The Maintenance Manager

Transcription

1 The Maintenance Manager Fall November 2017 Message From The Chair It s official - goodbye to SCOM, hello to the MaC! With the recent changes to the AASHTO Committee structure, the Subcommittee on Maintenance has become the Maintenance Committee, or the MaC for short. Regardless of the name, the Committee has the same important role: represent and support the maintenance employees of our member agencies along with the transportation maintenance community as a whole. Russ Yurek has announced that he will be stepping down from his Vice Chair position at the end of the calendar year. Please join me in thanking Russ for his work, for his dedication to the Committee, and for the leadership he has provided over the years. While we will miss Russ in his official capacity, I am grateful and relieved - that he will continue as a Committee member. I am excited to announce that Jerry Hatcher of Tennessee DOT will serve as our second Vice Chair starting January Please join me in welcoming Jerry. I am honored to serve as your new Chair. Without exaggeration or hyperbole, it is truly a privilege to be in this position and to serve the members of this Committee. Others spend a certain amount of time planning, designing and building our transportation network and then pass their projects forward to someone else until it gets to maintenance. That roadway, bridge, signal, sign, etc., becomes our responsibility for its entire life. There is no one else to pass it to! I am proud to be a member of such a group and to be associated with you. The annual meeting in Providence, RI was a great success. Joe Bucci and his staff were superb hosts! The location was wonderful, the agenda was packed and the TWGs did amazing work. Everyone who attended played a part in that success. In closing, I would like to list the five areas that I want our Committee to focus on. 1. Be committed to the fundamentals while embracing new technologies and processes, I cannot say thank you enough to Mark McConnell for his work as Chair. The Committee benefitted greatly from his leadership and he left it in very good shape. We all wish he had let us vote on whether or not he could retire on such short notice he would still be with us if that had been the case. He is, and will always be, a friend of this Committee. Please join me in wishing him the very best. 2. Be recognized as the national leader in the Maintenance community, 3. Better coordination between MaC and its Technical Service Programs (TSPs), 4. Improve participation and attendance by MaC member agencies, and During the interim period between Chairs, our Vice Chairs Russ Yurek and Steve Lund made sure that the business of the Committee didn t skip a beat. If I tried to write enough to capture all they do, this newsletter would become a novel. We are all indebted to them for their leadership and hard work. 5. Be more engaged with other AASHTO communities that have influence on maintenance practices and processes. Keep these in mind as you plan and execute your work plans this year. With your help, the MaC will continue to grow and thrive! George Conner 2017 MaC Annual Meeting Host State Representative: Joe Bucci, RI The 2017 Committee on Maintenance meeting was held in Providence, Rhode Island, on July 30 August 3. Thirty-four states were represented during the closing business session. Many thanks to our host state, the Rhode Island DOT, and excellent venue for our annual meeting. Significant progress was made in all 6 strategic plan focus areas as well as opportunities to discuss issues of mutual interests. The meeting notes and presentations have been posted to the Maintenance Committee website at: Photo: Rick Nelson 2018 MaC Annual Meeting Update Host State Representative: Scott Capps, NC Dates for the 2018 Maintenance Committee (MaC) Annual Meeting have been set for July 22-26, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Planning for the event will begin in earnest at the beginning of 2018 and updates will be provided as the plans solidify. Stay tuned for the roll out of the event website. Page 1 The Maintenance Manager Fall 2017

2 Bridge TWG Chair: Jeff Milton The Bridge Technical Working Group (BTWG) of the AASHTO Maintenance Committee had very productive break-out sessions during the 2017 meeting in Rhode Island. The meeting included three official breakout sessions for the Bridge Technical Working Group. Daily attendance at the BTWG break-out sessions was as follows: Monday 36 Tuesday 50 Wednesday 33 The 2017 Accomplishments and 2018 Work Plan for the Bridge Technical Working Group are posted on the Maintenance Committee web site. A link follows: sites/23/2017/08/2017-bptwg-report-out-slides-draft- JMilton.pdf Some of the key areas that we will be working on this coming year are: Continue to work on a solution for the Fall Protection issue that was brought up in the 2014 Resolution. Develop a marketing package to communicate the value of system preservation to elected officials, the general public and state DOT executives. This strategy will include: - Implement existing research in order to promote the need for additional funding - Promote safety - Promote environmentally friendly practices - Develop a communication plan that promotes the value of bridge preservation Develop a strategy to better communicate bridge information by and with the media (ENR, Roads and Bridges, ARTBA, etc.). An Ad-hoc committee will be formed to develop this. Other News Research Endorsements The Maintenance Committee endorsed the proposed NCHRP Project proposal titled Emerging LED technologies, and their spectrum of use on roadways and tunnels. This problem statement was submitted to NCHRP on August 25, The Maintenance Committee re-endorsed the proposed research titled Effective Use of Duplex Coating Systems to improve Steel Bridge Structure Durability. This problem statement was re-submitted to NCHRP on October 13, Proposed Research The Bridge Technical Working Group supported a research problem statement titled Protecting bridge approaches during flooding events. This research will suggest methods and designs that could protect the approaches of structures from damage during flood events. This problem statement was submitted to NCHRP on October 13, Proposed Research Implementation NCHRP Project Guidelines for Maintaining Small Movement Bridge Expansion Joints is complete and the Maintenance Committee has recommended that the report for this project be published as an AASHTO Document. NCHRP Project Assessing, Coding, and Marking of Highway Bridges in Emergency Situations is complete and the Maintenance Committee has recommended that the report for this project be published as an AASHTO Document. Domestic Scans NCHRP Domestic Scan Successful Preservation Practices for Steel Bridge Coatings is complete and the final report is available on the TRB web site. This scan documented effective strategies used by bridge owners in their preservation of coating systems for steel structures that will result in substantial cost savings and significant extension of service life. NCHRP Domestic Scan Unmanned Arial Systems In Highway Construction And Maintenance is underway. The purpose of this domestic scan will be to visit the users of this technology and document their use (inspection, inventory, survey, or other) and document why, how, and where are they are using this technology, along with the way the data is being stored and used. The scan team has been formed and the team organizational meeting has been scheduled for December 13, The AASHTO Maintenance Manual for Roadways and Bridges is being updated under NCHRP Project 20-07/Task 380 this update is scheduled to be completed by December 5, The AASHTO TSP-2 Bridge Preservation Partnerships have formed a National Bridge Preservation Bridge Management System Working Group. The scope for the working group follows: Promote the development and / or adoption of best practices for the evaluation of cost effective bridge management systems to extend the service lives of bridges and save money, Develop general guidance to give practitioners nationwide, a reliable way to determine what actions / best practices are needed when evaluating, planning, and executing bridge preservation projects. Promote awareness among bridge practitioners of the financial benefits of supporting the use of best BMS practices. Monitor and share the national development of management systems as they evolve. The leadership team for this group is: Co-Chair: Co-Chair: Dan Muller, NCDOT David Juntunen, MDOT Page 2 The Maintenance Manager Fall 2017

3 Vice-Chair: Secretary: Todd Springer, VDOT Jeff Milton, VDOT The Bridge Technical Working Group leadership team is working to develop a marketing package to communicate the value of system preservation to elected officials, the general public and state DOT executives. The leadership team will involve the Regional Bridge Preservation Partnerships in this effort through conference calls and s. The FHWA Bridge Preservation Expert Task Group is working to update the FHWA Bridge Preservation Guide. Equipment TWG Chair: Tim Cunningham, KS Current Research Projects NCHRP Project Guide for the Development of Highway Operations Equipment Replacement Lifecycle Criteria is on-going. The project panel has been staffed; RFP has been written, solicited and awarded to Dye Management Group. Project start date was May 01, Revised project completion date is October 31, 2017 NCHRP Project Guidelines for the Development of Highway Operations Equipment Utilization Measurement and Management is ongoing. The project panel has been staffed; RFP has been written, solicited and awarded to Washington State University. Project start date was June 01, Revised project completion date is March 31, 2018 NCHRP Project 13-06, FY Development of an Automated Tool to Assist in the Formulation and Maintenance of Long Range Equipment Replacement Plans. NCHRP will be assembling the project panel to develop RFP scope-of-work in late 2017 or early 2018 NCHRP Project 13-06, FY 2017 Development of an Automated Tool to Assist in the Formulation and Maintenance of Long Range Equipment Replacement Plans. NCHRP will be assembling the project panel to develop RFP scope-of-work in late 2017 or early 2018 NCHRP Project 13-07, FY 2018 Guidelines to Calculate Total Cost of Ownership for Fleet Operations. NCHRP will be assembling the project panel to develop RFP scope-of-work in late 2017 or early 2018 NCHRP Project 05-24, FY 2018 Guidelines for the Selection and Application of Vehicle and Equipment Warning Light Configurations, Color, and Markings. NCHRP will be assembling the project panel to develop RFP scope-of-work in late 2017 or early 2018 Proposed Research Projects During the 