Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus experienced its first significant snowfall of the year on Jan. 16-17. Just like the snow on the Drillfield, when it comes to snow removal operations, the Division of Campus Planning, Infrastructure, and Facilities had it covered. 

Ever wonder what it takes when it comes to managing snow operations on the Blacksburg campus - before, during, and after snow? The division’s Facilities Operations units shared these statistics from their recent snow deployment.

Background information


Temperature: High, 28 degrees; low, 14 degrees.

Winds: Sustained 15-20 mph winds, with gusts up to 35 mph.

Total snowfall: 7.6 inches of snow.

Size of Blacksburg campus: 2,600 acres covered in snow.

Snow falls on Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus. Photo by Meghan Marsh for Virginia Tech.

Manpower


158 Division of Campus Planning, Infrastructure, and Facilities employees -  alongside numerous facilities and residential assistant partners from Athletics and Housing and Residence Life - dedicated to snow preparation and removal.

133 Division of Campus Planning, Infrastructure, and Facilities employees - alongside numerous facilities and residential assistant partners from Athletics, the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, and Housing and Residence Life - shoveling/salting campus by hand.

63 Division of Campus Planning, Infrastructure, and Facilities employees who stayed in town/overnight to be prepared for incoming snow and ice.

One vendor - Valley Landscaping - assigned to clearing parking lots around the clock.

Up to 12-hour shifts worked removing snow and ice.

4,128 hours worked removing snow and ice on following mornings.

Division of Campus Planning, Infrastructure, and Facilities teams clear snow off Burruss Hall steps. Photo by Meghan Marsh for Virginia Tech.
Division of Campus Planning, Infrastructure, and Facilities employees smile for the camera while working on clearing a pathway. Photo by Meghan Marsh for Virginia Tech.

Equipment


92 shovels to clear off pathways, building entrances, and stairs.

28 Toro snow blowers to clear off pathways and building entrances.

Six trucks equipped with snow plows to push snow off major campus roadways, including the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center and the Southgate interchange.

To clear pathways and roadways:

Five John Deere tractors.

Three Toro heavy duty workman.

Three Bobcat UTVs.

Two Holland tractors.

Two Ventracs.

One Kubota tractor.

One John Deere motor grader.

 

Heavy Equipment Operator Zack Demme clears snow off the Southgate interchange. Photo by Meghan Marsh for Virginia Tech.
A John Deere tractor pushes snow off a pathway on the Drillfield. Photo by Meghan Marsh for Virginia Tech.

Materials


900 bags of salt to clear stairways and pathways.

109 tons of road salt to clear roadways.

8,700 gallons of salt brine to pretreat sidewalks, roads, and parking lots.

Facilities Operations team member Eric Windon salts pathways near residence halls. Photo by Meghan Marsh for Virginia Tech.

Total snow cleared


35.8 miles of asphalt sidewalk cleared.

92.8 miles of concrete sidewalk cleared.

156 sets of exterior stairways cleared.

Tim Acord clears snow off pathways and building entrances along the Drillfield. Photo by Meghan Marsh for Virginia Tech.
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