Telling 

theR&TStory

The Value of Research
Table of Contents 

The R&T Innovation Cycle and FHWA’s Leadership Role 2

Responding to National Needs: The Value of Research 4

Moving Innovation 17

Partnerships 21

R&T Across FHWA 25

The R&T Story Continues 28

Notice

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for 

the use of the information contained in this document.

The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or 

manufacturers’ names appear in this report only because they are considered essential 

to the objective of the document.

Quality Assurance Statement

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides high-quality information to serve 

Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public understanding. 

Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, 

and integrity of its information. FHWA periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its 

programs and processes to ensure continuous quality improvement.

Cover image: © shutterstock.com/J.Q.
Safer, smarter, more cost-effective, and more sustainable. Though sometimes 

unseen, the technologies and products developed through the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) research and technology (R&T) programs are 

improving the Nation’s roads and bridges coast to coast, saving lives, supporting the 

economy, and reducing congestion.

Whether reflected in the more durable surfaces of the roads and bridges we travel 

on regularly, better designed intersections, smarter traffic lights that are more responsive to traffic flow, or the surrounding businesses and communities supported by 

a strong highway system, transportation R&T is making a difference every day. These 

efforts are being advanced through FHWA’s Every Day Counts initiative, which is 

designed to identify and deploy proven, ready-to-go innovation aimed at shortening 

project delivery, enhancing roadway safety, and protecting the environment. Through 

partnerships with State and local transportation agencies, industry, and academia, we 

are also creating a better future. Advanced research is sponsoring long-term projects 

with a high payoff potential, while sustainability initiatives aim to build highways and 

structures that reduce impacts on the environment and consumption of natural resources. FHWA also provides leadership in assessing the impact of new technologies, obtaining valuable data that will help guide future research efforts. 

Leading the way on high priority research in everything from pavement materials to the human factors that contribute to safer roads, FHWA’s R&T programs are 

developing the solutions that will define tomorrow’s highway system. In the many 

innovations and groundbreaking technologies described here, learn about the value 

these R&T initiatives are contributing nationwide and get a glimpse of an even 

brighter transportation future. 

Jeffrey F. Paniati

FHWA Executive Director

For further information regarding the FHWA R&T Program, please contact:

Michael F. Trentacoste

Associate Administrator for Research, Development, and Technology

Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center

6300 Georgetown Pike

McLean, VA 22101

Email: michael.trentacoste@dot.gov

1
The R&T Innovation Cycle 

and FHWA’s Leadership Role

Working with its partners in the public and private 

sectors, academia, industry, and the international 

community, the Federal Highway Administration 

(FHWA) plays a vital leadership role in developing 

and implementing a coordinated highway research 

and technology (R&T) agenda that addresses national needs, meets future demands, and maximizes the strengths of all research entities. This R&T 

agenda is stakeholder driven, with partners engaged throughout the entire process, from agenda 

setting and planning, through the research, technology development, and innovation deployment 

phases, to the implementation and assessment 

stages. 

The technological advances resulting from the 

FHWA R&T agenda come at a crucial time. America’s $1.75 trillion highway network is the backbone 

of the country, providing critical just-in-time freight 

services for industry; carrying individuals to jobs, 

schools, and recreational activities; and serving a vital national defense role. This network is aging, 

however, with many roadways and bridges now 

having outlived their original design life and in need 

of rehabilitation or reconstruction. Transportation 

agencies must plan these multiplying projects while 

contending with increased congestion, tighter budgets, and reductions in staffing, including the loss 

through retirement and attrition of experienced engineering and construction personnel. At the same 

time, the overall highway program is more complex, 

with agencies juggling environmental sustainability 

and community considerations, urban planning 

goals, and the increased operational requirements 

of older roadways carrying more vehicles, among 

other responsibilities. 

Technology and innovations built the national 

highway network, and technology is now the key 

to overcoming today’s complex challenges and sustaining that network, so that current and future 

2

generations can enjoy the freedom that comes with 

mobility, as well as the safety of a well-maintained 

system. This technology can take the form of highperformance and long-lasting materials, so that the 

50-year pavement or the 100-year bridge becomes 

a reality. It can also mean strategies for accelerating construction, so that projects are completed 

faster and with less disruption for motorists. And 

it can mean safety improvements, so that fewer 

vehicles run off the road or are involved in intersection crashes. 

To move these innovations from idea to reality, 

national leadership and innovative strategies are 

more important than ever. As the Transportation 

Research Board (TRB) noted in the 2001 Federal 

Role in Highway Research and Technology Special 

Report 261, “Only the federal government has the 

resources to undertake and sustain high-risk—but 

potentially high payoff—research, and only the 

federal government has the incentives to invest in 

long-term, fundamental research.” Now is the time 

for both effective investment and new solutions. 

To achieve these solutions—and ensure that 

they are put into practice—FHWA leads in developing and implementing a nationally coordinated 

highway R&T agenda. The components of this 

agenda include:

•	 Highway Research and Development. FHWA 

conducts research in the areas of safety, infrastructure preservation and improvements, planning and environment, operations, policy, and 

next generation technology. 

•	 Technology and Innovation Deployment. When 

the new technologies and products that result 

from research, whether conducted or sponsored 

by FHWA or by other participants in the nationally coordinated R&T agenda, are ready for implementation, FHWA works to accelerate the 
3

adoption of high-payoff innovations. The FHWA 

Resource Center and the Agency’s State Division 

offices play key roles in the deployment process. 

•	 Training and Education. FHWA concentrates on 

training the current and future transportation 

workforce through such venues as the National 

Highway Institute (NHI) and the Local Technical Assistance Program. 

The components of FHWA’s R&T program—Highway Research and Development, Technology and 

Innovation Deployment, and Training and Education—are intended to be integrated, continuous 

processes that work together to move technologies 

from the research phase to the development, 

implementation, and impact assessment phases. 

Historically, FHWA’s commitment to highway research has changed the way roads and bridges are 

designed, constructed, operated, and maintained 

across the country. Its R&T program continues 

that legacy today. 

As FHWA sponsors, conducts, and guides highway research, the involvement of stakeholders 

and the public is integral to R&T development and 

deployment activities. Stakeholder involvement 

is vital, for example, to the process of developing 

FHWA’s R&T program plans, which describe key 

R&T objectives and multi-year plans for research. 