2017 AASHTO SCOM the Equipment Technical Working Group (TWG) developed and submitted one (1) research project statement and two (2) applications for a proposed scan tours. The research project statement and scan tour proposals were given initial SCOM endorsement and are currently submitted for further review and vetting for funding. The proposed research project statement and scan tour proposals are listed below: - Research Project Statement - Guidelines for the Decision Making for Repair vs. Replacement of Highway Maintenance Equipment. Research background and objective - Equipment failures require fleet managers to decide if equipment should be repaired, refurbished or replaced. The final decision is not just a financial one. It is also operational having impacts upon downtime, loss of work opportunities, mission criticality, LOS, and public perception. The objective of this proposed research is to provide DOT fleet managers with a methodology and electronic tool to guide decisions for repairing or replacing equipment. The guide and electronic tool developed will make these decision processes transparent, defensible, and consistent. - Proposal for Scan Tour Equipment Asset Preservation and Protection Techniques The background and purpose of the scan is to assist and educate State DOT equipment managers, who are tasked with identifying preventative maintenance practices to prevent premature deterioration. Fleet Managers are being asked questions like, what are the best protectant coatings, how do different methods of storing equipment affect fleet longevity, and do certain preventative maintenances programs or processes work better than another? Which fleets have implemented successful washing programs and how? What are the best practices for preparing fleet equipment for off season storage? There are many different methods that have been developed over the years to address each of these questions. There would be significant value to State DOT s to identify which methods have been the most successful. - Proposal for Scan Tour - Innovations in Equipment Management Organizational Approaches at State Transportation Agencies The background and purpose of the scan is that State DOTs continually seek to improve Equipment Management (EM) efficiency and effectiveness by seeking insight, innovations, and resources from other similar organizations. There are substantial opportunities to share and leverage effective organizational and EM best practices nationwide. The objective of the scan is to accelerate dissemination and adoption of proven organizational and EM processes, initiatives and innovations. The information and guidance created in the final scan report is expected to increase the information available for successful EM implementations and to accelerate dissemination of critical strategies. Collaboration with TRB Various members of the Equipment TWG have been involved Page 3 The Maintenance Manager Fall 2017

4 with preparing, reviewing and arranging for papers on relevant equipment management topics to be presented at the Annual 97 th TRB Meeting to be held in Washington, D.C. in January 7 11, Maintenance Operations Chair: Brad Darr, North Dakota DOT The MO TWG had a productive meeting at the Summer SCOM meeting in Rhode Island. A sincere thanks go out to the Rhode Island DOT and all the participants that made the MO TWG breakout sessions so successful. Over 45 attendees participated in one or more of the three breakout sessions. Those in attendance were treated to excellent presentations, discussions and sharing. The TWG endorsed one new research need statement Update the AASHTO Guide for Snow and Ice Control. Last year s synthesis titled Very Short Duration Work Zone Safety for Maintenance Activities was selected and is proceeding. Also, the TWG worked with SICOP to resubmit a proposed domestic scan opportunity Successful Approaches for Maintenance Support Facility Layout and Operation. We would like to welcome Emily McGraw as a new Vice Chair to the committee and thank Jim Feda for his work on the committee as a Vice Chair. As our work ended in Rhode Island, the TWG leadership turns our focus to North Carolina for the summer of The MO TWG would like to hear from you on potential content for next year s breakout sessions. Please connect Brad Darr, North Dakota Department of Transportation, , bdarr@nd.gov, if you have ideas or suggestions Any input would be appreciated. Pavement Chair: Anita Bush, NV Our sincere appreciation to Rhode Island DOT and all the participants that made the Pavement TWG breakout sessions so successful. We had a very productive meeting at the Summer SCOM meeting in Rhode Island. Over 50 attendees participated in one or more of the three breakout sessions. Those in attendance participated in excellent discussions on the topics of research implementation and construction guide specifications for pavement preservation treatments. Attendees were treated to excellent presentations on topics of DOT pavement preservation programs, industry updates, low cost treatments to improve roadway safety, pavement management systems and the maintenance leadership academy. Attendees engaged in good discussions regarding pavement preservation and maintenance. The Pavement TWG 2018 Work Plan includes the following: 1. Quantifying the safety benefits of pavement preservation High Friction Surface treatments Rut filling to reduce hydroplaning Diamond Grinding and Grooving Identify agencies that consider safety alone as the trigger for a pavement preservation program Look at operational safety between preservation and rehabilitation projects and/or safety of pothole patching operations vs. preservation projects. 