Maintenance Decisions Support System (MDSS) and GPS/AVL/Telematics Data Ben Hershey July 19 th, 2011 Meridian Environmental Technology Inc. Louisville, KY AASHTO Subcommittee on Maintenance Conference

AVL, MDC & MDSS: Alphabet Soup  AVL = Automated Vehicle Location –Very common systems –Little more than GPS tracking  MDC = Maintenance (or Mobile) Data Collection –Much more complex systems –Tracks maintenance-related activities  AVL & MDC systems are applied in tandem to assign times and locations to records of snowplow operations (and sometimes to driver observations) –Some MDSS can utilize MDC/AVL data to adjust road/weather conditions and optimize future recommendations based upon observations and maintenance activities being performed

What is MDSS?  A Maintenance Decision Support System is anything helping aid the maintenance decision process. – Prior Knowledge (Experience) – Snow and Ice Guidance Documents – RWIS-ESS Observations – Fellow operators/supervisors (Communication) – “That’s the way we’ve always done it” – A computer system that integrates weather, road and maintenance information to provide scientifically driven recommendations

MDC/AVL Data Elements  Those of interest to MDSS include –GPS position –Lane indicator Currently requires operator input –Name of material(s)/mixture Often involves operator input Can be automated –Solid & liquid application rate May be automatically or manually collected –Plow position(s) –Road & weather conditions Currently requires operator input

Interpreting MDC/AVL Data  AVL provides discrete location (latitude/longitude) and time. MDC provides corresponding discrete maintenance and observation data for these points.  MDSS uses this information aggregated as discrete ‘maintenance actions’ on agency routes –Time (start & end or midpoint) –Materials applied (type, form, average application rate) –Plow position(s) –Predominant road &/or weather condition observed

InterpretationInterpretation MDSS GUI Map Image MDSS GUI Route View Image

Interpreting MDC/AVL Data  Key steps in interpreting MDC data: –Converting agency / MDC vendor vocabulary Road conditions, mixture names vs. core compositions, etc. –Determining what sections of road the vehicle covered between reports Very difficult if report frequency is too low or road segment too short Lane issues, winding roads and multiple trucks further complicate matters –Determining break points i.e. when one maintenance action ends and another begins –Quality control & ‘noise’ removal i.e, if a condition hasn’t been updated, a truck traverses a route without maintaining it, etc.

PFS MDSS MDC/AVL Deployments  MDC/AVL systems used by PFS MDSS agencies: –Ameritrak –Intelligent Devices –Iwapi –Location Technologies –PreCise (Force America) –ThomTech/ZOOM Agencies actively using AVL/MDC in the PFS MDSS Agencies have not integrated AVL/MDC into the PFS MDSS PFS = Pooled Fund Study South Dakota PFS MDSS Lead State

Contact Info  Ben Hershey Director, Road Weather Services Meridian Environmental Technology An Iteris Company 4324 University Ave. Suite B Grand Forks, ND Photo Courtesy of Chuck Neuenschwander INDOT