PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF CULVERT AND ROAD ICING

COSTLY AND HAZARDOUS ICE COVERS ON HIGHWAYS OCCUR IN VERY COLD CLIMATES. PERIODIC WATER FLOWS UNDER SUFFICIENTLY HIGH HEADS ARE BLOCKED AND FLOW TO THE SURFACE WHERE THEY FORM ICE LAYERS. CONTROL OF THIS TROUBLE HAS USUALLY INVOLVED REMOVAL OF ICE BY MAINTENANCE CREWS, BUT THIS HAS FREQUENTLY INVOLVED LOSS OF USAGE OF THE HIGHWAY, BEEN EXPENSIVE, AND SOMETIMES OF ONLY TEMPORARY RELIEF. ACTIVE PREVENTIVE MEASURES HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED AS ALTERNATIVES IN THIS PROJECT. THIS REPORT DID NOT CONSIDER "HIGH MAINTENANCE" FIRE POTS, BUT THREE OTHER METHODS: (1) STAINLESS STEEL ELECTRIC HEATING CABLES - 2 SITES, (2) CHANNEL COVERS - 2 SITES, AND (3) CHANNEL IMPROVEMENT. SNOW AND TEMPERATURE RECORDS, AND SITE CONDITIONS ARE DESCRIBED. DESPITE COMPLICATIONS AND POSSIBLE INADEQUATE DESIGN, STAINLESS STEEL ELECTRIC HEATING CABLES CAN PREVENT ICING; FREQUENTLY AT A LOWER COST THAN ICE REMOVAL METHODS. CHANNEL COVERS DID NOT PROVE TO BE DEPENDABLE BECAUSE OF INADEQUATE ESTIMATIONS OF CLIMATIC OCCURRENCE, AND LOCAL HYDROLOGY. CHANNEL IMPROVEMENT WAS SUCCESSFUL SINCE INCREASED ICE STORAGE AREA PREVENTED ICING; HOWEVER, PREDICTIONS OF SOURCES OF ICING WATER AND NEEDED CHANNEL CHANGES MUST BE WELL PREDICTED. THE REPORT SUGGESTED THAT LOCAL CONDITIONS AND ECONOMICS OF THE HIGHWAY SITUATION WILL DICTATE ONE OR A COMBINATION OF ICE CONTROL MEASURES. FURTHER STUDIES OF THERMAL REGIMES AT ONE SITE WILL BE MADE AND HEAT CABLE INSTALLATIONS WITH MINOR CHANNEL CHANGES (ICE FENCES) WILL BE CONDUCTED AT TWO OTHER SITES FOR FY 1970. /BPR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Hpr-pr-adm, M 12105
• Corporate Authors:

  Alaska Department of Highways

  Pouch Z
  Juneau, AK  United States  99801

  Bureau of Public Roads /US

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Huck, R W
• Publication Date: 1969-9

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Crrel Research Reports, Army Dept /US/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Channels (Waterways); Culverts; Deicing; Electric cables; Electric heating; Highways; Ice prevention; Improvements; Stainless steel
• Candidate Terms: Highway economics
• Old TRIS Terms: Cover
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00218051
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Bureau of Public Roads /US
• Files: TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jan 5 2003 12:00AM