Effects of Utilizing Liquids In a Pre-mix Application Method

Gerald Peterson—Manager

Manistee County Road Commission, MI

Background

• The Manistee County Road Commission has been tracking winter costs for (5) years.

• Tracking snowfall amounts, type of precipitation and air temperature.

• We have found that not just one product or material is the fix all—it takes several.

• Climate, air temperature, time of year and traffic play a huge roll in product use.

• Driver training is more critical than any product.

Five-Year Comparison Study

2007 – Calcium Chloride

2008 – Geo-Melt / Ice Bite

2009 – Boost

2010 – Ice Bite being used

2011 – Ice Bite and Calc. Chloride

Note: Boost saw no decrease in application rate—re-freeze & hard-

pack evident. Ice-bite saw a decrease in application rate after 3-4

applications—little to no hard-pack.

M55 – Day 1

13 degrees 300#

M115 – Day 1

3 degrees 300#

M55 – Last Day

14 degrees 450#

M115 – Last Day

12 degrees 200#

Recommendations

In Early Winter / Late Spring:

Use pure salt method or 50/50 with calcium chloride

mix to reduce bounce & scatter. Pure salt on high dew

point days, 50/50 otherwise.

In Colder Winter Temperatures & Steady Snowfall:

Pure salt with beet juice (or 50/50 mix when freezing

rain or ice is present). Temperatures at 20 degrees or

colder.

Keep In Mind! All Drivers Should Be Trained In:

The specific liquid being used

How the materials work

How fast the materials work in specific conditions

COUNTY WINTER MATERIAL ANALYSES

SEASON CSALT TONS 467-14 467-13 467-12 467-11 467-10 467-09 467-08 467-07 467-06 467-05 467-04 467-03 467-02 467-01 TOTAL TOTAL AVE SALT COST TOTAL COST YE SNOW COST

467-18 467-17 467-16 467-15 497-14 497-13 497-12 497-11 497-10 497-09 497-08 497-07 497-06 497-05 497-04 497-03 497-02 497-01 QTY COST PER TON CNTY MTRLS TOTALS PER INCH

2005-2006 382.00 552.00 618.00 456.00 194.00 142.00 132.00 14.00 28.00 237.00 195.00 201.00 6.00 8.00 34.00 3,199.00 82,712.74 25.86 107,322.74 137 783

2006-2007 371.00 602.00 486.00 375.00 239.00 154.00 100.00 33.00 43.00 249.00 254.00 191.00 23.00 20.00 41.00 34.00 23.00 17.00 3,255.00 117,490.09 36.10 136,474.03 146 935

2007-2008 309.00 359.00 486.00 202.00 267.00 173.00 98.00 43.00 24.00 210.00 237.00 267.00 12.00 1.00 18.00 48.00 10.00 14.00 2,778.00 105,955.47 38.14 153,219.61 148 1,035

2008-2009 425.75 382.00 441.25 339.00 263.50 160.75 86.50 9.00 13.25 241.25 187.25 189.50 8.75 1.50 4.00 31.50 10.00 15.75 2,810.50 126,554.07 45.03 152,436.14 191 798

2009-2010 336.25 254.75 318.75 357.75 202.75 274.75 123.00 10.00 22.25 239.25 172.25 318.25 9.00 3.00 10.25 19.50 25.00 2,696.75 146,137.32 54.19 183,228.93 84 2,181

2010-2011 551.00 347.00 467.00 413.00 203.00 173.00 94.00 2.00 1.00 169.00 196.00 190.00 2.00 9.00 0.00 21.00 12.00 17.00 2,867.00 165,368.96 57.68 191,747.33 146 1,313

TOTALS 2,375.00 2,496.75 2,817.00 2,142.75 1,369.25 1,077.50 633.50 111.00 131.50 1,345.50 1,241.50 1,356.75 60.75 34.50 71.00 178.75 74.50 88.75 924,428.78

