A Case Study of
the
Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS)
in Maine
Publication No.: FHWA-JPO-08-001
Contract No.:
DTFH61-02-C-00134
Task Order No.:BA34023
Prepared for:
U.S. DOT ITS Joint Program Office
September 10, 2007
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This material is based upon work supported by the Federal Highway
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Technical Report Documentation
1. Report No. FHWA-JPO-08-001 |
2. Government Accession No. |
3. Recipient’s Catalog No. |
4. Title and Subtitle A Case Study of the
Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) in Maine |
5. Report Date September 10, 2007 |
6. Performing Organization Code |
7. Author(s) Chris Cluett (Battelle) and Jeffery
Jenq (Battelle) |
8. Performing Organization Report |
9. Performing Organization Name and
Address Battelle Seattle Research Center 1100 Dexter Avenue
North, Suite 400 Seattle, WA 98109-3598 |
10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS) |
11. Contract or Grant No. DTFH61-02-C-00134; Task
BA34023 |
12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address United
States Department of Transportation ITS Joint Program Office,
HOIT 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE Washington, DC 20590 |
13. Type of Report and Period Covered Evaluation
Report, 11/1/06 –12/31/07 |
14. Sponsoring Agency Code HOIT |
15. Supplementary Notes Mr. John Augustine (COTR);
Mr. Patrick Kennedy (GTOM); Ms. Lynette Goodwin (Noblis Task
Analyst) |
16. Abstract This report presents the results of a
case study evaluation of a Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS)
project under a program funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s
(USDOT) Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program
Office. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Road Weather
Management Program (RWMP) has sponsored development of a prototype
Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS). The federal MDSS
prototype software modules are available to private vendors who have
utilized them to develop decision support applications tailored to the
needs of state Departments of Transportation (DOTs). An MDSS is
being offered to the Scarborough crew of the Maine Department of
Transportation (MaineDOT), by Meteorlogix/DTN. The DTN system, known
as WeatherSentry, includes MDSS capabilities. Experience to date
suggests that significant benefits are possible from the use of an MDSS,
including improved productivity (e.g., reduced material costs, more
efficient use of labor), enhanced mobility, and improved safety. The
MDSS offers guidance for maintenance managers and engineers that provides
forecasts of weather and pavement conditions and recommendations on
efficient maintenance treatment strategies. The MDSS is a unique
tool that provides an integrated GIS platform along with significant
educational value to users. This research is being conducted to
evaluate the concept of an MDSS by assessing the uses and benefits of MDSS
deployment on a segment of interstate in the vicinity of Portland, ME,
based upon a comparison of historical winter maintenance practices and
those practices facilitated through the use of the MDSS tools. The
objectives of this research are to assess institutional issues and
potential benefits of using an MDSS, and to identify from MaineDOT’s
experience lessons of value to other DOTs across the country. The
evaluation team worked with MaineDOT to identify these benefits and
lessons from their use of the MDSS in support of winter maintenance
operations during the winter of 2006-2007. This assessment examined
the institutional challenges faced by MaineDOT’s Scarborough crew and the
strategies they employed as they used a variety of tools, including the
MDSS, to fight each of the winter storm events they faced. Using a
detailed event reconstruction approach, data were collected for 12 winter
storm events that required a maintenance response in order to characterize
the uses of the MDSS as a maintenance tool, versus not using an MDSS
(i.e., how maintenance operations would have been conducted prior to
having access to an MDSS). Lessons learned are derived from the
reconstruction of these storm events that may be of use to other state
DOTs considering implementing the MDSS technology. |
17. Key Words Intelligent Transportation Systems,
Road Weather Management, MaineDOT, Maintenance Decision Support System
(MDSS), Weather, RWIS, Safety, Mobility |
18. Distribution Statement No restrictions. This
document is available to the public. |
19. Security Classif. (of this
report) Unclassified |
20. Security Classif. (of this
page) Unclassified |
21. No. of Pages 51 |
22. Price N/A |
Form DOT F 1700.7
Reproduction of completed page authorized.
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