2013 Session: 534

• Accelerated Damage to Low-Volume Highways due to Natural Gas Well-Drilling Activity in Arkansas
  Abstract: Natural gas drilling activity began in 2006 within the Fayetteville Shale Play Area (FSPA), a 7,400 square mile (19,166 square kilometer) area in north central Arkansas. The FSPA is located mainly within 10 Arkansas counties and contains approximately 2,580 miles (4,152 kilometers) of highways, with 1,338 miles (2,153 kilometers) of those considered lower volume highways (LVH). More than 230 miles (370 kilometers) of highways in the FSPA were also weight-restricted routes due to their lack of structural strength. By 2007, over 1,100 gas wells were being developed. By 2010, the number of active wells had grown to 3,575.This drilling activity led to the rapid deterioration of many of the lower volume state highways that were never designed to endure these types of loadings. The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) began to collect data and document the increase in truck traffic and the resulting pavement damage in late 2007 as the cost to maintain these routes skyrocketed and considerable public complaints were voiced.AHTD monitored and collected pavement performance information in 2008, 2009 and 2010 on 28 lower volume highway sections. Since these sections endured truck traffic loadings easily exceeding the expected 20-year accumulated traffic loadings in just a few months, the AHTD was able to document the progression of pavement damage over these routes and report these findings to the Arkansas Highway Commission.
  Authors: Wright-Kehner, Elisha; Meadors, Alan
  Authors: Wright-Kehner, Elisha; Meadors, Alan
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Data and Information Technology; Energy; Pavements
  Session: 534
  Paper Number: 13-3099
• Spatial Approach for Assessing Energy-Related Impacts on Transportation Systems
  Abstract: Like other states around the country, Texas has experienced a boom in energy-related activities in recent years, particularly in wind power generation and extraction of oil and natural gas. While energy developments contribute to the state’s energy reliability, they also result in many short-term and long-term impacts on the state’s transportation system. Recently, Texas conducted an evaluation of impacts of energy developments on the state right of way, including pavement impacts, roadside impacts, operational and safety impacts, and economic impacts. During the evaluation, the research team developed a spatial approach for energy impact assessment and prediction based on a set of spatial databases of existing energy- and transportation- related datasets. The energy datasets included non-renewable energy datasets, renewable energy datasets, energy use datasets, and geology-related datasets. The transportation datasets included oversize/overweight routing and enforcement datasets, traffic safety datasets, transportation infrastructure datasets, and transportation planning datasets. The development of the spatial databases involved significant efforts of data collection and processing. The developed spatial databases enabled a wide range of queries and reports that helped the research team to understand the distribution and magnitude of energy activities in relation to transportation facilities. In addition to information about data sources and data processing methodologies, the spatial databases provided state transportation officials a useful framework for energy-related transportation planning and assessment of energy impacts and their trends. The paper includes valuable lessons that can help other states to fully utilize spatial data sources for understanding energy-related impacts and developing mitigation strategies.
  Authors: Li, Yingfeng; Quiroga, Cesar; Kraus, Edgar
  Authors: Li, Yingfeng; Quiroga, Cesar; Kraus, Edgar
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Data and Information Technology; Energy; Pavements
  Session: 534
  Paper Number: 13-3878
• Assessing the Impacts of Energy Developments on Rural Texas Highway Infrastructure
  Abstract: While recent energy developments have been a boon for the Texas economy, the rush to develop oil and gas resources has taken a toll on low-volume roads throughout the state. The impacts of heavy truck traffic on roadway infrastructure in the Eagle Ford Shale and Barnett Shale plays are obvious in the cracks, potholes, and other major distresses that manifest in pavements throughout these areas. Many of Texas’ Farm-to-Market, Ranch-to-Market, and local county roadway systems are not designed to withstand the heavy loads arising from energy resource development. Rapid energy resource exploitation will continue to strain agencies responsible for maintaining and preserving roadways until measures are taken to implement infrastructure impact plans, road-user agreements, or other measures to obtain compensation for damage from heavy haulers.This paper explores three approaches for partnership between energy companies, county officials, and other organizations. The proactive, performance-based approach strengthens pavements prior to energy development. The reactive, performance-based approach assesses impact fees associated with road maintenance after the damage. The third approach assesses impact fees that are not attached to actual roadway deterioration. The authors discuss what is currently being done in Texas and suggest recommendations for future work. With future exploration and development expected throughout Texas and in other regions of the United States, execution of roadway use agreements will be critical to maintaining adequate levels of service and preserving strong working relationships between the energy industry and county governments charged with preserving roadway assets.
