Adaptive Management to Improve De-Icing Operations

Status: Complete
Report Date: 04/08/2021

Summary:

Working with Edina Public Works staff, researchers collected deicing data from agency trucks during winter maintenance operations. They correlated salt usage with data they collected indicating the amount of chloride showing up in meltwater flows from the roadways. Maintenance staff could compare their salt usage during particular events with increases of chlorides in runoff and adjust their deicing operations accordingly. This adaptive management approach—constantly checking the effects of actions and making adjustments—is one way that local agencies may be able to more effectively reduce the amount of chlorides entering the environment and still achieve satisfactory winter traffic mobility. Researchers created an adaptive management training manual for deicing and a spreadsheet calculator to help agency staff improve their deicing operations. Email research.dot@state.mn.us for a copy of the training manual and spreadsheet calculator.

Final Deliverables:

Adaptive Management to Improve De-Icing Operations (Report #2021-07)
Adaptive Management Strategies Can Improve Deicing Operations (Research Summary)

Related Materials:

Training Manual: Adaptive Management to Improve Deicing Operations (Brochure/Handout)
Groundwater Steady-State Chloride Estimator (Spreadsheet Tool) (Spreadsheet Tool)
Urban Planning Tool For CI Balance (Spreadsheet Model) (Spreadsheet Tool)
Part 1: Adaptive Management Strategies to Improve Deicing Operations (Video/Webinar)
Part 2: Adaptive Management Strategies to Improve Deicing Operations (Video/Webinar)

Related Research:

Project Personnel:

Principal Investigator: Larry Baker

Co-Principal Investigator: Bruce Wilson

Technical Liaison: Ross Bintner, Jessica Wilson

Project Coordinator: Elizabeth Klemann