Fleet Size Estimation for Snowplowing Operation Considering Road Geometry, Weather, and Traffic Speed

Abstract

Estimating truck fleet size for winter road maintenance, such as snowplowing, is a challenging task for highway maintenance agencies. To estimate the fleet size for a snowplowing operation, a mathematic model is developed considering road geometry, weather, and traffic speed, subject to service time limit. The complexity of the problem lies in the varying pavement width of road sections, different plowing patterns on the mainline and ramps, weather- and time-dependent traffic speed, and the use of mixed types of plows. With real-world data, the developed model is applied in a case study, and the model demonstrates itself to be considerably flexible in adapting to various circumstances in estimating fleet size for snowplowing operations.