FEB

06

4 TIPS THAT CONTRACTORS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ROCK SALT

Working as a landscape or winter maintenance contractor comes with a big responsibility. It is your job to get out before, during and after snow storms or major snowfalls to eliminate ice and snow in parking lots, sidewalks and road ways. You can only be successful when you have effective rock salt and know how to use it efficiently. Here are 4 tips that you should know as a landscape contractor before hitting the roads:

FEB

06

BENEFITS OF SOIL CELLS

What is a soil cell system?

The soil cell system is a combination of hollow plastic supports (typically cubic in shape) replete with soil. Soil cells, also known as Silva Cells, are typically enclosed at the top and bottom, and most have a top or deck that concurrently acts as a roof to the soil enclosure and as a base for placing aggregates, casting concrete, or placing other hard surface materials on top of the soil cells.

JAN

15

POURING CONCRETE IN COLD WEATHER

With winter in full swing, snow falling on the ground and temperatures dropping drastically, outdoor working conditions can be challenging. Consider the concrete industry, the businesses that still operate by producing and supplying concrete in conditions like these. Here are a few commonly asked questions regarding concrete and cold weather:

JAN

15

SNOW AND ICE CONTROL PRACTICES IN ONTARIO

Winter maintenance crews monitor the weather conditions and plan their operations as required depending on the amount of snow, intensity and duration. Roadway and highway conditions are reported multiple times throughout the day and most weather stations are showing current conditions up to the minute. Ontario’s snow and ice control standards are consistent with best practices across North America.

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