Highway construction projects are susceptible to the impact of environmental events, such as rainfall and temperature changes. Unforeseen weather can directly affect the duration of projects by causing delays to construction activities, such as site grading, and lead to a significant economic burden for contractors, builders, and dwellers of the area. The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) relies on pre-determined Average Available Workdays (AAWDs) in each month to determine schedule deviations for highway construction projects. AAWDs exclude weekends, legal holidays, rainy days, and days with cold air temperatures. ALDOT's AAWDs were developed using only 3–5 years of rainfall data at a few major cities or airports in Alabama. This research develops statewide weather-based guidance and determines the monthly AAWDs for highway construction projects in the state of Alabama. The study is based on the analysis of weather data from 71 climate stations dispersed throughout the five ALDOT regions with at least 10 years of valid data. The project selects and tests several rainfall thresholds (e.g., rainfall depths >0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 in.) and air temperature limits (e.g., < 30, 35, and 40 °F) to determine variations of the monthly AAWDs with these limits. Appropriate monthly AAWDS are then determined for highway construction projects based on project geographic locations (ALDOT regions). The developed AAWDs will serve as a guide to assist contractors in creating a more accurate project schedule, which leads to cost savings for taxpayers.
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