Unique collaboration

Proponents say this newest studyon road weight, titled Effects ofImplements of Husbandry (FarmEquipment) on Pavement Perfor -mance, provides more useful data than previous research.

Kevin Erb, ConservationProfessional Development Specialistin the Green Bay office of theUniversity of Wisconsin-Extension(UWEX), works with agriculturalbusinesses that haul manure andother farm materials. He calls thethree-year study unique because it looked at the problem of heavyloads from many perspectives. “It’s the only study of its kind thatinvited public agencies, industry and the companies that run theequipment to ask the same questions: What can we do to minimize damage now and whatinnovations are on the horizon?”

Study sponsors include statetransportation departments inMinnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois andIowa, equipment manufacturers,and industry partners representingagricultural trade associations fromthe Midwest.

Erb now includes study findingsin his training programs and pre-sentations. He highlights actionslocal governments, custom manureand forage haulers, and farmerscan take to protect local roads.Along with other UWEX outreachprofessionals across the state, Erbalso helps haulers and local roadofficials on joint efforts to imple-ment road-saving alternatives liketemporary one-way road patternsthat allow heavy vehicles to travel inthe middle of the road away from the weakest part of the pavement.

Farm loop

The study involved running selectedfarm equipment on different testsections at MnROAD, including two flexible pavement sections builtat the Minnesota Depart ment ofTransportation (MnDOT) test trackspecifically for the study. One section had an asphalt pavementthickness of 3.5 inches on an 8-inch gravel base. The other had5.5 inches on a 9-inch gravel base.The test sections replicate asphaltpavements found on some of theregion’s newer low-volume ruralcounty roads. Local road officialswill recognize that these test sections are thicker than many of their town roads.

OFFICIALS WHO MANAGE localroads in rural areas recognize theimpact large farm equipment canhave on asphalt pavements andaggregate shoulders. As farms andthe vehicles that carry their loadsget bigger, the risk of damage totown roads is greater.

Now road officials know for afact that heavy agricultural loadscan do more harm to pavementsthan an 80,000-pound semi-truck.That finding comes from a reportreleased last year on a pavementperformance study conducted atMnROAD, the Minnesota researchfacility.

The study provides local and state transportation agencies withinformation about how heavy farmvehicles put stresses and strains onthe roads they travel. It also recom-mends actions local governmentsand the agricultural industry cantake to minimize damage.

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WISCONSIN TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION CENTER – LTAP at the Univers i ty of Wiscons in–Madison

“It’s the only study of its kind thatinvited publicagencies, industryand the companiesthat run the equip -ment to ask thesame questions:What can we do tominimize damagenow and whatinnovations are on the horizon?”

Road weight study provides answers

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The road weight studymeasured the seasonaleffect of vehicle loadsamong other factors.Rutting failure on the3.5-inch thick asphaltsection above occurredduring a spring testperiod when temper -a tures were hot and the pavement base and subgrade close to fully saturated.

This tandem-axle semi truck with dual tires is one of two control vehicles thestudy researchers used to compare the impact on pavement performance ofa fully loaded semi to that of the farm vehicles tested. Results showed theagricultural equipment consistently did more damage than the 18-wheelers.

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ALLOWING HEAVY FARM equip-ment to travel in the middle of aroadway can reduce stress on thepavement. The Town of Russell in Sheboygan County tested thisidea for the first time in the spring of 2011 when town officialsapproved a temporary one-wayroute for a local farmer’s manure-hauling operation.

The arrangement required coop-eration among groups that rarelycoordinate their activities. They did so in this case for a variety ofreasons: a wish to protect townroads, to accommodate farm busi-nesses needing to move multipleloads from storage to field in ashort period of time and to pro-mote traffic safety.

Extend life of new roads

Town Chair Herbert Dickmanraised all these issues when hesuggested trying the one-wayoption after hearing about it during a Wisconsin TownsAssociation meeting. Since onlylimited funds are available forrepairing or rebuilding local roads,Dickman says any reasonable strategy that prevents damage orearly deterioration to the pave-ment was worth considering.

A major incentive for exploringthis approach with local farmersand haulers was getting moreexpected life out of newer roads.Dickman explains that after thetown did a road reconstruction afew years ago, the new pavementsuffered minor damage right awayfrom a heavy load. There also was so much damage to the gravelshoulder, they must replace it thissummer. Dickman says permittinglarge agricultural equipment todrive one way down the center of the road for a specified period during the day or for a day or two in spring and fall does protectthe shoulder and the weaker road edge.

Public-private cooperation

Setting up temporary one-wayroad patterns involves local governments, area farmers and the haulers they hire to movemanure or feed, local law enforce-ment and neighboring residents.Public-private cooperation is essential to creating a plan thatworks for everyone.

Dave Eisentraut, owner ofEisentraut AG based in southwestSheboygan County, worked withRussell and other area towns lastyear to implement several one-way operations for his customers.He is President of the ProfessionalNutrient Applicators Association of Wisconsin, a group that partici-pated in the three-year MnROADstudy of how heavy farm equip-ment affects pavement perform-ance. See related story on page 1.Eisentraut has followed results ofthe study closely.

