The Federal Highway Administration

1
The Federal Highway Administration Presents
The Maintenance Decision Support System
Paul Pisano Team Leader, Road Weather Management
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The Maintenance Decision Support System
(MDSS) What is it?
- It is a Guidance Tool for Winter Road
Maintenance Operators that
- Combines Customized Rules of Practice with

• State-of-the-Art Weather Models and Forecasting
  Techniques by

- Leveraging the talents of 5 National
Laboratories
3
Goals of the MDSS Project

• The National Perspective
• Foster a Collaborative Environment that focuses
  cutting edge
• research on Surface Transportation Weather
• Maximize investments by building upon existing
  capabilities
• Cultivate New Relationships with Private Sector
  Partners
• For State Departments of Transportation, the
  Goals are to provide
• Better Road-specific Forecasts
• A higher Level of Service
• A Cost Savings from reduced use of Chemicals and
  Manpower
• Less Impact on the Environment

4
Vision of Success

• Continue Evolutionary Development of RWIS
• Support High Risk RD
• Integrate into an Operational Environment
• Harden the Prototype
• Via Public/Private Partnerships
• Conduct Objective Verification and Validation
• Open Development Process
• No Preferential Treatment
• Multi-Disciplinary
• Multi-Constituency

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Data Model Input
Data Fusion Algorithms
User Display
Internet
NWS
NCAR
Stakeholder Remote Viewing
Road Weather Forecast System
Web Server
NOAA PORT Models Operational Weather Data
Content Generation
NSSL Precipitation Type Algorithms
MDSS Display Host
CRREL Road Temperature Chemical
Concentration Algorithms
DOT Database
RWIS Mesonet Data
CRREL/LL Rules of Practice Module
Architectural Overview of the MDSS Operational
Prototype
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Quick Tour of the MDSS Alert Summary Screen
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MDSS Alert Status Screen
Alert Status Screen Shows a Snapshot of Weather
and Road Hazards for a Forecast Period of up to
48 Hours
8
MDSS Parameter Selection Screen
Allows Selection of Forecast Alerts and Weather
Parameters
9
MDSS Animation Control Screen
Manual and Automatic Looping of Alerts and
Weather Parameters Throughout the 48 Hour
Forecast Period
10
MDSS State Alert Summary Screen
Roadway Forecast Points Depicted by Colored Dots
State DOT Forecast Zones are Outlined in Black
The Forecast Zone is Color Coded to Show the
Worst Conditions
Local DOT Coverage Regions are Depicted by Blue
Rectangles
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MDSS Local Area Summary Screen
Weather and Road Alerts Are Specific to the Local
Region
Treatment Options Selection Screen Becomes
Available
Treatment Selections are shown against the
Forecast Timeline
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MDSS Local Area Summary Screen - Zoom
Place the Cursor over a Forecast Point to see
a Site Specific Condition Update
Place the Cursor over a Forecast Route to see a
Route Mobility Summary Screen
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MDSS Local Area Summary Screen
One of the Greatest Capabilities of the MDSS is
its Ability to Provide Optimized Treatment
Solutions or to allow Maintenance Managers to
run What-If Scenarios.
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MDSS Alternative Treatment Screen
Managers can Select Chemical Types
Application Amount
and Application Start Time
Additional Material Types will Be Added in 2003
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Treatment Selection Screen - Mobility

• Mobility Forecasts are Presented for
• The Recommended Treatment
• A User-Selected Alternative Treatment
• No Treatment

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Treatment Selection Screen Snow Depth

• Snow Depth Forecasts are Presented for
• The Recommended Treatment
• A User-Selected Alternative Treatment
• No Treatment

17
Treatment Selection Screen Road Temperature

• Road Temperature Forecasts are Presented for
• The Recommended Treatment
• A User-Selected Alternative Treatment
• No Treatment

No Treatment Yet Selected
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Treatment Selection Screen Chemical
Concentration

• Chemical Concentration Forecasts are Presented
  for
• The Recommended Treatment
• A User-Selected Alternative Treatment
• No Treatment

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MDSS Operations Database Screen
Closest RWIS/AWOS or ASOS Observation
Ground Truth Data Entry
Chemical Stocks Database
Shift Scheduling
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MDSS Status and Future Plans

• For the Latest News on the MDSS Project, Check
  the FHWA Road Weather Management web site at
• http//www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/index.htm
• - MDSS Functional Prototype Demonstration Program
  is Available for Download from
• http//www.rap.ucar.edu/projects/rdwx_mdss/demo/in
  dex.html
• Release 1 of the MDSS Modules is Now Available
  from the NCAR site
• http//www.rap.ucar.edu/projects/rdwx_mdss/softwar
  e_release1/index.html

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MDSS Status and Future Plans

• The FHWA will hold a MDSS Field Demonstration in
  Iowa during
• the Winter of 2003
• The Next MDSS Stakeholder Meeting is planned for
  late June 2003 in
• Des Moines/Ames, Iowa
• Release 2 of the MDSS Modules will be available
  in Sept 2003

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MDSS Contact Information
Paul Pisano Team Leader, Road Weather
Management email Paul.Pisano_at_fhwa.dot.gov phone
202-366-1301 Henry Lieu Technical
Representative, Office of Operations Research
and Development email Henry.Lieu_at_fhwa.dot.gov ph
one 202-493-3273 FHWA Road Weather Management
Program Web Page http//www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weath
er/index.htm NCAR MDSS Web Page http//www.rap.uc
ar.edu/projects/rdwx_mdss/index.html