WTI Lab: Subzero Research Laboratory
Project Co-Led by Laura Fay Wins AASHTO Award
WTI is proud to announce that a National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), WTI, and Aurora Pooled Fund study relating weather conditions and roadway friction measurements has received the High Value Research award from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).
Led by NCAR’s Gerry Wiener, with WTI’s Cold Climate Operations & Systems Program Manager Laura Fay as co-PI, Roadway Friction Modeling used atmospheric data, cold laboratory testing, and machine learning to infer friction conditions in locations where monitoring isn’t available. The trained computer models will help winter maintenance professionals identify when and where to apply deicer and anti-icer treatments, improving safety for road users. “This project was an amazing opportunity,” said Fay. “Working with NCAR to merge lab and field data with machine learning to advance the use of friction data in winter maintenance operations has been a goal of mine.”
The High Value Research award is determined by the AASHTO Research Advisory Committee with guidance from state departments of transportation. Fay noted that receiving the award was great news. “We worked hard, and we’re honored to be selected by AASHTO and recommended by Montana Department of Transportation.” All 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia participate based on region – enjoying “friendly” competition, identifying shared and differing research priorities, and participating in annual AASHTO and Transportation Research Board (TRB) poster presentations.
The Roadway Friction Modeling study was made possible by the Aurora Pooled Fund research program, which is a collaborative partnership between national and international highway agencies and administered by the Center for Weather Impacts on Mobility and Safety (CWIMS) of the Institute for Transportation (InTrans) at Iowa State University. Aurora Pooled Fund research focuses on road weather information systems (RWIS) and has partnered with WTI researchers for many years.
PROJECT NEWS: WTI Researchers Demystify the Salt Phase Diagram
Road salt, most often sodium chloride (NaCl) melts ice and is a crucial tool for winter maintenance crews around the world. However, the constant application of road salt is resulting in long-term environmental and economic impacts. To slow the negative effects of sodium chloride deicers by optimizing salt use, researchers from WTI and Washington State University completed Understanding the Salt Phase Diagram, a project sponsored by Clear Roads, a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) pooled fund. Led by Laura Fay, WTI’s Cold Climate Operations and Systems Program Manager, the team completed a literature review and laboratory investigation of the NaCl phase diagram, a graphical representation of the physical states (liquids or solid salt/ice) of salt brine depending on concentration and temperature. They distilled the information into training materials to help winter maintenance practitioners better understand the salt phase diagram and to support efficient and effective roadway deicing.
To provide visual aids for the training materials, the researchers needed to demonstrate the behavior of salt solutions in a laboratory setting. They collected video and photographic evidence of ice formation in salt brine at a range of concentrations and temperatures, verifying the familiar process of lowering ice’s freezing point with the addition of salt. They also clarified the effects of high salt concentrations on ice formation.
By synthesizing their laboratory data, the researchers created an updated NaCl phase diagram, fact sheet, and accompanying video. WTI’s Visual Communications Manager, Neil Hetherington, ensured that the phase diagram was associated with easily recognizable design elements (e.g., green = good = ice prevention). Fay noted, “Neil [Hetherington] took subject matter that was science and engineering heavy and converted it into useful, digestible information that is easily transferable. He also took time to collect quality photographs which effectively conveyed the information.”
The research has been well received. Fay has presented the training materials and findings to multiple organizations. “These materials serve as powerful education tools,” noted Fay, “and they are being used across the country.”
The full report is available on the project webpage of the WTI website. The video may be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzrvOoJGH_w