COMPARISON OF LIQUID AND SOLID CHEMICALS FOR ANTI-ICING APPLICATIONS ON PAVEMENTS

Tests designed to assess the anti-icing properties of several chemicals that are potential candidates for winter highway maintenance were performed. Included in the test scenario were different application rates. Meteorological conditions were closely monitored to compare the efficacy of each chemical given a certain weather combination. The Saab friction tester was used to monitor friction levels on test sections to quantitatively monitor the effectiveness of each anti-icer. Statistical methods were used to correlate the collected data. The test also included observations of the handling properties of the chemicals, ease of application, and the effect of traffic on the sections, but these results are not provided. Overall anti-icing is effective, liquid chemicals were for the most part more effective than solids, and during this test, at low application rates, none of the chemicals appeared to be effective at temperatures below -6 deg C (21 deg F).