Researchers Hope to Warm Concrete to Help Prevent Icy Airport Runways

Iowa State University researchers are hoping their work will help prevent the dreaded delayed or cancelled flights at airports across the country. A team of 19 researchers is developing three methods to prevent snow and ice from collecting on the paved surfaces on airport runways and taxi ways. The three technologies vary from a spray coating to internally-warmed concrete. The first method uses electrically conductive concrete, where volts of electricity are sent through the concrete to warm it from the inside. A second similar method also creates internal warmth, but instead builds the concrete around copper pipes, which then send heated liquid through them to create heat. The third method uses a superhydrophobic coat, which can be directly sprayed onto the concrete. When snow and ice hit the pavement, it can easily roll off the surface instead of collecting on top.