London Police Station | London, ON

A snow and ice melting (SIM) system was installed under the garage entry ramp at the London, Ontario police headquarters in Canada. With its steep incline, the ramp posed a potential hazard during the winter season, particularly for trucks and larger police vehicles entering the garage.

The SIM system included 8,000 ft (2,438 m) of 3/4 in. RAUPEX O₂ Barrier crosslinked polyethylene (PEXa) pipe installed within the slab, with three PRO-BALANCE manifolds to facilitate a high level of system control and monitoring, as well as enable individual loop isolation.

RAUPEX pipe provides extended system life and optimum performance under rugged conditions. It maintains its structural integrity even after repeated bending during installation, and resists conventional solvents and chemicals as well as hydrous salt and acid solutions.

The system melts snow and ice when heated fluid is circulated throughout the RAUPEX pipe. An important feature of the system is the electronic controls, which provide fully automatic detection and sensing of snow and ice. By continually monitoring conditions at various outdoor sensors, the electronic control “knows” the outdoor weather, including when there is actual snow or ice on the outdoor surface.

A well-designed SIM system is often less expensive to operate than hiring motorized snow removal equipment, delivering significant cost savings during a typical season.

London police vehicle operators can now access the parking garage without concern for the icy winter conditions typical to the central Ontario region.