A NEW PARADIGM FOR WINTER MAINTENANCE DECISIONS

A universal challenge facing highway agencies and state departments of transportation (DOTs) today is simultaneously increasing productivity, quality, and environmental sensitivity while maintaining a constant or improved level of service on roads. These challenges are of major importance to three-quarters of the states' DOTs and local governments who must face the perils of winter as they strive to provide uninterrupted mobility to the road users. Snow and ice control procedures could benefit greatly from improvements in technology applications and equipment operator efficiency. Sensors and automated attachment controls could improve decision strategies for these agencies. Utilizing sensors that record roadway surface temperatures, computers may determine optimal timing and application rates of chemicals and abrasives. Automatic vehicle location systems can track the progress of maintenance vehicles and record winter maintenance operations. This paper will show a sample of the data plots that are transmitted from the vehicles. Initially, the data is referenced to GPS bearing or to the time from the beginning of the maintenance run. The Center for Transportation Research and Education has adjusted the plots so they are referenced to milepost. This paper will focus on the critical factor in the winter maintenance decision process, pavement temperature, and discuss how accurate data presentation can alter the existing process. A critical ingredient to be recognized, when existing procedures or practices are evaluated for change, is the acceptance by the workers. This paper will provide the results of phone interviews with the vehicle operators to ascertain their evaluation of equipment performance and reaction to the advanced technologies.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.ctre.iastate.edu/pubs/crossroads/90new.pdf
• 
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/096523102X
• Corporate Authors:

  Iowa State University, Ames

  Center for Transportation Research and Education
  2711 South Loop Drive, Suite 4700
  Ames, IA  United States  50010-8664
• Authors:
  • Smith, D E
• Conference:
  • Crossroads 2000
  • Location: Ames, Iowa
  • Date: 1998-8-19 to 1998-8-20
• Publication Date: 1998

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 90-93
• Monograph Title: CROSSROADS 2000 PROCEEDINGS

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automatic vehicle location; Global Positioning System; Maintenance; Operators (Persons); Snow and ice control; Surface course (Pavements); Technology; Temperature sensors; Vehicles; Winter maintenance
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Vehicles and Equipment; I62: Winter Maintenance;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00770472
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 096523102X
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 11 1999 12:00AM