“A lot of what the data showedwas not a surprise because haulerslike me are out there, runningequipment, sharing the roads. We see what goes on.” Eisentrautnotes that manure haulers tend to get “singled out” because

they transport large quantities of material over the roads in a concentrated few days. “But weare not the only ag equipment putting pressure on the roads andsome operations, like milk trucks,run year round.”

Eisentraut says many membersof the Nutrient ApplicatorsAssociation recognize there areheavy vehicles out there doingmore damage than necessary,which makes enforcing weight limits necessary. He suggests morehaulers retrofit their equipment tomitigate problems. Past experiencedealing with road weight issuesinduced Eisentraut to add axles to his own equipment. It is anexpensive proposition that canincrease hauling costs but oneEisentraut says eliminated much of the damage his tankers causedto pavements.

Temporary one ways are a measure he and others consider a useful option as long as thoseinvolved agree on common goals.The Town of Russell’s response lastyear to the immediate road-weightissues focused on measures thatwere necessary to get the workdone while protecting the roads.Eisentraut praises the cooperationdemonstrated in SheboyganCounty and says he hopes theone-way solution catches on inother counties.

Need for alternatives

Sheboygan County HighwayCommissioner Greg Schnell workswith local governments on haul-weight issues. He notes that high-way departments mostly manageto provide adequate roads for allusers, from cars and bicycles tohorse-drawn carriages, trucks and agriculture equipment. Infra -structure dating back 40 to 70years, however, is not built towithstand today’s heaviest loads.

Temporary one-way routes protect roads

Setting up the one-way route requiredcooperationamong groupsthat rarelycoordinate theiractivities.

Eisentraut AG sometimes moves materials from farm to field bytransferring loads from a tanker on the road to spreaders in thefield, avoiding the need to drive a heavier vehicle on town roads.

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The more strategieslocal road officialshave for extendingthe life of a roadwhile supportingan area’s economicinterests, the betterfor all road users.

“New design and constructionmethods have started to answerthis need but they come along at a time when revenues cannot keep up with the cost of updatinga road,” Schnell says. “It’s a realchallenge.”

The response in SheboyganCounty and elsewhere in the stateis to explore alternatives like theone-way road patterns or issuingpermits for farmers to pumpmanure from pit to field throughpipes running under the road or in ditches.

Schnell’s Department assistedthe Town of Russell, the CountySheriff’s Depart ment, the owner of a large dairy and Eisentraut indeveloping the provisional one-way route that moved manureloads between locations. Sucharrangements generally allowmanure haulers to travel on thestrongest pavements when fullyloaded and require they make thereturn trip on lower-quality roads.

Schnell observes it is a short-term solution most effective inareas where traffic volume is low.“Inconvenient for a few days,” he says, “With cooperation by allparties, the impact of a one-waydetour is minimal.”

Education, enforcement

Sheboygan County Deputy SheriffCory Roeseler calls the Russelloperation a good effort that, in his judgment, met everyone’sexpectations. Roeseler participatedin initial discussions but says theplanning was so thorough, lawenforcement had minimal involve-ment during the operation. Hisdepartment consulted with thehaulers on how to set up barri-cades and monitored road-usercompliance on the first operationwith the temporary restrictions.Now the farmers and haulers run things. They ask the Town of Russell to approve the trafficrestriction and then follow theestablished process.

County Board Member andTown Supervisor Alan Bosman is in the early stages of setting upsimilar agreements in the Town ofLima in south central SheboyganCounty. He suggests education is essential. “To get complianceand support for these temporarydetours, we need to get the whole community involved andkeep them informed.”

And since the farm economyis at the mercy of field conditionsand weather, Bosman says it ishard to predict exactly whentown authorities will enact atemporary one way. “So themore community buy-in, the better.”

Deputy Roeseler also empha-sizes the need to communicate a planned change in traffic flowson a road. In Russell, town offi-cials held a town meeting on thetopic and offered other chancesfor area residents to hear aboutwhat the town was proposingand why. “Educating all stake-holders made a difference.People understood what wasgoing on before it happened,”he says. The Sheriff’s office hadno complaints during the initialoperation last spring or for subsequent one-ways in andaround Russell.

Benefit all road users

Wisconsin local governments can deter haulers and other road users who run overweightloads with fines. But the morestrategies local road officialshave for extending the life of a road while supporting an area’s economic interests, thebetter for all road users.

Findings from the pavement performance study give public officials, equipment manufac-turers, tire makers, farmers and haulers valuable guidanceon measures for protecting local roads. They also help neutralize an issue that cancause friction between farmbusinesses and local govern-ments. As the SheboyganCounty example shows, having the facts is useful whenfarmers make plans to expandand as towns allocate road maintenance budget dollars. �

Contacts

Herbert DickmanTown of Russell920-894-3182dickman@tcei.com

Dave EisentrautEisentraut AG920-980-5905eisentrautag@frontier.com

Cory RoeselerSheboygan County Sheriff’sDepartment920-459-3111roeseclr@co.sheboygan.wi.us

Greg SchnellSheboygan County HighwayDepartment920-459-3822schnegfs@co.sheboygan.wi.us

Allowing large tractor tankers transporting agricultural materials, likethe 9500-gallon MnROAD test vehicle pictured here, to use temporaryone-way routes during hauling operations can protect town roads fromserious damage.

