The Australian road network is a multibillion-dollar asset covering about 800,000 km of which two-thirds are unsealed. Annually $6 billion is spent on construction and maintenance of roads, of this $1.5 billion is spent on unsealed roads. Unsealed roads are faced with significant issues including; dust control, road washouts, safety concerns, vehicle damage and moisture degradation. The drive for economic and sustainable solutions has led to the use of novel additives such as enzymes in pavements.
Enzymes stabilizers are a concentrated liquid derived from naturally occurring organic materials. Soil stabilization with enzymes has been successfully applied to pavements producing durable and dust-free roads. However, little research is available on the reaction mechanism and its durability, in order to assess this, microscopic and nanoscience have driven analytical techniques and mechanical tests were conducted. The results indicate densification as a possible stabilization mechanism, emphasising an improved strength across moistures and reduced permeability. As a result, this provides a cost-effective road construction solution.
Currently, further research is investigating incorporating other additives with enzymes to provide greater strength improvements.
