Winter Road Research Articles

Transport Infrastructure for the Sustainable Development of Rural Territories in Siberia

The development of the situation in Siberia is closely related to the potential transport probability due to a significant increase in prices for sales markets and the priority of raw material zones of economic specialization. At present new directions are superimposed on the formed backbone of the region's agricultural production. The development of Yamal fish farming in the Pur-Taz interfluve makes it possible to simultaneously focus on the Arctic sea and regional river directions. Possible proposals for developing transport value include: combining the use of corporate transport value; creation of a sustainable road network with winter roads; road connectivity with improved pavement, an emerging livestock processing cluster; transfer to the history of roads with dirt tracks in the south-west of the Tyumen region.

Comparison of methods for winter road friction estimation using systems implemented for floating car data

Comparison of methods for winter road friction estimation using systems implemented for floating car data

Comparison of methods for winter road friction estimation using systems implemented for floating car data

Comparison of methods for winter road friction estimation using systems implemented for floating car data

ЦИФРОВАЯ ТЕХНОЛОГИЯ, КАК ОДИН ИЗ МЕТОДОВ ПОВЫШЕНИЯ ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТИ РАБОТЫ АВТОЗИМНИКОВ АРКТИЧЕСКИХ РАЙОНОВ РЕСПУБЛИКИ САХА (ЯКУТИЯ)

The article considers a method for increasing the work of winter roads in the Arctic uluses of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). One of the enterprises participating in the northern delivery was analyzed and a logistic analysis of the selected route to one of the trade and logistics centers was carried out.

Spatial Mapping of Winter Road Surface Conditions via Hybrid Geostatistical Techniques

Spatial Mapping of Winter Road Surface Conditions via Hybrid Geostatistical Techniques

Circular Economy in Winter Road Maintenance: A Simulation Study

This study analyzes the sustainability of the circular economy model on winter road maintenance. Winter road maintenance involves plowing snow, spreading abrasives, and then sweeping and collecting the remaining abrasives at the end of the winter season. Traditionally, in the linear approach, the collected sweepings are landfilled, which incurs landfilling costs for resources that could be reused. To address this issue, we consider the option of recycling sweepings for use in the following winter seasons. We develop a discrete-event simulation model that estimates the economic and environmental benefits of this option. Using data from a case study of a highway in Quebec, Canada, the model shows that introducing circular economy practices in winter road maintenance results in less material going to landfills, lower costs, less use of aggregates from virgin materials, and lower CO2 emissions compared to the linear approach. A subsequent sensitivity analysis reveals that the quantity of sweepings collected greatly influences the outcomes.

Electrical Resistivity and Joule Heating Characteristics of Cementitious Composites Incorporating Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Carbon Fibers.

This study investigates the electrical heating (also known as Joule heating) characteristics of cementitious composites containing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) and carbon fibers (CF) as electrically conductive media in an attempt to develop an eco-friendly and sustainable solution to snow and ice removal on roadway pavements during the winter season. Various dosages of CNT and CF between 0 and 1.0% (by weight of cement) were tested to find the optimum mixture proportions that yield high-energy and efficient electrical-heating performance with superior mechanical properties. The electrical properties were characterized by measuring the electrical resistivity and temperature rise when attached to a power source. Furthermore, this study examined how the crack width affects the electrical resistivity of cementitious composites containing CNT and/or CF. Compressive and flexural strengths were also measured at different ages of 1, 3, 7, and 28 days to identify how the additions of CNT and CF affect the mechanical properties. Results have shown that adding CF in combination with CNT substantially reduces the electrical resistivity and, in turn, improves the heating performance, as CFs further densify the electrically conductive network in the hydrated matrix; adding either CNT or CF alone was not an effective option to enhance the electrical characteristics. The findings of this study are expected to provide essential information for the design and construction of an electrically heated concrete pavement system with promoted energy efficiency, which will offer a promising solution to enhance winter road maintenance, improve public safety, and provide substantial social cost savings.

