RSE has published the study “Shear and tensile adhesion of dry and wet snow on metallic surfaces” in the journal Cold Regions Science and Technology, which aimed at understanding the adhesion mechanisms of both dry and wet snow on metal surfaces.

The work, authored by Damiano Fasani, Federico Cernuschi, and Marcella Balordi on behalf of RSE, stems from a collaboration between RSE, the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) in Davos, and the Politecnico di Milano, combining experimental and modeling expertise on a topic of significant impact on energy infrastructure.

The study introduces an innovative experimental approach that allows to produce snow samples with controlled water content and the measurement of their adhesion under representative laboratory and field conditions

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The results highlight how snow adhesion is strongly influenced by liquid water content and surface roughness. In particular, wet snow exhibits significantly higher levels of shear adhesion; conversely, tensile adhesion is lower than that of dry snow and assumes values consistent with the hypothesis of adhesion dominated by capillary effects.

This evidence provides useful data for the development of snow sleeve detachment models and the design of innovative surfaces and coatings, contributing to improving the resilience of power lines in severe climate conditions.

Click here to view the full study.