Measuring the Efficiencies of Tow Plows and Wing Plows

Bennett, Duane; Lasky, Ty

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Measuring the Efficiencies of Tow Plows and Wing Plows

2021-12-01
By Bennett, Duane ; Lasky, Ty

File Language:

English

Details

Creators:

Bennett, Duane ; Lasky, Ty
Corporate Creators:

Advanced Highway Maintenance and Construction Technology Research Center (Calif.)
Corporate Contributors:

Minnesota. Dept. of Transportation. Clear Roads Pooled Fund
Subject/TRT Terms:

Best Practices Costs Equipment Life Cycle Plow Configuration Costs Snow Plowing Efficiency Snowplows Tools Tow Plow Wing Plow Winter Maintenance
Publication/ Report Number:

CR 19-03
Resource Type:

Tech Report
Geographical Coverage:

United States
Edition:

Final Report [March 2020 to December 2021]
Corporate Publisher:

Minnesota. Department of Transportation. Clear Roads Pooled Fund
Abstract:

As agencies consider purchasing new types of snowplow equipment, it is important that they understand the trade-offs between equipment costs and potential gains in efficiency. Both tow plows and plows with wings represent a greater up-front investment but are designed to allow a plow operator to clear more snow in a single pass than a standard front plow, potentially providing efficiencies in terms of plow cycle time, labor and equipment allocation, operating costs, increased level of service, and more. This project assessed the efficiency benefit of variable plow width equipment with respect to lane clearing capabilities for typical highway configurations and developed tools for DOT decision-making and procurement, including a Decision Support Tool and user’s guide and a Best Practices Guide. These tools will support DOT procurement and operational planning with respect to the designated plow types. The tools will also assist in identifying the best roadways and geometries for deployment and in analyzing cost of ownership and return on investment. Both tools are available at https://clearroads.org/project/19-03/. This final report documents the methodology for creating these tools.
Format:

PDF
Funding:

MnDOT No. 1034818
Collection(s):

US Transportation Collection
Main Document Checksum:

urn:sha256:cdd72538788eb0e0769f08720dcac291046389bee63278e898e8f474821eb78d
Download URL:

https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/63269/dot_63269_DS1.pdf
File Type:

[PDF - 459.04 KB ]

File Language:

English

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