Guidelines for the selection of snow and ice control materials to mitigate environmental impacts

269 Pages·2007·6.46 MB·English

by  Levelton Consultants., National Cooperative Highway Research Program., American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials., United States. Federal Highway Administration., National Research Council (U.S.). Transportation Research Board

NCHRP
NATIONAL
COOPERATIVE
HIGHWAY
RESEARCH
PROGRAM
REPORT 577
Guidelines for the Selection of
Snow and Ice Control Materials to
Mitigate Environmental Impacts
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2007 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*
OFFICERS
CHAIR:Linda S. Watson,CEO, LYNX–Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority, Orlando
VICECHAIR:Carol A. Murray, Commissioner,New Hampshire DOT, Concord
EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR:Robert E. Skinner, Jr.,Transportation Research Board
MEMBERS
J. Barry Barker,Executive Director, Transit Authority of River City, Louisville, KY
Michael W. Behrens,Executive Director, Texas DOT, Austin
Allen D. Biehler,Secretary, Pennsylvania DOT, Harrisburg
John D. Bowe, President, Americas Region, APL Limited, Oakland, CA
Larry L. Brown, Sr.,Executive Director, Mississippi DOT, Jackson
Deborah H. Butler,Vice President, Customer Service, Norfolk Southern Corporation and Subsidiaries, Atlanta, GA
Anne P. Canby,President, Surface Transportation Policy Partnership, Washington, DC
Nicholas J. Garber,Henry L. Kinnier Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Angela Gittens,Vice President, Airport Business Services, HNTB Corporation, Miami, FL
Susan Hanson,Landry University Professor of Geography, Graduate School of Geography, Clark University, Worcester, MA
Adib K. Kanafani,Cahill Professor of Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
Harold E. Linnenkohl,Commissioner, Georgia DOT, Atlanta
Michael D. Meyer,Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
Debra L. Miller,Secretary, Kansas DOT, Topeka
Michael R. Morris,Director of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of Governments, Arlington
John R. Njord,Executive Director, Utah DOT, Salt Lake City
Pete K. Rahn, Director,Missouri DOT, Jefferson City
Sandra Rosenbloom,Professor of Planning, University of Arizona, Tucson
Tracy L. Rosser,Vice President, Corporate Traffic, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Bentonville, AR
Rosa Clausell Rountree,Executive Director, Georgia State Road and Tollway Authority, Atlanta
Henry G. (Gerry) Schwartz, Jr., Senior Professor,Washington University, St. Louis, MO
C. Michael Walton,Ernest H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering, University of Texas, Austin
Steve Williams,Chairman and CEO, Maverick Transportation, Inc., Little Rock, AR
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
Thad Allen(Adm., U.S. Coast Guard), Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, Washington, DC
Thomas J. Barrett(Vice Adm., U.S. Coast Guard, ret.), Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT
Marion C. Blakey,Federal Aviation Administrator, U.S.DOT
Joseph H. Boardman,Federal Railroad Administrator, U.S.DOT
John A. Bobo, Jr.,Acting Administrator, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, U.S.DOT
Rebecca M. Brewster,President and COO, American Transportation Research Institute, Smyrna, GA
George Bugliarello,Chancellor, Polytechnic University of New York, Brooklyn, and Foreign Secretary, National Academy of Engineering,
Washington, DC
J. Richard Capka,Federal Highway Administrator, U.S.DOT
Sean T. Connaughton,Maritime Administrator, U.S.DOT
Edward R. Hamberger,President and CEO, Association of American Railroads, Washington, DC
John H. Hill, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT
John C. Horsley,Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC
J. Edward Johnson,Director, Applied Science Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, John C. Stennis Space Center, MS
William W. Millar,President, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC
Nicole R. Nason,National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT
Jeffrey N. Shane,Under Secretary for Policy, U.S.DOT
James S. Simpson, Federal Transit Administrator, U.S.DOT
Carl A. Strock(Lt. Gen., U.S. Army), Chief of Engineers and Commanding General, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC
*Membership as of January 2007.
NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM
NCHRP
REPORT 577
Guidelines for the Selection of
Snow and Ice Control Materials to
Mitigate Environmental Impacts
LEVELTONCONSULTANTSLIMITED
Richmond, BC
Subject Areas
Energy and Environment • Maintenance
Research sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
WASHINGTON, D.C.
2007
www.TRB.org
NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY NCHRP REPORT 577
RESEARCH PROGRAM
Systematic, well-designed research provides the most effective Project 6-16
approach to the solution of many problems facing highway ISSN 0077-5614
administrators and engineers. Often, highway problems are of local ISBN: 978-0-309-09880-9
Library of Congress Control Number 2007925771
interest and can best be studied by highway departments individually
or in cooperation with their state universities and others. However, the © 2007 Transportation Research Board
accelerating growth of highway transportation develops increasingly
complex problems of wide interest to highway authorities. These
problems are best studied through a coordinated program of
COPYRIGHT PERMISSION
cooperative research.
Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining
In recognition of these needs, the highway administrators of the
written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials published or copyrighted material used herein.
initiated in 1962 an objective national highway research program
Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this
employing modern scientific techniques. This program is supported on publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the
a continuing basis by funds from participating member states of the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, FAA, FHWA,
FMCSA, FTA, or Transit Development Corporation endorsement of a particular product,
Association and it receives the full cooperation and support of the
method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for
Federal Highway Administration, United States Department of educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of
Transportation. any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission
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The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies was
requested by the Association to administer the research program
because of the Board’s recognized objectivity and understanding of
NOTICE
modern research practices. The Board is uniquely suited for this
purpose as it maintains an extensive committee structure from which The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the National Cooperative Highway
Research Program conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of
authorities on any highway transportation subject may be drawn; it
the Governing Board of the National Research Council. Such approval reflects the
possesses avenues of communications and cooperation with federal, Governing Board’s judgment that the program concerned is of national importance and
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relationship to the National Research Council is an insurance of
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report were chosen for recognized scholarly competence and with due consideration for the
specialists in highway transportation matters to bring the findings of
balance of disciplines appropriate to the project. The opinions and conclusions expressed
research directly to those who are in a position to use them. or implied are those of the research agency that performed the research, and, while they have
The program is developed on the basis of research needs identified been accepted as appropriate by the technical committee, they are not necessarily those of
the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council, the American
by chief administrators of the highway and transportation departments
Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, or the Federal Highway
and by committees of AASHTO. Each year, specific areas of research Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.
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surveillance of research contracts are the responsibilities of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade
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C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M S
CRP STAFF FOR NCHRP REPORT 577
Christopher W. Jenks,Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Crawford F. Jencks,Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Christopher J. Hedges,Senior Program Officer
Eileen P. Delaney,Director of Publications
Hilary Freer,Senior Editor
NCHRP PROJECT 6-16 PANEL
Field of Maintenance—Area of Snow and Ice Control
Daniel P. Johnston,South Dakota DOT, Pierre, SD(Chair)
Jeanne Hewitt,New York State DOT, Albany, NY
Robert Chenier,Environment Canada, Hull, QC
Edward Fink,Colorado DOT, Grand Junction, CO
G. Michael Fitch,Virginia DOT, Charlottesville, VA
Rod Frederick,U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Retired)
Jeanne Hewitt,New York State DOT, Albany, NY
Deborah J. O’Bannon,University of Missouri–Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
Leland D. Smithson,Iowa DOT, Ames, IA
Paul Pisano,FHWA Liaison
Frank N. Lisle,TRB Liaison
AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The research report herein was performed under NCHRP Project 06-16 by Levelton Consultants, Ltd.,
in cooperation with Ice and Snow Technologies; Dr. William M. Lewis, Jr.; and Dr. Brian Chollar. The
work undertaken by Ice and Snow Technologies, Dr. William M. Lewis, Jr., and Dr. Brian Chollar was
under subcontract with Levelton Consultants Ltd.
The Principal Investigator for this report was Brent T. Mussato, Levelton Consultants, Ltd. The other
authors for this report were Oliver K. Gepraegs, Phil T. Seabrook, John P. Davidson, and Robert S. Char-
lton, Levelton Consultants Ltd.; Richard D. Parker and Dale G. Keep, Ice and Snow Technologies;
Dr. William M. Lewis, Jr., University of Colorado, Boulder; and Dr. Brian Chollar. The work was con-
ducted under the general supervision of Wayne C. Edwards, P.Eng, Principal, Levelton Consultants Ltd.
F O R E W O R D
By Christopher J. Hedges
Staff Officer
Transportation Research Board
This report presents guidelines for the selection of snow and ice control materials through
an evaluation of their cost, performance, and impacts on the environment and infrastruc-
ture. The guidelines should be useful in helping maintenance managers develop a program
that will minimize the environmental impacts of snow and ice control without compromis-
ing effective maintenance strategies. The Guidelines will help highway agencies fill their dual
role of providing safe roadways for the driving public while serving as stewards to protect
and enhance the natural environment.
Every year, considerable quantities of snow and ice control products are applied to high-
ways, and environmental and regulatory agencies have questioned the environmental
impact of these products. Transportation agencies are asked to use “environmentally
friendly” or less toxic alternatives wherever possible, but there is no commonly accepted
guidance for determining which products are acceptable. The traditional use of roadsalt has
been prohibited in some locations, leaving highway agencies uncertain about how traffic
safety can be maintained in bad weather. For example, Environment Canada has concluded
that inorganic chloride roadsalts are harmful to the environment under the Canadian Envi-
ronmental Protection Act, thus requiring development and implementation of improved
management practices.
Studies of the most common chemical alternatives—sodium chloride (salt), magnesium
chloride, calcium chloride, calcium magnesium acetate, potassium acetate, and urea—have
focused on performance and cost under various weather conditions without evaluating
their relative impacts on the environment. Several new chemical preparations, including
some that are trademarked, have entered the market as snow and ice control chemicals for
use by transportation agencies, but there is limited information about their environmental
impacts. There is a need for rational decision-making guidelines to assist DOT maintenance
managers in selecting the most appropriate snow and ice control materials for the condi-
tions that exist in their jurisdictions.
