Browsing by Subject "Best practices"

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Assessment and Recommendations for the Operation of Standard Sumps as Best Management Practices for Stormwater Treatment (Volume 2)
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2012-05) McIntire, Kurtis D.; Howard, Adam; Mohseni, Omid; Gulliver, John S.
In order to improve the performance of standard sumps as a best management practice (BMP) in treating stormwater runoff, a baffle was designed to be installed as a retrofit in standard sumps. The retrofit is a porous baffle called “SAFL Baffle”. The effect of the SAFL Baffle on the performance of standard sumps was assessed by conducting laboratory tests on small scale as well as full scale straight flow-through standard sumps equipped with the baffle. In addition, a number of tests were conducted to determine the performance of standard sumps with the SAFL Baffle when the baffle is clogged with debris like trash and vegetation. Furthermore, the performance of two other configurations of the baffle was studied: (1) the SAFL Baffle in a sump with an outlet pipe 90 degrees to the inlet pipe, and (2) the SAFL Baffle in a sump with some water entering the sump through an overhead inlet grate. Standard sumps equipped with the SAFL Baffle were evaluated using two metrics: (1) How well the system captures sediment during low flow conditions (Removal Efficiency Testing), and (2) how well the system retains the previously captured sediment during high flow conditions (Washout Testing). The results of the tests showed that the SAFL Baffle dissipates the energy of water entering the sump and as a result, at low flow rates, it captures sediment better than a standard sump with no baffle. More importantly, at high flow rates, the washout of the previously captured sediment reduces to near zero.
Best Practices Handbook for Roadside Vegetation Management
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2008-07) Johnson, Ann M.
Maintaining roadsides for safety and aesthetics is an important issue for all levels of government throughout Minnesota. Vegetation is one important element of roadside maintenance. A healthy roadside environment reduces maintenance needs and costs, reduces erosion and improves water quality, improves water infiltration and reduces runoff, preserves the roadside surface, maximizes safety for vehicles and travelers, limits liability for the governing agency, maintains good public relations, improves the overall driving experience, and provides habitat for wildlife populations. This handbook was written to provide guidelines for effective management of roadside vegetation for local agencies, and highlights eight best management practices (BMPs) that were identified through research, literature review, surveys, and discussion with industry experts. The eight best management practices for roadside vegetation are: (1) develop an integrated roadside vegetation management plan; (2) develop a public relations plan; (3) develop a mowing policy and improved procedures; (4) establish sustainable vegetation; (5) control prohibited and restricted noxious weeds; (6) manage living snow fences; (7) use integrated construction and maintenance practices; and (8) manage roadside vegetation for wildlife and vehicle safety. The main conclusion from the handbook is that successful roadside vegetation management depends on an integrated approach. This includes a wide variety of best management practices to address the many issues involved. This integrated approach includes an assessment of the existing conditions and determination of the type of roadside environment desired. Other construction operations, including proper seeding techniques, selection of the correct plant in the right area, selection of salt-tolerant plant species where needed, and erosion control, will greatly affect the roadside condition. Use of integrated construction and maintenance practices is one of the most important best management practices identified in the handbook.
Best Practices Handbook on Roadside Vegetation Management
(Minnesota Technology Transfer/LTAP Program, Center for Transportation Studies, 2000-09) Johnson, Ann M.
Maintaining roadsides for safety and aesthetics is an important issue for all levels of government throughout Minnesota. Vegetation is one important element of roadside maintenance. This handbook provides guidelines for effective management of roadside vegetation for local agencies, and highlights seven best management practices that were identified through research, surveys, and discussion with industry experts. The seven best management practices for roadside vegetation fall into these seven categories: 1. Develop an integrated roadside vegetation management plan; 2. Develop a public relations plan; 3. Develop a mowing policy and improved procedures; 4. Establish sustainable vegetation; 5. Control noxious weeds; 6. Manage living snow fences; 7. Use integrated construction and maintenance practices; The main conclusion from the handbook is that successful roadside vegetation management depends on an integrated approach. This includes a wide variety of best management practices to address the many issues involved. This integrated approach includes an assessment of the existing conditions and determination of the type of roadside environment desired. Other construction operations, including proper seeding techniques, selection of the correct plant in the right area, selection of salt-tolerant seed species where needed, and erosion control, will greatly affect the roadside condition. Use of integrated construction and maintenance practices is one of the most important best management practices identified in the handbook.
