Katie Johnson

Last week, AASHTO’s Snow and Ice Pooled Fund Cooperative Program (SICOP) and Maintenance Operations Technical Working Group held a virtual showcase to spotlight various organizations dedicated to all aspects of winter and year-round maintenance. Fifteen groups in all shared highlights of their activities over the past year during this session.

On behalf of No Boundaries, representatives Doug Gruver of Ohio DOT and Heath Patterson of Mississippi DOT provided an overview of No Boundaries’ recent accomplishments and resources, including its innovation database, a nearly-completed synthesis investigating staffing shortages and new federal CDL requirements, and the group’s recent peer exchange and technical sessions in Sacramento.

View No Boundaries’ presentation, which begins at 2:07:43. The complete slide deck shown during the virtual meeting is also available.

Image source: No Boundaries

The transportation sector has experienced rapid technological growth in the last 10 years.

To prepare its workforce for the demands of the next decade, the Michigan Department of Transportation conducted a research study to predict the transformational technologies on the horizon and the skills workers will need. With a better understanding of where efforts should focus, the agency will be better positioned to train existing staff and recruit highly skilled workers to keep the agency on the cutting-edge of transportation management and operations.

View the video and read the two-page brief to learn more about the project’s findings.

Image source: Michigan Department of Transportation

Chip seals are often applied to asphalt pavements to add skid resistance to the surface and increase the durability of the road. Many transportation agencies have found that adding crumb rubber to the mixture can increase performance, but the high temperatures required for application can pose a potential safety hazard for maintenance crews.

To achieve the desired performance results at a lower application temperature, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development conducted a research project to evaluate a modified asphalt emulsion using recycled tire rubber. With a cooler application temperature, the tire rubber emulsion may be a worker-friendly alternative to crumb rubber.

Read the report: Evaluation of Asphalt Rubber and Reclaimed Tire Rubber in Chip Seal Applications, April 2022.

Image source: Louisiana DOT

The Transportation Research Board’s Standing Technical Committee on Roadside Maintenance will host a free webinar, “Roadside Fire Risk and Prevention Strategies” on Thursday, July 7 from 12:30 – 2 p.m. Eastern.

Presenters will share roadway designs and vegetation management strategies that can significantly reduce the risk of fires from vehicles and discarded cigarettes without compromising stormwater quality or increasing erosion.

Learn more and register.

Image source: Caltrans

Inspectors charged with assessing the condition and maintenance needs of steel cables embedded in concrete bridges may employ the magnetic flux leakage (MFL) test, using strong magnets to detect corrosion in areas they can’t see directly. However, other metal components of the bridge can interfere with the test and affect the readings.

To improve the test and increase the accuracy of the MFL test results, Florida DOT partnered with university researchers to identify advancements in this testing method.

With the ability to detect issues early and more accurately, the agency will be better able to prioritize maintenance activities that will extend the performance of bridges across the state.

Read the research summary: Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) Method for Damage Detection in Internal Post-Tensioning Tendons, May 2022.

Image source: Florida DOT

For decades, South Carolina DOT has relied on pavement performance models to anticipate future maintenance needs and budget accordingly.

Given changes in pavement materials and practices, as well as improved data collection technologies, the agency sought to determine whether the models still provide accurate predictions.

Finding that modern pavements are slower to degrade than previously thought, the agency will be better positioned to conserve its limited resources.

Read the report: Pavement Performance Curves: Modeling Pavement Deterioration for SCDOT, February 2022.

Image source: South Carolina DOT