2. Support efforts to emphasize the importance of pavement preservation to asset management Provide examples for how pavement preservation has been incorporated into Asset Management Plans in other States Look at the ability to link pavement preservation to the lowest life-cycle cost 3. Support TC3 and the implementation of a contractor and agency pavement preservation certification program 4. Recommendation for Implementation NCHRP Pavement Maintenance Data Base NCHRP 20-07(380) Proposed AASHTO Manual for the Maintenance of Roadways and Bridges NCHRP Guide Specifications for the Construction of Chip Seals and Microsurfacing The 2018 Research Problem Statements were prioritized and the top three were as follows: 1. Determining Pavement Preservation Treatment Lives and Related Pavement Life Extension The objective of this project is to develop methodologies to estimate treatment lives and life extension of both flexible and rigid pavements as a function of treatment type, existing pavement conditions, and environmental and traffic conditions. It is anticipated that existing databases and PMS data will be used to develop these methodologies and estimates for case studies. 2. Guide Construction Specifications for Cold In-place Recycling (CIR) and Cold Central Plant Recycling (CCPR) The objective of this project is to produce an AASHTO Construction Guide Specification for the application of cold in-place recycling and cold central plant recycling. 3. Development of Protocols and Procedures for Selecting, Monitoring and Reporting on Pavement Preservation Treatments for Performance Evaluation The objective of this project is to develop detailed guidelines that can be used by state and local transportation agencies to create, monitor, analyze, and report on pavement test sections for the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of different pavement preservation treatments. Our activities included drafting a 2018 Resolutions with the title Establish the Committee on Maintenance as the Responsible Body for Pavement Preservation Treatment Construction Guidance Documents/ Specifications. This resolution is currently being worked on with the AASHTO Materials and the AASHTO Construction Committees. Page 4 The Maintenance Manager Fall 2017

5 We would like to welcome Heath Patterson, MS as a new Vice Chair and James Gray, our new FHWA liaison to the committee and thank Bart Sweeney, CT and Marc Hoerschler, FHWA for their service on our committee. Thanks Scott Capps for your continued support as the Vice Chair of the Pavement TWG. As you can see, we have a busy year ahead of us and we are looking forward to working with you. Please contact me, Anita Bush, NV DOT, (775) , abush@dot.nv.gov, with any questions, comments or suggestions on how to make our work program and future meetings successful and beneficial to our maintenance community. Roadway/Roadside TWG Chair: Jerry Hatcher Thank you to Joe Bucci and many other Rhode Island DOT staff for a great job hosting the 2017 AASHTO SCOM meeting in Providence, RI. The Roadway/Roadsides TWG s breakout sessions averaged 38 people in attendance. The breakout sessions included two presentations given by national experts related to roadside safety hardware. These sessions generated much discussion which led to the development of a related research need problem statement. Another presentation provided information on Georgia DOT s use of an innovative no cost contract for recovering damaged state property costs. We will be conducting a webinar in the near future and are seeking possible roadway/roadsides related presentation topics. If you would like to present or know of a possible topic, please contact Jerry Hatcher at jerry.hatcher@tn.gov Work Plan Accomplishments Safety Presentations during SCOM meeting on: - Maintaining roadside safety hardware. - NCHRP Synthesis 493: Practices for high tension cable barriers. Asset Management Presentation during SCOM - Asset Management for Large Diameter Culverts: A Georgia DOT Case Study Environmental Presentation during SCOM meeting on The Right of Way as Pollinator Reservoir Webinar on April 25, 2017 including: - Roadside BMP that Benefit Pollinators - Ohio DOT Vegetation Management Practices for woody and herbaceous vegetation Workforce Development Support of the NHI Maintenance Leadership Academy. Communication Held a webinar on April 25, 2017 including two presentations related to vegetation management. Research Submitted a research problem statement during titled Synthesis of practices for protecting and enhancing pollinator habitat on state ROW (not adopted) Highest Priority Work Plan Activities Safety Provide a forum for the sharing of innovations and ideas to improve worker and work zone safety. Asset Management Explore webinars or COM presentations on best asset inventory data practices. Explore current use of GIS databases and mapping with inventory data. Environmental Support national efforts that preserve and enhance pollinator habitat. Workforce Development Support the NHI Maintenance Leadership Academy by having a webinar presentation to create better awareness. Communication Continued outreach by holding webinars. Develop RR TWG webpages Post past and future webinar and COM presentations on TWG website Contact the newly identified Roadway/Roadsides TWG Members to identify breakout sessions speakers, webinar planning and research needs. Research Review roadway/roadsides related TRB/NCHRP completed research projects and seek ways to create awareness and support implementation of best practices. Develop a synthesis statement (submitted at 2017 SCOM) for Synthesis on state DOT s conducting safety hardware in-service performance evaluations. Develop a NCHRP problem statement (submitted at 2017 SCOM) for Determining Maintenance Implications of Autonomous Vehicles. Page 5 The Maintenance Manager Fall 2017

