Category: Save Lives

Don’t Let Winter Weather Catch You Unprepared: Utilize Dry Runs and Spreader Calibration

Post author By Nick Brabham
Post date December 10, 2024

Snow and ice pose significant challenges to road safety, but DOTs can weather the oncoming storm.

DOTs must strike a careful balance between the need to keep roadways safe for the traveling public and the need to be good stewards of the environment by looking for ways to reduce road salt and the effects of its application during winter maintenance.

The most common substance used for deicing roads and highways is sodium chloride (NaCl). It is effective against snow and ice but comes with several environmental and infrastructure challenges. When overapplied to roadways, these challenges are magnified. When underapplied, precipitation can freeze on the road surface and create an unsafe and hazardous condition.

To meet both needs, PILLAR recommends DOTs start with proper spreader calibration and dry practice runs on snow routes as tools for effective transportation asset management. These two techniques will help DOTs ensure safe roadways and optimal use of resources while minimizing environmental impact.

Importance of Spreader Calibration

Every piece of deicing equipment needs to be calibrated at the start of winter, and then that calibration should be rechecked regularly throughout the season to make sure the systems continue to dispense at the correct rates. Here are some things to keep in mind:

Calibration of spreaders is simply calculating the pounds per mile discharged at various spreader control settings and truck speeds for each piece of equipment for each type of material used.
Different materials will spread at different rates even when equipment settings are the same, so spreaders and liquid dispensing systems must be calibrated with the material that will be used.
There are various methods of calibrating a spreader. Plus, gate opening and conveyer speed both need to be adjusted to achieve the optimal rates.

The process sounds complicated, but PILLAR has staff with years of winter maintenance experience that can either complete the calibrations or can work with you and help to teach your current staff.

Importance of Dry Practice Runs

Practice does make perfect, and dry runs help your winter road crews become familiar with the route they will be plowing before snow arrives. This is important preparation because:

Winter equipment may be inspected before the start of winter, but unexpected maintenance issues can be identified and corrected during dry runs, before the equipment needs to be running at maximum effort.
Drivers may be maintaining the same route as the previous year, but there could have been changes to the roadways since then, such as new curbing or the settling of bridge approach. Noticing these things before the snow arrives will increase the driver’s ability to work efficiently and safely.
Equipment fully inspected. At VDOT, we have mechanic teams walk around and fully inspect the snow equipment.
Plows can cycle through the up and down positions repeatedly to be sure they ready for deployment.

PILLAR’s experts are ready work with you to optimize your routes, practice runs as well as your snow management plans, developing efficient winter response plans that work with the resources you have.

Plow Forward with PILLAR

PILLAR’s team has been involved with winter weather planning and response on many different projects with 40-plus years of combined experience. Get in touch today to discuss how we can help you be ready for the snow and ice to come.

Planning and Execution: The Keys to Rapid Highway Incident Response

Post author By Nick Brabham
Post date November 14, 2024

Expect the unexpected. It may seem like a contradiction but that’s what it takes to efficiently deploy a rapid response to highway incidents. Preparation can be the difference between an incident and a disaster. Whether you’re dealing with accidents, snow and ice, or flooding, you need a plan and the ability to carry it out.

With budgets and schedules stretched thin, it can feel impossible to stay ahead of daily maintenance much less prep for unknowns. That’s why you need a partner like PILLAR. Our experts can help you develop preparedness plans that protect your budgets, make your resources go further, and enable you to rapidly respond to highway incidents.

Plan to Stop Traffic Chain Reactions in Their Tracks

In transportation asset management, we do everything we can to prevent accidents from happening. While we work toward a world with zero accidents, it’s prudent and safe to plan for them if and when they happen.

Accidents range from small fender benders that slow traffic for a few minutes to catastrophic pileups that impact hundreds and disrupt normal infrastructure function. Whether accidents happen from snow and ice, flooding, or collisions, when lives are on the line, minutes matter. Here’s how PILLAR can help you plan, execute, and minimize damage.

