Why we store road salt in cones
 Q: Why is rock salt, which is used to salt
highways, stored in buildings that are
coned shaped? You see these buildings
along major highways in the snow areas.
[ODOT] Building for storing highway rock salt in Ohio.
A: "I just opened your E-mail and was
amazed at the question," says Larry
Sutherland, Deputy Director, Office of
Roadway Engineering Services, Ohio
Department of Transportation (ODOT).
Savvy USATODAY.com readers astonish authorities again. Soon Brian Cunningham of ODOT
calls with the answer.
We make those buildings strong, he says, to support the enormous weight of the rock salt. First
we construct a round base, similar to a tuna-fish can, out of concrete or concrete blocks. The can
shape distributes pressure exerted by the salt evenly; there are no corners to get undue pressure.
That's why we choose round designs, says Sutherland, over the traditional block or rectangular
building.
Then we build a cone roof to shelter the rock salt from the elements, continues Cunningham. It's
cone-shaped because that's the form salt takes when you pour it in. We load the salt through the
shed door via a conveyor to replenish what we take it out for salting the roads.
The combination of round base and cone-shaped roof, says Cunningham, is the most sound and
economically feasible structure for storing rock salt.
Further Surfing:
Ohio Department of Transportation
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