APPLICATION METHODS

CALCIUM CHLORIDE
AS A
DUST SUPPRESSANT
General Information

Calcium chloride is classified as a salt.

Calcium chloride is non-toxic

Key Properties:

Hygroscopic – which means it can absorb moisture from the air and/or from the road.

Deliquescent – which means it can dissolve into the moisture it absorbs forming a clear
liquid that does not evaporate easily.

These two key properties make Calcium Chloride an excellent dust suppressant; this
ability to pull moisture from seemingly dry air maintains the road at a fairly uniform level
of moisture. The result is a binding effect on the fines in the gravel road, thereby
stabilizing the base and preventing dust.

The Calcium Chloride sucks up moisture keeping it in the road thus reducing dust,
that’s why the road looks darker.
 Three Forms of Calcium Chloride:
FLAKE – comes in 20-25 kg bags or 1000 kg tote bag, with a 77% to 80% calcium
chloride content and water of crystallization.

PELLET- comes in 20-25 kg bags or 1000 kg tote bag, with a 94% to 97% calcium
chloride content and less than 1% of water of crystallization.

LIQUID – comes in tanker loads with the chemical in 32, 35, 38% concentrations.

Recommend ordering the FLAKE in 20-25 kg bags makes it easier to handle and store.

STORE IN A DRY WELL VENTILATED ROOM WITH GRAVEL OR

WOODEN FLOOR AVOID STORING ON A CONCRETE FLOOR

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Calcium Chloride is EXOTHERMIC – which means it releases heat as it dissolves.
(Good de-icer for snow or ice)
Heat Reaction can raise the temperature when mixing with water in a tank making the
water hot enough to burn so all workers should be made aware of this.
Calcium Chloride is CORROSIVE

All workers should wear dust respirators (masks) to avoid inhaling the chemical.

All workers should wear goggles to protect eyes.

All workers should wear rubber boots, rubber gloves and coveralls when handling
Calcium Chloride.
Potential Health Effects

Inhalation:
Granular material does not pose a significant inhalation hazard, but inhalation of dust
may cause irritation to the respiratory tract, with symptoms of coughing and shortness of
breath.
FIRST AID – Remove to fresh air, keep patient warm and at rest, obtain medical
attention

Ingestion:
Low toxicity material but ingestion may cause serious irritation of the mucous membrane
due to heat of hydrolysis. Large amounts can cause gastrointestinal upset, vomiting,
abdominal pain.
FIRST AID – Induce vomiting immediately as directed by medical personnel.

Skin Contact:
Solid may cause mild irritation on dry skin, strong solutions or solid in contact with moist
skin may cause severe irritation, even burns.
FIRST AID – Wipe off excess material from skin then immediately flush skin with
plenty of water for at least 15 minutes. Remove contaminated clothing and shoes. Obtain
medical attention.

Eye Contact:
Hazard may be either mechanical abrasion or, more serious, burns from heat hydrolysis
and chloride irritation.
FIRST AID – Immediately flush eyes with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes, lifting
lower and upper eyelids occasionally. Obtain medical attention immediately.

Obtain medical attention immediately for any of the above conditions.

 ROAD PREPARATION AND
APPLICATION
Select all roads to be treated and measure width and length.

Determine how much you need.

Manufactures’ recommended application rates for flake calcium chloride:

1 to 1.5 pounds of flake per square yard for newly treated roads.
.5 to 1 pound of flake per square yard for roads treated the previous year.

Width (ft) x Length (ft) divided by 9 ft = Square Yard

Example: Road measures 300 meters = 900 feet long x 30 feet wide,

30 x 900 = 27000 divided by 9 = 3000 square yards

3000 square yards x 1 pound = 3000 lbs for a newly treated road.
3000 square yards x .5 pound = 1500 lbs for a previously treated road.
MOBILE EQUIPMENT

Material Spreader - to distribute the calcium chloride

Water Truck with spreader - bar to water the roads

Grader with scarifyer blades – for road base preparations and mixing

Compactor – use for road compaction

Liquid sprayer – used for mixing flake with water and spraying as a liquid brine
solution.

