Salt Vs Sand
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| Sand Vs Salt Dilemma Which product is best to use sand or salt, or a combination of the two? For New Englanders this is a very controversial topic and carries cost implications that really affects the bottom line. When it comes to snow management, or as we refer to it as risk management, one can not be too cautious when treating paved surfaces. Slip and falls or vehicular accidents are costly and add up real fast. Sand and salt pro's and con's can impact your facility both environmentally and on a practical level Below are a few things to consider when determining whether or not to use a sand or salt mixture for your winter season and ensuring a safe environment for all. On one hand sand is a very inexpensive way to treat icy surfaces. It is best used for traction control on low salt use and conservation areas and best applied on steep slopes, intersections, and sharp turns. But sand itself will not suffice when dealing with below freezing temperatures. A salt mixture is needed to prevent the sand from freezing and clumping up. While it's intent is used for traction control overuse creates a dangerous environment as the sand becomes a sheet over paved surfaces enabling vehicles to slide and skid. In heavy traffic areas sand also proves ineffective as it is picked up by passing vehicles, which in turn requires more applications to keep an area safe. Tracked sand can also increase vehicle damage if the wrong particle size is used you can expect more damaged windshields and accelerated vehicle corrosion. In addition sand can have a negative impact on your landscape and facility. It is tracked through buildings and not only unsightly but an added nuisance needing constant clean up. The damage it causes to turf and lawn creates an added cost in the spring as well to remove the piled sand left behind from snow banks and general paved surfaces. Sand can also fill and clog catch basins, drainage swales and neighboring streams which creates another set of environmental issues along with added cost of clean up. Salt use has become increasingly popular and a definite trend can be seen with people using salt over sand despite costing at least double a sand mixture. Many of the benefits include almost immediate results getting down to paved surfaces for safe travel, and zero clean up at the end of a season. Too much can harm the environment however but too little proves ineffective and prone to refreeze. With the increased use there are some environmental issues to be aware of and making sure the proper amount of materials are being used is key. Over use can have some negative impact with both turf and landscape and even surrounding wildlife, streams and reservoirs. New technologies and processes have proven to decrease the amount of material used up to 30% by pre-wetting techniques or by adding a calcium chloride solution which not only decreasing the amount of product needed but increases the effectiveness by lowering the freezing point of salt below 20 degrees, also know as Magic Salt. As technology continues to improve methods of applying ice control agents, less and less sand use will likely continue and perhaps eventually shift to another method for traction control. For now there are some reasonable needs out there for sand but when you add up the ancillary cost associated with it's use the gap closes dramatically. The definite winner as it relates to risk management would be an appropriately applied salt or Magic salt application to ensure a safe passage for consumers, residents, or clients alike. an objective view, which is response to a blog post of "how about some suggestions or ideas rather than complain or bash" So here is one, hopefully it will not be met by more, we can't do that, we don't have the money or my favorite, we been doing this way for years and it works. How about a new idea or thought tried to see if it actually works and saves money while still having roads that can be traveled safely, as safe as can be considering how most people drive these days. Jeff Bennett | ||
This article is great and points out both methods ups and downs.I think the one thing that is needed to be added is the cost to change over and implement this way of treatment. Many areas we treat are without salt and we would still need to have it for them. What about the wells and areas of environmental concerns. Would the use of sand /salt mix be a less environmental way? We are mostly on wells in Templeton so do we need to study the change over to salt and chemicals for problems people may have with this?
ReplyDeleteI'm all for any change that saves money and works out. I would think anyone would not want to risk a safe ride up any Templeton hills when its below -10*. As some know if you don't make it up the hill you come down out of control. We don't see that concern the way we are doing it now. This season the amount of salt use has been a large part of the snow and ice costs,close to 100k. If you could say we only used salt and no sand what would the amount look like then?
As the season push to the limits the supply/use side of it was not what was needed as the winchendon salt was almost empty and a cut back was ordered. When we get a call for the water department messes only salt would not work and a sand mix would be needed there also. I still say grind baby grind. Isn't that the first step anyway when we rebuild roads?
Think of the cold patch we would save. I disagree with you on the power of the patch as we go out and patch we see many areas that hold and stay. The problem is when the water builds under the pavement the weeker spot pops and we have a new spot. Cold patch is not cheap and without it i don't see how this town can say the roads are safe to travel.
You are not falling on deaf ears jeff but you need to point out where's the money and how to get it first.I don't see the budget ever getting the 20 million to do away with the roads that need the work to eliminate the need for the pot hole repairs.Even if we get a 20million budget to do it over time the new will be old again and we start over.Looking at the new roads we have done over and what they will look like in 15 years it will be back to the same just the loan will still be only 1/2 paid off. There are 72 miles of roads in Templeton jeff how much of a cost to maintain them should we have in the budget. Or just a number to fix the ones we shouldn't pot hole repair?
I dare say i'm low when i say 20 million. Royalston rd, barre rd, hubbardston rd, all main roadsare in need.Not to mention south rd isn't any better.I think the number i would use is a cool million per mile and thats a guess so blink you eyes and kiss 20 million good bye real quick..It would take a year just to cut the trees back before the machines could do the work needed. Think of it this way we could buy a chipper and supply the chip furnace for baby ruths heating. How much could she save if we did that for her?
Dave I read your whole comment but was piqued by your last two sentences. What would happen if we worked together for the benefit of the whole town? What a concept.
ReplyDeleteWow what a town we would have. Pete the whole thing behind me and L+W was to open the doors so they knew the town is a whole town not divisions of this and that. I thought it would spred and hoped others would see the possiblilities but the whole topic is hard to wrap your head around. For me it's the word effort that keeps getting brought up by the school admin.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend Pete. Thanks for reading the blog.
My favorite saying is "if it an't broke don't fix it " Just how broke does anything have to be before it is broken ?? Things have been broken for so long, it's not funny. Every BOS for the past twenty years, or more have patched our town government and budgets, so many times, there is nothing left to patch. Bev.
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