6 EMTSP Coordinator: National Center for Pavement Preservation, MSU Chair: Tim Cunningham, KS The EMTSP Oversight Panel continues their management of the program. Recent accomplishments include the following: Year-to-date FY 2018 State DOT annual contributions to EMTSP are aligned with contributions for this time of year with that of previous fiscal years Action items in the EMTSP Strategic Plan have been updated and completed EMTSP Work Plan has been completed with action items assigned. Improved and revised the EMTSP website to provide similar information as the former AASHTO Equipment Reference Book to eliminate the need for continuing that publication. Additional enhancements include: - Video recording and posting of all National AASHTO-EMTSP and bi-annual EMTSP Regional Partnership Meeting presentations - Video recording and posting of the Annual TRB AHD60 Meeting presentations sponsored by the cooperative TRB Committee on Maintenance Equipment (AHD60) - Promotion and instruction encouraging the EMTSP community to utilize the Survey Monkey tools found on the website - Web-site posting of completed fleet management survey results - Website posting of technical equipment specifications and related contractual language and tools - Development of Regional Partnership and global contact distribution lists The new EMTSP Web-based Training module on Preventive Maintenance Concepts for State Fleet Operations is now available at AASHTO TC3 and on the EMTSP website. - The course content promotes a systematic and proactive schedule of work that provides for inspection, detection and correction. The completed six-chapter course will provide an Agency employee detailed technical information on establishing a program of planned, proactive maintenance actions that help prevent unscheduled and costly equipment breakdowns and failures. Topics include key aspects of fleet equipment preventative maintenance (PM) program design, employee responsibilities, appropriate maintenance practices, maintenance scheduling, condition triggers, proactive fleet data management, and the benefits derived from a well-defined and executed equipment fleet PM program. - To locate go to the EMTSP Home Page, find the tab category named TRAINING then select EMTSP Web-Based Training which will provide information about the course EMTSP Regional Partnership Meeting Calendar the execution of the scheduled regional partnership meetings were very successful and popular. The completed 2017 EMTSP Regional Partnership Meeting and Equipment Trade Shows were as follows: Northeast /Midwest Joint Equipment Management Partnership Meeting and Equipment Trade Show (NEMP) - Portland, Maine, Dates - June 26-29, 2017, Conference Hotel Holiday Inn by the Bay - Midwest Equipment Management Partnership (MWEMP) met jointly with the Northeast Equipment Management Partnership listed above Southeastern States Equipment Managers Conference and Equipment Trade Show (SSEMC) - Jekyll Island, Georgia, Dates July 24-27, 2017, Conference Location - Jekyll Island Conference Center, Conference Hotel Hampton Inn and Suites Western States Highway Equipment Mangers Association Meeting and Equipment Trade Show (WSHEMA) - San Diego, California, Dates October 2 5, 2017, Conference Hotel San Diego Marriott Mission Valley - Additional information about these regional conference meetings, trade shows, and presentations given are found at The 2017 Western States Highway Equipment Managers Association s (WSHEMA) Winter Maintenance Equipment Domestic Scan Tour was completed during the June 11-16, 2017 timeframe. The fourteen (14) member delegation visited the DOT equipment fleet operations of Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The focus of the scan included the review all winter maintenance equipment, including snow blowers and tow plows, fleet equipment management techniques, including equipment replacement cycles, AVL/GPS applications, corrosion control and management, fleet management best practices, winter maintenance equipment visibility, lighting and traffic control/ awareness where also be studied. A summary report has been written. The report also references and incorporates presentation materials provided by the host states. The finalized materials will be posted to the EMTSP website during the fall of The 2018 Joint National AASHTO-EMTSP/ TRB Equipment Fleet Management Conference and Equipment Trade Show will be hosted by the State of Connecticut and the Connecticut DOT. The event location selected is the Hartford Downtown Marriott and Connecticut Convention Center. Event dates are July 29 - August 2, Continued work implementing the findings from the final report of Research Project 20-07/Task 309, Challenges and Opportunities: A Strategic Plan for Equipment Management Research to identify and prioritize additional research projects. New research priorities will be identified and re-prioritized with remaining priorities by the membership at the 2018 Page 6 The Maintenance Manager Fall 2017

