Problem

Many agencies have snowplows capable of gathering pavement friction and other data as they travel along their routes, but most do not use that information to make operational adjustments in real time.

Objectives

The goal of this project is to gain a more complete understanding of how, and for what purpose, various transportation agencies put friction data to use within their own programs.

Expected Results

This project will provide winter maintenance teams with an algorithm or decision matrix that incorporates pavement friction and other data to advise the appropriate type and application rate of deicing materials in real time.

Problem

The effects of deicers on environmental resources are varied and complex. The impacts to sensitive species, protected resources, and human exposure are important factors when considering the appropriate use of deicers on roadways and must be balanced with public safety and expectations. With the difficulty in identifying environmentally sensitive corridors, states are unable to assign the proper equipment and apply chemicals at the appropriate rates to avoid further environmental degradation of both surface and ground water with chloride and sodium.

Objectives

The goal of this project is to improve operational planning to help agencies identify the roadway segments where vulnerable environmental resources may be impacted by snow and ice control activities.

Expected Results

This project will develop a geospatial tool that incorporates data about roadways, topography, hydrology, and ecology to model the impact of de-icing chemical application on the local environment. This information can then be used by maintenance personnel to adjust material application to balance mobility and environmental concerns.

Problem

Each state has its own salt shed design; in some states four to five varieties are used. In many cases these sheds are designed for each location given a specific budget. Many facilities are not designed to the level they need to be in terms of quality as they do not effectively contain the salt they are designed to store.

Objectives

The goal of this project is to develop a set of three scalable salt shed designs that can be used as a template to meet the needs of a variety of sites throughout Clear Roads member states. The designs will take into account existing building codes and state and federal regulations associated with environmental and related concerns.

Expected Results

The template should provide a set of three scalable designs appropriate for a range of storage capacities. With scalable structural components, the designs would provide a basic template for member states to use as a starting point for further design modifications and for bidding for shelter construction.

Problem

Preliminary testing has indicated that the ice melting capacity of various deicing products may vary significantly, even within specific deicing product categories. In addition, states’ processes for procuring deicing materials limit competition, are subjective on performance, and can become increasingly burdensome for lab, procurement, and management staff.

Objectives

To provide transportation agencies with an objective, repeatable test procedure for measuring the ice melting capacity of deicers.

Expected Results

Clear Roads wishes to standardize product testing to help states meet level of service requirements with the lowest possible procurement costs. In this project, the Mechanical Rocker Test Procedure, developed by Nebraska DOT, will be evaluated for use as a national standard.

Interim Webinar was conducted on October 11, 2022.