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Best Practices for Road Weather Management Version 2.0

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Title:

Improved Cutting Edges for Ice Removal

Abstract:

Laboratory tests were performed with a hydraulic ice-cutting rig to determine the effects of the geometry of the cutting edge of a snow plow blade on the force required to remove ice from a highway pavement surface. Test results indicated that the most important parameter was the clearance angle, and the associated flat width. Using this information a prototype cutting edge was designed and fabricated for field testing during the winter of 1991-92. Three different cutting edges were tested: the prototype cutting edge and two commercially available cutting edges. The prototype cutting edge was shown to be clearly superior to the othe two edges, cutting more ice with less downforce and thus resulting in greater vehicle control.

Source(s):

University of Iowa, Iowa Institute of Hydraulic Research; Prepared for Strategic Highway Research Program, SHRP-H-346

http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/shrp/SHRP-H-346.pdf

Date: 1993

Author:

Nixon

Keywords:


Maintenance vehicle
Ice/Frost

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