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The UK's infrastructure doesn't handle extreme weather well. During the rare summers where temperatures hit 30 degrees Celsius, train tracks bend and roads start to melt. But things get a whole lot worse when the UK enters a deep freeze.
This week, the Beast from the East and Storm Emma have delivered a double whammy of frigid temperatures and heavy snowfall, bringing certain parts of the UK to a standstill. London's Paddington train station closed this morning, with major disruption also hitting airports, roads and huge portions of the UK's rail network. Some people took things into their own hands and skied to work.
But it doesn't have to be like this. While snow in the UK is fairly intermittent – on average there are just 15.6 days a year when snow is on the ground – other countries are much more adept at dealing with the stuff.
Read more: How the Met Office chooses storm names in the UK and Ireland
Trains don't struggle to operate in the cold weather because of huge piles of snow – Canada's snow-busting locomotives prove that – the disruption is often caused by the rails. In colder than usual weather rails can contract, forcing trains to slow down and cause delays.
Bigger problems occur when overhead lines freeze or the points that direct trains become iced-up and can't operate. When this happens, trains grind to a halt.
One solution is heating. In Stockholm heaters are placed on points to keep the ice and snow free. In more than 1,500 locations across Europe a series of brush-like bristles have been installed alongside railway tracks. These provide rails with shelter and stop wind chill.
In the UK, Network Rail has a fleet of snow blowers, trains that can de-ice frozen tracks by spraying de-icer or hot air and snow ploughs. That's all well and good, but such measures can only be used once the snow has fallen. The UK does have heaters on some points, but the technology isn't widespread.
Gritting is mighty effective. Scotland's gritters even have delightful names (Gritty Gritty Bang Bang and Luke Snowalker). But there are other ways to keep roads and pavements free from snow.
Iceland has a snow melting system that uses geothermal water in pipes under car parks and paths. The system works in a similar way to underfloor heating. The country's energy authority boasts that such snow-melting systems in downtown Reykjavik can cover areas as large as 50,000 square metres. Similar systems have been installed in the Netherlands and other countries.
Towns and cities in Niigata Prefecture, Japan have used a system of pipes to pump groundwater onto snowy roads since 1961. The system, called shosetsu melts snow and during in 1977 alone there was 571km of piping. As The Atlantic notes, the West could learn a thing or two from Japan when it comes to dealing with ice and snow.
Difficulties driving in snowy conditions might soon be a thing of the past, too. Ford has been preparing its fleet for snowy conditions and has tested and trained its vehicles to drive autonomously using LiDAR, radar and detailed maps.
Preparation and resource are key for keeping airports working during snowy conditions. UK airports have plans in place for what happens when it snows, but these pale in comparison when compared with frostier nations.
Alaska's Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport can proudly boast it has never closed due to snow – despite getting huge amounts of it. As of 2016 the airport had 80 vehicles (including snow blowers and ploughs) that are used when needed. Heating has also been considered: the Des Moines International Airport in Iowa has slab of heated tarmac installed – the 15-by-13.5-foot test site can be controlled by a mobile app.
And that's not the only clever new technology that can help clean up after a hefty snowfall. The Snowcuber (above) compacts snow as it picks it up, making it easier to store. Mercedes has also been trialling autonomous snow ploughs on airport runways.
Elsewhere, engineers at Purdue University have developed an airport runway ice and snow monitoring system that uses LiDAR to scan tarmac and determine its condition.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
