METHODS AND REASONS FOR CUTTING USE OF SALT IN FINLAND

Current standards in Finland require that all roads with average daily traffic above 6,000 be treated with salt through the winter. Sodium chloride is used in solid, prewetted, and liquid form, typically 120,000 t/winter. Calcium chloride is used as prewetter or in liquid form; annual quantities are less than 200 t. The application rates of salt vary from 5 to 40 g/sq m. The main argument against road salt has been the proven or suspected effects on groundwater resources, partly because of the glacial origin of Finland's soil. Thus, the pressure to minimize or even stop the use of salt has increased. One example shows that after an area of groundwater was contaminated, it took about 30 years for the soil to return to normal. The new strategy for reducing salt use is to use only prewetted salt and liquid salt whenever sensible. Low-volume roads are no longer treated. Accurate and fast snow clearing is one of the basic issues: dual-blade plows and hydraulically extendable plows have been developed for better snow and slush removal.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1993/1387/1387-013.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=METHODS+AND+REASONS+FOR+CUTTING+USE+OF+SALT+IN+FINLAND&author=R.+Kuusela&author=T.+Raukola&author=H.+Lappalainen&author=A.+Piirainen&publication_year=1993
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309054583
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1387, Snow Removal and Ice Control Technology; Papers presented at the 3rd International Symposium on Snow Removal and Ice Control Technology, September 14-18, 1992, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Kuusela, Rauno
  • Raukola, Tapio
  • Lappalainen, Heikki
  • Piirainen, Antti
• Conference:
  • Third International Symposium on Snow Removal and Ice Control Technology
  • Location: Minneapolis Minnesota
  • Date: 1992-9-14 to 1992-9-18
• Publication Date: 1993

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 89-92
• Monograph Title: Snow Removal and Ice Control Technology. Papers Presented at a Symposium, September 14-18, 1992, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1387
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Calcium chloride; Deicing; Groundwater; Improvements; Snowplows; Sodium chloride; Sodium chloride; Utilization; Wetting
• Uncontrolled Terms: Prewetting; Reduction (Decrease)
• Geographic Terms: Finland
• Old TRIS Terms: Groundwater effects
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Research; Vehicles and Equipment; I62: Winter Maintenance;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00636266
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309054583
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Sep 3 1993 12:00AM