Public Works Manual 2011 Web Extras

Bridges & Culverts

• Standardized deck inspections facilitate planning
  AASHTO's new inspection guide may help boost repair funding.

Construction Equipment

• Muni-lease financing 101
  In tight times, tax-exempt municipal leasing is a viable alternative for equipment acquisition.

Erosion Control

• Seal of approval
  A pioneer certification program aims to increase user confidence in erosion control products.

Fleets/Trucks/Accessories

• From "Green fleet plans: six steps to get yours on track"
  Managing a fleet isn't just about moving people, products, and services anymore.

General Operations

• Nine myths about mobile resource management
  How to maximize the capabilities of your employees' mobile devices.

Parks & Recreation

• Is your field playable?
  A turfgrass maintenance program for award-winning sports fields.

Pavement Control & Maintenance

• From "Warming up to asphalt mixes"
  Warm-mix asphalt is gaining acceptance in the U.S., but its performance remains to be proven.

Roadside & Grounds Maintenance

• Thriving roadsides
  Hydraulic growth mediums improve vegetation and decrease maintenance needs.

Snow & Ice Control

• A flurry of choices
  How to select the right snowplow for your equipment.

Solid Waste Collection & Disposal

• Five ways to compel extended producer responsibility
  Getting manufacturers involved in managing hazardous household waste.

Surveying & Mapping

• Mainstreaming surveying, layout work
  Sophisticated tools and software are becoming more user-friendly, which is good news for agencies looking to outsource work.

Trafic Control & Lighting

• Tool improves urban arterial traffic flow
  Combining vehicle-trajectory and detector data improves density estimation.

Water/Wastewater/Stormwater

• From "Contaminant accumulation in drinking water systems"
  Levels are up to 10,000 times higher at the tap than the finished water leaving the treatment plant.

Fleets/Trucks/Accessories
From "GREEN FLEET PLANS: SIX STEPS TO GET YOURS ON TRACK"
Managing a fleet isn't just about moving people, products, and services anymore.

Green Fleet Plans
Public agencies in the following cities have developed green fleet plans that can serve as examples for others (alphabetical by city):

• Columbus, Ohio
• Minneapolis
• Seattle
• Toronto

Pavement Control & Maintenance
From "WARMING UP TO ASPHALT MIXES"
Warm-mix asphalt is gaining acceptance in the U.S., but its performance remains to be proven.

For an update on warm-mix asphalt standards and research reports, see our May issue article, "Setting the standard."

Water/Wastewater/Stormwater
From "CONTAMINANT ACCUMULATION IN DRINKING WATER SYSTEMS"
Levels are up to 10,000 times higher at the tap than the finished water leaving the treatment plant.

Editor's note: Monitoring contaminant levels at drinking water intake points isn't enough to protect public health.

A study of 27 utilities nationwide shows that trace metal and radiological contaminants are far more influenced by changes in treatment processes than previously thought. This means that distribution systems are more than just conduits. They're also very long chemical reactors.

This finding, the result of a partnership between U.S. EPA, Water Research Foundation, universities of Washington and Iowa, Confluence Engineering Group LLC, and HDR Inc., will have a profound impact on the regulatory framework for systems managers. Get the full report — "Assessment of Inorganic Accumulation in Drinking Water System Scales and Sediments (WRF 3118)" — at www.waterrf.org.