Get Real Time Alerts: Thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT), we can outfit some assets with sensors that immediately notify you of issues. For example, internet-enabled sensors can be placed on guardrails to immediately register collisions, allowing you to deploy resources faster.
Coordinate with Emergency Services: We specialize in interagency communication and can develop relationships EMS, wreckers and tow trucks. Paired with an emergency response vehicle plan critical emergency services can respond to distressed motorists quickly.
Rapidly Mobilize Equipment & Personnel: We can help you develop a proactive plan that makes use of your existing resources in the most efficient way possible, so you aren’t left scrambling when an incident happens.
Manage Debris and Optimize Traffic: Accidents, snow and ice, flooding, or debris can all cause major issues for roadways. We can create debris removal priorities and develop a plan to optimize the flow of traffic impacted by obstructions.
Mitigate Hazards and Damage: With a proactive plan, you can improve response times and keep hazards and damage from accruing.
File Claims Faster: Pillar offers site investigation and claim management. The team at PILLAR can gather detailed information at the site of a traffic incident including time, date, location, photos, and law enforcement contacts. We even generate estimates and create a claims package for your accountant so you can file 3rd party damage claims faster and more efficiently.
Maintain Compliance: PILLAR makes it our business to stay up to date on the latest compliance mandates and with our staff augmentation we can prevent task backlog and keep you in compliance.
Incident Reporting: Our team of technical writers specialize in clean, concise, and accurate documentation. We can produce documentation of any incident, freeing you up to manage your assets.

Get Stellar Planning and Execution from PILLAR

Highway incident response requires a thorough plan and rapid action. We can use data to build a numbers-backed budget and plan from the ground up so you’re always prepared. What’s more, our experienced team helps you execute your operations and achieve peak performance by managing contracts, personnel, budgets, equipment, and more.

At PILLAR, we specialize in collection, assessment, planning, and execution to help you utilize your resources efficiently and maximize the lifecycle of your assets. Contact us to learn more about how we can help with your highway incident response.

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Is Your Guardrail End Treatment Maintenance Up to Date?

Post author By clewis
Post date October 22, 2024

The average American driver spends 55 minutes behind the wheel every day. While they notice obvious assets like guardrails, traffic signs, and pavement markings, less visible assets may fly under the radar. These assets often do some heavy lifting when it comes to driver safety, but can go unnoticed by the general public until something goes wrong.

One such asset is the guardrail end treatment. These often-overlooked assets play a huge role in protecting drivers in the event of impact. But they can only do their job if they’re properly maintained. With thousands of guardrail terminals in Virginia alone, maintaining them can be a full-time job and PILLAR can help. Keep reading to learn how.

Guardrail End Treatments: The Unsung Hero of Roadway Safety

Guardrails are designed to keep wayward vehicles on the road, particularly near embankments, curves, bridges, and steep drop-offs.

Guardrail end treatments may seem simple, but they’re carefully designed to reduce the severity of accidents when drivers collide with the end of guardrails. Their rounded, flared, or softened ends prevent vehicles from being pierced by the guardrail itself. They work to absorb energy from impact, gradually slowing a vehicle rather than abruptly stopping, which reduces the force of the crash. Guardrail end treatments also facilitate the collapse of the guardrail itself, so it peels away from the car, absorbing impact and slowing the crash.

In short, guardrail end treatments are designed to work with guardrails to comprise a complete system of protection in the event of a crash. But this only works if the guardrail end treatments are properly installed and well-maintained.

Best Practices: How to Maintain Your Guardrail End Treatments

Guardrail end treatments are robust structures, but they’re still vulnerable to the elements, age, and improper installation. Over time, they can accrue damage from the elements, road salt, and brine. The best way to maintain your guardrail end treatments is through regular inspections and proactive management. This includes:

Looking for any damage, corrosion or signs of wear and tear
Ensuring the energy-absorbing impact mechanisms are operating efficiently
Clearing debris and vegetation away from the end treatment
Identifying and remediating any issues with alignment, height, or improper installation.

Proper installation is critical for optimal functioning of guardrail end treatments. Don’t mix-and-match guardrails and terminals, follow all manufacturer specifications, and ensure the end terminals sit at the correct height.