FHWA also partners with State departments of 

transportation (DOTs), the American Association 

of State Highway and Transportation Officials 

(AASHTO) Research Advisory Committee, and the 

AASHTO Standing Committee on Research to develop and deploy R&T programs. 

The success of new technologies and products 

developed through FHWA research ultimately depends on their acceptance by States, industry, and 

other stakeholders. Innovation delivery is another 

key step in the R&T life cycle. Through demonstration projects, education and training programs, 

manuals and other publications, and hands-on assistance, FHWA works to support the deployment 

of new, cost-effective, and high-performing technologies. Deployment efforts are coupled with assessment initiatives, which complete the R&T life 

cycle by evaluating the impact of new processes 

and technologies.

FHWA’s commitment to highway research has changed the way roads and bridges are designed, 

constructed, operated, and maintained. 
Traffic travels around a roundabout in 

Garnett, Kansas.

4

The Value of Research

Responding to National Needs

From improving the durability of the Nation’s highways and bridges to designing and building safer 

roadways to reducing transportation infrastructure’s 

impact on the environment, FHWA’s R&T initiatives 

are meeting today’s national needs and exploring 

next generation solutions. Research is supported by 

the Agency’s R&T funding, as well as Strategic Initiatives funding that was authorized under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity 

Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) Technical 

Corrections Act of 2008. FHWA’s Strategic Initiatives provide flexible funding for cross-functional 

research that may cut across program areas. The 

flexible funds give FHWA the opportunity to direct 

resources to address strategic needs, advance major 

goal areas, fill current research gaps, and focus on 

emerging and anticipated issues. 

Recent R&T accomplishments include a diverse 

range of advancements in technology. These innovations open up a new world of what is possible in 

transportation today, encompassing sophisticated 

software programs that can aid in building more 

sustainable roadways, laboratories that explore the 

latest in intelligent transportation systems, and 

pavements and bridges built with advanced materials. FHWA’s research also continues to look 

ahead to the breakthroughs that await tomorrow. 

Improving Highway Safety

In 2009, the number of people killed in motor vehicle crashes in the United States dropped to its 

lowest level since 1950, and the number of people 

injured declined for the 10th straight year, falling an 

estimated 5.5 percent from 2008. With more than 

33,000 persons killed and 2 million injured in roadway crashes, however, building on these advances 

and continuing to improve highway safety remains a 

top priority for all of the Nation’s transportation 

agencies. FHWA researchers conduct investigations that examine drivers, vehicles, and the highway infrastructure, focusing on how to create a safer 

environment for all roadway users.

The implementation of roundabouts in Iowa and other States is improving 

intersection safety. Shown here is a roundabout in Coralville, Iowa. 

© Hillary Isebrands© Hillary Isebrands
5

Designing Safer Intersections

FHWA continues to be at the forefront of research 

into the design and application of roundabouts, which 

are one-way, circular intersections where traffic flows 

around a center island. With intersection-related 

crashes accounting for 47 percent of all crashes in the 

United States and 21 percent of all traffic fatalities, improving intersection safety is an important priority for 

FHWA. The results from roundabouts in use to date 

are significant. A National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report, Roundabouts in the 

United States (NCHRP Report No. 572), found that 

the installation of roundabouts led to a 35 percent reduction in total crashes and a 76 percent reduction in 

crashes causing injuries or fatalities. Other studies 

have also reported impressive safety benefits. To support the implementation of roundabouts across the 

country, FHWA published Roundabouts: An Informational Guide in 2000. When it was issued, fewer than 

100 modern roundabouts existed in the United States. 

With about 2,000 roundabouts located throughout 

the country today, TRB released Roundabouts: An Informational Guide, Second Edition (NCHRP Report 

No. 672) in 2010. Jointly funded by FHWA, the report 

officially updates and supersedes the 2000 Guide. A 

newly launched FHWA Roundabouts Peer-to-Peer 

Program, meanwhile, is providing technical assistance to State DOTs and others as they implement the 

technology. California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Missouri have received assistance to 

date. NHI also offers training on “Modern Roundabouts: Intersections Designed for Safety” (Course 

No. FHWA-NHI-380096). 

Sidewalks That Don’t Trip You Up

Pavement smoothness is not only vital to building 

better roadways but a key factor in ensuring that 

sidewalks and curb ramps are accessible to individuals with disabilities and meet the standards of the 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). However, 

the traditional ADA survey process for assessing the 

condition of sidewalks and curb ramps is time-consuming and does not offer jurisdictions precise data. 

The Ultra-Light Inertial Profiler (ULIP), an instrumented Segway® developed by FHWA for pavement 

surface evaluation, offers an accurate and cost-effective solution. FHWA provided technical support as 

Bellevue, Washington, used the ULIP to conduct an 

ADA evaluation of existing physical barriers for 

persons with disabilities. Use of the technology cut 

Sally Swanson Architects, Inc., used the 

Ultra-Light Inertial Profiler-ADA (ULIP-ADATM) 

to conduct an Americans with Disabilities Act 

(ADA) evaluation of sidewalk running grade, 

cross slope, and change in level for the City 

of Clovis, California.

The SafetyAnalyst software provides state-of-the-art analytical 

tools that transportation agencies can use as they make decisions 

about roadway safety improvements, such as installing an overhead flashing beacon to enhance the visibility of intersections. © Starodub, Inc.

© VHB
Safety improvement strategies can also include installing center 

two-way left-turn lanes on two-lane roads. 

6

Bellevue’s costs from more than $1 million to 

$285,000 and resulted in more precise data on conditions such as pavement roughness and defects, 

helping the city to better prioritize its remediation 

efforts. The cities of San Marcos, Clovis, and San 

Carlos in California are also using the ULIP for ADA 

assessment in 2011.

The Right Safety Tool for the Right Job

To make the best decisions about highway safety 

improvements, transportation agencies need comprehensive data and sophisticated data analysis 

tools. A survey of State highway agencies, for example, found that improving the data analysis process 

was the top-ranked need for increasing the effectiveness of safety management. The SafetyAnalyst 

software provides state-of-the-art analytical tools 

that transportation agencies can use as they make 

decisions about site-specific highway safety improvements. These tools, for example, can help 

agencies identify safety problems at specific sites 

and then select countermeasures to reduce the frequency and severity of crashes.

