| SPR Active Projects |
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| SPR 663 |
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Copper Toxicity and ESA Listed Salmon
| Project Coordinator: |
Matthew Mabey |
| Research Agency: |
Oregon State University |
| Principal Investigator: |
Jeffrey A. Nason |
| Start Date for ODOT: |
September, 2007 |
| Completion Date for ODOT: |
December, 2008 |
BACKGROUND:
Highway stormwater runoff is a non-point source of many pollutants to surface receiving waters in the State of Oregon and across the United States. Because many of the pollutants found in stormwater are toxic, these discharges represent a potential threat to aquatic species. One contaminant of particular concern is copper. Copper is a common constituent in stormwater, with the primary sources being tailpipe emissions and the wear of tires, brake linings, moveable engine parts and asphalt pavement (Makepeace et al., 1995). The toxicity of copper to a number of aquatic species ranging from diatoms, to fish has been shown (USEPA, 2007). For example, recent research by Sandahl et al. (2007) has shown that low concentrations (2-5 μg/L) of dissolved copper can impair the olfactory system of juvenile coho salmon, one of several ESA-listed fish species. Damage to the chemosensory system reduces the ability of fish to navigate and avoid predators, likely increasing mortality.
Taking these results into consideration, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has changed the way it evaluates the potential impacts of transportation projects with regard to stormwater discharges to surface receiving waters inhabited by T&E species. Historically, Section 7 Biological Assessments were made by comparing pre- and post-project pollutant concentrations. Following the dissolved copper/salmon research, NMFS began basing effects determinations on dissolved copper concentrations as well. Consequently, even if an ODOT project decreases pre-project concentrations and loads of dissolved copper in runoff, if the concentration in post-project runoff is greater than 1 μg/L, NMFS may determine that project is “Likely to Adversely Affect” T&E species. As the severity of effects determinations increases, so does the potential for project delays and increased project costs (e.g., requirements for advanced stormwater treatment).
In aquatic systems, copper partitions between the dissolved and particulate phases by adsorption processes. Additionally, in the aqueous phase, free (ionic) copper forms weak complexes with inorganic anions (e.g., Cu(OH)2) and strong complexes with dissolved organic matter. It is generally accepted that the ionic and weakly complexed fractions of the dissolved copper are the most bioavailable to aquatic species (Campbell, 1995; Paquin et al., 2002). However, copper speciation is not the only factor that influences toxicity; as the concentration of hardness causing cations (calcium and magnesium) increase, copper toxicity decreases. This effect is conceptually framed as the competition between hardness cations and bioavailable copper for binding sites on the organism (Campbell, 1995; Paquin et al., 2002). In light of these complicated interactions, it is clear that measurements of total, or even dissolved copper are conservative estimates of toxicity and do not result in a complete picture of the propensity of a given water to exert copper toxicity to aquatic organisms.
A number of researchers have investigated the speciation of copper in ambient freshwater and marine environments; recent examples include Bryan et al.(2002) and Ploger et al. (2005) (freshwater) and Buck and Bruland (2005), and Nuester and van den Berg (2005) (seawater). Results from these studies and previous research show that in natural waters, the vast majority of dissolved copper (90-99.9%) is strongly complexed with organic matter. However, despite the increased regulatory scrutiny surrounding copper, little is known about copper speciation in stormwater. In one study, Boulanger and Nioloaidis (2003) found that ionic copper concentrations ranged from <0.05 to 0.39 μg/L while the dissolved copper ranged from 8 to 14 μg/L in urban stormwater runoff from paved and grassy areas (much higher values were found in runoff from a copper roof and in the ambient receiving water). Here, the dissolved concentrations would raise a red flag when compared with the study by Sandahl et al., but the concentrations of ionic copper (which is likely a better indicator of toxicity) were much lower. It is clear that an improved understanding of copper speciation in highway stormwater runoff is necessary to make fundamentally sound decisions regarding potential impacts.
A standardized test for the bioavailable fraction of dissolved copper does not exist. Furthermore, the recent EPA guidance document for determining copper criteria in ambient freshwater (USEPA, 2007), notes that such an approach is not justified due the heterogeneity of different surface waters and the fact that such a measure would not include the effects of hardness and pH. The EPA approved approach for determining the toxicity of a given freshwater is based on the use of a biotic ligand model (BLM) that accounts for copper speciation and binding to a biochemical site on an organism. Model inputs include temperature, pH, dissolved organic carbon, major geochemical cations (calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC, the sum of dissolved carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, bicarbonate, and carbonate), and other major geochemical anions (chloride, sulfate). To date, these methods give the greatest insight to copper toxicity and are the most broadly applicable. However, to our knowledge, these models have not been applied to stormwater systems, nor have the models been used to evaluate the potential toxicity to the olfactory system evidenced in recent research.
