Technical Update ______

Snow and Ice Control Treatments – Abrasives Only

Winter weather events present roadway agencies responsible for Snow & Ice removal with options on treatment materials to improve roadway safety. Due to budgetary, equipment-related, or weather- related limitations, some local agencies might not be able to take full advantage of available treatment materials/options (see page 5). In this Route of Navigation (RON) technical update, we address the scenario where abrasives might be the only material available at the local agency for treating a roadway.

Material Types:

Abrasives Anti-skid materials or abrasives can be sand, blotter sand, fine stone, coal cinders, crushed rock, crushed gravel, crushed limestone, 7mm washed Gyra rock, metallurgical slag, natural river sand, ash, crushed coal boiler bottom ash, fly ash, tailings, ore, chips, brash, rubble, sawdust, aggregates, cat litter, coke, burned anthracite coal mine refuse, and rock quarry screenings. Caution: natural river sand is rounded (not angular), and sawdust and chips become slippery when wet. Abrasives are sometimes referred to as grits.

Abrasives have always played a significant role in snow and ice control. Even with newer technologies, strategies and understanding, abrasives will continue to have a place in effective snow and ice control programs. That role is very narrow and very clear. They are typically used when it is too cold for chemicals to work, on low volume and unpaved roads that have a low level of service (LOS), and in areas where significant friction is always required to maintain traffic flow (steep hills, etc.).

Abrasives by themselves are inert and do not melt snow and ice. The key thing about a good abrasive is angularity. The more rough, angular edges an abrasive has, the more friction it will provide. The use of abrasives has been a longtime reactive strategy as a low-cost approach to improving pavement friction in addition to plowing. However, when abrasives are placed on the road surface, they provide, at best, a very short-term or temporary increase in road surface friction and traction control. The longer an abrasive is on a roadway, the more it is broken into smaller pieces and its edges are rounded which reduces the amount of friction it provides. Also, as roadway traffic levels and speeds are increased, any benefit from abrasive use diminishes. Abrasives have substantial clean-up costs due to repeated applications that are needed. Abrasives can negatively impact water quality and aquatic species, air quality, vegetation and soil. Abrasives accumulate in storm water inlets and pipes and travel into waterways via storm water runoff and snowmelt. The risks include increased water turbidity from suspended solids, clogging of streams and storm water drains, and reduced oxygenation within the stream and river beds for macro-invertebrates and fish eggs. The detrimental environmental impacts of abrasives are generally greater than those of chemical deicers due to much higher application rates for abrasives.

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A typical abrasives standard shall consist of washed granular particles free of stones (3/8“or larger), loam, clay debris, and chloride salts or other corrosive substances, and shall be clean and hard with the following gradation: Sieve Percent by Weight Passing Size Minimum Maximum 3/8” 100 100 1/4” 95 100 8 50 75 16 20 55 50 0 10 200 0 2

Treating Gravel (Unpaved) Roads and Chip Seal Roads:

More gravel can be applied for safety on gravel (unpaved) roads. Salt cannot be used on gravel roads because it soaks in and will not bond to the gravel surface to make an ice melting “brine”. Sand or abrasives can be spread on hills, grades, curves, bridge decks, grade (railroad) crossings, intersections, and frost areas for rapid, increased traction on secondary roads and rural areas with no enclosed drainage. The following table presents the recommended practices for use of dry abrasives.

Table: Abrasive Use

Road Type Use of Dry Abrasives Rural roads, paved Only on low speed sections (perhaps hills and curves) Rural roads, gravel Only on low speed sections (perhaps hills and curves) Rural intersections Only on low speed approach length of gravel roads High speed urban roads Inappropriate Low speed urban roads Only in certain locations without enclosed drainage and when snowpack will persist Urban intersections Only when snowpack will persist

Gravel roads are usually treated with an application of sand after aggressive plowing operations. Since abrasives must stay on the surface to be effective, they should not be used when they will be covered with snow or blown off quickly by traffic. Always plow before applying friction improvement material to a snow-covered roadway. Plowing is the most cost-effective means of removing snow and ice from the gravel roadway. Reversing the order will result in plowing abrasive material off the roadway. On gravel roads the objective is to provide a hard surface with sufficient sand to provide reasonably safe driving conditions and maintaining a 1” to 2” accumulation of snow.