Developed through a pooled fund effort by 

FHWA and participating State agencies, the software is now available from AASHTO. Among the 

States that participated in the pooled fund was 

Ohio, which is now integrating SafetyAnalyst into 

its safety program so that funds can be directed to 

locations where transportation improvements will 

have the greatest potential to reduce severe crashes 

and save lives. 

SafetyAnalyst is just one of the software tools created through FHWA that supports implementation of 

the new Highway Safety Manual (HSM), which was 

developed by TRB and released by AASHTO. 

Deployment of the tools has been supported by flexible, cross-functional research funding. Other available 

tools include the Interactive Highway Safety Design 

Model (IHSDM). The IHSDM is a suite of software 

analysis tools for evaluating the safety and operational 

effects of geometric design decisions on highways. 

The software supports decisionmaking in the highway design process by providing estimates of a design’s expected safety and operational performance, 

and checking existing or proposed highway designs 

against relevant design policies. IHSDM currently includes six evaluation modules: Crash Prediction, Design Consistency, Intersection Review, Policy Review, Traffic Analysis, and Driver/Vehicle. The 

updated 2010 release of the IHSDM included implementation of HSM predictive methods.

The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) used 

IHSDM as part of a comprehensive review of Idaho 

State Highway 8 corridor conditions. IHSDM was 

used to evaluate existing traffic, roadway geometric 

deficiencies, and potential safety issues, and to predict 

crashes using these data and the corridor’s recent 

crash history. ITD found that more than half of the 18-

km (11-mi) corridor studied exhibited a calculated 

crash rate higher than the statewide average. This information was used to help identify potential improvement locations.

Also supporting implementation of the HSM 

is the Crash Modification Factors Clearinghouse, 

which was created in fiscal year (FY) 2010. A Crash 

Modification Factor (CMF) is a multiplicative factor 

used to compute the expected number of crashes after 

implementing a given countermeasure at a specific 

site. Available online at www.cmfclearinghouse.org/

index.cfm, the Clearinghouse consists of a database 

of CMFs, along with supporting documentation to 

help transportation engineers identify the most appropriate countermeasure for their safety needs. 

States such as Illinois, Iowa, North Carolina, 

Virginia, and Washington are using the Clearinghouse to develop lists of CMFs that they can use 

© VHB
7

when performing benefit-cost analyses. The 

Washington State Department of Transportation, 

for example, is developing a tailored list of CMFs 

approved for use by the department. It will then 

distribute that list to potential applicants for local 

safety funding. The Iowa Department of Transportation also uses the Clearinghouse as a resource for local governments that are applying for 

site-specific safety funding through the State’s 

Traffic Safety Improvement Program. Local governments can use the Clearinghouse’s CMFs to 

perform benefit-cost analyses for each potential 

traffic safety improvement.

Improving Infrastructure Integrity

FHWA’s comprehensive infrastructure research is 

resulting in new technologies that are reinventing 

the country’s roads and bridges and producing a 

safer and smoother driving experience, while saving 

money and reducing congestion.

Mitigating Disaster Risks

According to the National Science and Technology 

Council’s Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction, natural and human-caused hazards in the United States 

cost an estimated $52 billion per year in lives lost and 

economic damages. The FHWA Hazards Mitigation 

R&T program is helping to reduce hazard risks to 

highways and bridges, and ensure that highway infrastructure remains operational during and after a 

hazard event. Past research has included studies 

conducted at FHWA’s Turner-Fairbank Highway 

Research Center (TFHRC) Hydraulics Research 

Laboratory to advance the understanding of the effects of flooding, scour, and coastal inundation on 

bridges. Researchers in TFHRC’s Aerodynamics 

Laboratory, meanwhile, have developed measures to 

control bridge vibrations caused by wind. 

Research is now underway to develop technologies and methodologies for a number of major hazards, including flooding and scour, coastal inundation, wind and hurricanes, earthquakes, and 

technological hazards, including terrorism. Both 

advanced and applied research will continue in 2011 

to improve prediction models and develop better 

design guidance and countermeasures for both new 

and existing structures. Some of the key FY 2011 initiatives include research on stream stability problems and the development of resulting design standards for bridges, as well as ongoing studies to 

improve the seismic resilience of bridges. 

Two Decades of Advancements in Pavement 

Design and Management

More than 20 years after data collection began for the 

Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program, 

the benefits and products generated by the program 

continue to change pavement design and management worldwide. The LTPP database has played a 

critical role in the development and evaluation of every major pavement design methodology developed 

over the past 20 years. This includes the 1993 and 1998 

AASHTO design procedures, the Superpave® mix design system, and the DARWin-METM pavement design 

software. This software gives engineers improved 

tools for specifying the optimum mix, layer configuration, and thickness for new and rehabilitated pavements. DARWin-ME would not have been possible 

without LTPP data for many inputs. Calibrated nationally with LTPP test sections, DARWin-ME has 

shown significant reductions in the initial cost for 

heavily trafficked pavement designs, and its use is expected to generate annual savings of $1 billion. Beyond overall design procedures, the LTPP data have 

supported and will continue to support model development and validation for a wide array of pavement 

performance predictors and indicators.

The program has monitored the performance 

of nearly 2,500 in-service pavement test sections 

throughout the United States and Canada, including 758 test sections that are still being monitored 

today. These test sections represent a range of climatic and soil conditions. The data collected now 

form the largest and most comprehensive pavement database in the world. LTPP data have been 

translated into an array of products and tools for 

pavement engineers, including data collection 

procedures, a new falling weight deflectometer 

(FWD) calibration system, an updated FWD calibration protocol, and equipment protocols for traffic data collection. The FWD calibration system 

provides a method to assure that data collected to 

assess the structural condition of pavements will 

be accurate and consistent. A nondestructive testing device, the FWD imparts a dynamic load to the 

pavement surface that is similar to that of a single 

heavy moving wheel load. The resulting pavement 

deflection can then be measured. This deflection 

data combined with the pavement layer thickness 

can be used to help analyze the remaining ser-
vice life of a pavement. These and other advancements resulting from LTPP research are detailed 

in a new report, Long-Term Pavement Performance 

Program: Accomplishments and Benefits 1989–2009

(Pub. No. FHWA-HRT-10-071). 

The LTPP program’s LTPP Computed Parameter: 

Dynamic Modulus study developed estimates of the 

dynamic modulus of hot-mix asphalt (HMA) layers 

on LTPP test sections following the models used in 

the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide. 

