Iowa State University Alumni Association| online edition | winter 2004

WINTER 2004
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Cover Story:
>>Bridges: Designing, Building, Preserving

• Preserving the Romance
• The Legacy of Conde B. McCullough
• Bridging the Iowa River Greenbelt
• The Artistry of the Bow Bridge
• Building Better Bridges
• Walk This Way
• Stiff Competition
• Bridge Mix
• Frosty Brrridge Research
• Safe Passages

Feature:
Celebrating 125 Years

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FROSTY BRRRIDGE RESEARCH

When you’re snug in your bed this winter, think about Tina Greenfield, a graduate student in geological and
atmospheric sciences. Because when most of us are still asleep, Greenfield is already working on her research.

Greenfield and co-researchers Brian Tentinger and Jose Alamo take turns hitting the roads of Story County
to see whether or not frost has developed on three Highway 30 bridges.

Frost develops when two criteria occur – the bridge temperature is below freezing and the dew point temperature is above the bridge temperature. The student researchers use an infrared thermometer to quickly assess the pavement’s temperature.

The research project is funded by a grant from the Iowa Department of Transportation. The DOT was interested in the project because of potentially hazardous conditions presented to a motorist coming up on a frosty bridge at a high rate of speed.

“The DOT and others are very interested in helping us develop procedures by which we can accurately predict roadway driving conditions in Iowa,” said Gene Takle, professor of geological and atmospheric sciences. “From these observations, we hopefully can develop computer models that will tell us when frost will occur and how much will accumulate. If we are able to develop a model that can predict 18 hours in advance whether frost will occur, then the DOT can have the trucks ready to go.”

Read on | Safe Passages