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Mobile technology will reduce costs and improve driver safety

With increasing demand for mobile road weather data collection systems and an emphasis on reducing road maintenance costs to help with local, state and federal budgets, Condition Patrol is helping meet these needs. Vaisala, a leader in environmental and industrial measurement, launched the new mobile sensor technology and data collection system to help reduce road maintenance costs and improve driver safety. For the first time, this system offers the capability for maintenance vehicles to collect weather information when patrolling their agency’s entire network of roads.

Data collected by Condition Patrol allows roadway decision makers to be more accurate with road treatments, and thus reduce the costs of keeping roads clear and improving driver safety. The mobile system reports pavement temperature, air temperature, and relative humidity of the air near the road surface using laser and infrared sensors. Based on these observations, the system determines the road condition, such as whether or not the road has water, snow, ice, slush, or is dry. The system also calculates and provides a numerical value for the level of friction on the road. This information is downloaded real time from a smart phone—included with the product— to a software program that provides recommendations to the maintenance decision maker about recommended road treatment options, helping them make more informed decisions.

“Vaisala is excited to offer this first-ofits-kind mobile data collection system for road maintenance decision makers around the country. We hope our technology will make their operations run more smoothly and effectively,” said Antero Jarvinen, Director of Vaisala’s Road and Rail Market Segment.

In conjunction with the product launch in February 2012, Vaisala showcased Condition Patrol in a unique way through their crosscountry tour, Vaisala Across America, which featured a Vaisala branded vehicle outfitted with the technology. The 40-city tour was conducted over 16 weeks and started at the company’s U.S. headquarters in Louisville, Colo., and ended in National Harbor, Md., at the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) America annual meeting and exposition. The tour was promoted to the general public and road maintenance agencies and followed by millions across the country via the tour website at www.vaisala.com/ mobiletour, which featured up-tothe-minute road weather data and weekly blog posts and photos. During the tour, the company met with over 40 agencies, including various cities, counties and departments of transportation offering them a preview and hands-on demonstration of the technology, which was a first for Vaisala.

“We were excited to see the unit firsthand. It is compact, easy to install and will provide us with the benefits of mobile weather data gathering,” said Mark DeVries, Maintenance Superintendent, McHenry County, Illinois, Division of Transportation. Mark and his team saw the tour vehicle on its way to the APWA North American Snow Conference earlier this year.

The economy and failing infrastructures have forced the industry to think of new ways to adapt to these challenges. Updating stationary road weather data collection systems to mobile systems is a cost-effective and reliable way to keep road networks properly operating and safe for all drivers.

Vaisala, Inc.’s global headquarters is located in Helsinki, Finland. Their U.S. headquarters is located in Louisville, Colo. Phone: 1-877-824-7252; Website: http://www.vaisala.com/ mobiletour.

The Vaisala Across America tour stopped in over 40 cities in 16 weeks, meeting with customers at various local and state agencies. The tour vehicle, nicknamed Vaisala One, was outfitted with the Condition Patrol technology and travelled more than 18,325 miles as part of the Vaisala Across America tour.

Stephenson County has got it covered

City of Freeport replaces its destroyed salt storage buildings

When the Stephenson County Highway Department lost their old salt storage building in July 2011, County Engineer Chris Isbell had to make a quick decision to be ready for the upcoming winter. The highway department, located in northwestern Illinois, had previously been using a wooden bin inside of a hundred-yearold dairy barn. This building, which was part of the old county farm, held only about 750 tons of salt, which is approximately 25% of the county’s average annual usage. Explains Isbell, “The building also didn’t provide any storage space for our salt/aggregate mix, requiring a full-time loader operator to mix material as it was used.”

After a windstorm destroyed the building in July, Isbell knew the county needed a solution that could “be delivered and constructed very quickly, yet meet our needs for storing salt and salt/aggregate mix.” Isbell started researching traditional wooden structures, as well as fabric buildings, while the insurance company was finishing their review. He notes, “During this research, I determined that fabric buildings cost less and could be constructed quicker than wood-framed structures. The speed of getting something erected was very crucial in our instance, as a building needed to be up and ready to receive salt before November 1, to give us time to get ready for the winter season.”

Isbell discovered ClearSpan Fabric Structures through the search engines and trade magazines, and after the bidding process, the highway department purchased two Hercules Truss Arch Buildings because of their quick turnaround time, durability and corrosion resistance. Isbell is very pleased with the department’s new buildings. “We now have one building large enough to hold a full year’s supply of salt and a second building that can hold half a year’s supply of our salt/aggregate mix. We no longer have to have a loader operator present to mix material as it is being used. This has freed up manpower and eliminated the need to hire a temporary, part-time employee.” He continues, “The buildings are also very low maintenance. They are freeing up budget dollars for road maintenance that would have had to been used for building maintenance. They are working out great!”

From purchase to installation, ClearSpan wowed Stephenson County. Isbell says, “The office staff was able to get the buildings ordered and delivered in a timely manner, and they even shipped a week early. The installation crews were also quick and professional. This is a very professional company with very professional crews. I would highly recommend them.”

ClearSpan Fabric Structures is the industry-leading manufacturer of tension fabric buildings, offering American-made structures with inhouse engineering, manufacturing, installation and financing. ClearSpan buildings feature exceptional height and wide-open spaces with ample clearance for access and ease of movement. Constructed in the USA from the highest quality steel and fabric, these buildings can be built to any length and up to 300’ wide. For more information, visit www. ClearSpan.com/ADAPWA or call 1.866.643.1010 to speak with one of our ClearSpan specialists.

Hercules Truss Arch Buildings feature abundant natural light, decreasing the need for artificial lighting and reducing energy costs. The Stephenson County Highway Department uses two ClearSpan buildings, one for salt storage and the other for storing a salt/aggregate mix.