OBJECTIVE:
In planning, designing, and constructing or rehabilitating transportation facilities, ODOT is always balancing the State’s transportation needs with environmental stewardship. Current assessments of the environmental impact of highway stormwater runoff are based on conservative estimates of copper toxicity. The trade-offs for these conservative assessments are lengthened project timelines and increased costs. In large part, the conservative estimate of copper toxicity (total dissolved copper) is used because little is known about copper speciation in stormwater. In other words, the fraction of the dissolved copper that is bioavailable and the extent to which that fraction interacts with other constituents (e.g., calcium and magnesium) and biological organisms to exert toxicity is largely unknown. The proposed research aims to bridge that gap in understanding.
The objective of the proposed research is to develop a fundamental framework for estimating the likely impact of copper in highway stormwater runoff that discharges to surface receiving waters inhabited by ESA-listed fish species in the State of Oregon. This guidance will allow ODOT to predict when, where and to what extent copper toxicity is likely to be a problem and will inform NMFS in their assessment of the risks associated with transportation projects. Copper speciation and the concentrations of other constituents (e.g., hardness and dissolved organic carbon) that influence copper toxicity are keys to this analysis and therefore are the focus of the proposed study. The overall objective of the research will be accomplished by answering the following questions:
(1) What are the concentrations and ratios of various copper species (i.e., ionic, weakly complexed, and strongly complexed) in highway stormwater runoff and can those quantities be predicted (modeled) knowing something about key stormwater quality parameters?
(2) What are the concentrations of other water quality parameters that are known to influence copper toxicity (e.g., hardness and dissolved organic carbon) in highway stormwater runoff?
(3) How do the metrics measured as part of (1) and (2) vary across the highway system, across seasons, and with impervious surface area, adjacent land use and traffic volume?
(4) Are there trends in commonly utilized measures of water quality (e.g., total suspended solids, dissolved organic carbon) that can be correlated with copper speciation? If so, how do those parameters vary with the independent variables described in (3)?
(5) How do the concentrations and speciation of copper in highway stormwater runoff compare with the concentrations and speciation of copper in the surface receiving waters to which they are discharged and what are the potential impacts in terms of copper toxicity?
APPROACH:
The proposed work lies at the interface between several scientific disciplines (e.g., civil engineering, environmental engineering, chemistry, biology, and toxicology) and different aspects of the proposed projects will be of interest to each group. Furthermore, there are a great number of stakeholders that are likely to be interested in the results; these include the general public, tribes, municipalities and State and Federal environmental and transportation agencies (e.g., ODOT, Oregon DEQ, USEPA, USDOT, FWHA). As such, it anticipated that multiple outlets for technology transfer will be required to effectively disseminate the results to all interested parties.
Dissemination of the results to the scientific community will be accomplished through publication of the findings in appropriate peer-reviewed journals and oral or poster presentations at local and national conferences. Specific journals, trade journals and conferences will be selected in an attempt to reach a broad population of interested scientists and policymakers.
The results of the research will be directly communicated to the ODOT staff through workshops and targeted presentations. Results will also be directly communicated to NMFS biologists and researchers at OSU who performed many of the recent toxicological studies. It is hoped that the findings of this research will spur further research on the toxic effects of complexed copper and copper in stormwater matrices.
The environmental impacts of highway stormwater runoff are a current concern of DOTs around the country. Transportation officials from across the USwill be reached through links to the research from relevant websites. For example, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Center for Environmental Excellence (http://environment.transportation.org/), is a clearinghouse for environmental information for transportation professionals. The general public, local municipalities and Oregontransportation professionals will be reached through links to the research from the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Geo-Environmental Section webpage (http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/GEOENVIRONMENTAL/index.shtml).
Finally, through the participation of graduate students, undergraduates, and K-12 students results will be further disseminated as those students continue their studies and begin careers in the public and private sector.
