CHEMICAL AND MECHANICAL WEEDING IN ROAD MAINTENANCE

KEMISK OCH MAEKANISK ROEJNING INOM VAEGUNDERHAALLET

THE REMOVAL OF BUSHES AND OTHER VEGETATION WHICH OBSTRUCTS VISIBILITY ALONG THE ROADS IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE ROAD MAINTENANCE. IN THIS PAPER A COMPARISON IS MADE BETWEEN MECHANICAL AND CHEMICAL METHODS EMPLOYED IN SUCH WEEDING AND CLEARING WORK. TECHNIQUES AND EQUIPMENT ARE DESCRIBED, ESPECIALLY THE WEEDING CARRIED OUT BY THE NATIONAL SWEDISH ROAD ADMINISTRATION. CHEMICAL WEEDING, I.E. THE SPRAYING OF THE VEGETATION WITH ARBORICIDES CONTAINING PHENOXY ACIDS, PROVED MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE AND ECONOMICAL THAN MECHANICAL CLEARANCE. IN 1971 THE USE OF SPRINKLING AGENTS CONTAINING PHENOXY ACIDS WAS PROHIBITED, DUE TO SUSPICIONS THAT THE CHEMICALS COULD CAUSE LESIONS TO PEOPLE AND ANIMALS. MECHANICAL CLEARANCE USING SIMPLE TOOLS HAS PROVED TO BE INEFFECTIVE BUT COULD BE ACCEPTED AS RELIEF WORK DURING PERIODS OF LOW EMPLOYMENT. IN RECENT YEARS, TRACTOR-MOUNTED FLAIL MOWERS HAVE BEEN USED WITH GOOD RESULTS. THE COSTS OF WEEDING AND CLEARING WORKS ARE DISCUSSED. IN SWEDEN THE ANNUAL COST OF CHEMICAL WEEDING WAS CA SCR. 50 PER ROAD KILOMETRE (1970). MANUAL MECHANICAL CLEARANCE COSTS WERE APPROXIMATELY SCR 250 PER KILOMETRE AND MACHINE CLEARANCE USING FLAIL MOWERS CA SCR 60 PER KILOMETRE.

• Corporate Authors:

  Examensarbete

  Fack
  Stockholm S-100 44,   Sweden 
• Authors:
  • SIMONSSON, B
• Publication Date: 1973

Language

• Swedish

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 32 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Chemicals; Chemistry; Costs; Herbicides; Highway maintenance; Highways; Machinery; Maintenance; Mowers; Roadside; Weed control
• Old TRIS Terms: Mechanical equipment
• ITRD Terms: 7165: Chemistry; 224: Cost; 2755: Highway; 3847: Maintenance; 2489: Weed control
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Vehicles and Equipment; I61: Equipment and Maintenance Methods;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00080669
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Report/Paper Numbers: R&D Rept.
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 6 1975 12:00AM