Adopted by AASHTO in 2008, the new guide enables 

transportation agencies to better predict pavement 

performance over time and make more informed decisions when designing pavements. Additionally, 

LTPP*, a user-friendly software, was developed to facilitate dynamic modulus computations. This will allow transportation agencies to more accurately characterize the strength and load resistance of their 

asphalt mixes, resulting in better and longer lasting 

pavements. Nearly 400 copies of the software have 

been distributed to State agencies and others. More 

information on the software and study findings can be 

found in the new TechBrief, LTPP Computed Parameter: Dynamic Modulus (Pub. No. FHWA-HRT-11-018). 

LTPP advancements will also benefit future pavement professionals. Several universities have introduced curricula that include LTPP data, for example. 

To encourage use of the data, FHWA and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) sponsored an 

International Contest on LTPP Data Analysis in 

2010. The contest included categories for both undergraduate and graduate students, partnerships, 

and curriculum. Looking to the future, additional 

products and tools could result from efforts to optimize pavement treatment selection, assess the impact of the environment on pavement performance, 

and compare the performance of new materials to 

conventional materials. 

Optimizing Concrete Pavements 

with COMPASS

Many factors, including project time constraints, 

demand for longer pavement design lives, and environmental, social, and economic considerations, are 

leading the concrete paving industry to come up 

with new ways to proportion and optimize concrete 

mixtures. Additionally, many concrete material 

choices are available today that add complexity to 

the mixture proportioning process. With all of these 

changes, the industry needed a tool for concrete 

mixture optimization that could isolate properties 

of interest and simplify the approach to the mixture 

proportioning process based on site-specific conditions. In response to this need, FHWA developed 

the Concrete Mixture Performance Analysis System 

(COMPASS). With this Windows®-based application system, a user can optimize the performance of 

a concrete mixture in a particular environment by 

properly selecting material constituents, such as 

types of aggregates, cementitious materials, and admixtures, that will benefit properties identified as 

important to a particular environment or project 

type. The user can also determine the appropriate 

gradation and material constituent proportions that 

will enhance the performance of a mixture. These 

benefits will result in longer-life pavements.

FHWA’s COMPASS software can be used to 

optimize the performance of a concrete mixture 

in a particular environment.

8

A falling weight deflectometer (FWD) is calibrated. 

Products and tools resulting from the Long-Term Pavement Performance program include a new FWD calibration system and an updated FWD calibration protocol.
The CA4PRS software identifies optimal highway rehabilitation 

strategies that balance the construction schedule with inconvenience to drivers and transportation agency costs.

9

© Caltrans

CA4PRS: Get In, Get Out, Stay Out

As transportation agencies balance the need to rehabilitate and reconstruct existing highways with the 

goals of reducing congestion and improving safety, 

accelerated construction is more important than 

ever. A new software tool, Construction Analysis for 

Pavement Rehabilitation Strategies (CA4PRS), assists agencies in making accelerated construction a 

reality. The software was developed under an FHWA 

pooled fund study by the Institute of Transportation 

Studies at the University of California at Berkeley. 

California, Minnesota, Texas, and Washington participated in the study. All States can now obtain the 

software and training at no charge. 

CA4PRS can be used to identify optimal highway 

rehabilitation strategies that balance the construction schedule with inconvenience to drivers and 

transportation agency costs. The program’s scheduling module estimates project duration, while its 

traffic module quantifies the impact of work zone 

lane closures on the traveling public. The cost module estimates total project cost (including construction, traffic handling, and supporting costs). A growing number of States are using CA4PRS, including 

California, Utah, and Washington. Approximately 

20 States have obtained the software. The California 

Department of Transportation (Caltrans), for example, used it in the design stage of a recently completed project on I-15 in Ontario to select the most 

efficient rehabilitation strategy for the roadway. 

Caltrans’ use of the software on a previous project 

on I-15 in Devore cut construction and traffic control costs by 25 percent, saving $6 million, and an 

additional $2 million in road user costs. “A key benefit of using CA4PRS is that it allows us to get in and 

get out faster, reducing both the length of construction projects and traffic congestion,” said Michael 

Samadian of Caltrans.

Enhanced Bridge Inspections Through 

Nondestructive Evaluation

Following the collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2007, FHWA developed 

a Bridge Inspection Nondestructive Evaluation 

Showcase to give bridge owners, managers, and inspectors training in the latest nondestructive evaluation (NDE) tools and systems. NDE methods can 

be used to assess existing conditions in highway 

bridges during routine inspections, supplementing 

visual inspections and improving the overall reliability of bridge evaluations. The showcase is now 

offered through NHI (Course No. FHWA-NHI130099). FHWA is also conducting numerous other 

studies intended to advance NDE practice and help 

develop and deploy new tools and technologies that 

aid in assessing the condition of the Nation’s physical infrastructure. Work underway includes researching NDE methods as well as developing 

resources for bridge owners and inspectors. A current research project is focusing on developing an 

advanced method of measuring corrosion and section loss in gusset plates, with an emphasis on multiple plates and areas that are not visible for inspection. An ongoing project is investigating using 

response-based analysis of in-service bridges to increase the accuracy of load ratings. One benefit of this 

increased accuracy is to minimize load restrictions 

for bridges. These research projects and other NDE 

Nondestructive evaluation tools and systems for bridges 

highlighted in FHWA’s Bridge Inspection Nondestructive 

Evaluation Showcase include the Ultrasonic system (left) 

and the Eddy Current system (right).
methods that range from simple to highly advanced 

will be documented in FHWA’s forthcoming NDE 

Web Manual. The manual, which will be hosted on 

the FHWA Web site, will feature information on 

NDE methods and link the methods with the inspection situations where they should be used. 

RealCost Produces Real Savings

FHWA’s RealCost software is a tool for performing 

life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) for pavement selection. The software can also be used for bridges and 

structures. LCCA provides a cost comparison between two or more competing design alternatives 

that produce equivalent benefits for the project being analyzed, evaluating agency and user costs over 

the life of the various alternatives. Because LCCA 

focuses on costs required over the life of an asset to 

maintain it above some minimum performance level, the lowest cost alternative is not necessarily the 

one with the lowest cost of initial construction. Using RealCost, agencies can analyze up to six design 

alternatives simultaneously. Up to four different 

traffic distributions, such as for a weekday or weekend, can also be defined and selected. Currently 

available in Version 2.5, which was released in 2010, 

the software calculates life cycle values for both 

agency and user costs associated with construction 

and rehabilitation. Numerous States have adopted 

RealCost for pavement LCCA and several, including 

California, Colorado, Florida, and Washington, have 

formally incorporated it into their pavement type 

selection policy or process. FHWA continues to enhance the RealCost software, incorporating user 

feedback and research findings. A new version of 

the software is expected to be released in 2012. 

