Midwest Regional and Shortline Railroad Annual Conference July 19, 2005

1. Midwest Regional and Shortline Railroad Annual ConferenceJuly 19, 2005 Research Projects Pavement Impact of Rail to Truck Modal Shift Growing Rail Freight: Tools for Shippers

2. Pavement Impact of Rail to Truck Modal Shift: Research Team • Richard D. Stewart, Ph.D. Principal Investigator,University of Wisconsin – Superior • Libby Ogard, MBA, Research Associate, UW-Superior Transportation and Logistics Research Center • Anthony M. Pagano Ph.D. Managerial Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago • R. Christopher Williams Ph.D., Department of Engineering, Iowa State University • Student Researchers from UW-Superior and Iowa University

3. Pavement Impact of Rail to Truck Modal Shift: Research Tasks • Task 1 – DETERMINE CASE STUDY RAIL ROUTES: • Task 2 – DATA COLLECTION: • Task 3 – LOGISTICAL FLOW OF NEW TRUCK FREIGHT: • Task 4 – DETERMINE INCREMENTAL PAVEMENT DAMAGE: • Task 5 - APPLICATION OF ASSET MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES: • Task 6 – DEVELOPA MODEL FOR STATE DOT’s AND REGIONAL PLANNERS

4. Pavement Impact of Rail to Truck Modal Shift: Expected Deliveries • October, 2005: Site visits and collection of rail flow data • December, 2005: Completion of the Traffic Flow Studies • February, 2006: Pavement impact analysis • April 1, 2006: Interim Report • September 1, 2006: Final Report

5. Predominant Pavement Design Practice • Flexible Pavements- Layered Elastic Flexible pavements. Those which are surfaced with bituminous (or asphalt) materials. These types of pavements are called "flexible" since the total pavement structure "bends" or "deflects" due to traffic loads. A flexible pavement structure is generally composed of several layers of materials which can accommodate this "flexing". Flexible pavements comprise about 93 percent of U.S. paved roads FHWA, 2002

6. Typical Load Equivalency Factors http://www.hawaiiasphalt.com/HAPI/modules/06_design_factors/06_loads.htm#esal

7. Fatigue (Alligator) Cracking • Description:A series of interconnected cracks caused by fatigue failure of the surface under repeated traffic loading. As the number and magnitude of loads becomes too great, longitudinal cracks begin to form (usually in the wheelpaths). • After repeated loading, these longitudinal cracks connect forming many-sided sharp-angled pieces that develop into a pattern resembling the back of an alligator or crocodile.

8. Load Effects on Pavement Life • Current Pavement • Pavement structure • Condition • Loading • Remaining Life • Added Loading of Rail to Pavements: Two Approaches • Reduction in Remaining Life • Maintenance Activities to Preserve Remaining Life • Economic Analysis

9. Asset Management • What is Asset Management? • Goals of Asset Management • Scope of Asset Management • Asset Management Support Systems • Elements of Asset Management • Linkage to Strategic Planning • Relationship to Highway Maintenance Practices and Costs of Increased Truck Traffic

10. What Is Asset Management? • A strategic approach to managing transportation infrastructure • A systematic process of maintaining, upgrading, and operating physical assets cost effectively • It includes preservation, upgrading and timely replacement of assets, through cost effective management, programming, and resource allocation decisions • GASB-34

11. Asset Management –A Basis for Decision Making • Combines Engineering Principles • With Sound Business Practices • And Economic Theory • Provides Tools • To Facilitate A More Organized Logical Approach To Decision Making

12. Goals of Asset Management • Build, preserve and operate facilities in a cost-effective manner that delivers a level-of-service and overall system performance acceptable to the state. • Deliver to customers the best value of each dollar spent • Enhance the credibility and accountability of transportation investment decisions

13. Asset ManagementCoverage • Roadways (Interstate and state) • Bridges and Other Structures • Operations Hardware • Equipment • Rail facilities

14. Other assets sometimes included • Local Roads and Streets • Local Bridges and Culverts • Traffic Signals • Railways • Transit • Bicycle/Pedestrian • Intermodal facilities

15. Scope of Asset Management: Covers A Very Broad Range Of Activities And Functions • Investment Decisions • Prioritization • Relationship With Different Stakeholders And Partners • Long Range Transportation Planning • Capital Project Development

16. Alignment of Performance Measures • Use Same Metrics for Asset Management and Strategic Planning • Metrics Linked to Strategic Goals • Use Balanced Scorecard • Dashboard Measures – Aligned to Strategic Focus Areas – Tactical in Nature • Dashboards – Current Performance • Scorecards – Long Term Oriented

17. Asset Management Support Systems • Intermodal Management System: This system integrates air, rail, marine and non-motorized transportation assets into the asset management process.. • Pavement Management System: A system is implemented across the entire system of federal, city and county roadway systems in order to develop a sufficiency rating system of the entire roadway network • Public Transportation Management System( PTMS): Transit agencies may use their own information systems to access this system. • Bridge Management System: The PONTIS system of the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials, along with specific interface criteria should be organized into three areas: Inventory, Inspection, and Work • Congestion Management System: This system uses historic, current and forecasted attributes and identifies current and future roadway congestion. • Safety Management System: This system analyzes vehicular crashes and the roads on which they occur. • Road Quality Forecasting System: This system complements the Pavement Management System in which the pavement distress data collected is used to estimate the future condition of a pavement network.