Comprehensive Field Evaluation of Asphalt Patching Methods and Development of Simple Decision Trees and a Best Practices Manual
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2017-06) Barman, Manik; Dailey, Jay; Dave, Eshan V.; Kostick, Robert D.
The long-term performance of pothole patches largely depends on the selection of the patching method. A number of pothole patching methods are in practice in Minnesota and other nearby states. However, pavement maintenance crews often encounter problems in selecting the most appropriate patching method because proper guidelines are not available. The objective of this project was to investigate the effectiveness of different pavement patching methods and to develop simple decision trees and a best practices manual. The performance of 20 different pothole patches, which were patched with four different types of patching methods and located at five different construction sites, were monitored for approximately two years. Based on the observed performance of the pothole patches considered in this study, two forms of decision trees and a best practices manual have been developed for selecting the most appropriate patching method for a given pothole condition. The developed decision trees can be used to select the patching method based on the location of the pothole (e.g., along longitudinal joints, localized potholes, etc.), construction season, condition of the pothole, and pothole area and depth. The best practices manual provides guidelines on the selection of patching method, pothole preparation, placement of patching materials, and compaction.
Design and Construction of Infiltration Facilities
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2021-06) Tecca, Nicholas P.; Gulliver, John S.; Nieber, John L.; Weiss, Peter T.
Infiltration stormwater control measures are an important structural practice to mitigate the impacts of urbanization on stormwater quality and quantity. Infiltration stormwater control measures help to mimic the natural processes of infiltration and evapotranspiration. Unfortunately, the failure rate of infiltration stormwater control measures has been observed to be between 10% and 50%. Two common causes of failure are addressed in this work, namely improper siting and improper characterization of saturated hydraulic conductivity. A procedure to calculate a preliminary infiltration rating (PIR) was developed in a geographic information system to identify areas where infiltration stormwater control measures are likely to be successful. The Modified Philip-Dunne infiltrometer, double ring infiltrometer, Turf-Tec IN2-W infiltrometer, and soil texture analysis were used to estimate infiltration capacity in three swales in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area. A correction factor was proposed for the Turf-Tec IN2-W infiltrometer. A protocol for assessing infiltration capacity was also proposed.
Design Tool for Controlling Runoff and Sediment from Highway Construction
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2008-08) Wilson, Bruce N.; Sheshukov, Aleksey; Mendez, Aida
Regulations require that stormwater pollution prevention plans be developed for construction activities that disturb an area that is equal to or greater than one acre. Different strategies, including a combination of practices, can be used to develop these plans. The WATER model was a tool developed from a previous project to assess the effectiveness of different on-site sediment control practices. This model is expanded in this study to consider offsite practices, to include processes at the watershed scale, and to allow spatial data sets to be integrated into the simulation framework. Routines to simulate the impact of off-site practices of rock check dams, vegetative filters, and detention ponds are added to the WATER model. The detention pond model has been modified to allow rock and gravel infiltration filters to be included as an off-site practice. Two different algorithms are used: (1) the Protocol Method based purely on empirical data and (2) the Process-Based Method using process-based relationships developed for porous media flow.
Development and Evaluation of Effective Turbidity Monitoring Methods for Construction Projects
(Minnesota Department of Transportation Research Services & Library, 2014-07) Perkins, Rebekah Lynn; Hansen, Brad; Wilson, Bruce N.; Gulliver, John S.
Various agencies have discussed the possibility of using turbidity as an effluent standard for construction site. Turbidity monitoring can be difficult for dynamic construction sites. This project investigated turbidity relationships for conditions of Minnesota and developed protocols for the design and installation of cost-effective monitoring systems. Turbidity characteristics of fourteen different soils in Minnesota were investigated using the laboratory protocols. Trends in turbidity with sediment concentrations were well represented by power functions. The exponent of these power functions was relatively constant between soils and the log-intercept, or scaling parameter varied substantially among the different soils. A regression analysis for the scaling parameter was a function of percent silt, interrill erodibility, and maximum abstraction. A power value of 7/5 was chosen to represent all soils. The field studies were also used to develop turbidity monitoring systems that would be adaptable to construction sites and to collect turbidity data on construction site runoff. Construction site turbidities often exceeded 1000 NTUs and sometimes surpassed 3000 NTUs.
