The Department of Public Works is implementing new anti-icing practices this winter season. It is the department’s belief that anti-icing applications and pre-wetting road salt will reduce the amount of salt used during the winter season and provide clearer roads for Sheboygan residents. They also issued a snow plowing update on social media and the city website during the last snowstorm. The plowing update was posted on sheboyganwi.gov, Nextdoor, and Twitter to better inform the public of the status of the plowing operations. They will continue to use the City social media sites for plowing updates during major snowstorms this winter.
According to US Department of Transportation, more than 116,000 Americans are injured and over 1,300 are killed on snowy, slushy, or icy pavement and nearly 900 people are killed and nearly 76,000 people are injured in vehicle crashes during snowfall or sleet.
A Marquette University study “Accident Analysis in Ice Control Operations” found that applying road salt reduced crashes by 88%, injuries by 85% and accident costs by 85%. Deicing pays for itself within 25 minutes after salt is spread.
The DPW purchased a brine machine this fall and will be manufacturing brine this winter season for snow and ice operations. The city can now apply brine directly to the road surface and pre-wet the salt before being applied to road.
The direct application of brine, also known as anti-icing, can be applied to road surfaces up to three days prior to a snow event. Applying the brine to the roadways will prevent the snow and ice from forming a bond with the road surface. By preventing the bond it becomes easier to remove the snow from the roadway. The brine is dormant until it comes in contact with precipitation. According to the Salt Institute, anti-icing can reduce the total quantity of salt used during a storm by up to a factor of four.
The DPW recently purchased two plow and salt trucks that have the capability to apply brine directly to the road surfaces. DPW intends to pre-treat the main arteries prior to snow events. You may have noticed the white strips that resemble chalk lines were visible on the main roads after the city applied the brine prior to the last snowstorm.
All DPW salt and plow trucks now have the capability to apply brine to the salt as it applied to the road surface. Applying brine to road salt is called pre-wetting. According to recent studies, pre-wetting salt can reduce salt usage by 30%. By pre-wetting the salt with brine prior to being applied to street, it is activated and starts working when it comes in contact with road, whereas dry salt needs to come into contact with precipitation before it will to start work. When dry salt is applied to roadways, researchers have found that up to 30% of the salt bounces and scatters into the curb lines. Pre-wetted salt does not bounce as much and stays in the roadways.
Research conducted by the College of Engineering at Montana State University concluded that “Anti-icing and pre-wetting both present a viable option in reducing materials applied to roadways and maintenance costs while providing safer traveling conditions. Both practices also lead to less corrosion and environmental impacts due to snow and ice control operations”.
I would like to thank our dedicated staff in the Streets Department, who will work long days and overnight shifts to plow our city streets after a snow event. Their hard work allows us to be able to get up in the morning at get to our destinations.