01103926

Component

http://www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/160000.aspx

Many road authorities have invested in roadway weather information systems (RWIS), which provide data from locations around their road networks 24/7. Most of these systems are based on 30-year-old technology, in the form of sensors embedded in the road surface to provide information about surface conditions and temperature. Along with atmospheric sensors, the majority of these road weather stations provide authorities with information to help tackle the problems of ice and snow. The 2003 American Meteorological Society Forum on Weather and Highways noted that RWIS significantly benefit highway maintenance operations, particularly winter maintenance. The consensus of transport professionals was that there would be clear benefits from a denser network of road weather observation sites. At the same time it recognized that deployment of RWIS has been limited by their cost and the strong competition for limited funds within state departments of transportation. The recent introduction of noninvasive road temperature and condition sensors is providing a cost effective solution for authorities to both obtain improved road weather information and increase the density of RWIS observations. This paper explores the applications and benefits of non-intrusive road sensors with a particular focus on (a) winter maintenance key performance indicators, (b) decreasing environmental impact of deicing agents, and (c) sensor deployment.

01103914

Weather08-002

English

pp 407-415

2008-6

Transportation Research Circular

Fourth National Conference on Surface Transportation Weather; Seventh International Symposium on Snow Removal and Ice Control Technology

Web

Figures (1) ; Photos (6) ; References (4)

Cost effectiveness; Road weather information systems; Sensors; Snow and ice control; Technological innovations; Temperature sensors; Winter maintenance

Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; I62: Winter Maintenance

TRIS, TRB

Jun 27 2008 10:16AM