The objective of this project is to develop a severe weather index for the Maryland Department of Transportation (DOT).. .

The objective of this research project is to assess if the use of chloride-based snow and ice control products have an impact on potential carbon sequestration rates in the near road environment.. .

The objective of this project is to investigate road friction after deicing during winter storms.. .

The goal of this project is to determine and document the residual salt concentration on pavement after initial application of salt and salt brine during snow and ice control operations, and then recommend modified application rates for salt and salt brine for various temperatures based on the residual salt concentration on the pavement.. .

The goal of this project is to identify alternative deicers to chlorides for snow and ice control operations, with a specific focus on potassium acetate and succinate.. .

The objectives of this research project are to identify existing and developing technology for mobile chloride detection that provide real time data, test the feasibility and reliability of the technology, and determine if this technology can be used real time by winter maintenance practitioners in the decision making process.. .

The objective of this project is to develop a new technology by synergistically using multi-scale modifiers and local low-cost or recycled materials to prepare “green” cementitious binder.. .

The goal of this project is to identify alternative deicers to chlorides for snow and ice control operations.. .

The final report included the following conclusions based on the literature review, survey, and synthesis of information:

Much of the available information on contracted services is provided in the context of general maintenance, and only rarely specifically addresses contracted services for winter
maintenance operations.
The main reasons for agencies to seek contractors for snow and ice response include: 1) lack of resources, 2) a state-level movement toward outsourcing or privatization, and 3)
cost comparisons.
In general, winter maintenance agencies use four types of contracting methods for snow and ice response: 1) rental agreements or short-term contracts, 2) defined amount of work
or recurring work contracts, 3) blended forces and 4) asset management and public-private partnership contracts.
Performance-Based Maintenance Contracts (PBMC) are increasingly popular in the United States and Canada. In PBMC, winter maintenance agencies usually set a minimum Level
of Service (LOS) and response time to measure the performance.
In most cases, winter maintenance agencies tend to rely on contractors to provide their own snow and ice equipment. Conversely, snow and ice control material (salt, sand, etc.) are
commonly provided by the winter maintenance agencies.
Studies have shown the need for minimum standards for the equipment used by contractors such as replacement time of aging equipment and upgrading to new technologies.
It is generally perceived that urbanized areas, which have a higher density of contracting firms, are a more favorable environment to use contractors for snow and ice control
functions

The objective of this project is to provide characterization testing and corrosion testing for a project to develop an inorganic coating system for corrosion protection and rehabilitation of pipeline.. .

The final report includes numerous recommendations for agencies to help them select the right lighting package, mounting location and available technologies to improve the illumination for snow operators and travelling public. Highlights include: 1) LEDs are favored for use in new vehicles, retrofits, and replacements due to improved visibility.
However, it is important to have some mechanism to keep the lights clear of snow because LEDs do not produce enough heat to melt snow and ice off the light surface.
2) For warning lights, amber is the color most commonly used for warning lights

The objectives of this research project are to identify existing and developing technology for mobile chloride detection that can provide real time data, test the feasibility and reliability of the technology, and determine if this technology can be used real time by winter maintenance practitioners in the decision making process.. .

The survey conducted for this project identified 48 local, state, and federal agencies that have conducted road conversions and nine more that are considering this action. Almost 70 conversion
projects were identified and a total of 550 miles of road converted to unpaved.  In seeking a cost-effective alternative to continued maintenance and repair of deteriorating pavement, agencies have begun to recognize that many roads with very low traffic volumes can be maintained more economically and at a higher level of service with an unpaved or granular surface.

Final Report available in documents below or through the TRB (National Academies of Sciences) website.

The objective of this project is to provide technical support for the three research projects that enable best practices in winter roadway snow and ice control operations.. .

The objective of the proposed research is to develop a systemic life-cycle framework to enable comprehensive assessment of environmental sustainability of winter highway operations (e.g., anti-icing, deicing, and sanding/plowing).. .

The objectives of this project are to develop a measurement and analysis tool to assess the performance of deicers in the field based on friction.. .