Collection & Assessment: Know the Condition of Your Guardrail End Treatments

Regular inspections are the key to maintaining guardrail end treatments that keep the traveling public safe. But that isn’t as simple as it sounds. As of 2022, VDOT estimated that there were 150,000 existing guardrail end treatments within the highway system that all need monitoring and maintenance.

At PILLAR, we specialize in maximizing the lifecycle of your assets. We’re experts in helping departments of transportation make limited resources go further through our comprehensive CAPE approach. When it comes to guardrail end treatments, our professionals can leverage our proven blend of human expertise and cutting-edge technology to rapidly collect data and assess the condition of your assets. Here’s how it works:

Collection: We utilize mobile LiDAR to collect 3-D data on existing road conditions at highway speeds. But that’s not all. We’re proficient at plan sheet georeferencing, imagery scanning, CIS mapping, and traditional surveying. We do what it takes to get the job done.
Assessment: PILLAR is the only company that offers truly automated feature extraction that processes your data in real-time as it’s being collected. We can extract more than 20 asset types and deliver the processed data to you in a format that works with your existing systems.

Get Control of Your Guardrail End Treatment Maintenance

Don’t guess when it comes to the location and condition of your guardrail end treatments. Work with PILLAR to streamline the assessment and maintenance of these critical assets and get peace of mind that you’ve done everything you can to keep drivers safe. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you keep your guardrail end treatments in good working order.

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Are Your Safety Rest Areas ADA Compliant?

Post author By clewis
Post date September 17, 2024

Safety Rest Areas were originally designed to reduce crashes caused by driver fatigue. They’re as vital as they are complex. Rest areas contain dozens of assets that need regular maintenance and care. To add to the complexity, most rest areas were built half a century ago, without consideration of disabled motorists.

The cost of non-compliant rest areas is steep: it creates a hazard to the traveling public and leaves your department open to heavy fines. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates accessibility requirements on public infrastructure, including safety rest areas. While you know upgrades are critical, it can feel impossible to execute with an already overtaxed workload. If you’re struggling to upgrade your rest areas, PILLAR can help.

Are Your Rest Areas Accessible to All?

According to federal requirements, a safety rest area should, “provide facilities reasonably necessary for the comfort, convenience, relaxation and information needs of the motorist.” To ensure your safety rest areas are inclusive to the needs of all motorists, your rest area should include a number of accommodations.

Pathways and Parking: Your rest area should have a sufficient number of accessible parking spaces, proper pavement slopes of 2% or less, and pathways that are free of obstacles and wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs. Wheelchair ramps should have slopes that meet regulation requirements. It’s also important to remember that pathways with slopes steeper than a 6-inch rise require handrails.

Entrances: All stairs should include handrails. However, building codes state that anything less than three steps does not require a handrail. At PILLAR we advocate going above and beyond codes and try to avoid stairs for maximum safety. All entrances should feature automatic doors or doors that are easily operable.

Bathrooms and water: Restrooms should be wheelchair accessible and include grab bars and lowered counters. It’s crucial to ensure sink clearances and plumbing are installed to allow legs to maneuver beneath them. Stalls are required to have appropriate swing and turning clearances and water fountains should be installed at appropriate heights.

Signage: Signs should be posted at appropriate heights and include compliant reflectivity, visibility, and braille.

Outdoor facilities: Picnic tables must be accessible to provide for rest and relaxation of all motorists. Additionally, the pathway cover must be conducive to wheelchairs and walkers and cannot be comprised of gravel or stone.

Curb ramps: These are required where accessible routes have a level change greater than half and inch. They must be installed and constructed properly with the appropriate slopes and landing areas and include a detectable warning strip.

PILLAR stays up to date on all ADA requirements. When you work with us, you’ll have an expert advisor to help monitor your contractors and direct your updates to exact specifications.

Stay on Top of Your ADA Compliance

It can feel overwhelming to tackle so many upgrades at once, but with PILLAR on your side you can take control. We specialize in maximizing the lifecycle of your assets through collection, assessment, planning, and execution. Through our proven blend of human expertise and cutting-edge technology, we can efficiently inspect your rest areas and assess their condition against current ADA guidelines so you’re not left guessing about the status of your compliance. We can even help you budget with our accurate, bottom-up approach so you can plan with confidence.

