How has this practice helped protect concrete, steel structures and planted areas close to sidewalks?
There have been lots of studies to determine the effects of deicing chemicals on concrete and steel. A smaller number of studies have been done on the effects on plant materials, but the damage is more obvious. Overall, its a matter of picking our poison to determine the least damaging, yet most effective way to remove ice and snow, balancing safety with budgets and the environment. We have been actively working on reducing the use of salt and sand since the late 1990s because of its negative environmental effects. We have been successful, for the most part, in eliminating sand and have reduced our salt use by 40 percent. We had a pretty rough winter last year and actually ran out of salt a couple of times. But when we looked at the data, our use was still showing a significant downward trend. How does the university’s attitude toward sustainability affect snow and ice removal? The University of Michigan has environmental sustainability as one of its strategic goals. We have many initi
