01371222

Component

http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/167060.aspx

http://www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/167060.aspx

In Sweden, the government’s goal is to promote cycling even during winter, and one way to do that is by improving the winter maintenance service level of bike paths. In 2006 the municipality of Umeå invested in equipment for spreading warm wetted sand on bike paths and walkways. By mixing the sand material with hot water while spreading, it will adhere to a cold surface through a process of melting and freezing. The method has been used for skid control on roadways during several years, but Umeå has the only equipment available for use on bike paths and walkways. A research project was started at the Swedish National Road and Transport Institute in 2010 to evaluate the method and its applicability on bike paths and walkways. During the winter of 2010-2011 the method was evaluated through road condition observation and interviews with cyclists and pedestrians. However, the paper focuses on the practical experience using the method. From road weather data it can be concluded that the method has the potential to decrease the number of actions needed to maintain a sufficient friction level on bike paths and walkways. The best effect is on hard packed snow and thick ice. The most crucial problem to be solved is the freezing of the sand material in the hopper. The mixture of the sand material used needs to be adjusted and the operational routines must be improved.

01371195

WM-STW12-108

English

pp 117-124

2012-4

Transportation Research Circular

International Conference on Winter Maintenance and Surface Transportation Weather

Web

Figures; Photos; References; Tables

Bikeways; Sand; Skid resistance; Walkways; Winter maintenance

Hot water and sand mixture; Wet sanding

Sweden; Umea (Sweden)

Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; I62: Winter Maintenance

TRIS, TRB

May 14 2012 12:25PM