Winter Maintenance
E-Newsletter
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February 2009
Produced by CTC & Associates
LLC
To be notified of new issues email, info@ctcandassociates.com
Past Newsletters: November 2008, August 2008
News
Conference on Urban Drainage and Road Salt Management
The “1st International Conference on Urban Drainage and Road Salt Management in Cold Climates: Advances in Best Practices” is scheduled for May 25 to 27, 2009, at the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Goals include: provide the current, state-of-the-art knowledge on interactions between road salting and the environment with respect to their understanding, measurement, modeling and management techniques; and improve the scientific basis for policy decisions related to the impacts of winter maintenance and road salt on infrastructure, ecosystems and water resources. Details.
SIMA Snow and Ice Symposium
The Snow & Ice Management Association has slated its 12th annual national symposium for June 24 to 27, 2009, at the Kentucky International Convention Center in downtown Louisville. The event will feature more than 20 educational sessions in tracks including Anti-icing & Deicing (new), Operations & Techniques, and Management & Leadership; roundtables; an interactive equipment demonstration; and a trade show. Keynote speakers include Mikhail Baranov of Agrimex LLC, Moscow, who will present on snowfighting in Russia’s extreme winter climate. Details.
Snow Expo, Peer Exchange
The 14th Eastern Snow Expo will take place Aug. 26 to 27, 2009, in Madison, Wisconsin; the 2nd National Winter Maintenance Peer Exchange is also slated for Madison, Aug. 25 to 26, 2009. For further information contact Lee Smithson at leland.smithson@dot.iowa.gov, or at 515-239-1519.
Training Opportunity
The “Snow School” winter maintenance training program offered by the Ontario Good Roads Association provides a comprehensive overview of the latest winter maintenance practices, equipment and materials. Course modules include Salt Management; Weather and RWIS; and Minimum Maintenance Standards, Level of Service, Record Keeping, Safety, Hours of Service. Attendees include winter maintenance supervisors, and technicians, technologists and others responsible for salt management plans. Course dates Sept. 28 through 30, 2009. Details.
Local Salt Assistance Plan
Ohio DOT Director James Beasley updated the department’s Smart Salt Strategy to include an effort to assist county and local governments that were unable to secure salt contracts for this winter. By adjusting its resources, ODOT planned to ration 100,000 tons of salt from its stockpiles, allowing for a one-time sale to counties and local communities. Salt Assistance Plan.
Air Vizion and High Intensity Discharge Lights
Recent editions of the Minnesota DOT Maintenance Research Bulletin spotlight Mn/DOT’s use of Air Vizion, a system that uses a burst of compressed air to remove snow or water droplets that accumulate on exterior truck mirrors, and Mn/DOT’s evaluation of HID lights, including their effectiveness in whiteout conditions.
Recognition for St. Marys Salt Storage
Loading and unloading salt trucks inside a depot was still a new concept when the Town of St. Marys in southwestern Ontario built its salt storage facility in 2003. Milestones e-zine recently spotlighted the depot, which has successfully eliminated unwanted discharges to the environment, protected salt during storage and minimized material waste. See page 41 of the e-zine, published by the Ontario Good Roads Association.
Research Reports
Analysis of Ohio’s Road Salt Market and 2008-2009 Price Increase
Ohio DOT, December 2008
Calling for more coordination among agencies responsible for keeping roads safe and passable during winter months, an analysis of the road salt market by Ohio DOT prepared for Gov. Ted Strickland points to a combination of historically bad weather, inflexible contract specifications, and questionable bidding tactics as driving forces behind an unprecedented increase in salt prices. Analysis.
Study of Environmental Effects of De-Icing Salt on Water Quality in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, Minnesota
MN/RC 2008-42, September 2008
The project objective was to create knowledge about the effects of deicing salt, particularly sodium chloride, on water quality in lakes, rivers, streams and groundwater in Minnesota. The study results provide baseline information on seasonal and long-term effects of road salt applications on water resources at a regional scale (metropolitan area) and a local scale (lake watershed). Report.
Deicer Scaling Resistance of Concrete Pavements, Bridge Decks, and Other Structures Containing Slag Cement: Phase 1- Site Selection and Analysis of Field Cores
CTRE Project 05-202, Pooled Fund Project TPF-5(100), September 2008
The initial phase of this project was conducted to determine whether adding slag cement to concrete mixtures increases the surface scaling caused by the routine application of deicer salt. A total of 28 field sites that included Portland cement concrete pavements and bridge decks containing slag cement were evaluated. Report.
Research in Progress
Evaluation of the UDOT Weather Operations/RWIS Program, Phase II
The objective of this research project is to conduct a second phase of evaluation of Utah DOT’s Weather Operations/RWIS Program to identify how the program benefits Traffic Operations Center users such as the incident management team, traffic signal group and traveler information personnel. Project sponsor Aurora is interested in investigating the potential of the Utah program to provide a national model. Details.
Listening in on Avalanches
In 2008, Utah DOT launched a research evaluation to determine whether the Infrasonic Avalanche Detection system installed in 2006 provided reliable early warning of natural avalanche cycles and confirmed avalanche control operations; whether it reduced UDOT's costs; and what improvements to the system are needed. For details, see page 6 of the December 2008 UDOT Research Newsletter.