The objective of this Center is to systematically engineer environmentally sustainable transportation infrastructures in cold climates, considering the entire life cycle of transportation lanning, design, materials selection, construction, maintenance and operations, preservation, and recycling through the collaboration of academia, industry, and other stakeholders.

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The objectives of this project are to further optimize the anti-icing formulations consisting of raw salt, water, two byproducts of local distilleries/breweries or several commercial additives and to validate their performance in the Alaska field environment.. .

The objective of this research is to provide the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) with data to select the anti-icing strategy best suitable for the Nevada highway system that balances the safety, infrastructure and environmental goals.

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Through this project, a manual on environmental best management practices used for snow and ice control was developed using information gain from a literature review, survey, and follow-up interviews. The document presents information on commonly used snow and ice control products and their potential impacts, and pathways into the environment. In addition, the manual includes information on many aspects of snow and ice control operations from material handling and storage, application techniques and equipment, advanced technology for decision making, environmental management tools, pre-storm to mid-storm practices, post storm clean-up, and training

The final report contains a Best Practices Manual, which includes the following: parameters for effective use of agricultural and mineral by-products based on analysis of the existing literature, survey responses, and lab testing; specifications that can be used in procurement for each product; and application and storage guidelines.. .

As detailed in the Final Report and Research Brief, nearly all winter maintenance practices reviewed through this project had a high benefit-cost ratio. Plowing had a particularly high ratio, with benefits 5.3 times the costs. The use of deicing or anti-icing agents, including liquid sodium chloride, corrosion-inhibited salt brine, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride and blended products, was also extremely effective, with benefit-cost ratios between 3.5 and 4.0

Through this project, the research team developed a user-friendly manual that documents best practices for managing the risk of equipment corrosion, especially in the presence of chemical deicers. The audience for this manual includes operators, mechanics and garage-level supervisors. The manual defines the basic corrosion conditions, with a focus on the need for managing corrosion risks, common modes of corrosion failure, and corrosion-prone parts (priorities) on DOT equipment

The objective of this project will be to conduct an analysis of the salt dome facilities utilized by ODOT to store road salt for winter maintenance operations, in order to identify practices and onsite modifications that can improve salt loading and storage at ODOT salt domes and enhance worker safety.. .

The final report summarizes research to obtain a better understanding of Idaho highway user expectations for the Idaho Transportation Department’s (ITD) winter maintenance efforts. Input about Idaho resident preferences for winter maintenance was obtained through a web-based survey and focus groups meetings. Idaho residents were generally satisfied with ITD’s winter maintenance operations, and 3 out of 4 felt safe on Idaho’s highways following winter storm events

The objective of this project was to conduct a literature review on chloride-based deicer toxicity to the environment, create guidelines on effective practices and standards, and draft a scope of work for laboratory and field testing.. .

The objectives of this research are to identify the primary chemical and mechanical interactions that occur when deicers are applied to textured or porous pavements before, during and after a winter storm to determine optimal winter maintenance strategies and application rates for treating these types of pavements.. .

The objective of this research was to assess the efficacy of pervious concrete in areas subject to snow plow operations and abrasive and salt application, in terms of managing quantity and quality of stormwater runoff.. .

As described in the final report, WTI conducted research on behalf of the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to study the cost effectiveness of existing CDOT FAST systems. Both the national survey and the CDOT survey confirm the need for significant maintenance activities to ensure successful operation of FAST systems. Safety analysis of CDOT FAST system reveals a reduction in the number of annual crashes on multilane rural highways by 2 percent, urban interstates by 16 to 70 percent, rural interstates by 31 to 57 percent and interchange ramps between interstates by 19 to 40 percent

The objective of this project is to revise and update Chapter 8 (Winter Operations and Salt, Sand and Chemical Management) of the NCHRP publication “Environmental Stewardship Practices, Procedures, and Policies for Highway Construction and Maintenance.”. .

