The largest bridges in Russia to be treated with Bionord
Ural Plant of Deicing Materials (UZPM) is to supply its specialized material Bionord Bridges for the treatment of the most important Russian bridges. UZPM product is already used to deice the President’s Bridge in Ulyanovsk and the Saratov Bridge. In February, the Academic Bridge in Irkutsk Oblast will also be treated with this deicing material. It is considered one of the longest in Russia with the length of 1,615 m, and together with the joining interchanges – of 4,374 m.
In the past, sand was used to fight snow and ice. Lately, it has been resolved to abandon such practice. The sand did not allow cleaning the roadways to the regulatory condition, produced much dust, accumulating practically the entire periodic table from the road, including heavy metals. The toxic dust then spread around the city causing harm to the citizens’ health. The sand always requires enhanced cleaning. Otherwise, apart from the road and air, it will also get into the storm water drains, water bodies, and soil.
The use of salt mixture on bridges is prohibited to prevent accelerated corruption of metal and concrete structures. The recovery of bridge sections damaged by salts does not only translate into spending hundreds of millions of rubles. Astronomical losses arise from the necessity to reroute traffic: the authorities are forced to make urgent decisions to restrict or close traffic though damaged infrastructural facilities, look for or construct bypasses.
In order to extend the useful life of the bridges, the regulations prescribe the use of low corrosivity deicing products: instead of 0.8 mg*cm2/per day for ordinary roads, not more than 0.4. The composition of deicing product Bionord Bridges includes the components that are no more aggressive for the metal than water or snow. The materials with the same corrosivity are used on airport runways. Besides, having melted the snow and ice crust, its components are biodegraded with no environmental impact.