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“MANY OF THE BEST SAFETYsolutions are also the most costeffective.” So says Justin Shell,who directs the federally fundedHighway Safety ImprovementProgram (HSIP) for the WisconsinDepartment of Transportation. The HSIP program looks for exactlythose solutions when allocatingdollars to local road and streetprojects.

The federal program, introducedin 2005, helps fund lower-costhighway safety projects thatreduce the number and severity of crashes on state and local road-ways. HSIP emphasizes safetyimprovements that public agenciescan implement quickly. It follows a formula of 90 percent federaldollars to a 10 percent state orlocal match.

High return on safety

WisDOT uses a focused projectevaluation process to identify proposed lower-cost treatmentsthat have a high return on improving traffic and pedestriansafety. Local governments canqualify for funds by identifyingsites with safety problems, gathering the crash history atthose sites, and recording otherpertinent factors like the presenceof traffic controls and averageannual daily traffic volume.

Regional WisDOT SafetyEngineers work with local roadofficials to evaluate proposed projects and assist with the HSIP

application. The next round ofapplications are due to HSIP coordinators in each region byAugust 15 for the 2015-2016funding cycle.

Typical treatments

Which treatments qualify as a best solution? Shell says a variety of street and highwayimprovements fall in this category, including projects to:

• Install or modify traffic signals

• Construct roundabouts

• Straighten or remove isolatedcurves or hills

• Improve sight distances

• Add turn, bypass or otherauxiliary lanes

• Improve safety for pedestrians,bicyclist and people withdisabilities

• Add traffic calming features

• Eliminate roadside obstacles

• Install countdown pedestriansignals

• Install priority control systemsfor emergency vehicles atsignalized intersections

• Install guardrails, barriers and crash attenuators

• Install signs, delineators,flashing warning lights(including fluorescent, yellow-green signs) atpedestrian-bicycle crossings, in school zones and otherproblem areas

HSIP emphasizessafety improvementsthat public agenciescan implementquickly, following a formula of 90percent federaldollars to a 10percent state or local match.

The program funds stand-aloneprojects and safety treatments thatare part of larger projects. Shellcites as an example a major muni-cipal street reconstruction projectthat included the HSIP-fundedaddition of turning bays and otheraccess modifications.

Calculate benefits gained

Besides requiring states to monitorthe HSIP funds they allocatethrough project planning andimplementation, the FHWA asksthem to determine if funded projects achieve desired and cost-effective results. To accomplish this, WisDOT asked the Universityof Wisconsin Traffic Operationsand Safety (TOPS) Laboratory tocome up with a reliable methodfor judging if benefits gained from an HSIP-funded improvement areworth the cost of implementing it.Those efforts earned recognitionlast year as an HSIP NoteworthyPractice, “one of the best in thecountry” according to the FHWA.

The evaluation process combinesa look at crash data from five yearsbefore and three years after theHSIP project is completed with anexamination of specific roadwaytraits, like average daily traffic volume, to calculate expectedcrash frequency. Andrea Bill, traffic safety engineer and researchprogram manager for the TOPSLab, says this benefit-cost analysisapproach reduces the risk of over-estimating the safety benefits of an improvement.

Funding match for lower-cost safety improvements

Accessing local crash data

Requesting crash data to support roadimprovement efforts begins online at theWisTransPortal page, where users have login access to a variety of specific crash data resources.

http://transportal.cee.wisc.edu/

Signs at busy pedestriancrossings are a safetyimprovement that fitsthe HSIP definition oflower cost and easy toimplement.

Aerial view highlights a safety-related reconstruction project thatstraightened a section of the roadway on a vertical curve to improvesight distances.

After reconstruction

Prior to reconstruction

ta

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Contacts

Andrea BillTOPS Laboratory608-890-3425� bill@wisc.edu

Justin ShellWisDOT608-267-9617justin.shell@dot.wi.gov

Resources

Link to information aboutWisconsin’s HSIP funding and regional coordinators.http://www.dot.state.wi.us/localgov/highways/hsip.htm

Link to the WisTransPortal page for crash data search. �http://transportal.cee.wisc.edu/

“The crash data is good but hasits limitations,” Bill explains. “Bylooking at other factors, we get arealistic picture of the true impactof an improvement and its valuefrom an economic perspective.”

Right fix, right locations

Shell calls the TOPS Lab resultsessential for selecting new projects.It gives WisDOT’s HSIP program aconsistent way of comparing thecosts of a specific treatment to the expected crash reduction at a location. “Impressions of an inter-section or other stretch of road asdangerous don’t always tell the

whole story,” he notes. “The crashdata alone might support the needfor more safety measures but abenefit-cost analysis helps us focuson the most effective improve-ments and advise public agencieswhich treatments to consider.”

