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  Materials and Construction »

  PCC Pavement Thickness Variation Mapping

  Idea Submitted by:

  Luke Johanneck

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  Materials & Road Research

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  Curt Turgeon

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  MnDOT Research

  It is commonly believed that PCC thickness is one of the most important characteristics for concrete pavements. If thickness is not uniform, locations of thickness deficiency may reduce pavement life, while excessive thickness increases pavement cost without substantial benefits. Currently, PCC thickness information is limited to core measurements taken at approximately 1000 ft spacing. Until recently, there has not been ...more »

  It is commonly believed that PCC thickness is one of the most important characteristics for concrete pavements. If thickness is not uniform, locations of thickness deficiency may reduce pavement life, while excessive thickness increases pavement cost without substantial benefits. Currently, PCC thickness information is limited to core measurements taken at approximately 1000 ft spacing. Until recently, there has not been an efficient way to collect comprehensive and reliable information on concrete thickness variation nondestructively.

  In this study comprehensive thickness variability assessments will be conducted using ultrasonic tomography and 3-D GPR technologies on several existing PCC pavements prior to rehabilitation as well as on several newly constructed PCC pavements and overlays. For existing pavements, the thickness variability will be compared with observed surface distress maps.

  The following questions will be answered:

  1) Is there a correlation between thickness deficiency and the amount of observed distress?

  2) Is there a difference in thickness variability in newly constructed pavements as compared to old pavements?

  3) Are the current thickness QA/QC procedures sufficient?

  The expected benefits of this study are:

  1) If the thickness deficiencies are correlated with distresses, an improved QA/QC protocol will help prolong pavement life. Otherwise, recommendations for decreasing concrete thickness can be justified.

  2) Detailed thickness variation information will provide important feedback to MnDOT contractors allowing them to reduce thickness variation. This will help contractors avoid placing excessive concrete thickness and thus reduce cost and carbon footprint of concrete pavements.

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  Submitted by luke.johanneck 1 day ago

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  Materials and Construction »

  Implementing Recycled Unbound Materials during Pvmt Construction

  Idea Submitted by:

  CTS Research Council

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  CTS

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  John Siekmeier

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  MnDOT Implementation

  Existing national, state, and MnDOT policies encourage the responsible use of recycle materials during pavement design and construction. MnDOT led a transportation pooled fund (TPF) project, which was created to resolve uncertainty and facilitate greater acceptance of recycled materials during pavement design and construction. That TPF project “TPF-5(129) Recycled Unbound Materials, Contract No. 89264, Work Order ...more »

  Existing national, state, and MnDOT policies encourage the responsible use of recycle materials during pavement design and construction.

  MnDOT led a transportation pooled fund (TPF) project, which was created to resolve uncertainty and facilitate greater acceptance of recycled materials during pavement design and construction. That TPF project “TPF-5(129) Recycled Unbound Materials, Contract No. 89264, Work Order No. 2” makes the following conclusion. “Recycled asphalt pavement (RAP_ and recycled concrete aggregate (RCA_ pass all necessary standards for being a suitable base course material. They are structurally and mechanically comparable, if not superior, to many natural aggregates. Resilient moduli of RAP and RCA are higher than the natural aggregates used as a control material, hydraulic properties are similar if not superior to that of natural aggregate, and they withstand the extreme effects of climate very similarly as natural aggregate. It is noted, however, that some RAP may be sensitive to temperature change that may lead to rutting. This aspect needs to be considered in design.

  Derek Tompkins, Craig Taylor, Mark Maloney, John Siekmeier, Roger Olson, Mihai Marasteanu, and Mike Sheehan prioritized this ida at the CTS Research Council. Mike or Mark could be a potential LRRB Champion.

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  Submitted by CTS Research Councils 6 days ago

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  Materials and Construction »

  Implementing Contractor Quality Mgmt for Earthwork Compaction

  Idea Submitted by:

  CTS Research Council

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  CTS

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  John Siekmeier

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  MnDOT Implementation

  Earthwork is a significant portion of highway pavement construction and plays an important role in pavement performance. The contractor’s quality management program for earthwork compaction needs to include the responsible utilization of intelligent compaction (IC). IC delivers a modern approach to compaction by using rollers equipped with an integrated measurement system, a global position system, an onboard display ...more »

  Earthwork is a significant portion of highway pavement construction and plays an important role in pavement performance. The contractor’s quality management program for earthwork compaction needs to include the responsible utilization of intelligent compaction (IC). IC delivers a modern approach to compaction by using rollers equipped with an integrated measurement system, a global position system, an onboard display and a reporting system. Using IC rollers accelerate project completion and improve the quality of compaction operations resulting in longer lasting pavements and reduced maintenance costs.

