Reinforced ice for road surfaces and a method of fabricating thereof

Abstract

A method of fabricating a composite road surface in cold climates for ice roads. In one embodiment the road surface includes: a combination of water and sawdust that is placed on the road surface and frozen. The composite road surface may include a base layer of ice, a color layer over the base layer and a cover layer over the color layer, the cover layer being worn or removed exposing the color layer.

1 . A composite ice roadway comprising:
 a base layer comprised of ice and laid along a surface to define a base layer of the roadway;   a color layer of a material which is of a selected indicating color and is spread over the base layer;   a cover layer comprised of ice spread over the color layer and of a thickness such that the cover layer may be worn or removed, in part due to the passage of vehicles over the cover layer, to a depth in the cover layer to expose the color layer.   
     
     
         2 . The composite ice roadway according to  claim 1 , further comprising added strength members in the base layer. 
     
     
         3 . The composite ice roadway according to  claim 2 , wherein the added strength members comprise metal cables. 
     
     
         4 . The composite ice roadway according to  claim 2 , wherein the added strength members comprise cables comprised of synthetic fibers. 
     
     
         5 . The composite ice roadway according to  claim 2 , wherein the added strength members comprise cables comprised of natural fibers. 
     
     
         6 . The composite ice roadway according to  claim 2 , wherein the added strength members comprise metal netting. 
     
     
         7 . The composite ice roadway according to  claim 2 , wherein the added strength members comprise netting of synthetic material. 
     
     
         8 . The composite ice roadway according to  claim 2 , wherein the added strength members comprise netting of natural fibers. 
     
     
         9 . The composite ice roadway of  claim 1 , further comprising the cover layer being generally of a second color and the color layer is a contrasting indicating color with respect to the second color of the cover layer. 
     
     
         10 . The composite ice roadway of  claim 1 , further comprising the base layer being generally of a third color and the color layer is a contrasting indicating color with respect to the third color of the base layer. 
     
     
         11 . The composite ice roadway of  claim 1 , further comprising at least a surface layer of the cover layer comprised of ice mixed with pieces of a wood material, the pieces being of sizes and shapes selected to increase traction with wheels of a vehicle passing along and over the surface layer. 
     
     
         12 . The composite ice roadway of  claim 1 , further comprising snow and/or ice that is so configured and is so positioned as to form construction barriers along sides of the composite ice roadway. 
     
     
         13 . The composite ice roadway of  claim 1 , further comprising man-made materials that are so configured and are so positioned as to form construction barriers along sides of the composite ice roadway. 
     
     
         14 . The composite ice roadway of  claim 1 , further comprising a traction surface on the cover layer. 
     
     
         15 . A method of creating a road surface comprising:
 spreading a base layer comprised of water on a surface on which the road surface is to be created and allowing the base layer comprised of water to freeze to define a base layer comprised of ice for the road surface;   spreading a color layer of a selected color on the frozen base layer;   spreading an additional layer comprised of water over the color layer and allowing the additional layer to freeze to ice, the additional layer being of such a material that when it is frozen, it prevents viewing of the color layer through the additional layer, and that the material of the additional layer may be worn or removed from the color layer at locations of the additional layer thereby exposing the color layer to view.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the color layer is comprised of a material which forms a frozen color layer on the base layer. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the selected color of the color layer is a contrasting color to a color of the additional layer. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the selected color of the color layer is a contrasting color to a color of the base layer. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising after the color layer is exposed at locations, reapplying the additional layer, at least at the locations where the color layer is exposed, for preventing viewing of the color layer at least at the locations. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising prior to spreading the base layer and/or the additional layer, mixing the water for the base layer and/or for the additional layer with an additional material to form a composite of water and the additional material for the base layer and/or the additional layer. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the additional material mixed with the water comprises a wood product. 
     
     
         22 . A method of creating a road surface according to  claim 15 , further comprising selecting a body of water with a layer of ice thereon thick and strong enough as to support a road surface to be formed on the layer of ice for supporting the road surface and to support a predetermined object for traction on the road surface and then creating the road surface on the layer of ice on the body of water. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the additional layer on the color layer comprises a layer comprised of ice on the color layer and further comprises a traction surface formed on the additional layer.