FUNDAMENTALS OF WINTER MAINTENANCE
BASIC TRUTHS OF WINTER MAINTENANCE
The primary rule of winter maintenance is: “Never let the precipitation bond to the road.”
If you do bad things will happen to the people who use the roads and it will cost much more to remove the hard pack from the pavement.
Sand only melts ice when the sun shines on it.
A 5 yard load of salt costs $550.00 to spread and only gives $100.00 of value when the temperature falls to 20F.
Vehicles driving over a snowy road get 30% less fuel mileage as compared to bare pavement.
It costs businesses $1,000,000 to have 10,000 people an hour late for work
Poor winter maintenance is a political liability. Taxpayers are unhappy when schools close, they wreck their cars or get to work late.
Descending temperatures have a dramatic affect on the performance of melting agents
THE SPREAD SHEET BELOW SHOW THE SPREADING COST OF 5 CY OF SALT, VALUE LOST AND VALUE REMAINING AS TEMPERATURE DROPS.
temp spreading cost % loss value lost value remaining
30F $573 0% $0 $573
25F $573 69% $395 $178
20F $573 81% $464 $109
10F $573 89% $509 $64
At 20F the taxpayers pay $573 for you to spread a 5 CY load of salt and get only $109 in melting value.
SALT INSTITUTE DATA – LOSS OF MELTING CAPABILITY OF SALT
temperature pounds of ice melted by 1 pound of salt % loss
30F 46.3 —
25F 14.4 69%
20F 8.6 81%
15F 6.3 86%
10F 4.9
5F 4.1 91%
0F 3.7 92%
Please note the biggest drop in the melting capability of salt is between 30F and 25F. It is best to wet the salt at all temperatures below 30F. It helps the salt to stick to the pavement and accelerates the action at all temperatures.
CAN WE RECLAIM THE LOST VALUE OF SALT RELATED TO TEMPERATURE?
YES! By adding liquids with a low eutectic point (freezing point) we can reclaim the lost value of salt. The melting action will slow down as the temperature falls, but you can still have a slower, but active melt at zero Fahrenheit where salt would have lost over 90% of it value and would not melt the frozen precipitation on the roads.
The application of salt paste is not a magic wand. Based on temperature, and the rate and type of the snowfall, snow will accumulate on the pavement, but the melting action will continue under the snow and the snow will not stick to the pavement, allowing it to be efficiently plowed from the road.
A salt paste application at the end of the storm also gives excellent value. In most instances it will prevent a refreeze as the temperature falls after the storm, substantially reducing overtime in response to a police call for slippery roads. A single truck kept on duty after a storm could treat
20 miles road to prevent icy spots. Most Highway Departments know the areas that cause problems. Shaded areas, north facing slopes, steep hills and difficult intersections can be easily and econonomically treated to prevent problems that result in a call out by Police.
If you want us to work with you, Reed Systems, with over 40 years of experience working with Highway Departments across the United States and Canada to initiate successful, proactive winter maintenance programs, can provide the equipment, materials and knowledge to help you develop a modern anti icing program resulting in safer roads while reducing cost.