18. Relationship to Highway Maintenance Practices • Preservation of the system is prioritized above new capacity or system development • Ensures that the value of the highways and bridges are not depreciated at the expense of new construction • Ensures that the current infrastructure is maintained at current value

19. Relationship to Highway Maintenance Practices • How will States Deal with Increased Pavement Damage? • Many Use Asset Management Techniques • Will Help Determine Amount of Increased Maintenance Costs • Increased Truck Volume • Amount of Pavement Damage • Work with DOT’s to Provide Estimates • County Roads: • County Personnel May not use Asset Management • Impact Depends on Maintenance Procedures

20. Possible Asset Management Outcomes of Increased Damage to Highway Pavement • Increased Maintenance Costs to Keep Highways at Satisfactory Level of Performance • Fixed Maintenance Budget • Shift Funds to Impacted Roads – Other Roads not maintained properly – Deterioration of Other Roads • Allow Impacted Roads to Deteriorate • Impact on Road System Different than if only look at Maintenance Costs

21. Growing Rail Freight: Tools for Shippers: Problem Statement • Railroads nation wide are reducing service in areas where there is insufficient freight to obtain a viable rate of return on their investment costs for track maintenance, operations and capital. • The northern third of Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan comprise an area that is dependent on rail service for many of its industries but is not moving a sufficient volume of freight on the rail lines to meet the rail road’s business model. • As a result service parameters are being changed by the railroads resulting in an adverse impact on customers dependent on the rail line for the movement of freight. • The changes in rail service could precipitate a chain reaction where shippers move even less cargo by rail and the railroads continue to reduce service in response to diminished freight volumes to the point where rail service becomes non-existent for the region

22. Growing Rail Freight: Tools for Shippers • Research Objectives: To determine the possibility of increasing the regional shippers’ use of rail service so that the business community can be competitive in reaching markets. A healthy business climate will help create improved regional economic benefits and potential growth. • The outcome of the study would be the publication of relevant data and information along with a series of action plans for use by regional economic development agencies, government agencies, shippers and carriers.

23. Growing Rail Freight: Tools for Shippers: Research Team • University of Wisconsin – Superior Transportation and Logistics Research Center: • Richard D. Stewart, Ph.D., Xiubin Wang, Ph.D., William Bajjali, Ph.D. Libby Ogard, MBA • Michigan Technological University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,Railroad Engineering Program, • William J. Sproule, Ph.D.Pasi T. Lautala, Ph.D. candidate; School of Business and Economics, Alan Brokaw, Ph.D.Anil Jambekar, Ph.D • Student Researchers from UW-Superior and Michigan Technological University

24. Growing Rail Freight: Tools for Shippers: Partners • CN Railroad • Wisconsin Economic Development Agency • Wisconsin Department of Transportation • Michigan Department of Transportation • Shippers

25. Growing Rail Freight: Tools for Shippers: Research Tasks • Meet with Stakeholders to determine issues • Assess the current rail service and condition of the rail lines and update public access data bases. • Survey regional shippers to determine current and future cargo flow and transportation requirements. • An evaluation will be made on the ability of the current regional rail network system to meet the future (potential) needs of shippers.

26. Growing Rail Freight: Tools for Shippers: Deliverables • Publish and disseminate to interested parties a report outlining the current rail network capabilities for the region, cargo flow data based on shipper input along with shipper requirements and future needs. • Establish the framework for a regional transportation education process to inform shippers about: • Opportunities to improve and expand rail shipments • Improving their supply chain management • Transportation management of all modes and intermodal options

27. Thank you! Questions?

28. Load Characterization • Tire Loads. Tire loads are the fundamental loads at the actual tire-pavement contact points. • Axle and tire configurations. While the tire contact pressure and area is of concern, the number of contact points per vehicle and their spacing is critical. • Load repetition. Loads, along with the environment, damage pavement over time. The standard model asserts that each individual load inflicts a certain amount of unrecoverable damage. • Traffic distribution. On any given road, one direction may carry more loads than the other. Furthermore, within this one direction, each lane may carry a different portion of the loading. • Vehicle speed. In general, slower speeds and stop conditions allow a particular load to be applied to a given pavement area for a longer period of time resulting in greater damage.