As discussed in greater detail in the final report, extremely cold winter storms (below about 10°F) bring about different considerations for taking care of roads than warmer winter storms, where granular salt and salt brine are cost‐effective measures of melting snow and ice when used in combination with other operations (e.g., plowing). At temperatures lower than about 10°F, either extremely large quantities of salt are needed or no amount of salt can melt snow or ice pack. Best practices for using chemicals during extremely cold winter storms include: waiting until the end of the storm, using deicers in daylight hours only, mixing salt with MgCl2, CaCl2, and/or agriculture by‐products, and using high application rates

The objective of this research is to expand upon and improve the winter maintenance cost benefit analysis toolkit developed in Phase I, and expand its functionality.. .

The goal of this project is to document the range of strategies used by transportation agencies to minimize the environmental impacts of chloride roadway deicers, lessons learned, and knowledge gap and future research.. .

As described in the final report, field and laboratory investigations were conducted to examine the effects of chloride deicers on concrete bridge decks and to identify and evaluate best practices and products to mitigate such effects. The concrete bridge decks exposed to KAc or MgCl2 deicer showed significant reductions in their compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and microhardness, whereas those exposed to NaCl deicer and without signs of surface distress did not. Visual inspection would be misleading for assessing the condition of concrete bridge decks exposed to MgCl2 deicer, as the chemical attack by MgCl2 generally does not exhibit apparent signs of distress

As described further in the final report, the research team established and tested several approaches to estimate the benefits of winter highway maintenance. To estimate safety benefits, a Negative Binomial model was established to predict the number of crashes that could be expected to occur under different winter maintenance scenarios. The changes (ideally reductions) in crashes and the financial savings as a result of improved maintenance represent the benefits of winter maintenance on safety.
Travel time savings resulting from differences in travel speeds over road segments under different levels of winter maintenance were established as the method to estimate the second category of quantifiable benefits of winter maintenance

The objective of this project is to determine if local agricultural products or byproducts of local distilleries/breweries or other manufacturing processes could be cost-effectively used to replace high-cost proprietary products to enhance the performance characteristics of salt brine for anti-icing on Alaska roads.. .

As described in the final report, field and laboratory investigations were conducted to examine the effects of chloride deicers on concrete bridge decks and to identify and evaluate best practices and products to mitigate such effects. The concrete bridge decks exposed to KAc or MgCl2 deicer showed significant reductions in their compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and microhardness, whereas those exposed to NaCl deicer and without signs of surface distress did not. Visual inspection would be misleading for assessing the condition of concrete bridge decks exposed to MgCl2 deicer, as the chemical attack by MgCl2 generally does not exhibit apparent signs of distress

As described in the final report, this study developed and evaluated in the laboratory a multi-parameter corrosion monitoring system for existing reinforced concrete structures in chloride-laden service environments. The study improved and validated the SwRI corrosion sensor prototype for use in the concrete corrosion monitoring system; developed algorithms for quality control and interpretation of the sensor data; made viable recommendations to implement the corrosion monitoring system for existing DOT inventories of RC bridges; and delivered a deployable prototype corrosion sensing system for DOTs to continue field evaluations. The performance and reliability of the SwRI corrosion sensor were confirmed by the benchmark test in simulated concrete pore solutions

As described in the final report, field and laboratory investigations were conducted to examine the effects of chloride deicers on concrete bridge decks and to identify and evaluate best practices and products to mitigate such effects. The concrete bridge decks exposed to KAc or MgCl2 deicer showed significant reductions in their compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and microhardness, whereas those exposed to NaCl deicer and without signs of surface distress did not. Visual inspection would be misleading for assessing the condition of concrete bridge decks exposed to MgCl2 deicer, as the chemical attack by MgCl2 generally does not exhibit apparent signs of distress

As described in the final report, this study has identified, evaluated and synthesized the best practices that can be implemented to minimize the corrosive effects of chloride deicers on DOT winter application equipment and vehicles. The practices identified include: design improvements, maintenance practices, anti-corrosion coatings, corrosion inhibitors, salt removers, etc. A comprehensive literature search was conducted to gather existing research documents that are relevant to the corrosion of metals by chloride salts, with a focus on corrosion under neutral pH conditions and under ambient temperature and pressure

