Design of an Alternative Work Zone Attenuator Device

Mandokhot, Mohit; Karanjkar, Sayali; Marwadi, Shreekant; Zook, Darek · 2022 · ROSA P / Ohio. Department of Transportation. Office of Statewide Planning and Research

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Summary

This research addresses the operational and safety challenges associated with the Ohio Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) use of dump trucks as shadow vehicles for Truck Mounted Attenuators (TMAs) in work zones. Dump trucks are mission-critical assets for winter snow and ice operations; however, when used as sacrificial shadow vehicles, they are susceptible to crash damage that renders them unavailable for essential winter maintenance. The study investigates whether an alternative, lower-cost device can replace dump trucks to protect workers and errant vehicle occupants while preserving critical fleet resources. The research methodology comprised three primary tasks. First, the team analyzed ODOT’s work zone practices, including a review of over 26,700 traffic crash reports from 2016–2020. They filtered this data to identify incidents involving TMAs and construction equipment, clustering results by roadway geometry, weather, and functional class to determine key operating conditions and safety needs. Second, a market survey was conducted to identify existing technologies and vendors capable of supporting alternative device concepts. This included an interim market review and a Request for Information (RFI) process to gather vendor feedback on technical feasibility. Third, the researchers developed detailed functional specifications for two alternative device concepts (C1 and C2), refining requirements based on industry input. Finally, a cost-benefit analysis was performed to evaluate the economic feasibility of the alternative devices compared to new dump trucks. The findings indicate that an alternative device equipped with an advanced sensor stack and limited operational autonomy can provide significant safety and operational benefits. The crash data analysis revealed specific patterns in work zone accidents, informing the design requirements for crash prevention, sensing, and protection. The market review identified viable technological solutions, such as automated guidance systems and radar-based detection, which vendors confirmed could meet the proposed functional requirements. The cost-benefit analysis demonstrated that the alternative device is economically feasible, offering advantages over the continued sacrificial use of dump trucks. The study produced comprehensive functional specifications for the alternative devices, covering general requirements, operability, maneuverability, controllability, and crash protection. The significance of this work lies in its potential to enhance work zone safety while optimizing the use of ODOT’s critical winter operation assets. By replacing dump trucks with specialized alternative devices, ODOT can reduce the risk of losing essential equipment to crash damage, thereby ensuring greater availability for snow and ice control. The developed specifications provide a clear framework for future procurement and implementation, supporting broader efforts to improve worker protection and traffic management in work zones. The research highlights the importance of understanding the holistic role of shadow vehicles and offers a data-driven approach to modernizing work zone safety infrastructure.

Key finding

An alternative work zone attenuator device with advanced sensor stacks and limited autonomy offers safety and operational benefits while preserving dump trucks for critical winter operations.

Methodology

dataset

Sample size: 26700

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.

Topics

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• emergency work zone conspicuity
• work zones