Up from the Mud

The astonishing news came from Wilmington, Del. this week that scientists have discovered how to eliminate mud. The secret: a chemical treatment that keeps soil dry in spite of hell & high water.

Developed by the Hercules Powder Co., which worked on the problem for many years, the new method involves a powdered resin called Stabinol. The powder is spread on the soil, a few pounds per square yard; then it is harrowed in six inches deep and the soil is packed hard with a steam roller. The result is a smooth, dry surface that sheds water like a duck's back. It is good for tennis courts, athletic fields, earth dams--and especially for roads. The Army has already begun to use it for roads and airfields.

Derived from pine-tree sap, the powder is a cheap (less than $5,000 per mile of 40-ft. road), quick road-builder. It works something like sizing in coated paper; a mixture of about 1% of Stabinol in ordinary soil prevents water from penetrating in sufficient quantity to soften it. A resin-stabilized road stays so dry that even when it is covered with a layer of water a truck driven over it throws up a trail of dust. Stabinol does not waterproof sand (because sand lacks a binder to make it solid) and it does not work on ground that is already muddy. It is most effective in heavy clay that usually becomes gooey when wet.

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