A Comparison of Alternative Chemicals for De-icing Operations

This paper presents the results of an extensive field study on the comparative performance of alternative materials for snow and ice control of parking lots and sidewalks. Approximately 300 tests were conducted in a real-world environment, covering four alternative materials, and 21 snow events. Each of the alternatives is compared to regular rock salt in terms of snow melting performance - bare-pavement regain time. The study confirmed the relative advantage of these alternatives over the regular salt, but also showed that their performance varied largely depending on some external conditions. Performance models were calibrated and then used for developing application rate adjustment factors which can be applied by maintenance operations for determining the optimal application rates for specific weather events and pavement conditions.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AHD65 Winter Maintenance. Alternate title: Comparison of Alternative Chemicals for Deicing Operations
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Hossain, S M Kamal
  • Fu, Liping
  • Lake, Roberto
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 93rd Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC
  • Date: 2014-1-12 to 2014-1-16
• Date: 2014

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 26p
• Monograph Title: TRB 93rd Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Computer models; Deicing; Deicing chemicals; Field studies; Halite; Parking lots; Sidewalks; Winter maintenance
• Uncontrolled Terms: Application rate (Salting)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Pavements; Planning and Forecasting; I62: Winter Maintenance; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01515943
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 14-4797
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 26 2014 10:38AM