National Webinar on Roadside Management and Pollinators November 24, 2020 - The Transportation Research Board's Standing Committee on Roadside Maintenance Operations (AKR20) will be presenting a webinar on December 1, 2020 to highlight some of the current realities with pollinator habitat on highway transportation rights of way.
No Boundaries Kicks Off in Fall 2020 November 16, 2020 - After a hiatus while leadership of the pooled fund changed hands, No Boundaries is back! With new lead state Colorado DOT and some 20 member state agencies, No Boundaries is busy in fall 2020 kicking off new technology transfer and innovation sharing activities. Please check back on this website for details, and feel free to contact us for more information.
Vermont Tests High-Friction Bridge Deck Overlay and Waterproofing System June 25, 2019 - The Vermont Agency of Transportation recently evaluated the performance of a high-friction bridge deck overlay system that also functions as a waterproofing membrane. The quick-curing overlay consists of an aggregate chip seal affixed with a synthetic polymer epoxy. Five years after application on a low-volume bridge, annual site visits and structures inspections have shown the bridge and overlay to be in good condition, and the system has provided good skid resistance and waterproofing.
Read the report: Assessment of Poly-Carb Flexogrid Bridge Deck Overlay System, April 2019.
New TRB Report on Structural Monitoring June 21, 2019 - TRB has published a new E-Circular that provides an overview of the current state of the practice for structural monitoring technologies. Chapters address the purpose and value of structural monitoring; when to consider the use of structural monitoring; types of sensor technologies; implementation; transforming data into knowledge; ensuring a financial return from a structural monitoring project; and frequently asked questions.
Read the report: Structural Monitoring, June 2019.
Photo courtesy of Oregon DOT.
Hot Chip Seals Performing Well in Washington State June 18, 2019 - In 2014, Washington State DOT began constructing hot chip seals, which use an asphalt binder applied at 275 to 370 F and can be opened to traffic at normal operating speeds as soon as the binder has cooled. WSDOT recently conducted a construction and performance review of 11 hot chip seal projects, finding that most were performing well. The study developed construction recommendations for future projects.
Read the research report: Review of Hot Bituminous Surface Treatments in Washington State, January 2019.
Minnesota Evaluates RAP Content for Gravel Roads June 13, 2019 - In a recent study, Minnesota DOT researchers used lab and field tests to evaluate blends of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) and virgin aggregate for use as gravel road surface layers. Maintenance costs for a 50% RAP blend and a 100% virgin aggregate surface were compared as part of an economic analysis, and two field studies analyzed the performance of blends with 15% to 80% RAP content.
Read the research report: Optimal RAP Content for Minnesota Gravel Roads, March 2019.
APWA Webinar: Reducing Equipment Maintenance Costs and Downtime June 11, 2019 - The American Public Works Association will host a webinar on reducing equipment maintenance costs and downtime on Thursday, July 25, from 11 a.m. to noon Eastern Time. From field workers to supervisors, each employee plays an integral and complex role in maintaining equipment. This course will give drivers, operators, and supervisors the tools and the know-how to set up guidelines and procedures for daily, weekly, and yearly maintenance programs for vehicles and equipment. These guidelines will ultimately reduce costs and downtime.
Read the announcement:
APWA Webinar: Maintain Shared Assets: Reduce Costs & Downtime with Teamwork
Self-Powered System for Structural Health Monitoring June 6, 2019 - Researchers for the Transportation Consortium of South-Central States (Tran-SET) have developed a self-powered structural health monitoring system for pavements and bridges. Powered by a thermal energy harvester that translates temperature differences between pavement layers into electrical energy, the prototype system can store and transmit data without a battery.
Read the research report: Development of a Self-Powered Structural Health Monitoring System for Transportation Infrastructure, December 2018. (Image courtesy of Minnesota DOT.)
Spring 2019 Meeting Highlights June 3, 2019 - Colorado DOT hosted No Boundaries’ spring 2019 meeting in Denver on May 14-16. No Boundaries members and invited guests discussed road maintenance innovations and shared best practices.
Presentations and roundtable discussions addressed asset management data collection; the role of maintenance in emergency management; public service requests; state and national pollinator programs; training and apprenticeship programs; employee recruitment and engagement; and process improvement.
Meeting photos and presentations are online.
Ohio Evaluates New Equipment for Storm Sewer Cleaning May 30, 2019 - Ohio DOT's maintenance work includes inspection and cleaning of the storm sewer infrastructure along roadways. A recent ODOT study reviewed the effectiveness of the Recycler, a sewer cleaning unit that uses a recycling system to filter the removed wastewater and reuse it for jet cleaning, saving both time and water. Over a summer maintenance season, researchers found that the Recycler was 52% more productive than the traditional Vacuum Jet Truck system.
Read the research report: Evaluation of the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Current Storm Sewer Cleaning Operations—Phase II, January 2019.