Anti-Icing Improves Road Safety
Using new anti-icing techniques, Kansas has found a better way to combat treacherous winter road conditions.
The Challenge
The Kansas Department of Transportation (DOT) sought a better way to combat snow and ice accumulation on roadways. The department normally uses the common deicing method of applying salt and chemicals after it begins to snow. The major disadvantage of this approach is that snow and ice already have begun to bond with the pavement, making snow removal more difficult and time-consuming.
Developing a Strategy
As an extension of the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP), Kansas DOT participated in an anti-icing test and evaluation project during the winters of 1993-94 and 1994-95 that used sodium chloride brine to reduce snow and ice bonding.
Putting the Strategy to the Test
Kansas DOT found that applying the sodium chloride brine to a stretch of U.S. 81 in north-central Kansas before it snowed quickened snow removal. "Our goal now is to spread anti-icing technology throughout the State," said Roger Alexander, district maintenance engineer for Kansas DOT. "The department wants to be on the cutting edge of emerging anti-icing technologies to improve our snow and ice operations."
What They Learned
The anti-icing experiment proved successful. During one storm many cars encountered icy pavements on the control section, but the test section road still provided safe driving conditions. The test project also showed, however, that determining whether to prewet pavements with the chemical solution depends on the weather. Under high-wind conditions, applying the chemical solution caused snow to remain on the test section, whereas the wind simply blew the snow off the untreated control section.
The Benefits
The anti-icing techniques succeeded in
- Reducing the amount of snow and ice bonding with the pavement.
- Making snow removal faster and easier.
- Improving safety for motorists.
