Off Topic » Sand vs. Salt?

I know that a lot of people complain about governments using salt as a way to de-ice roadways because of what the salt does to anything metal on their vehicles. In California we have been getting a lot more snowfall than usual and so snowy and ice covered roads have been getting a lot of press lately.

One of the topics discussed was why Caltrans, the state roadway maintenance division, uses sand instead of salt to increase traction on ice and snow-covered pavement. What was mentioned is that sand is used because it is causes much less damage to the surrounding environment than does salt. I guess that makes sense and I do appreciate that I don't have to continually wash and otherwise protect my motorcycles from corrosion during the winter due to the action of salt water. So I am happy about that. On the other hand, you do have to be careful when riding on sand covered roads due to the lack of traction caused by the loose sand, at least until the snowfall turns to rain and washes the sand away. I guess every approach has its pros and cons.

What do you think? Is salt a better solution to increasing traction on roads, or is sand good enough as a way to protect the environment? Personally, I have no experience riding on roadways where salt is used as a de-icer so I can only see one side of the discussion.

Most states use a sand/salt mix.
As a pre treatment a lot of states use a liquid brine before it snows.
Depending on the state different ingredients are used in the brine.
When working in North Dakota the locals told me they used beet juice in the brine because it was a local crop.
Union County Iowa where we live the county started using a brine with beet juice on hard surface roads this last year.

when you say sand do you mean fine dust particles sand or more akin to small gravel?

In my neck of the woods mostly salt is used but small gravel is not infrequent in less populated areas where snow plows are less active or generally more snow is expected. To the point where the road is not entirely cleared but packed down snow and gravel are left. Gravel increases traction in those parts. Also in cities on steeper hillside roads.

The unfortunate side-effect are very easy stone-chips once it melts off and before they 'sweep' the roads.

That being said and being completely honest I ride year round near-daily bar snow/negative C temps and in 4 years and 2 bikes without any post-ride/overly frequent washes I haven't noticed any corrosion on any of the parts... Just about anything on the Hondas was aluminum or coated anyways.

In Pennsylvania, we're a bit more direct. Rock salt from under the Finger Lakes in western NY state mixed with limestone chips (i.e., anti-skid). As a result, many MC riders wait for Spring rains and street sweepers to reduce the build-up of crap at intersections and along the berms and median strips.

What I have seen locally are small dump trucks, like an Ford F450, with a plow in the front and a load of beach sand in the rear. As it drives along, looking for something to plow, it lets the sand fall out of the tailgate, covering the road. Even if it isn't slippery, it soon will be.

I sure wouldn't want to ride over some of those deicing mixtures that were described above. At least the sand is easy to wash off and a slip or two on a sandy road will result in taking corners at much slower speeds than usual - not always a bad thing.

Zitat von Mr. 36654 im Beitrag #5

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many MC riders wait for Spring rains and street sweepers to reduce the build-up of crap at intersections and along the berms and median strips.

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Zitat von Valks im Beitrag #4

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when you say sand do you mean fine dust particles sand or more akin to small gravel?

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Zitat von Valks im Beitrag #4

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That being said and being completely honest I ride year round near-daily bar snow/negative C temps and in 4 years and 2 bikes without any post-ride/overly frequent washes I haven't noticed any corrosion on any of the parts... Just about anything on the Hondas was aluminum or coated anyways.

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Zitat von Lee im Beitrag #3

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...
the locals told me they used beet juice in the brine because it was a local crop.
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In New England and upstate NY, it's salt, sand and often pre treating with brine. Unfortunately, it's necessary given the weather patterns we have. We don't get the light, fluffy snow you get out west. We get that sometimes but we also get heavy, wet white concrete that then gets packed and turns to ice. Or sometimes, the weather cuts right to the chase and we get an ice storm. Anyone with a classic car puts it away by late November and doesn't bring it out again until winter is over and it's rained enough to wash the salt away.

A friend lives in Buffalo NY and owns an independent shop specializing in German cars. The effect the salt has is brutal and jobs often take 2-3x the book rate. This is a VW Beetle (FWD, water cooled) with 50k miles.

https://i.imgur.com/d96K8aj.png

Zitat von Ali-bear im Beitrag #10

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I hate the salty grime they used here in England. The roads are still filthy with it and I'm waiting for a good spell of rainy weather to clean it all off before I get my RS out again.

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Zitat von Lee im Beitrag #7

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Zitat von Mr. 36654 im Beitrag #5

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many MC riders wait for Spring rains and street sweepers to reduce the build-up of crap at intersections and along the berms and median strips.

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I'm guessing you mean in town when you mention a street sweeper?

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Zitat von Mr. 36654 im Beitrag #13

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Zitat von Lee im Beitrag #7

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Zitat von Mr. 36654 im Beitrag #5

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many MC riders wait for Spring rains and street sweepers to reduce the build-up of crap at intersections and along the berms and median strips.

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I'm guessing you mean in town when you mention a street sweeper?

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It's a big cylindrical spinning brush. You'll see similar at road repair sites. In towns, you'll see the typical street sweepers which carries water and vacuums.

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They work on our gravel chips, but they may only "comb" the sand. I as I learned working in the Ag store in High School, sometimes you need the soft bristle broom, while other times, only the stiff bristle barn broom will do.........