Evaluation of Liquid Deicing Materials for Winter Maintenance Applications

Winter weather can often pose difficulties for transportation agencies as they work to clear roads of snow and ice quickly so that motorists can travel safely and efficiently. Kentucky has made efforts to maximize efficiency within its winter maintenance program by focusing on optimized equipment usage and personnel time management. In this study, KYTC evaluated anti-icers and how their performance compared to the current performance of brine and calcium chloride mixture. New brine additives claim to offer better results, but there is very little guidance about how to systematically evaluate new anti-icers. Researchers were tasked with developing a testing methodology that could be performed in a laboratory setting to evaluate an anti-icer’s ability to “undercut”, or break the bond between pavement and ice. Four products were tested, as well as evaluated for price per lane mile when the additives were diluted with brine. The report concludes with a brief analysis of the environmental impacts of the additives, including effects on infrastructure and biosystems.