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Title:

Spatial Mapping of Winter Road Surface Conditions via Hybrid Geostatistical Techniques

Accession Number:

01763585

Record Type:

Component

Abstract:

The monitoring and modelling capabilities of road surface temperature (RST) plays a critical role in optimizing winter road maintenance activities. In recent decades, road weather information systems (RWIS) have gained in popularity with many road maintenance authorities. However, RWIS stations are installed at fixed locations, providing only point measurements that are often unrepresentative of distant surrounding areas. To address such limitations, this study employs a hybrid geostatistical interpolation method, namely, regression kriging (RK), to fill in the large spatial gaps that exist at unmonitored locations. RST data collected by an automated vehicle system along selected Iowa interstate highways between Oct. 2018 and Apr. 2019 was used to model the spatial variation patterns of RST via semivariograms, which were then used to interpolate the conditions in between RWIS stations. Cross-validation results indicated that RK successfully captured the spatial variation of RST along the highway segment with the estimation errors being as low as 5.5%. To improve the generalization potential of the proposed model, the nugget-to-sill ratio obtained from a total of 228 semivariograms was  utilized to characterize the weather events, and the results implied that stronger winds and heavier rainfalls were likely to form a stronger spatial dependence within RST. The findings of this research contribute to better understanding of the influences of meteorological factors in RST as well as development of improved models for inferring the road surface conditions between RWIS stations under inclement weather events.

Supplemental Notes:

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AKR50 Standing Committee on Road Weather.

Report/Paper Numbers:

TRBAM-21-00464

Language:

English

Corporate Authors:

Transportation Research Board

Authors:

Wu, Mingjian
Kwon, Tae J
Fu, Liping

Pagination:

28p

Publication Date:

2021

Conference:

Transportation Research Board 100th Annual Meeting

Location: Washington DC, United States
Date: 2021-1-5 to 2021-1-29
Sponsors: Transportation Research Board; Transportation Research Board

Media Type:

Web

Features:

Figures; References; Tables

Subject Areas:

Highways; Maintenance and Preservation

Source Data:

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2021 Paper #TRBAM-21-00464

Files:

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Created Date:

Dec 23 2020 11:06AM