Under NCHRP Project 06-16, a research team led by Levelton Consultants Ltd. con-
ducted an extensive review of relevant technical information, then conducted a program of
analytical laboratory testing on a wide range of products currently available in the North
American market. The results were used to develop three products for the end user: a deci-
sion tool for the selection of the most appropriate snow and ice control materials to suit the
specific needs of any given highway agency, a purchase specification that can be used by an
agency once agency staff have selected materials for use, and a quality assurance monitor-
ing program that includes procedures and standard test methods to characterize snow and
ice control products before their purchase or use.
There are two major components to this report. Chapters 1 through 11 (a) summarize
the review of technical information on the performance and environmental impacts of cur-
rently available snow and ice control materials, and (b) present the results of an analytical
laboratory testing program designed to address gaps in the current literature and to develop
a matrix of properties of 42 chemicals. The second component presents guidelines for the
user with three products: a decision tool for the selection of materials, a purchase specifica-
tion, and the quality assurance monitoring program. An electronic version of the decision
tool and several appendixes to the final report can be downloaded from the TRB website at
http://www.trb.org/TRBNet/ProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=883.
C O N T E N T S
1 Summary
8 Chapter 1 Introduction
8 1.1 Problem Statement and Research Approach
8 1.2 Scope of Study
10 Chapter 2 Operational and Performance Considerations
10 2.1 Products Used and Properties
10 2.1.1 Chloride Salts
11 2.1.2 Organic Products
13 2.1.3 Sand or Abrasives
13 2.2 Storage
13 2.2.1 Solid Snow and Ice Control Materials
13 2.2.2 Liquid Snow and Ice Control Materials
13 2.2.3 Sand or Abrasives
13 2.3 Handling and Application Methods
13 2.4 Agency Survey—Current and Future Status of Use in the
United States and Canada
14 2.4.1 Product Use and Methods of Application
15 2.4.2 Natural Environment Concerns
16 2.4.3 Corrosion Concerns
16 2.4.4 Purchasing Issues
18 2.5 Application Strategies
18 2.5.1 Anti-Icing
19 2.5.2 Deicing
19 2.5.3 Pre-wetting
20 2.5.4 Dry Abrasive/Chemical Mixes
20 2.5.5 Abrasive Use
20 2.5.6 Stockpile Treatment
21 2.5.7 Application Strategy Studies
22 2.6 Materials Loading
22 2.6.1 Product Selection
23 2.6.2 Application Amounts
23 2.6.3 Strategy Selection
25 CHAPTER 3 Impacts to the Natural Environment
25 3.1 Environmental Pathways
25 3.1.1 Soil Transport
27 3.1.2 Air Transport
27 3.1.3 Water Transport
27 3.2 Framework for Protection of Environmental Systems
27 3.2.1 U.S. Regulations
28 3.2.2 Canadian Regulations
29 3.2.3 Others
29 3.3 Components of Concern
30 3.3.1 Ferrocyanides
30 3.3.2 Radioactivity
30 3.4 Aquatic Environments
30 3.4.1 Protection of Aquatic Resources
32 3.4.2 Potential Types of Impairment of Aquatic Resources by Snow and
Ice Control Materials
42 3.4.3 Evaluation of Specific Snow and Ice Control Materials
46 3.4.4 Overview of Specific Snow and Ice Control Materials
46 3.4.5 Conclusions
47 3.5 Soils
48 3.5.1 Chloride
48 3.5.2 Sodium
49 3.5.3 Calcium
49 3.5.4 Magnesium
49 3.5.5 Potassium
50 3.5.6 Acetates
50 3.5.7 Organic Products
50 3.5.8 Urea
51 3.5.9 Abrasives
51 3.5.10 Ferrocyanide Products
51 3.5.11 Conclusion
51 3.6 Soil Biotic
51 3.6.1 Chloride-Based Salts
52 3.6.2 Urea and Potassium Acetate
52 3.6.3 Ferrocyanides
53 3.6.4 Conclusion
53 3.7 Vegetation
53 3.7.1 Aerial Deposition
54 3.7.2 Ion Uptake and Accumulation from Soil
54 3.7.3 Osmotic Stress
55 3.7.4 Species Sensitivities
55 3.7.5 Other Factors Affecting Impacts to Vegetation
56 3.7.6 Specific Effects Associated with Select Snow and Ice Control
Materials
59 3.7.7 Conclusion
59 3.8 Air Quality
60 3.9 Animals
60 3.9.1 Wildlife
61 3.9.2 Birds
61 3.9.3 Toxic Effects
61 3.9.4 Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals
62 3.9.5 Conclusions
62 3.10 Human Health and Exposure
63 CHAPTER 4 Impacts to Infrastructure and Vehicles
63 4.1 Concrete and Concrete Infrastructure
64 4.1.1 Corrosion of Concrete-Embedded Reinforcing Steel
68 4.1.2 Effects of Snow and Ice Control Materials on Cement Paste
70 4.1.3 Concrete-Embedded Reinforcing Steel and Concrete Paste
Conclusions