7 Joint National AASHTO-EMTSP/ TRB Equipment Fleet Management Conference and Equipment Trade Show. Continued working with the EMTSP National Performance Measurement Working Group and Michigan DOT to develop and post each state s available performance measures on the EMTSP website. Four (4) common state DOT fleet performance measures (Utilization, Preventative Maintenance, Retention, and Availability) are now being reported and may be reviewed at A new performance metric has been developed for the tracking and reporting on the effectiveness of scheduled preventative repairs vs. unscheduled corrective repairs. Workforce Development - Promote and support professional development opportunities for equipment managers by cultivating training opportunities and certifications appropriate for state equipment managers. Utilize existing fleet management and academic organizations to provide training. - Two training modules selected by the EMTSP Oversight Panel and submitted to TC3 for webbased training (WBT) development were consideration and were accepted for development in The EMTSP Education Subcommittee, made up by EMTSP member state volunteers, has finalized the WBT educational requirements and outcomes for National Center for Pavement Preservation (NCPP) course development and later AASHTO TC3 contractor production design work. The EMTSP Oversight Panel exercises oversight of this production process. The selected web-based topics were deemed suitable by the panel for their overall application to all levels of DOT fleet management are listed below: Preventative Maintenance Concepts for State Equipment Fleet Management Operations Status: the course is complete and available on the AASHTO-TC3 and EMTSP websites Bench Marking and Best Practices for State Equipment Fleet Management Status: the course is now near completion by NCPP. Expected completion and hand off to TC3 is late Fall 2017 The EMTSP Oversight Panel has also approved three (3) additional courses for development. They are as follows: - Establishing Equipment Complements and Sizing of State Equipment Fleets - Equipment Utilization Management for State Equipment Fleets - Development of Technical Equipment Specifications for State Equipment Fleets - On-going development of a model training and certification curriculum appropriate for state equipment managers by revising the skills matrix developed by the TC3 - Continued exploration of opportunities to develop a model AASHTO-EMTSP Certification Program or Certificate program appropriate for State DOT Fleet Mangers; determine how this program can be implemented as an AASHTO Equipment Management Certification program - Promote the use of the EMTSP website as a clearing house of information for professional development self-study on subject related fleet management topics including, but not limited to: Equipment industry communications and updates State and Federal regulatory communications Technical equipment specifications and studies Industry and government white papers Videos and documents Academic Presentations and Webinars Libraries of industry, government and academic research papers and presentations If your state has not yet remitted the voluntary contribution for EMTSP, you are encouraged you to do so in order for this valuable program to continue and expand its accomplishments, which serve the needs of highway agency equipment fleet professionals All state DOT equipment managers (and others interested in receiving periodic related to the EMTSP) are encouraged to subscribe to the EMTSP listserv by clicking on this link: EMTSP General Listserv SICOP SICOP Coordinator: Rick Nelson This past September SICOP along with Aurora and Clear Roads sponsored the 6th National Winter Maintenance Peer Exchange in Pittsburgh, PA. Over 130 winter maintenance professionals and 29 vendors from the winter maintenance arena gathered to discuss winter service and share best practices. The success of the event was assured with the outstanding efforts of the support staff from the 3 sponsors and the host state DOT, PennDOT. The Winter Maintenance Policy Coordinating Committee, SICOPs steering committee is putting the final touches on the next 3-Year National Strategic Winter Maintenance Plan for the period The strategic issues that form the basis of SICOPs work plan for the next three years were derived from input gathered from SICOP member states. It Page 7 The Maintenance Manager Fall 2017

