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.
FHWA Report Examines Concrete Pavement Preservation Strategies May 28, 2019 - A recent Federal Highway Administration report on concrete pavement preservation examines the primary factors that affect concrete pavement performance and reviews preservation strategies. The report includes a state-of-the practice review of approaches for evaluating concrete pavement condition and economic analysis techniques for assessing the cost-effectiveness of preservation strategies.
Read the report: Strategies for Concrete Pavement Preservation, February 2019.
Improved Life-Cycle Cost Analysis for Bridge Management Systems May 23, 2019 - Iowa State University researchers have developed a risk-based life-cycle cost analysis framework to enhance bridge management systems. Current systems are unable to account for sudden extreme events or the consequences of long-term extreme environmental exposure in a systematic way. This analysis framework combines site-specific aging and extreme events and can be incorporated into transportation agencies’ current bridge management systems.
Read the research report: Management of Bridges Considering Aging Mechanisms and Extreme Events, February 2019. (Image courtesy of Ohio DOT.)
APWA Webinar: What’s Next in Asset Management May 21, 2019 - The American Public Works Association will host a webinar on the future of asset management on Thursday, June 27, from 11 a.m. to noon Eastern Time. The presentation will discuss the new and interesting ways that organizations are using technology to solve problems, become more efficient, and save money. In addition, presenters will forecast what technology can be integrated into current systems and envision what new technology is necessary to fully automate processes.
Read the announcement: APWA Webinar: Asset Management Past, Present, and Future: What’s Next? (Image courtesy of Massachusetts DOT.)
Virginia Examines Premature Concrete Patch Failure May 16, 2019 - Researchers for Virginia DOT investigated the reasons for premature failure of concrete patches on continuously reinforced concrete pavement. Testing revealed that the use of high early strength mixes with high cement contents and failure to assess the overall pavement condition were the most frequent causes of early patch failure. The study recommended revisions to VDOT’s concrete patching procedures.
Read the research report: Premature Failure of Concrete Patching: Reasons and Resolutions, March 2019.
Vermont Extends Pavement Service Life With Wheel Path Repairs May 14, 2019 - Vermont Agency of Transportation recently tested a lower-cost pavement maintenance approach, repaving a 40-inch-wide area along the right wheel path in each direction of a deteriorated roadway rather than repaving the entire surface. The treatment was successful, reducing rutting and cracking and extending the pavement’s service life.
Read the research report: Assessment of the 40" Wide Paving Skid Box for Preventative Maintenance, December 2018.
TRB Webinar: Continuous Deflection for Comprehensive Pavement Assessment May 9, 2019 - The Transportation Research Board will conduct a webinar about the applications of continuous pavement deflection technology on Thursday, May 30, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The ability to collect information on pavement structural capacity at traffic speeds is changing how agencies evaluate their pavement needs. This webinar will explore how agencies can conduct pavement assessments effectively and will compare continuous deflection to traditional methods of assessing pavements.
Read the announcement: TRB Webinar: Continuous Deflection for Comprehensive Pavement Assessment. (Image courtesy of FHWA.)
Maintenance Papers from 2019 TRB Meeting May 7, 2019 - No Boundaries has published a listing of selected papers related to maintenance from the 2019 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting. The compendium includes paper titles, authors, paper numbers, and links to the full-text documents. Note: TRB requires a login to access full papers. If you are having trouble accessing the papers, check with your DOT or other transportation library.
Download the compendium: 2019 TRB Annual Meeting: Papers Related to Maintenance.