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Tomas Ratkevičius
, Alfredas Laurinavičius
, Faustina Tuminienė
, Jolita Bradulienė
Reduction of negative impact of salts used for winter road maintenance
on the environment
| Conference Information: |
9th International Conference on Environmental
Engineering, MAY 22-24, 2014 Vilnius, LITHUANIA |
| Source: |
ICEE-2014 - International Conference on Environmental
Engineering |
| Book Series: |
International Conference on Environmental Engineering
(ICEE) Selected papers |
| ISSN: |
ISSN 2029-7092 online |
| ISBN: |
978-609-457-640-9 / 978-609-457-690-4 CD |
| Year: |
2014 |
| Publisher: |
Vilnius Gediminas Technical University Press Technika |
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Abstract
Winter in Lithuania is the most complicated time of the year to ensure the functioning of transport systems. The main factor which
impedes a normal operation of the systems is weather conditions making a direct influence on vehicles and infrastructure elements of
transport systems. Precipitation, low air temperature, strong wind and other unfavourable weather conditions impede traffic on the roads
and streets.
In Lithuania, like in other countries of the world, for the purpose of winter road maintenance (to reduce pavement slipperiness) chemical
materials on a basis of chlorides are used (NaCl, CaCl2, NaCl + CaCl2 mixes), the annual amount of which spread on the roads and streets
of Lithuania comes to 160 thousand tonnes.
Though salts, used for road maintenance, are able to immediately ensure safe traffic conditions, they all have larger or smaller negative
impact on the environment which depends on the composition of salts, the amount used and interaction with other environmental
components. A negative environmental impact comprises: ground (soil) contamination; water pollution (surface, ground and
underground); impact on flora, fauna and human beings; corrosion (of vehicles, roads and reinforced concrete structures); deterioration
and deformation of road pavements.
Based on the increasing requirements in the field of traffic safety, environmental protection and ecology it is necessary to search for the
most effective and less damaging measures to ensure road maintenance in winter: to improve planning and management of winter road
maintenance; to implement modern snow cleaning and ice removal technologies; to put into practice preventive road maintenance
measures; to use alternative materials and inhibitors which reduce a negative environmental impact.
Keywords: Winter road maintenance; environmental impact; road salt reduction; traffic safety.
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