For information on treating asphalt, brick and concrete surfaces, please refer to some of the other RON publications, such as Abrasives with Salt and Popular Materials for Snow and Ice Control Treatments. As a general precaution, it is important to monitor use of abrasives to avoid buildups or accumulations of excess material (debris deposits) on roadways, especially on paved surfaces. Rounded abrasives can reduce friction below what can be measured on the surrounding pavement. It also must be

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cleaned off the pavement before motorcycle season. Loose piles of abrasives can cause motorcyclists (and other road users) to lose control.

Anti-icing is the application of an anti-icing material (such as salt brine, enhanced brine or rock salt) to the roadway prior to a snowfall event to prevent the bond from occurring between the snow and the roadway. Under the scenario where abrasives are the only material available at the local agency for treating a roadway, use of an anti-icing material would not be an available option.

Deicing is the application of a deicing material to the roadway after a snowfall event has occurred and the snow has bonded to the roadway. It is usually not cost-effective to apply salt alone at pavement temperatures below 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

Salt’s effectiveness can be increased by pretreating and pre-wetting. Under the scenario where abrasives are the only material available at the local agency for treating a roadway, use of pretreated or pre-wetted salt would not be an available option.

Pretreating is mixing a non-caking, liquid brine solution into the stockpile of salt before it is applied. It does not require changes to an agency’s plow trucks and requires no new capital investment for application equipment if it is applied by a vendor.

Pre-wetting is adding a liquid brine solution to the salt as it is being applied – either at the spinner or through a soaker pipe in the auger box to reduce bounce and scatter and to accelerate the melting process. Although pre-wetting requires some changes to an agency’s plow truck, it provides flexibility to switch the chemical makeup depending on conditions.

Brine prepared for this purpose is commonly used in anti-icing operations and for pre-wetting solid rock salt. Note that the Ohio Department of Transportation may sell brine to local government agencies at local sites where brine is produced. Contact your local ODOT facility for more details.

Snow and ice control treatments involving the use of liquid brine and salt are addressed in separate RON technical updates that discuss additional treatment materials/options (please see page 5).

These guidelines are a starting point. Reduce or increase rates incrementally based on your experience according to your local conditions.

Snowplowing on gravel roads shall commence after sufficient snow depth has accumulated as to impede the traffic flow and/or after snow compaction has occurred to minimize the gravel loss. Plowing shall commence following several minimal snowfalls and after an accumulation outside the driving lane impedes traffic meeting and passing.

Application Rates:

Application rates vary among different agencies, due to diverse weather conditions and roadway scenarios. The following abrasives application rates are for typical 24’ two-lane gravel or chip seal roads

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and at hills, curves, intersections, and accident scenes with excessive ice, during the specified pavement temperatures, with the listed precipitation. • Gravel (unpaved) roads: up to 2,400 lb./mile.

• Chip seal roads: up to 400 lb./mile.

Dry Road Surface, Light Snow Less Than 2”/Hour Above 32° F Above 32° F 32° F to 25° F 25° F to 20° F 20° F to 15° F Below 15° F (Rising) (Falling) Bridges and Icy Acceptable Recommended Recommended Recommended Spots Plow and treat @ Plow and treat @ Plow and treat @ Plow and treat @ Plow and treat @ Plow and treat @ 200 to 2,400 200 to 2,400 200 to 2,400 200 to 2,400 200 to 2,400 200 to 2,400 lb./mile lb./mile lb./mile lb./mile lb./mile lb./mile

Wet Road Surface, Light Snow Less Than 2”/Hour Above 32° F Above 32° F 32° F to 25° F 25° F to 20° F 20° F to 15° F Below 15° F (Rising) (Falling) Bridges and Icy Acceptable Recommended Recommended Recommended Spots Plow and treat @ Plow and treat @ Plow and treat @ Plow and treat @ Plow and treat @ Plow and treat @ 200 to 2,400 200 to 2,400 200 to 2,400 200 to 2,400 200 to 2,400 200 to 2,400 lb./mile lb./mile lb./mile lb./mile lb./mile lb./mile

