Poorly managed haul roads are proven to adversely affect fuel economy and total road user costs as well as being a major maintenance and safety factor.
In a special case study commissioned by Dust-A-Side and conducted by a leading tyre manufacturer, Michelin at CEMA (Centre of Excellence Michelin Almeria) at their open air laboratory test centre in Spain, the impact of Dust-A-Side’s haul road management system on the fuel consumption of rigid dump trucks was assessed.
The test conditions were set to a reduced scale automated truck, at constant speed, with a pulling effort simulating a constant slope of 10% and on a Dust-A-Side stabilised road.
When comparing a stone-covered (untreated) reference track and a Dust-A-Side treated track, a substantial reduction in fuel consumption of 7.5% could be measured.
Uncertainties linked to the extrapolation to real-life operations, with different trucks and variable speeds and slopes, led Michelin to a reasonable conclusion that the overall reduction in hourly fuel consumption is 3% on average.
The reduction in fuel consumption observed by Michelin can be directly attributed to the reduction in rolling resistance realized with Dust-A-Side’s road management system.
An independent study undertaken by Road Safety Training Services at a mine in Australia found that:
“A Dust-A-Side treated sealed surface improved rolling resistance compared with unsealed surfaces; potentially in the order of 20-30% compared with a competent unsealed haul road.”
A similar study conducted over a 4-month evaluation period found that a Dust-A-Side road reduced the measured International Roughness Index (IRI) by almost 40% compared with an untreated control section of the same road, as shown in the chart below.
It is now widely accepted in the construction and mining industries that there is a strong correlation between rolling resistance and fuel consumption. However, rolling resistance also directly affects haulage production performance as can be seen in above chart. As rolling resistance increases, production efficiency reduces.
Dust-A-Side uses a total road user cost analysis that considers the impact of rolling resistance upon:
• Fuel costs
• Cost per tonne hauled (productivity)
• Tyre costs (wear rates and premature failures)
• Equipment and maintenance costs (wear and fatigue)
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