Sweden: argument for snowmelt systems heats up

A recent study by Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology concludes that pavement and road snowmelt systems reduce the risk of slipping in winter conditions. The study compared statistics from 20 of the country's largest cities, according to a report in the newspaper Göteborgs Posten. It found that the difference in accidents between heated ground and unheated ground was so large that four of five slipping accidents could be avoided through snowmelt systems.
November 12, 2018 Read time: 2 mins

A recent study by Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology concludes that pavement and road snowmelt systems reduce the risk of slipping in winter conditions.

The study compared statistics from 20 of the country's largest cities, according to a report in the newspaper Göteborgs Posten. It found that the difference in accidents between heated ground and unheated ground was so large that four of five slipping accidents could be avoided through snowmelt systems.

The 3530 Swedish Transport Administration – 1096 Trafikverket - concluded that this should open the way for more investment in heated streets.

Early last year, the university published a paper on hydronic heating pavements - HHP – completed by an engineering student as part of his doctoral work. An HHP system, consisting of pipes embedded into the road, is based on heat transfer between the pipes and the road surface. Thermal properties of the road materials will play an important role in the efficiency of the HHP system, according to the paper Thermal Properties of Asphalt Concretes and Numerical Simulations, by Raheb Mirzanamadi.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Speed and precision make for perfect tunnelling combination
    May 21, 2014
    Speed and precision have been the hallmarks of a number of major road tunnelling projects across the globe over the last 12 months, as the latest sector equipment from leading manufacturers has found itself in high demand. Guy Woodford reports Herrenknecht tunnel boring machines (TBM) have been busy tunnelling under major Chinese rivers, demonstrating phenomenal speed, top safety levels and extreme precision while playing a key role in the construction of road tunnels in the Yangtze River Delta. The Yang
    Read More
  • Volvo CE’s Carl Slotte explains the division’s current line-up
    October 11, 2017
    Next year Volvo CE will be testing electric, hybrid and autonomous vehicles in a quarry. Carl Slotte, head of sales for EMEA, says no company by itself will win market share. David Arminas reports from Germany The driver of the charter bus stood outside the hotel in Trier, Germany, and waved at a passing local city bus. “I know the driver,” he told one of the assembled journalists waiting for the group’s ride to the nearby Volvo CE plant. “He is retired but they brought him back because young people th
    Read More
  • China to set up “international courts” for Belt and Road disputes
    February 6, 2018
    China plans to set up an “international court” for settling disputes among companies participating in Belt and Road transportation infrastructure work, according to Chinese media. The Global Time newspaper – with strong links to the communist government – reported that Chinese companies are facing more foreign-related lawsuits as they step up investment and business in countries covered by Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. The report called Belt and Road “a brainchild of Xi”, referring to Xi Jinping
    Read More
  • Eurobitume Congress: Prague promises
    June 22, 2016
    Held every four years, the Eurasphalt and Eurobitume congresses have a reputation for revealing developments that will shape the future of bitumen use on Europe’s roads. This year’s event in Prague promises to uphold that reputation. By Kristina Smith The list of locations for the Eurobitume and Eurasphalt (E&E) Congresses reads like a traveller’s dream itinerary: Strasbourg, Barcelona, Vienna, Copenhagen, Istanbul. Now the beautiful city of Prague has been added to the list. Between 1-3 June, presenter
    Read More

Highlighted Content