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| SPR 664 |
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Freight Performance Measures: Approach Analysis
| Project Coordinator: |
Alan Kirk |
| Research Agency: |
Oregon State University |
| Principal Investigator: |
Lei Zhang |
| Start Date for ODOT: |
January 2008 |
| Completion Date for ODOT: |
March 2009 |
BACKGROUND:
Significant efforts have been made in recent years to improve the collection and analysis of freight data and to better understand and respond to the needs of the freight community. Despite these efforts there exists relatively little research on approaches to examining the performance of the transportation system relative to freight and to assessing the effectiveness of infrastructure investments on freight performance. Traditional highway performance measures have limited applications to freight transportation issues, while previous FHWA studies focus on freight system performance only at the national level. Selecting appropriate performance measures for the freight transportation system in Oregon is critical. They must be robust enough to accurately measure system changes but simple enough to clearly communicate to decision-makers.
OBJECTIVES:
This project will seek to develop one or two key performance measures for each freight transportation mode (highway, rail, air, marine, and inter-modal) in Oregon, and contribute to a data-oriented framework for making investment and management decisions based on specific policy objectives. Although not developing a comprehensive freight planning method, the proposed approach for freight performance analysis is intended to allow decision makers to assess competing funding needs based on their particular policy priorities and available data sources. The focus will be on performance measures that can record the effectiveness and achievements on policies targeting imperative freight needs and prominent freight issues in Oregon. Another research objective is to assess the availability of existing data to support performance measures, and assess data collections needs to support desired performance measures.
PROPOSED ACTIVITIES:
The results of this research will be used to contribute to a system of ongoing performance measures that will serve ODOT's freight transportation program. Performance measures supported by existing data sources can be used by ODOT to improve infrastructure investment and management decisions, i.e., to evaluate alternative freight investment projects, evaluate freight operational improvement policies, and assess potential outcomes for freight transportation planning. The research findings and recommendations can be immediately incorporated into the Oregon Freight Plan and the ODOT project prioritization process. The base-year freight system performance inventory will be applied to evaluate future projects, and to document the benefits of freight transportation investments.
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| SPR 665 |
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Access Management Best Practices Manual
| Project Coordinator: |
Mark Joerger |
| Research Agency: |
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| Principal Investigator: |
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BACKGROUND:
OBJECTIVE:
APPROACH:
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| SPR 666 |
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Density Verification for Hot Mixed Asphalt Concrete Pavement
| Project Coordinator: |
Norris Shippen |
| Research Agency: |
Oregon State University |
| Principal Investigator: |
Todd V. Scholz |
| Start Date for ODOT: |
October 1, 2007 |
| Completion Date for ODOT: |
December 31, 2008 |
BACKGROUND:
As a pavement nears the end of its service life, maintenance costs increase to keep it in a safe and structurally sound condition. Life cycle costs also significantly increase due to a reduction in the time between major rehabilitation treatments and their consequent impace on the road users. Maintenance, rehabilitation, or reconstruction of HMA pavements requires establishing a work zone to carry out the necessary work, which reduces the mobility of the road users traversing the work zone, often resulting in significant delays and, consequently, loss of potential revenue. Scholz et all showed that delaying the need for major rehabilitation work by as little as one year can significantly reduce the life cycle cost of a pavement structure, particularly on higher volume facilities such as urban interstates.
OBJECTIVE:
The overall objective of the proposed project is to develop a system that accurately quantifies density of dense-graded HMA pavements. More specifically, the objectives of this research effort are to:
1. Investigate the efficacy of the various methods used by ODOT and other agencies/entities for determining in-place HMA density.
2. Assess current practices used by ODOT and other agencies/entities for determining in-place HMA density using nuclear gauges.
3. Conduct field and laboratory testing and analysis to determine the most accurate and reliable state-of-the practice means for determining in-place HMA density.
4. Provide recommendations for changes to current practices to improve accuracy and reproducibility of in-place HMA density measurements using nuclear guages.
5. Provide recommendations for alternate means for determining in-place HMA density.
IMPLEMENTATION:
The findings from the research efforts will be used to develop recommendations for improved HMA density measurement using nuclear gauges, recommendations for alternate ways to measure HMA density, and recommendations for the optimal system for quantifying dense-graded HMA density (which could be a combination of measurements using nuclear gauges and other means). It is anticipated that ODOT will implement the system beginning in the 2009 construction season.