Shell says a good first step for local agencies is to discuss proposed safety projects with their regional WisDOT office. The safety engineers in theseoffices are knowledge able aboutHSIP guidelines and can evaluateproposed projects and assist withthe HSIP application.

The HSIP programfunds both stand-aloneprojects and safetytreatments that arepart of larger projects.

Collecting the multi-year crashdata from the WisTransPortal website (http://transportal.cee.wisc.edu/) and preparing a benefit-costanalysis gives local road officialsfacts to back up their HSIP applica-tions. Equally important, says Shell,is how the combined data helpspersuade local boards and councilsto make the 10-percent match abudget priority.

Support for safety

According to Shell, FHWA andWisDOT are committed to allocat-ing all funds in each applicationcycle. They recently eliminated asmall local HSIP program that funded projects of $25,000 or less as part of this effort. Thescope was limited and few localgovernments applied so WisDOT is concentrating all efforts on the main program. HSIP generallyapproves individual projects atfunding levels that range from less than $100,000 to multi-million dollar budgets.

WisDOT also plans to acceptadditional applications for the2015-2016 cycle in January 2013from public agencies that cannotmake the August 15 deadline.Shell says the department willaward any funds that remain toqualifying proposals.

Local governments need tospend wisely in all areas of publicexpenditure. Their investment instreet and highway safety improve-ments is no exception. The HSIPprogram’s 90 percent fundingmatch and application process provide the incentive to do a fact-based analysis of projects that willprovide the greatest return. �

Safety improvementslike chevrons installedat curves on streetsand rural roads towarn and guidedrivers also qualify for HSIP matchingdollars.

Converting a signalized intersection to a roundabout helps slow traffic,reduce conflict and improve safety.

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RUMBLE STRIPS THAT ALERT inattentive drivers with sound and vibration to steer back into the correct travel lane are common on Wisconsin’s multi-lane state andinterstate highways. This summer,the Wisconsin Department ofTransportation is adding the stripsto a group of two-lane state roadsas part of a pilot program toexpand use of the safety measurein Wisconsin.

The Federal Highway Adminis -tration reports rumble strips reduceroadway departure crashes andhead-on crashes significantly andare a greater safety benefit on two-lane roads than any otherroadway type.

Wisconsin’s effort is a responseto reports of those benefits fromaround the country, says WisDOTChief Roadway Standards EngineerJerry Zogg. States with centerlinerumble strips on two-lane roadssaw a 44 percent reduction in fataland injury crashes related to head-on and sideswipe crashes. Shoulderrumbles on rural two-lane roadshelped reduce severe run-off-the-road crashes by 36 percent.

There is evidence that rumblestrips, when present, also help drivers feel where the driving laneis when traveling in snow, rain orfoggy conditions.

Compelling stats

Zogg calls the crash-reduction statistics “very compelling” sincerun-off-the-road and centerlinecrashes accounted for 35 to 40percent of fatalities in Wisconsin in the last five years. “If we canachieve those kinds of reductions,this is an opportunity to save livesand prevent injuries,” Zogg says.

The pilot projects will install rumble strips on four two-lanestate road pavement rehabilitationprojects and add them to existingtwo-lane state roads with fiveretrofit projects—one in eachregion of the state—for a total ofmore than 500 miles of centerline

strips and 54 miles of shoulderstrips. Contractors will widen thepaved shoulder on the pavementrehabilitation projects, Zogg says,so bicyclists can ride clear of theshoulder rumble strips.

Since WisDOT does not plan todo any widening on the retrofitprojects, Zogg and his groupreceived input from the depart-ment’s bicycle/pedestrian coordi-nators and conferred with theBicycle Federation of Wisconsinwhen selecting roads for retrofitprojects to balance the needs of all road users.

Narrow the choice

Besides avoiding roads where rumble strips would interfere with a high volume of bicycle traffic, like those with trail crossings,WisDOT used other criteria to narrow the list of pilot locations for the retrofitting projects.

They called on the University ofWisconsin Traffic Operations andSafety (TOPS) Laboratory to helpidentify two-lane roadways withhigh rates of run-off-the-road andhead-on crashes.

Traffic Safety Engineer AndreaBill, who is research program manager for the TOPS Lab, says

they identified “the worst of theworst” in the state as the startingpoint for the rumble strip pilot.“Using available data, we can seewhy certain crashes occur wherethey do,” she notes. “What wefound are roads where rumble strips could be a real help.”

The TOPS Lab supplied maps anddata on each high-crash roadwayto the WisDOT regions where people who know the terrain and the traffic could apply otherconsiderations. For example, Zoggexplains, the planners looked forretrofit locations where pavementswere in good enough condition toundergo the grinding process.

The volume of oversized trucktraffic on certain roads influencedthe choice of whether to installshoulder rumbles, which can take a portion of the 12-foot drivinglane and can force wide loads toride the strip. WisDOT will notinstall rumbles on designated Over Size Over Weight routes thissummer, but Zogg does not rule itout in the future.

Noise was an issue since thesound tires make on rumble stripscan carry. For that reason, WisDOTtried to avoid locating projects inclose proximity to residential areas.

