Fall 2001 Technology Exchange
Heavy agricultural equipment
damaging Minnesota's local roads
With larger farms and continuously improving farming techniques, the
demand to increase equipment-carrying capacity has changed the farming
industry. The result is excessive damage to county and township roads.
Rick Kjonaas is new
State Aid assistant director
Kjonaas previously served as county engineer in McLeod County, Minn.
and in Morton County, North Dakota.
Whitetopping: An alternative
to asphalt resurfacing
Searching for a more practical and economical alternative to current
practices, Mn/DOT has conducted an in-depth study on a new concrete mixture
called whitetopping.
Lessons learned from
European work zones
With work zone fatalities increasing, the need for improved work zone
safety is more evident than ever.
Deaths up in highway
work zones
The number of people killed in work zones around the country is at an
all-time high.
LRRB committed to putting
research into practice
Highlights of recent projects from the Research Implementation Committee.
Reports are available through Mn/DOT's Office of Research Services.
New and improved LRRB
web site coming to you
In response to your comments, the LRRB Research Implementation Committee
funded several enhancements.
Voids in mineral aggregate
affect hot-mix asphalt pavement durability
One of the factors often linked with asphalt durability is the thickness
of the asphalt coating on the aggregate particles.
Better accuracy in predicting
ESAL levels on county roads
A recent study found that the assumed vehicle distribution provided by
Mn/DOT has led to significantly over- or under-predicted ESAL levels.
Retroreflectometers
available for local government use
Mn/DOT has purchased two retroreflectometers that will be available to
local governments upon request.
Counties encouraged
to adopt a right-of-way ordinance
A new model ordinance is available to help counties develop their own
regulations for management of public rights-of-way.
Salt dangers
A sometimes overlooked but important environmental issue.
Rural intersection
lighting reduces crashes
The LRRB recently funded a comprehensive look at the effectiveness of
street lighting in preventing crashes at rural intersections.
North Star safety
workshop: reduce MN traffic deaths to zero
Participants with a concern for public safety came together from around
the world.
New standard for use of
recycled glass in pavement aggregate base
The use of recycled materials in pavements has received a boost with
the adoption of a new national specification for recycling glass in soil
aggregate base courses.
U of M offers construction management courses next spring
The University of Minnesota's Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.S.)
with a major in Construction Management (CM) is a practitioner-oriented
degree. It was designed with the help of construction industry professionals.
Fall maintenance expo sets record
This year's expo attendance set another record, as more than 2,000
participants listened to presentations and browsed equipment at the
September 26–27 event in St. Cloud.
Heavy agricultural equipment damaging Minnesota's local roads
Since 1970, the number of farms operational in Minnesota decreased
by 33 percent while the average farm size increased by 40 percent. With
larger farms and continuously improving farming techniques, the demand
to increase equipment-carrying capacity has changed the farming industry.
Inquiring minds want Recent Acquisitions
The Mn/DOT Library publishes a Recent Acquisitions listing six times
a year. This document contains a variety of published materials from
around the world that the library has recently acquired. Documents are
organized in categories such as access management, aeronautics, air
quality management, and asphalt, to name just a few.
Northland "How To" conference to be held in March
The Northland Chapter of American Traffic Safety Services Association
(NCATSSA) will be holding its annual "How To" conference March 19–20,
2002. The "How To" conference will be held at the Fargo Civic Center
and is open to city, county, state, and federal agencies as well as
to contractors.
Online registration now available for T2 workshops
You are now able to register for T2/LTAP workshops online. This will
make registration even easier and more convenient.
FHWA releases traffic signal management video
The FHWA's Operations Division recently released a new video on traffic
signal management.
Unveiling of the National Work Zone Memorial: submission of names begins
Over the years, thousands of men and women have died in work zones. Those forgotten include not only work zone workers but also motorists, law enforcement officers, public safety officials (such as fire fighters and emergency medical technicians), and children.