  Authors: Miller, Timothy D.; Sassin, James M.
  Authors: Miller, Timothy D.; Sassin, James M.
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Data and Information Technology; Energy; Pavements
  Session: 534
  Paper Number: 13-4834
• Consideration of Shale Gas Development Impacts in Long-Range Transportation Planning
  Abstract: Through the combination of two technologies—horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing- the U.S. natural gas industry has been able to access vast quantities of gas in tight shale formations. Shale gas development has had and will continue to have impacts on the performance of the transportation system—directly through increased heavy truck traffic and freight rail movement to supply equipment, water and chemicals, and indirectly through increased employment, that in turn generates additional travel demand. The purpose of this study was to review the state of the practice for considering shale gas impacts in long-range transportation planning. Recent statewide, metropolitan and rural transportation plans in areas already undergoing shale gas development in Texas, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio were reviewed. The review showed that qualitative acknowledgement of shale gas impacts on transportation is being included in some recently updated long-range plans, but the level of coverage of this issue varies substantially in different locations. Most long-range plans are not yet addressing shale gas impacts on safety, congestion or transportation-related air pollutant emissions. Potential approaches to improving the consideration of shale gas impacts in transportation planning include build-out analyses to generate potential well pad locations and enable prediction of impacts on specific roadways and system-wide indicators such as vehicle miles traveled. Further research and guidance is needed to provide a workable framework for transportation planning organizations to meaningfully address shale gas development in the long-range planning process.
  Authors: Tidd, Leo
  Authors: Tidd, Leo
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Data and Information Technology; Energy; Pavements
  Session: 534
  Paper Number: 13-5115
• Shifting Sands: Emerging Transportation Impacts of Frac Sand Mining and Shale Gas Drilling
  Abstract: Damage to roads is an impact of the emerging industry of shale gas drilling and frac sand mining. County governments have used a number of mechanisms to recover the costs of road damage. Chippewa County, Wisconsin serves as a model of how local governments are using road use agreements to recover road damages, fund maintenance, and expedite grade crossing improvements. This paper examines Chippewa County’s road use agreements and discusses the implications for neighboring counties, state-level policy and the need for a regional approach to assigning impacts.
  Authors: Hart, Maria; Adams, Teresa M.; Schwartz, Andrew
  Authors: Hart, Maria; Adams, Teresa M.; Schwartz, Andrew
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Data and Information Technology; Energy; Pavements
  Session: 534
  Paper Number: 13-5245
• Accelerated Damage to Low-Volume Highways due to Natural Gas Well-Drilling Activity in Arkansas
  Authors: Wright-Kehner, Elisha
  Authors: Wright-Kehner, Elisha
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Data and Information Technology; Energy; Pavements
  Session: 534
  Paper Number: 13-3099
• Spatial Approach for Assessing Energy-Related Impacts on Transportation Systems
  Authors: Li, Yingfeng
  Authors: Li, Yingfeng
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Data and Information Technology; Energy; Pavements
  Session: 534
  Paper Number: 13-3878
• Assessing the Impacts of Energy Developments on Rural Texas Highway Infrastructure
  Authors: Miller, Timothy
  Authors: Miller, Timothy
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Data and Information Technology; Energy; Pavements
  Session: 534
  Paper Number: 13-4834
• Consideration of Shale Gas Development Impacts in Long-Range Transportation Planning
  Authors: Tidd, Leo
  Authors: Tidd, Leo
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Data and Information Technology; Energy; Pavements
  Session: 534
  Paper Number: 13-5115
• Shifting Sands: Emerging Transportation Impacts of Frac Sand Mining and Shale Gas Drilling
  Authors: Hart, Maria
  Authors: Hart, Maria
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Data and Information Technology; Energy; Pavements
  Session: 534
  Paper Number: 13-5245