ADA requirements are regularly amended to ensure that facilities and services reflect the up-to-date needs of citizens with disabilities. That means that even after updates, your safety rest areas could fall out of compliance. PILLAR stays up to date with the latest ADA regulations. We can conduct regular inspections and make recommendations for continuous updates to ensure that your rest areas remain ADA compliant and in good repair. With PILLAR on your side, your rest areas will meet or exceed current standards.

Schedule your free consultation and learn more about how PILLAR can help you streamline ADA compliance for your safety rest areas.

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Assess Don’t Guess on Pedestrian Greenway Maintenance

Post author By clewis
Post date August 27, 2024

When maintaining your pedestrian greenways and bicycle paths, you need a partner you can trust. Keeping these green spaces safe, accessible, and enjoyable for all users requires strategic planning for operation, maintenance, and continuous improvement.

At PILLAR, we use today’s leading technology to gather the data you need to do just that, no matter the size of your greenway.

PILLAR recently partnered with the Virginia Department of Transportation to successfully inventory and pinpoint needed repairs along the 51-mile Virginia Capital Trail between Williamsburg and Richmond. We inventoried over 11 different types of assets trail-wide, assessed their conditions and created a comprehensive maintenance management plan to address those repairs.

Here are some key aspects of any greenway asset management plan:

Mapping & Documentation

PILLAR uses fully automated Mobile LiDAR to gather comprehensive inventories of greenways and bike paths. This provides precise mapping and documentation of all assets and generates high-resolution data to then create effective management and maintenance strategies.

Condition Assessment

PILLAR has the expertise and experience to then accurately assess the current state of greenway and bicycle path assets, detailing the structural and aesthetic conditions of its assets and helping managers prioritize maintenance tasks based on urgency and budget. This includes both automated and boots on the ground assessments.

Routine Maintenance Plan

A routine maintenance plan is critical to keeping greenways and bicycle paths in pristine condition year-round. This plan should include your regular tasks of vegetation management such as brush and tree trimming and mowing as well as pavement maintenance, sidewalk and bike path edging, and upkeep of amenities like benches, picnic areas, and public restrooms. Regular maintenance also extends the lifespan of your greenway.

Responsive Repair Plan

A responsive repair plan immediately addresses safety hazards and keeps pedestrian greenways and bike paths safe for all users.

Comprehensive Asset Collection

For asset management to have impact, it needs a comprehensive collection of all greenway and bicycle path assets. Key assets that should be documented include:

Signage
Pavement condition (potholes, cracks)
Lighting
Pavement markings and reflectivity
Roadway crossings
Benches
Picnic areas
Vegetation (brush and tree trimming, mowing)
Sidewalk/bike paths
Sidewalk/bike path edging
Wooden sidewalks/boardwalks
ADA compliance features
Pavilions
Bike racks
Bike repair stations
Trash bins
Information stations
Handrails
Public restrooms

A Trusted Partner

Asset management for pedestrian greenways and bicycle paths requires detailed planning and execution by a partner you can rely on. By leveraging advanced technologies like Mobile LiDAR and implementing thorough maintenance and repair plans, transportation asset managers can ensure these pathways, from the Virginia Capital Trial to your community’s greenway, remain safe and enjoyable for all users.

Contact PILLAR today to learn how our proactive collection, assessment, planning, and execution can support your greenways and bicycle paths.

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Is Your Pavement Striping Visible at Night?

Post author By clewis
Post date July 30, 2024

When pavement striping is faded, worn out or simply not reflective enough, it poses a significant risk to motorists. It is especially hazardous at night, or during rain and snow events. This lack of visibility can lead to confusion, hesitation, and potentially dangerous situations for everyone on the road.

The good news is, you can stop these bad days before they start with PILLAR as your transportation asset management partner. We pair mobile LiDAR with our proven CAPE approach — collection, assessment, planning, and execution — to quickly and accurately identify and assess the condition of your road markings. Then we convert this data into insights and action.

