Decision Support Technologies: Beyond Winter Operations
Since the late 1990s there has been a push to develop and deploy a system that can integrate maintenance and weather data for winter maintenance operation decision makers to conduct safe and effective maintenance strategies on the roadway. In 2002, a group of states joined together [Pooled Fund Study Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS)] to develop a MDSS that could augment current winter operation techniques with weather information and provide a one-stop shop for decision makers regarding snow and ice. As states deployed MDSS technology into their maintenance operations, their benefits included actual dollars saved, improved internal communications, and a more consistent level of service on the roadway. A new question arose as these benefits were realized: Are there more benefits to be realized with this data, and could it be integrated with other weather-based type operations that occur throughout the year? As the understanding of MDSS technology has grown so has the realization of MDSS’ utility beyond winter maintenance operations. One of the new uses of MDSS data is expanding the route-specific recommendations to non-wintertime operations performed by agencies. These operations include but are not limited to pavement repair, pavement preservation, lane and intersection marking, herbicide spraying, or any other highway operation that is dependent on the weather and road conditions. Each operation has specific weather thresholds that will restrict or not restrict that specific operation to occur. Accurate weather forecast information is critical because many non-wintertime operations projects can be completely ruined or ineffective if precipitation occurs or if temperatures or moisture levels fluctuate quicker than expected. The combination of improved weather forecasts with acceptable operating weather thresholds for non-winter maintenance activities provide agencies a larger cost benefit when deploying a fully operational MDSS within their agency. This paper and presentation will investigate and illustrate possible uses of MDSS data and current methods to communicate that data. Examples will be presented assessing the use of MDSS for non-wintertime operations decisions.
- Record URL:
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Availability:
- Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00978515
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Authors:
- Hershey, Benjamin W
- McClellan, Anthony K
- Mewes, John J
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Conference:
- International Conference on Winter Maintenance and Surface Transportation Weather
- Location: Coralville Iowa, United States
- Date: 2012-4-30 to 2012-5-3
- Publication Date: 2012-4
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Web
- Pagination: p 104
- Monograph Title: Winter Maintenance and Surface Transportation Weather. International Conference on Winter Maintenance and Surface Transportation Weather, April 30–May 3, 2012, Coralville, Iowa
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Serial:
- Transportation Research Circular
- Issue Number: E-C162
- Publisher: Transportation Research Board
- ISSN: 0097-8515
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Benefits; Decision support systems; Maintenance management; Weather conditions; Winter maintenance
- Identifier Terms: Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS)
- Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; I62: Winter Maintenance;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01371247
- Record Type: Publication
- Report/Paper Numbers: WM-STW12-116A
- Files: TRIS, TRB
- Created Date: May 25 2012 10:32AM