CTS Webinar: Effect of Tree Shade on Winter Maintenance Operations

About the Event

This webinar highlighted a U of M research project evaluating the effect of tree shade on pavement temperature during Minnesota's winter months. The research team is working with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) to better understand the balance of optimal sun exposure, tree cutting, and winter maintenance activities on a State Highway 34 paving project between Detroit Lakes and Osage.

MnDOT was initially interested in cutting down the shade trees along the corridor to allow maximum sun penetration on the roadway. Exposing the pavement to more sunlight helps melt off snow and ice, which lessens the need for deicing agents and thus reduces chloride runoff to nearby bodies of water. As a result of public interest in preserving the trees, however, MnDOT removed fewer of them than originally planned. 

The webinar reviewed how U researchers are gathering additional data on sunlight exposure, pavement temperature, and related environmental impacts—and how their findings will affect MnDOT's future work along the Highway 34 corridor. 

The webinar was held in conjunction with a CTS Transportation Infrastructure Council meeting.

Watch the recording

Speakers

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Mihai Marasteanu is a CTS scholar and a professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering at the University of Minnesota. His current research activities include the characterization of low-temperature behavior of asphalt binders and mixtures and the characterization of asphalt emulsions in relationship to their field performance.

Tom Lundberg is the assistant district engineer in program development for MnDOT District 4. He has served in this role for the past six years, overseeing project management, design, planning surveys, and right-of-way. Previously, he held several other positions in the Detroit Lakes area, including hydraulics engineer, pre-design engineer, design engineer, and lead project manager.