Eliminates the use of a material spreader and water truck.

PUBLIC AWARENESS

Prior to commencing the application of calcium chloride the public should be advised
that the Municipality will be applying the product.

Make announcements on the radio, stating where and when dust control will be taking
place; that the roads will be slippery when wet for a short period of time, and that the
general public should stay away from the area until the work is complete. The public
should avoid walking or driving on the wet surface.

Ensure the Health Centre knows what is going on and provide them with a ‘Material
Safety Data Sheet’ (M.S.D.S) on Calcium Chloride.

M.S.D.S. is provided to the Hamlet by the Calcium Chloride supplier.

APPLICATION METHODS
Three application methods are available. Method 1 & 2 is to be used in all situations
depending equipment available. Method 3 (surface application only) is to be used only if
the road is in poor condition and no gravel is available for top dressing.

Prior to commencing any of this work the roads should be well graded and in good
condition adding new gravel if necessary. A straight-line crown of ½” per foot has been
found to be most satisfactory.

Method #1

1. Barricades and signs should be erected at each end of the roadway being treated to
advise public that a dust control project is underway. Flag persons may be
required to redirect traffic.

2. Water the road until it is lightly saturated.

3. Blade windrows to the sides of the road using the top 2 to 3 inches of road.

4. The chemical should loaded into the spreader hopper using safety precautions.
5. Apply the calcium chloride to the full road width evenly. Remember to calculate
how much is required per length of road and spread that amount evenly.
6. Spread water until calcium chloride is dissolved.

7. Blade windrowed material back over the road several times (3 full times/nine
passes) to blend in the calcium chloride solution.
8. Shape and compact the treated road
Additional water may be required if white patches are present. Careful not to over wet
the road as it will take longer to cure.

9. Wash all equipment thoroughly at the end of each days work to remove all traces
of calcium chloride.
Method #2

1. Barricades and signs should be erected at each end of the roadway being treated to
advise public that a dust control project is underway. Flag persons may be
required to redirect traffic.

2. Fill Liquid Sprayer half full with cold water and add calcium chloride flake using
safety precautions.
Top up tank after the flake is added. (No more then 18 bags (22 kg) should be added
to the 500 gallon tank.)
3. Apply the calcium chloride to the full road width evenly. Remember to calculate
how much is required per length of road and spread that amount evenly.
4. Blade windrowed material back over the road several times (3 full times/nine
passes) to blend in the calcium chloride solution.

5. Shape and compact the treated road

6. Wash all equipment thoroughly at the end of each days work to remove all traces
of calcium chloride.
 Method #3
Surface application only is to be used only if the road is in poor condition and no gravel
is available for top dressing.

1. Barricades and signs should be erected at each end of the roadway being treated to
advise public that a dust control project is underway. Flag persons may be
required to redirect traffic.

2. Water the road until it is slightly saturated.

3. Blade and compact the road.

4. The chemical should be loaded into the spreader or sprayer using the same safety
precautions used in method #1 and #2

5. Apply the calcium to the full width evenly. (Measure the amount required for
length of road) .5 or 1 pound per square yard.

6. If using the spreader, water the road until all the calcium chloride is dissolved.
It’s better to water lightly and gently so you don’t wash away the chemical into
the ditch.

7. If using the sprayer no additional watering is required.

8. Wash all equipment thoroughly at the end of each days work to remove all traces
of calcium chloride.
Method # 4 Not recommended
Conclusions:

Method #1 or #2 is the best; applying and blending calcium chloride into the top 3” of
road surface, then compacting it thoroughly will leave you with and nice hard road
that should give you a dust free season.

If the road begins to become dusty late in the summer rewatering will activate the
calcium chloride and enable the road surface to remain hard and dust free.
Manual prepared by:

Leo Caouette

Hopec Enterprises Ltd.

Box 187
ST. Paul, AB T0A 3A0
Ph #780 614-1279 Fax #780 645-7752
[email protected]