In the first decade of February, the Ural Plant of Deicing Materials (UZPM), a leading Russian manufacturer of modern anti-ice products under the Bionord brand, conducted round-the-clock shipments of deicing agents to the regions where abnormal precipitation had paralyzed the road traffic. The enterprise’s products were utilized by municipal services across the country.
In Kamchatka, a powerful cyclone triggered a multi-day snowfall that disrupted transportation on the peninsula. To clear highways and access roads to social facilities, road services applied Bionord Universal, a multi-component agent that prevents the formation of dense snowpack even during continuous precipitation.
Record-breaking indicators were also recorded in Perm: a month’s worth of snow fell within ten days, and the snowpack height reached 88 centimetres, a maximum since 1999. City municipal crews worked with universal and two-phase Bionord. The two-phase agent combines solid and liquid fractions: this combination accelerates ice melting and allows for surface treatment at temperatures down to minus 30 degrees.
The situation developed in Ivanovo, where prolonged blizzards were accompanied by severe black ice, was not less challenging. On the roadway, road workers used Bionord Universal, and in pedestrian zones, they applied Bionord Sidewalk. The latter contains marble chips and provides immediate grip with the surface upon application.
Tyumen municipal utility workers removed over 50,000 cubic metres of snow from the city in just one night from February 10 to 11, deploying more than 500 units of machinery. The cleared sections of the road surface were treated with Bionord agents, keeping the roadway in a safe condition during continuing precipitation.
The consumption rate of Bionord products is up to seven times lower than that of sand-salt mixes. A single application prevents the re-formation of ice, which reduces the number of specialized utility vehicle deployments. The materials are characterized by low corrosive activity and are safe for asphalt concrete, paving slabs, and concrete structures.
“Extreme precipitation is always a test of endurance for both production and logistics. We build up seasonal stocks in regional warehouses in advance, as early as autumn, so that customers receive the material without delay during peak demand. This time, shipments were carried out around the clock, and not a single region was left without agents,” noted UZPM.
Bionord deicing materials are supplied to more than fifty regions of Russia for the maintenance of federal highways, airports, city streets, and cultural heritage sites. The products comply with the requirements of GOST R 58427-2020, and their environmental safety is confirmed by the conclusion of the state environmental appraisal. The materials are included in the ‘100 Best Goods of Russia’ registry.