Effective Social Media Engagement Options for Minnesota’s Diversifying Population
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2018-02) Schneider, Ingrid E.; Quick, Kathryn; Peck, Melissa; Pflughoeft, Ben
Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and Minnesota Local Road Research Board (LRRB) supported the University of Minnesota to investigate social media options for effective public engagement. A three-part approach assessed 1) the state of social media use through a literature review, 2) the status of social media use and interest in its use for transportation in Minnesota compared to national data, and 3) actual and perceived effectiveness of social media in two pairs of case studies in Minnesota. In sum, results reveal social media is effective as a strategic and select part of engagement plans and can likely effectively engage select groups. Survey results revealed 11-21% of respondents participated in planning for transportation programs, policies or projects in the last 12 months, 72% use social media of some sort, and 36% expressed interest in using social media to get information, provide feedback or make suggestions related to transportation. Finally, social media analytics and interviews related to four case studies revealed social media does indeed lead transportation projects to make more connections with stakeholders, but the quality and effectiveness of those connections vary. Four main opportunities include: 1) integrating social media into multi-pronged, dynamic engagement approaches, 2) considering the demographic qualities of the key stakeholders to determine how social media can be most useful, 3) employing best practices for social media engagement, and 4) expanding and/ or developing research and evaluation plans to understand and assess future social media engagement efforts.
Erosion Risk Assessment Tool for Construction Sites
(2006-07-01) Wilson, Bruce N.; Sheshukov, Aleksey; Pulley, Reid
The impact of erosion and sediment from construction sites can be reduced by using a variety of onsite and offsite practices. The WATER model was developed to be a tool to assess the effectiveness of different sediment control practices. The WATER model evaluates risk by performing many simulations of a construction site response for different weather conditions. A particularly important component of the WATER model is the prediction of daily climate variables and storm characteristics called WINDS. This model uses the statistics for the analyzed data to predict many years of possible weather conditions. Predicted weather and storm characteristics are in very good agreement with those observed. The WATER model simulates surface runoff, plant processes, and erosion and sediment transport as major hillslope processes. Four runoff events (spring dry run, spring wet run, fall dry run, and fall wet run) from artificial rainfall conditions were measured.
Scenarios and Justification for Automated Vehicle Demonstration in Rural Minnesota
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2019-06) Douma, Frank; Petersen, Erin
Automated vehicles (AVs) have the potential to disrupt the current transportation system and culture. While experts debate the exact timeline, the question is likely a matter of when, not if. Therefore, communities of all kinds need to prepare for this future. Small urban and rural communities, in particular, could benefit from the development of the technology, as many of their residents are unable to drive due to age and/or disability. Automated technology could provide a cost-effective and efficient solution for these communities, but so far, most of the AV testing has been conducted in densely populated urban areas. This project provides justification for why rural and small urban communities should host AV demonstrations and how these communities can create a plan to do so. We accomplish this task by providing information about rural and small urban communities and by reviewing the current state of AV technology, the legal environment for AVs, and best practices from past and current AV demonstrations. We also engage with two small urban communities in Minnesota to gather information about real community needs, desires, and limitations.
Stormwater BMP Inspection and Maintenance Resource Guide
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2024-06) Erickson, Andrew J.; Gulliver, John S.; Weiss, Peter T.
Stormwater treatment practices, often referred to as stormwater best management practices (BMPs), require a substantial commitment to maintenance, including regular inspections and assessments. Existing regulations require governmental units to develop a systematic approach for ongoing inspection and maintenance to ensure that they are achieving their desired treatment goals. A lack of maintenance will lead to a decrease in BMP performance and will often result in expensive rehabilitation or rebuild. In 2009, SRF Consulting produced a maintenance guide for the Local Road Research Board (LRRB) (Marti, et al. 2009). In 2023, the LRRB commissioned the University of Minnesota St. Anthony Falls Laboratory to update this guide to reflect new best practices. The Stormwater BMP Inspection and Maintenance Resource Guide (the Guide) is a supplement to the Minnesota Stormwater Manual (MPCA 2023) and will help the reader plan for recommended long-term maintenance activities through guidance on visual inspection, testing, and monitoring methods for identifying what maintenance is needed, and when it is needed. The Guide describes inspection and maintenance for constructed stormwater ponds (both dry and wet) and wetlands, underground sedimentation practices, infiltration practices, filtration practices, bioretention practices, permeable pavements, and stormwater harvesting. In addition, the Guide includes a section on Meeting Stormwater Management Objectives, which provides information on achieving reductions for sediment, phosphorus, nitrogen, metals, chloride, pathogens, and organic chemicals. The Guide also includes Field Inspections Resources, which contains inspection checklists and maintenance activity recommendations for all of the practices listed above.

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