Intelligent Sidewalk De-Icing and Pre-Treatment with Connected Campus Maintenance Vehicles

Mahlberg, Justin; Mathew, Jijo K; Horton, Debbie; McGavic, Brian; Wells, Timothy; Bullock, Darcy · 2022 · ROSA P / Center for Connected and Automated Transportation. Purdue University

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Summary

This report details the development and deployment of an automated brine application system for winter maintenance, addressing the safety and consistency challenges associated with traditional manual methods. Transportation agencies routinely use salt brine to pre-treat critical infrastructure like bridges and ramps before winter storms. However, manual operation requires drivers to repeatedly toggle application controls while driving at highway speeds, leading to significant driver distraction, inconsistent application rates, and potential safety hazards. The project aimed to eliminate these issues by creating a GPS-based automated system that controls brine application without operator intervention. The research team adapted existing precision Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) technology, originally developed for agricultural chemical spraying, to control brine spreaders. The system utilizes prescription maps containing user-defined application zones and specific rates. As the vehicle moves, the system monitors its GPS position and speed, automatically activating or deactivating nozzles when entering or exiting designated zones. This approach prevents double application, ensures consistent coverage, and allows for real-time job synchronization among multiple vehicles. The technology was first prototyped on an electric utility vehicle for campus sidewalks and urban roads, then scaled to two 5,500-gallon brine tankers for interstate and major arterial treatment. Testing occurred during the 2020–2021 winter season. The prototype was deployed on approximately 2.5 miles of Purdue University sidewalks across six precipitation events, validating the system’s functionality. The scaled deployment on Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) tankers on Interstate 465 in Indianapolis demonstrated significant operational improvements. On this 50-mile ring road, drivers previously had to manually toggle the brine switch over 600 times per storm to treat all lanes. The automated system eliminated these manual interventions, thereby removing thousands of potential distraction events per season and ensuring uniform brine application regardless of driver workload or traffic conditions. The team also conducted nearly 40 outreach events and workshops to train operators and engage with agencies. The findings indicate that automating brine application enhances safety by allowing drivers to focus on traffic rather than material controls. It improves operational efficiency, reduces environmental impact through precise application, and lowers costs by minimizing salt usage. The project successfully transferred agricultural precision technology to transportation maintenance, providing a scalable solution for winter operations. The report concludes that this technology not only addresses immediate safety concerns but also facilitates cost-effective ice control, with potential future applications expanding to solid materials and other infrastructure types.

Key finding

Automated brine application using RTK technology significantly reduces driver distraction by eliminating the need for manual switch activation and ensures consistent material distribution across treated zones.

Methodology

field_study

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_rosap on 2026-05-23 (6 acquisition events logged).

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

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