CSAND - YDS 467-14 467-13 467-12 467-11 467-10 467-09 467-08 467-07 467-06 467-05 467-04 467-03 467-02 467-01 AVE SALT COST TOTAL COST TOTAL COST

467-18 467-17 467-16 467-15 497-14 497-13 497-12 497-11 497-10 497-09 497-08 497-07 497-06 497-05 497-04 497-03 497-02 497-01 PER CYD SALT/SAND W / LIQUIDS

2005-2006 484.00 696.00 783.00 562.00 225.00 238.00 239.00 111.00 90.00 300.00 326.00 319.00 59.00 132.00 108.00 141.00 48.00 61.00 4,922.00 24,610.00 5.00 107,322.74 107,322.74

2006-2007 249 364 296 168 131 86 62 32 24 164 158 133 17 25 26 34 10 10 1,989.00 18,983.94 9.54 136,474.03 136,474.03

2007-2008 303.00 359.00 462.00 200.00 191.00 191.00 147.00 89.00 80.00 238.00 233.00 306.00 116.00 64.00 89.00 86.00 41.00 66.00 3,261.00 33,653.52 10.32 139,608.99 153,219.61

2008-2009 316.00 294.50 347.00 60.50 31.00 99.00 89.00 46.00 57.00 189.00 152.25 178.50 44.00 31.00 29.50 53.50 63.00 55.50 2,136.25 22,046.10 10.32 148,600.17 152,436.14

2009-2010 240.50 183.00 183.00 45.50 19.25 105.50 81.00 37.50 53.00 146.75 144.00 209.50 67.00 28.00 28.00 37.00 37.50 35.00 1,681.00 17,347.92 10.32 163,485.24 183,228.93

2010-2011 480.00 320.00 423.00 70.00 26.00 48.00 91.00 2.00 17.00 148.00 174.00 165.00 9.00 9.00 0.00 16.00 8.00 11.00 2,017.00 20,815.44 10.32 186,184.40 191,747.33

TOTALS 2,072.50 2,216.50 2,494.00 1,106.00 623.25 767.50 709.00 317.50 321.00 1,185.75 1,187.25 1,311.00 312.00 289.00 280.50 367.50 207.50 238.50

CALCHLRD - GAL (BOOST) 467-14 467-13 467-12 467-11 467-10 467-09 467-08 467-07 467-06 467-05 467-04 467-03 467-02 467-01 AVE SALT COST

467-18 467-17 467-16 467-15 497-14 497-13 497-12 497-11 497-10 497-09 497-08 497-07 497-06 497-05 497-04 497-03 497-02 497-01 PER GAL

2005-2006

2006-2007

2007-2008

2008-2009 685.50 526.50 664.50 669.00 495.00 162.00 150.00 7.50 22.50 285.00 223.50 258.00 42.00 4,191.00 3,730.21 0.89

2009-2010

2010-2011 315.00 81.00 144.00 81.00 270.00 261.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 126.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1,278.00 257.85 0.20

TOTALS 1,000.50 607.50 808.50 750.00 765.00 423.00 150.00 7.50 22.50 285.00 223.50 384.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 42.00 0.00 0.00

ICEBITE - GAL (GEOMELT) 467-14 467-13 467-12 467-11 467-10 467-09 467-08 467-07 467-06 467-05 467-04 467-03 467-02 467-01 AVE SALT COST

467-18 467-17 467-16 467-15 497-14 497-13 497-12 497-11 497-10 497-09 497-08 497-07 497-06 497-05 497-04 497-03 497-02 497-01 PER GAL

2005-2006

2006-2007

2007-2008 637.80 774.20 1,006.90 419.90 549.80 359.60 208.80 90.40 51.40 428.20 481.30 563.60 34.60 2.20 38.20 98.60 22.00 24.20 5,791.70 13,610.62 2.35

2008-2009 45.00 45.00 105.76 2.35

2009-2010 925.00 731.00 825.00 988.00 568.00 835.00 344.00 27.00 44.00 619.00 599.00 918.00 36.00 12.00 36.00 75.00 95.00 7,677.00 19,743.69 2.57

