Maintenance Decisions Support System MDSS and GPS AVL Telematics Data

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

MDSS GUI Map Image Int erp ret ati on 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 Pre. Cise (Force America) Thom. Tech/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 701 -792 -1800 bhershey@meridian-enviro. com Photo Courtesy of Chuck Neuenschwander INDOT