This research was performed for the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) to investigate the safety issues involved with winter maintenance and to identify the most cost-effective and environmentally sound ways of using winter chemicals. The results are summarized in detail in the final report. Through lab testing, it was determined that the performance difference between salt brines and solid salts was insignificant, but brines posed less risk to vehicles, infrastructure and the natural environment

As described in the final report, this study developed and evaluated in the laboratory a multi-parameter corrosion monitoring system for existing reinforced concrete structures in chloride-laden service environments. The study improved and validated the SwRI corrosion sensor prototype for use in the concrete corrosion monitoring system; developed algorithms for quality control and interpretation of the sensor data; made viable recommendations to implement the corrosion monitoring system for existing DOT inventories of RC bridges; and delivered a deployable prototype corrosion sensing system for DOTs to continue field evaluations. The performance and reliability of the SwRI corrosion sensor were confirmed by the benchmark test in simulated concrete pore solutions

As described in the final report, the survey results suggest that chloride-based deicers are the most commonly used products for highway winter maintenance operations and pose significant corrosion risk to DOT equipment and vehicles. The survey results show that chloride deicers pose the most significant risk of metallic corrosion to dump trucks followed by liquid deicer applicators, front end loaders and hoppers. Most metallic components on vehicles and equipment are very vulnerable to chloride deicer corrosion, and this risk is especially high for electrical wiring, frames, brackets and supports, brake air cans, brake drums and disks, spreader chute, fittings, and granular hopper

As described in the final report, this study developed and evaluated in the laboratory a multi-parameter corrosionmonitoring system for existing reinforced concrete structures in chloride-laden service environments. The study improved and validated the SwRI corrosion sensor prototype for use in the concrete corrosion monitoring system; developed algorithms for quality control and interpretation of the sensor data; made viable recommendations to implement the corrosion monitoring system for existing DOT inventories of RC bridges; and delivered a deployable prototype corrosion sensing system for DOTs to continue field evaluations. The performance and reliability of the SwRI corrosion sensor were confirmed by the benchmark test in simulated concrete pore solutions

As described in the final report, this study has identified, evaluated and synthesized the best practices that can be implemented to minimize the corrosive effects of chloride deicers on DOT winter application equipment and vehicles. The practices identified include: design improvements, maintenance practices, anti-corrosion coatings, corrosion inhibitors, salt removers, etc. A comprehensive literature search was conducted to gather existing research documents that are relevant to the corrosion of metals by chloride salts, with a focus on corrosion under neutral pH conditions and under ambient temperature and pressure

The existing laboratory tests are limited in their ability to predict field performance and friction coefficient of deicers for several reasons. Traffic, humidity, pavement temperature and condition, presence of solar or thermal radiation, and active precipitation and wind are all factors that are often overlooked in lab tests. Most importantly, previous studies are not typically correlated to results from field tests.

Test methods identified during the extensive literature search will provide a more complete picture of previous research

The purpose of the National Scan is to examine programs and practices employed by different governmental agencies and contractors that result in effective dust control and/or soil stabilization on unpaved roads. The driving force behind this scan is that road dust and/or the additives used in its control pose a myriad of health, safety, economic, regulatory, and environmental challenges..

This project is expected to benefit states by simplifying the process by which cost-benefit analysis can be completed. The toolkit will calculate the costs and benefits associated with winter maintenance practices, equipment and operations; by providing this information in an understandable format, managers will be able to justify expenditures on new products and technologies.

In addition, this information will help winter highway maintenance engineers to make more informed decisions regarding new products. Such evaluations will also help users understand how a product may work in their operations and help better match practices, equipment and/or operations to their specific roadway environment and level-of-service requirements.

In the long-term, DOT personnel who use the toolkit to select the optimal practices, equipment and operations may be able to improve the level of service, reduce the winter maintenance costs, and reduce the corrosion and environmental impacts due to snow and ice control operations.

The objectives of this project were to determine the most cost-effective method to remove existing zinc anodes from a concrete surface, and to develop a protocol to prepare the concrete surface for the new anode.. .