Pavement Materials Laboratories

Work at TFHRC’s Pavement Materials Laboratories 

includes conducting forensic analyses of paving materials for State DOTs. Staff at the laboratories have 

collaborated with the Georgia, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Virginia DOTs and FHWA’s Office of Federal Lands Highway on several projects. 

Researchers have also worked with States and asphalt and asphalt additive producers to evaluate the 

durability of bituminous and aggregate components. 

The laboratories independently verify contract 

research results, provide unbiased support to State 

agencies and industry, and assist State and Federal 

agencies and industry with forensic analyses. The 

laboratories also conduct fundamental studies of 

highway materials. These studies advance understanding of pavement failure mechanisms and superior performance, assist in the development of 

state-of-the-art characterization tools and tests, 

and foster the development of new materials and 

mix designs. Through these efforts, numerous forensic tools have been developed, including test 

methods to determine the presence of additives 

such as lime and polyphosphoric acid. The tools aid 

in assessing the causes of premature pavement failures. Ultimately this can help identify more durable 

pavement materials, identify less expensive materials with equal or improved performance characteristics, and assist in advancing pavement sustainability efforts.

Full-scale pavement tests have been completed 

at TFHRC’s Accelerated Loading Facility (ALF) to 

evaluate the fatigue and rutting resistance of both 

polymer modified and unmodified binder, crumb 

rubber, and fibers. Currently, fine-graded thin asphalt overlays with updated specifications for Superpave 4.75 mm (0.18 in) nominal maximum aggregate size mixes are being investigated. The 

ability to defer cracking, reduce long-term aging, 

and increase net pavement life is being quantified 

through this research. 

A final ALF report on Full-Scale Accelerated 

Performance Testing for Superpave and Structural 

Validation will be available this year. The research 

identified two candidate purchase specification 

tests for asphalt binder that better classify the fatigue cracking and rutting performance than the 

current Superpave tests. This will enable State 

agencies to specify and select more durable asphalt 

binders. 

Strengthening Transportation 

Planning and Environmental Linkages

FHWA researchers are not only working to build 

safer and more durable roads and bridges but to 

build them more sustainably, reducing the impact 

of highway infrastructure on the environment. 

This includes efforts to accelerate construction 

and reduce congestion and related emissions, reduce the runoff from highways, increase the reuse 

and recycling of roadway materials, and reduce the 

energy required for highway construction. 

10
Available online at www.sustainablehighways.org, 

FHWA’s Sustainable Highways Self-Evaluation 

Tool provides a boost to State transportation 

departments and Metropolitan Planning 

Organizations as they seek to evaluate projects 

and quantify sustainability.

11

Making Highway Projects More Sustainable

As transportation agencies seek to build sustainable 

highways that meet development and economic 

growth needs, while reducing impacts on the environment and consumption of natural resources, 

tools are needed to help agencies quantify sustainability and support their decisions. Released in 2010, 

FHWA’s Sustainable Highways Self-Evaluation Tool 

will provide valuable assistance to State DOTs and 

Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) as 

they work to make their highway projects more sustainable. With support from FHWA’s flexible, crossfunctional research funding, the tool was developed 

in cooperation with State and local transportation 

agencies and organizations such as AASHTO and 

ASCE. States and MPOs can use it to evaluate their 

projects and practices and rate them using a consistent set of evaluation criteria and scores. 

This unique tool addresses the full life cycle of a 

highway project, from planning through construction to operations and maintenance. Sustainability 

is measured through goals and credits for sustainable highway practices, projects, and programs. 

Each credit describes a particular practice, provides 

methods for implementing it, and includes examples where it has been successfully applied. The 

self-evaluation tool includes 68 credits, organized 

into system planning, project development, and operations and maintenance. Some agencies may use 

the sustainability tool to learn about how others are 

addressing sustainability or to find out more about 

certain sustainability practices that can be applied 

to a project, while other agencies may use it to track 

the performance of projects over time. Available in a 

beta version online at www.sustainablehighways.

org, the tool offers users maximum, hands-on flexibility. Through a pilot testing initiative, FHWA will 

continue to refine and improve it. 

Recycling Solutions

Recycling asphalt pavement creates a cycle of reusing 

materials that optimizes the use of natural resources. 

Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) reduces the need 

to use virgin aggregate, which is a scarce commodity 

in some areas of the United States, and cuts the energy 

and transportation costs needed to obtain the aggregate. It also reduces the amount of costly new asphalt 

binder required in the production of asphalt paving 

mixtures. The state of the practice for RAP use in the 

United States, as well as best practices for increasing 

the use of RAP in asphalt pavement mixtures while 

maintaining high-quality pavement infrastructure, is 

detailed in a new FHWA report, Reclaimed Asphalt 

Pavement in Asphalt Mixtures: State of the Practice

(Pub. No. FHWA-HRT-11-021). The report provides 

useful information on RAP percentages and asphalt 

binder grade selection, mix design considerations, 

and performance of RAP asphalt mixtures.

From 2007 to 2009, about half of States reported 

increased use of RAP, with the average percentage 

of RAP used in HMA around 15 percent. Analyses by 

FHWA have shown that the performance and life of 

pavements containing up to 30 percent RAP is similar to virgin pavements containing no RAP. The ability to use 30 percent RAP in asphalt mixtures, compared to no RAP, can result in cost savings of more 

than $5 per ton of asphalt. Research led by FHWA 

has also shown that up to 20 percent RAP can be 

used in an HMA mixture without having to make 

changes to the asphalt binder. Using 20 percent 

RAP compared to 15 percent RAP results in cost 

savings of at least $1.25 per ton of asphalt. Based on 

the amount of HMA and warm mix asphalt (WMA) 

produced in 2010 and the amount of RAP used in 

HMA and WMA, this could result in savings of $125 

million annually.
Reducing Congestion, Improving 

Highway Operations, and Enhancing 

Freight Productivity

According to the Texas Transportation Institute, congestion cost Americans more than $100 billion in 

time and fuel in 2009, draining money and productivity and hampering freight operations. Research into 

congestion solutions has never been more crucial. 

