While KERSL’s current operations are geared more towards services such as professional development training in the areas of industrial automation and mechatronics, Korsika Energy Research and Services Ltd has both a “service” goal as well as a “research” goal. KERSL’s “research” goal is to research into applied technologies that are cost-effective, reliable and has the potential to help Ghana leapfrog in its industrialization process. These technical solutions could be based on home-grown technology or the application of proven technologies that have been tried around the world. As an example, KERSL has collaborated with U.S. and South African partners to promote the Ionic Soil Stabilizer (ISS 2500) as a low-cost method of constructing long-lasting, hardened, non-asphalted road surfaces for accelerated feeder roads development. The technology makes use of the in-situ material, the packed soil that makes up the dirt road, and turns it into a hard, wear-resistant surface, capable of handling heavy traffic for years with minimal maintenance. ISS permanently alters the soil, allowing maximum compaction and preventing the reabsorption of water.

There are TWO main uses of the ISS 2500:

The treatment of the wearing course material for a gravel (untarred) road
A wearing course material needs to be selected that has a certain amount of clay to assist in binding the material. The ISS-treated layer does not absorb water and thus mud and other associated wet-weather problems are not present during the wet season. The higher density results in a greater resistance to abrasion lowering material loss at the surface and reducing dust. The life of an unsealed road depends on the material, traffic type and volume, and design (e.g., provision of adequate drainage is essential).

Construction of a sealed road
In this case, the main requirement for the selection of a suitable material is its bearing capacity
Soils with large clay content have LOW bearing capacity because they have a tendency to absorb water after compaction. The ISS 2500 is especially designed to treat these substandard or marginal materials by altering their clay-water relationship and rendering these previously unsuitable materials suitable.

A comparison of the conventional method of feeder (untarred) road construction with the chemical stabilization method using the ISS 2500 shows that a cost savings of as much as 40% can result from the use of the ISS 2500 method. For more information on how the ISS 2500 works, see the following Youtube Video

Useful information can also be found from the following documents, provided by kind permission from our business partner, Road Material Stabilizers (Pty) of South Africa.

• Gravel Road Improvement
• LBS Asphalt Surfacing
• Dustex – Product Description