DEC

12

WHY WE SALT ROADS

Living in Canada, where temperatures are often below 0°c you have most likely seen large commercial trucks spreading rock salt on the ground. Applying rock salt or deicers to our roads and streets is the most effective way of ensuring that ice does not form and the roads are safe to drive on.  Did you know, road surface condition is the single most important safety factor during a winter event; more important than visibility, precipitation intensity, air temperature, wind speed or exposure. Applying rock salt ensures that everybody can safely get to their destination. It not only is used on roads, but our walkways, parking lots and side streets. Did you know applying rock salt to ice does not actually cause the ice to melt? When rock salt is applied to the ground, it lowers the freezing temperature of the moisture which means that now for ice to form on the road, the temperature would have to become much colder

NOV

21

HOW ICE MELTERS WORK

When rock salt is applied to ice and snow, it creates a brine that has a lower freezing temperature than the surrounding ice or snow. Rock salt is relatively easy to store and handle, easy to spread, relatively harmless to skin and clothing and believed to be harmless to the environment when used and stored properly. The use of rock salt for winter maintenance is founded on the theory that dissolving one substance in another alters the freezing point of the second. Rock salt lowers the freezing point of water. The greater the concentration of rock salt, the lower the freezing point, although there is a limit of temperature below which salt will not melt ice. This is called the eutectic point (-21° C). The effectiveness of salt however can vary due to a number of factors, but on average melting begins on contact when salt is spread on ice or snow. This produces water, dissolving more salt and producing further melting. The rate of melting will depend on the surrounding air and ground temperatures. Other influences on melting rate are the particle size of the salt and the amount of mixing often caused by traffic.

NOV

07

WHAT IS SOIL PH?

Soil pH is extremely important to monitor and control in order to ensure optimal growth and longevity of plants, trees and crops. Soil pH refers to the acidity or alkalinity of soil and is measured in pH units.

SEP

05

FIVE WASTE & RECYCLING TRENDS

The waste and recycling industry is continually going through changes, especially more recently with the eco-movement. People are thinking about ways to help the environment more now than they ever have before. We continue to see new developments, innovations, and even new problems in sustainability and recycling efforts. Here are 5 trends in the waste and recycling industry:

AUG

14

REHABILITATION OF PITS & QUARRIES IN THE AGGREGATE INDUSTRY

What is Rehabilitation?

Aggregate extraction is an interim land use. Once all aggregate is extracted, the site is rehabilitated into such areas as productive wildlife habitats, recreational parks, golf courses or urban uses.