Drummondville

Municipality: City of Drummondville

Project: Pre-wetting of abrasives (5 mm stone)

Project specifications: improve snow removal operations

Timeframe: 2011 to 2018

Main customer challenges

First challenge

• Make the work of snow removal operators easier and eliminate time lost dealing with frozen clumps of sand

Second challenge

• Reduce the amount of road salt spread
• Increase driver safety at lower temperatures (salt begins to lose its effectiveness at -12 degrees Celsius)
• Budgetary considerations

Solutions recommended by Somavrac C.C.

• Solution to the first challenge: pre-wetting abrasives with an automated mixer
• Pre-wetting abrasive piles with liquid to make handling easier at low temperatures (down to -51 degrees Celsius)

Solution to the second challenge: on-board liquid for abrasives

• Installation of an on-site 40,000-liter buffer tank for liquid de-icer storage (29.6% concentration calcium chloride with corrosion inhibitor) for proactive spreader truck refills
• Spreader trucks equipped with an automated liquid spray system controlled by operators based on spreading charts developed by the city
• Before falling to the ground, the salt and sand in the truck body are sprayed with the de-icing agent for an immediate ice-melting effect

Results and customer impact

• 30% less salt in the environment
• Product effective down to -25 degrees Celsius
• Uniform, malleable piles at temperatures as low as -51 degrees Celsius
• Less loss through bouncing, as liquid enhances product ground adhesion
• Better long-term product effectiveness leading to fewer snow removal operations