Road Weather Information System
Environmental Sensor Station
Siting Guidelines
Version 1.0
April 2005


PDF Version 2.0 (719 KB) is now available.

PDF Version 1.0 (2.4 MB)


Road Weather Information System Environmental Sensor Station Siting Guidelines, April 2005, cover

Contents

  1. Technical Report Documentation Page (Form DOT F 1700.7)
  2. 1.0 Introduction
    • 1.1 Scope
    • 1.2 Purpose
    • 1.3 ESS Description
    • 1.4 Additional Benefits

  3. 2.0 Assessing Road Weather Information Requirements
    • 2.1 Environmental Sensors
    • 2.2 Regional and Local Site Requirements
    • 2.3 Leveraging Information Partnerships

  4. 3.0 Site Selection
    • 3.1 Regional Site Guidelines
    • 3.2 Local Site Guidelines
      • 3.2.1 Slippery Pavement Conditions
      • 3.2.2 Low Visibility Conditions
      • 3.2.3 High Wind Conditions
      • 3.2.4 Water Level Conditions
      • 3.2.5 River Bed Scouring Conditions
    • 3.3 Siting Tools
      • 3.3.1 Thermal Mapping
      • 3.3.2 Portable Environmental Sensor Systems

  5. 4.0 Recommended Siting Criteria
    • 4.1 Observation Tower
    • 4.2 Sensor Location

  6. 5.0 Additional Considerations
    • 5.1 Siting Considerations
    • 5.2 Power
    • 5.3 Communications
    • 5.4 Aesthetics, Safety, and Security
    • 5.5 Periodic Siting Reevaluation
    • 5.6 Siting Metadata

  7. 6.0 Conclusion
  8. 7.0 Acknowledgements
  9. Appendix A - Acronyms and Definitions
  10. Appendix B - References
  11. Appendix C - Road Weather Observation Requirements
  12. Appendix D - ESS Checklist

List of Figures

  1. 1. Road Weather Information System (RWIS) Functions
  2. 2. Road Weather Information System (RWIS) Environmental Sensor Station (ESS)
  3. 3. Environmental Sensor Station (ESS) Categories
  4. 4. Environmental Sensor Station (ESS) Operational Applications
  5. 5. Typical Standpipe Configuration
  6. 6. Desired Tower Location Relative to Roadway
  7. 7. Typical Location of Tower-Based Sensors
  8. 8. Typical Pavement Sensor Siting
  9. 9. Options for Mounting Solar Panels

List of Tables

The Federal Highway Administration provides high-quality information to serve Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public understanding. Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information. FHWA periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs and processes to ensure continuous quality improvement.

Federal Highway Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation
400 7th Street S.W. (HOP)
Washington, DC 20590
Toll-Free "Help Line" 866-367-7487
www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov
Publication No.: FHWA-HOP-05-026

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