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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.
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.
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
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…
Over the past three years, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has been building a platform to collect, review, approve, and distribute construction contract documents. Examine why they moved to a paperless environment and the various components they chose for the platform, which included document management, mobile devices, digital signatures, and electronic ""as-built"" plants. They'll also discuss the costs associated with these choices and the challenges associated with this cultural business shift.Learning Objectives: List the components of FDOT's e-construction platform.Review the initial and annual costs for e-construction.Prepare for the implementation of an e-construction system.
Emergencies and disasters can occur at any time. Public works departments are critical members of the emergency response team. As a public works leader, you and members of your team could be asked to step up and provide leadership at a moment's notice to unplanned disasters such as hurricanes, tornados, floods, wild fires, blizzards, ice storms, etc. Are you prepared to handle this type of situation? Attend this workshop and hear from public works leaders who have dealt with various unplanned emergencies. They'll share how having a mutual aid structure is extremely beneficial to response and recovery efforts. They'll also help prepare you for what to expect in this kind of unplanned challenge.Learning Objectives:Provide strong leadership during an unplanned emergency event.Leverage community and agency resources for timely and effective response.Examine how to develop and implement a mutual aid structure to provide support during emergencies.
The Excellence in Ice & Snow Control award recognizes agencies that demonstrate excellence in the management and administration of public works snow and Ice operations. This year's winners from the…
The City of Fishers, Indiana Department of Public Works has developed an AVL (Automatic Vehicle Locating) system that utilizes the ESRI GIS platform. This cutting edge system allows the city…
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.
Facility managers know the importance of maintaining a safe and functional building for occupants on a daily basis. But, how prepared is your facility to withstand a hurricane, earthquake, flood, or fire? Do you conduct regular assessments of your facilities' roofs, utilities, and emergency life systems? Do you have a preventive maintenance program? What back-up systems are in place to support emergency operations, including fuel supply and generators?Learning Objectives: Identify facility deficiencies that would impact emergency preparedness.Anticipate ""Are You Ready?"" through preventive maintenance best management practices.Prepare facilities now to support emergency operations for specific issues and hazards.