Congratulations to the National APWA Excellence in Snow & Ice Award Winner The Village of Buffalo Grove! The newsletter details what and how they achieved such an industry prestigious award. “After their annual review, the Village of Buffalo Grove Public Works Department revised their winter maintenance plan for 2014 – 2015 to achieve the highest… Read more »
Ice Melt Science
Being Chloride Conscious On Small Sites
Even for small sites, over salting and inefficient maintenance can release chloride pollution in to the watershed you depend on for clean drinking water and a healthy ecosystem. This video highlights Winter Maintenance on small sites brought to you by: The University of Minnesota, Mississippi WMO, and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
DANGEROUSLY SALTY FRESH WATER? IT IS HAPPENING.
There is no denying the urban sprawl in America is spreading. Researchers found startling data in freshwater lakes of the Northern United Sates. Too many chlorides in salt can do damage to many areas of life, from killing off plants and trees or stunting reproduction of beneficial animal to environmental catastrophes like Flint, Michigan. Researchers… Read more »
Pavement De-icing: How to go “Greener” with Magnesium Chloride Liquids vs. Sodium Chloride Brine
For over 70 years, we have used sodium chloride(rock salt) to manage ice on roadways. 70 years ago there were only 32,000,000 vehicles on the roadways compared to over 250,000,000 today, an 800% increase. Needless to say, keeping driving surfaces clean has become 10 fold the job as it use to. Chloride emissions have also… Read more »
Application Rates Based On Temperature
Packaged ice melt generally has a “works to” temperature written on the bag. While bulk salt doesn’t have a label, anyone in the industry knows that bulk rock salt will melt to, at best, +5°F. Do you need the same amount of salt per area to melt ice at +25°F that you would for +5°F?… Read more »
Conversions, Measurements and More
1 Acre = 43,560 sq ft 1 Lane Mile = 63,360 sq ft 1 Lane Mile = 12ft x 5,280 ft 1 Cup of Rock Salt = 0.6 lbs 1 Ton = 2,000 lbs
How To Properly Store Your Salt Stockpile
By the time salt is spread on roads, it can already be millions of years old. Thankfully for motorists and snow removal companies, intact salt never loses its ability to melt ice, which means salt does not have to be used immediately. Salt that has been stored is just as effective as the salt that… Read more »