Nebraska bridge uses electrically heated concrete to melt snow and ice
A 150-foot bridge near Lincoln has been heating its deck with conductive concrete for over a decade, allowing it to melt snow and ice without chemicals.
Since 2002, the Roca Spur Bridge in Nebraska has employed a novel concrete mix that conducts electricity, enabling the structure to heat its own deck during winter storms. The bridge’s 52 conductive slabs contain about 20% steel shavings and carbon particles, allowing an electrical current to generate enough heat to melt accumulated snow and ice while remaining safe to touch. The concept was created by University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor Chris Tuan in partnership with the Nebraska Department of Roads, and a demonstration in a 2015 Omaha storm showed the slab melting snow as the current was applied.
Operating the system for a typical three-day storm costs about $250, which Tuan says is several times cheaper than using conventional de-icing chemicals. Researchers are exploring other uses, such as clearing airport gate tarmacs and providing electromagnetic shielding by substituting magnetite for traditional aggregates. The bridge remains a unique, long-running example of conductive concrete in infrastructure.
Why it matters
It shows a low-cost, environmentally friendly way to keep bridges and other critical surfaces ice-free.
In this story