State tests rumble strips on two-lane roads

The FHWA reportsrumble stripsreduce roadwaydeparture crashesand head-oncrashes signifi -cantly and are a greater safetybenefit on two-lane roads than any other roadway type.

Centerline rumble strips on two lane roads, like this example fromMississippi, can reduce fatalities and injuries from head-on and sideswipe crashes by 44 percent.

Contact

Jerry ZoggWisDOT608-266-3350jerry.zogg@dot.state.wi.us

Resources

FHWA web page aboutrumble strips on two-laneroads. http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/provencountermeasures/fhwa_sa_12_008.htm

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Finally, because rumble strips canspook horses pulling buggies, Zoggsays they will not install them onroadways in Amish communities.

Model for safety

With the pilot underway, WisDOTwill review how rumble stripsmight affect state design standardsand issue installation guidelines forpublic agencies and contractors.Zogg says the department is committed to adding rumbleswhere appropriate on all futurestate improvement projects andwill continue working with theTOPS Lab to monitor the impact of the safety feature on crash types and frequency. WisDOTtransportation planners will use the information from this pilot todetermine how to balance applica-tion of this safety measure withother initiatives.

Zogg says when they embarkedon the process of deciding whichtwo-lane state roads would benefitmost from rumble strip installation,WisDOT wanted to create a modelfor introducing safety counter-measures on state and local roads.“Relying on good data and goodcollaborations, we found a mix of projects I feel will tell us muchmore about how this applicationcan make these and other roadssafer.” �

The study also measuredresults on two existing concretesections.

Shongtao Dai, a MnDOTResearch Operations Engineerinvolved in the study, says the dedicated asphalt road sections,known as the “farm loop,” gave the researchers control over the tests, from constructionand time-of-day traffic patternsto making detailed calculationsof each vehicle tested. Theyinstalled electronic sensors in thetest sections to monitor pave-ment responses under the testvehicles. Equipment com panies participating in the study sup-plied farm vehicles and drivers. The tests took place in the springand fall, times of the year whenpavements often are at theirweakest and the movement offarm equipment is heaviest.

Key study results

Besides confirming that a typical 5-axle, 80,000-pound semi whenfully loaded produced lower sub-grade stresses than all the farmequipment tested, the study

posed questions that helpedprove or disprove existingassumptions held by various road users and road managers.

Dr. Dai says results showedclearly that individual axle weightis more important than grossvehicle weight when it comes topavement damage. Increasingthe number of axles along withdistributing the load evenly canreduce the impact.

Asphalt thickness made ahuge difference. The test sectionwith 3.5-inch design thicknesshad extensive structural failureand severe rutting early in thetest while the 5.5-inch sectiondid not experience any signi -ficant break down.

The research team found that paved shoulders reduce the potential for damage andprovide more support when alarge vehicle rides near the edge of the driving lane. Giventhis and the fact that roads arestrongest at their center, thestudy recommends operatorsdrive heavy equipment at least 16 inches away from the

The tests tookplace in the springand fall, times ofthe year whenpavements oftenare at theirweakest and themovement of farm equipment is heaviest.

Road weight study provides answers from page 1

Continues on page 8

The roadresearchers used portablescales tomeasure theweight of allstudy vehicles at the start of each testperiod, as with thisdouble-axleapplicator. It was one oftwo applicatorstested thatproduced some of thehighest stressesand strainsrecorded.

Severe run-off-the-road crashesaccount for a significant number offatalities on Wisconsin’s rural roadseach year. Shoulder rumble strips,shown above, alert drivers to pullsafely back into their travel lane.

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“It’s critical thatlocal governmentshave strategies formanaging large-equipment weightissues on theirroads. There arepractical ideas inthis study manytowns should bewilling to try.”

Other measures

Other measures are in use or underdiscussion by parties concerned withthe issue of heavy ag equipmentharming local roads. Some haulersare modifying the equipment theyuse to transfer large quantities of material from farm to field, especially as they learn more about the impact of the heavierequipment on the roads.

Farmers and towns are workingtogether to install wider drivewayswith longer culverts that give largehauling vehicles more room to turn,minimizing their impact on pave-ment edge and shoulder. Erb sayssignificant damage can occur asvehicles speed up and slow down so this modification helps. Anothermethod the industry is adopting toavoid turns and keep from trackingmud onto the roads is to transferloads in the field from semi-tankersto spreaders rather than transport aloaded spreader.

A method that circumvents townroads completely involves pumpingthe manure through pipes or flexiblehoses threaded along ditches orrunning underneath roads. Sometowns and counties in Wisconsin are starting to install dedicatedunder-pavement pipes or culverts to facilitate this type of transport.

Road weight study

from page 7

pavement edge and, where theshoulder is unpaved, get permis-sion to travel down the middle ofthe road. On asphalt, the 16-inchoffset reduced both asphalt strainand subgrade stress by more than75 percent.