Dry Road Surface, Heavy Snow More Than 2”/Hour Above 32° F Above 32° F 32° F to 25° F 25° F to 20° F 20° F to 15° F Below 15° F (Rising) (Falling) Bridges and Icy Acceptable Recommended Recommended Recommended Spots Plow and treat @ Plow and treat @ Plow and treat @ Plow and treat @ Plow and monitor Plow and monitor 200 to 2,400 200 to 2,400 200 to 2,400 200 to 2,400 conditions conditions lb./mile lb./mile lb./mile lb./mile

Wet Road Surface, Heavy Snow More Than 2”/Hour Above 32° F Above 32° F 32° F to 25° F 25° F to 20° F 20° F to 15° F Below 15° F (Rising) (Falling) Bridges and Icy Acceptable Recommended Recommended Recommended Spots Plow and treat @ Plow and treat @ Plow and treat @ Plow and treat @ Plow and treat @ Plow and treat @ 200 to 2,400 200 to 2,400 200 to 2,400 200 to 2,400 200 to 2,400 200 to 2,400 lb./mile lb./mile lb./mile lb./mile lb./mile lb./mile

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Freezing Rain Above 32° F Above 32° F 32° F to 25° F 25° F to 20° F 20° F to 15° F Below 15° F (Rising) (Falling) Bridges and Icy Recommended Recommended Recommended Recommended Recommended Spots Plow if needed Plow if needed Plow if needed Plow if needed Plow if needed Plow if needed and treat @ 200 and treat @ 200 and treat @ 200 and treat @ 200 and treat @ 200 and treat @ 200 to 2,400 lb./mile to 2,400 lb./mile to 2,400 lb./mile to 2,400 lb./mile to 2,400 lb./mile to 2,400 lb./mile Black Ice Above 32° F Above 32° F 32° F to 25° F 25° F to 20° F 20° F to 15° F Below 15° F (Rising) (Falling) Bridges and Icy Recommended Recommended Recommended Recommended Recommended Spots Treat @ 200 to Treat @ 200 to Treat @ 200 to Treat @ 200 to Treat @ 200 to Treat @ 200 to 2,400 lb./mile 2,400 lb./mile 2,400 lb./mile 2,400 lb./mile 2,400 lb./mile 2,400 lb./mile

Additional Treatment Materials: For information about additional treatment materials commonly used for winter roadway maintenance, please refer to the other RON Technical Update publications in this series, such as: Snow and Ice Control Treatments – Abrasives with Salt: http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/Planning/LocalPrograms/LTAP/Documents/Abrasives_with_Salt_-_Snow_and_Ice_Control_Treatments.pdf Snow and Ice Control Treatments – Popular Materials: http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/Planning/LocalPrograms/LTAP/Documents/Popular_Materials_for_Snow_and_Ice_Control_Treatments.pdf Snow and Ice Control Treatments – Brine Enhanced with Additive(s): http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/Planning/LocalPrograms/LTAP/Documents/Brine_Enhanced_with_Additive(s) -_Snow_and_Ice_Control_Treatments.pdf

Information Sources: Federal Highway Administration – www.fhwa.dot.gov Ohio DOT – www.dot.state.oh.us; Scott Lucas, Office of Maintenance Operations – (614) 644-6603. Salt Institute – www.saltinstitute.org Minnesota Local Road Research Board – www.lrrb.org Road Commission for Oakland County - https://www.rcocweb.org/ Butler County Engineer’s Office - www.bceo.org Texas DOT - https://library.ctr.utexas.edu/hostedpdfs/texastech/0-6793-p1.pdf Town of Banff - https://banff.ca/DocumentCenter/View/346 West Virginia Department of Highways - https://transportation.wv.gov/HIGHWAYS/Pages/default.aspx

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Minnesota Department of Transportation - http://www.dot.state.mn.us/ New York State DOT - https://www.dot.ny.gov/index Michigan DOT - https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/ Iowa Department of Transportation - https://www.iowadot.gov/#/services

DISCLAIMER: This RON Technical Update is provided for purposes of general information. Interested persons should

refer to the resources referenced herein for additional information as needed.

Notes:

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