Salt Stockpile Inventory Management Using LiDAR Volumetric Measurements

Transportation agencies in northern environments spend a considerable amount of their budget on salt for winter operations. For example, the state Indiana, there are approximately 140 storage facilities distributed throughout and expends between USD 30 M 60 inventory delivery each year. Historical techniques relying visual estimates stockpiles can be inaccurate do not scale well managing supply chain during or planning re-supply summer months. This paper describes implementation portable pole mounted LiDAR system that used to large barn under 15 min how this has been deployed over 90 times at facilities. A quick easy accuracy test, based upon conservation volume, was provide an independent check performance by repositioning portions pile. Those tests indicated stockpile volumes estimated with 0.1%. The concludes discussing technology permanently installed near roof systematic monitoring