What Does Ice Do To Your Roads?

Ice keeps drinks nice and cold on a hot day, but come winter, it is one of the most dangerous issues facing DOTs on our nation’s roadways.

Ice can cause serious injuries. One study released in 2015 claims that more than 800 people die each year in the U.S. in vehicle crashes caused by snow, sleet, and freezing rain.

Why does ice pose such a unique problem for roads?

The creation of icy conditions on roadways is caused by the combination of freezing temperatures (below 32%F) and moisture (water) at the surface of the road.

This can occur from frost, fog passing over an already cold road, freezing groundwater or melting snow, freezing snow that melted on a warm road surface, and freezing rain.

These freeze and thaw cycles wreak havoc on our roadways. This diagram shows how. 

When water freezes and becomes ice, it expands its volume by nine percent. If the water seeps into the pavement and then freezes, the expansion in volume can cause internal pressure and damage the pavement.

You’re already dealing with ice damage, so why make things worse for yourself with low-bid, low-quality blades, which can also damage the roads. This combination can cause you to do double the road maintenance come spring.

Invest in your roads, invest in high-quality blades. Click below to learn more about what you can do to prevent damage and high-cost road maintenance.