A Foundation for Future Mobility

TFHRC’s new multimodal Transportation Operations Laboratory contains test beds for developing 

data resources, transportation concepts and analysis, 

and cooperative vehicle-highway interfaces. Offering a foundation for the future, the lab’s research will 

explore how innovative technologies can dramatically change and improve the performance of the 

Nation’s transportation system. The lab’s concepts 

and analysis test bed, for example, will be used to 

conduct “what-if” simulations to assess the impact 

of different technologies and policies. Research into 

vehicle-highway interfaces, meanwhile, will explore 

how traffic signals can “talk” to cars and mobile devices and cars can then “talk” to other cars and traffic 

signals about where they are and how fast they are 

going. This research could lead to significant decreases in delays and a reduction in the number of 

crashes that occur during stop-and-go traffic. 

Targeted Safety Messages Talk to Your Vehicle

Operations research that will use the Cooperative 

Vehicle-Highway Testbed (CVHT) in FHWA’s new 

Transportation Operations Laboratory includes the 

Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) Interface Definition and Prototype, which will define a common 

two-way interface between vehicle systems, mobile 

devices, and traffic signal controllers. This would 

enable applications such as warning drivers they 

are about to violate a red light and optimizing traffic 

flows through intersections, which can reduce 

emissions and fuel usage. The first two prototype 

controllers to use this new interface will be tested 

in the CVHT in late 2011 and early 2012. 

FHWA is also supporting the procurement of 

roadside equipment that will enable wireless communications between vehicles and infrastructure 

for the Connected Vehicle Safety Pilot, which is being led by the Intelligent Transportation Systems 

(ITS) Joint Program Office of the U.S. Department 

12

of Transportation’s (U.S. DOT) Research and Innovative Technology Administration. Beginning in 

2011 and running through the first half of 2013, this 

major research initiative will test how drivers in real-world conditions will respond to wireless safety 

messages targeted to them based on their specific 

position, situation, or vehicle type. These messages 

could include warnings such as “Use Caution, Icy 

Roads Ahead” or “Stop! Red Light Ahead” and address crashes associated with driving too fast for the 

conditions or driver distraction. 

Traffic Signal Triggers

FHWA researchers are using step-frequency groundpenetrating radar (SF-GPR) to develop a nondestructive method for detecting and assessing inductive 

loop sensors that are embedded in roadway surfaces. 

The SF-GPR technology offers advanced subsurface 

three-dimensional imaging capabilities. The sensors 

being assessed indicate the presence or movement of 

vehicles and provide information that supports such 

traffic management applications as signal control and 

freeway mainline roadway and ramp control. Malfunctioning sensors can prevent traffic signals from 

sensing the presence of vehicles, which can be both 

frustrating for drivers and delay or prevent the display 

of green signal indicators to motorcyclists and bicyclists. Since research began in 2006 under a Small 

Business Innovation Research project, FHWA has improved the GPR detection and resolution capability 

Among the concepts being developed at 

FHWA’s Transportation Operations Laboratory is connected vehicle technology, which 

can reduce delays and the number of crashes 

that occur during stop-and-go traffic.
13

and made significant steps in advancing the technology to the point where it can be commercialized. 

Assessing Policy and System 

Financing Alternatives

In difficult economic times and an era of reduced 

budgets, transportation agencies face the challenge 

of doing more with less. R&T initiatives not only 

build better infrastructure but explore how agencies 

can assess policy and system financing alternatives. 

Passenger Travel Analysis Framework: 

An Efficient Decisionmaking Tool

FHWA and its State and local partners have historically relied upon modeling tools to support their 

planning, analyses, and decisionmaking processes. 

Modeling tools demonstrate the relationships among 

congestion reduction, greenhouse gases, emissions, 

fuel use, fuel prices, and other relevant factors. Using 

flexible, cross-functional research funds, this project 

developed mathematical functions and models that 

link population, licensed drivers, number of available 

vehicles, freight demand, driver behavior, energy/

fuel price and availability, environmental issues and 

concerns, and vehicle miles traveled (VMT). These 

models are used by U.S. DOT and FHWA to forecast 

VMT, analyze various scenarios, and as an aid in 

planning and decisionmaking. The models also provide technical approaches to States, local agencies, 

and private businesses in developing local models. 

A model for national VMT for 2040 has also been 

developed and used by U.S. DOT and FHWA for 

safety and other benchmarking analyses and additional analysis, including energy consumption and 

greenhouse gas emissions. This project has provided, for the first time, a comprehensive forecasting of 

VMT by vehicle type, area type, energy consumption, emissions, and potential gas tax revenue 

through 2040. A State VMT model for 2040 is also 

available, with regional models and a motorcycle 

VMT component in the development stage. 

The goal of the Passenger Travel Analysis Framework, which encompasses the work of several interconnected FHWA programs, is to enable a better 

understanding of national travel demand and provide States with resources for better analyzing and 

meeting travel need challenges.

Exploring Next Generation Solutions

FHWA highway research is creating a better, safer 

driving experience for today, but it is also looking at 

the infrastructure that will define tomorrow. From 

cutting-edge technologies inconceivable a generation ago to “smart” pavements and bridges that are 

just around the corner, the next generation of transportation has already begun. 

Developing the Next Generation of Bridges 

and Asset Management Tools

The Long-Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) program is leading the way toward a better future for 

bridge performance. The program will collect, 

maintain, and study high-quality, quantitative performance data for a representative sample of 

bridges nationwide. These bridges will feature 

many structural types and materials, as well as 

variations in geometry, age, traffic volume, truck 

loads, and climatic conditions. Data collected by 

the program will support a better understanding of 

how and why bridges deteriorate, how to best prevent or mitigate deterioration, and how to most effectively focus the development of the next generation of bridge management tools. Pilot studies to 

FHWA researchers are using step-frequency 

ground-penetrating radar to develop a nondestructive evaluation method for detecting 

and assessing inductive loop sensors imbedded 

in roadway surfaces. Malfunctioning sensors 

can prevent traffic signals from sensing the 

presence of vehicles.
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assess program protocols and data management 

systems are now being conducted at seven bridges 

across the country. Located in California, Florida, 

Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Utah, and Virginia, the pilot bridges represent both a broad geographic distribution and a cross section of the 

bridges on which the LTBP program will focus. 

