Standards

BS 3247:2011

BS 3247:2011 UK Highway deicing salt standard. 1.0-6.0 mm particle size, 97% NaCl minimum, ≤1.5% moisture, E535 anti-caking. Egyptian sea + rock salt SKUs compliant.

BS 3247:2011 — British Standard for Salt for Spreading on Highways

BS 3247:2011: "Salt for spreading on highways for winter maintenance" is the UK national standard for de-icing salt used by National Highways (formerly Highways England) and UK local authorities. It is harmonised with EN 16811-1 but adds UK-specific procurement requirements. Egypt Globe Group supplies BS 3247:2011-compliant rock salt from Siwa Oasis and Qattara Depression and sea salt from North Sinai and the Red Sea, with every lot verified against the chemical and gradation clauses by the port laboratory before the Bill of Lading.

Standard at a glance

Clause	Requirement	EGG verification method	Frequency
NaCl content	≥ 95 % (dry basis)	Chemical analysis (argentometric chloride) at the port laboratory	Every lot, before B/L
Insoluble residue	≤ 5.0 %	Gravimetric water-insolubles	Every lot
Moisture	≤ 2.0 % (kiln-dried) or ≤ 4.0 % (natural)	Loss on drying; dryer outlet checks during kiln-drying	Every lot
Anti-caking	E535 sodium ferrocyanide, max 100 ppm (optional)	Dosing record + ferrocyanide assay	Every dosed lot
Gradation (UK Highways target)	10 mm 100 % · 6.3 mm 90–100 % · 2.8 mm 50–85 % · 0.85 mm 5–30 % · 0.063 mm 0–3 % passing (1–6 mm working range)	Sieve analysis per BS 410 / EN 933-1	Every lot; per-screen checks during production
Pre-wetting compatibility	Uniform acceptance of 30 % MgCl₂ brine without clumping or moisture-induced caking	Brine absorption uniformity check	Per contract
Sampling	Representative composite of the loaded lot	ISO 11648 / EN 932-1 sampling plan	Every lot; witnessed by Intertek / TÜV Austria when contracted

Scope

De-icing rock salt for UK motorway, trunk road, local authority road, runway, footpath winter maintenance
Applicable to: rock salt (mined), solar salt, vacuum salt — any NaCl source meeting purity + gradation
Procurement reference for Salt Association UK members + Public Sector buyers

Chemical requirements

NaCl: ≥ 95% (dry basis)
Insoluble residue: ≤ 5.0%
Moisture: ≤ 2.0% (kiln-dried) or ≤ 4.0% (natural)
Anti-caking: E535 sodium ferrocyanide, max 100 ppm (optional)

Gradation (particle size)

UK Highways spec typically requires:

10 mm: 100
6.3 mm: 90-100
2.8 mm: 50-85
0.85 mm: 5-30
0.063 mm: 0-3

This produces a 1-6mm working range optimised for UK spreader vehicles (Schmidt, Bucher, Romaquip) at 10-40g/m² application rates.

Pre-wetting compatibility

UK winter operations increasingly use pre-wetted salt at 30% MgCl₂ brine for sub-zero working temperatures. BS 3247 compliant salt must accept brine uniformly without clumping or excessive moisture-induced caking.

Egyptian compliance

Egypt Globe Group supplies BS 3247:2011-compliant rock salt:

PS-ROCK-DEIC-UK

Egyptian Bulk Rock Salt for Deicing — UK Highway 1.0-6.0 mm (BS 3247:2011)

PS-SEA-DEIC-UK

Egyptian Bulk Sea Salt for Deicing — UK Highway 1.0-6.0 mm (BS 3247:2011)

Typical Egyptian assay:

NaCl: 96.5-97.5% (rock from Siwa + Qattara, guaranteed minimum 97.00 %; exceeds 95% spec)
Insolubles: 1.5-2.5% (well under 5.0% limit)
Moisture: 1.0-1.5% (kiln-dried) — meets ≤2.0%
Particle size: ≥85% within 1-6mm window — meets typical UK Highways spec

UK Highways procurement context

National Highways operates ~25 strategic salt-storage facilities across the UK Strategic Road Network (motorways + trunk roads). Annual consumption: ~2 million MT in average winters, up to 3+ million MT in severe winters (2018 "Beast from the East").

Procurement typically goes through:

Salt Association UK member suppliers
Public contracts published on Find a Tender / Contracts Finder
Multi-year framework agreements (typically 2-4 year contracts with extension options)

Egyptian salt enters this market via:

Direct National Highways contracts (with pre-qualification)
UK distributor / aggregator partnerships
Local authority direct supply (county-level)

How EGG certifies conformity

Many regional exporters are inconsistent lot-to-lot because the specification is checked once, on a type sample, and then assumed. Egypt Globe Group's Quality Assurance division has been at the nucleus of the group since incorporation in 2014 and certifies every lot, not the product type:

