News

Operating principles for the winter service

November 2, 2018

In freezing conditions, it is wise to treat rooftop carparks early, since they are more susceptible to becoming slippery due to freezing than parking facilities at ground level.

There is growing discussion about which products can be used to tackle snow and freezing road conditions, from an environmental point of view. For that reason, during the design phase, we recommend that you contact the local authorities to find out about the current regulations on this issue, to avoid the risk of fines for failing to comply with the applicable regulations. The authorities are becoming increasingly critical of the use of road salt (sodium chloride NaCl) since this product is harmful to the environment.

To tackle slippery road conditions caused by snow, special products based on lightweight granulate, with a good braking effect are now available. These bear the label ‘Der blaue Engel’ (for example the product Icebear from the company RAW).

To tackle slippery road conditions caused by ice, a liquid NaCI-free de-icing agent is available that is effective to a minimum temperature of -13 °Celsius, contains no environmentally harmful substances, and is fully biodegradable.

Avoid sprinkling grit and gravel
Avoid sprinkling grit and gravel to counter the problems of ice and snow on Pardak® slabs. The sharp edges of the gravel can cause damage to the slabs, other concrete surfaces and even the technical systems produced from plastic and metal. For that reason we recommend avoiding the use of grit and gravel.

Snow clearance device
For this purpose, devices are used with a rubber strip at the bottom of the snowplough, to take account of the joints between the slabs. It is important to avoid using vehicles heavier than 35 kN (3.5t) (including snow load!).