News Releases

Date: Embargoed until May 17, 2006

Contacts:

Contact:	Company:	Phone:	Email:
Bill Brady	Cargill (US)	952-742-6608	bill_brady@cargill.com
Francis de Rosa	Cargill (UK)	44-1932-86-1174	francis_derosa@cargill.com
Jackie Renner	RCC	612-859-2626	rennercomm@aol.com

 

SafeLane™ Overlay Living Up to its Name, Data Shows

Treated Roads and Bridges Show Fewer Accidents with Less Maintenance

MINNEAPOLIS – An analysis of SafeLane™ Surface Overlay’s performance during the 2005-06 winter season, conducted by a leading snow and ice control authority, concludes that Cargill’s patented bridge and pavement treatment is providing safety and mobility benefits where it is being used, while requiring significantly less chemical treatment during winter storms.

The report by Asset Insight Technologies, a consulting service for the winter highway maintenance industry, summarizes SafeLane Surface Overlay’s performance at all nine test installations across six states, as far north as Wisconsin and as far south as Texas.

“For statistically significant results, safety studies need to be conducted over a number of years,” said Wilfred Nixon, president of Asset Insight Technologies and professor of engineering at the University of Iowa. “But while these data are preliminary, it appears that the improved performance of the SafeLane overlay does indeed translate into safety improvements for the traveling public.”

The report concluded that:

• In nearly all cases, test sections remained clear of snow or ice at times when it was accumulating on untreated (control) sections of roads and bridges.
• When accumulation did occur in heavy snowstorms, the snow and ice did not bond to the surface, resulting in easier plowing.
• Bare pavement could be maintained on test sections with about half the chemical applied to the untreated (control) sections.
• There were no concerns with chemical slickness or slipperiness even when chemical was applied in conditions where such slickness could be expected.
• There were no weather-related accidents at the nine installations sites over the winter season (a very small number of slide-off incidents in Ohio were attributed to excessive speed). In many cases this contrasted with several accidents on nearby untreated stretches of road or bridge deck, and in nearly all cases the treated sites themselves had a history of winter weather accidents.

A sampling of the data:

• In four separate snow events in South Bend, Ind., officials reported that the SafeLane test sections of the Ironwood Bridge did not require treatment despite the other stretches being snow covered.
• In Superior, Wisc., the treated section of the Blatnick bridge “holds the chemical longer and when it does become snow covered, seems to have more traction than the surrounding area,” according to one official.
• A three-day ice storm produced no accidents on the treated section of the McLean Bridge (Mclean, Tex.) despite accidents “up and down the interstate,” including one on the untreated side of the bridge.
• An exit ramp in Brecksville, Ohio, site of 49 accidents during the previous two years, saw “fewer slide off accidents” and a very easy application process.

SafeLane Surface Overlay is made up of a patented combination of epoxy and aggregate rock. Liquid de-icer is applied to the overlay before ice or snowstorms hit. The material acts like a rigid sponge, storing the chemicals inside, then automatically releasing them as conditions develop for the formation of ice or snow.

“This proactive approach protects bridge decks and roadways against frost and ice without the need to send work crews out in the midst of icy weather,” says Bob Persichetti, general manager for SafeLane Surface Overlay at Cargill, which licenses and markets the system and which commissioned Nixon to conduct the study.

Safelane’s patented technology is licensed to Cargill by Michigan Tech University, where it was invented by Russ Alger, director of MTU’s Institute for Snow Research. The university is on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where the lake effect produces up to 25 feet of snow per year ― obviously an ideal location for such research.

Studies at MTU found that SafeLane Surface Overlay has traction characteristics better than asphalt and equal to concrete. “It also offers economic advantages,” notes Persichetti. “It can extend the life of roads and bridges by acting as a sealant to reduce the effects of chloride and water intrusion. There is a diminished need to send trucks out in inclement weather, which means call-outs and overtime can be managed more efficiently. And as total chemical use declines, there is less runoff into the local environment.”

For a complete copy of the AIT report, call Cargill at 1-866-900-7258 or download it from the web site at www.cargillsafelane.com/.

 

About Cargill

Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services. With 149,000 employees in 63 countries, the company is committed to using its knowledge and experience to collaborate with customers to help them succeed. For more information, visit www.cargill.com.