AN EXPERIMENT IN WINTER MAINTENANCE WITHOUT THE USE OF DEICING AGENTS CARRIED OUT IN THE CANTON OF ZURICH

THIS EXPERIMENT WAS ORIGINALLY BEGUN AS A RESULT OF THE UNPRECEDENTED INCREASE IN THE USE OF DEICING SALT AND THE SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE CAUSED TO ROAD SURFACES, CULTIVATED AREAS AND WATER SYSTEMS. IT IS NECESSARY TO REDUCE CAREFULLY THE USE OF DEICING AGENTS WITHOUT REVERTING TO PREVIOUS DEICING METHODS SUCH AS SANDING AND SPREADING CHIPPINGS. THE EFFECTS OF SUN, TEMPERATURE AND THE CONDITION OF ROAD SURFACES WERE DETERMINED BY MEANS OF AUTOMATIC WEATHER MONITORS. THE CONDITION OF SPECIFIC ROADS WAS ALSO PHOTOGRAPHED. DURING THE THAWING PERIOD DEEP TRENCHES WHICH COULD ONLY BE DEALT WITH BY MEANS OF DEICING SALT, FORMED IN A VERY SHORT TIME. THE NUMBER OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS REPORTED DID NOT RISE DURING THIS EXPERIMENT. HOWEVER THE OPPOSITE WAS TRUE IN THE CASE OF MINOR ACCIDENTS. IN ORDER TO OBTAIN INFORMATION CONCERNING THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE SHOCK ON ROAD SURFACES, TEMPERATURE PROBES WERE INSTALLED AT DIFFERENT LEVELS. IN CONCLUSION, FOR THE PURPOSE OF COST COMPARISON, THE METHOD WAS COMPARED WITH THAT OF WINTER MAINTENANCE BY MEANS OF DEICING SUBSTANCES. FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF THE CONFERENCE SEE IRRD ABSTRACT NO 304856.