Some counties and towns inWisconsin began to apply that idealast year with temporary one-wayroutes during manure haulingoperations. See related story onpage 2. Working with local governments to implement thesemeasures, Erb learned several ofthem consider the approach a success and anticipate getting fouror five more years of service out oftheir pavements as a result.

One assumption discounted bythe study was that wider (flotation)tires decrease pavement damage.Installed on manure tankers andother equipment to reduce soilcompaction in the field, the over-sized tires tested actually producedcontact pressure on road pave-ments similar to regular truck tires.

Towns’ perspective

Rick Stadelman of the WisconsinTowns Association says the farmequipment study is validating discussions the Association has

had with its members for sometime about the tendency of newer,heavier agricultural vehicles toaccelerate the deterioration ofasphalt pavements. Study data on tire type and weight per axle correspond with what local road officials are seeing in theirjurisdictions.

“For many reasons, seasonal hauling of agricultural materials is more intense than in the past,”Stadelman says. “It’s critical thatlocal governments have strategiesfor managing large equipmentweight issues. There are practicalideas in this study many townsshould be willing to try.” Towns are already initiating discussionswith local farmers and haulers, he adds, implementing seasonal or special weight limits, developing an approval process for temporarytraffic patterns and taking otheractions.

More attention to local weightlimits raises the issue of consis -tency. Stadelman says the Associa -tion encourages towns to preventconfusion by coordinating theirrules with other local governmentsand avoid acrimony by treating alllarge loads — farm and forest —the same.

Testers compared farm vehicles like this single-axle grain cart, loaded and empty, to measure pavementdeflection and other results. The study found that individual axle weight mattered more than gross vehicleweight in causing pavement failure, suggesting the more axles, the better.

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Building roads that can carry the heaviest loads without early failure is a long-term solution local governments need to consider, according to Stadelman.Recognizing the pressure on manytowns to rebuild stronger to meetheavier agricultural and loggingloads, he says the legislature allocated an additional $10 millionfor the Town Road Improvement-Discretionary Funds in the last state budget specifically forimprovements on roads damagedby or inadequate for heavy or high-volume traffic. The stateawarded the funds in early April for this biennium.

Drivable and safe

The role of local governments is to make sure roads are availablefor all users. That means buildingroad to meet local needs andkeeping them in good shape, drivable and safe. It also meansacting on opportunities to protectpavement life without unduly hampering local commerce. Erb, Stadelman and others are

in agreement that the farm equip-ment study provides local road officials, farmers and haulers with

reasonable, fact-based recommen-dations for protecting those roads. Dr. Dai describes the project as agood example of how successfulcooperation between the publicand private sectors can accomplishsomething that benefits both. “These groups came together

to support this research becausethey knew it mattered,” agreesErb, who is doing his part throughUWEX to educate town officialsand farm businesses. “As many of them start to put the studyfindings into practice, that cooper-ation tied to a shared interest isevident.”Readers can download a copy

of the complete roadway researchreport, titled Effects of Implementsof Husbandry (Farm Equipment) on Pavement Performance, from the UW Cooperative Extensionwebsite, http://fyi.uwex.edu/wimanuremgt/resources/road-study/. �

Contacts

Shongtao DaiMinnesota Department ofTransportation651-366-5407Shongtao.Dai@dot.state.mn.us

Kevin ErbUWEX Green Bay920-391-4652kevin.erb@ces.uwex.edu

Rick StadelmanWisconsin Towns Association715-526-3157wtowns1@frontiernet.net

Resources

MnROAD test-track website:An overview of farm equipmentstudy and links to study detailsand related material.http://www.dot.state.mn.us/mnroad/projects/Implements%20of%20Husbandry/Index.html

Cooperative Extension manure management site:Links to various December 2011 presentations about the road-weight study and anelectronic version of the study. http://fyi.uwex.edu/wimanuremgt/resources/road-study/

Building roads that can carry the heaviest loadswithout earlyfailure is a long-term solution local governmentsneed to consider.

Asphalt thicknessmade a hugedifference. The test section with3.5-inch designthickness hadextensive structuralfailure and severerutting early in the test while the5.5-inch section did not experienceany significantbreak down.

The study measured different load levels over five days of testing on theflexible pavement sections in each of the spring and fall test periods.Experienced drivers drove tankers like this one, empty and with loads at 25, 50, 80 and 100 percent capacity.

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LOCAL STREET AND HIGHWAYdepartments interested in a deeperlook at trends affecting crash typeand frequency on Wisconsin roadsnow have access to the informa-tion in a very visual form. The 2011 Wisconsin Crash Calendarorganizes 12 months worth ofcrash data in a color-coded displayshowing the number of propertydamage, injury and fatal crashesfor each time period. It furtherdefines the data by factors likealcohol, deer, bicycle, motorcycle,

pedestrian, weather, rural single-vehicle, speed, work zone andyoung driver.

The Wisconsin TransportationInformation Center (TIC) producedthe calendar to give the WisconsinBureau of Transportation Safety(BOTS) another way to examineand evaluate highway safety problem areas. TIC plans to createcounty-specific calendars in 2012.