  The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has selected the technologies that will be deployed as part of Every Day Counts (EDC) http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/everydaycounts/ EDC focuses on deploying innovations with proven benefits, which range from using IC to achieve higher quality longer lasting roadways to employing 3D modeling technology to increase productivity and efficiency for construction operations. In addition, several national projects, two administered by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), a third Transportation Pooled Fund (TPF) project and a fourth Strategic highway Research Program (SHRP2) project were created to resolve uncertainty, facilitate greater acceptance and quantify the benefits greater contractor participation during process control and the use of IC during process control.

  Intelligent Soil Compaction Systems

  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_676.pdf

  Accelerated Implementation of Intelligent Compaction Technology

  http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/ic/pubs/hif12002.pdf

  Performance Specifications for Rapid Renewal (SHRP 2 R07)

  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/trbnetprojectdisplay.asp?projectid=2171

  Modulus Based Construction Specification for Compaction of Earthwork

  http://144.171.11.40/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=2908

  Derek Tompkins, Craig Taylor, Mark Maloney, John Siekmeier, Roger Olson, Mihai Marasteanu, and Mike Sheehan prioritized this ida at the CTS Research Council. Mike or Mark could be a potential LRRB Champion.

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  Submitted by CTS Research Councils 6 days ago

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  Maintenance, Operations and Security »

  The Boundaries of Transportation Infrastructure–Where are they?

  Idea Submitted by:

  Jay Krafthefer

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  Land Management

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  Rick Morey

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  Joint MnDOT/LRRB Research

  Customers, internal and external, need a current right of way boundary. When the boundary is available as a mapped line feature it can be used to support a wide variety of projects and field activities. Unfortunately very little of this information exists in an easy to use or readily accessible GIS format. Beyond general land management use others seek to apply this information such as: for the construction and maintenance ...more »

  Customers, internal and external, need a current right of way boundary. When the boundary is available as a mapped line feature it can be used to support a wide variety of projects and field activities. Unfortunately very little of this information exists in an easy to use or readily accessible GIS format. Beyond general land management use others seek to apply this information such as: for the construction and maintenance of public utilities, agricultural or forestry management performed by adjoining property owners, or helping manage a response to the Emerald Ash Borer problems. In recent years the number of requests for digital boundary data has steadily increased. However, measurements are unknown in terms of its applied methods, the scope of the audience, its frequency of use, and the returned value. The costs to create and maintain the data are also unknown. The extent this topic has been addressed by other state DOT’s is also unknown.

  Research to perform:

  Conduct research, analysis, measurements necessary to accurately determine the right of way line location for one rural and one urban county. Develop digital GIS feature representing the right of way line. Create and publish metadata appropriate for field uses. Deliver results for internal and public use.

  Solicit input from known and potential users by investigation, through training and during support activities and follow up with identified users and report what is working and what is not.

  Collect data and analyze the implications and tradeoff’s customers make with similar demand and uses of road alignment data as it is applied with available mapped right of way information as a substitute.

  Compare available technology solutions for collection, development and distribution.

  Maintain data set and necessary field aspects for 5 year period reporting annually all associated costs and reported benefits.

  Provide public access to results, measure use in quantity and quality, provide transparent report results.

