HIGHWAY ICE DECTECTION

Ice detectors for activating a sign must be able to detect all icing events with high reliability and a low false alarm rate. Ice detectors do not always "see" the same icing condition the motorist does. Several reasons were noted for the apparent difficulty in maintaining an accurate detecting system. In pavement detection heads are often recessed to prevent damage by snowplows. As a result, water or ice may accumulate in the depression. The detector heads are made of a material different from that of the road and therefore can possess different thermal properties. Finally, the highway environment is harsh. Water, deicing chemicals, snowplow blades, chains and heavy trucks all abuse the inpavement detector heads. To date, no ice detector has solved all of the above problems.

• Corporate Authors:

  Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)

  Washington, DC  United States 
• Authors:
  • Brinkman, C P
• Publication Date: 1977-11

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; References;
• Pagination: p. 34-36
• Serial:
  • Transportation Engineering
  • Publisher: Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Deicing; Deicing chemicals; Drivers; Heavy vehicles; Highway safety; Pavements; Psychological conflict; Reliability; Snowplows
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Pavements; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00170442
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 12 2000 12:00AM