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

  • Cold recycling helps rebuild of Brazil’s Ayrton Senna highway
    September 28, 2015
    Brazil’s Ayrton Senna Highway has been rebuilt using cold recycling. Brazil’s SP-070 is also known as the Ayrton Senna Highway and is a major highway in the country, carrying heavy traffic volumes. For its rebuild, the time-saving, cost-efficient and eco-friendly benefits of the cold recycling process have been put to the test. The SP-070 provides a key transport link between São Paulo and Campos do Jordão, Vale do Paraíba and Rio de Janeiro, as well as being the main access route to Guarulhos Interna
    Read More
  • Plant advances for asphalt production boost efficiency
    May 30, 2018
    Advances in asphalt plant technology will boost efficiency for producers, while increasing the percentage of recycled materials that can be used in the mix - Mike Woof writes. Asphalt plant technology continues to advance as the rival firms fine-tune their technologies for greater performance. New plants can give higher quality output due to new control technologies, while also allowing for recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) to be used more efficiently, while still ensuring tight mix specifications are met. A
    Read More
  • High marks for road marking solutions
    December 3, 2013
    A novel solution based on a leading road marking manufacturer’s proven marking technology is keeping elderly residents safe in a French residential development. Guy Woodford reports on this and other major road marking products and their applications By 2050, it is estimated that 45% of European Union citizens will be over 60. Many authorities have been working to develop and implement safety standards that will ensure enhanced mobility for their local elderly population. As part of their implementation,
    Read More
  • Energy Saving Roads - The Future Way of Sustainable Infrastructure
    April 23, 2019
    A workshop into environmentally-friendly road construction was held in Denmark - report from Mikkel Bruun, Bruun Communication Recent advances in road construction have included the development of climate asphalt, which reduces rolling resistance and saves CO2. But what is it and how does it affect the production and use of asphalt pavements? And what are the socio-economic implications? The ROSE project that just ended with a workshop in Copenhagen might hold the answers. The rule of thumb is that lo
    Read More

Highlighted Content