Resources
Practical guidance for the winter maintenance industry.
Department for Transport Reports
Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery: Identifying lessons learned by the UK highway sector from extreme-weather emergencies (2015-2020)
As a result of extreme weather events, their effects and their impacts on the UK highways network, the Department for Transport (DfT) commissioned research to identify any lessons that have been learned for ensuring the resilience of the highway network.
NWSRG Practical guide for winter service
Treatments for Snow and Ice
The guidance explains when and how to treat snow and ice effectively, including:
- Using snow ploughs effectively
- Where to plough snow
- Treatments before snow and freezing rain and during snow
- Treatments for slush, thin layers of ice, compacted snow and ice
Spread Rates
Guidance has been produced regarding precautionary spread rates to enable economical and sustainable salting with the advantage of also minimising environmental impacts.
The guidance explains why salt condition, calibration and spreader performance are important and provides a decision making process for determining spread rates based on:
- Weather and road surface conditions
- Residual salt levels
- Traffic levels
- Types of surfacing
Salt Storage
This section of the Guide informs practitioners on optimum salt moisture contents and storage methods. Advice on calibration, adjustment and spread rates for non-optimum conditions is also provided. This assists practitioners to:
- Improve salt spreading performance
- Reduce under-spreading and over-spreading parts of the carriageways
- Reduce wastage
- Enable spread rates to be reduced, thus reducing the total amount of salt used
Spreader Management
Guidance and a specification have been produced covering the requirements and methods for calibrating spreaders to maintain optimum safe and economical salting. This is a crucial component in ensuring that spreading performance is optimised and salt wastage is minimised.
Treatment Methods
Blurb required
Treatments for Extreme Cold
Guidance based on the latest available research results regarding extreme cold treatments. This includes the storage and use of alternative de-icer materials to replace or increse the effectiveness of sodium chloride at tempertaures below -7oC in normal winter humidity conditions or -5oC in low winter humidity (>80%) conditions.
Using the Guide
Outline on the purpose of the Practical Guidance and how to use the guide effectively.
Disclaimer: Documents produced by National Winter Service Research Group, original documents can be found here.