Source release — the on-site laboratories at the Siwa Oasis and Qattara Depression rock-salt mines and at the North Sinai (El-Arish / Bardawil) and Red Sea (Ain Sokhna) saltworks assay each production lot for NaCl, insolubles and moisture before it is released for processing or trucking. Rock salt is guaranteed ≥ 97.00 % NaCl; sea salt is classified raw 94–97 %, washed 97.5–98 % or double-washed ≥ 99 %.
Processing verification — screening, kiln-drying and any E535 dosing are run to the standard's grade / type definition and re-checked on the processed lot.
Port laboratory gate — the port-side QC team at the loading port takes a composite sample per the ISO / ASTM sampling plan, runs the full parameter set of the standard and issues the per-lot Certificate of Analysis before the Bill of Lading. Zero tolerance on specification deviation: a lot outside the CoA is rejected at the loading port, never re-graded or renegotiated.
Independent verification — on request, TÜV Austria (primary, EU / GCC), SGS, Intertek (US / UK / ECOWAS) or Bureau Veritas (all ISO/IEC 17020 + 17025; Cotecna on request) sample during loading, run witness or independent tests and issue a Certificate of Inspection with sealed retained samples.
Contractual guarantee — the specification is guaranteed at the port of loading and binding under the sales contract; voyage condition is governed by the B/L and marine insurance. Laycan discipline with documented NOR / SOF keeps the verified lot and the vessel aligned.

Documentation per BS 3247 shipment

Mill Test Certificate per BS 3247 chemical analysis (per-lot CoA issued by the port laboratory before B/L)
Gradation report per BS 410 / EN 933-1 sieve analysis
BS 3247:2011 compliance letter signed by QC manager
Salt Association UK supplier registration confirmation
SDS per CHIP / CLP
Bill of Lading + Certificate of Origin + Commercial Invoice
Optional third-party TÜV Austria / SGS / Intertek inspection report

BS 3247 vs other standards

Standard	Region	Min NaCl	Typical use
BS 3247:2011	UK	95%	UK Highways + Local Authorities
EN 16811-1 Grade A	EU	96%	Motorway pre-treatment
EN 16811-1 Grade B	EU	95%	High-speed roads
EN 16811-1 Grade C	EU	95%	Lump stockpile
ASTM D632 Grade 1	USA	95%	Coarse de-icing
AASHTO M-143	US Federal/State DOT	96.5%	Adopts ASTM D632 + tighter spec
SS-EN 16811-1	Nordic	95%	Pre-wetting + Type 2 natural moisture
GOST 13830 Grade I	CIS	97%	Russian highway authority

Applications: road salt, de-icing rock salt. Loading ports for UK lanes: Alexandria, El Dekheila, Damietta.

Request a UK BS 3247 quote →
Compare with EN 16811-1 →
UK import guide →

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Frequently asked questions

What particle size does BS 3247:2011 require for UK highway salt?

The UK Highways target gradation passes 100% at 10 mm, 90–100% at 6.3 mm, 50–85% at 2.8 mm, 5–30% at 0.85 mm and 0–3% at 0.063 mm. That produces a 1–6 mm working range optimised for Schmidt, Bucher and Romaquip spreaders at 10–40 g/m². Sieve analysis is per BS 410 or EN 933-1 on every lot, and Egyptian salt runs at least 85% within the 1–6 mm window.

What are the chemical limits under BS 3247?

NaCl at least 95% on a dry basis, insoluble residue no more than 5.0%, moisture no more than 2.0% for kiln-dried salt or 4.0% for natural salt, and optional E535 sodium ferrocyanide anti-caking at no more than 100 ppm. Egyptian rock salt from Siwa and Qattara assays 96.5–97.5% NaCl with a guaranteed minimum of 97.00%, insolubles of 1.5–2.5% and kiln-dried moisture of 1.0–1.5%.

Must BS 3247 salt be compatible with pre-wetting?

UK winter operations increasingly pre-wet salt with 30% MgCl₂ brine for sub-zero working temperatures, so BS 3247 compliant salt must accept brine uniformly without clumping or moisture-induced caking. Egypt Globe Group runs a brine absorption uniformity check per contract.

How does Egyptian salt enter the UK highways market?

National Highways operates around 25 strategic salt-storage facilities and consumes roughly 2 million MT in an average winter and 3 million MT or more in a severe one. Procurement runs through Salt Association UK member suppliers, public contracts on Find a Tender and Contracts Finder, and 2–4 year framework agreements. Egyptian salt enters through direct National Highways contracts after pre-qualification, UK distributor partnerships, or county-level local authority supply.

Which SKUs, ports and documents cover a UK BS 3247 order?

PS-ROCK-DEIC-UK and PS-SEA-DEIC-UK, both graded 1.0–6.0 mm to BS 3247:2011, load at Alexandria, El Dekheila or Damietta. Each shipment carries a per-lot Certificate of Analysis issued by the port laboratory before the Bill of Lading, a BS 410 / EN 933-1 gradation report, a BS 3247:2011 compliance letter signed by the QC manager, Salt Association UK supplier registration confirmation, an SDS per CHIP / CLP, and the Bill of Lading, Certificate of Origin and Commercial Invoice.

Other questions? Email our export desk — the export desk replies to every request.