Maintenance Decisions Support System (MDSS) and GPS/AVL/ Telematics Data

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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. MDSS GUI Map Image Interpretation MDSS GUI Route View Image

7. 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.

8. 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 South Dakota PFS MDSS Lead State PFS = Pooled Fund Study

9. 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