NS763 - MnDOT Research & Innovation

NS763: Development of MnROAD database quality assurance check tools

Problem

MnROAD is one of the premier national and international pavement test track facilities and collects a plethora of data through its many thousands of embedded sensors in pavement. With over 30 years of collected data (approximately 1.5 billion values) there is a wide use of the data but remains a great potential for more use from internal and external entities. With this volume of data, it is hard to check the data quality when datasets become too large and visualize trends in the data for relating output to one another. Due to this, there is a need to develop MnROAD Database Quality Assurance Check Tools – be it through check flag tools or live dashboards (open to both MnDOT and public use) connected to the MnROAD database.

Objective

This project would enable better utilization of the data in the MnROAD Database by all entities and make it easier and quicker to come to more effective conclusions about the use of new materials and pavement designs for broader use in the building and maintaining of new roadways, new pavement preservation techniques for older pavements and a plethora of other topics related to roadway infrastructure.

MnROAD has data system already with some live data (updated every 12 hours from MnRoad test sites). Currently, only one data set has checked flags for it, and it has limited capacity. Objectives of this project include having coding sets developed for all different censors and a review of data and censor sets to check flag tools that can be created. This project would ensure better data quality checks for partners from local agencies and national pooled funds, and enable these partners to look at data more openly.

Previous research

See literature search.

Expected outcomes

New or improved business practices, procedure, or process
New or improved decision support tool, simulation, or model/algorithm (software)

Expected benefits

The numbers 1 and 2 indicate whether the source of the benefit measurement is from:

A specific research task in your project that will be measuring this particular benefit, or
A separate effort to analyze data provided by the state or local agency involved in this project.

Decrease Engineering/Administrative Cost: (2)
- More accessible data means more effective use of resources. It gives the ability for agencies to adapt to ever-increasing changes to roadways be it from traffic, weather, or lack of certain materials.