November 17,2014; 9:30PM,EST
See larger image below.
Salt has always been applied to roadways since it lowers the freezing point of any water it comes into contact with. Traditionally, this was accomplished by applying solid rock salt before and after snowfall to reduce ice and snow. However, this strategy is only effective when temperatures are above 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
These actions would be considered de-icing, which is removing snow and ice after the weather event has occurred. The limitations of these actions have led transportation departments to implement new strategies to combat winter weather.
However, a study sponsored by the New York State Department of Transportation determined that, "In recent years, there has been a growing transition from reactive strategies to more proactive strategies."
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Winter Weather Center
A
worker at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation facility dumps
salt into a truck as they make preparations for an expected winter
storm, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)Roadway crews are now using more effective measures to prevent dangerous road conditions. Using salt brines, which is any liquid salt mixture, before anticipated snowfall was discovered to be more effective than using solid rock salt.
Brines have the same melting characteristics of solid rock salt, but since it is applied in liquid form, the salt can begin to work immediately. The brines are also more effective in lower temperatures.
The use of brines is known as anti-icing or pre-wetting measures.
Anti-icing can be accomplished by using traditional salt brine (usually a 23 percent salt solution, derived from rock salt) and applying to roadways in preparation for snow and ice. Alternate sources of brine, including agricultural by-products such as beet juice, are also being used in certain states.
Using salt brines proves not only to be more effective on roads, but it is also cost effective. It takes four times less salt to prevent ice accumulation than to remove ice after it has formed.
"Anti-icing is currently recognized as a pro-active approach to winter driver safety by most transportation agencies. Pre-wetting [using salt brines] has been shown to increase both the performance of solid chemicals and abrasives, as well as their longevity on the roadway surface, thereby reducing the amount of materials required," the study said.
Combined with accurate weather forecasts, anti-icing is a more proactive technique for winter transportation safety. "Brine provides improved road surface conditions and allows for safer travel," the study concluded.
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- Val GavalI don't believe the salt brine is more effective.It creates a layer if slippery slush under the snow and that is why when we get 1 or 2 inches of snow the roads are treacheous.You slide all over that one inch or 2 inches of snow instead of sinking into it thus you have no traction because you are riding on slush.
Jim Teal III · Follow · Minneapolis, MinnesotaInteresting anti-brine arguments here, but I can tell you from experience I'd much rather drive on the greasy slush in Rochester, NY than the pack ice in Minneapolis-St. Paul. The main reason is slush behaves predictably, whereas ice can hide under fresh snow, come out of nowhere and take the road from underneath you.
Joshua Miller · Top Commenter · Undercover Agent, posing as Oil Changer at Curtin Livery at Curtin TransportationWhy don't they do a study on how this salt brine is DESTROYING the cars of the tax payers in the states that use it. My state uses this,,,, STUFF,,, and I work on cars for a living,, I can say we've had more brake lines blow in the last two years than the 5 years before it. The stuff sticks to cars and ANY hint of rust will be increases 10 fold when this stuff gets in it. The truckers SCREAM all the time about the brine because it causes air hose failure and brake can failure as well as eating the undercarriage of the trucks. To top it all off,, I haven't noticed much different in HEAVY snow between the rock salt and the brine,,, the roads are still pretty horrible when it snows heavy snow,, when its light fluffy snow it makes a difference,, but not much. Well,,, guess that's why we have free will to either go to work,, or not go to work when it snows,, like today is a NOT go to work day,,, although technically its my day off.
ENJOY THE SNOW!
Shawn Begin · UMass Dartmouth
Mike Wells · Wichita, Kansasit might melt snow at first , but it gets diluted and refreezes making it icy..in my opinion just plain salt is way...
Paul Raymond · Works at Weis Marketsbig question is not works better but is the salt brine mixture the reason why the potholes are getting worse every year?
David Lathrop · Top Commenter · CD Eastall you salt fanatics are nutz as gen george patton would say - do you people have any idea what the all this salt - salt brine --- what ever.... is doing to our water, our environment & by the way it is killing off our fish, & other wild life. how much salt do you think they are DUMPING onto our millions of miles of roads? I'm sick of it. does any body even give a crap? It's rusting our cars & you should see what it does to our trucks! spread sand! & gravel --- not salt! sand is bad enough --- but at least it won't pollute our water & kill my grass & bushes..
Bob GatesLook into beet juice (processed, not raw).
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