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  Submitted by jay.krafthefer 11 days ago

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  Traffic and Safety »

  Safety study of 35W improvements done under UPA project

  Idea Submitted by:

  Brian Kary

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  Metro District - Freeway Operations

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  Brian Kary

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  MnDOT Research

  Major improvements were made on I-35W in recent years including reconstruction of the Crosstown Commons, implementation of the first priced dynamic shoulder lane in the country, construction of low-cost/high-benefit capacity improvements, and the deployment of Active Traffic Management with the use on lane control signals and advisory variable speed limits. These improvements have been in place for about 3 years and ...more »

  Major improvements were made on I-35W in recent years including reconstruction of the Crosstown Commons, implementation of the first priced dynamic shoulder lane in the country, construction of low-cost/high-benefit capacity improvements, and the deployment of Active Traffic Management with the use on lane control signals and advisory variable speed limits. These improvements have been in place for about 3 years and there is a need to conduct an evaluation of the crash benefits these improvements had in order to learn how these benefits could be utilized on other corridors. Due to major changes in traffic patterns because of the Crosstown reconstruction, a more complex statistical analysis will need to be conducted to determine the safety benefits along the corridor. For example, the section of 35W with the PDSL experiences higher levels of congestion due to the removal of the Crosstown bottleneck. Crashes on the PDSL stretch have increased but is this due to the geometrics of the corridor or the increased congestion in this area caused by the removal of the major bottleneck to the south. The consultant would be used to conduct a statistical analysis of the crashes compared to the volumes and congestion levels on the corridor and compare this to other congested corridors in the metro.

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  Submitted by brian.kary 11 days ago

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  Traffic and Safety »

  Develop a Queue Warning Sys Using ATM Infrastructure

  Idea Submitted by:

  Brian Kary

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  Metro District - Freeway Operations

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  Brian Kary

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  MnDOT Research

  MnDOT has been a leader in investing funding in new technologies to help reduce congestion and improve safety. Once such example is the Active Traffic Management (ATM) system on I-35W and I-94 which includes intelligent lane control signals (ILCS) spaced every half mile over every lane to warn motorists of incidents or hazards on the roadway ahead. The ATM system is used to warn motorists of hazards ahead through the ...more »

  MnDOT has been a leader in investing funding in new technologies to help reduce congestion and improve safety. Once such example is the Active Traffic Management (ATM) system on I-35W and I-94 which includes intelligent lane control signals (ILCS) spaced every half mile over every lane to warn motorists of incidents or hazards on the roadway ahead. The ATM system is used to warn motorists of hazards ahead through the use of icons that warn motorists when a lane is obstructed. Variable Advisory Speed Limits are also used to warn motorists of congestion ahead on the mainline, however, one area the system could be improved is in providing warning of queues or shockwaves that effect a single lane of traffic. One example would be WB 94 approaching the ramp from NB I-35W where shockwaves in the right lane lead to crashes within the I-94/I-35W interchange. Another example would be on SB I-35W approaching Hwy 62 where queues backing up from Hwy 62 impact the right most lanes of I-35W which has contributed to crashes on the corridor. This project would develop a system that could identify potential queues on the mainline and then send a warning to motorists upstream by utilizing the existing ATM infrastructure.

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  Submitted by brian.kary 11 days ago

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  Materials and Construction »

  Bio-Fog Seal Evaluation

  Idea Submitted by:

  Ed Johnson

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  Materials & Road Research

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  Ed Johnson - MnDOT, Tim Plath - City of Eagan

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  LRRB Research

  Minnesota has successfully used asphalt-based fog seal surface treatments for many years as a preventive maintenance tool for bituminous pavements. In the last few years a number of products have been introduced as alternative surface sealers for streets, highways, shoulders, and recreation trails. It is proposed that a number of “bio”-sealers should be studied in laboratory and field evaluations in order to document ...more »

  Minnesota has successfully used asphalt-based fog seal surface treatments for many years as a preventive maintenance tool for bituminous pavements. In the last few years a number of products have been introduced as alternative surface sealers for streets, highways, shoulders, and recreation trails. It is proposed that a number of “bio”-sealers should be studied in laboratory and field evaluations in order to document their performance and effect on bituminous pavements. Bituminous shoulder sections less than 2 years old would be used for field test sections. The proposed project would seek LRRB funding.

  Field evaluation would include documentation of the installation, application rates, equipment type, location, and sampling of the product. Follow-up field reviews and photos would be used to rate skid resistance, cracking, appearance, emissions, permeability, and cost effectiveness.

  Laboratory work would be performed on field-sampled sealer products as well as treated and untreated bituminous cores. Percent solids and polymer would be evaluated for each sampled product. Slices of bituminous cores would be tested to evaluate effects on the mixture and depth of penetration. Applications over pavement markings would be evaluated for the effect on retroreflectivity and color change.

