Enhancing winter road maintenance with postseason materials usage analyses

Another winter season has come and gone, with roads maintained thanks to the diligent application of salt, brine and sand. But while the immediate challenges of snow and ice removal may be behind us, a crucial task still lies ahead: The post-mortem analysis of winter operations materials usage.

This analysis is far more than just a bureaucratic exercise. It's vital for proving winter maintenance efforts' efficiency, accountability and sustainability. By meticulously tracking salt and material usage against predetermined management plans, your public works department can:

• Optimize its operations
• Reduce environmental impacts
• Maintain public safety standards

However, conducting this analysis accurately and efficiently without burdening staff with excessive manual logging presents challenges.

By conducting thorough and data-driven post-mortem reports, you can refine your approach, leading to more efficient and environmentally responsible winter road maintenance in future seasons. This process satisfies regulatory requirements and paves the way for continuous improvement in urban winter management.

The backbone of winter preparedness: Public works materials management plans

A comprehensive public works materials management plan for winter operations is the cornerstone of efficient and effective snow and ice control. This blog post outlines strategies for acquiring, storing and spreading materials such as salt, sand and liquid deicers throughout the winter season. It typically includes detailed inventories, usage projections, application guidelines and environmental considerations. 

A well-crafted materials management plan allows your public works department to be prepared to tackle whatever winter throws its way while maintaining fiscal responsibility and environmental stewardship.

Key components of a materials management plan often include:

• Material inventory and storage capacity assessments
• Procurement strategies and supplier agreements
• Usage projections based on historical data and climate forecasts
• Application rate guidelines for various weather conditions
• Equipment maintenance and calibration schedules
• Environmental impact mitigation strategies
• Training programs for personnel
• Reporting and analysis protocols for post-season evaluation

By incorporating these elements, your public works department can manage winter operations more efficiently and reduce waste. With a solid materials management plan to compare to, the next crucial step is conducting a thorough post-winter analysis of salt usage.

Discover more: Find out how telematics enabled Massachusetts DOT to hone their material application strategies and improve efficiency during winter operations.

How to conduct a post-winter salt usage analysis for maximum efficiency

A key aspect of this analysis involves comparing actual salt consumption against projected usage outlined in the pre-season plan. This comparison helps identify discrepancies, understand elemental circumstances and refine future forecasts. Examining these key areas will directly improve your winter maintenance strategies, better aligning your plan with real-world operations next season.

Best practices for comprehensive data collection

Accurate and comprehensive data collection forms the foundation of a practical salt spreading analysis. Your public works department should focus on gathering detailed information about application rates, specific locations, weather conditions, road surface temperatures and the types of materials used. This granular approach to data collection provides a holistic view of winter operations and enables more precise analysis.

Using technology to efficiently gather data

Modern technology offers powerful tools for streamlining the data collection process. GPS tracking systems can provide real-time data on salt spreader locations and application rates, while sensors can automatically record road surface temperatures and weather conditions. Many departments are now implementing real-time inventory management and storm reporting systems to better control their winter operations' material consumption throughout the season. These technologies improve data accuracy and can reduce your staff's manual workload.

Turning data into insights: Analysis techniques for optimizing winter road maintenance

Once data is collected, the next step is to analyze it effectively to uncover insights and opportunities for optimization. This process involves comparing application rates to specific weather events, identifying zones of over-application and evaluating the effectiveness of different materials under various conditions. By examining these patterns, departments can refine their salt spreading strategies, potentially reducing overall usage while maintaining or improving road safety. For example, instead of reporting on total salt used in a season, a thorough analysis of extracted telematics data allows you to say “we identified that 20% of our routes accounted for 40% of our material cost due to over-application. By adjusting our spreader calibration and using real-time road temperature data next winter, we predict a 15% reduction in material costs for these routes.” This level of detail transforms your department from a cost center to a strategic, data-driven operation.

Visualizing data for clarity and impact

Data visualization plays a crucial role in making complex information accessible and actionable. Creating charts, maps, and graphs can help illustrate trends, compare performance across different areas or time periods and highlight areas needing attention. For example, a heatmap showing salt application rates across a city can quickly reveal areas of high usage that may benefit from alternative strategies or more precise application methods.

