Winter1998 Newsletter New Approaches to Snow and Ice Control Quick look at some of the latest technologies and products Since the 1930's, state and local road agencies have used rock salt as the primary chemical for fighting ice build-up. Deicing and anti-icing Conventional winter maintenance operations employ a deicing approach.
Maintenance begins with removal of as much snow as possible during a storm.
When sufficiently softened or loosened from the pavement, crews plow the snow or ice off the roadway. Rather than reacting to ice formation, anti-icing methods seek to prevent snow or ice from bonding to pavement. Snowplows can then remove snow more easily to clear pavement, thereby providing safer roadways sooner. Prewetted salt also saves money, as it can be applied at a faster rate and uses fewer resources because the spreader can load more area. Several chemicals have been tested as alternatives to conventional road salt.