Vegetation Management Equipment Catalog     (PUB 920)

Vegetation management is a common maintenance activity for PennDOT. Understanding what pieces of equipment are available for use is beneficial for effectively and efficiently removing overgrown and unwanted vegetation that can pose traffic hazards to the traveling public. 

To address these concerns, a Vegetation Management Equipment Catalog (PUB 920) was developed to inform maintenance personnel about the different vegetation management equipment and attachments owned by PennDOT as well as raise awareness of potential equipment and attachments available for future purchase or rental by the department. 

How Does It Work?

The Vegetation Management Equipment Catalog is an interactive document divided into four main sections: 

1. Equipment Listing by Type
   
2. Equipment Listing by District
3. Equipment Attachments
   
4. Additional Highlighted Pieces

In addition to these four main sections, the catalog includes the names and contact information for all PennDOT district equipment managers. Having a catalog that outlines all of PennDOT’s different vegetation equipment and attachments enables maintenance personnel to view equipment and attachments available to them to borrow from another district as well as purchase since pricing information is included with each equipment listing. 

The catalog includes vegetation removal-related equipment, roadside mowers, tree shearers and forest mulchers. If a PennDOT district needs a specific piece of equipment that it does not have in its inventory, it can browse the catalog to see if other districts may have that piece of equipment and then contact the appropriate district equipment manager.

In addition to showcasing vegetation equipment and attachments owned by PennDOT, the catalog highlights a few additional pieces of equipment that could potentially be purchased in the future. Each additional highlighted piece comes with pricing information as well as observations and recommendations related to the equipment, such as usage pros and cons, based on conducted demonstrations. 

What Are The Benefits?

The Vegetation Management Equipment Catalog consolidates all the different vegetation equipment and attachments owned by PennDOT in one publication to allow for easier equipment sharing and knowledge transfer between districts. This allows PennDOT to perform maintenance activities more efficiently by understanding what equipment is available. 

Another benefit of the catalog is that it can serve as a good reference for new equipment purchases based on documented observations from conducted demonstrations. If a PennDOT district is interested in purchasing a piece of equipment currently not owned by any other district, it can utilize the catalog to help with that purchasing decision based on observations from other employees. 

In addition, municipalities can use the catalog to view available equipment and attachments and request services that would utilize them on local roads via PennDOT Agility Program exchanges. Plus, understanding the different available vegetation equipment and how they work can help increase safety through the proper use of the equipment since many safety incidents that occur involve vehicles and equipment. 

Innovation In Motion

Various demonstrations have been conducted for some of the vegetation management equipment and attachments included in the Vegetation Management Equipment Catalog, especially the additional highlighted pieces of equipment. Some of the conducted demonstrations have led districts to purchase the piece of equipment. For example, PennDOT District 8 was able to purchase the Ventrac 4500Z Mower featured in the “Additional Highlighted Pieces” section of the catalog. The mower has allowed the district to manage vegetation on steep slopes as well as near stormwater retention ponds, which helps with stormwater management. 

In addition to the Ventrac 4500Z Mower, PennDOT District 10 was able to purchase the Fecon 15” Tree Shear, also featured in the “Additional Highlighted Pieces” section of the catalog. The tree shear increases productivity for the brushing operation, increases safety for the workers compared to cutting with a chain saw and requires minimal maintenance. 

More Information

For more information about this innovation, contact the STIC Management Team.