The production and use of construction materials for transportation projects have varying impacts on the environment based on factors such as production process, transportation and material inputs. To mitigate negative outcomes, MnDOT sought to incorporate environmental impacts into the procurement process for concrete mixtures and concrete pavement. This project provided a framework for considering environmental impacts and standardizing a reporting system to encourage the use of low-carbon construction materials in infrastructure projects.
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Environmental Evaluations of Potassium Acetate Used as a Road Salt Alternative
New research explored the environmental impacts of an alternative to road salt—potassium acetate, which is effective on ice at lower temperatures. Minnesota’s winter roads have been effectively treated for decades with chloride-based mixtures for anti-icing and deicing. Salt, however, corrodes steel in vehicles and infrastructure. Additionally, chloride runoff harms the aquatic environment. For example, up to 70% of road salt applied on Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area roads ends up in groundwater aquifers and nearby lakes, many of which exceed regulatory limits for chloride concentrations.
Continue reading Environmental Evaluations of Potassium Acetate Used as a Road Salt Alternative
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