Editor's Note: Connie Fortin has spent decades working with winter maintenance professionals to reduce salt use. She has now turned her attention to educating civil engineers, planners and landscape architects to help address the growing chloride concerns. Bolton & Menk launched Low Salt Solutions in 2022 to integrate low salt design strategies in site design.
Many people notice the rooftop icicles dripping on the steps, the snow pile melting across the parking lot, and the downspout directed toward the sidewalk, making the journey to our destination a slippery slope. Snow professionals must anticipate the threat of snow and ice melting and refreezing and other safety risks as they create their operations strategy. One of the biggest challenges is site design. Are these sites designed for Florida or the frozen north?
Through our discussions with infrastructure experts, we learned how imbalanced the emphasis is on summer infrastructure maintenance requirements, training and accountability compared to winter.
Most infrastructure design and regulations focus on handling stormwater runoff. It became obvious that any engineer or architect designing under these pressures would produce designs that perform better in summer. As we emphasized designing for winter, it was clear snow created challenges that they were not taking into account – which puts snow and ice professionals at a distinct disadvantage.
Snow, blowing snow, strategic snow storage, ease of plowing, meltwater sprawl, and refreeze are rarely thought about in the planning or design phase. So, while sites may perform wonderfully in the summer, the shortfalls result in dangerous winter conditions. And since clients expect their sites to look the same as they do in summer, it encourages the use (and often overuse) of salt applications, which negatively impacts the environment.
In addition to the environmental concerns, chlorides also significantly impact infrastructure. According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, infrastructure damages for salt use range from $800 - $3,300 per ton. These are conservative projections based on pre-2014 research; and since labor and material prices have recently skyrocketed, it’s likely that the cost of infrastructure damages have soared as well.
Encouraging low salt strategies in infrastructure design will result in safer winter surfaces; reduced winter maintenance needs; decreased deicer use; and less damage to infrastructure, water, soils, vegetation and wildlife. Plow drivers are quick to point out where designs struggle in the winter. Their two biggest requests? Better designed snow storage areas, and to make landscaping work in all four seasons.
The location and performance of a proposed snow storage area is important to analyze since it is a source of continual headaches during thaw/freeze cycles. Areas should be designed to minimize the meltwater path, which reduces the ice footprint and salt required to achieve safe surfaces; and have adequate signage to direct crews to optimal snow storage locations. These should be noted on the site engineering maps so there is no confusion for those responsible for clearing the sites.
Planting locations can become obstacles when it comes to snow clearing operations, so designers need to be more intentional with the placement of trees, shrubs, perennials and grasses.
For example, the direction of the sun can be analyzed for proper selection and placement of trees and shrubs to keep shadows off plowable surfaces. Sun is a boon to winter pavement recovery, which allows snow professionals to use less salt and better protect vegetation and infrastructure.
Certain plants can tolerate higher levels of salt, which will reduce the number of trees and shrubs that need to be removed and/or replaced.
We have established several categories for winter design consideration and bring them to life during Low Salt Design training. How can we tell if these new ideas work? Through winter inspection. If sites are covered with salt or ice, it fails. To prevent failure, we review three categories:
The response to integrating more winter considerations into projects has been overwhelmingly positive. As winter ideas continue to be integrated into design, construction, and maintenance, guidance on winter design is expected to grow and evolve.
Our thanks to the thousands of winter maintenance professionals who spoke up about underperforming winter site and corridor design. You have been the catalyst for change.
Cost to control chlorides
The costs to fix chloride damage could be reduced with infrastructure design that takes winter weather into account, leading to less salt being applied during service.
Connie Fortin is low salt strategist and Kyra Oliver, EIT is water resources design engineer & landscape designer for Bolton Menk. Email them at Kyra.oliver@bolton-menk.com or Connie.fortin@Bolton-Menk.com.