We are taking a look at the difference between salt and brine and what is more effective when treating roads.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — While crews across the Charlotte area prepare for winter weather, some people are wondering what the difference is between salting the roads versus using brine.
When you think about salt and brine you may ask yourself why you would use one over the other to treat roads. To get answers for this, the Verify team went to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Brine
So, let’s first take a look at brine.
It’s a solution of water and salt. It is used to pretreat roadways in dry conditions when temperatures are above 18 degrees.
It’s loaded into holding tanks and sprayed on roads, and prevents snow and ice from bonding with the road’s surface. It also keeps snow from being compacted by traffic, and is more effective and coats roadways better than plain salt or sand.
Salt
Meanwhile, salt is usually used after storms to help clear roads.
Salt helps melt the remaining snow and ice. Crews usually use a mixture of salt and sand because sand helps break up the ice and adds extra traction for vehicles.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