The program will concentrate on the types of 

bridges heavily represented in the U.S. bridge population, including highway and interchange overpasses and bridges over minor waterways. The pilot phase is currently underway and will be 

completed in 2011, with the longer-term data collection phase to follow. While the data collection 

will occur over an extended period of time, an immediate payoff from the program will be the ability 

to integrate data from nondestructive testing and 

monitor bridge deterioration.

A New World of Ultra-High Performance Concrete

As the Nation looks to build longer lasting bridges 

and more rapidly renew its highway infrastructure, 

the use of high-strength and high-performing materials is more important than ever. For more than 10 

Among the structures being studied as part of the Long-Term Bridge Performance program is 

this bridge on Westbound State Road 430 over the Halifax River in Daytona, Florida. 

The Long-Term Bridge Performance program 

is collecting data for this bridge on Eastbound 

Interstate 95 over Sharon Station Road near 

Allentown, New Jersey.

Pilot bridges for the Long-Term Bridge Performance program 

include this bridge in Sandstone, Minnesota, which carries State 

Road 123 over the Kettle River.
years, FHWA’s structural concrete R&D program 

has worked to take concrete to new levels with the 

implementation of ultra-high performance concrete 

(UHPC). Exhibiting superior properties such as exceptional durability, high compressive strength, and 

long-term stability, UHPC components can facilitate accelerated construction and allow for the use 

of longer spans. States such as Iowa, New York, and 

Virginia are now beginning to use the new technology. In Buchanan County, Iowa, for example, the 

construction of the Jakway Park Bridge received a 

boost with the successful use of a new type of UHPC 

bridge girder developed through the FHWA R&T 

program. This was the first bridge in the country to 

be built using the UHPC technology, demonstrating 

the viability of the concept from design, through 

construction, and into everyday use. 

UHPC research focal areas are advancing, including through a Transportation Pooled Fund project 

being conducted in partnership with the New York 

State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and 

the Iowa Department of Transportation. The project 

is evaluating the performance of novel field-cast 

UHPC connections linking prefabricated bridge 

girders to precast concrete bridge decks. While the 

use of modular bridge deck components can produce higher quality, more durable bridge decks, the 

required connections have often been lacking, diminishing the overall system performance. The new 

UHPC connection eliminates the conflict points 

between the deck reinforcing bars and the girder 

shear connectors, allowing for easy field assembly. 

NYSDOT hopes to use the concept in a highway 

interchange reconstruction project in 2011. 

The story of UHPC and the unique solutions it 

offers is told in a new FHWA TechNote, Ultra-High 

Performance Concrete (Pub. No. FHWA-HRT-11-038).

Ultra-high performance concrete pi-girders were used in the construction of the Jakway Park Bridge 

in Buchanan County, Iowa.

Ultra-high performance concrete connections are tested at FHWA’s Turner-Fairbank 

Highway Research Center. These connections 

can link prefabricated bridge girders to 

precast concrete bridge decks.

15
© www.iStockphoto.com/Lucas Rucchin

Exploratory Advanced Research program projects include one designed to develop best practices for 

highway revenue collection. 

Exploratory Advanced Research

FHWA’s Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) 

program focuses on long-term, high-risk research 

with a high payoff potential. The program addresses 

underlying gaps faced by applied highway research 

programs, anticipates emerging issues with national 

implications, and reflects broad transportation industry goals and objectives.

The EAR program has conducted initial investigations in over 100 topics—through reference 

searches, scanning trips, and convening workshops—to assure leverage of the most recent, relevant, and advanced research from all fields. From 

the initial topics, the EAR program invested funding in 44 projects from 2007 through 2010, representing 32 topics that could bring together scientific and engineering advances and attract 

multidisciplinary research teams to solve critical 

highway research issues.

One promising project, “Development and Evaluation of Selected Mobility Applications for VII,” 

conducted by the California Partners for Advanced 

Transportation Technology Program in cooperation with Caltrans, is advancing the capabilities of 

intelligent vehicles to reduce congestion and effectively increase highway capacity.

Another EAR program-sponsored project, “Behavioral Sciences Approach to Testing, Validating, 

and Establishing Best Practices for Alternative 

Highway Revenue Collection,” led by the University 

of Central Florida, is applying novel experimental 

approaches for measuring fundamental behavioral 

characteristics in order to properly understand traffic behavior, and to design best practices for highway revenue collection. 

Also underway is “Nanoscale Sensors for Structural Health.” Conducted by the Georgia Institute of 

Technology, this project is investigating self-powered, very-large-area wireless sensors for the realtime monitoring of potentially dangerous cracks in 

steel bridges. The sensors are made by the inkjet 

printing of nanoparticles onto thin, flexible circuit 

boards.

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Moving Innovation

Every Day Counts

Rapid deployment of proven technology and solutions to speed up project delivery are at the heart of 

FHWA’s new Every Day Counts (EDC) initiative. 

The EDC initiative is designed to identify and deploy proven, ready-to-go innovation aimed at shortening project delivery, enhancing roadway safety, 

and protecting the environment. Teams from 

FHWA are working with State, local, and industry 

partners to implement the EDC technologies and to 

achieve better, faster, and smarter ways of doing 

business. Priority technologies include many developed or advanced through FHWA research, such as 

warm mix asphalt (WMA), prefabricated bridge elements and systems (PBES), Adaptive Signal Control Technology (ASCT), and the Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil Integrated Bridge System (GRS-IBS). 

ASCT adjusts signal timing to account for the 

variability in traffic demand that conventional traffic 

signals cannot accommodate, thereby improving 

traffic congestion and safety. Locations that have 

used this technology include Anne Arundel County, 

Maryland; San Ramon, California; San Marcos, California; Los Angeles, California; Bellevue, Washington; and Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

The Safety EdgeSM technology provides a simple 

but effective solution to reduce pavement edge-related crashes and help save lives. By shaping the 

edge of a pavement to 30 degrees, the Safety Edge 

helps mitigate the problem of vertical drop-off, enabling vehicles to return to the paved road smoothly 

and easily. 

WMA encompasses a variety of technologies that 

allow asphalt to be produced and then placed on the 

road at lower temperatures than the conventional 

HMA method. The lower temperatures may result 

in cost savings and reduced greenhouse gas emissions because less fuel is required. WMA is a proven 

technology that improves compaction, which then 

improves pavement performance, reduces fuel and 

energy usage, and increases worker comfort by reducing exposure to high temperatures and odors. 

