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Growth in soil stabilization
Soil stabilization typically uses cement, lime or fly ash to increase the load bearing capacity of the soil. "This in turn helps dry out the material and give you a more constructable material to work with," Kowalski says.

Site-Prep of NC, based in Monroe, NC, actually uses its reclaimer/stabilizers for roughly 65% soil stabilization and 35% FDR. "We have different machines that we use for soil stabilization," says John Edwards. "Over the years, through job costing, we have been able to determine which machines are more adequate for certain applications and, from a cost standpoint, which ones are more profitable to run in certain applications.

"Some of the larger, higher production machines we own are predominantly for FDR work," he continues. "They are more expensive to operate. There is higher fuel consumption. The added production sometimes is not needed on a soil project. But we also use those machines on soil projects that require deeper depths utilizing lime and cement and deep stabilization."

Midstates Reclamation and Trucking, Lakeville, MN, has been involved in FDR since 1992. FDR currently represents 40% of its business. According to Tom Johnson, it has become such an accepted practice in Midstates' primary markets, he actually sees more opportunity in stabilization. "Soil stabilization is what is really going to catch on," he asserts. The company is ready, with its six reclaimer/stabilizers set up for both tasks, including teeth that can handle either application.

American Road Reclaimers, Sycamore, IL, just recently expanded into soil stabilization. "The first couple of years, we just did reclamation," says Joe Tyrrell. "Then we branched out and started doing the stabilization. The last couple of years, it has been pretty much split between FDR and soil stabilization. You have a machine that is capable of doing both."