COMPACTION OR REMOVAL OF WET SNOW BY TRAFFIC

OBSERVATIONS WERE MADE OF THE FREE-WATER CONTENT OF SNOW ON ROADS AND ITS BEHAVIOR UNDER TRAFFIC. A TAPLEY DECELEROMETER WAS USED TO MEASURE THE SKID RESISTANCE OF THE SNOW-COVERED ROADS. IT WAS FOUND THAT SNOW HAVING FREE- WATER CONTENT OF LESS THAN 15 PERCENT WAS COMPACTED BY TRAFFIC AND FORMED A SLIPPERY SURFACE ON WHICH A DECELERATION VALUE OF 0.30 WAS MEASURED. SNOW WITH A FREE- WATER CONTENT BETWEEN 15 AND 30 PERCENT WAS USUALLY NOT COMPACTED BUT REMAINED ON THE ROAD IN A SOFT, LOOSE STATE AND GAVE DECELERATION VALUES OF 0.35 TO 0.42. THE EXACT BEHAVIOR DEPENDED ON OTHER VARIABLES SUCH AS DEPTH, SHAPE AND SIZE OF THE GRAINS. SNOW WITH A FREE-WATER CONTENT OF 30 PERCENT WAS REMOVED BY TRAFFIC. DECELERATION VALUES BETWEEN 0.40 AND 0.5/ WERE MEASURED ON THIS SURFACE, AND A VALUE OF 0.60 WAS MEASURED ON THE BARE, WET PAVEMENT. THE OBSERVATIONS CONFIRM THAT CHEMICALS NEED TO BE APPLIED ONLY IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE 30 PERCENT MELTING IF A DECREASE OF THE SKID RESISTANCE CAN BE TOLERATED. A MELTING OF 15 PERCENT WOULD PREVENT THE SNOW FROM BEING COMPACTED INTO AN ICE CRUST BUT USUALLY WOULD NOT CAUSE IT TO BE REMOVED BY TRAFFIC, AND THUS PLOWING WOULD BE RE- QUIRED. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/sr/sr115/115-009.pdf
• Corporate Authors:

  Highway Research Board (HRB)

  Washington, DC   
• Authors:
  • Schaerer, P A
• Discussers:
  • Ackley, S F
  • Gold, Lorne W
  • Brohm, David
  • Volz, M E
  • Kivisild, H R
  • Balmer, Glenn
• Conference:
  • Symposium on Snow Removal and Ice Control Research
  • Location: Dartmouth New Hampshire, United States
  • Date: 1970-4-8 to 1970-4-10
• Publication Date: 1970

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 97-103
• Monograph Title: Snow removal and ice control research
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Special Report
  • Issue Number: 115
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accelerometers; Compaction; Deceleration; Depth; Melting; Pavements; Shape; Size; Skid resistance; Snow; Snow removal; Traffic; Wet weather
• Uncontrolled Terms: Wet pavements
• Old TRIS Terms: Decelerometer; Free-water content
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Operations and Traffic Management; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00218685
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Apr 1 1971 12:00AM