«Холод на службе человека»: модернизация практик использования криогенных ресурсов в экономике и повседневной жизни сельской Якутии в советский период

Goals. The study attempts a historical and anthropological reconstruction of how cryogenic resources — material objects and forces of nature arising from the realm of cold (ambient temperature below 0 degrees Celsius) — were used in economies and everyday life of rural Yakutia’s communities in the 1920s–1980s. Materials and methods. The work analyzes archival materials, scientific literature and author’s field observations made in settlements of Khangalassky, Megino-Kangalassky, Amginsky, Olyokminsky, Srednekolymsky Districts, and the urban locality of Zhatay (Yakutia, Russia) between 2017 and 2022. The most important elements of the methodological toolkit are basic principles of cryosophy implying analyses of phenomena inherent to the ‘cold world’ from perspectives of their resource potentials. Results. The most important outcome of Soviet modernization — along with collectivization and construction of settlements — proved the emergence of a new force in the process of human interaction with a complex of cryogenic factors — state. While before the 1920s rural dwellers were actually left to themselves, the Soviet era witnessed an extensive involvement of the government in the former’s relationship with cold. This resulted in the parallel existence of two oppositely directed trends. On the one hand, a number of once popular cryogenic practices either faded away or experienced a minimized demand. On the other hand, significance of others not only persisted but increased dramatically. Furthermore, some of the latter evolved to better meet actual needs of Yakutia’s rural communities, new techniques were created and developed to gain preferences from natural and geographic properties of the region. Unification and standardization are important characteristics of the then changes too. During that period, economic practices widespread in central regions of the country were actively introduced and, thus, diminished the diversity of ethnic ‘man-cold’ interaction practices. Supply improvement programs for large settlements led to decreased dependence of life sustenance systems on local resources and accordingly increased roles of communication routes, including winter roads and ice crossings. The emergence of large collective farms in Yakutia — as well as their extensive activities — gave rise to accelerated scales of icehouse construction. The extended areas of the former demanded farmland irrigation systems be as broadened, including with th use of cryogenic resources. Conclusions. Despite all the changes experienced by rural life patterns during the Soviet period of Yakutia’s history, cryogenic resources retained their significance both in the regional economy and everyday life.

«Холод на службе человека»: модернизация практик использования криогенных ресурсов в экономике и повседневной жизни сельской Якутии в советский период

Goals. The study attempts a historical and anthropological reconstruction of how cryogenic resources — material objects and forces of nature arising from the realm of cold (ambient temperature below 0 degrees Celsius) — were used in economies and everyday life of rural Yakutia’s communities in the 1920s–1980s. Materials and methods. The work analyzes archival materials, scientific literature and author’s field observations made in settlements of Khangalassky, Megino-Kangalassky, Amginsky, Olyokminsky, Srednekolymsky Districts, and the urban locality of Zhatay (Yakutia, Russia) between 2017 and 2022. The most important elements of the methodological toolkit are basic principles of cryosophy implying analyses of phenomena inherent to the ‘cold world’ from perspectives of their resource potentials. Results. The most important outcome of Soviet modernization — along with collectivization and construction of settlements — proved the emergence of a new force in the process of human interaction with a complex of cryogenic factors — state. While before the 1920s rural dwellers were actually left to themselves, the Soviet era witnessed an extensive involvement of the government in the former’s relationship with cold. This resulted in the parallel existence of two oppositely directed trends. On the one hand, a number of once popular cryogenic practices either faded away or experienced a minimized demand. On the other hand, significance of others not only persisted but increased dramatically. Furthermore, some of the latter evolved to better meet actual needs of Yakutia’s rural communities, new techniques were created and developed to gain preferences from natural and geographic properties of the region. Unification and standardization are important characteristics of the then changes too. During that period, economic practices widespread in central regions of the country were actively introduced and, thus, diminished the diversity of ethnic ‘man-cold’ interaction practices. Supply improvement programs for large settlements led to decreased dependence of life sustenance systems on local resources and accordingly increased roles of communication routes, including winter roads and ice crossings. The emergence of large collective farms in Yakutia — as well as their extensive activities — gave rise to accelerated scales of icehouse construction. The extended areas of the former demanded farmland irrigation systems be as broadened, including with th use of cryogenic resources. Conclusions. Despite all the changes experienced by rural life patterns during the Soviet period of Yakutia’s history, cryogenic resources retained their significance both in the regional economy and everyday life.

Historical overview of the main directions to increase traditional wheeled vehicles cross-country ability

Introduction (problem statement and relevance). Road transport plays one of the key roles in the Russian Federation economy. It carries 59% of passengers and 68% of cargo. At the same time, the density of the road network in the country is only 64 km per 1000 km2, of which only 70% is occupied by paved roads. The hard surface road network density of the North and North-East regions, occupying more than 60% territory of the Russian Federation, is even less. More than half of the road transport is carried out on dirt and winter roads which often become impassable for traditional cars in winter and spring-autumn time. Therefore, the task of increasing the cross-country ability of traditional wheeled vehicles arises.The purpose of the study was to determine the main directions for increasing the cross-country ability of traditional vehicles.Methodology and research methods. Based on domestic and foreign materials the system research analysis of the main ways to increase the cross-country ability of wheeled vehicles was made.Scientific novelty and results. The article provides a brief analysis of the ways to improve the cross-country ability of wheeled vehicles, as well as the suggestions to increase it.Practical significance. The article proposes the main ways to increase the cross-country ability of traditional vehicles.

