Maintenance and Design of Steel Abutment Piles in Iowa Bridges, TR-622, 2014

Soil consolidation and erosion caused by roadway runoff have exposed the upper portions of steel piles at the abutments of numerous bridges, leaving them susceptible to accelerated corrosion rates due to the abundance of moisture, oxygen, and chlorides at these locations. This problem is compounded by the relative inaccessibility of abutment piles for close-up inspection and repair. The objective of this study was to provide bridge owners with recommendations for effective methods of addressing corrosion of steel abutment piles in existing and future bridges A review of available literature on the performance and protection of steel piles exposed to a variety of environments was performed. Eight potential coating systems for use in protecting existing and/or new piles were selected and subjected to accelerated corrosion conditions in the laboratory. Two surface preparation methods were evaluated in the field and three coating systems were installed on three piles at an existing bridge where abutment piles had been exposed by erosion. In addition, a passive cathodic protection (CP) system using sacrificial zinc anodes was tested in the laboratory. Several trial flowable mortar mixes were evaluated for use in conjunction with the CP system. For existing abutment piles, application of a protective coating system is a promising method of mitigating corrosion. Based on its excellent performance in accelerated corrosion conditions in the laboratory on steel test specimens with SSPC-SP3, -SP6, and -SP10 surface preparations, glass flake polyester is recommended for use on existing piles. An alternative is epoxy over organic zinc rich primer. Surface preparation of existing piles should include abrasive blast cleaning to SSPC-SP6. Although additional field testing is needed, based on the results of the laboratory testing, a passive CP system could provide an effective means of protecting piles in existing bridges when combined with a pumped mortar used to fill voids between the abutment footing and soil. The addition of a corrosion inhibitor to the mortar appears to be beneficial. For new construction, shop application of thermally sprayed aluminum or glass flake polyester to the upper portion of the piles is recommended.

Audit report on the Honey Creek Resort Operations Account maintained by Central Group Management, LLC for the year ended June 30, 2015

Audit report on the Honey Creek Resort Operations Account maintained by Central Group Management, LLC for the year ended June 30, 2015

Performance Measures for Iowa Transportation Systems, 2006

The purpose of performance measures in planning operations is to identify and track meaningful, quantifiable measures that reflect progress toward the goals of the plan. The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) has already adopted performance measures in a number of operational areas, including highway maintenance, highway safety, public transportation, and aeronautics. This report is an initial effort to utilize performance measures for transportation system planning. The selected measures provide a cross-section of system performance indicators across three selected transportation planning goals (safety, efficiency, and quality of life) and five transportation modes (highways/bridges, public transit, railroads, aviation, and pedestrian/bicycle). These performance measures are exploratory in nature, and constitute a first attempt to apply performance measures in the context of a statewide, multimodal transportation plan from the Iowa DOT. As such, the set of performance measures that the Iowa DOT uses for planning will change over time as more is learned about the application of such measures. The performance measures explained in this document were developed through consultation with Iowa DOT modal staff (aviation, railroads, highways, public transportation, and pedestrian/bicycle) and the Office of Traffic and Safety. In addition, faculty and staff at the Iowa State University Center for Transportation Research and Education were consulted about performance measurement and data within their areas of expertise.

Deploying the Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) in Iowa, 2003

Adverse weather conditions dramatically affect the nation’s surface transportation system. The development of a prototype winter Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) is part of the Federal Highway Administration’s effort to produce a prototype tool for decision support to winter road maintenance managers to help make the highways safer for the traveling public. The MDSS is based on leading diagnostic and prognostic weather research capabilities and road condition algorithms, which are being developed at national research centers. In 2003, the Iowa Department of Transportation was chosen as a field test bed for the continuing development of this important research program. The Center for Transportation Research and Education assisted the Iowa Department of Transportation by collecting and analyzing surface condition data. The Federal Highway Administration also selected five national research centers to participate in the development of the prototype MDSS. It is anticipated that components of the prototype MDSS system developed by this project will ultimately be deployed by road operating agencies, including state departments of transportation, and generally supplied by private vendors.

Maintenance of Traffic for Innovative Geometric Design Work Zones, 2015

Currently there are no guidelines within the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) on construction phasing and maintenance of traffic (MOT) for retrofit construction and maintenance projects involving innovative geometric designs. The research presented in this report addressed this gap in existing knowledge by investigating the state of the practice of construction phasing and MOT for several types of innovative geometric designs including the roundabout, single point urban interchange (SPUI), diverging diamond interchange (DDI), restricted-crossing left turn (RCUT), median U-turn (MUT), and displaced left turn (DLT). This report provides guidelines for transportation practitioners in developing construction phasing and MOT plans for innovative geometric designs. This report includes MOT Phasing Diagrams to assist in the development of MOT strategies for innovative designs. The MOT Phasing Diagrams were developed through a review of literature, survey, interviews with practitioners, and review of plans from innovative geometric design projects. These diagrams are provided as a tool to assist in improving work zone safety and mobility through construction of projects with innovative geometric designs. The aforementioned synthesis of existing knowledge documented existing practices for these types of designs.

Concept Highway Maintenance Vehicle, Final Report, Phase One, 1997

The state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) of Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota formed a consortium to define and develop the next generation highway maintenance vehicle. The Center for Transportation Research and Education of Iowa State University provided staff support to the concept highway maintenance vehicle project, which focused on winter maintenance activities. Phase I of the three-phase project focused on describing the desirable functions of a concept maintenance vehicle. Phase II will include the development, operation, and evaluation of prototype winter maintenance vehicles. Phase III is envisioned to be a comprehensive fleet evaluation of prototype winter maintenance vehicles. This report covers the activities of Phase I. Phase I included conducting a literature review of materials related to winter highway maintenance activities, identifying ideal capabilities of a winter maintenance vehicle, inviting private sector equipment and technology providers to join the project and commit equipment and expertise for Phase II, and determining the specific equipment and technology to be included on the three prototype vehicles for the winter of 1996-1997. Phase I concluded by establishing that assembling the three prototype vehicles would be beneficial to the project and to the three state DOTs.

Motor Grader Operator Maintenance of Granular Surfaced Roads : Tips from Iowa Operators, 1991

This booklet is a compilation of notes taken during motor grader operators workshops held at some 20 different locations throughout Iowa during the last two years. It is also the advice of 16 experienced motor grader operators and maintenance foremen (from 14 different counties around Iowa), who serve as instructors and assistant instructors at the "MoGo" workshops. The instructors have all said that they learn as much from the operators who attend the workshops as they impart. Motor grader operators from throughout Iowa have shown us new, innovative and better ways of maintaining gravel roads. This booklet is an attempt to pass on some of these "tips" that we have gathered from Iowa operators. It will need to be revised, corrected, and added to based on the advice we get from you, the operators who do the work here in Iowa.

Quantitative Guidelines for Thin Maintenance Surfaces, TR-435, 2003

What follows are the refined guidelines from the Thin Maintenance Surface: Phase II Report. For that report, test sections were created and monitored along with some existing test sections. From the monitoring and evaluation of these test sections, literature reviews, and the experience and knowledge of the authors, the following guidelines were created. More information about thin maintenance surfaces and their uses can be found in the above-mentioned report.