Operating guidelines and salt instructions for sweep-salting of cycleways

Important results from the project

"Sweep-salting" is a winter maintenance method for cycleways involving a front-mounted power broom for snow clearance and salt for de-icing. The aim of this project has been to produce operating guidelines and salt templates for sweep-salting of cycleways, by combining the theoretical knowledge gathered in earlier research with the practical experience gained by operators and maintenance managers. The guidelines include practical tips on planning, preparation, application and follow-up of the method and a salt template with recommended salt doses under different conditions.

Expected long term effects

The operating guidelines and the salt templates developed will help maintenance managers and operators in their application of the sweep-salting method. This might lead to a higher winter maintenance service level on cycleways at a reasonable cost. Follow-up methods recommended and developed will provide an improved decision basis meaning that the amount of salt and the number of measures could be reduced, which has the potential to provide both an environmental benefit and an economic advantage.

Approach and implementation

Knowledge from previous research regarding sweep-salting of cycleways has been summarized. Additional information has been collected through field measurements, workshops with maintenance managers, operators, suppliers and manufacturers. A scanning tour to Denmark has been made including visits to Copenhagen and Odense municipalities, the manufacturer Epoke, the Danish Road Directorate and the Technological Institute in Aarhus. An easy-to-handle residual salt measuring device has been developed.