil stabilizers were evaluated as to:
• environmental safety
• evidence of extensive road stabilizer experience (500 plus Kms)
• verified technical support and applications consulting program
• cost effectiveness
• actual performance on 5 – 6 Kms of demonstration roads.
 
Of the products evaluated by USAID/RECAP, only TerraZyme Soil Stabilizer was chosen for extensive
use on the nearly 300 kilometers of roads stabilized in the project. 
Request a copy of the USAID Study.

Malaysia

The largest contributor to the Gross National Product of Malaysia is palm nut oil, which is harvested from
plantation-grown palm oil trees. Complicating the oil harvest is the monsoon season, which occurs each
year at harvest time. Typically, approximately 25% of the harvest must be left in the fields due to road
washouts.

FELDA, the national plantation authority, choose TerraZyme to stabilize the country's extensive plantation
roads and make them less subject to washout during the monsoon season. Under the supervision of
Nature Plus’s regional distributor for Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, stabilization proved a great
success, with nearly 1,000 kms of roads receiving TerraZyme treatment. The results included a
substantial increase in the percent of palm oil harvested and a dramatic savings in road maintenance.
Further work has been completed by Mr. Teo in Thailand and Indonesia. Request a copy of the PORIM
report.

Bureau of Indian Affairs – Montana, USA

Recycling of old asphalt (RAP) pavement is gaining wide support and practice in road building. Cold in-
place recycling uses existing aggregate material, is highly cost-effective and solves the alternative
environmental problem of disposal. Field and laboratory experience shows clearly that mixing and
stabilizing RAP with soil increases the CBR loading by two to three times, thus providing a stronger base
for subsequent surface coatings such as chip and seal and asphalt paving. Because they are so much
stronger, RAP roads require less gravel or pavement to reach necessary strength requirements.

A 4.5 km RAP road reclaiming project for Montana's Bureau of Indian Affairs delivered, according to the
Bureau's field director, an estimated $1 million savings from accelerated project completion and material
and transportation costs. This was possible in part because the application costs of TerraZyme are
generally much lower than a conventional lime or cement stabilization treatment. Liquid application is
much simpler, product costs are lower and transportation costs due to TerraZyme's concentration are
much lower as well.
Request a copy of the full report.

Awareness of TerraZyme's powerful benefits is increasing worldwide

For governments that need to invest in superior roads...
...TerraZyme delivers powerful performance and financial benefits for paved roads...
...and unsurfaced roads
TerraZyme even helps the environment
Shouldn't you consider TerraZyme for your road project?
The Benefits of Using TerraZyme
“There are never enough monies to keep our roads up”! “Why don’t they last longer”? “We just
do the best we can with our budget”! “If we knew how to build them better, we would!”

While common, such comments are becoming a thing of the past as road departments worldwide
increasingly become aware of the powerful benefits of using soil stabilization technology and in particular,
TerraZyme Soil Stabilizer.

Governments need to invest their monies in building superior roads that have:
  
a) reduced construction costs
b) longer useful lives
c) minimal road maintenance costs
d) better wear qualities
e) increased transport capacity
f) greater passenger comfort
g) lower vehicle operating costs
h) reduced traffic accidents
i) excellent environmental safety
 
TerraZyme Delivers!
 
For paved roads, stabilizing the base and/or sub-base layer with TerraZyme:
1. Improves the soil structure sufficiently to achieve confirmed savings of 25% to 30% in paved road
construction costs.
2. Strengthens the road structure of highways needing repaving and eliminates the need to remove
and dispose of old asphalt. Recycling and stabilizing asphalt increases structure strength two to three
times.
3. Strengthens base layers and sub-base layers in preparation for chip and seal operations.
4. Increases the capacity of the road surface to support traffic loads.
5. Reduces such common road surface problems as cracking and surface loosening.
6. Reduces the cost of purchasing and transporting construction materials for road reconditioning by
reusing in-situ materials and upgrading and improving poorer quality local soils.
7. Extends the useful life of asphalt and concrete road surfaces and stabilizes highway road
shoulders. Construction savings of 10% to 25% can be achieved from reduced aggregate and hauling
needs.

For roads remaining un-surfaced, stabilization with TerraZyme:

1. Improves structural integrity and load capacity, and reduces the occurrence of serious defects
such as pot holes and rut formation, resulting in fewer maintenance needs.
2. Strengthens base layers and sub-base layers for construction or restoration of rural or forest
highways.
3. Decreases the loss of aggregate and fine material and lowers dust formation
4. Yields significantly more durable surfaces and longer road life on secondary roads, with at least
75% lower maintenance costs (based on a 4 year study done by FELDA in Malaysia and reported by
PORIM). Request a copy of the PORIM report.

Environmental benefits:

1. Minimizes material loss of surface gravel on soil roadways due to erosion or abrasion by traffic.
2. Reduces the ongoing cost and environmental impact of the purchase, transport and spreading of
replacement gravel.
3. Reduces health and cleanliness concerns by impeding the occurrence of dust from loose fine
material on road surfaces. Dust reductions of at least 75% occurred in our Canadian program.
4. Minimizes the harmful production and use of crushed rock and historical mineral stabilizers in
road construction and maintenance.
5. Reduces fuel usage associated with frequent, short interval road repairs.
6. Lessens the impact of open gravel mines and pits. TerraZyme allows maximum leveraging of
existing sources.
7. TerraZyme Soil Stabilizer has passed the stringent environmental tests of Environment Canada.
There is no limit placed on importing and usage in Canada.
8. Reduces potential for loss-of-control vehicle accidents due to loose gravel.

TerraZyme delivers stronger, longer-lasting roads at lower costs than conventional road designs. It is also
better for the environment. Contact Nature Plus today to see how TerraZyme can improve your project
plans.
TerraZyme offers significant cost alternatives to standard road designs
Compared to this standard road design...
...this TerraZyme design can save 20% to 30% in costs...
 
...or up to 40% with this design
The Economics of TerraZyme
Road stabilization with TerraZyme offers significant economic alternatives to standard road designs. In
the following examples, TerraZyme-stabilized road options are compared to standard road designs. Note
that design strength has been maintained while costs have been significantly reduced.
Standard Road Design

AASHTO Structural Number modeling is supported by lab and field tests of stabilized materials to verify
strength comparisons between design options. Using published correlations, standard test measurements
are related to CBR values and structural coefficients, allowing cost comparisons between designs of
similar strength.
TerraZyme Alternative #1

Alternative #1 Maintains the standard design strength while reducing or eliminating costly materials
through stabilization of local materials or economical material blends for typical cost reductions of 20% -
30%. Laboratory verification of soil blends can be performed before project execution.
TerraZyme Alternative #2

Alternative # 2 improves the standard design through stabilization of available materials blended to
optimize gradation and plasticity. The result is a maximum increase in stabilized strength. Note that
savings of 40% are possible by thinking outside of the standard design and road materials. Cost
comparisons to matching structural upgrades using traditional materials and designs generally favor
stabilization.