Document Summary

This document is a Solid Chemical Application Guidelines manual for the New Jersey Department of Transportation's Winter Maintenance Program. The guidelines were adapted from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the US Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory's Manual of Practice for an Effective Anti-Icing Program (1996). The document serves as a state-level standard for chemical de-icing operations across New Jersey's transportation infrastructure during winter weather events.

The document provides operational guidance for solid chemical application across five primary weather scenarios: light snow storms, moderate or heavy snow storms, frost or black ice conditions, freezing rain storms, and sleet storms. For each weather event, the guidelines specify application rates measured in pounds per lane-mile (lb/lane-mi), ranging from 150 to 400 lb/lane-mi depending on pavement temperature, precipitation intensity, and traffic conditions. Initial operation chemical application rates vary from 150 lb/lane-mi for light snow at 32°F to 350-400 lb/lane-mi for heavier precipitation at lower temperatures. Subsequent operations recommend rate adjustments between 150 and 350 lb/lane-mi based on accumulation patterns and pavement conditions. The guidelines emphasize preventive chemical application timing, pre-wetting solid chemicals, coordination with mechanical plowing operations, and temperature-dependent adjustments. Below 15°F, the guidelines recommend limiting or discontinuing chemical applications in favor of abrasives for enhanced traction, as chemical effectiveness diminishes significantly in extremely cold conditions.