Laserfiche WebLink
<br />We asked how many operators and how much time usually would be <br />required to clear the district's roads when a certain amount of snow <br />fell at the shop. We expect that this method, which assumes a typical <br />pattern of variation, may result in underestimated costs, since there <br />undoubtedly were times when it did not snow at the shop but did snow <br />elsewhere in the district. <br /> <br />Foremen indicated that time of day and traffic affected snow <br />removal: a light to moderate overnight snowfall requires less effort to <br />remove than a similar amount that falls during the day when traffic is <br />heavy. They reported that duration of the fall also affects removal. <br />One foreman indicated, for exanple, that a steady day-long fall of <br />one-half inch an hour requires continual clear ing and greater effort <br />than a larger amount of snow falling over a shorter period. <br /> <br />'I <br /> <br />I <br />.1 <br /> <br />Wind often affects removal, according to foremen. They indicated <br />that dr ifts several feet high could block roads even though actual <br />. snowfall was less than 12 inches; they also pointed out that drifting <br />often occurs long after snow has stopped falling. Foremen claimed that, <br />all else being equal, wet snow was more difficult to move than the <br />"fluffy" snow common in colder months. On the other hand, wet snow is <br />typical in warmer months when longer days and higher sun angles result <br />in more melting and easier removal. <br /> <br />COIlpltirg costs of operatirg, maintainirg and repaHlng equipment <br />presented problems since most counties do not keep detailed records of <br />these expenses. We estimated them by using hourly "rental rates" <br />calculated each year by the Colorado Department of Highways (Colorado <br />Department of Highways, 1982). These rates, which include fuel, <br />maintenance and repair, depreciation and replacement allowances, are <br />calculated for many types of machines including equipment used by the <br />counties for snow removal. For exanple, hourly rates for a road grader <br />(100 horsepower and up) are $26.47; hourly rates for a 3/4 ton pickup <br />truck are $6.38. Machine hours required to remove given amounts of snow <br />were easy to estimate, because they' are the same as operator hours, <br />which are estimated from information gathered from the foremen. <br /> <br />-8- <br />