In this context, the automatic snow removal roads mentioned above also attract attention. When winter arrives, some areas are covered in snow, leaving behind movie-worthy winter images. However, although the image looks like something out of a Hollywood movie, it has serious consequences for cars.
Many of them end up having accidents or experiencing unpleasant situations due to storms. This new invention seems to want to change these harsh realities, but will it be enough? Let’s find out!
These roads melt the snow automatically
A group of scientists has created a new self-heating concrete that melts snow without a shovel or salt, a step closer to eliminating ice from roadways. On the campus of Drexel University, a stretch of concrete could mark the start of a frost-free future for the streets and highways of the northwest United States.
Discreetly located next to a parking lot reserved for university service vehicles, two 76 cm x 76 cm slabs have so far prevented the accumulation of snow, sleet and freezing rain. And this, without users having to shovel, salt or scrape, for more than three years.
Self-heating concrete, such as that from Drexel, represents what the construction industry has been seeking for years: providing resilient solutions to the needs imposed by the environment.
Such initiatives are particularly important in northern regions of the United States, where the National Highway Administration estimates that states spend $2.3 billion annually on snow and ice removal operations. They also spend millions of euros repairing roads damaged by winter weather.
Climate change can no longer stop motorists: the most sought-after roads are coming
“One way to extend the life of concrete surfaces, such as roads, is to help them maintain a surface temperature above freezing during the winter. Prevent freezing and thawing and reducing the need for shoveling and salting are good ways to keep the surface from deteriorating.”
“So our work focuses on how we can incorporate special materials into concrete to help it maintain a higher surface temperature when the ambient temperature drops,” explains Amir Farnam, PhD, associate professor in the School of ‘engineering.
Its Advanced Infrastructure Materials laboratory led the research. The Drexel team has been working on its cold-resistant concrete mix for five years to reduce the freezing, thawing and salinization that damage roads and other concrete surfaces.
From now on, the snow on the roads will melt automatically
Amir spoke about the excellent results of the study: “We have demonstrated that our self-heating concrete is capable of melting snow on its own, using only diurnal thermal energy from the environment, and without assistance salt, excavators or heating systems.
“This self-heating concrete is suitable for mountainous and northern regions of the United States, such as northeastern Pennsylvania and Philadelphia, where winter heating and cooling cycles are adequate.
In short, the proposed routes melt snow automatically, a solution to avalanches linked to climate change. Given his potential, we’ll have to stay tuned to see how far he goes. In the meantime, news about road changes continues to trickle in. Take for example these German highways that have changed forever.