Why Road Markings are Important

Drivers take the pavement markings for granted until they can’t see them at night or in the rain. Here’s why road markings are so important:

Road safety: Pavement striping and other markers are fundamental to managing traffic flow. Clear and well-maintained markings protect against accidents by helping drivers anticipate the road layout and navigate safely.
Clear guidance for drivers: Road markings help drivers make informed decisions. They guide lane changes and warn about upcoming hazards like upcoming curves or the need to merge.
Better safety in low visibility: In rain, fog, or nighttime darkness, road markings become even more important. Reflective materials used in markings enhance visibility, allowing drivers to see lanes and road boundaries clearly.

Use Mobile LiDAR for Proactive Pavement Maintenance

The reality for DOTs is that reflective striping deteriorates quickly, so it’s important to have a fast, efficient way to monitor the condition. PILLAR puts the power of mobile LiDAR to work for you.

Our mobile LiDAR can quickly identify the pavement striping that may be fading — or if they’re even there. Additionally, our team will manually assess the reflectivity levels of the pavement striping and if it meets the DOT guidelines.

Mobile LiDAR is rapid and efficient, allowing us to collect troves of data quickly and precisely, saving you time and money. Better data gives you better ability to plan and budget for needed repairs, and PILLAR’s mobile LiDAR service includes a fully Automated Feature Extraction System (AFES) that extracts data and integrates with your existing databases.

Simply put: With rapid data collection, you’ll know where to focus your efforts to test reflectivity and mitigation instead of casting a wide net where there might not be issues.

Know the Conditions of Your Assets with PILLAR

Lane markers or other essential road markings save lives, especially when visibility is low. Protect your traveling public by partnering with PILLAR today.

Our experts will work with you to figure out the best way to collect transportation asset data quicker and more accurately than ever before.

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Sinkholes: Do You Know the Signs of These Hidden Hazards?

Post author By clewis
Post date July 11, 2024

Sinkholes pose significant risks to roads and the motorists who use them. Yet the first signs of trouble are subtle and can go unnoticed until serious damage occurs.

With PILLAR’s proven expertise at your side, you’ll have data and solutions at your fingertips that will transform the way your team manages sinkholes.

Common Warning Signs of Sinkholes

When sinkholes begin to form, the telltale signs are subtle but consistent. These include:

Circular or arced cracks in pavement or soil: Small circular or arced fissures that gradually widen, fault, or appear suddenly can indicate instability in the ground below.
Dips and depressions: Unexpected depressions in the ground or pavement, especially those that appear overnight, also warn of a potential sinkhole forming below.

With PILLAR’s sinkhole maintenance, you’ll be able to identify the start of a sinkhole quickly, saving you the time and money needed to battle a larger issue later.

Causes of Sinkholes

Sinkholes form as the results of both natural and human factors, and identifying the underlying cause is key to maintenance and prevention.

Natural triggers include underground water sources or repeated heavy rains that seep into the ground carrying away soil particles creating voids. Over time through repeated stresses, these voids increase underneath the surrounding soil and eventually cause the top layers to fall inward or sink.

Sinkholes also can result from human causes such as leaking water, sewer, and stormwater pipes or poorly designed or maintained drainage systems that lead to similar erosion and soil instability.

Feel Prepared to Act in the Face of a Sinkhole Incident with PILLAR

To effectively manage sinkholes, you must know the condition of your drainage systems and pavement. The best way to do this is through a reliable collection and assessment system.

PILLAR has the expertise and experience to efficiently gather the needed data and respond to a sinkhole according to your DOT’s unique needs. Our approach can identify and make repair recommendations to correct any drainage issues, and ultimately remediate sinkhole-prone areas. If a sinkhole does occur, you’ll have PILLAR on your side to leverage data and make an action plan for a quick response.

Partner with PILLAR for Comprehensive Sinkhole Solutions

DOTs trust PILLAR for their transportation asset management because we offer a complete package that’s data-driven and cost effective. With PILLAR, you’ll always have efficient solutions at the ready. From start to finish, we keep you and your roadways on solid ground, detecting sinkholes when they start to form and offering rapid response to sinkhole incidents.

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Respond Don’t React During Hurricane Season

Post author By clewis
Post date May 30, 2024

Hurricane season brings significant threats, from powerful winds to devastating floods, as well as risks to both lives and property.

