Identification of Cost-Effective Winter Maintenance Chemicals

The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) primarily relies on two liquid chemicals to fight snow and ice during winter storms. The eastern half of the state predominately uses salt brine, while the western half predominately uses magnesium chloride solution. At times, magnesium chloride, the more expensive chemical with the lower eutectic temperature, has been used when salt brine may have worked just as well. Similarly, salt brine, with a higher eutectic point, has sometimes been used at temperatures too low to achieve proper melting. Maintenance personnel in the Rapid City and Pierre Regions have also tried additives to salt brine that attempt to mimic the melting performance of magnesium chloride but with less residue that can cause thaw-drift-stick after storms. All chloride deicers (NaCl, MgCl₂, or CaCl₂) can damage highway infrastructure, especially bridge decks and injure the environment. The best winter maintenance chemicals for a particular location are those that perform effectively throughout the weather conditions that prevail there with the lowest cost and dispersal of chloride ions. Research is needed to determine which chemicals, additives, and concentrations each winter maintenance unit should stock to best respond to the conditions on its routes.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $70450
• Contract Numbers:

  SD2022-02

• Sponsor Organizations:

  South Dakota Department of Transportation

  700 East Broadway Avenue
  Pierre, SD  United States  57501
• Managing Organizations:

  South Dakota Department of Transportation

  700 East Broadway Avenue
  Pierre, SD  United States  57501
• Project Managers:

  Huber, Jacob

• Performing Organizations:

  DTN, LLC

  11400 Rupp Drive
  Burnsville, MN  United States  55337
• Principal Investigators:

  Hart, Bob

• Start Date: 20230401
• Expected Completion Date: 20240331
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Brines; Cost effectiveness; Deicing chemicals; Winter maintenance
• Geographic Terms: South Dakota
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01883389
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: South Dakota Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: SD2022-02
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: May 24 2023 2:33PM