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VIRGINIA COUNCIL Technical Report Documentation Page 1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No. FHWANA-97-RI0 4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date February 1997 Evaluation ofUrethane and Carbide-tipped Blades on Wheel-Supported Snow Plows 6. Performing Organization Code 7. Author(s) 8. Performing Organization Report No. D. S. Roosevelt and B. H. Cottrell, Jr. VTRC 97-RI0 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS) Virginia Transportation Research Council 530 Edgemont Road 11. Contract or Grant No. Charlottesville, VA 22903-0817 Project No. 0544-020 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address 13. Type ofReport and Period Covered Final Report Virginia Department ofTransportation Federal Highway Administration 1401 E. Broad Street 1504 Santa Rosa Road 14. Sponsoring Agency Code Richmond, VA 23219 Richmond, VA 23229 15. Supplementary Notes In cooperation with the U.S. Department ofTransportation, Federal Highway Administration 16. Abstract The objective ofthis study was to evaluate the performance ofurethane and carbide-tipped snow plow blades on wheel supported plows. Their performance was compared to that ofVDOT's standard blade arrangement: carbide-tipped blades on plows without wheels. Performance was measured by the extent ofdamage to pavement markings, the quality ofsnow removal, and cost. The addition ofwheel supports to plows with carbide-tipped blades prolonged the retroreflectivity and service life of pavement markings. A life-cycle cost analysis revealed that carbide-tipped blades without wheels were the least expensive alternative, followed closely by carbide-tipped blades with wheels, and then urethane blades with wheels. When compared with carbide-tipped blades without wheels, carbide-tipped or urethane blades with wheels were effective in removing loose, but not packed, snow. Timely chemical application to prevent snow-pavement bonding is crucial, particularly with wheel-supported plows. Urethane blades are susceptible to wear through friction and are impractical for use on second and third priority snow routes where variations in cross slope and soft shoulders bring the blade into contact with the pavement. The use ofsupports on plows equipped with carbide-tipped blades allows the operator the option to use the plow in a supported mode for fITst priority routes and an unsupported mode for second and third priority routes. Proper alignment ofthe wheels is critical to ensure proper operation, protection ofthe urethane blades from wear, and reduction ofdamage to pavement markings. Measuring the monetary value of increased and prolonged retroreflectivity ofpavement markings and more effective snow removal is difficult. The authors recommend that VDOT not use urethane blades as a replacement for carbide-tipped blades under current operating conditions. However, ifVDOT continues to make brighter and more durable pavement markings a high priority, then it should consider using carbide-tipped blades on plows with wheels. Other actions that balance protecting Virginia's pavement marking investment and ensuring effective snow removal, such as restricting the use ofheavy equipment for snow removal and providing operator training, should also be considered. Finally if ~upported plows are adopted for use, other options to support the plow should be investigated through product evaluations by VDO personnel. 17. Key Words 18. Distribution Statement urethane snow plow blades, carbide-tipped snow plow blade, No restrictions. This document is available to the public snow plow, snow removal, ice control, retroreflectivity, waffle through NTIS, Springfield, ' A 22161. tape, pavement markings I 19. Security Classif. (ofthis report) 120. Security Classif. (ofthis page) 21. No. ofPages 22. Price Unclassified Unclassified 71 Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) ReproductIon of completed page authorIzed FINAL REPORT EVALUATION OF URETHANE AND CARBIDE-TIPPED BLADES ON WHEEL-SUPPORTED SNOW PLOWS D. S. Roosevelt Research Scientist B. H. Cottrell, Jr. Senior Research Scientist (The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this report are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the sponsoring agencies.) Virginia Transportation Research Council (A Cooperative Organization Sponsored by the Virginia Department of Transportation and the University of Virginia) In Cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Charlottesville, Virginia February 1997 VTRC 97-R10 Copyright 1997, Virginia Department of Transportation. 