For transportation asset managers, your best defense is a proactive response plan that anticipates potential damage and puts protective measures and resources in place before you need them.

PILLAR stands out in disaster preparedness efforts with its comprehensive collection and assessment services, ensuring you’re ready for the storm whenever it arrives.

Take a Proactive Approach to Disaster Preparedness

Highway slopes and signage are particularly vulnerable during hurricanes.

Signage can be torn down or damaged by high winds and heavy rains, impacting navigation and safety for the traveling public. Knowing the precise location and condition of these assets prior to a hurricane allows for an efficient after-storm inventory to identify what needs to be replaced.

Slopes are prone to erosion and landslides under the force of heavy rainfall, adding new hazards for travel. These slides can be deadly which is why stabilization is priority No. 1 and why having an experienced partner matters. PILLAR worked with a DOT to implement slide prevention by identifying over 15,000 square yards of slopes to be stabilized.

In both cases, data is critical. With data you can prioritize repair and replacement efforts, reduce downtime and restore normal travel faster and efficiently, as well as document repairs for reimbursement purposes.

Know the location of your assets

When a hurricane is approaching, you don’t want to be guessing. PILLAR provides its partners with robust data and resources through our proven CAPE approach: collection, assessment, planning, and execution. Our imagery scanning technology powers data collection at highway speeds to give you an unrivaled understanding of your assets at street level.

PILLAR’s collection services ensure thorough asset documentation which facilitates efficient recovery post-disaster. Our commitment to knowing the location of assets means that when a hurricane strikes, you can swiftly identify what needs attention, streamlining the restoration process.

Know the condition of your assets

PILLAR’s assessment services, particularly our Automated Feature Extraction System, offer a cutting-edge solution for evaluating asset condition. Our technology enables rapid assessment of damage, providing critical insights for decision-making. By knowing the condition of assets beforehand, you can better anticipate potential vulnerabilities and take preemptive measures to reinforce them.

Contact PILLAR

In times of crisis, having PILLAR as a proactive partner can make all the difference. Our integrated approach to disaster preparedness equips DOTs with the tools and knowledge needed to weather the storm. Contact PILLAR today and be ready to face the challenges of hurricane season head-on.

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National Work Zone Awareness Week:
April 15-19

Post author By clewis
Post date April 11, 2024

Each year the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) works to elevate roadway safety through its National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW). The week-long campaign will be observed April 15-19 highlighting the theme, “Work zones are temporary. Actions behind the wheel can last forever.”

Work Zones Are More Dangerous Than Ever: How to Stay Safe

NWZAW’s 2024 theme is timely. According to a story by USA Today, 857 people died, including 117 road construction workers, in work zone crashes in 2020. This number represents a 10-year high for road construction deaths and crashes.

In response to the increasing number of crashes and fatalities, the Federal Highway Administration urges drivers to plan ahead, slow down and minimize distractions to prevent life-threatening accidents. Staying alert and cautious in work zones is non-negotiable to preserve driver and worker safety.

Participate in National Work Zone Awareness Week

In addition to adopting safe driving practices, you can help increase road construction worker safety by supporting NWZAW this year. Here are some steps you can take to spread awareness of work zone safety across the nation.

April 15: Work Zone Safety Training Day

This national stand down encourages employers and workers to pause during the day to participate in safety demonstrations, training in hazard recognition and fall prevention and focus on other important prevention steps to maximize the safety in work zones.

April 16: National kickoff event

This year’s NWZAW kickoff is on Tuesday, April 16, and is hosted by the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT). Join the kickoff festivities by hosting your own NWZAW kickoff event! Follow and tag #NWZAW on social media to spread the word.

April 17: Go Orange Day

On Wednesday, April 17, roadway safety workers across America are encouraged to wear orange to proudly show their support for work zone safety. Post your pics on social media with #NWZAW and #Orange4Safety to show your support of the roadway safety industry and of families of victims who have lost their lives in work zones.

April 18: Social Media Storm

Participate in the NWZAW social media storm on Thursday, April 18 from 9am-4pm ET. Join the conversation by taking to social media and sharing messages and pictures of roadway safety and be sure to include the hashtags #NWZAW and #WorkzoneSafety. If you need some inspiration, check out the NWZAW Promotion Guide for posts and examples.

