Airports have had good success with snow plows equipped with urethane blades. Their use, however, has been limited to pavements that are hard surfaced and, for the most part, smooth. In all cases, the pavements are treated with chemicals to retard or eliminate the bond between the snow and the pavement. Their effect on untreated pavement, rough roads, and gravel roads is unknown. Although airports report little problem with the wheels supporting their plows, the effect of rough surfaces and gravel roads on them is unknown.
Airports have no experience with preformed tape.
The effect on the tape of using urethane blades and taking the weight of off the blades is uncertain, but it is expected to result in less damage than is caused by carbide-tipped blades under VDOTs current practice.