This paper presents the detection results of metallic guard wires covered/embedded in snow measured by an FM-CW radar. First, the brief principle of an FM-CW radar as well as its applica-tion to object mapping are explained, and then an FM-CW radar system is explored which is operative in the microwave L-band frequencies. The explored radar system was applied to the actual field measurement for the purpose of detecting metallic objects buried in snow. The radar system mounted on a van showed its potential ability in detecting and mapping the guard wires on road shoulders at least 50cm deep in snowpack in a real time operation, demonstrating its usefulness for monitoring snow shoveling actions.

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Snow sliding performance of the electrically heated roof-tiles (ERT) was examined using a model house from December 1988 to February 1990. For the purpose of economic and efficient operation, the roof was covered with the lines of ERTs and non heated tiles. Each line of ERTs is heated independently, hence the ratio of heated area of the whole roof can be set at each sliding test. When a half or a third of the total area of the whole roof was covered with ERTs, snow sliding was achieved, though simultaneous sliding rarely occured in the whole roof surface and some snow left. The difference in surface temperature of non-heated tiles put between the lines of ERTs signiffi-cantly affects the sliding performance.

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