Introduction
As you may recall, in our last edition, we turned the report over to Doug Gayne of Maine DOT. Doug had written a review of their test of RoadQuake™, and we issued it, verbatim. You can find Doug's report and video on our web site here.
We now turn this edition over to another DOT, with great results, again, we think.
Jon Jackels, of Minnesota DOT, had recently arranged for us to demonstrate RoadQuake. He then wrote a report for his colleagues, and has very graciously allowed us to publish it.
Our Tim Cox video'd the event. You can view it on our web site by clicking the link below
Watch the Minnesota DOT demo video right here.
And now, here's Jon's report.....
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Mn/DOT's RoadQuake Rumble Strip
In-Service Performance Evaluation (ISPE)
June 17, 2009
 by Jon Jackels, Minnesota DOT
The Installation
A presentation of the RoadQuake was made by PSS representative Tim Cox at the Minnesota Department of Transportation's (Mn/DOT's) Work Zone Safety Committee held during the Northland Chapter of ATSSA's How To Workshop on March 18, 2009. As a result of this presentation, the Committee partnered with the Northland Chapter of ATSSA to demonstrate this innovative temporary portable rumble strip.
A May 15, 2009, demonstration was hosted by ATSSA member Jay Blanchard, Safety Signs of Minnesota, near their facility in Lakeville, MN. This demonstration was attended by twenty Mn/DOT employees and Northland Chapter of ATSSA members.
The RoadQuake is an engineered polymer rumble strip that is 11 feet long, 12 inches wide and 13/16 inches thick, and is designed to generate a significant audible and tactile alert. No fasteners or adhesives are required for installation, and at 105 lbs., RoadQuake can be easily deployed by a crew of two in minutes, as demonstrated by Jay Blanchard and Jake Sirek, also of Safety Signs.
The new formulation strips stayed in place
even with high speed truck traffic.
 A complete set of six portable RoadQuake rumble strips were placed on I-35 in Lakeville. Two of the six strips were moved by the 70 mph traffic. Review of these strips after the demonstration revealed they were an older version of material, which has been abandoned, because the older material does not stay in place as well. The new formulation strips stayed in place even with high speed truck traffic. Also, no adverse reactions by drivers of motorcycles, cars or trucks were observed during the demonstration.
Observations
"Mn/DOT has been looking for an effective safe portable rumble strip that could be deployed for short term operations for over 20 years." stated Jon Jackels, Mn/DOT Office of Traffic, Safety, and Technology. "This is the first device we have seen that shows promise for further deployment."
"Mn/DOT has been looking for an effective, safe, portable rumble strip...for over 20 years."
John Jackels, Mn/DOT
According to Marv Sohlo, Mn/DOT's Work Zone Engineer, "The timing on the introduction of this device is perfect, since we have been trying to find practical solutions to distracted drivers entering our short term maintenance work sites. We are planning to use our Maintenance Research program for further deployment and testing of these portable rumble strips."
"RoadQuake is an example of how industry and government can work together to address mutual work zone traffic safety issues," stated Jay Blanchard. "The Northland Chapter and Mn/DOT have collaborated on many work zone safety improvements and we are all looking forward to future opportunities."
Jon Jackels, Minnesota DOT |
Post-Script
Many thanks to Mn/DOT and Safety Signs for their contributions.
We welcome the opportunity to test and demonstrate RoadQuake in more locations and environments.
For more information, or an ISPE, or a product demonstration, please contact Tim Cox, our Product Manager for Roadquake.
You can reach Tim at:
We hope you have found this newsletter informative. Please call or write us at the contact information below with any comments you may have.
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"On the Roadway for Safety"®
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Quick Facts
Date:June 17, 2009
Location: Lakeville, MN
Contact: Jon Jackels and Marv Sohlo,Mn/ DOT
Roadway: I-35
Array Pattern: 2 sets of 3 each RoadQuake rumble strips
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Watch the Mn/DOT
Video
Marv Sohlo, Mn/DOT Work Zone Engineer and Sue Groth, Mn/DOT Traffic Engineer, discuss the next steps for RoadQuake.
Click here to watch the video
Get More Info about RoadQuake...
Click here for complete product information.
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For an ISPE or Demo
Contact Tim Cox
216-244-3207 timcox@comcast.net
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Upcoming Events
Come see us at the following shows...
Annapolis, MD
July 19-23, 2009
Columbus, OH
Sept. 13-15, 2009
Sandy, UT
Nov. 3-5, 2009
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