TIG Announces Focus Technologies for 2003
The Technology Implementation Group (TIG), which was started in 2001
to champion the implementation of ready-to-use technologies, products,
or processes resulting in economic or qualitative benefits, has chosen
three new technologies for accelerated deployment in 2003. The 2003
selections are the Thermal Imaging Safety Screening System (TISSS) for
Commercial Vehicle Brakes, the Low Cost Highway Rail Warning System,
and Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Repair of Overhead Sign Structure
(OSS) Trusses.
The TIG is sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Over the next several months, TIG
members will be developing plans to promote the new focus technologies
among State highway agencies, local agencies, and industry partners.
As these plans are further developed, Focus will provide updates.
The TISSS was designed, constructed, and tested for use in the selection
of commercial vehicles for safety inspections at Georgia weigh stations.
The system allows an operator at a weigh station to view the relative
temperatures of brake drums, as seen through the wheel rims of commercial
vehicles. If a brake system is operating correctly, an infrared vision
will show all the brake drums to be hot and at approximately the same
temperature when the vehicle is braking. If a brake is defective, the
brake drum will appear to be the same temperature as the wheel rim and
darker than a properly operating brake.
The TISSS was tested on I-20 near Atlanta at the Douglas County weigh
station for a 1-month period in April 2002. The system was deployed
in three configurations: 1) adjacent to the weigh station entrance ramp;
(2) adjacent to the ramp leading to the static scales at the rear of
the weigh station; and (3) adjacent to the static scales. The prototype
system proved to be effective in detecting brake problems, with the
third configuration deemed the best. In this configuration, the system
was used to screen only those vehicles being weighed and was operated
by a weigh station employee concurrent with weighing operations. Only
minimal operator training was required. A computerized video capture
system allowed for viewing, storage, and printing of selected images.
The Low Cost Highway Rail Warning System was developed to replace passive
crossing warning signs at low volume highway and railroad at-grade intersections
with an active wireless warning system. The system consists of hardware
installed in the locomotive that communicates with individual devices
mounted on standard crossing poles to activate the signal and provide
data on the crossing. The crossing pole devices are solar and battery
powered and can be installed for only about 10 percent of the cost of
a traditional warning system. The system is currently being tested in
Minnesota at 11 intersections. Test results to date have indicated that
no trains have passed without successful activation of the system within
the required parameters for advanced warning.
FRP repair of OSS trusses has been studied by the New York State Department
of Transportation (NYSDOT) and the Utah Department of Transportation.
OSS's provide valuable information to drivers, but can become a serious
hazard if they are not properly maintained. The NYSDOT organized its
first sign inspection program in 2000 and found that 10 percent of all
sign structures had some form of structural damage. The most prevalent
damage found was cracking of the joint between the internal trussing
and the main chords, with some joints totally severed. After an FRP
manufacturer proposed using FRPs to repair the cracked truss joints,
New York and Utah joined forces to form a Pooled Fund Research Program
to study the feasibility of using FRP. Test samples of cracked joints
were removed from existing OSS's that had been taken out of service.
These samples were then wrapped with FRP and sent to the University
of Utah for tensile testing. The repairs proved to be as strong as if
the joints had been fully welded. A second round of testing is now being
done to determine the resistance of the FRP repair to cyclical loadings.
For more information on TIG, visit the TIG Web site at www.aashtotig.org.
For more information on the three new focus technologies, see contacts
listed in sidebar.
TIG Focus Technologies
Previously Selected
2001—Accelerated Construction
ITS Technologies in Work Zones
Prefabricated Bridge Elements
and Systems
2002—Air Void Analyzer
Ground Penetrating Radar
Global Positioning System |
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Articles in this issue:
Structures Repair Goes Ultrasonic
TIG Announces Focus Technologies for 2003
Accelerated Construction: Transferring the Technology
Reducing Utility-Related Delays: A Resource Guide
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