2015 Innovation Honorable Mention
Buhl Highway District: Cement Spreader
Problem Statement:
There was a remaining 2112 ft. of a Cement Recycled Asphalt Base Stabilization (CRABS) project that was left unfinished because funding ran out. Buhl Highway District would have to come up with a way to finish the project on their own and spread cement at a metered rate. (more…)
2015 Innovation Spotlight
Ada County Highway District: The Bottom Feeder
Problem Statement:
When cleaning storm drain pipes greater than thirty-six inches in diameter, traditional vacuum truck systems leave a large amount of debris in the last six to ten feet of the pipe due to the angle that the cleaning head and hose are pulled back through the pipe. This angle also contributes to inefficiencies while cleaning since much of the water stream is aimed at the top and upper sides of the pipe. The leftover debris would normally be cleaned by manual labor using shovels and water hoses. This often required people to crawl inside the pipe and is very time consuming. (more…)
2015 Innovation Honorable Mention
Nampa Highway District #1: Radius Seal Coat
| Entry Title: | Radius Seal Coat |
| Problem Statement: | We noticed there was a lot of time wasted when chipping a radius at the intersection. Not only was our time lost, but the traveling public was being impacted by larger traffic delays while the distributor worked at shooting the radius and then the chipper covered the oil. It was cutting into our production of finished roads every day. |
| Summary of Solution: | We purchased a 400 gallon Tack Pot with propane burner/heater with a spray wand that would enable the crew to shoot oil on the radius, cover with chips and then roll them out prior to the main seal coat body. |
| Labor, Equipment, Materials: | The “Radius Crew” consists of a 3 or 4 man crew. One pick-up to pull the tack pot, one 10-wheeler with mounted shoulder machine to dump the chips once it’s shot and one pick-up to pull a small roller to ensure the chips are rolled properly. |
| Summary of Expenses: | Initially the tack pot was the only expense we made and we rented a roller to see if it was going to work. We then purchased a small roller that we use on many other jobs throughout the year. All of the other equipment used was already on hand. |
| Savings/Benefit of this Solution: | We have been doing this for 3 seasons and have noticed many benefits from this. The biggest is in adding approximately 1 additional mile of completed road per day, and in doing that we are able to complete the chipping portion of the seal coat operation in 2 weeks. Traffic is significantly less impacted, and we are now able to Fog Seal the radii and cul-de-sacs in our subdivisions making a better finished product. |
2015 Innovation Award Winner
Joan Meitl with ACHD: Green Stormwater Infrastructure Implementation
The Local Highway Technical Assistance Council is pleased to announce our Innovation Idea Award Winner for the individual category, Joan Meitl. This employee has developed many alternative ideas for treating stormwater within the Ada County Highway District (ACHD) jurisdiction. This innovative idea includes tree cells, permeable paver alleys, and bioretention facilities. (more…)
The Highway Districts of Cottonwood, Ferdinand, Fenn, Greencreek, Keuterville and the Cities of Cottonwood and Ferdinand were struggling to complete chip seal projects that were cost effective and completed during the proper season. They were paying $23,000 to $25,000 per mile and many of the projects were happening late in the season. (more…)