Posted by Joseph Filosi on Mon, Feb 01, 2010 @ 12:20 PM
DirtGlue Polymer-Think of it as shrink wrap for your stockpile!
When I think of stockpile capping I think about the infomercials for shrink wrapping. Wouldn't it be great if we could just stick a stockpile in a bag, suck out the air and not worry about it. No matter how hard the wind blows or the rain falls, the pile would be completely contained. We wouldn't have to worry about airborne dust, erosion or any other compliance issues.
But in the real world most stockpiles are covered with tarps, held in place with stakes and sandbags. In windy conditions loose ends flap in the breeze causing the tarps to tear. In the winter tarps freeze, crack and fail. Now it's a vicious cycle, new tarps, more sandbags and stakes, more expense.
Now I know the shrink wrap bag idea is not very practical, but there is a capping solution that offers many of the same advantages. Consider spraying your stockpiles with acrylic polymer. Polymer's unique properties make it the ideal choice for most pile capping applications. Unlike traditional stockpile caps that just cover the pile, polymer soaks right into the pile, bonding with the material to create an
incredibly strong three dimensional matrix cap. And like shrink wrapping its completely seamless.
DirtGlue polymer has unique properties that make it the ideal choice for most pile capping applications. Our polymer is a strong, completely non-hazardous, water-soluble product engineered to bond soil particles together. Plus, our DirtGlue Polymer product is formulated with built in ultraviolet protection, this means a DirtGlue cap is not only strong but durable. As a matter of fact many of our DirtGlue treated stockpiles have lasted over a year, even after prolonged sun exposure.
The advantages of using DirtGlue Polymer become apparent right from the start. Forget the time consuming process of installing tarps using stakes and sand
bags. With a DirtGlue application you just mix the DirtGlue with the appropriate amount of water and spray the pile. The application goes quickly saving time, materials and labor cost! The DirtGlue cap meets the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System requirements for erosion control as well as the U.S. EPA requirements for reducing particulate matter.
So if you have a problem with your stockpile contact us, I know we can help.
Posted by Joseph Filosi on Wed, Dec 30, 2009 @ 03:39 PM
Every year wildfires consume many millions of acres of forest in the USA. This represents a serious loss of valuable natural resources. Fires affect forest communities in many ways. In the short-term, fire consumes vegetation, downed woody debris, and soil organic matter. Fire-caused changes in soil productivity and forest structure directly affect future vegetation development, which, in turn, influences soil loss to erosion. These and other immediate effects of fire continue to shape forests long after any flames have passed (footnote 1).
After wildfires, the understory of the forest is destroyed. The plants that hold the topsoil in place preventing erosion are gone and a layer of ash covers the ground. If the ash and topsoil stay in place long enough for new growth then all is well but more often than not thunderstorms wash much valuable topsoil and the ash that covers it down slope into streams and rivers. The clean water in these mountain streams becomes turbid with ash and soil particles, killing fish and other aquatic life. The ash and soil eventally settle out as sediment. This sediment destroys the clean gravel base that typically makes up the mountain streams and rivers preventing or minimizing spawning. No spawning and the fish populations are further reduced.
This common phenomenon can be controlled through the use of water-based acrylic polymers. The ultimate goal is regrowth of the small understory plants to prevent erosion naturally. The application of the water-based acrylic polymer will glue the ash and topsoil in place long enough to permit the desired regrowth.
Typical applications of polymer can be accomplished with tanks, pumps and hoses where terrain is not to difficult. In extremely difficult terrain aerial applications may be made. These applications can be made with dilute polymer alone or with native seeds to speed recovery. DirtGlue Enterprises offers an environmentally friendly, water-based, acrylic polymer emulsion with the capabilities important for this type of application.
1. Literature cited, Forest Fire in the US Northern Rockies