Improving Snow Plow Design: Highway Maintenance Concept Vehicle, Phase 5

Principal Investigator:

Stephen Andrle, andrle@iastate.edu (other projects)

Co-Principal Investigator:

• Dennis Kroeger, kroeger@iastate.edu (other projects)

Project Status: In Progress

Start Date: 03/01/2006
End Date: 07/31/2007

Project Web Page: http://www.ctre.iastate.edu/research/conceptv/phase5/


Research Objective: This research project will be conducted under the auspices of the Clear Roads pooled fund research program aimed at rigorous testing of winter maintenance materials, equipment and methods for use by highway maintenance crews. The members of this pooled fund research project are Wisconsin (Lead State), Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.

The objectives of this Clear Roads research project can be grouped into three categories: 1) snow removal, 2) driver safety and comfort, 3) financial.

This research effort will identify and test snow plow features that address the following snow-removal objectives: clear roadway in one pass; reduce snow residue behind the plow; develop a contour-following blade or alternative to a blade; plow speed that is within ten mph of traffic speed--about 40-45 mph. CTRE will synthesize the literature and experience on approaches to snow removal and recommend concepts to be constructed and tested by the members of the Clear Roads research program. Driver safety and comfort objectives will be addressed by a literature search only, focusing on what has been tried and with what success. The primary financial objective is increased efficiency. Costs for alternative plow assemblies will be documented or estimated as appropriate.

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