Fleet Size Estimation for Snowplowing Operation Considering Road Geometry, Weather, and Traffic Speed
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 139, Issue 9
Abstract
Estimating truck fleet size for winter road maintenance, such as snowplowing, is a challenging task for highway maintenance agencies. To estimate the fleet size for a snowplowing operation, a mathematic model is developed considering road geometry, weather, and traffic speed, subject to service time limit. The complexity of the problem lies in the varying pavement width of road sections, different plowing patterns on the mainline and ramps, weather- and time-dependent traffic speed, and the use of mixed types of plows. With real-world data, the developed model is applied in a case study, and the model demonstrates itself to be considerably flexible in adapting to various circumstances in estimating fleet size for snowplowing operations.
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© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 2, 2012
Accepted: Apr 12, 2013
Published online: Apr 13, 2013
Published in print: Sep 1, 2013
Discussion open until: Sep 13, 2013
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