If you have ever seen winter storm crews working on the roads before a big storm, chances are they are applying an anti-icing liquid salt brine pre-treatment. Typically, liquid brine is applied with the use of tank trucks before a storm in order to protect the road surfaces from ice build-up that occurs during snowfall. Pre-treatment helps reduce the clean-up time after a storm and can help return roads to safe driving conditions faster. Read more to learn everything you need to know about anti-icing with liquid salt brine so you can better protect your commercial business, municipality, or public road.
What is the difference between anti-icing and de-icing?
While both anti-icing and de-icing treatments seek to eliminate dangerous ice, anti-icing occurs before a storm hits, and de-icing is done after a snowstorm is over. Read more below about the details of each ice treatment.
Anti-icing with Liquid Salt Brine
An anti-icing treatment occurs before a snowstorm starts. A liquid solution of either Magnesium Chloride, Calcium Chloride, or Sodium Chloride is applied to the roads as a preventative measure. This liquid brine has a lower freezing point than water, serving as a barrier and layer of protection over the road against ice. Applying an anti-icing treatment to a road before a storm is a great way to prevent dangerous ice build-up and clean up a storm faster. Anti-icing also prevents a snow-pavement bond, which could result in slippery roads and undrivable conditions that could lead to accidents. A professional snow removal company will survey the weather conditions of an approaching storm and determine if an anti-icing treatment would be effective based on a combination of factors including precipitation intensity and type, air temperature, wind conditions, pavement type, and location. If there is liquid brine applied to the road, you will be able to see faint product residue on the surface of the road.
De-icing
De-icing is a treatment that is applied to roads after a storm has already taken place. Deicers melt ice and snow build-up instead of preventing it before it forms. The most popular deicing products are Magnesium Chloride and Calcium Chloride, as they absorb moisture from the air to lower the freezing point of water. Magnesium Chloride and Calcium Chloride act as deicers in their dry, solid form and anti-icers in liquid form. A professional snow removal crew may choose to apply Calcium Chloride if your road surfaces are located in an especially cold climate, as this product is effective in temperatures as low as -25°F. Additionally, Calcium Chloride is the most concentrated ice melt and thus deemed the strongest. Magnesium Chloride is slightly less concentrated, meaning slightly more product is necessary to achieve the same ice melting effects as Calcium Chloride. With this being said, the lower chloride concentration makes Magnesium Chloride a more environmentally friendly product. It is less toxic and irritating to surrounding plants and animals. If your road surface is located near vegetation or receives a high volume of animal traffic, a professional crew may choose this deicer product instead.
Can the liquid salt brine freeze to the road?
While there may be concerns about applying a liquid solution to a cold winter road, liquid brine does not freeze to the road due to its chemical makeup and the fact that it has a lower freezing point than water. In this way, you do not have to worry about liquid salt brine making roads slippery before a storm, and in fact, applying this liquid solution will help return roads to normal even faster after a storm is finished. If you come into contact with a professional truck applying liquid brine to a road, make sure to maintain a safe following distance and travel slower to prevent any unnecessary danger.
Other snow storm services you need for road safety
In addition to applying an anti-icing pretreatment of liquid brine to a road prior to a storm, it is also important to have a professional clean-up crew after a storm. While liquid brine does help minimize the amount of ice build-up on roadways and make storm clean up faster, there will still be other ground surfaces that need to be treated after the completion of a storm to maintain public safety. A professional snow plowing company such as Rasevic Companies also offers snow removal and snow relocation services that complement the effectiveness of anti-icing liquid brine well.
Snow Removal: Snow Plowing and Shoveling
Snow removal is performed with the use of professional snow plowing equipment for any size job. Large roads typically require heavy-duty snowplows, while smaller surfaces such as sidewalks or outdoor steps can be cleaned with snow shovels or manual handheld plows. While you could clear snow from your commercial business or municipality without the help of a professional crew, this could lead to employee injuries and will take twice the amount of time compared to a well-trained company. It is typically more cost-effective and efficient to hire a professional snow plowing company to remove your unwanted snow.
Snow Relocation
Additionally, professional crews offer snow relocation services where they utilize dump trucks to haul cleared snow off of your property, making room for vehicles or any other equipment you may have in the space. Commercial businesses especially benefit from this service, as large melting snow piles can take up valuable parking space and repel potential customers or even employees. Snow relocation services are a great way to maintain the aesthetic appeal of your business and keep everyone safe throughout the winter.
Liquid Salt Brine Anti-icing Treatments with Rasevic Companies
Rasevic Companies offers complete storm clean-up services, including anti-icing treatments with liquid brine, professional snow plowing services, snow relocation, and ice management with deicers after a storm. Make sure all your roads are protected this winter and return them to safe driving conditions faster with liquid brine anti-icing. To learn more about the snow removal services Rasevic offers click here, and fill out the form below to get a free quote for liquid brine treatments before the first winter storm arrives.
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