CDOT rapid debris removal research project.

Details

• Creators:
  Strong, Kelly C. ; Vasques, Rodolfo Valdes
• Corporate Creators:
  Colorado State University
• Corporate Contributors:
  United States. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Debris removal
  • Traffic safety
  • Occupational safety
  • Highway maintenance
  • Maintenance equipment
  • Technological innovations
• Publication/ Report Number:
  CDOT-2014-9
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  Colorado
• Corporate Publisher:
  Colorado. Dept. of Transportation. Applied Research and Innovation Branch
• Abstract:
  Highway debris represents a traffic safety problem that requires a prompt response from state or local transportation ; agencies. The most common practice for debris removal currently is for agency personnel to leave their vehicles and ; remove the debris by hand in the case of large debris (tires, lumber, freight loss, rock fall) or to sweep traveled lanes, ; shoulders, or intersections in the case of crashes, mechanical failure, or embankment erosion. This exposes agency ; workers to safety risks, especially on high-speed and/or high-volume roadways. Currently, the Colorado Department ; of Transportation (CDOT) has no widely distributed formal guidelines for safely and effectively removing debris ; from the roadway. ; Equipment modifications and innovations have been developed that can remove debris from highways without ; exposing agency workers to moving traffic. Innovative equipment has been introduced to the market which allows ; for high-speed debris removal, such as the Gator Getter®. ; Through a combination of field observations, interviews with CDOT personnel, equipment manufacturers, and other ; state DOTs, the research concluded that the Gator Getter is very effective for collecting tire treads on smooth ; (asphalt) pavements where operating speeds can be maintained above 45 MPH. The effectiveness of the Gator Getter ; decreases when operating speeds drop below 45 MPH and on rougher pavements such as shoulders or tined concrete ; pavements. Both the safety and effectiveness decline when the Gator Getter is used on mixed debris, scattered or ; longitudinal debris, and low visibility conditions. The Gator Getter should not be used on segmented pavements, ; bridge decks, or railroad tracks, and should not be used to collect rocks, concrete fragments, or metal objects. ; Implementation ; The Gator Getter is recommended for use in clearing tire debris from smooth asphalt roadways in locations where ; speeds can be maintained above 45 MPH.
  More +
• Format:
  PDF
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/27731/dot_27731_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 595.75 KB]
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:b36b14bf95c942070b15ce826df0a08a0fb209d4ea779febc1ea6d0da8941c78