Sep 6 2006
Cargill has signed an agreement granting British-based Safecote Ltd. the rights to market Cargill's unique SafeLane Surface Overlay in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
SafeLane Overlay is a new technology unlike anything now being used. Its patented combination of epoxy and aggregate acts like a rigid sponge, storing deicing chemicals inside and automatically releasing them as snow and ice conditions develop. The result is safer roads with better mobility and less maintenance, because the pavement overlay helps prevent frost or ice from forming on road or bridge surfaces. SafeLane also helps to extend the life of roads and bridges by minimising water seepage and the intrusion of corrosive agents like chlorides.
"We're delighted to be working with Safecote to bring all the benefits of SafeLane Surface Overlay to the United Kingdom and Ireland," said Bob Persichetti, general manager for SafeLane Surface Overlay at Cargill. "Safecote has extensive experience and contacts within these countries."
The agreement with Safecote is the first such international marketing agreement for SafeLane. SafeLane has already been installed at sixteen road and bridge sites in more than a dozen states within the United States. The US Federal Highway Administration, as part of its Innovative Bridge Research and Construction program, recently awarded more than $550,000 to four states to help finance SafeLane installations.
Safecote Ltd markets an environmentally-friendly additive to de-icing salts and liquid chlorides to reduce corrosion, rock salt amounts and environmental impact. "SafeLane Surface Overlay is a perfect complement to Safecote's own line of winter maintenance products," said Mark Dutton, managing director of Safecote Limited. "We look forward to introducing it to roads and bridges engineers in this part of the world."
An analysis of SafeLane's performance during the 2005-2006 winter season found no weather-related accidents at all nine test sites studied. In many cases, this contrasted with multiple accidents on nearby untreated stretches of road or bridge deck. And, almost all of those treated sites had a history of winter weather accidents. The analysis was conducted by leading snow and ice control expert Wilfred Nixon, president of Asset Insight Technologies and professor of engineering at the University of Iowa.
Nixon's report concludes, "On the basis of the observations made during the 2005-06 winter, SafeLane™ overlay provides benefits in both safety and mobility under winter storm conditions, and those benefits may be attained with less chemical than would be needed for (motorway) segments without the overlay." A complete copy of the report, which was commissioned by Cargill, is available at www.cargillsafelane.com.
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