Automobile Winter Roads in Transport System of Yakutia in Early 1930—1991

A historical analysis of the development of automobile winter roads in Yakutia, i.e. roads laid on frozen soil and surface ice of reservoirs, is presented. The chronological framework of the study covers the period from the moment the first of the winter roads appeared in the region in the early 1930s until the collapse of the Soviet Union. The study was carried out within the framework of the anthropology of cold, a direction of scientific research developed by the author and his colleagues, focused on identifying the significance of cryogenic processes and phenomena in the life of the population of the northern territories. Based on the involvement of a complex of archival materials, including those introduced into scientific circulation for the first time, the dynamics of the development of a network of automobile winter roads is traced. It has been established that the most important driver for the development of the transport system of Yakutia, including winter roads, in the period considered in the article was the interest in the development of deposits of various minerals — gold, tin, diamonds, etc. The place and role of automobile winter roads in the transport system of the region are revealed. The presented material indicates that winter roads were an important way to ensure the connectivity of the territory of Yakutia and one of the key tools to sustain the life support systems that have developed in the region.

Effect of Winter Road Maintenance on the Asphalt Road Surface-Experience in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

The properties of asphalt mixtures and the quality of their execution are key factors for their service life and durability in the pavement structure. This research aims to study the effect of deicing chemicals (sodium chloride, NaCl) on asphalt mixtures in laboratory conditions to know the changes in properties when the samples were loaded with a different number of freeze–thaw cycles. The behavior of the standardly used asphalt mixtures and bitumen binders was verified by the exposure to sodium chloride solution (20 g/L NaCl). In the first part of the experiment, penetration, elastic recovery, and softening point tests were performed for paving grade bitumen 50/70 and 70/100, and polymer-modified bitumen PMB 25/55-60. Furthermore, asphalt concrete (AC 11) mixtures with different air voids were subjected to 25, 50, and 75 freeze–thaw cycles to determine the effect on the service life of the pavement structure. Following the Czech standard, CSN 73 6161, and the TP 170 regulation for the design of asphalt pavements, the Marshall test and the stiffness modulus were determined for all asphalt samples. The obtained results show a negative effect of freeze–thaw cycles on the properties of asphalt concrete surface course mixtures and bitumen.

An Automatic Architecture Designing Approach of Convolutional Neural Networks for Road Surface Conditions Image Recognition: Tradeoff between Accuracy and Efficiency

Convolutional neural network (CNN) is a promising image recognition technique for winter road surface condition (RSC), a measure that is crucial for winter maintenance operations. In the past, researchers have designed RSC CNN models that displayed acceptable results but did so focusing solely on obtaining high classification accuracy without any consideration for efficiency. Furthermore, when it comes to model development itself, architecture design requires expertise in CNN as well as rich knowledge in the investigated problem itself. To rectify these issues, this paper proposes an innovative approach to automatically design RSC CNN architecture without compromising classification accuracy. The proposed approach uses a weighted sum method, which provides the freedom of choosing relative importance level between accuracy and efficiency. Once the relative importance has been set, one of the most successful and widely adopted heuristics, namely, simulated annealing (SA), is employed to generate (sub)optimal solutions. Results show that both accuracy and efficiency of the automatically generated CNNs are better or at least comparable to the two selected state-of-the-art CNN models, ResNet50 and MobileNet, achieving as high as 93.44% classification accuracy. Ultimately, the outcome of this study fills the gap in existing CNN design methods that do not consider the tradeoff between accuracy and efficiency while providing insight into the effect varying architectures have on CNN model performance.

Prospects for the development of mobile equipment for adding and mixing additives

In winter, food and essential goods are delivered to remote settlements of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) by winter roads. As a rule, such long routes are driven by cars running on a diesel engine. Despite the difficulties in operating diesel vehicles in extremely low temperatures, diesel vehicles are much more powerful and more economical than gasoline ones. Problems with the start and operation of a diesel engine are associated with the low-temperature properties of diesel fuel. In the article, we considered the possibility of developing portable equipment for introducing and mixing a pour point depressant with fuel in the real conditions of the Far North. We have described a block diagram and a functional diagram of such equipment. In the plant being designed, we have included the possibility of heating the fuel and additives, the filtration system, the control panel and the safety of the system.

