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

  • Demand for asphalt testing solutions
    February 14, 2012
    Asphalt testing is performed for a variety of reasons by a variety of companies. Patrick Smith reports Road safety is in the interest of everyone and today it is also an important target shared by the majority of the companies involved in road design and construction. The growing attention paid to this value has had a remarkable effect on the material testing field, encouraged by an increasing market demand for testing solutions as well as by the new technical requirements established by international st
    Read More
  • Clever approach to reducing bridge vibrations
    November 14, 2013
    Reducing vibrations on a bridge, supplying high-quality binders to emerging countries and helping small and medium players with warm mix, this month’s stories showcase some innovative bitumen technology solutions - Kristina Smith reports The Kessock Bridge in the Highlands of Scotland has become the third bridge in the UK to be resurfaced with Gussasphalt. A dense mastic asphalt containing Nynas Endura N5, a polymer modified binder, Gussasphalt has been designed to have a longer life than standard mastic as
    Read More
  • Stockholm contract for STRABAG subsidiary
    June 18, 2018
    STRABAG’s Swedish subsidiary Züblin Scandinavia will carry out a €49 million contract to construct a major interchange in Stockholm. The FSE309 Lovö interchange forms part of the massive Stockholm Bypass project, intended to divert traffic away from the city centre and cut congestion and urban pollution. Included in the project are a new connecting road with four lanes, tunnel sections, drainage systems and facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. The Lovö interchange connects the bypass to the existing Ro
    Read More
  • Island Roads is on the march along the UK’s Isle of Wight
    November 21, 2018
    Ringway Island Roads recently completed a major 12km upgrade to one of the UK’s most iconic roads. The upgrade to the Military Road, on the Isle of Wight in the English channel, is the largest carriageway improvement project delivered in a single scheme by Ringways’ Island Roads division. The project was part of the Isle of Wight’s Highway Improvement Programme which is financed in the main through a grant of €535 million awarded by the UK’s Department for Transport. The section between the villages
    Read More

Highlighted Content