Get Winter Ready with Steel Salt Storage Buildings

It’s not too early to start preparing for the winter!

State transportation officials are now in the process of preparing for the inevitable drop in temperatures that can bring heavy snow and dangerous ice-covered roads. There is one solution that has been keeping drivers safe on the roads for years – salt.

Storing this corrosive substance has presented a challenge for many localities, but we’ve come up with the perfect solution. SteelMaster offers the most durable steel salt storage buildings in the industry.

The Environmental Protection Agency reported that approximately 11 million tons of salt are used on roadways throughout the U.S. every winter.

In the past, highway departments stockpiled salt outdoors during the winter months. In recent years, environmentalists and scientists have determined that when a salt pile gets wet, the run-off finds its way into nearby streams and lakes or seeps into groundwater supplies. Salt must now be stockpiled indoors in industrial storage units.

Steel does not rot, warp, shrink, or split, and it’s non-combustible. Steel is also easier to handle, stronger, and less expensive than any other common building material. It weighs up to 60 percent less than wood members, which allows for easier transport and assembly.

Although salt is an extremely corrosive material, SteelMaster’s buildings are specifically designed to allow enough space to store a large, high pile of salt. Each salt storage building requires the use of a stem wall foundation which provides a raised platform for the walls. This creates even more space for the salt, keeping it away from coming in contact with the steel structure. Flashing and gussets are also used to prevent the passage of water into the steel structure from any angle—an important component to help ensure that the salt stays dry, as dry salt is not nearly as corrosive as wet salt.

Anthony Moore and his brother Wayne own A& W Leasing Corporation in McKenzie, TN, and have seven years of experience utilizing our steel buildings for salt storage through contracts awarded to them by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT).

In 2003, they bought six SteelMaster buildings for TDOT and erected the building themselves. Anthony says the building process was not difficult at all.

“SteelMaster buildings are priced right, made of top-quality steel, and are easy to construct,” says Anthony. “Since we began building salt storage buildings for TDOT in 2003, we have put up eight SteelMaster buildings altogether for that purpose. Each building stores 2,200 tons of salt, and there is plenty of room for the dump trucks and front end loaders to get in there to dump the salt. I had a person from Pennsylvania call me back in August who was interested in buying a SteelMaster for the same purpose and wanted me to share my experiences with the buildings. I told him that we are very pleased with our eight salt storage units, as are the people at TDOT.”

SteelMaster’s buildings have several benefits that customers enjoy. They require very little maintenance, they are protected by our special Galvalume Plus Coating which offers strength, superior corrosion resistance, and an attractive bright appearance that provides excellent heat reflectivity. Each SteelMaster building also comes with a 50-year mill-backed warranty by ArcelorMittal (NYSE MT).