Connie Fortin – Fortin Consulting Incwww.fortinconsulting.com

The Latest in Smart Snow and Ice Control

This talk is based on excerpts from the Minnesota voluntary certification program

www.pca.state.mn.us/programs/roadsalt.html

The Situation

SALT USE forSAFE TRAVEL

Permanently Polluted

Water

WINTER

How does salt affect our waters and what can we do about it?

Salt becomes invisible but it doesn’t disappear.

It mixes with water and stays in solution.

• Chronic standard for Chlorides:230 mg/l= 1 teaspoon salt in 5 gallons

water

The U.S. Government has standards for pollutants

National: Exceedances of EPA Water Quality Criteria for Cl

6739/5266 1383/995

# of Sites 12 6 21 6 29 15 7 7 11 12 17 14 5 19 22 6 3 162 50

Comparison of lake chloride concentrations in 39 Minnesota lakes and rock salt purchases by the state of Minnesota (Novotny et al. 2007).

1 ton of rock salt ($50) causes greater than $1,450 in corrosion damage to bridges, vehicles, and environment (TRB Report)

Ali Akbar Sohanghpurwala- Road Salt Symposium 2008 (photo and fact)

Working with the maintenance industry is the key to safe surfaces and clean water

Storage areas are #1 risk for ground water contamination. If your pile contaminates the ground water you will be held responsible

Store on impermeable pad and covered

Storage: Liquids

Be safe: Secondary containment

or double wall tanks

Plan for year round storage

Do not use salt just to get rid of it at the end of the winter.

How salt works

Speed of MeltingPavement

Temperature º FOne Pound of

Salt (NaCl) MeltsMelt Times

30252015

46.3 lbs of ice14.4 lbs of ice8.6 lbs of ice6.3 lbs of ice

5 min.10 min.20 min.1 hour

1050-6

4.9 lbs of ice4.1 lbs of ice3.7 lbs of ice3.2 lbs of ice

Dry salt is ineffective and will blow away before it melts

anything

Know the Lowest practical melting temperature for each material

Chemical Lowest Practical Melting Temp.

Eutectic Temp. Optimal Concentration

Sodium Chloride 15º F -6º F 23%Magnesium

Chloride -10º F -28º F 27 to 30%CaCl2 (Calcium

Chloride)-20º F -60º F 30%

CMA (Calcium Magnesium

Acetate)

20º F -18º F 32%

KAc (Potassium Acetate) -15º F -76º F 50%Blends Talk to supplier Talk to supplier Talk to supplier

Winter Sand/Abrasives

Never melts -- traction only

Never melts -- traction only

Use application rate tables! www.pca.state.mn.us/programs/roadsalt.html

Our rates are low, they are a good target, not a starting point

Calibration should be the backbone of

your snow and ice program!

Yearly Calibration

Pg 10

Calibration separates the top performing organization from the

average organizations

If you are applying materials with only your eyes to judge. Look for better ways!

500 300

Almost twice the rate doesn’t “look” that different

Many types of equipment can be calibrated:

Projected Results

Average potential reduction in salt application rates: 62% for parking lot/sidewalk

36% for roads

Integrating Liquids• Good for public safety• Improved performance• Cost effective• Better for the environment• IT IS IN YOUR FUTURE

The purpose of deicers is to prevent the bond from forming between the pavement and the

ice, not to melt the ice. We only need to melt this little layer

Pavement

Ice

Without the bond the plow, shovel or snow blower will do a great job

Pavement

Ice

It will take 10 times more work and/or 4 times more chemical to

break a bond than to prevent a bond

Pavement

Ice

Anti-icing – Applying liquids before the storm

EnviroTech

LCS

4 Hours Later

• The snow will accumulate but the surface underneath is wet

• The bond is weak

The time to get your site back after the

storm will be reduced if you anti-ice

You will not have trouble with frost if you have anti-iced

Anti-icing is like frying eggs

Wet salt increases the speed of melting! Salt can start working NOW, no delay.

Mixing liquids with dry salt

Center 1/3Outside 1/3 Outside 1/3

9% 9%12% 12%

4%

30%

46%

78%

Pre-wet

Dry

Salt Retrieved from 24ft. pavement Unretreived

salt

Michigan Highway Department

With wet salt you can use 30% less….just turn down your application rate.

Two good options for adding liquids:On the truck or on the Stockpile

Pre-wet Pre-treat

Potential Cost Savings

Hypothetical Example:

Material Cost/ton Amt. needed

Total cost

Dry salt $70 10 tons $700

Wet salt $90 6.6 tons $594

Rock salt: 617 tons (68%)MgCl2: 80 tons (65%)

Photo taken by Bobak Ha’Eri http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/

Mississippi River

Saved $55,000 the first year

Reduced:

Road salt 41%

Mag chloride 51%

Sand 99%

1 year after Training:

Actual Results

• As for the state budget…The salt savings at the U of MN alone in one year ($55,000) more than paid for one year of training across the state.

Minnesota’s Next Steps

Twin Cities Metro Area Chloride Management Plan

•Minnesota is developing a Twin Cities metro area chloride management plan. Emphasizing working partnerships between industry and environment

•Will result in better understanding of our lakes and rivers

•Based on water quality information salt reduction targets will be given based on geographic areas (2014). They will be formulated to protect good water and to restore polluted water

•Tools are being developed to help organizations assess their operations and move towards lower impact practices

•No practices will be mandated. Maintenance operations will have flexibility in making changes appropriate to their organizations to achieve salt reduction targets.

For more information contact: Brooke Asleson MPCA Project Manager: 651-757-2205 brooke.asleson@state.mn.us www.pca.state.mn.us/oxpg9f1

Housekeeping Section:Chart your current and near future practices

Now Near Future

Practices Internal Code

internal calculation

Bulk salt pile uncovered

1 Move from 1 to 2 = 1% reduction

Bulk salt pile tarped

2 Move from 1 to 3 = 5% reduction

Bulk salt pile indoors

3

standard best practice

Advanced best practice

Remedial practice

Move from 2 to 3 = 5% reduction

What type of training is available in your area?

Can you provide useful tools to help maintenance professionals make better decisions?

The future is in our hands