11 ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of urethane and carbide tipped snow plow blades on wheel-supported plows. Their performance was compared to that of VDOT's standard blade arrangement: carbide-tipped blades on plows without wheels. Performance was measured by the extent of damage to pavement markings, the quality of snow removal, and cost. The addition of wheel supports to plows with carbide-tipped blades prolonged the retroreflectivity and service life of pavement markings. A life-cycle cost analysis revealed that carbide-tipped blades without wheels were the least expensive alternative, followed closely by carbide-tipped blades with wheels, and then urethane blades with wheels. When compared with carbide-tipped blades without wheels, carbide-tipped or urethane blades with wheels were effective in removing loose, but not packed, snow. Timely chemical application to prevent snow-pavement bonding is critical, particularly with wheel-supported plows. Urethane blades are susceptible to wear through friction and are impractical for use on second and third priority snow routes where variations in cross slope and soft shoulders bring the blade into contact with the pavement. The use of supports on plows equipped with carbide tipped blades allows the operator the option to use the plow in a supported mode for first priority routes and an unsupported mode for second and third priority routes. Proper alignment of the wheels is critical to ensure proper operation, protection of the urethane blades from wear, and reduction of damage to pavement markings. Measuring the monetary value of increased and prolonged retroreflectivity of pavement markings and more effective snow removal is difficult. The authors recommend that VDOT not use urethane blades as a replacement for carbide tipped blades under current operating conditions. However, if VDOT continues to make brighter and more durable pavement markings a high priority, then it should consider using carbide-tipped blades on plows with wheels. Other actions that balance protecting Virginia's pavement marking investment and ensuring effective snow removal, such as restricting the use of heavy equipment for snow removal and providing operator training, should also be considered. Finally, if supported plows are adopted for use, other options to support the plow should be investigated through product evaluations by VDOT field personnel. iii FINAL REPORT EVALUATION OF URETHANE AND CARBIDE-TIPPED BLADES ON WHEEL-SUPPORTED SNOW PLOWS D. S. Roosevelt Research Scientist B. H. Cottrell, Jr. Senior Research Scientist INTRODUCTION The Governor's Commission on Government Reform recommended that the Virginia Department ofTransportation (VDOT) (1) evaluate urethane blades as an alternative to rubber blades, and (2) collect data concerning the damage caused by carbide-tipped blades. Two studies 1 by the Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC) addressed these recommendations. ,2 The first recommended further tests of urethane and carbide-tipped blades on wheel-supported plows.! Using urethane blades with high-pressure rubber tired wheels attached to the back of the plow to support its weight is standard operating procedure at airports, where this system is used extensively to protect runway lights. Urethane blades reportedly remove snow as well as carbide-tipped blades as long as no snow-pavement bond has formed. Using wheels to support the weight of the plow may reduce pavement marking damage and result in effective snow removal. The second study found that 10 to 15 percent of pavement marking retroreflectivity was lost because of Virginia's present snow plowing technique, which uses plows with carbide-tipped blades with the full weight of the plow resting on the blade.2 The statewide cost of pavement marking damage during the relatively mild winter of 1994-95 was about $3 million. Damage and replacement costs of this magnitude suggest that VDOT should consider ways to reduce the damage, such as using urethane and carbide-tipped blades with wheels. PURPOSE AND SCOPE The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of urethane and carbide tipped snow plow blades on wheel-supported plows. Their performance was compared with that of VDOT's standard blade arrangement: carbide-tipped blades on plows without wheels. Performance was measured by the quality of snow removal, the extent of damage to pavement markings, and cost. METHODS The research design of this study called for three tasks: 1. a literature review of snow plow blades and supports and their impact on pavement markings 2. an evaluation of the capability of each blade arrangement to remove snow 3. a series of before and after assessments of the impact of each blade arrangement on pavement markings. Literature Review The literature on snow removal activities, snow plow blades and their supports, and the impact of snow removal activities on pavement markings was reviewed. World Wide Web (WWW) sites were