Bulk Road Salt Solutions for Airport Runway Safety
Transportation is the area most heavily affected during winter storms. Among all the transportation systems, airports are also affected, which increases the risk of accidents even further. When ice forms on the runway, it becomes more hazardous for flight operations. Maintaining an ice-free runway is crucial for safety reasons. Aircraft are not like cars and cannot stop or change direction immediately. A small layer of ice can be challenging and make it difficult to steer or control the plane. The risk becomes even greater for faster planes than those carrying cargo and passengers. Therefore, airport authorities monitor the situation thoroughly to ensure greater safety during the winter. In this article, we will deep dive into the bulk road salt solutions for airport runway safety. Let’s get started!
Challenges Airports Face During Snowstorms
Airports operate continuously even during challenging situations like blizzards. Regardless of the situation, they want to remain operational. This puts immense pressure on the ground crew to manage the operations. Clearing snow and ice is not as easy as clearing snow on roads. It involves a complex network of taxiways, aprons, tarmac and runways.
Everything needs to be dealt with precision and timing. If the salt is applied early, it can be washed away or swept away by flight movements. If it’s too late, the ice will form on the surface, which can be challenging again. In addition to these, airports must manage flight movements, safety regulations, and scheduling. Therefore, all these factors can make it challenging to maintain the runways in optimal condition during winter.
Airports also face logistics challenges, such as storing bulk de-icing agents, predicting weather, and taking timely action for ice and snow management. Additionally, they must consider the environmental impacts and budget. All these factors combine to make runway maintenance a challenging job that requires effective solutions, such as using bulk road salt.
The Role of De-Icing Agents in Aviation
De-icing agents are used to manage the snow and ice by lowering the freezing point of the water. These agents either prevent ice formation or break the bond between the road and the ice, making it easier for snow removal to occur. Sodium chloride, potassium acetate and calcium magnesium acetate are the commonly used de-icing agents.
You need to deal with both the pros and cons of using de-icing agents. You will need to consider budget and environmental factors when using them. Some are effective but expensive, whereas some are affordable but cause environmental damage. Using bulk road salt wisely, combined with advanced technology, can be a cost-effective and affordable solution in high-traffic areas, such as airports.
Why Bulk Road Salt is Used in Airport Maintenance?
Efficiency and Cost-Effectiveness
Road salt is the most commonly used in winter due to its cost-effectiveness. If you are involved in large-scale operations, such as airports, purchasing in bulk can make it even more affordable. If the salt is used correctly, it works quickly by preventing the formation of ice. When spread on the surface, it immediately lowers the freezing point and maintains the runways safe. Airports can leverage the price factor in managing multiple snowstorms during the winter.
When it comes to storage, it can be stored in large quantities, which is logistically efficient. You can easily access the salt during emergencies if you have bulk salt in advance.
Comparison with Other De-Icing Materials
In de-icing agents, road salt is the only option; we have a few more, but they are comparatively expensive. If you are considering potassium acetate, it is a liquid de-icer often used by major airports. It works even better at lower temperatures and is less corrosive for airplane parts. However, it is more expensive and requires special equipment to apply, which can be difficult to manage in the long run.
Whereas calcium acetate is another environmentally friendly de-icing alternative. But it lacks the melting ability that sodium chloride has. So, most airports choose a combination of materials, such as using bulk road salt for early treatment and potassium acetate when the temperature becomes severe.
Types of Bulk Road Salt Used in Airport Maintenance
Sodium Chloride
Sodium chloride, also known as rock salt, is the most commonly used type of de-icing agent worldwide in various commercial and residential settings. It is usually obtained from salt deposits by harvesting it from seawater and processed for various de-icing applications. For use in vast areas like airports, it is treated with anti-caking agents or dye to monitor usage and prevent overapplication of the salt.
Its main advantage is its cost. However, it may lose its effectiveness at temperatures below 15°F. It is mostly used during early and mid-winter, but not during severe winter conditions. It is generally combined with sand or brine to enhance its efficiency and safety. The use of sodium chloride in airports also poses some disadvantages, such as corrosion of the airplane’s parts. Therefore, the salt is mixed with alternative agents during harsh weather conditions.