  Candidate “biosealer” products include Jointbond®, RePlay™, and Biorestor® and similar. Standard asphalt sealers such as CRS-2PD, and CSS-1Hd, GSB Gilsonite®, and Reclaimite® would also be included in the evaluation as control products.

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  Submitted by eddie.johnson 12 days ago

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  Traffic and Safety »

  Naturalistic Driving Study Data Analysis - Intersection Safety

  Idea Submitted by:

  Alan Rindels

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  MNDOT PART

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  Brad Estochen, Derek Leuer, LRRB Board, Cory Johnson

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  Joint MnDOT/LRRB Research

  Rural intersections account for 30% of crashes in rural areas and 6% of all fatal crashes, representing a significant but poorly understood safety problem. Transportation agencies have traditionally implemented countermeasures to address rural intersection crashes but frequently do not understand the dynamic interaction between the driver and roadway and the driver factors leading to these types of crashes. The Strategic ...more »

  Rural intersections account for 30% of crashes in rural areas and 6% of all fatal crashes, representing a significant but poorly understood safety problem. Transportation agencies have traditionally implemented countermeasures to address rural intersection crashes but frequently do not understand the dynamic interaction between the driver and roadway and the driver factors leading to these types of crashes. The Strategic Highway Safety Program (SHRP 2) is conducting a large-scale naturalistic driving study (NDS) using instrumented vehicles which will provide a significant amount on-road driving data for a range of drivers. The team will utilize this NDS data to observe driver behavior at rural intersections first hand using video and vehicle kinematics data.

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  Submitted by alan.rindels 15 days ago

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  Environment »

  Weights and Measurements for Verification of High Organic Soils

  Idea Submitted by:

  Brett Troyer

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  Office of Environmental Stewardship

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  Brett Troyer

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  Joint MnDOT/LRRB Research

  Establishment of weights and measurements for use of soils that have high organic matter to reassure that what the contractors bring into project sites are the correct soil amendments. The use of high organic soils provide excellent soil medium for sustainability of healthy plant growth and is essential to minmizing erosion and reducing weed infestation. High organic soils also provide optimal water holding capacity, ...more »

  Establishment of weights and measurements for use of soils that have high organic matter to reassure that what the contractors bring into project sites are the correct soil amendments. The use of high organic soils provide excellent soil medium for sustainability of healthy plant growth and is essential to minmizing erosion and reducing weed infestation. High organic soils also provide optimal water holding capacity, water quality benefits, and slow release of nutrients for vegetation. This would develop efficient field-testing tools that can be utilized by MnDOT to verify that soil amendments with compost and high organic matter are being appropriately used on projects.

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  Submitted by brett.troyer 29 days ago

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  Policy and Planning »

  Impact of CNG/LNG on Minnesota Transportation Revenues

  Idea Submitted by:

  Mark Berndt, Mn Freight Advisory Committee (MFAC)

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  Freight Program Leader, Olsson Associates

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  John Tompkins, Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicles Operations

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  MnDOT Research

  The needed research would examine how natural gas is currently taxed in Minnesota and surrounding states, and where those revenues currently go. The research would also attempt to gauge the level of natural gas conversion within Minnesota based trucking fleets. Finally, the White Paper resulting from the research would highlight current concerns, peer state actions regarding these concerns, and layout potential policy ...more »

  The needed research would examine how natural gas is currently taxed in Minnesota and surrounding states, and where those revenues currently go. The research would also attempt to gauge the level of natural gas conversion within Minnesota based trucking fleets. Finally, the White Paper resulting from the research would highlight current concerns, peer state actions regarding these concerns, and layout potential policy actions. (see attached research need statement)

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  Submitted by bruce.holdhusen 1 month ago

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  Environment »

  Bridge washwater discharge characterization and control BMPs

  Idea Submitted by:

  Dwayne Stenlund

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  MnDOT Office of Environmental Stewardship

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  Dwayne Stenlund

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  Joint MnDOT/LRRB Research

  Monitor and characterize bridge surface cleaning washwater effluent discharge of gross solids, fines, trash and chemical and metal agents and develop appropriate controls to prevent loss to public waters from scupper drainage, urban and rural bridge gutters from maintenance spring operations.

