beet juice being used on roads instead of tractor tires.

[radioman]

I just came across this article today and needless to say , I am surprised. They are using beet juice (rimgaurd ?) and mixing with brine spreading on the roads. After all these years, I never heard of this till today.NYS Thruway Authority to use beet juice to pre-treat roads - Victor, NY - Victor Post


MPNnow.com
The New York State Thruway Authority will use thousands of tons of rock salt as well as an innovative anti-icing mix of sugar beet juice and brine used to pre-treat roadways to fight winter weather conditions.

The beet juice and brine mixture has in recent years proven to be an effective pre-treatment to prevent icing.

 

[murphy1244]

Wow, and they charge a pretty penny for a tire fill.

 

[kco]

It is quite common for some Canadian locations. I'm quite sure Calgary uses it.
I pretty sure they don't pay Rimguard prices.

 

[Henri88]

They been using it in N.B. for at least 2 years, on designated road.

 

[madmax12]

Is beet juice non-corrosive? I'm guessing that's not the reason, if they mix it with rock salt.

 

[Henri88]

Is beet juice non-corrosive? I'm guessing that's not the reason, if they mix it with rock salt.

As far as I know, it is not use with salt, that's the whole idea, it is more environmental friendly.

 

[kco]

Beet juice is totally non -hazardous on its own. But it is a sticky, brown, mess. I think it is mixed with brine for highway use.

Here is a Canadian supplier's site:

http://www.geomelt.ca/

 

[snowjoker]

They probably mix the beet juice with some chlorides. mag, or calcium. NY actually started using beet juice last winter.. if that's what your supposed have called it.

 

[kiotiken]

It is quite common for some Canadian locations. I'm quite sure Calgary uses it.
I pretty sure they don't pay Rimguard prices.

They use it here in Ottawa all the time. I don't think it's beet juice they're using, I'm pretty sure it's s calcium cloride solution.

 

[leonz]

If they ever get around to using my patented method for deicing and snow control
they will be using beet molasses with salt brine which will only cost one twentieth
of what they waste every year on magnesium and calcium chloride.


Beet molasses has residual salt as the sugar beet root pulls normally occuring salts out of the soil while growing.

The beet juice is beet waste procesing water with much less salt in it. I do not remember if the beet juice is centrifuged/decanted to get rid of solids at the same time or simply passed through a vacuum filter and then packaged

 

[kco]

They use it here in Ottawa all the time. I don't think it's beet juice they're using, I'm pretty sure it's s calcium cloride solution.

I'm surprised you need anything in Ottawa. There's ample hot air if they open the parliment doors.

 

[wmcnees]

I help my friend who does Toyota's snow removal at the Georgetown, KY plant and they started using beet juice about 3 years ago. They do mix it with a salt brine solution. The beet juice runs around 15-20 cents a pounds. They use it on there test track and from the exit of the factory to the shipping yard. It works very well you can tell right to the spot it was placed.
The biggest pros I could see from it was it took at least 3-4 pushes of snow of the normal bine or salt rock before the snow or ice started to build back up. The stickier beet juice allowed more traction. Also the beet juice will work at a whole lot lower temperature then a normal treatment.
The only cons I see with it is the price, and messing with the nasty stuff.
In the shipping yard they use potassium which is junk in my opinion.

 

[Looking4new]

They use it here in Ottawa all the time. I don't think it's beet juice they're using, I'm pretty sure it's s calcium cloride solution.

Is the stuff they are using up there Orange? Blue?

 

[leonz]

I'm surprised you need anything in Ottawa.
There's ample hot air if they open the parliment doors.

Now Now be nice,

Nobody wants you to get yelled at for stealing Ben Guyatts thunder from Hamilton Ont. for this coming Sunday nights broadcast.

 

[tractchores]

They use it here in MA. Apparently it's an effective 'pre-treatment' and can prevent ice from freezing to the road (guessing it gets better coverage and doesn't get pushed off the road as easily as salt)

 

[flyingcow]

The beet juice lobbyists' are behind this one......almost as powerful as the ethanol group

 

[kiotiken]

Is the stuff they are using up there Orange? Blue?

It seams clear. You can see the pavement is wet but no ral color.

 

[Bob77064]

They use the brine solution here to pretreat, it works very well.

 

[94BULLITT]

VDOT uses the brine water (or as we call it here pickle juice), I don't like it.

 

[mccash40]

Just curious. Has there been an increase in car/animal collisions in areas where they use beet juice? I know that deer sometimes eat beets, along with some smaller animals.