Field Test of Organic Deicers as Prewetting and Anti-Icing Agents for Winter Road Maintenance

Abstract

Salts, in both solid and liquid forms, are used in winter road maintenance because of their effectiveness in breaking and preventing the bonding of snow and ice to road surfaces. Because of the detrimental effects of salt on infrastructure and the environment, many alternative materials are being tested for snow and ice control during winter. This paper summarizes the results of field tests that compared two beet molasses–based materials with regular salt and salt brine when used as prewetting and anti-icing agents. The performance comparison was based on more than 100 h of friction readings along with high-resolution image data collected over nine snow events. Application rates, test route, and comparison methodology along with experimental results, recommendations, and potential for future research are also presented.