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Best Practices for Road Weather Management Version 2.0

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Title:

Anti-icing Operations with Prewetted, Fine-Graded Salt: FHWA Winter Maintenance Test and Evaluation Project #28 Final Report

Abstract:

The Wisconsin DOT, in cooperation with the Brown and Columbia County Highway Departments, conducted a two-year study of various gradations of road salt used during winter storm events in an anti-icing application. The objectives of the study were to document the advantages of two finer gradations of prewetted salt used during the anti-icing operations and to evaluate the ability of current salt spreader equipment to distribute various gradations of salt. The four task study consisted of laboratory and field testing of prewetting rates, field observations of winter maintenance activities and analyses of the data collected during actual storm events. Results from two years of data collection were inconclusive due to the minimal number of storm events documented. The finer gradation salt produced a faster salt brinde reaction but did not last as long as the standard gradation salt causing the need for repplication of the finer grade salt. Additional study of various gradations of prewetted road salt at various application rates is recommended.

Source(s):

Wisconsin DOT, Bureau of Highway Operations. For an electronic copy of this resource, please direct your request to WeatherFeedback@dot.gov.

Date: 1998

Author:

Martinelli

Keywords:


Anti-icing/deicing chemicals
Snow
Ice/Frost
Winter maintenace
Winter storm

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