Problem
With the increasing emphasis on protecting the environment from foreign materials and chemicals, reducing the amount of anti-icing and deicing chemicals and accurately reporting the amounts applied are gaining importance. However, the accuracy of salt application equipment is varied. Loss of calibration coding, moisture of salt, size of salt grains, temperature of hydraulic fluid, flight on the auger not being full of material, and wear on equipment all have an effect on the accuracy of measurements of salt application of snow plows.
Objective
Clear Roads members are interested in learning about state DOTs’ current practices and certainty concerning the accurate calibration of solid material (deicer) application equipment.
Results
Through a literature search and survey of Clear Roads states, this project produced a synthesis report that summarizes DOTs’ experience with calibration of their spreading equipment.