  1 comment for Idea: Bridge washwater discharge characterization and control BMPs

  Submitted by dwayne.stenlund 1 month ago

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  Multimodal »

  The Economic Impact of Bicycling in Minnesota

  Idea Submitted by:

  Fay Simer

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  MnDOT Office of Transit: Bicycle and Pedstrian Section

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  Mike Schadauer, director of MnDOT Office of Transit

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  MnDOT Research

  Bicycling produces net benefits for individuals and society, but a comprehensive effort to quantify the economic impact of bicycling in Minnesota has not been made. The benefits of bicycling are realized widely across industry sectors and could tell a compelling story to support efforts to promote bicycling-related activities and infrastructure. The following is a list of areas where bicycling produces positive economic ...more »

  Bicycling produces net benefits for individuals and society, but a comprehensive effort to quantify the economic impact of bicycling in Minnesota has not been made. The benefits of bicycling are realized widely across industry sectors and could tell a compelling story to support efforts to promote bicycling-related activities and infrastructure. The following is a list of areas where bicycling produces positive economic impacts:

  Tourism: dollars imported through participation in bicycling activities such as multi-day tours, races, and visits to destination trails

  Employment: jobs and tax revenue generated through bicycle-related manufacturing and retail; secondary employment such as hotel and restaurant growth in areas of high bicycling activity

  Health: decreased short-term health care costs resulting from higher physical activity levels; long-term societal savings due to increased physical fitness among workers and health care consumers

  Transportation: potential for reduced congestion and improved air quality resulting for increased rates of commuter bicycling

  Quality of Life: potential to attract employers to the state and retain employees due to availability of cycling infrastructure

  Recreation: trip expenditures and equipment purchases made by Minnesotans who bike recreationally

  This study would quantify the impact of bicylcing to these sectors in Minnesota and document the level of economic impact bicycling activity produces in this state by sector and as a whole.

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  Submitted by fay.simer 1 month ago

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  Traffic and Safety »

  Evaluation of Intersection Conflict Warning Systems

  Idea Submitted by:

  Jon Jackels

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  MnDOT Office of Traffic Safety and Technology (OTST)

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  Jon Jackels

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  Not sure (contact Research Services to discuss)

  We are installing an additional 20 or more Rural Intersection Conflict Warning Systems to the existing 10 systems. These systems are intended to reduce the number and severity of crashes at 2-way STOP controlled rural intersections. We need to establish how these warning systems change driver behavior at these and adjacent untreated intersections. This would include establishing driver understanding and acceptance ...more »

  We are installing an additional 20 or more Rural Intersection Conflict Warning Systems to the existing 10 systems. These systems are intended to reduce the number and severity of crashes at 2-way STOP controlled rural intersections. We need to establish how these warning systems change driver behavior at these and adjacent untreated intersections. This would include establishing driver understanding and acceptance of the operation of these systems. We also need to discover an upper limit traffic volume where these systems are no longer dynamic, are continually activated and lose their abililty to reduce crashes.

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  Submitted by jon.jackels 1 month ago

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  Materials and Construction »

  Evaluation of Recycled Aggregates Test Section Performance

  Idea Submitted by:

  Bernard Igbafen Izevbekhai, P.E., Ph.D.

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  MnDOT Office of Materials & Roads Research

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  Maria Masten & Curtis Turgeon

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  MnDOT Research

  Over the years some test sections in the network have been paved using recycled concrete aggregates in the concrete. Performance variables of such sections have never been formally evaluated. It is necessary to ascertain if the mean-times-between repairs or maintenance in those sections are statistically different from those of other sections without recycled aggregate in the same or similar corridors. Other quantifiable ...more »

  Over the years some test sections in the network have been paved using recycled concrete aggregates in the concrete. Performance variables of such sections have never been formally evaluated. It is necessary to ascertain if the mean-times-between repairs or maintenance in those sections are statistically different from those of other sections without recycled aggregate in the same or similar corridors.

  Other quantifiable variables are expected to include the rate of texture or friction degradation as well as the frequency of occurence of freeze thaw and aggregate alkali reaction in those sections.

