SNOW AND ICE REMOVAL FROM ROAD SURFACES BY ELECTRICAL HEATING

IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF STREET, EXPRESSWAY AND HIGHWAY SYSTEMS, THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS, AFTER PROPER DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION, ARE EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMICS OF OPERATION. ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS IS THE REMOVAL OF SNOW AND ICE FROM DRIVING SURFACES, ESPECIALLY IN THE CRITICAL AREAS OF A FACILITY WHERE OPERATION OF THE USUAL SNOW REMOVAL MACHINERY IS NOT PRACTICAL FOR DIFFERENT REASONS. ONE METHOD IS THE USE OF ELECTRIC HEAT. AN EXPERIMENT WAS STARTED 3 YR AGO TO MELT SNOW AND ICE AUTOMATICALLY ON THE ON AND OFF RAMPS OF THE F. G. GARDINER EXPRESSWAY IN METROPOLITAN TORONTO, CANADA. THE PURPOSE OF THE EXPERIMENT WAS TO ESTABLISH TECHNICAL AND ECONOMICAL FEASIBILITY, BEFORE LARGER FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS WERE MADE. THE EXPERIMENT WAS CARRIED OUT ON SITE UNDER ACTUAL TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. ELECTRIC HEAT WAS GENERATED BY MEANS OF IRON WIRE MESH MATS EMBEDDED UNDER THE PAVEMENT SURFACE USING BETWEEN 20 AND 30V. ELECTRICITY WAS TURNED ON AND OFF AUTOMATICALLY BY TEMPERATURE AND WEATHER DETECTION INSTRUMENTS. MANUAL MEANS WERE ALSO PROVIDED TO SAVE ON POWER WHEN POSSIBLE. EACH YEAR THE AREA OF THE EXPERIMENT WAS PROGRESSIVELY INCREASED AS TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC DATA ACCUMULATED. IN THE LAST YEAR OF OPERATION DURING THE WINTER OF 1963-1964, TWO COMPLETE RAMPS, ONE OFF AND ONE ON, WERE OPERATING UNDER TRAFFIC CONDITIONS AND WERE KEPT UNDER CONSTANT OBSERVATION. BETWEEN 30 AND 40 W/SQ FT OF AREA IS REQUIRED TO KEEP THE DRIVING SURFACE FREE OF SNOW AND ICE IN THIS ARE WHICH AVERAGES APPROXIMATELY 55 IN. OF SNOW PER WINTER. CAPITAL COST FOR A GOOD COMPLETE INSTALLATION IS ASSESSED AT 3.40 DOLLARS PER SQ FT. OPERATION COSTS 33 CENTS PER SQ FT OF HEATED AREA PER WINTER. BOTH COSTS MAY BE CONSIDERABLY REDUCED IN THE FUTURE. THE METHOD IS PRACTICAL, BUT DUE TO ITS HIGH COSTS SHOULD BE USED JUDICIOUSLY. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1965/94/94-003.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • 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:
  • George, J D
  • Wiffen, C S
• Publication Date: 1965

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 45-60
• Monograph Title: Maintenance practices
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 94
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automatic control; Costs; Crash investigation; Economic analysis; Economic factors; Electric heating; Highways; Maintenance practices; Mat footings; Pavements; Snow and ice control; Snow removal; Studies; Wire mesh
• Uncontrolled Terms: Mats; Pavement heating
• Old TRIS Terms: Economic considerations
• Subject Areas: Economics; Finance; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Pavements; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00217977
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Dec 12 1994 12:00AM