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With changing weather patterns, winter maintenance practices are now being implemented in states where deicer chemicals and plowing have not been heavily used in the past. In recent years, the Southeast portion of the United States has seen greater need for information on how deicer chemicals work, the benefits of a winter maintenance plan, and how to deal with increasing public expectations on how roads should be maintained during snow and ice events. This session will be delivered by two top winter maintenance professionals who will share their expertise and stories to provide advice and cutting-edge information for those less experienced in winter operations.Learning Objectives:Recognize the importance of having a winter maintenance plan.Obtain information on best practices for deicing chemicals and other snow and ice treatments and technologies.Establish a communication plan to be able to convey more information to the driving public during a snow and ice event.
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The Canadian Prairies endured a catastrophic spring and summer in 2016. A wildfire in early May prompted a month-long evacuation of 88,000 people living in Fort McMurray. The fire melted water valves in affected homes, which filled basements, draining ash and gravel into the wastewater collection system. They also had to deal with concerns about toxicity and habitat preservation. In July, an oil spill into the North Saskatchewan River resulted in a shut-down of the water treatment plant intakes to protect the potable water supply from hydrocarbon contamination. Large-scale temporary pipelines and pumps sourced from hundreds of miles away provided water supplies.Learning Objectives:Examine their own critical infrastructure and plan for ""what if"" scenarios.Explore the possible unanticipated impacts from disasters on water and wastewater infrastructure.Assess assess critical risk factors in water and wastewater infrastructure and develop plans for recovery of compromised systems.
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This presentation will provide a basic overview of ground penetrating radar (GPR) and evaluate its emerging role in the damage prevention industry for protecting critical infrastructure and public works. Attendees will leave with an understanding of how the technology works, what utility locate data look like and how to interpret it, how GPR compares to other locating equipment, and the role of GPR in damage prevention with specific steps to maximize a successful GPR survey. In the overview of GPR technology, this presentation will summarize the mechanism that GPR uses to image the subsurface and then explore the two main variables that drive depth of location: antenna frequency and material properties. Next will be a review of several case studies from utility locating projects showing both 2D and 3D data. The comparison of these two views will help attendees understand the benefits and limitations of both visualizations. Then I will compare GPR to EM locators, focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of each and ultimately making the case that these are complimentary mapping techniques. Finally, this presentation will present a variety of ways that GPR can be used on locate projects including those with non-ideal conditions and offer a few steps to enhance the likelihood of a successful survey.The people who will benefit most from this presentation are managers of government agencies and engineering firms that conduct damage prevention projects and utility locates as well as those that are considering GPR technology or want to maximize its potential. In addition, locate technicians will find the discussion of GPR basics and the comparison to other technology useful.Learning Objectives: Investigate buried utilities to minimize potential damageExplain the limitations of GPR to clients and agenciesRecommend appropriate use of GPR in a variety of conditions
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The fleet industry has seen massive change over the last 10 years and continues to evolve. We are flooded with new technology, regulations, fuel types and sustainability efforts that have…
Read MorePublic Works professionals work behind the scenes to make our communities better. However, most people do not even realize we exist. Public Works is EVERYWHERE – from state or local agencies, to engineers, consultants, contractors, inspectors, and vendors that work for these agencies, we are the men and women that make the quality of life better and improve our communities everyday by providing core services. As industry leaders, we need to continue to raise awareness of Public Works. This CLL program will provide you with new innovative ways to raise awareness for your agency and for the profession of Public Works.
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Vaughn is one of the fastest growing cities in Ontario, Canada. In 2016/2017, they embarked on a long-term, performance-based winter road maintenance contract. This marks a significant shift in the way winter road maintenance contracts have been structured, and it contains many innovative approaches that rethink the way winter maintenance services are delivered to residents. Find out more about their contract development process, how citizen experience evaluations are obtained, and the program's successes and pitfalls in this first contract year.Learning Objectives:Identify the lessons learned from Vaughn's winter road maintenance contract development process.Explore the many new approaches contained in the contract for improved operational performance and citizen experience.Evaluate how to establish a performance-based contract that includes quality control and assurance, and better contract oversight.
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Is everyone on the same page when it comes to making operational weather decisions at your agency? With today's plethora of information and quick communication tools, many agencies are realizing…
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Prior to 2012, the City of La Quinta, California, was a very ""top down"" organization largely run by the city manager and executive team. In an effort to meet the challenges for delivering more with less and reinventing the way the city does business, they embarked on an effort to increase employee empowerment, and improve business metrics, quicker response times, and greater transparency. By engaging all levels of the organization in decision-making and creative problem-solving, they have achieved higher morale, less manager burnout, and an agency better prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st century.Learning Objectives::Achieve greater productivity and improve morale by empowering staff.Allow managers and supervisors time to plan and think strategically by pushing some decisions down to line staff who are closest to the work being performed.Use technology to leverage staff and make government more responsive and transparent to the public.
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Learn the nuts and bolts of how to orchestrate and host a successful Roadeo. Regional, state and national Snow Equipment Roadeos are becoming a popular way for public works staff…
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How do you get employees to stretch their boundaries and take on new initiatives and projects? Google famously lets its engineers spend up to 20% of their time on side projects. While we can't all be Google, some of their approach can be applied to encourage creative thought and problem-solving. The City of Des Moines Public Works Department has added a unique wrinkle to the pre-existing professional development program. The professional development form includes four goals; the first three are built by the employee and the supervisor. The fourth goal must stretch the employee's boundaries, forcing the employee to learn a new skill, acquire new knowledge or an ability that will help expand his or her job definition. Employees have come up with some really creative projects that will impress you!Learning Objectives: Adapt a traditional, professional development program into one that includes employee innovation.Drive innovation with experienced staff who know their jobs and do them well, but don't stretch beyond that.Build an employee retention tool that is interesting and exciting for both new and current employees.
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