8 was important for us to structure the SICOP program around those issues that were most important to our member states. The 7 strategic issues that form the backbone of SICOPs 3- year strategic plan are: 1. Optimal/adaptive snow plow route planning, 2. Performance management for winter maintenance, 3. Effective use of Automated Vehicle Location technologies for internal and external applications, 4. Connected vehicles in winter maintenance, 5. Weather responsive traffic management to improve mobility and safety during weather events, 6. Liquid chemical use in winter operations, and 7. Winter operations in moderate weather zones for resiliency. During this next 3-year period expect to see several products produced by the strategic issue champions to help fill the needs of your agencies. For the last few years the SICOP steering committee has been debating the best way to conduct outreach with the winter maintenance community. Historically we ve been communicating through s and at face to face meetings. We were concerned that the message might not be reaching the right folks and that those we are reaching are already bombarded with many other pieces of important information. We ve been considering the best way to utilize social media as a way to connect with anyone interested in the cutting edge of winter maintenance. To that end SICOP has launched two new products to help our outreach efforts. First is our new Facebook page aashtosicop/ designed to share winter maintenance equipment, news, and best practices. Please visit SICOP on Facebook and if you like the site and what it has to offer please give us a like and follow. Secondly, SICOP has launched a winter maintenance focused podcast called SICOP Talks Winter Ops. Every 3 or 4 weeks we will be releasing a 15 to 30 minute episode discussing important elements of winter maintenance with experts in the community. We have already released episodes with Steve Lund - SICOP Chair, Tina Greenfield - Chair of the TRB Winter Maintenance Committee, and Kathy Ahlenius - Chair of the TRB Surface Transportation Weather Committee. You can find SICOP Talks Winter Ops at sicoptalkswinterops.com and click on Episodes to listen in. We can also be found at the itunes Store and on Google Play. Last but not least, we re happy to announce that Heath Patterson, Mississippi DOT State Maintenance Engineer, has agreed to a 3-year term on the SICOP steering committee representing AASHTO region 2. For those of you in SASHTO who have questions about SICOP or need information about winter maintenance feel free to reach out to Heath. TSP2 Coordinator: National Center for Pavement Preservation, MSU Chair: George Conner, AL TSP2 is the technical services program of AASHTO in the areas of pavement and bridge preservation. Through the voluntary contributions of member states, AASHTO contracts with the National Center for Pavement Preservation to provide regional meetings. The regional meetings include both state and local agency attendees and industry representatives has been a particularly busy year, with four regional partnership meetings in both pavement and bridge preservation. We are always appreciative of the efforts of the state hosts for the partnership meetings, so a special thank you to the following states: Region Pavement Partnership Bridge Partnership SE Mississippi DOT West Virginia DOT NE Maine DOT New Jersey DOT MW Michigan DOT Minnesota DOT W Washington DOT Colorado DOT Each partnership meeting includes technical presentations and most include state reports. This year the Southeast Pavement Partnership asked each state to report on a failure and how their agency responded to the event. The Midwest Pavement Partnership included a session on inplace recycling, with three technical presentations. The Southeast Bridge Preservation Partnership had a session on state responses to major storm events and that was before hurricane Harvey! The Northeast Bridge Preservation Partnership included a technical presentation on bridge nondestructive and destructive testing followed by a field trip to The Beast where the techniques were demonstrated. Discussion of research ideas to meet the needs of state agencies are part of most of the partnership meetings. The Bridge Partnerships use their research discussions to develop research needs statements and five were brought forward to the Subcommittee on Maintenance through the Bridge Technical Working Group. The discussions also include ideas for synthesis reports and possible domestic scans. A vendor mall is part of each partnership meeting and offers an opportunity for agency and other attendees to see the latest developments by industry will include 4 pavement partnership meetings. Meeting hosts are confirmed for the Southeast (Mississippi DOT), Northeast (Connecticut DOT) and Midwest (Wisconsin DOT). The partnership directors have a monthly conference call to further the work of the partnership throughout the year and to develop the agenda for the next year s meeting. The National Bridge Preservation Conference will take place April 8-12, 2018, and will be held at the Renaissance Sea World Hotel in Orlando, Florida. The conference theme is Bridge Preservation: Practices We Can t Afford Not to Do Now and a call for presentations was issued with abstracts due by the end of October The conference planning committee will be working on the final agenda as well as planning on-site demonstrations. A large exhibit area will allow vendors to interact with all attendees. For more information: Google TSP2 and click on either pavement or bridge preservation. Then click on the regional partnership of interest, or browse the many available research links or other content. Page 8 The Maintenance Manager Fall 2017

