In northern areas of Japan snowfall can be a big problem for traffic. One solution that’s been used to combat the accumulation of snow on roadways is shosetsu (disappearing snow) or yuusetsu (melting snow) equipment embedded into the roads themselves. During snowstorms, underground pipes carry warm water to sprinklers implanted in the asphalt, which then spray the water on road surfaces to melt the snow.
Sigh. And here we are in New England with enough salt to brine that thanksgiving turkey, for the next twenty years.
It eats your car alive and destroys the plant life near the road for dessert!
A clever method originally conceived to prevent early domestic cars from disintegrating over a single winter.
In our state, we enjoyed a long history of salt-free roads. Friends from the east coast would marvel at our vintage cars running around…until one snowstorm, a half baked response, general lack of inclement weather driving skills & a dash of politics. Now we have joined the ranks of the FeO2 driver’s club.
I’m curious how the formation of black ice is prevented when the temperature drops at night. Does the high iron concentration have something to do with the prevention of ice formation?