New Hampshire DOT’s study of LED snowplow lights and Iowa DOT’s investigation of self-heating electrically conductive concrete recently captured national attention as two of AASHTO’s High Value Research winners for 2022. The award recognizes the nation’s top high-value research projects as chosen by state DOT research directors in each of the four AASHTO regions. In … Read more
Clear Roads’ popular commercial driver’s license (CDL) training materials are in the news. An article in the August issue of APWA Reporter spotlights how agencies are using the comprehensive, step-by-step training program, which is designed to help agencies comply with new federal regulations as they train equipment operators who need to obtain or upgrade a … Read more
Clear Roads is currently soliciting investigator proposals for four new research projects: Comprehensive Guide to Pre-Wetting Application Rates and Methods Best Management Practices for Liquid Chloride Storage and Pumping Systems Evaluation of Direct Liquid Application of Salt Brine vs. Granular Salt as Measured Through Various Performance and Safety Metrics Use of Dashboards for Winter Operations … Read more
Workforce shortages are a top concern for transportation agencies across the country. With maintenance workers needed year-round to keep roads clear and safe, the No Boundaries Transportation Maintenance Innovations pooled fund program has published a new report designed to help agencies identify recruitment and retention challenges and uncover noteworthy and effective solutions. The recently published … Read more
Check out these recent episodes from AASHTO’s SICOP Talks Winter Ops podcast: Introducing the Next Generation to DOTs and Highway Maintenance (Episode 63) looks at three programs designed to introduce transportation and civil engineering concepts to K-12 students, including two AASHTO programs and a Senior Seminar in Public Works and Road Maintenance from Front Range … Read more
Each spring, the Clear Roads Technical Advisory Committee meets to review research proposals and select new projects for funding. This year, the committee selected five projects: Comprehensive Guide to Pre-wetting Application Rates and Methods Best Management Practices for Liquid Chloride Storage and Pumping Systems Effects of Additives in Lowering the Freezing Point of Deicing Salts … Read more
Liquid deicers such as salt brine and brine blends can effectively clear snow and ice while using less salt than traditional granular applications. To fully utilize this strategy, though, agencies need detailed guidance and application rates for multiple liquids across a variety of weather and pavement conditions. Drawing from field test results and practitioner recommendations, … Read more
Have a successful winter maintenance practice that could help others? Share your knowledge at the 2023 North American Snow Conference. Organizers are looking for public works professionals to lead the conference’s education sessions to help their colleagues more effectively manage winter operations. The 2023 conference will feature presentations on the following aspects of winter operations: … Read more
Designed to allow a plow operator to clear more snow in a single pass, accessory plows like Tow Plows and wing plows have the potential to provide efficiencies in terms of plow cycle time, labor and equipment allocation, operating costs, increased level of service, and more. A recent Clear Roads project is helping agencies quantify … Read more
A Clear Roads project has earned top honors among research presented by U.S. authors at the PIARC 16th World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress, which was held last month in Calgary. The project, Defensive Driving for Snowplow Operators, was the subject of an award-winning paper presented at the conference by a Virginia Tech Transportation … Read more