Brian Burne, P.E. - Highway Maintenance Engineer

1. Snow & Ice Control in Maine Brian Burne, P.E. - Highway Maintenance Engineer

2. Presentation Overview • Understanding the basic approaches to snow and ice control • Material selection and materials used by MaineDOT • Historical Material usage at MaineDOT • Understanding MaineDOT’s current practices and how they affect material use

3. De-Icing High sand usage High material costs Snow “pack” High operational costs Anti-Icing Strategic use of salt Leverages technology Bare pavement quicker after storms (Higher LOS) De-Icing Vs. Anti-Icing

4. Anti-icing “Highway anti-icing is the snow and ice control practice of preventing the formation or development of bonded snow and ice by timely applications of a chemical freezing-point depressant.” U.S. Departmentof TransportationFederal HighwayAdministration

5. Anti-icing Anti-icing creates an opportunity for continuous improvement of snow and ice control strategies through the use of new and improved equipment and technologies

6. It’s About Balance… Cost Safety/ Service Environment

7. Components for an Effective Anti-icing Program • Get rid of as much snow and ice as possible • Maintain a working brine layer • Use only what you need for materials • Collect accurate information to know what needs to be done and to track what was done

8. Material Selection Considerations • Performance • Cost • Availability • Quality • Environmental Impacts • Storage Requirements • Application Requirements • Infrastructure Impacts

9. EPA’s Design for the Environment (DfE) Program http://www.epa.gov/dfe

10. Compiled research, discussed findings and developed a Decision Tool that allows states to weigh various concerns. To buy the book or download the Decision Tool: http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/Guidelines_for_the_Selection_of_Snow_and_Ice_Contr_158876.aspx

11. NCHRP Project 06-16, Report 577 Decision Tool Policy Objectives: • Purchase Price • Performance as Melting Potential (Performance weighting should be at least 25%) • Natural Environment • Infrastructure Decision Tool Operational Objectives: • Natural Environment – Aquatic Life, Drinking Water, Air Quality, Vegetation, Soil, Animals (Aquatic Life weighting should be at least 25%) • Infrastructure – Vehicles, Metal Infrastructure, Concrete Corrosion, Concrete Degradation

12. MaineDOT’s Material Tool Box

14. Temperature Matters

16. Average Salt Usage (FY2009)

17. Solids Liquids Additives Blends Plows Controls Spreaders Weather Sensors Equipment Materials are only part of the equation Strategies Pre-wetting Pre-treating Data recording Materials

18. What You Should Know AboutSafe Winter Roads and the Environment “Too much salt and sand can harm the environment and contaminate drinking water supplies. With some simple techniques and new equipment, however, crews can use less sand and salt while making roads significantly safer.” - EPA 901-F-05-020 -

19. Plowing: Getting rid of as much snow as possible

20. The Tow Plow

21. Blade Alternatives

22. Blades that adjust to the road – Spring Tooth Plow

23. Blade Adapters

24. The “Squeegee Effect” Snowmobile shock absorbers 24 inch rubber segments rest of plow 24 inch poly blade segment on outside edges

25. Using Only What You Need (knowing the pavement temperatures)

26. Using Only What You Need (Controlling and tracking material applications)

27. Collecting Information (Reporting)

29. Pre-Treating the Road (Treating the routes before the storm)

30. Treated Highway

31. Pre-wetting (for activating the salt and keeping it on the road)

32. Incorporating the new while upgrading the old… European hoppers that pre-wet at rates up to 30% provide very good results and have taught us concepts that help conserve salt while improving overall results.

33. Using Only What You Need(MDSS - Forecasting for Snow Fighters)

34. Weather and Pavement DataRWIS – Road Weather Information Systems

35. Road State (Grip) Sensor MaineDOT and Vaisala mounted a “Grip” sensor on a vehicle and found that these non-intrusive sensors can also be made mobile while still providing reliable information. Next step is to work with Cirus to add GPS.

36. NWS Partnerships DOTs and local NWS offices can create effective teams: In Maine, the National Weather Service is a part of MaineDOT’s annual snowfighter training. Of course, they also continue to provide valuable data before, during and after every winter storm. MaineDOT shares weather observations from its snowfighters and is working towards providing a direct feed from GPS enabled trucks.

37. Personnel Training

38. WISE College “Winter Ice and Snow Experts” • 2 days of snow and ice control training • Offered in the fall • Includes new employees and experienced • Course materials are updated annually • Requires a team of instructors

39. WISE College (cont.) • 2 – ½ day classroom sessions covering: • Material properties • Application rates and procedures • Environmental considerations • Cost considerations • Best Practices

40. WISE College (cont.) • 2 – ½ day hands-on sessions covering: • Ground Speed Control • Plows and Wings • Wheels, Tires, and Chains • Troubleshooting and Equipment Maintenance • Sanders and Spreaders

41. MaineDOT’s Snow and Ice Web Site: http://www.maine.gov/mdot/snowandice/ QUESTIONS?