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  Submitted by bernard.izevbekhai 1 month ago

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  Policy and Planning »

  Dynamic Traffic Assignment (DTA) Mesoscopic travel model

  Idea Submitted by:

  Jim Henricksen, MnDOT Metro District Traffic Forecaster

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  MnDOT Metro District Program Managment

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  Jim Henricksen, MnDOT Metro District Traffic Forecaster

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  MnDOT Research

  Idea Status (moderator):

  Hold for FY15 research solicitation

  Twin Cities Metro District projects often require macroscopic travel demand modeling and microscopic stimulation. However, these modeling tools are not ideal for analyzing a variety of MnDOT transportation improvement strategies. DTA mesoscopic models provide the opportunity to improve analyses involving incidents, construction zones, transportation demand management strategies, Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) strategies, ...more »

  Twin Cities Metro District projects often require macroscopic travel demand modeling and microscopic stimulation. However, these modeling tools are not ideal for analyzing a variety of MnDOT transportation improvement strategies. DTA mesoscopic models provide the opportunity to improve analyses involving incidents, construction zones, transportation demand management strategies, Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) strategies, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), and other operational strategies, as well as capacity increasing strategies. Several metropolitan areas around the country are developing mesoscopic models and linking them to their macroscopic and micro simulation models to create multi-resolution modeling frameworks. A study that looks at the costs and benefits of developing such framework is needed for the metropolitan area. This study should assess the pros and cons of the various software packages and determine which can best be integrated with our macroscopic and micro simulation modeling processes.

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  Submitted by jim.henricksen 3 months ago

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  Materials and Construction »

  Use of Wicking Fabric to Prevent Frost Heave

  Idea Submitted by:

  Shongtao Dai

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  Office of materials and road research

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  Tim Andersen--pavement design engineer

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  Joint MnDOT/LRRB Research

  Frost heave and subsequent thaw cause extensive damages to pavement structures on some roads in Minnesota, particularly local roads. Three elements necessary for ice lenses and thus frost heave include frost susceptible soil, subfreezing temperatures, and water. Unfortunately, all three conditions are met in many places of northern regions. Removal of any of these three conditions can eliminate or at least minimize frost ...more »

  Frost heave and subsequent thaw cause extensive damages to pavement structures on some roads in Minnesota, particularly local roads. Three elements necessary for ice lenses and thus frost heave include frost susceptible soil, subfreezing temperatures, and water. Unfortunately, all three conditions are met in many places of northern regions. Removal of any of these three conditions can eliminate or at least minimize frost heave and thaw. Wicking fabric, a new type of geosynthetic, is made of special hydrophilic and hygroscopic 4DGTM Fibers with multichannel cross-sections, which have great potential for maximizing capillary action and water transport in an unsaturated environment. This product has been successfully used in Alaska to prevent “frost boils/soft spots” on a problematic highway. However, research is still needed to better understand its mechanism if it is used for regions different from Alaska for the following reasons: (1) The frost heave is strongly related to thermal gradient. For the same soil, the frost heave will be different if the thermal gradient is different. (2) Different soils have different features when interacting with the wicking fabric. (2) Local climatic conditions also have influence in the performance of the wicking fabric since they provide the driving force for water to transport.

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  Submitted by shongtao.dai 3 months ago

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  Materials and Construction »

  Design Guideline for Stabilization of Unpaved Shoulder

  Idea Submitted by:

  Shongtao Dai

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  Office of Materials and Road Research

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  Pavement Design Engineer: Tim Anderson

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  Joint MnDOT/LRRB Research

  Unpaved shoulders including aggregate, turf, and composite shoulders are commonly constructed in rural areas. Slow moving or oversized vehicles such as farm equipment including combines, tractors and grain wagons will likely drive on unpaved shoulders for temporary passing due to the vehicle size. The pooled fund study “The Effects of Implements of Husbandry “Farm Equipment “on Pavement Performance” conducted at MnROAD ...more »

  Unpaved shoulders including aggregate, turf, and composite shoulders are commonly constructed in rural areas. Slow moving or oversized vehicles such as farm equipment including combines, tractors and grain wagons will likely drive on unpaved shoulders for temporary passing due to the vehicle size. The pooled fund study “The Effects of Implements of Husbandry “Farm Equipment “on Pavement Performance” conducted at MnROAD has demonstrated that unpaved shoulder can easily fail under these type of heavy weighted and oversized vehicles. It is due to that traditional unpaved shoulders are often not designed to support the heavy vehicles. Common performance problems associated with unpaved shoulders are rutting, shear failure and drop-offs along the pavement edge. These problems are typically repaired and mitigated by placing more material followed with grading and compaction. This solution is considered temporary and does not address the factors causing the problem; therefore, the problem often recurs.