Potassium Acetate and Other Alternatives
Potassium acetate is a preferred liquid de-icer in many major airports due to its excellent performance in extreme cold and low corrosivity. It’s often sprayed as a pre-treatment and used in critical areas, such as runway intersections. However, its high cost limits its use primarily to major hubs with large budgets.
Potassium acetate is a liquid de-icing agent that works well even in extreme weather conditions and causes less corrosion to the airplane parts. It is the reason major airports use potassium acetate as a de-icing agent. Due to its high cost, it is used in major airports which have larger budgets for snow and ice management.
Calcium Magnesium acetate is another eco-friendly alternative, which is urea-based. It is less effective and works slowly when compared to other de-icing agents. So, using it can be a challenge during fast-moving storms.
Liquid vs. Solid Formulations
Bulk road salt is available in two forms: Solid and liquid brine. Solid form is available in crystals and is easier to store in larger quantities, which can be a convenient way for airports to manage salt requirements, irrespective of weather conditions. Whereas liquid brine is prepared by dissolving salt in water and adding additives to improve its performance, it is then sprinkled on the road surface. Brine sticks well to the surface and prevents the ice from sticking to the road.
Most airports use brine for pre-treatment and solid crystals accordingly, depending on the severity of the storm, to ensure better coverage and performance in unpredictable weather conditions.
How Road Salt Ensures Runway Safety?
Freezing Point Depression
The science behind the effectiveness of road salt is simple yet effective. When road salt is spread on the surface, it lowers the freezing point of the water, a phenomenon technically known as freezing point depression. Depending on the type and the concentration, the freezing point of the water on the surface changes. This process maintains the airport runways in operational conditions even during extreme weather conditions. When salt is spread on the runway, it immediately dissolves and forms brine solutions, which create a thin film between the snow and the runway’s surface, making snow or ice removal a lot easier.
Traction Improvement
Road salt helps melt ice and provides traction by keeping the runway in a semi-dry or wet condition, rather than freezing it. This makes the landing and departure of the planes easy and ensures a grip on the surface of the runway. If there is improvement in traction, the braking and direction control will be much better. Road salt makes an icy and slick surface manageable. Sometimes, airports add sand or grit to the salt for improved traction.
Prevention vs. Removal Strategy
Using salt as a preventive measure rather than a reactive agent. There are two steps which you can follow for ice removal. They are anti-icing and de-icing. Anti-icing is a preventive measure that most airports follow to facilitate easy snow removal. A brine solution is sprinkled on the runway surface to prevent the ice from sticking to the surface and make removal easy. Whereas, in the de-icing method, ice is removed after it forms on the runway surface. De-icing requires more labour and equipment and is less effective than anti-icing.
Planning the application methods correctly can maintain airport runways safely with fewer disruptions.
Innovations in Runway De-Icing Technology
Salt Blends and Smart Salting
In recent times, airports are implementing the use of salt blends by combining road salt with high-end chemicals to improve efficiency. The mixes include magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, and other natural products, such as beet juice.
Smart salting involves the use of GPS-assisted spreaders with automated weather tracking, along with AI-powered systems to analyze road conditions, allowing them to determine the optimal amount of salt to use. All these efforts have a simple goal: to use less salt and achieve better results while reducing environmental impact.
Emerging Non-Corrosive Alternatives
New de-icing agents are being developed to reduce the corrosion of airplane parts. Some of them are mentioned below:
- Potassium Acetate: Effective and non-corrosive, but a bit expensive.
- Calcium Magnesium Acetate: Environmentally friendly and works well at moderate temperatures.
- Eco-friendly De-icers: Obtained from agricultural byproducts, ensuring performance and sustainability.
The materials mentioned above are not being used widely due to their high prices. But someday, due to an increase in demand, they will be available for larger use.
Conclusion
Ensuring airport safety during winter conditions is a challenging task in which timing and technique are crucial. The materials which we use make all the difference. Of all the tools available for snow removal, bulk road salt remains the most reliable and cost-effective solution. Its ability in snow and ice management plays a major role in maintaining safety in airports and for aircraft, even during the harshest winter conditions.
At Canada Salt Group Ltd, we offer high-quality bulk road salt and Liquid de-icer that balance cost, performance, and safety. Whether you’re preparing for early snowfalls or handling extreme cold, we have the right solutions to help you stay ahead of the weather. Contact us today for a free quote.
