Optimizing Snow Melting Systems  

Providing safe pedestrian or vehicular access in cold weather to a building entrance, walkway, or critical operation area means minimizing or eliminating the presence of snow and ice in those areas. In some facilities, that is done manually by maintenance staff who clear snow, spread ice melt chemicals, and work to maintain clear and safe passage. The expense, impact of chemicals, and difficulty in creating a consistently safe condition pushes many building owners and operators to look for other solutions. As such, mechanical or electrical snow melting systems are often designed and constructed to be placed below concrete, asphalt, or other paved areas to help assure pedestrians, and vehicles, are protected from the hazards of snow and ice accumulation. This course looks at the ways design professionals can investigate, design, and optimize a snow melting system suited to the specific requirements of a particular project. This approach helps assure control of the initial and ongoing costs as well the proper, long term performance of these systems which create safe, clear passage in what could otherwise be a hazardous condition.

Photo courtesy of WATTS Water Technologies, Inc.