  Geosynthetics including geogrid and geocell can be used to stabilize unpaved shoulders. There have been a few successful trials in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Florida, demonstrating the benefits of geosynthetic stabilization. So far, however, there is no design guideline for the use of geosynthetics to stabilize unpaved shoulders. The proposed research will develop such a guideline based on a number of cyclic plate loading tests in laboratory on instrumented test sections.

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  Multimodal »

  Cultural Commerce and its Impact on MN Transportation System

  Idea Submitted by:

  John Tompkins

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  MnDOT Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations (OFCVO)

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  John Tompkins

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  MnDOT Research

  Idea Status (moderator):

  Hold for FY15 research solicitation

  New Minnesotans, led by immigrants are refugees from abroad, and helping to drive the state's ecomomy. Their impact translates into expanded markets for existing Minnesota made products and products from abroad. Diversification in our population is impacting aspects of the movement of goods. This project will study the impact of cultural commerce and its impact to Minnesota's transportation system

  Add your comment for Idea: Cultural Commerce and its Impact on MN Transportation System

  Submitted by john.tompkins 3 months ago

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  Maintenance, Operations and Security »

  Drought Effects on Our Roads, now and the future

  Idea Submitted by:

  Beverly Baron

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  Office of Materials and Road Research, MnROAD

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  Bruce Tanquist

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  MnDOT Research

  Idea Status (moderator):

  Hold for FY15 research solicitation

  The Southern part of our state is in an extreme drought

  area. We are experiencing extreme weather and need

  to be prepared. If the subbase or soil has dried, and shrinks, asphalt will crack, concrete will have voids. Infrastructure could be affected - such as more dips around culverts, broken pipes.

  2 comments for Idea: Drought Effects on Our Roads, now and the future

  Submitted by Beverly.Baron 3 months ago

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  Materials and Construction »

  FDR reinforcement with geocells as pavement base layer

  Idea Submitted by:

  Shongtao Dai

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  Office of Materials and Road Research

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  Pavement design engineer/Local Engineer

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  Joint MnDOT/LRRB Research

  FDR has been widely used as an effective base material in the state. However, FDR has its limitations; for example, it creeps under a sustained load due to the presence of asphalt binder. Therefore, different stabilization has been added to FDR to minimize creep of the material, such as emulsion, cement. However, recently geocells has been studied by other states, such as Kansas DOT to confine FDR or unpaved road base ...more »

  FDR has been widely used as an effective base material in the state. However, FDR has its limitations; for example, it creeps under a sustained load due to the presence of asphalt binder. Therefore, different stabilization has been added to FDR to minimize creep of the material, such as emulsion, cement. However, recently geocells has been studied by other states, such as Kansas DOT to confine FDR or unpaved road base materials to minimize its creep and increase pavement structure capacity. How to use geocells and what types of geocells should be used depends on local materials and needs to be well designed. This proposal involves to evaluate design method developed by the University of Kansas for Minnesota conditions or develop a design method for Minnesota conditions.

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  Submitted by shongtao.dai 3 months ago

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  Maintenance, Operations and Security »

  Mobile Traffic Signal in lieu of flaggers for Moving Operations

  Idea Submitted by:

  Dave Solsrud

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  MnDOT District 8

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  Craig Gertsema

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  MnDOT Implementation

  Idea Status (moderator):

  A consultant will write a TRS; the implementation plan will be revised for future consideration

  Evaluate the potential use of portable traffic signals, mounted on a mobile platform, as an alternative to human flaggers as a means of providing traffic control through "moving operation" workzones on two lane rural highways.