April 19: Moment of Silence

The moment of silence began in 2022 and we will continue the tradition this year. Join PILLAR as we observe a moment of silence to honor those who’ve lost their lives in work zone incidents.

PILLAR Supports Work Zone Safety

This year, PILLAR will observe Work Zone Safety Training Day and Go Orange Day to promote a greater awareness of safety protocols for work zones. Most importantly, we will remember John Meola, our former safety director and friend who we lost in 2023.

John was a consummate and enthusiastic safety professional and beloved by the PILLAR Team. In addition to his work as a safety professional, John was a found object artist, using scrap metal to craft stunning sculptures, including the Lakeside Bike Sculpture, which he composed of recycled bicycles and bicycle parts. John’s sculpture is permanently installed at the Lakeside Farmer’s Market. To honor John’s memory and enduring legacy, PILLAR has designed and installed a plaque to accompany the sculpture that details his work as an artist and safety professional. We will unveil the plaque during NWZAW, to commemorate his passion and contribution to safety and risk mitigation services.

National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) helps the message of safety grow because of support and involvement from organizations and individuals like you. PILLAR is proud to support work zone safety this and every week. Our services can improve roadway, driver, and worker safety. Browse our website to learn more.

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Bridges on the Brink:
DOTs Overwhelmed by Bridge Inspections

Post author By clewis
Post date March 19, 2024

Most DOT asset managers have tens of thousands of bridges to maintain at acceptable service levels. That’s a lot of inspections and condition assessments to work through, not to mention getting the maintenance done. Worrying about the condition and safety of the bridges you are responsible for is enough to keep you up at night.

While bridge inspections and maintenance are critical to preventing catastrophic incidents, they are typically time-consuming and expensive to execute, pulling on already thin department resources. That’s why PILLAR offers solutions in the form of technology, condition assessment, maintenance plans, and more. We can help you stay organized, quickly identify needs, and address repair and maintenance recommendations so drivers stay safe.

Challenges of Bridge Assessments

Most bridges are inspected every one to two years. This may not seem daunting at first, but consider that a DOT alone manages more than 21,000 bridges and structures. The sheer volume is staggering and each of those bridge inspections can present several challenges:

Inspecting large numbers of bridges within limited timeframes and budgets can be difficult so managers must thread the needle of thoroughness and efficiency.
Bridge inspections generate vast amounts of data.
Managing and analyzing this data effectively can be complex and time-consuming.
Tracking and executing maintenance recommendations for tens of thousands of bridges requires serious manpower and can be overwhelming.

PILLAR Balances Thoroughness with Efficiency in Bridge Assessment

At PILLAR, we specialize in managing and maintaining transportation infrastructure, helping DOTs and management companies make the most of their resources and keep the public safe.

Our team is comprised of a unique combination multidisciplined professionals including structural engineers and data analysts. In addition to our decades of tactical, strategic, and operational experience, we have the technology and expertise available to collect and manage your data and use to develop a maintenance plan for any bridge. Here’s how we can help:

Quantity Verification: We go into the field to verify the needs identified in your bridge assessment reports. Next, we collate the data, bundling similar repairs on several bridges. With this information you can quickly formulate a contract for completing the repairs.

Get Repairs Done Fast: If you have a backlog of maintenance tasks, we can help! Our experienced maintenance professionals can supplement your staff and oversee repairs. You’ll have the job done professionally and efficiently.

Documentation & Data Analysis: At PILLAR, we help you get more from your data. We’re experts at normalizing data and putting into a format you can use quickly. When you work with us, you’ll never spend hours sifting through hard copies trying to find critical information about repairs. We’ll digitize your reports so you can easily find what you need.

Risk Assessment: With PILLAR, you can evaluate risks through identified defects or deterioration. We compare current condition data with historical records to assess deterioration rates and trends so you can quickly prioritize maintenance and repair actions based on the severity of the condition.

If you’re ready to take control of your bridge maintenance, contact us. Our team of experts is ready to speak with you about how we can help.