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The application of equity in infrastructure development and asset management is becoming more relevant in today’s municipal public works world. Cities should consider treating sidewalks as transportation assets, as they help reduce the total cost of ownership by funding routine, preventative, and corrective maintenance through a facility’s lifecycle. The City of Durham recognizes the benefits of equitable transportation asset management practices. Therefore, the Department of Public Works issued a request for quotation (RFQ) to develop the sidewalk asset management (SAM) plan. To ensure equity across the city, Public Works extensively coordinated with Neighborhood Improvement Services to develop a community engagement plan. Geographic information system (GIS) capabilities were used to capture, analyze, and display data. This session will help agencies recognize the economic value of SAM and equitably achieve economic efficiency over the assets’ lifecycle.
Read MoreTraditional sewer inspection can be time-consuming and overlook defects. Coding accuracy is critical when assessing a sewer line’s future degradation or determining which asset to prioritize for rehabilitation. Artificial intelligence (AI) in sewer inspection supplements workers in the field rather than replacing them. AI takes on the more common defects allowing field workers to focus on work at hand and rarer, more difficult codes. AI captures and recreates the workflow in coding and performing sewer inspection quality assurance/control. This technology substantially reduces the time required to review sewer inspection data, increases the number and accuracy of defects coded, and supplements the human element prone to bias. This presentation will demonstrate the benefits of using AI as a low-cost way to evaluate systems and better maintain assets to prioritize rehabilitation and coordinate with other work such as roadway improvements.
Read MorePublic works departments can become siloed within a vertical organizational structure and culture. At the same time, their central responsibilities have great overlap in the goal to serve their constituents’ and community’s infrastructure needs. But how can we functionally create this space when the vertical hierarchies and individual department mentality are ingrained in our organizations? Instead of only a vertical leadership channel, increasing the horizontal flow of information may create greater opportunities for innovation and efficiency. Pima County implemented a horizontal collaboration space across many public works departments, starting with our chief operating officers—those deputy directors who work with everyday operations managing staff and still need to bridge gaps between department mission and vision. This session will help participants look within their organizations for opportunities to create partnerships to increase collaboration and innovation, drawing on real-life examples.
Read MorePublic works professionals from around the country continue to solve the age-old problem of replacing and rehabbing poor structures while also preserving good ones. Developing that annual work plan where resources are limited has proven to be a much more streamlined task using state-of-the-art decision-making and project selection tools, as demonstrated by Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina, and Berrien County, Michigan. As instructors of the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Bridge Management Systems workshop, The Kercher Group has categorized these delivery methods into three categories: Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced. A walk-through of Raleigh, Durham, and Berrien County case studies will help public works professionals develop an implementable strategy that aligns with agency goals and APWA’s Asset Management Roadmap.
Read MoreKnowledge experts will discuss why a smart irrigation system is a sound choice for your lawn and landscape program. The presenters will discuss the benefits of water conservation and the benefits…
Read MoreCommunities big and small, rural and urban, are exploring smart city applications. Technology can offer wonderful benefits—making communities safer, easier to navigate, more efficient, and more engaged—but only when implemented…
Read MoreJulia started her motivational speaking career with a TEDx talk and she is now a sought-after speaker for corporations, universities, and conferences. Previous speaking engagements include AIG, BCBSNC, SAE International,…
Read MoreHave you ever experienced purchasing less than superior salt for your salt barns? Salt containing debris, contaminates or other trace aggregates can damage equipment. Were you aware of the damage this can cause to your manufacturing and application systems? The City of Dublin would like to share a lesson learned and a tool that has saved our salt brine manufacturing and application systems!
Read MoreThis session introduces public works and state DOT employees to an educational opportunity that values their on-the-job training and awards college credits for much of it. College credit towards an associate degree in this online program is awarded for working knowledge such as for CDL, FEMA training and traffic control. Students receive management skills they need to be promoted, as well as general education required for the degree. The program develops fundamental leadership skills and teaches participants how to build and maintain a productive team.
Read MoreUsing liquids in your winter maintenance operations has several benefits. Agencies have found that their total use of materials, particularly salt, has been significantly reduced. In addition, using liquids provides significant cost savings, and experience has shown that use of liquids provides better safety and improved levels of service than more traditional approaches. The speaker will examine the new ways in which liquids are being used in winter operations today. These methods include blending liquids, where small amounts of enhancing liquids are added to a base salt brine. The speaker will also discuss the use of liquid only routes, where agencies have had great success using liquids not only before the storm but also all through the storm. Finally, the speaker will discuss how liquids can be used with solids to handle difficult accumulations of snow and ice.
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