Experience in construction of monolithic layers of road pavement at sub-zero air temperatures

Introduction. Increasing the durability of road structures and extending the construction season for the installation of monolithic road pavements are urgent tasks. Non-rigid road pavements are of particular interest. Replacing the bases of granular materials (crushed stone, gravel, etc.) with monolithic ones reduces the material consumption of the road surface by 20-50%, the cost of construction works by up to 45% and increases the service life of roads by 1.5-2 times. The extension of the construction season for the installation of monolithic bases contributes to an increase in the pace of construction, a more rational use of road construction equipment, securing highly qualified specialists at the enterprise and reducing overhead costs. A multi-tonnage waste having independent binding properties is of particular interest, for example, belite sludge of alumina production. The article is devoted to a comprehensive study of the physical mechanical and technological properties of natural belite sludge in order to use it for the making of monolithic layers of road and airfield pavement in winter, without the introduction of antifreeze additives.Materials and methods. The freezing temperature of the belite sludge of minus 2 ° C was determined by the thermoelectric method. Its compactibility in the range of negative temperatures, the ability to restore the destroyed structure after re-compaction, the regularities of cooling of the material during technological operations for the construction of structural layers in winter are studied. The compaction was studied by pressing samples from sludge of optimal humidity, at its temperatures from 20 to minus 10°C. The study of the processes of structure formation of sludge and sludge crushed stone materials consisted in studying the kinetics of hardening of samples stored in climatic chambers that simulate changes in average monthly air temperatures in an annual cycle (from 20°C to minus 20°C) and in natural conditions (outdoors). In parallel, thermographic and electron microscopic studies of neoplasms in the hardening material were performed. To study the regularities of the cooling of the sludge layers, a laboratory experiment was conducted that simulates two-way (top and bottom) freezing of the material in a climatic chamber at temperatures of minus 10, minus 15 and minus 25°C.Results. A complex of unique physical chemical and technological properties of natural belite sludge has been identified, which consist in maintaining the initial density and activity after freezing, the ability of sludge and sludge crushed stone materials to harden at negative temperatures, a reduced freezing temperature of minus 2°C, good compaction in the range of negative temperatures (up to minus 6°C). The temperature and technological parameters of the sludge preparation for the production of works in winter are investigated. The regularities of sludge cooling in the technological process for the construction of structural layers in winter are studied. A technology has been developed for the making of monolithic layers of the road pavement made of belite sludge and crushed stone materials at negative air temperatures up to minus 20°C. The practical experience of the belite sludge use in the construction of roads in 2-4 road-climatic zones is summarized.

Особенности применения ледовых переправ в интересах доставки грузов и обустройства месторождений Обской губы. Возможности использования судов на воздушной подушке, колесного и амфибийного транспорта

The article analyzes the basic principles of design, formation, construction and use of ice crossings and winter roads in the Russian Federation, the experience of Canada is given. The authors present the main recommendations for organizing a system for ensuring the development of deposits in the Gulf of Ob. For the first time, they consider the issues of the effectiveness of the development, creation and operation of hovercraft in the fields of the Gulf of Ob. Studies show that considering the possibility of operating hovercraft in the Ob-Taz region requires solving a set of tasks: choosing the types of vehicles and routes of their movement depending on the types and characteristics of goods, determining the locations of their loading/unloading points, bases and maintenance of vehicles and preparation of an ice road on the ice of the Gulf of Ob.

Development of a Highly Transferable Urban Winter Road Surface Classification Model: A Deep Learning Approach

Road surface condition (RSC) is an important performance indicator for winter road maintenance personnel to maintain safe driving conditions. This becomes more apparent in inclement weather events where timely clearing of snow is highly prioritized. Considering the vast road networks that need to be covered, many transportation agencies have been using camera images to view real-time RSC directly; however, monitoring conditions via these cameras is still being done manually, thereby hindering its full utilization for optimizing maintenance services. Many studies have attempted to develop a deep-learning-based approach known as convolution neural network (CNN) to automate the process of RSC image classification. When implemented, RSC can be extracted from road images without human involvement. However, efforts made thus far have been focused on rural highways, with performance in the urban context being the least explored. Furthermore, CNN models developed in previous studies have been trained either from scratch or via transfer learning, but only a few studies have investigated transfer learning using a pre-trained RSC model. To address these gaps, an urban RSC model was developed in this study via transfer learning using a pre-trained RSC CNN model. The image dataset used contains 3914 urban images collected in a residential area south of Edmonton, Alberta. With these images, the pre-trained RSC model was fine-tuned via transfer learning and underwent hyperparameter optimization to boost performance further, yielding a high classification accuracy of 98.21% and an F1-score of 98.4%, which surpassed the accuracy of the model trained from scratch.

