Optimizing Maintenance Equipment Tracking

This report summarizes the results of a project that was completed to develop a system to allow multiple ODOT users with different administrative authority to locate and schedule different types of equipment in ODOT district and county garages. The project was divided into two phases. The results of Phase 1 indicated that the optimum tracking system should not consist of one type of tracking device, but rather a mix of Global Positioning System (GPS) and Bluetooth low energy (BLE) devices. In addition, the tracking software should be custom-made to integrate the various types of tracking devices into one system that is user-friendly for ODOT personnel. Phase 2 of this study included identifying and evaluating different types of BLE enabled GPS (GPS-BLE) devices, which can be used to track the various types of ODOT equipment and are able to detect BLE beacons. In addition, different types of BLE beacons were identified and their ability to track the different types of ODOT equipment was examined. Based on these evaluations, one GPS-BLE device and two types of BLE beacons were selected for further evaluation. A prototype of the system that can be used to track and schedule ODOT equipment was designed, developed and evaluated; referred to as ODOTMETS. The results obtained from the conducted field evaluation showed that the beacons can be reliably detected by the GPS-BLE devices. In addition, the results suggested that the system consisting of GPS-BLE and beacons can be used for tracking different types of equipment at ODOT district and county garages. The recommended tracking system consists of using few (minimum of three) GPS-BLE on certain equipment that are frequently used in the field operations of each ODOT district and county garages and using beacons on pieces of equipment that are typically needed and shared between by ODOT county garages. The results of the cost analysis indicated that the recommended system can be highly cost-effective with cost benefit ratio of more than 8 if it is efficiently used by ODOT district and county garages.

• Record URL:
  • https://ohiomemory.org/digital/collection/p267401ccp2/id/22245/rec/1
• Record URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/73197
• Summary URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/73198
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Cincinnati

  Cincinnati, OH  United States  45221

  Ohio Department of Transportation

  1980 W. Broad Street
  Columbus, OH  United States  43223

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Nazzal, Munir D
  • Manasreh, Dmitry
  • Talha, Sk Abu
  • Mukhtar, Hamza
• Publication Date: 2023-1

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Maps; Photos; Tables;
• Pagination: 58p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Beacons; Bluetooth technology; Global Positioning System; Maintenance equipment; Scheduling; Tracking systems
• Identifier Terms: Ohio Department of Transportation
• Geographic Terms: Ohio
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01912367
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/OH-2022-33
• Contract Numbers: SJN 135969
• Files: NTL, TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Mar 19 2024 3:19PM