Joni Graves, Program Director for TIC on the calendar project,says BOTS uses hard copies of

Crash Calendar illustrates trends

New safety resources in TIC Library

The 2011Wisconsin

CrashCalendardisplays

12 months of data in a color-coded

display.

the calendar at meetings aroundthe state with various groups to generate discussions about what causes crashes and how tointerpret what the data shows.Regional Program Managers use the calendar at Traffic SafetyCommission meetings to commu-nicate about safety issues.

Among trends Graves notes as emerging or confirmed by thecalendar’s data visualization are thefact that alcohol crashes tend tooccur on weekends, deer crashesare a problem in November and allbut fatal crashes tend to correlate with poor weather. She says thecalendar also shows there is a drop in speed-related crashes in summer, something BOTS associates not with the fact thatspeeding is less of a problem insummer but with a disinclinationby law enforcement to reportspeed as a contributing factor in good-weather months when other things, like alcohol, mightplay a role.

The 2011 Crash Calendar is available for download at theSafety Data Resource Portal,http:// wisconsinsafetydataportal.org/. BOTS also plans to distributeadditional hard copies. �

The Wisconsin TransportationInformation Center (TIC) recentlyadded five new worker safety DVD programs to its Video Catalogfor local governments to use inemployee training. The programsrange from 12 to 19 minutes longand feature topics that include

working safely with hot mixasphalt, operating commerciallawn mowers, investigating work-place accidents, safe chainsawoperation and preventing the dangers of heat stress on the job.Look for details on the new titles

in the Resources section of thisissue and at http://tic.engr.wisc.edu/Videos/index.lasso. Free loan ofthese and other resources from theTIC Video Catalog are availablethrough county UW–Extensionoffices. �

http://tic.engr.wisc.edu

C

SPRING

2012 Wisconsin TICUW–Madison

11

FEEDBACK

RESOURCES

CROSSROADS provides road andbridge information for local officials.Published quarterly by the WisconsinTransportation Informa tion Center(TIC) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, it is part of the nationwideLocal Techni cal Assis tance Program(LTAP). TIC is oper ated by theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison and sponsored by the WisconsinDepart ment of Trans por tation and the Federal Highway Adminis tra tion.Please contact us for permission toreproduce articles or graphics.

Steve Pudloski, Directorpudloski@epd.engr.wisc.eduBen Jordan, Staff Engineerjordan@epd.engr.wisc.eduJoni Graves, Program Directorgraves@epd.engr.wisc.eduKatie Pawley, Program Associatepawley@epd.engr.wisc.eduAndrea Loeffelholz, Outreach Specialistloeffelholz@epd.engr.wisc.eduMary Maher, Writer/Editor WRITING & CREATIVE CONCEPTS

Susan Kummer, Graphic DesignerARTIFAX, PUBLICATIONS BY DESIGN

EMAIL tic@epd.engr.wisc.eduTEL 800.442.4615

FAX 608.263.3160

Wisconsin Transportation Information Center432 N. Lake Street Rm 811Madison, WI 53706

http://tic.engr.wisc.edu

Print copies of listedpublications available free from TIC. Down - load or request items at Publica tions on TICwebsite. Video, CDs, and DVDs loaned free at county UW-Extensionoffices. Also see VideoCatalog on TIC website.

TIC websitehttp://tic.engr.wisc.edu/

CONTACT US VIA EMAIL, PHONE, FAX OR MAIL

�

NAME _______________________________________ TITLE/AGENCY ______________________________

ADDRESS _________________________________CITY _______________ STATE ______ ZIP _____________

PHONE _______________________ FAX ______________________ EMAIL __________________________

Mailing list change/addition Information/resource request Idea/comment Email delivery only

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

Web Sources

Rumble strip information fromFHWA sites features technical tipsand answers to frequently askedquestions related to shoulder andcenterline rumbles.http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadway_dept/pavement/rumble_strips/

Pavement thickness is the subject of the website hosted by DavidTimm, a professor in the Depart -ment of Civil Engineering at AuburnUniversity. Provides software applica-tions for pavement thickness designand life cycle cost analysis for low-volume roads. http://www.eng.auburn.edu/users/timmdav/Software.html

Highway Safety ImprovementProgram (HSIP) regional contactsfrom WisDOT site.http://www.dot.state.wi.us/localgov/highways/hsip.htm

Effects of Implements ofHusbandry (Farm Equipment) on Pavement Performance study report link at University ofMinnesota digital download site.http://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/122668

Impacts of Overweight Implementsof Husbandry on Minnesota Roadsand Bridges, December 2004 report.www.intrans.iastate.edu/reports/implements_husbandry_mn.pdf

DVD/VHS/Multimedia

Hot Mix Hazards and Safety,American General Contractors and WUMBUS Corporation, 2011,12 minutes, DVD. Important safetytips and procedures to stay safe inhot mix hazardous work areas.Review methods for working withhazardous hot-mix material neartraffic and heavy equipment. Forsupervisors and crews that work onpaving, sealcoat, and patching.