  3 comments for Idea: Mobile Traffic Signal in lieu of flaggers for Moving Operations

  Submitted by dave.solsrud 4 months ago

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  Multimodal »

  Coordination of Inter-City Multimodal Investments

  Idea Submitted by:

  Joe Barbeau

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  CTS

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  Mike Schadauer

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  MnDOT Research

  Idea Status (moderator):

  Hold for FY 15

  How are investments in different inter-city modes coordinated? For example, is there consideration before investing in highways, rail lines, airports, and/or other modes? Rep Hausman has asked why MnDOT would concurrently propose improvements to the Duluth Airport and the Northern Lights Express Rail line. How do other states manage “competing” modes’ investments. This will create a better understanding of best practices ...more »

  How are investments in different inter-city modes coordinated? For example, is there consideration before investing in highways, rail lines, airports, and/or other modes? Rep Hausman has asked why MnDOT would concurrently propose improvements to the Duluth Airport and the Northern Lights Express Rail line. How do other states manage “competing” modes’ investments. This will create a better understanding of best practices nationwide or world-wide, hopefully leading to an effective strategy for MnDOT.

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  Submitted by ctsfdesk 11 months ago

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  Policy and Planning »

  Advancing the Minnesota GO Vision in Project Solicitations

  Idea Submitted by:

  Mark Nelson

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  Office of Statewide Multimodal Planning

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  Mark Nelson

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  MnDOT Research

  Idea Status (moderator):

  Hold for FY 15

  The Minnesota GO vision for transportation is; "Minnesota's multimodal transportation system maximizes the health of people (quality of life), the environment and our economy". Moving forward, it is our intent to advance this vision through investments including competitive solicitations such as the TED (Transportation and Economic Development) and CIMS (Corridor Incident Management Strategy) programs. Through this ...more »

  The Minnesota GO vision for transportation is; "Minnesota's multimodal transportation system maximizes the health of people (quality of life), the environment and our economy". Moving forward, it is our intent to advance this vision through investments including competitive solicitations such as the TED (Transportation and Economic Development) and CIMS (Corridor Incident Management Strategy) programs. Through this research we hope to learn from other state and federal competitive solicitation programs with similar objectives to better understand how competitive solicitations might be structured and selection criteria developed.

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  Submitted by mark.b.nelson 11 months ago

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  Policy and Planning »

  CORS/VRS Network

  Idea Submitted by:

  Phil Barnes

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  PARI

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  Phil Barnes, Rick Morey, Stephanie Osuji

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  Transportation Research Synthesis (TRS)

  Idea Status (moderator):

  Develop TRS request form

  Evaluate developing a PPP around MnDOT's CORS/VRS network and increase users across the state. A partnership with the Department of Agriculture, local government agencies or University of Minnesota extension offices. The CORS/VRS network is a system that provides high accuracy, real-time kinematic GNSS positioning for wider areas. The network is owned by MnDOT and is currently available to the public at no cost for various ...more »

  Evaluate developing a PPP around MnDOT's CORS/VRS network and increase users across the state. A partnership with the Department of Agriculture, local government agencies or University of Minnesota extension offices. The CORS/VRS network is a system that provides high accuracy, real-time kinematic GNSS positioning for wider areas. The network is owned by MnDOT and is currently available to the public at no cost for various uses (farming, construction, surveying, logging, or mining) Process and eventual VFM evaluations will be used to create authorizing legistlation.

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  2 comments for Idea: CORS/VRS Network

  Submitted by philip.barnes 11 months ago

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  Bridge and Structures »

  Anti-Icing Strategy Cost Comparisons and Corrosiveness Research

  Idea Submitted by:

  This idea needs a champion

  List your MnDOT Office,District,City, County, Univ. or Other:

  Office of Maintenance and Bridge Office

  Idea Champion - Who at MnDOT/LRRB? :

  someone in bridge or maintenance

  Project Type - MnDOT or LRRB / Research, Implementation or TRS:

  MnDOT Research

  Idea Status (moderator):

  Hold for FY 15

  Develop or continue research project on the corrosiveness of alternative anti-icing chemicals vs. using traditional salt methods. There is a high level of uncertainty regarding whether the alternative chemicals are more or less corrosive than salt practices. Next, develop or continue research on bridge designs and icing timeframes. Last, develop research project to look at lifecycle costs and alternatives of anti-icing ...more »

  Develop or continue research project on the corrosiveness of alternative anti-icing chemicals vs. using traditional salt methods. There is a high level of uncertainty regarding whether the alternative chemicals are more or less corrosive than salt practices. Next, develop or continue research on bridge designs and icing timeframes. Last, develop research project to look at lifecycle costs and alternatives of anti-icing options that replicate efficacy.

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  Submitted by philip.barnes 11 months ago

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