Crafting clear and concise reports for stakeholders

The insights gained from data analysis are only valuable if they can be effectively communicated to key stakeholders, including city council members and residents. Reports should be clear, concise and focused on key metrics such as total salt used, cost per lane-mile and environmental impact indicators. These reports record the past season's operations and are a tool for justifying budget requests and demonstrating your department's commitment to efficiency and environmental stewardship.

Reports additionally help your team maintain compliance with your local salt management plan. Through tools like Geotab’s public works solution, you can easily document: 

• Material spreading rates and the types used
• Where your spreaders were at any given time
• Where certain materials were spread
• Current or historical plow statuses
• How many passes were made on a particular road segment

All of these data points can ladder into your overall plan, helping you stay compliant, eliminate manual reporting hassles and shield your agency from liability. Whether your agency needs to remain accountable to minimum service levels, refute inaccurate claims or avoid materials usage in certain environments, telematics can provide an impartial view into your operations.

Comparing actuals to the salt management plan

An essential aspect of post-winter analysis is comparing actual salt usage to the projections and standards set out in your department's salt management plan. This comparative analysis helps you maintain compliance, identify areas where the plan was successful and pinpoint where adjustments may be needed. It also demonstrates your department's commitment to following best practices and continually improving its winter road maintenance operations. By regularly conducting this type of analysis and adjusting strategies accordingly, your agency can optimize salt usage, reduce environmental impact and improve overall winter maintenance efficiency year after year.

While analyzing salt usage is crucial for operational efficiency, public works departments must also grapple with a more complex challenge: Balancing public safety needs, while meeting risk compliance standards and minimizing environmental and infrastructural impacts.

Read more: Check out the City of Port Colborne success story to learn how the city optimized salt usage with Geotab.

Finding the right balance: Public safety, infrastructure and environmental concerns

Public works departments face a challenging balancing act in winter operations. On one hand, maintaining public safety is paramount. Failure to meet service level agreements (SLAs) for road clearance can lead to increased collision rates, traffic disruptions and potential liability issues. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, winter weather conditions contribute to over 1,300 fatalities and 116,800 injuries annually in vehicle crashes on snowy, slushy or icy roads. To address this, state and local agencies spend more than $2.3 billion each year on snow and ice control operations, underscoring the critical importance of effective winter road maintenance for public safety.

However, excessive use of deicing materials, particularly salt, has significant drawbacks. The corrosive nature of salt can accelerate the deterioration of roads, bridges and other infrastructure. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that the direct corrosion costs to bridges alone exceed $30 billion annually in the United States. Environmental concerns also cannot be ignored. Overuse of salt can lead to soil and water contamination, harming vegetation and aquatic ecosystems. A study by the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that nearly 50% of urban streams in the northern U.S. have chloride levels that exceed toxic concentrations for certain aquatic life.

Finding the right balance requires a data-driven strategy. Your department can optimize winter maintenance strategies by correlating salt application data with infrastructure condition assessments and environmental monitoring. This may involve exploring alternative deicing materials, implementing precise application techniques or adjusting application rates based on real-time weather and road condition data. The goal is to maintain safe roads while minimizing infrastructure damage and environmental impact, resulting in more responsible stewardship of public resources and the environment.

Navigating future winters

Don’t let another winter pass without capitalizing on your data. Post-winter salt usage analysis is crucial for optimizing winter road maintenance strategies, leading to budget savings, infrastructure preservation and environmental protection. By examining application patterns, weather data and road conditions, municipalities can fine-tune their approach for more efficient resource use. Resources such as the Clear Roads research program and the American Public Works Association's Winter Maintenance Subcommittee offer valuable guidance and best practices for those seeking to implement or improve their analysis process.

For public works fleet managers: Dive deeper into preparing your agency for smooth winter operations. Discover how a data-driven approach can save you time and resources with Geotab's Winter Preparedness Guide. Or, visit our winter operations webpage to learn more about how we can empower your department with the tools for smarter, more sustainable winter management.

Want to learn how Geotab can help you transform public works winter operations? Contact us today to get started.