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| SPR 667 |
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Assessment of Statewide Intersection Safety Performance
| Project Coordinator |
Mark Joerger |
| Research Agency: |
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| Principal Investigator: |
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| Start Date for ODOT: |
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| Completion Date for ODOT: |
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BACKGROUND: Under Development
OBJECTIVES:
APPROACH:
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| SPR 668 |
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Fuel Factors
| Project Coordinator: |
Jon Lazarus |
| Research Agency: |
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| Principal Investigator: |
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| Start Date for ODOT: |
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| Completion Date for ODOT: |
BACKGROUND:
Fuel factors are used on ODOT and local agency projects. The current fuel factors in use were developed in FHWA Technical Advisory T 5080.3 released in 1980. These fuel factors have not changed over the past 26 years, despite other changes. Of specific concern are the fuel factors used for structures. These fuel factors were established on a gallon/$1,000 worth of work basis. Inflation has certainly impacted this fuel factor, yet it has never been adjusted. This results in fuel cost adjustments for structures increasing with inflation. A fuel cost adjustment paid today may be two to three times that paid for similar work performed in 1980 due to the increased cost of structure construction. Other changes which affect the fuel factors include changes in industry practice, such as using natural gas to run asphalt plants, whereas the current fuel factor is based on the use of diesel.
OBJECTIVES:
Analyze the current fuel factors for accuracy and update them to reflect current conditions. The applicability of some of the fuel factors in FHWA Technical Advisory T 5080.3 are subject to at least two analytically separable sources of error. Updating the fuel factors for Structures work entails making adjustments for inflation in construction costs, and also revalidating the relationship of fuel consumption to a specified unit of construction work. The latter is affected by changes in construction practice due to materials and fuels substitution, fuel efficiency in vehicles and other power equipment, prefabrication, improvements to equipment and other innovations and productivity gains.
An examination of inflationary trends is a relatively simple analysis. Analysis of the impact of process changes on fuel consumption is potentially a far more challenging and difficult objective. We will not know what is entailed in the latter objective until we are well into tasks 2 and 3.
The objectives of this research will therefore be to (1) complete an analysis of inflation on fuel factors, and (2) develop a proposal for a second phase of the project. The proposal will be for a study to determine a contemporary estimate for fuel consumption per unit of structures construction work. Whether phase 2 goes forward will depend on the cost included in the phase 2 proposal. If the proposed research can be completed for $50,000 it will go forward. If it is more costly, other options will also be considered, including pooled fund and NCHRP.
APPROACH:
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| SPR 669 |
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Work Zone Design and Operations Enhancements
Project Coordinator:
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Jon Lazarus
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Research Agency:
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Oregon State University
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Principal Investigator:
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John Gambatese
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Start Date for ODOT:
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October 1, 2007
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End Date for ODOT:
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June 30, 2009
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BACKGROUND:
Crashes continue to occur in roadway construction work zones. In Oregon, the number of crashes in state highway work zones has increased in the past several years (2003: 307; 2004: 341; 2005: 352). The impact on the State goes beyond the loss of life and injured citizens. The cost associated with each fatal crash can amount to millions of dollars. Additional losses to the public due to road closures, decreased mobility, and increased travel times as a result of crashes in work zones have a significant impact to the State’s economy.
OBJECTIVES:
The primary purpose of this research study is to enable improved safety performance through work zones on state roadways. To fulfill this goal, the research contains the following objectives:
- Identify ways to modify TCPs to improve their quality and consistency.
- Identify how the process of designing and reviewing TCPs can be modified to improve their quality and consistency.
- Identify effective processes and practices for implementing and inspecting work zones for compliance with the TCPs.
- Develop suggested guidelines for ODOT to follow to design, review, implement, and inspect TCPs.
APPROACH:
Through the diverse structure of the TAC membership, the research results will be distributed to the various participating agencies and ODOT personnel. In addition, potential modifications to procedures may be identified and provided in a summary report to ODOT. The results of this research may potentially modify the way ODOT plans, designs, and implements work zone TCPs, and result in a safer worksites for construction workers and the general traveling public. It is also possible that additional equipment investments may be identified such as adding supplemental message signs, providing additional traffic control devices, and improving information delivery to the traveling public and freight carriers.
Quarterly Reports
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| SPR 670 |
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Fleet Condition Model Review
Project Coordinator:
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Jon Lazarus
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Research Agency:
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Oregon State University
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Principal Investigator:
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David Kim/J David Porter
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End Date for ODOT:
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September 30, 2009
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BACKGROUND:
All state DOTs maintain large fleets of equipment. This equipment represents a substantial investment and is a vital set of resources used to maintain roads and highways. An important and difficult challenge of managing such a large amount of equipment is deciding when to replace existing equipment. Such decisions have a clearly documented economic impact, and also affect the ability of the fleet to provide required equipment when needed. In particular, ODOT Fleet Services provides management of ODOT’s fleet, which consists of approximately 4,930 pieces of active equipment representing $300 million worth of assets. This equipment includes a variety of small and large trucks, cars, as well as heavy machinery such as graders, bulldozers, and many types of tractors.
