No Boundaries

Transportation Maintenance Innovation

Katie Johnson

Oregon Develops Tests for Improved Tack Coat Adhesion and Performance

Improving its own specifications and measurement procedures for asphalt tack coats, Oregon DOT improved upon three tests: tack coat quality, application rate accuracy and uniformity and surface cleanliness.

Use of these tests will help ensure strength between asphalt pavement layers in new construction and rehabilitation projects alike, extending the structural design life of Oregon’s roads.

Read the report: Implementation of ODOT Tack Coat Technologies and Procedures to Improve Long-Term Pavement Performance, February 2020.

Image source: Oregon DOT

Improved Data Help Illinois Reduce Work Zone Crashes

To combat an increase in work zone crashes, Illinois DOT set out to ensure the accuracy and thoroughness of collected data, annual trend calculations, and derived crash modification factors.

With more reliable data and refined models, the state is better positioned to prevent future work zone crashes and harm to construction and maintenance crews.

Read the report: Work Zone Safety Performance on Illinois State Routes, January 2020.

Image source: Michigan DOT

Webinar Addresses Road Maintenance Challenges in Washington State

Enjoy a free, hour-long virtual field trip through Washington’s Olympic Region on February 17, 2021 from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Eastern to learn how the state’s maintenance teams tackle a variety of challenges related to terrain and weather.

From heavy rains and mudslides to fog and snow, this mountainous highway corridor spans more than 1,000 miles and provides ample opportunity for transportation-related innovations. Ray Willard, State Roadside Asset Manager (pictured), will highlight the technologies and systems his crews use to keep the routes safe for all users.

Register to attend or to receive a link to watch the recorded presentation at a later time.

Image source: Washington State DOT

No Boundaries’ First Virtual Peer Exchange Begins This Month

Share ideas and learn from other agency members at No Boundaries’ first virtual peer exchange of 2021!

Offering two-hour sessions over two days, the event provides opportunities for discussion and discovery on a variety of timely issues in the field of transportation maintenance.

Thursday, February 18 – Join us for a look at Front Range Community College’s Highway Maintenance Degree Program, a first-of-its-kind, two-year degree program in Colorado. This will include a Q&A session with a few of the program’s graduates. The first day will continue with an interactive roundtable discussion of innovations that No Boundaries members are using to deliver maintenance services during COVID-19.

Tuesday, March 2 – We will reconvene for our always-popular Innovation Show-and-Tell session, followed by a quick-fire discussion on automated mowing. Finally, we’ll learn the results of a few recent informal surveys conducted by No Boundaries members that others can apply to their work in their home states.

Members can participate in all or part of the event, and are encouraged to invite their agency colleagues to attend as well!

Click here to view the full agenda, and please contact Brian Hirt at brian.hirt@ctcandassociates.com if you require a meeting invitation.

Image source: Colorado Department of Transportation.

Missouri Compiles 20-Year Database of Concrete Overlay Projects

To improve its concrete overlay process, Missouri DOT documented and evaluated more than 40 bonded and unbonded overlay projects completed throughout the state over the last 20 years.

The result is a comprehensive database of important design, construction, and performance data from 1999 to 2019, which will be used to identify the trends and factors that have contributed to successful projects.

Read the report: Evaluating Performance of Concrete Overlays for Pavement Rehabilitation, November 2020.

Image source: Missouri DOT

Colorado Develops Decision Support Tool for Managing Low-Volume Roads

A new study provides Colorado DOT with guidelines and recommendations for optimizing pavement maintenance decisions on low-volume roads.

With improved decision-making abilities, stakeholders will be better equipped to identify future budget needs, funding allocations, and treatment policies and maximize limited pavement management resources.

Read the report: Supporting Pavement Maintenance Decisions of Low-Volume Roads In Colorado Using Optimization Analysis and Artificial-Intelligence Techniques, February 2020.

Image source: Colorado DOT