THE MOST FREQUENTLY USED MATERIALS FOR GRITTING ROADS

MATERIALS FOR GRITTING ROADS

Property owners are responsible for removing snow and ice from the sidewalk along the property and yard. The snow-cleared, icy pavement should be sprinkled with a suitable sorbent to remove black ice. The property manager selects the product himself to use for gritting the surface. The most commonly used agents are: sand, gravel, road salt, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride and mixtures of these products. Below we present the most popular materials for gritting icy surfaces.

Sand

A natural product in a loose form. Perfect for sanding roads and sidewalks. The sand-covered surface is not slippery. The sand is harmless to plants and animals, and its price is relatively low. After the winter season, the sprinkled surfaces accumulate a significant amount of sand which must be removed.

Gravel

Slippery surfaces can be sprinkled with coarse-grained gravel that easily disintegrates and provides very good grip on surfaces with various slopes. Gravel does not pose a threat to plants and is very easy to collect and remove after the season, and it is also relatively cheap.
Aggregate should not be used on roads or parking lots, as it may damage the car body.

Road salt

It is a natural product being a sodium chloride. Salt is used to sprinkle pavements and roads to remove icing. It comes in the form of loose, moistened or brines. Road salt works most effectively down to -6 ° C. The product is very popular due to its low price, but it has a negative effect on plants, pollutes water, acidifies the soil, damages shoes and injures animals' paws.

Magnesium chloride, calcium chloride - ice melters

They come in solid or wet form and dissolve instantly. They are mainly used to remove black ice and to prevent icing of roads, pavements and parking lots. They will prove themselves during very severe frosts, even down to -30 ° C. These substances are biodegradable and safe for plants.