On a more general basis, data from ODOT Fleet Services clearly shows that newer equipment is utilized more than older equipment. As an example, it is common for users of passenger vehicles in a fleet to request newer vehicles to drive when available. The end effect of this is that replacement decisions will not only affect the specific equipment being replaced, but also the utilization of other equipment in the same class (assuming the replacement is new). Furthermore, it is known that reduced utilization as equipment ages extends the equipment’s economic life.
This project addresses the following two separate but interrelated problems:
- ODOT Fleet Services currently uses a relatively simple internally developed condition (replacement) model for prioritizing equipment to replace, and for allocating replacement funds to equipment crews throughout Oregon. The validity of the current condition model is questionable both within Fleet Services and with the various equipment crews that receive and evaluate the model output.
- Existing engineering economic replacement models do not explicitly consider the decreased usage of existing assets as replacements are acquired.
1.1 Background and Significance of Work
- ODOT Fleet Services previously used a replacement model developed in [1]. This model has had validity issues and requires extensive amounts of manual data manipulation and manual data analysis, making it currently unusable. The current fleet condition model was developed internally by ODOT Fleet Services, who have found that the validity of the model is questionable both within Fleet Services and with the various users of the model output. Providing ODOT Fleet Services with an up-to-date fleet condition model will facilitate faster and better equipment replacement decisions.
- Engineering economic models for equipment replacement are not new, and a variety of models can be found in the research literature. However, none of these models addresses the phenomena of “the newer resources are selected first for use” that is present in many organizations that maintain fleets of equipment. Various research addresses, directly or indirectly, different aspects of this problem. In [2], it is demonstrated that decreased utilization as equipment ages leads to longer optimal economic life. In [3-5], replacement models are developed where equipment utilization is a decision criterion that clearly affects the cost of optimal replacement plans. The research presented in [6] is one example that addresses parallel replacement, which in this context translates into replacement within a class of equipment (e.g., small pickup trucks). The equipment replacement situation faced by DOTs is a parallel equipment replacement problem, where equipment utilizations are not directly controllable but instead are affected by replacement decisions. This is a new and unsolved type of engineering economic replacement problem.
OBJECTIVES:
This project will focus on two interrelated topics in equipment replacement modeling for fleets. One topic is research oriented and addresses fundamental assumptions in engineering economic replacement modeling. The second topic addresses the need of ODOT Fleet Services for a modern fleet condition model. This is applications oriented and addresses the applicability and use of existing research, given real-world constraints related to data collection and computational limitations.
The objectives of the research oriented portion of this project are to develop analytical and computational procedures for a new engineering economic replacement model that accurately represents the environment at state DOTs’ fleets. These models will explicitly account for the interdependencies between replacement decisions and equipment utilization that occurs in such fleets. The tangible outcomes of these objectives will be peer reviewed journal articles, and research computer code.
The objective of the applications aspect of this project is to provide ODOT Fleet Services with a reliable, accurate, user-friendly, and valid fleet condition model to assist them in better managing equipment replacement decisions.
1.1 Benefits
The accomplishment of the objectives stated above will assist ODOT and other DOTs nationwide to better assess and manage equipment needs. The creation of a more effective equipment replacement system will be of tremendous benefit both in potential labor and equipment dollar savings. Additionally, it will be possible to identify the limitations of current research when considering the real-world cost, reliability, and availability of data, as well as the computational requirements of many research models in the literature.
APPROACH:
Research results will be submitted to scholarly peer reviewed archival publications. Conference papers and graduate students’ posters will be prepared and submitted to relevant transportation and industrial engineering related conferences such as TRB and the Industrial Engineering Research Conference (IERC). If possible they will also be implemented in the ODOT fleet condition model.
It is envisioned that an updated fleet condition model will be built around the existing MS-Access model (at ODOT Fleet Services) and will be done in conjunction with Fleet Services personnel. Part of creating an updated model will be to conduct a state-of-the-art assessment of fleet replacement models in use by other DOTs, government agencies, and private industry. This will be documented in a final report na d will be of use to other DOTs
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