Engineering Commons^™

Automated Vehicle Location (Avl) For Road Condition Reporting, Bob G. Mccullouch, Michelle Leung, Wonjin Kang

JTRP Technical Reports

This project developed an AVL system for INDOT that utilized the statewide wireless network, SAFE-T. This option was chosen after doing a cost analysis of commercial AVL systems that use cellular data communications. The system developed provides real time information collected during snow and ice removal. Information includes weather and road conditions, truck speed, amount of chemicals spread, time, location, plow position, and road temperature. This information is displayed on INDOT GIS maps available through a browser on the INDOT network. The data is also transferred to the MDSS that INDOT uses in winter activities. This system experienced significant data …

Performance-Based Contracting For Roadway Maintenance Operations In Indiana, Bob G. Mccullouch, Kumares C. Sinha, Panagiotis Ch Anastasopoulos

JTRP Technical Reports

INDOT initiated a study to investigate Performance Based Contracting of maintenance operations. One of the main impetus for the study is that INDOT started a ten year road building program called Major Moves that will add over a 1900 lane miles to the current network. With this addition and coupled with a trend of reduction in maintenance personnel, INDOT is planning how maintenance will be performed. One viable option is the use of performance based contracting (PBC). This study has evaluated many aspects of PBC and the current INDOT maintenance program. Study specifics included:

* Investigated foreign agencies PBC programs. …

Evaluating And Enhancing The Safety Of Nighttime Construction Projects, Dulcy M. Abraham, Julia Jensen Spadaccini, Beau Braxton Burgess, Lindsay Rae Miller, Vanessa Valentin

JTRP Technical Reports

The increased demand on the current highway system has caused transportation agencies to increase scheduling for nighttime work in order to alleviate daytime work zone congestion, especially during peak traffic hours. Although traffic congestion is reduced, safety in nighttime workzones remains a concern among both transportation agencies and contractors. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), approximately one-half of the fatalities that occurred in workzones nationwide occurred at night. These work zone statistics have received increased attention among agencies to evaluate planning and safety issues concerning the workers and the general public on nighttime workzones. Four separate, but interrelated research …

Procedures For The Estimation Of Pavement And Bridge Preservation Costs For Fiscal Planning And Programming, Kumares C. Sinha, Samuel Labi, Marcela Rodriguez, Gabriel U. Tine, Rucci Dutta

JTRP Technical Reports

Facility preservation generally refers to the set of activities that are carried out to keep a facility in usable condition until the next reconstruction activity. For fiscal planning and programming, it is necessary to know the expected costs of preservation projects and how long they would last. Such information, coupled with minimum standards and facility inventory data enable estimation of overall monetary needs for bridge and pavement preservation, and would assist INDOT in undertaking appropriate programming and attendant financial planning over the long term. However, detailed engineering analyses are not possible every year because of the time and effort involved, …

Maintenance Quality Assurance Program, Bob G. Mccullouch

JTRP Technical Reports

An INDOT maintenance QA program has been developed and implemented at the activity level. Every maintenance activity is checked and evaluated by QA guidelines. One area that has been considered as an ideal candidate for QA is at the management level of maintenance operations. This program uses a random sample population at a certain confidence level to evaluate the maintenance condition of INDOT roads. Five categories are evaluated: pavement, roadside features, shoulder, drainage, and traffic control. A field inspection program utilizes INDOT personnel and resources. A scoring program yields results that provides for category and individual item evaluations. Data collected …

Automating Field Data Collection In Maintenance Operations, Bob G. Mccullouch

JTRP Technical Reports

Field data collection and management in DOT organizations requires a considerable amount of resources in the form of personnel and management systems. Recent studies performed by the researcher revealed that an average of 30-50% of some field supervisory personnel's time is spent on processing field data paperwork. This is a considerable amount of time spent on an undesirable task and is taking these employees away from more important job duties. This project automated two maintenance field data collection functions. One was a Crew Day Card, which is a card used by a maintenance crew to document the activity performed. Information …