Phase 3 & 4, Dynamic Forecast Controlled Winter Road Maintenance

Important results from the project

The project´s objective is to adapt and implement residual salt models in road weather forecasts in decision support systems for winter road maintenance. In order to be able to develop optimal salting strategies, the amount of residual salt from previous saltings needs to be estimated correctly. Based on these forecasts, control files for salt spreaders can be generated by the system and sent to salt spreaders so that the right amount of salt is used in the right place. This enables the full saving potential via dynamic forecast control.

Expected long term effects

NordFoU´s-MORS´s algorithm for modeling residual salt on the road surface has been integrated into the project according to plan by project parties in their decision support system, DSS, for winter road maintenance. Development of control file management for salt spreaders has also been developed and implemented according to plan, ie the salt spreader can be automated. All in all, this means that automatic salt spreading based on real needs can be carried out technically and to a greater extent as forecast quality from the DSS that include residual salt models has improved.

Approach and implementation

The project has been carried out by the road maintenance industry together with VTI, which has been involved in developing residual salt models of international top class. The project has been able to support the road weather forecast providers in the implementation and development of the residual algorithms in their decision support system in the intended way. The development work of control file management for salt spreaders has been carried out by Friggeråkers Verkstäder with experience as a salt system supplier and BM System, a system supplier of fleet management services.