Contribution of general aviation to ensuring transport accessibility to the Arctic regions: the challenges and areas of focus

The article defines the dominant position of general aviation to ensure passenger transportation, to render the sanitary aviation and the Ministry of Emergencies services, taking into consideration the natural and climatic conditions of the Russian Federation Eastern Arctic. It analyzes the current state of the transport system of this territory, which is characterized by the railway communication lack, available roads for only seasonal purpose – winter roads, and the key role of water transport in the organization of freight transport based on the complex long-term (more than one year) multimodal delivery schemes, extremely high cost of regional and local air transportation. The purpose of the study is to analyze the state of the general aviation system in the Eastern Arctic of Russia and identify the factors, constraining its development, and to formulate proposals for their elimination. The article examines the state of the operating airport network, route network and operators’ fleet of aircraft – in service which render services to these territories. The limited airport network does not provide aviation accessibility to each settlement of the Arctic zone and causes transport discrimination. The lack of scheduled flights in local communication leads to increased waiting time for transportation and reduces demand. The outdated general aviation fleet with low economic efficiency is outcompeted by the helicopter service. The cost of a helicopter flight hour in the Arctic is 500–650 thousand rubles. The article considers the legal restrictions, that are associated with overstated requirements for companies and aviation enterprises serving the general aviation activities and hinder the development of local air transportation in the Arctic zone. Based on the analysis of foreign experience, the areas of focus to improve the Russian legislation, regulating the general aviation activities, which will allow us to reduce the costs to maintain the airport network, thereby stimulating its expansion for the purpose of increasing the level of transport accessibility to remote settlements of the Arctic zone, are proposed. The proposed measures to improve the air transport system in the Arctic zone are aimed to achieve the formulated targets.

Intelligent cost-effective winter road maintenance by predicting road surface temperature using machine learning techniques

Since Winter Road Maintenance (WRM) is an important activity in Nordic countries, accurate intelligent cost-effective WRM can create precise advance plans for developing decision support systems to improve traffic safety on the roads, while reducing cost and negative environmental impacts. Lack of comprehensive knowledge and inaccurate WRM information would lead to a certain loss of WRM budget, safety reduction, and irreparable environmental damage. This study proposes an intelligent methodology that uses data envelopment analysis and machine learning techniques. In the proposed methodology, WRM efficiency is calculated by data envelopment analysis for different decision-making units (roads), and inefficient units need to be considered for further assessments. Therefore, road surface temperature is predicted by means of machine learning methods, in order to achieve efficient and effective WRM on the roads during winter in cold regions. In total, four different methods have been used to predict road surface temperature on an inefficient road. One of these is linear regression, which is a classical statistical regression technique (ordinary least square regression); the other three methods are machine-learning techniques, including support vector regression, multilayer perceptron artificial neural network, and random forest regression. Graphical and numerical results indicate that support vector regression is the most accurate method.

Using Deep Learning to Predict the Amount of Chemicals Applied on the Wheel Track for Winter Road Maintenance

The decade of big data has emerged in recent years, which has led to entering the era of intelligent transportation. One of the main challenges to deploying intelligent transportation is dealing with winter roads in cold climate countries. Different operations can be used to protect the road from ice and snow, such as spreading chemicals (here salt) on the road surface. Using salt for de-icing and anti-icing increases road safety. However, the excess use of salt must be avoided since it is not cost-efficient and has negative impacts on the environment. Therefore, the accurate and timely prediction of salt quantity for winter road maintenance helps decision support systems to achieve effective and efficient winter road maintenance. Thus, this paper performs exploratory data analysis to determine the relationships among variables to find the best prediction model for this problem. Due to the stochastic nature of variables regarding weather and roads, a deep neural network/deep learning is selected to predict the amount of salt on the wheel track, using historical data measured by sensors and road weather stations. The results show that the proposed model performs perfectly to learn and predict the amount of salt on the wheel track, based on different metrics, including the loss function, scatter plot, mean absolute error, and explained variance.