On average, UDOT spends approximately 30% of the overall snow and ice budget on deicing materials. It is very important to understand the differences between products, and when they are used, and how they should be applied to the roadway surface to provide maximum benefit. Central Maintenance has created a Memo of Guidance Number: 020-1 Snow and Ice Operations that provides a strategy to assist UDOT Maintenance crews in meeting the level of service while efficiently managing their budget. 

There are numerous types of materials that UDOT uses to help remove snow and ice from our highways. Some materials are more effective based on the function of roadway conditions such as, roadway pavement temperature, snowfall rate, elevation, topography, and the traffic volumes. The following section provides general information regarding the materials used by UDOT. Please reference the Memo of Guidance Number 020-1 Snow and Ice Operations for more information about the performance of the different types of deicing materials

For the latest specifications that outline the chemical compositions percentages, gradations, acceptable levels of insoluble materials, and other requirements, please review the latest de-icing contracts that can be found on the UDOT Agency Contract web page, enter “deicing” in the keyword search. Also, please contact the winter operations engineer in Central Maintenance for more information or assistance with the deicing materials. 

Solar Salts: Solar salt production is, typically, the capturing of salt water in shallow ponds where the sun evaporates most of the water. The concentrated brine precipitates the salt which is then gathered by mechanical harvesting machines. Any impurities that may be present in the brine are drained off and discarded prior to harvesting. 

Brine: 

• • • Brine is a combination of water and typically solar salt (sodium chloride) that is mixed to a ratio of 23.3% salt to water to form a brine solution. This brine solution can be used as a pre-treatment to be applied to roadways 18-24 hours before a storm is forecasted. 

    • Brine solutions are meant to create a bond breaker between the pavement roadway surface and the formation of snow and ice. 

    • For more information regarding the benefits of anti-icing please see the following link: FHWA; Manual of Practice for an Effective Anti-icing Program.

Magnesium Chloride: 

• • • Magnesium chloride is a combination of water, magnesium, and chloride that is more effective at melting and cutting snow and ice at lower temperatures. 

    • This should include a corrosion inhibitor, as mag chloride surfaces can accelerate the process of corrosion when applied to steel. 

    • It can be used as a pre-treatment, but the application rates must be carefully monitored. Overapplication of magnesium chloride has been known to reduce the skid friction on roadway surfaces. 

    • It can also be applied during storm events to help burn off snow and ice and provide a protective barrier in lower temperatures. 

    • Much like brine, magnesium chloride is effective in creating a bond breaker between the pavement surface and the formation of snow and ice. 

    • Magnesium chloride can be added to a brine solution to lower the effective temperature range.

Calcium Chloride:

• • • Calcium chloride (CaCl2) solutions are a mixture of calcium chloride and water that is effective in melting and cutting snow and ice in lower temperatures. 

    • Has not experienced the issues of causing rapid corrosion in steel products unlike magnesium chloride.  

    • Can also be used as a pre-treating agent but the application rate must be carefully monitored and followed to eliminate issues of oversaturating and creating a slippery slick pavement roadway surface.  

    • Can also be used during storm events to help melt and burn off snow and ice and provide a protective barrier in lower temperatures. 

    • Much like brine, calcium chloride is effective in creating a bond breaker between the pavement surface and the formation of snow and ice. 

    • It can be added to a brine solution to lower the effective temperature range.

Potassium Chloride: 

• • • Very similar to magnesium chloride, and calcium chloride where potassium chloride (KCl) is mixed with water to form a solution that can be applied to roadway surfaces as a pre-treatment or during active storm events.  

    • The major difference is potassium chloride does not provide the melting power at lower temperatures as mag chloride and calcium chloride.  

Potassium Acetate: 

• • • An alternative to potassium chloride, potassium acetate is an non-corrosive inhibitor that when used as a brine provides a very effective treatment for creating a bond breaker between pavement surfaces.  

    • Potassium acetate has a very low freezing point of -60 degrees celsius, which makes it very effective as a deicing material.

UDOT created a Deicing Dashboard to help track and understand the types and amounts of deicing materials being used and the actual costs of each material throughout the winter season. This information can also be used by maintenance personnel to get a better understanding of the different types of materials available and how and when they can be used to provide a safer transportation system. The Deicing Dashboard is a public facing dashboard and is available to anyone who visits the UDOT Maintenance web page. For assistance with the Deicing Dashboard, please contact the statewide maintenance engineer.