Proactive Approaches to Protecting Maintenance Equipment against Chloride Roadway Deicers

Abstract

Roadway maintenance equipment in cold climates is exposed to high amounts of chloride-based deicers that are inherently corrosive. As such, various structural, hydraulic, and electrical components on maintenance equipment are vulnerable to the deleterious effects of chloride roadway deicers, and their premature deterioration can negatively affect the performance, reliability, and service life of the equipment fleet. This work aims to shed more light on this important asset management issue by providing an overview of corrosion-prone parts and current approaches available to proactively manage the risk of deicer corrosion to equipment assets, including design considerations, materials selection, and maintenance strategies. The information aims to enable equipment engineers and managers to gain a better understanding of this technical issue and make more informed decisions in corrosion risk management.