Predicting Weather and Road Conditions: Integrated Decision-Support Tool for Winter Road-Maintenance Operations

2003 ◽  
Vol 1824 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
William P. Mahoney ◽  
William L. Myers
Keyword(s):  
Decision Support ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Weather Prediction ◽  
User Needs ◽  
Road Maintenance ◽  
Surface Transportation ◽  
Road Condition ◽  
Winter Road ◽  
Maintenance Decision ◽  
Winter Road Maintenance

Winter road-maintenance practitioners have expressed a strong interest in obtaining weather and road-condition forecasts and treatment recommendations specific to winter road-maintenance routes. These user needs led the FHWA Office of Transportation Operations Road Weather Management Program to support the development of a prototype winter road-maintenance decision-support system (MDSS). The MDSS is a unique data-fusion system designed to provide real-time treatment guidance (e.g., treatment times, types, rates, and locations) specifically regarding winter road-maintenance routes to winter maintenance decision makers. The system integrates weather and road data, weather and road-condition model output, chemical concentration algorithms, and anti-icing and deicing rules of practice. FHWA began the multiyear project in 2001 by engaging several national laboratories that had expertise in weather prediction and winter road engineering. A user-needs assessment for surface transportation weather information, performed by FHWA in 2000, formed the basis for the development effort. FHWA required that the system be developed in an open environment with significant input from the stakeholders (state transportation personnel and private-sector meteorological services). The resulting technologies have been released (in an initial version) on a nonexclusive basis to the surface transportation community. It is anticipated that the prototype MDSS will provide a springboard for the development and rapid deployment of operational systems by the private sector.

scholarly journals Infrared Thermometry in Winter Road Maintenance

2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 846-856 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrik Jonsson ◽  
Mats Riehm
Keyword(s):  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Road Maintenance ◽  
Monitoring Methods ◽  
The Road ◽  
Ground Temperatures ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Road Condition ◽  
Nonintrusive Measurement ◽  
Winter Road ◽  
Winter Road Maintenance

Abstract There is significant interest among road authorities in measuring pavement conditions to perform appropriate winter road maintenance. The most common monitoring methods are based on pavement-mounted sensors. This study’s hypothesis is that the temperature distribution in a pavement can be measured by means of a nonintrusive method to retrieve the topmost pavement temperature values. By utilizing the latest infrared (IR) technology, it is possible to retrieve additional information concerning both road temperatures and road conditions. The authors discovered that surface temperature readings from IR sensors are more reliable than data retrieved from traditional surface-mounted sensors during wet, snowy, or icy road conditions. It was also possible to detect changes in the road condition by examining how the temperatures in wheel tracks and in between the wheel tracks differ from a reference dry road condition. The conclusion was that nonintrusive measurement of the road temperature is able to provide an increase in relation to the knowledge about both the road temperature and the road condition. Another conclusion was that the surface temperature should not be considered as being equal to the ground temperatures retrieved from traditional surface-mounted sensors except under conditions of dry, stable roadways.

Modeling the Snow Deposit Process on the Highways in the Flowvision Software

2020 ◽  
pp. 72-83
Author(s):  
Т. В. Самодурова ◽  
О. В. Гладышева ◽  
Н. Ю. Алимова ◽  
Е. А. Бончева
Keyword(s):  
Hydrodynamic Model ◽  
Geometric Model ◽  
Information Resources ◽  
Road Maintenance ◽  
Snow Removal ◽  
Experimental Section ◽  
Deposit Modeling ◽  
Winter Road ◽  
Highway Embankment ◽  
Winter Road Maintenance

Постановка задачи. Рассмотрена задача моделирования отложения снега во время метелей на автомагистралях с барьерными ограждениями в программе FlowVision . Результаты. В качестве опытного участка рассмотрен участок автомагистрали, проходящий в насыпи. Создана геометрическая модель участка автомагистрали. Обоснованы информационные ресурсы для создания гидродинамической модели обтекания насыпи автомагистрали с барьерными ограждениями снеговетровым потоком во время метелей. Проведено моделирование процесса снегонакопления на опытном участке с использованием программного комплекса FlowVision во время метелей с различными параметрами. Выводы. Сделан вывод о возможности применения программного комплекса FlowVision для совершенствования методики назначения снегозащитных устройств и определения параметров снегоочистки при зимнем содержании автомобильных дорог. Statement of the problem. The problems of snow deposit modeling on the highways with crash barriers during blizzards in the FlowVision was discussed. Results. The highway section passing in the embankment as an experimental section has been considered. The geometric model of the highway section was created. The information resources for designing a hydrodynamic model of a snowflow stream of highway embankment with barriers during blizzard were identified. The modeling of the snow deposit process in the experimental section using the FlowVision software during blizzards with different parameters was carried out. Conclusions. It was concluded that it is possible to use the FlowVision software to improve the methodology for snow protection designing and determining snow removal parameters for winter road maintenance.

Integrated winter road maintenance management — New directions for cold regions research

2016 ◽  
Vol 121 ◽  
pp. 108-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ville Hinkka ◽  
Eetu Pilli-Sihvola ◽  
Heikki Mantsinen ◽  
Pekka Leviäkangas ◽  
Aki Aapaoja ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Maintenance Management ◽  
Road Maintenance ◽  
Cold Regions ◽  
New Directions ◽  
Winter Road ◽  
Winter Road Maintenance

scholarly journals Assessment model of levels for winter road maintenance

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomas Ratkevičius ◽  
Alfredas Laurinavičius
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Accidents ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Road Maintenance ◽  
The Road ◽  
Road Users ◽  
Foreign Countries ◽  
Winter Road ◽  
Winter Time ◽  
National Significance ◽  
Winter Road Maintenance

The limited funding for the road industry leads to economizing in the planning of road network maintenance, to identifying the appropriate priorities of the activities with the greatest benefit for the society. The level of maintenance is the direct assessment of the road operation and maintenance service provided to the road users; it directly affects the road maintenance and for road users costs the better is road maintenance, the road users incur the fewerexpenses and vice versa. Insufficient road maintenance in the winter time causes not only the danger of traffic accidents but also worsens the driving conditions, increases the fuel consumption, vehicle depreciation, transportation becomes more expensive. Many results of studies showed that the current choice of maintenance levels in the winter time taking into account only the road category and traffic volume does not ensure the indicators of the most advanced world countries and road functional purpose. The principle of the minimal expenses for the society should be the main criterion in identifying the optimal levels of winter road maintenance. The experience of Lithuania and foreign countries helped in creating the model of assessment of winter maintenance levels for Lithuanian roads of national significance, which can be applied in the other foreign countries as well. This model could be an effective tool for the selection of the optimal maintenance levels, which would economically substantiate the winter road maintenance strategy, that best corresponds to the needs of the society.

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