Road Weather Management Program
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Best Practices for Road Weather Management Version 2.0

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Title:

Winter Road Maintenance Decision Support System Project: Overview and Status

Abstract:

For several years, the FHWA Office of Transportation Operations Road Weather Management Program has been involved in the development of a guidance tool for winter road maintenance decision makers. The tool, known as the maintenance decision support system (MDSS), is the culmination of work by a consortium of national laboratories, directed by FHWA with feedback from both the state departments of transportation and the private sector. The MDSS combines advanced weather and road condition prediction with automated rules of practice to produce a customized and optimized set of treatment recommendations for winter road maintenance managers. The potential payoff is higher mobility and safety on roadways, and more efficient and cost-effective use of staff, equipment, and chemicals. The latter would produce a reduced impact on the environment. This paper describes the history, development, and status of the MDSS project. Preliminary results and lessons learned from a field demonstration, future development efforts, and the technology transfer plan is discussed.

Source(s):

6th International Symposium on Snow Removal and Ice Control Technology, Transportation Research Circular, No. E-C063

http://trb.org/publications/circulars/ec063.pdf

Date: 2004

Author:

Pisano, et al

Keywords:


Decision support
Forecast/Prediction
Pavement condition

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