New Clear Roads Research: Understanding the Chemistry of Road Salt
As temperatures drop, sodium chloride loses its deicing power. Depending on conditions, adding more salt to a roadway may be ineffective and wasteful. To help maintenance managers make the most of their stockpiles and keep roads clear, this Clear Roads research project investigated how salt behaves at different temperatures and concentrations. With a new tool … Read more
Clear Roads Research Earns National Recognition
New tools and training materials developed by Clear Roads are featured in an article in the October issue of APWA Reporter. Designed to help state and local transportation agencies save time and money on their winter maintenance operations, these new resources resulted from three recent Clear Roads research projects: CR 19-03: Measuring the Efficiencies of … Read more
New Clear Roads RFP: Proposals due Nov. 9
Clear Roads is currently soliciting investigator proposals for a new research project: Effects of Additives in Deicing Salts at Lower Temperatures Please download the RFP document and DBE special provisions for more information. To view the details of this RFP, visit MnDOT’s Professional Technical Consultant Services. The deadline to submit a proposal is Wednesday, November 9, 2022.
AASHTO Targets Deicing Materials with New Lab Proficiency Testing Program
Does your organization have a laboratory that tests deicing products? AASHTO re:source is looking for you! Clear Roads is partnering with AASHTO re:source to help laboratories improve and standardize their testing protocols for winter materials used for anti-icing/deicing applications. Through its new Proficiency Testing Program, AASHTO re:source is helping to improve the quality of test standards, materials, … Read more
New Hampshire and Iowa Recognized for High-Value Winter Research
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 CDL Training Materials Featured in APWA Reporter
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
New Clear Roads RFPs: Proposals due Sept. 7
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
No Boundaries Report Identifies Strategies to Recruit and Retain Workers
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
New Podcast Episodes from SICOP Talks Winter Ops
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
Clear Roads Selects 2022 Research Projects
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