2010-2011 516.00 174.00 348.00 726.00 390.00 342.00 90.00 0.00 6.00 108.00 144.00 108.00 12.00 0.00 0.00 12.00 12.00 24.00 3,012.00 5,305.08 1.76

TOTALS 2,078.80 1,679.20 2,179.90 2,178.90 1,507.80 1,536.60 642.80 117.40 101.40 1,155.20 1,224.30 1,589.60 82.60 14.20 38.20 146.60 109.00 143.20

924,428.78

avg temp. 20.56522 18.79661 20.40984 23.34091 21.69231

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

NOTHING SUGAR BEET BOOST

ICE_BITE—WET SALT COMBO

as of 1-21-09 as of 2-18-10 as of 1-24-11

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

$ 329,810.00 $ 262,279.00 $ 303,864.00 $ 313,761.00 399746

Winter weather findings to date:

As you can see from my attached spreadsheets, the Road Commission in 2007 used no pile treatment and the net

result was $8,203.17 per event on county primary roads, with average temperatures during events at 20.6 degrees.

We utilized 3,000 tons of salt that season as well. In 2008 the Road Commission used Ice-Bite mixed at 6 gallons per

ton preseason pile treatment as directed and realized a net result of $6,329.16 per event, with average temperatures at

18.8 degrees. We utilized 2,272 tons of salt that year which is a 25% reduction from 2007 season. It needs to also be

noted that in 2008 the Road Commission net increase of fringe benefits and payroll (due to raises) was up

approximately 5%, but we still recognized a $1,874.01 per event savings. We then switched products in 2009 season

to Boost, as recommended by MDOT and pile treated exactly the same way we did in 2008. The net result as of 1-21-

09 is $6,899.05 per event, or $569.89 increase per event from last year, with average temperatures during events at

20.4 degrees, we also utilized 2,363 tons of salt that year as well. It must also be noted that the Road Commission did

not give pay raises and also recognized a decrease in fringe benefits due to the change of health care providers, this

adds up to approximately a 2% decrease in fringe benefits. We did a side by side comparison mid winter with Boost on

M55 and Ice Bite on M115 for one week, the results at the end of the week were very clear. M55 was getting 450

pounds of salt per lane mile applied still and had hard pack on it, while M115 was down to 250 pounds per lane mile as

was relatively clear of all snow. We then switched back to Ice-Bite in 2010 to see if we could recognize the same

results as was shown in 2008. The salt from the dock was delivered to us with an extreme amount of water from heavy

rains prior. We struggled to get just 4 gallons of Ice Bite into the salt without it running out of the salt. The entire

season was difficult due to the wet salt. We ended the season with a net increase per event from our 2008 Ice Bite

year of $1,150, with average temperatures per event at 23.34 degrees. We also utilized 2,243 tons of salt that year as

well. There were also other factors that contributed to the increase such as pay increases and fringe benefit increases

which contributed to a 2% overall wage and fringe benefit increase. 2011 Season it was decided to try a combination

of Ice Bite (at 6 gallons per ton) or Calcium Chloride at 26% chlorides (at 9 gallons per ton). We did not pile treat

preseason, rather treated small piles one week in advance. We did not create any pile with calcium chloride, only

treated the loads as we loaded. We ended up using 2,700 gallons of Ice Bite and the same in calcium chloride and a

lot of days no treatment was utilized at all. The net result was an increase of 50% from 2008 and also and increase in

per event cost of $3,220, with an average temperature per event of 21.7 degrees. We utilized 3,253 tons of salt as

well. There are two factors that must be noted however that the 2011 season was mostly weekend snow events and

was coupled with extreme wind events that added to the need for salt and blading even during non event days. And we

also recognized a 2% increase in wages and fringe benefits this year as well. I believe these would account for

approximately 50% of the increase, but the other 50% is due to lack of pile treatment and liquids in the salt.

QUESTIONS???