Phase I of the evaluation focused on developing an internal business case for the Weather Operations/RWIS program, in other words to demonstrate its effectiveness to the Utah Department of Transportation by documenting its benefits to the winter maintenance and construction divisions.

This project provides an opportunity to expand the evaluation to look at the program’s impacts on other divisions. This will provide a more complete picture of how the program has benefited the agency. Also, this research will help establish a nationwide prototype of the unique program with stationed meteorologists that provide year-round and area-specific weather forecasts to various users.  As Aurora represents several U.S

The objective of this research is to evaluate the cost effectiveness of corrosion inhibitors in deicing chemicals, and their longevity when in storage or on the road. The project also aims to establish a reliable measure to quantify the performance of anti-icing and deicing chemicals..

Develop guidelines for optimal snow and ice removal operations designed specifically for California highway environments.. .

This research examined the impacts of various deicer products on the microstructure of concrete and the friction coefficient of pavement materials. As such, this project will further the understanding of deicer performance, which will assist the Colorado Department of Transportation in their current research efforts to identify safe and effective alternative deicer products.

In the long-term, the research may allow all DOTs to utilize better decision-making and management practices with respect to reducing the amount of chemicals and cost for snow and ice removal operations while providing safe, reliable winter highways for the traveling public.  These findings may help DOT professionals to use a more comprehensive and systematic approach to selecting deicer products, an approach that considers not only cost and effectiveness, but also corrosive and environmental impacts.  In addition, bridge and pavement engineers may be able to use this information to improve design specifications for structures such as roads and bridges..

The research results will benefit states by identifying/developing standard tests that address deicer evaluation criteria in addition to existing PNS tests. This research is also expected to provide significant information on which to base the selection and potentially pricing of deicers and inhibitors. This will lead to best practices by transportation agencies that apply the right type and amount of materials in the right place at the right time for snow and ice control.

This research is expected to significantly advance the knowledge base for winter maintenance best practices, and thus help maintenance agencies address the challenge in meeting multiple priorities in safety, mobility, environmental stewardship, and infrastructure preservation in a fiscally responsible manner

The objective of the project is to design and develop an autonomous, in situ, self-sustained water quality monitoring system for safe, reliable, timely, and efficient measurements of water samples near highways to assess impacts of highway construction and operations.. .

This project provided a current benefit-cost assessment for weather information on winter maintenance.. .

Researchers will determine through the collection and assessment of available data whether the use of particular PDPs have been seen to result in damage to pavements or aircraft components, and whether adjusting PDP formulations can mitigate those effects. The research may also result in suggestions for modifications in the manufacture of components and the construction of runways.

Develop guidelines for optimal snow and ice removal operations designed specifically for California highway environments.. .

To establish preliminary investigation of key factors affecting the performance of electrochemical chloride extraction (ECE) and electrical injection of corrosion inhibitors (EICI), and to validate a modeling framework that may guide the blueprint of ECE/EICI.. .

This project assess the benefits and costs associated with implementation of MDSS (Maintenance Decision Support System) and provide members of the MDSS pooled fund with a concise and actionable assessment of the benefits and potential costs of MDSS implementation.. .

Corrosion of reinforced and prestressed concrete structures is a major and increasing problem worldwide. Possibly half of the US’s 500,000 bridges require immediate attention and the total repair bill is estimated at $90 billion (Dunker and Rabbat, 1993).  The remediation of concrete bridges in the US, undertaken as a direct result of chloride-induced corrosion of the reinforcing steel, would cost the US highway departments $5 billion per year (FHWA, 1999).

Caltrans owns and maintains approximately 15,000 bridges with spans over 20 feet, and there are an equal number in the city and county systems.  Caltrans construction (primarily bridge construction) averaged almost $1.3 billion per year over the 1988-1992 period, and the majority of California highway bridges are prestressed or reinforced structures (Hampson and Fischer, 1997).  In both types of structures, the corrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete is a significant problem.

The cost of maintenance and rehabilitation required to reserve the structural integrity and overall safety of Caltrans highway structures is phenomenal. Repeated rehabilitation and repair also incur a significant environmental toll, as well as the delays caused by closing roads or bridges.   On the other hand, appropriate design for corrosion protection would generate substantial cost savings for the Department by minimizing the premature rehabilitation or failure of highway bridges and reducing the construction costs.

