United States Department of Transportation
i
Evaluation of the Effects of Deicers on Concrete Durability
-
2018-06-01
[PDF-3.61 MB]
Details:
-
Creators:
-
Corporate Creators:
-
Corporate Contributors:
-
Subject/TRT Terms:
-
Publication/ Report Number:
-
Resource Type:
-
Geographical Coverage:
-
Edition:Final Report October 2016 – June 2018
-
Corporate Publisher:
-
Abstract:The objectives of this study were to identify the use of different deicing and anti-icing materials in Wisconsin, and to investigate whether and how the currently used snow and ice control materials adversely affect concrete durability. Tasks completed in this project were a literature review, survey, existing data assembly and analyses, and field visit. Both the survey and Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) data analysis revealed that salt and salt brine are the primary materials used in Wisconsin. Other materials are CaCl₂, Freeze Guard, Beet55, and GMLT. The application rate was reported as 200 to 400 lb/lane-mile for deicing and 20 to 50 gal/lane-mile for anti-icing for each winter event. In terms of impact to concrete, accelerated deterioration near joints and bridge decks were pointed out by survey respondents based on anecdotal impression. Statistical analyses of existing data at WisDOT did not provide significant evidence to show the different impact from salt and brine or different application rate. This complexity was attributed to the challenge of confounding factors that were not available in this study. Field visit revealed a faster rate of joint deterioration in counties with a higher amount of NaCl, CaCl₂, MgCl₂ application. Based on results from this study, it was recommended for WisDOT to continue using prewetting and anti-icing for its effectiveness, and rock salt and salt brine for their cost benefit, while striving for less salt application through equipment update, training, and optimization. Blended products of rock salt and other products should also be pursued. The automatic vehicle location system should be expanded to cover all highway network in Wisconsin. In terms of concrete technology, it is recommended to continue the practice of using supplementary cementitious materials in concrete. The application of topical treatments such as penetrating sealers to protect concrete is also worthy of investigation.
-
Format:
-
Funding:
-
Collection(s):
-
Main Document Checksum:
-
Download URL:
-
File Type:
