The use of de-icing salt causes corrosion of the reinforcing steel in concrete bridge decks and damage to the concrete itself, thereby considerably shortening the useful life of concrete bridges.

Severe icing conditions can cause power outages and slow down the work of emergency crews trying to get power restored.

In weather conditions conducive to icing, ice generally forms on the concrete surfaces of bridges well before it forms on parts of the roadway that go over solid ground.

Aside from its potential use for de-icing bridges, ECC might also be an effective means of keeping other concrete structures such as parking garages and airport runways ice free.

If ECC were to be used for a bridge surface, the electric current would be turned on only at times at which ice was likely to form.