The research will produce valuable information to be used by the Caltrans Design Engineer and may lead to improvements to the current Caltrans BDS in mitigating chloride-induced corrosion and deterioration.  In addition to the validation of corrosion mitigation design assumptions, the research results will also assist the Department to rapidly evaluate concrete mixes designed with new mineral admixtures, allowing implementation of cost-effective corrosion mitigation strategies while providing safe and reliable structures for the traveling public.

This research could lead to additional research phases as necessary, such as the development and field evaluation of various types of high performance corrosion resistant concretes.  With extended service life and reduced need for costly and difficult repair and rehabilitation of bridge structures, the implementation of better design practices will have immediate positive impact on the California highway system, including cost savings, enhanced traveler safety, reduced traveler delays, and minimized environmental impacts.

Project Objective
The overall goal of this project was to evaluate potassium acetate (KA) and sodium acetate/formate blend deicers (or possibly potassium formate) as alternative anti-icing and deicing compounds relative to NaCl salt-sand mixtures and MgCl2 (baseline deicers) based on various criteria specified by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).. .

To improve and update the data and tables used by Caltrans to identify locations with a high concentration of accidents on wet pavements.. .

Evaluate the effect of chloride-based deicers on reinforced concrete structures, such as roadways and bridges, operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation; and to determine whether or not reducing deicer corrosiveness helps preserve the transportation infrastructure.

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The objective of this research is to identify all vehicle-mounted winter maintenance technologies indicating the state of development. For those technologies in operational use, the synthesis will document the state-of-the-practice, including net value derived from its implementation..

To examine the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) Weather Operations/ Road-Weather Information System (RWIS) and preliminarily assess the effectiveness and benefits of it.

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To investigate the corrosion and corrosion inhibition mechanisms at the steel/concrete interface as a result of chloride attack, in the absence and presence of corrosion inhibitors.. .

The purpose of this project was to develop a large volume of reference material, a detailed research document and brochure on the advantages and disadvantages of the use of anti-icing and pre-wetting for winter maintenance in the Pacific Northwest.. .

During the winter season in the northern states, large amounts of solid and liquid chemicals, known as deicers, are applied on the roadways to ensure continued mobility, safety, and productivity. While maintaining safe winter driving conditions, the deicers are arguably a great concern as the source of corrosion of vehicles and pavements.  In addition, the use of deicers also causes corrosion of reinforcing bars (rebars) in concrete and lead to structural failures before the design life of transportation infrastructure is attained..

The purpose of this project was to develop a comprehensive document for the management of winter road traction materials on Montana highways so that the impacts on the adjacent aquatic resources from such materials will be minimized.. .

The purpose of this project was to extend the knowledge that has been gained in the winter highway forecasting of pavement temperatures modeling and draw upon the well established snow and ice competency which has historically been a strength at MSU.

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Caltrans Roadway Weather Information Systems (RWIS) devices are installed at critical areas throughout the state where atmospheric and pavement data could be used for maintenance and transportation management. An assessment of their use and research of their effectiveness is needed to improve the use of existing devices and research the communications systems that prohibit open data transfer between the devices..

The overall goals of attaching collision warning and lateral guidance systems to conventional snowplows (ASP) are to:

increase safety by;
reducing snowplow accidents,
reducing damage to other vehicles and infrastructure, and
reducing injuries to snowplow operators or other vehicle occupants,
improve operational efficiency and traveler mobility by;
increasing speed of snowplow removal tasks,
reducing erratic snowplow movements,
reducing road closures/travel delays,
reducing run-off-the-road incident and lane departures, and
demonstrate potential benefits of AVCS technologies by;
evaluating system performance,
assessing operator’s acceptance of the system,
assessing system’s ease of operation,
assessing perceived benefits of the system, and
assessing operator’s level of confidence with the system.
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To investigate the applicability of Computed Tomography (CT) technology in the study of highway icing.. .