Heat Stress: Real Accidents, RealStories, WUMBUS Corporation,2011, 15 minutes, DVD. Actualexamples from the field helpdemonstrate how to deal with andprevent the medical condition calledheat stress. Includes information onrecognizing symptoms and actingquickly to save lives. Essential train-

ing for new workers, good reviewfor supervisors and old hands.

The Safe Operation of CommercialLawn Mowers, WUMBUS Corpor -ation, 2010, 13 minutes, DVD. Areview of basic safety procedures for fueling, use of guards, personalprotective equipment and preventiveplanning. Best practices for mowingon slopes and effective equipmentmaintenance. Useful for both newand experienced mower operators.

WSI: Groundskeeping Safety,WUMBUS Corporation, 2011, 19 minutes, DVD. Follow the searchby Workplace Safety Investigators(WSIs) for causes behind a rash ofworkplace accidents during fieldoperations in a parks and recreationmaintenance department. Crewleaders and supervisors learn fromthe approach of these professionalsand their findings.

Chainsaw Safety Basics: An Expert’sPerspective, American ArboristSupplies and WUMBUS Corporation,2012, 14 minutes, DVD. Covers the basics of saw operation, routinemaintenance, and typical safetyproblems. Includes information on preparing a work plan, using personal protective equipment, and the safe fueling and handling of a saw. Valuable training for new and experienced operators.

11

Independent StudyEnroll anytime!Project Management 100:The Basics, Plus ImportantInsights #N547http://epd.engr.wisc.edu or 800-462-0876.

Pesticide ApplicatorTrainingInformation available athttp://ipcm.wisc.edu/pat/

Additionalopportunities from page 12

SUMMER 2010

SPRING 2012 CROSSROADS

12

TIC WorkshopsDetails, locations & registration formssent to Crossroads recipients prior toeach workshop. More information &online registration at http://tic.engr.wisc.edu/workshops/listing.lasso

Mitigation Banking and In-Lieu Fee Programs: Can they really save you valuable time and money? June 21, 1-3 pmLearn to reduce costs, save time and satisfy mitigationrequirements by having anotherentity fulfill your obligations.One session only at the FederalHighway Administration office in Madison. FREE – REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Adaptive Signal ControlsAugust 16, 1-3 pmLearn about improving traffic signal system performance with adaptive signal controltechnology that adjusts trafficlight timing to changing trafficpatterns. Includes national

PRSRT-STDU.S. Postage

P A I DMadison,WI

Permit No. 658

© 2012 TIC–LTAP Printed on recycled paper

CALENDAR

Wisconsin Transportation Information Center432 N. Lake Street Room 811Madison, WI 53706

What’sINSIDE

1 Road weight study provides answers

2 One-way routes protect roads

4 Funding match for safety improvements

6 Rumble strips on two-lane roads

10 Crash Calendar available now

10 New safety resources

11 Resources

12 Calendar”

examples and a discussion ofadaptive controls in Wisconsin.One session only at the FederalHighway Administra tion office in Madison.FREE – REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Winter Road MaintenanceLearn safe and effectiveapproaches to winter mainte-nance. Topics include drivingsafety for operators, mainte-nance chemicals, using abrasives,plowing, liability issues, settingpolicies and making plans forsnow-season operations. WatchTIC website for dates in Septemberand October. FEE: $60

Highway SafetyReview activities and programsfor making local roads safer.Includes use of the MUTCD toensure proper signing and pave-ment markings, and the SAFERManual to develop a local roadsafety plan. Considers range oflow-cost safety improvements

and other safety data and tools.FEE: $60NOV 8 BARNEVELD

NOV 9 WAUKESHA

NOV 12 TOMAH

NOV 13 EAU CLAIRE

NOV 14 HAYWARD

NOV 15 TOMAHAWK

NOV 16 GREEN BAY

On-Site WorkshopsInstruction comes to you, saving time and travel costs.Schedule and tailor program to specific needs. Train morepeople for the same cost orless, including staff from otherdepartments, nearby commu-nities or vendor businesses.Contact the TIC to book programs. On-site workshopsinclude:

• Basic Surveying for LocalHighway Departments

• Basic Work Zone TrafficControl

• Flagger Training

UW-Madison SeminarsWisconsin local govern ment officials are eligiblefor a limited number of scholarships for theseEPD courses held in Madison. Find out more athttp://epd.engr.wisc.edu or 800-462-0876.

S E P T E M B E R

17-18 Soil Engineering for Non-SoilsEngineers and Technicians N237

19-21 Pavement System Design:Subgrade, Materials, andPavement Thickness N365

O C T O B E R

2-4 Essentials of Hydraulics for CivilEngineers and Designers N164

10-12 Unsteady Flow Modeling UsingHEC-RAS N418

16-18 Roundabouts: Calculating CapacityL948

18-19 Managing Snow and Ice ControlOperations N561

23-24 Upgrading, Maintaining, andRepairing Parking Facilities N490

29-30 Introductory Principles of Engineer -ing Project Management N249

http://tic.engr.wisc.edu

Educating all stakeholdersmade a difference. Peopleunderstood what was goingon before it happened.

– page 3

“

CROSSROADS

For other opportunities, see page 11.