Sticky Grit petition

[jont]

Saw this on The Register ( http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/13/sticky_grit/ - bit random, even for them!), but thought some of the bikers on here might be interested.

"UK bikers have launched an online petition aimed at getting the government to rethink its "sticky grit" de-icing strategy - the bikers' petition states: "It seems that once the cold snap is over the resulting mollases based product causes a slippery sheen to form on the road surface."

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/slippyroads/

Jon

[TripleS]

Saw this on The Register ( http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/13/sticky_grit/ - bit random, even for them!), but thought some of the bikers on here might be interested.

"UK bikers have launched an online petition aimed at getting the government to rethink its "sticky grit" de-icing strategy - the bikers' petition states: "It seems that once the cold snap is over the resulting mollases based product causes a slippery sheen to form on the road surface."

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/slippyroads/

Jon

Perhaps this relates to what I said recently about a road that looked quite dry but felt surprisingly slippery. This was a road that had obviously been salted some days earlier, but had dried out and merely looked unusually white.

I had assumed that anti-icing treatment of roads involved applying a mixture of rock salt and some grit, but maybe there's more to it than that now.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[BillZZR600]

Saw this on The Register ( http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/13/sticky_grit/ - bit random, even for them!), but thought some of the bikers on here might be interested.

"UK bikers have launched an online petition aimed at getting the government to rethink its "sticky grit" de-icing strategy - the bikers' petition states: "It seems that once the cold snap is over the resulting mollases based product causes a slippery sheen to form on the road surface."

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/slippyroads/

Jon

Perhaps this relates to what I said recently about a road that looked quite dry but felt surprisingly slippery. This was a road that had obviously been salted some days earlier, but had dried out and merely looked unusually white.

I had assumed that anti-icing treatment of roads involved applying a mixture of rock salt and some grit, but maybe there's more to it than that now.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

There would certainly seem so. Indeed there is a multiple hazzard involved with some of the new mixtures.

There are Anecdotal reports of sheep and cattle in unfenced areas (grampian region amongst others) wandering onto the roads to lick the mixture from the tarmac as it is being laid, and indeed lining up at the sides of the roads when they "sense" the aproach of the gritters.

[TripleS]

I had assumed that anti-icing treatment of roads involved applying a mixture of rock salt and some grit, but maybe there's more to it than that now.

There would certainly seem so. Indeed there is a multiple hazzard involved with some of the new mixtures.

There are Anecdotal reports of sheep and cattle in unfenced areas (grampian region amongst others) wandering onto the roads to lick the mixture from the tarmac as it is being laid, and indeed lining up at the sides of the roads when they "sense" the aproach of the gritters.

When I'm out for a walk in our area I always close the lids on the roadside salt boxes, with the idea of keeping the rain and snow out so that the contents stay in better condition. I thought it was lazy human beings that were responsible for leaving them open, but there's more to it than that.

On one occasion recently I met a lady who saw me closing a lid, and she said that the strong wind sometimes blows them open, but also the sheep manage to open them to get at the salt - or whatever it is - inside!

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[ROG]

I heard recently, that a number of councils were experimenting with biodegradable mix to be eco friendly - I would not imagine that it is this type as the birds and animals liked to eat it!

[jont]

There are Anecdotal reports of sheep and cattle in unfenced areas (grampian region amongst others) wandering onto the roads to lick the mixture from the tarmac as it is being laid, and indeed lining up at the sides of the roads when they "sense" the aproach of the gritters.

More about this here (this time in Wales)
http://www.chestereveningleader.co.uk/t ... fficeid=15

[Big Err]

I had assumed that anti-icing treatment of roads involved applying a mixture of rock salt and some grit, but maybe there's more to it than that now.

Additional de-icing provided by urea! Maybe some one's taking the pi$$!

I find most surfaces are greasy after salting - grit is the term usually used for a mixture of sand and salt used when road surfaces are covered in ice/snow with temperatures below -5 deg (salt is less effective).

The pre-wet salting used to be done by adding brine to the salt as it came out the back of the spreader to make it stick to the road - the problem with dry salting on dry roads is that most of the salt is blown off the road by passing vehicles.

Likewise different authorities apply salt at different levels - up here Fife usually spread at about 20g of salt per sq m of road. Tayside Contracts do a much heavier dosage. Environmentallly it means that you can catch mackerel on inland lochs during the winter .

Eric