EnviroTech Journal

AMP® is one of EnviroTech’s latest product releases and it brings technical innovation and outstanding product quality to the salt brine additive market. Salt Brine is a great tool for snowfighters, as it can be used for pre-treating, deicing and anti-icing. But salt brine alone has some very detectable performance limitations: 1) salt brine is prone to drying out and being blown from the surface by the wind, 2) the melting point of salt brine is often not low enough to be effective in many storms, and 3) salt brine is among the worst options in terms of the corrosion it will cause. 

FcaWhen snow and ice melts, the salt goes with it, washing into our lakes, streams, wetlands, and groundwater. When winter comes and snow and ice build-up on roads, parking lots, and sidewalks, one of the most common reactions is to apply salt, which contains chloride.

A study termed the “Freshwater Salinization Syndrome,” have occurred most prominently in densely populated watersheds in the eastern and mid-western U.S. where salinity and alkalinity have increased most rapidly. Cities, counties and states are doing different things to reduce and limit the Chloride (Cl^-) in their water..

For winter maintenance agencies and contractors, snow and ice control is a vital function of their work providing safe conditions for the public. Using an innovative product that reduce costs, improves safety, and mitigates environmental impacts is increasingly important.

Anti-icing using liquid brines is a proactive method of snow and ice control. It’s a proven method to reduce chlorides and lower costs with nearly every state DOT in the US using Liquid Anti-icers. The brines are approximately 20-32% salt (depending on type of salt brine used) and is applied to pavements before a storm to prevent snow and/or ice from bonding. Both liquid and granular deicing/anti-icing products have benefits that, when applied correctly, will maximize your road service levels to keep people safe while minimizing costs to you and the environment. The success of your anti-icing/deicing program depends on your knowledge and application of the right products at the right times depending on conditions. “Dry deicers with wet snow and liquid deicers with dry snow”. 

No standard exists for determining when snow and ice accumulation is severe enough that it will endanger patrons or employees. In most cases, managers and supervisors must use their own judgment to alter work practices based on changes in weather conditions.  Just plowing or shoveling snow cannot prevent slippery conditions for pedestrians, 90% of walkway injuries happen with less than 1 inch of snow.  Just a thin layer of snow is all it takes to make the difference between a sidewalk with traction and a slippery mess. If sidewalks are not cleared properly, liability falls on the property owner.  Facility managers need to understand anti-icing and de-icing technologies and the relative best practices to employ.  To protect yourself from slip-and-fall lawsuits, you can:

1. Monitor the slip factor by checking walkways yourself.
2. Put up signs. If you know that a certain section of your walkway or parking lot is prone to ice formation, put up a sign that warns patrons or employees of the possible slip factor.
3. Use best practices in terms of fundamental snow and ice control strategies.

The fundamental snow and ice control strategies in winter maintenance include: Anti-icing, Deicing, Pre-wetting, and Pretreating.

EnviroTech is proud to announce that our new salt brine enhancing product AMP, has received approval from the Pacific Northwest Snowfighters Association (PNS). PNS members are a collection of transportation agencies throughout the states of Washtington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, as well as British Columbia. The guidelines established by PNS assist users in product selection by requiring that corrosion inhibited approved products:

The concept of product development is pretty simple. How do we either improve on an existing product or create something superior that is a replacement product? Less simple, however, is the process of testing, documenting, and verifying the improvements sought. This can be particularly tricky for consumers who can find themselves comparing performance claims between products they may not fully understand. Add to that the consideration for managing costs associated with switching to a new product as well as ensuring apple to apple cost comparisons, and the introduction of new products can feel more burdensome than exciting.

A well-prepared road department means the techs checked the deicing equipment top-to-bottom, replaced worn spreaders, blades, and replenished engine fluids. All ready to go, right? Wrong.

A good record-keeping system from the last couple of years can tell you a lot about the amount of product used, and the effectiveness of past applications and communication practices. Cost is also a big project to take on early to work with your suppliers like EnviroTech to gauge the cost of product and explore new products that may serve your needs better while being more cost-effective.

The first reports of snowfall and wintery mix weather are coming in, with a “potent winter storm” (9news.com) making its way across Colorado this evening.

Travel may be greatly affected as blizzard conditions develop. For those in charge of keeping our roadways safe, here are some game time dos and don’ts to be successful (while keeping your operation cost effective and efficient).

Staying ahead of Mother Nature is not exactly a game, but your organization can have a winning winter season if you take note of the following five must-have's for your operation.