SPR 18-566 Evaluation of Liquid Deicing Materials for Winter Maintenance Application

Evaluate the effectiveness, costs and feasibility of incorporating liquid deicing materials into the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's winter maintenance prograrn. KYTC typically expends between $40 million and $80 million per year on snow and ice removal and road treatment. Currently, the Transportation Cabinet relies solely on the use of salt brine and calciurn chloride as the basic components of their liquid anti-icing and deicing efforts. During recent winters, more than a million gallons each of brine and calciurn chloride were used for pre-wetting and anti-icing. For an extreme winter weather conditions, as much as 2.5 million gallons of brine has been used in one season. New additives for brine are now being marketed, but their effectiveness and overall value for improving snow and ice control procedures and processes is unknown. In addition to questions of effectiveness, there are logistical issues associated with use of additives, such as the need for additional storage, as well as concerns about the safe handling and distribution of these additives at KYTC's 124 snow and ice maintenance facilities. Evaluating and potentially altering the existing approach to use of liquid additives for snow and ice applications could result in significant financial savings in materials and processes along with more effective snow and ice removal. *** This Research Program for the period July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2018 is submitted in compliance with the provisions of Section 307 of Title 23, United States Code, and describes programs and operations for planning activities in the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) and the Kentucky Cooperative Transportation Research Program (KCTRP). This program modifies and updates such programs and is specifically intended to reflect the needs of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. It is fully expected that products from this program will also have national applications. The University of Kentucky Transportation Center is the main research group for the the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. The SPR grant is the funding the is supplied each year for the many topics the Center is asked to research for KYTC The KCTRP is concerned with the development and conduct of a comprehensive research program in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). In addition to research developed in cooperation with FHWA, the KCTRP may perform other services for the KYTC on a nonparticipating basis. The scope of these services could include activities such as research studies and special investigations of various engineering and operation activities. The Research Program and Implementation Advisory Committee (RPIAC), headed by the State Highway Engineer and coordinated through the Research Coordinator, will give direction to the research program.