Salt has been the mainstay deicer in winter maintenance agencies’ toolboxes for decades. Through research, testing and in-house 
experimentation, agencies have advanced the state of the practice in how to apply it. That means calibrating spreaders regularly, and using liquid salt brine for anti-icing and prewetting to help reduce application rates and keep the salt on the roadway and out of the environment. Agencies also make use of other chemical blends and additives, including agricultural-based products, for corrosion protection and effective deicing at lower temperatures.
Related research topics:
Specifications and Guidance
Clear Roads guidelines, plus a sampling of related state specifications.
- Clear Roads Material Application Methodologies Guidebook
- Clear Roads Roadway Salt Best Management Practices Manual
- Clear Roads Effective Salt and Anti-icing Application Rates Guidelines
- Clear Roads Field Guide for Testing Deicing Chemicals
- Connecticut (Winter Highway Maintenance Operations: Connecticut, 2015)
- Indiana (Salt bid specifications, 2013-2014)
- Maine (Salt specifications, 2018-2019)
- Maryland (Maryland Statewide Salt Management Plan, 2019)
- Ohio (Snow and Ice Practices, 2011)
- South Dakota (South Dakota Winter Highway Maintenance Plan, 2017-2018)
- Texas (Deicer/anti-icer specification, 2017)
- Wisconsin (Salt bid specifications, 2017-2018)
Product Experience
Every year, Clear Roads member states share the results of pilot-testing of winter maintenance products and materials that their agencies have conducted.
View product experiences for deicers/chemicals for 2006-2021. Products reviewed include:
- Boost salt brine enhancer inhibitor (EnviroTech)
- Dowflake Xtra calcium chloride flakes
- Fusion deicer
- Geomelt
- IceBan
- Ice B’Gone Magic
- IceKicker
- Ice Slicer
Videos
Other Research and Resources
RESEARCH
- Adaptive Management to Improve Deicing Operations (Minnesota DOT, March 2021)
- Optimizing Winter Roadway Treatments for Georgia Pavements (Georgia DOT, February 2021)
- Hot Shots for Cold Climates and report appendices (Minnesota DOT, December 2020)
- Corn-Based Deicers (Iowa DOT, 2020)
- Assessing the Effectiveness of Potassium Acetate to Control Snow and Ice on Minnesota Highways (Minnesota DOT, June 2020)
- Salt Management Strategy: Environmental Impacts and Potential Economic Costs and Benefits of Improved Management Practices in Northern Virginia (Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, 2018)
- Field Usage of Alternative Deicers for Snow and Ice Control: A Minnesota DOT Local Road Research Board research synthesis summarizing current options for non-chloride-based deicers, including acetate, formate, glycol, and succinate based deicing products. (Minnesota DOT, 2017)
- Wisconsin DOT Salt Storage Needs Report (2017)
- Operational Factors that Affect Road Salt Usage and the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Salt Spreading Operations and Equipment: Massachusetts DOT conducted a three-year study to evaluate its Snow and Ice Control Program, identify measures that would improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its deicer material usage, and reduce material costs. (Massachusetts DOT, 2016)
- Impacts of Using Salt and Salt Brine for Roadway Deicing: A study to better understand the environmental impacts of the use of salt and salt brines. (Idaho Transportation Department, 2014)
- Do Road Salts Cause Environmental Impacts?: A brief literature review of potential environmental problems associated with the use of salt as a deicer. (Maryland DNR, 2013)
- Salt Brine Blending to Optimize Deicing and Anti-Icing Performance (Minnesota DOT, 2012)
- Development of an Improved Agricultural-Based Deicing Product: This research investigated by-products from agricultural processes that may be suitable for use as deicers. (Iowa DOT, 2010)
- Road Salt: Moving Toward the Solution: A Cary Institute report on road salt. (Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, 2010)
- Guidelines for the Selection of Snow and Ice Control Materials to Mitigate Environmental Impacts: NCHRP Report 577. (NCHRP, 2007)
RESOURCES