Assessment of Ecological Materials as Alternative Abrasives and Deicers for Winter Road Maintenance and Water Resource Protection
2022-10
View/Download File
Persistent link to this item
Statistics
View StatisticsJournal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Title
Assessment of Ecological Materials as Alternative Abrasives and Deicers for Winter Road Maintenance and Water Resource Protection
Authors
Published Date
2022-10
Publisher
Type
Thesis or Dissertation
Abstract
The use of chloride-based salt as a deicer for winter road maintenance hasbeen a longstanding practice throughout the state of Minnesota and the country.
However, once chloride enters the water, it is not naturally broken down,
transformed, or removed from the environment, resulting in accumulation in the
watershed and detrimental ecological and water quality impacts in freshwater
systems. In order to protect freshwater resources and to prevent this issue from
worsening with time, an alternative method for providing sustainable and
effective winter road maintenance is needed. In some cold regions of Minnesota,
sand is mixed with salt as an abrasive to provide additional traction to the roads,
however its effectiveness is not well established. This study aimed to investigate
the potential of regionally available organic and inorganic industrial byproducts as
alternatives to conventional sand and salts. Candidate materials include corn grit,
timber waste, and taconite waste rocks local to Minnesota. Chemical and
physical properties of the materials were characterized, including material
elemental composition, morphology, particle size distribution, sorption capacity,
and specific gravity to establish a foundational understanding of the material.
Skid resistance tests and environmental impact assessments were performed to
evaluate traction effectiveness and material safety. Based on these results, a
recommendation for potential use was made. The results showed potential for
corn grit to be used as a sorbent for salt brine deicer with less salt impact and for
waste rock to be used as an abrasive in the realm of winter road maintenance.
This work may provide potential new material for winter road maintenance as
well as a streamlined method for evaluating potential abrasives/deicers, valuable
for expediting future studies of alternative materials.
Description
University of Minnesota M.S. thesis. 2022. Major: Civil Engineering. Advisor: Chan Lan Chun. 1 computer file (PDF); 67 pages.
Related to
Replaces
License
Series/Report Number
Funding information
Isbn identifier
Doi identifier
Previously Published Citation
Suggested citation
Graeber, Caitlin. (2022). Assessment of Ecological Materials as Alternative Abrasives and Deicers for Winter Road Maintenance and Water Resource Protection. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/250397.
Content distributed via the University Digital Conservancy may be subject to additional license and use restrictions applied by the depositor. By using these files, users agree to the Terms of Use. Materials in the UDC may contain content that is disturbing and/or harmful. For more information, please see our statement on harmful content in digital repositories.