The Road Temperature Forecast Tool

The road temperature forecast tool is an interactive expert system for the winter maintenance service. The tool was developed by the University of Applied Sciences Bern and Meteo Swiss. The aim of the expert system is to make prognostics for a time window of 24 h for the road condition during the winter season. The road surface temperature and possible covering with rainwater, snow, ice, or glazed frost ice are calculated. The algorithm, on which the road temperature forecast tool is based, is—similar to the METRo system—the physical model of the heat equation. Nonlocal parameters involved the seasonal temperatures measured in a depth of 0.70 m (= 2.3 ft) under the road surface, predictions of air temperatures, dew point temperatures, wind directions and velocities, and prognostics of precipitations. Since the topology of Switzerland is not uniform, local parameters such as the horizon or the shading of the road play, in contrast to the METRo system, an important role for the algorithm. The physical model of the heat equation then calculates the temperature forecast of the road. The road temperature forecast tool is implemented in Java 5 and Java 6 and allows the meteorologists to calculate the road state by playing interactively with different weather scenarios.

• Record URL:
  • https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/17626
• 
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00978515
• Authors:
  • Battig, Daniel
• Conference:
  • Fourth National Conference on Surface Transportation Weather; Seventh International Symposium on Snow Removal and Ice Control Technology
  • Location: Indianapolis Indiana, United States
  • Date: 2008-6-16 to 2008-6-19
• Publication Date: 2008-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 49-56
• Monograph Title: Surface Transportation Weather and Snow Removal and Ice Control Technology: Fourth National Conference on Surface Transportation Weather and Seventh International Symposium on Snow Removal and Ice Control Technology, June 16-19, 2008, Indianapolis, Indiana
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Circular
  • Issue Number: E-C126
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0097-8515

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Algorithms; Expert systems; Forecasting; Pavements; Surface temperature; Weather conditions; Winter maintenance
• Identifier Terms: Java (Computer program language)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Pavements; I62: Winter Maintenance;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01103923
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Weather08-009
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jun 30 2008 3:05PM