TO SALT OR NOT TO SALT?

The authors claim that current procedures for salting roads in winter are inefficient and damaging. They discuss practical methods of reducing costs and adverse effects of salting. Possible sources of error in the forecast and treatment of icy roads are examined. It is envisaged that current road meteorological conditions will be monitored and a computer will be used to forecast changes in road conditions during the next few hours. However the model of the microclimate over a road surface needs to be updated at regular intervals. Factors effecting salt spreading rates are examined; the significance of preventative and removal salting is explained. Preventative salting requires an accurate forecast of future conditions to ascertain the correct spreading rate. Selective spreading of salt on known trouble spots can be carried out if the road danger warning is in doubt. Thermal mapping may help to delineate this task. It is hoped that increased accuracy of road danger warnings will lead to a reduction of "oversalting". /TRRL/

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/02624079
• Corporate Authors:

  IPC Magazines

  66-69 Great Queens Street
  London WC2E 5DD,   England 
• Authors:
  • THORNES, J
  • WOOD, L
  • Blackmore, R
• Publication Date: 1977-2-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: p. 326-328
• Serial:
  • NEW SCIENTIST
  • Volume: 73
  • Issue Number: 1038
  • Publisher: REED BUSINESS INFORMATION LTD
  • ISSN: 0262-4079

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Costs; Deicing chemicals; Errors; Forecasting; Icy roads; Loss and damage; Mapping; Maps; Paint spreading rate; Preventive maintenance; Roads; Spreading; Temperature; Weather
• Old TRIS Terms: Spreading rate
• ITRD Terms: 2567: Black ice; 224: Cost; 1614: Damage; 2598: Deicing; 6440: Error; 132: Forecast; 4074: Map; 3602: Spreading; 6722: Temperature; 2545: Weather
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; I62: Winter Maintenance;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00153941
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Report/Paper Numbers: Analytic
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 20 1977 12:00AM