RESEARCH PAYS OFF--BLOWING SNOW--FENCING PARRIES WINTER'S THRUST

To cope with severe snowdrifts on I-80 between Laramie and Walcott Junction in southeastern Wyoming, snowfences were designed for the Wyoming Highway Department using new criteria developed by the U.S. Forest-Service. Innovations included the use of tall (3.8m) fences of a new design, and designing each fence system for a specific storage capacity based on upwind contributing distance (or "fetch"), mean winter precipation, and natural snow retention over the fetch distance. Documented benefits of the fence construction includes a reduction in snow-removal costs of more than a third and a 70 percent reduction in accidents during blowing snow conditions.

• Record URL:
  • https://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/trnews/rpo/rpo.trn115.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/07386826
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Publication Date: 1984-11

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: p. 12-13
• Serial:
  • TR News
  • Issue Number: 115
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0738-6826
  • Serial URL: https://doi.org/10.17226/895

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefits; Costs; Design; Snow and ice control; Snow fences; Wetting
• Identifier Terms: Interstate Highway System
• Uncontrolled Terms: Design criteria; Prewetting
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Finance; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Safety and Human Factors; I62: Winter Maintenance;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00392182
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Feb 28 1985 12:00AM