9 From the FHWA FHWA Liaison: Connie Yew: FHWA-HQ The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) construction and maintenance activities are highlighted below. e-construction & Partnering (e-c&p) Through round four of Every Day Counts (EDC-4), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is promoting e- Construction and Partnering as practices that can be used in concert to help deliver transportation improvements smarter and faster. The commonalities and synergies between the two offer opportunities for enhanced success when used together. Under EDC-4, implementation activities include: - Hosting two regional e-c&p Demonstration Workshop in the Spring and Fall of Creating Educational Videos targeting high school and trade school students. The videos will serve as a recruitment tool to increase awareness, understanding, and interest and to inspire this future workforce towards a career in transportation. - Developing e-c&p case studies, How-to guidance, and specifications. Pavement Preservation When, Where and How Deployed in EDC- 4, Pavement Preservation is about applying a pavement preservation treatment on the right roadway (where), at the right time (when), with quality materials and construction (how). This innovation is currently being implemented through the development of the following: - Best Practice Guides and Technology Briefs - Web-based training - Peer exchanges - FHWA Pavement Preservation Checklist Series update - Videos highlighting best practices - Specification updates for full array of Preservation Treatments Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) The highway industry is using UAS as a proven technology to view, operate, and construct transportation infrastructure from a different perspective. Some of the more common UAS data collection attachments include high definition cameras, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), hyperspectral images, and radar. The FHWA UAS Working Group has formed and is beginning to move forward on several activities such as: - Continuing monthly webinar series on UAS use. - Funded research on Collection, Analysis, and Interpretation of Data Obtained from Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for Bridges, proposals are under review. - Supporting PIARC Project, The use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to Remotely Collect Data for Road Infrastructure. - Supporting NCHRP domestic scan, "Successful Approaches for the Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems by Surface Transportation Agencies" to provide a starter guide and case studies that transportation agencies can use to improve or start their own UAS initiatives. - Planning to conduct a national information sharing workshop. The goal would be to bring together key FHWA personnel, State personnel, Industry, and Academia who are actively using and advancing UAS technology and gather a working knowledge of the state of the practice. Maintenance Leadership Academy FHWA is updating three of the six modules of the Maintenance Leadership Academy (MLA), which is available through the FHWA National Highway Institute (NHI). The Academy curriculum consists of self-paced lessons accessed via the Web and instructor-led classroom sessions. This intensive training program is designed for individuals who hold positions as State, district, and county maintenance supervisors. Upon completion of the Academy, participants will be able to: - Describe the use of maintenance administration in achieving highway agency goals. (Module A) - Describe how various preservation treatments fit into an overall system preservation program and when to implement them. (Module B) - Identify appropriate drainage maintenance and roadside management techniques. (Module C) - Describe the maintenance manager's roles and responsibilities for developing, implementing, and managing a comprehensive plan for dealing with weather-related events. (Module D) - Explain the maintenance and use of traffic control devices in maintenance operations. (Module E) - Describe how environmental protection issues, regulations and control measures affect highway maintenance activities. (Module F) Page 9 The Maintenance Manager Fall 2017

10 AASHTO MaC Leadership Chair: George Conner, AL Vice Chair: Russell Yurek, MD Vice Chair: Steve Lund, MN Vice Chair elect: Jerry Hatcher, TN Research Coordinator: Jon Wilcoxson, KY FHWA Liaison: Connie Yew, FHWA-HQ AASHTO Liaison: Jameelah Hayes TRB Contact: James Bryant, DC NCHRP Contact: Amir Hanna, DC Technical Working Groups Equipment Chair: Tim Cunningham, KS Vice Chair: Bruce Erickson, OR Vice Chair: Lias Kunzman, CA Liaison: Randy Jensen, FHWA-CO Maintenance Operations Chair: Brad Darr, ND Vice Chair: Dale Doughty, ME Vice Chair: Emily McGraw, NC Liaison: Paul Pisano, FHWA-HQ Bridge Chair: Jeff Milton, VA Vice Chair: Steve Cook, MI Vice Chair: Dave Miller, IA Liaison: Morgan Kessler, FHWA-TFHRC Pavement Chair: Anita Bush, NV Vice Chair: Scott Capps, NC Vice Chair: Heath Patterson, MS Liaison: James Gray, FHWA-HQ Roadway / Roadside Chair: Erany Robinson-Perry, GA Vice Chair: David Cook, SC Vice Chair: Thomas Lyden, OH Liaison: William Beatty, FHWA-NC Technical Service Programs SICOP-Winter Maintenance Website: Coordinator: Rick Nelson Chair: Steve Lund, MN Equipment Management Website: Coordinator: National Center for Pavement Preservation, MSU Chair: Tim Cunningham, KS Transportation System Preservation (TSP2) Website: Coordinator: National Center for Pavement Preservation, MSU Chair: George Conner, AL Page 10 The Maintenance Manager Fall 2017