WMA also has the potential to extend the construction season, allowing projects to be delivered in a 

timelier manner. TFHRC staff conducted early experiments when WMA technologies emerged and 

have been active participants in subsequent research 

and the deployment of WMA across the Nation. 

FHWA has also supported research on PBES, as 

well as deployment of the new technology. The prefabricated systems can be manufactured offsite at a 

prefabrication plant or adjacent to the project site by 

the contractor, under controlled conditions, and 

brought to the bridge location ready to install. The 

use of PBES, ranging from superstructures or substructures to totally prefabricated bridges, offers 

both faster and safer bridge construction and better 

quality. PBES can also reduce costs and the environmental impact of projects. FHWA’s Connection 

Details for Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems manual (Pub. No. FHWA-IF-09-010) provides 

New FHWA initiatives are accelerating the deployment of innovation, putting 

new products and technologies in the hands of the State and local agencies 

that need them today.

The Bowman Road Bridge in Defiance County, Ohio, was the 

first bridge in the world to use the Geosynthetic Reinforced 

Soil Integrated Bridge System (GRS-IBS).

17
Utah is among the States now using prefabricated bridge 

elements and systems. Here, the prefabricated superstructure of the 4500 South bridge in Salt Lake City is installed.

By consolidating the edge of a pavement to 30 degrees, 

the Safety Edgesm helps mitigate the problem of vertical edge drop-off.

transportation agencies, contractors, and consultants with information on the state of the practice for 

accelerated bridge construction across the country.

In States such as Ohio and New York, GRS-IBS 

technology is revolutionizing bridge building by 

alternating layers of compacted local soil and 

sheets of geotextile fabric reinforcement to build 

abutments and provide support for the structure. 

Researchers at the U.S. Forest Service and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) pioneered the early development of the GRS technology. FHWA then worked with CDOT to further 

refine it. Today, FHWA is continuing to refine and 

broaden the applicability of the technology. The 

result is bridges that are both extremely durable 

and cost effective, with costs potentially reduced 

by 25 to 60 percent. The GRS-IBS method also 

blends the roadway into the superstructure to create a jointless interface between the bridge and the 

approach roadways, alleviating the common 

“bump” caused by differential settlement between 

bridge abutments and approach roadways. GRSIBS can be built with readily available materials, 

using common construction equipment, and 

without the need for highly skilled labor. 

New FHWA publications continue to advance 

the deployment of the GRS-IBS technology, including the Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil Integrated 

Bridge System Interim Implementation Guide (Pub. 

No. FHWA-HRT-11-026) and the Geosynthetic 

Reinforced Soil Integrated Bridge System Synthesis 

Report (Pub. No. FHWA-HRT-11-027). The guide 

takes engineers through the site selection, design, 

and construction process for GRS-IBS, while the 

companion report substantiates the design method 

and presents case histories for GRS-IBS bridges 

built to date. 

Highways for LIFE

Launched in 2005, the Highways for LIFE (HfL) 

program focuses on achieving the Long-lasting, Innovative, and Fast construction of Efficient and 

safe highway infrastructure, thereby improving 

highway safety and quality while reducing the time 

needed to complete projects and the congestion 

caused by construction. HfL aims to raise awareness in the highway community so that new technologies can be moved from the state-of-the-art to 

the state-of-the-practice much more quickly. The 

program provides funding for innovative projects, 

training for highway professionals, partnering 

with private sector innovators, and publicity to 

raise awareness among both the highway community and the driving public. Technologies supported by HfL grants to States and promoted through 

workshops, videos, publications, and other resources include PBES, road safety audits, and tools 

for “Making Work Zones Work Better.” 

© UDOT

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In FY 2010, the New Hampshire Department of 

Transportation received funding to use innovative 

technologies such as precast panels and highperformance materials when it rehabilitates a bridge 

on U.S. 3/NH 11 Bypass in Gilford. In Missouri, HfL 

funding will support the use of hybrid composite 

beams for the construction of three bridges. The 

project is part of Missouri’s Safe and Sound Bridge 

Improvement Program, which is replacing or reconstructing the State’s lowest rated bridges by 

2013. Use of the hybrid-composite beams, which are 

lighter than conventional concrete beams and require minimal maintenance, is expected to reduce 

project construction time by about 25 percent. The 

beams have a fiber-reinforced plastic shell that is 

expected to provide a service life beyond 100 years. 

And in Vermont, the Department of Transportation 

will use a HfL grant to incorporate trenchless technology as part of the rehabilitation of two culverts 

along Interstate 89 in South Burlington and Colchester. The technology involves installing linings 

in existing culverts, rather than excavating the roadway and replacing the culvert. This innovation will 

minimize traffic disruptions and increase worker 

safety, while cutting costs. 

For FY 2011, more than $9.5 million in HfL grants 

were awarded to 15 projects in 14 States to help 

agencies build projects smarter, faster, cheaper, and 

with less impact on the traveling public. The funding supports the use of such innovations as precast 

concrete pavement slabs, PBES, WMA, road safety 

audits, and the Safety Edge paving technique. 

HfL also collaborates with the highway construction industry through its Technology Partnerships Program to accelerate the adoption of promising innovations. In 2010, funding was awarded to 

promote the implementation of composite bridge 

decking for moveable bridges. 

Precast, prestressed concrete panels are installed on I-66 in Fairfax County, Virginia, as part of 

a project supported by Highways for LIFE funding.

© VDOT

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SHRP 2

Conducted from 1988 to 1993, the first Strategic 

Highway Research Program (SHRP) had a significant and lasting impact on the country’s roadways. 

Its focused, results-oriented research led to such 

breakthrough advances as the Superpave asphalt 

pavement design system, as well as implementation 

of high-performance concrete pavements and 

bridges, new winter maintenance techniques, and 

pavement preservation strategies, among other innovations. Building on this success, a second program (SHRP 2) was authorized in 2005 under the 

SAFETEA-LU Act with the goal of developing recommended procedures, practices, and applications 

to advance the Nation’s highway system. The program is managed by TRB, in close cooperation with 

FHWA and AASHTO. The key focus areas for the 

program are:

•	 Safety—Prevent or reduce the severity of highway crashes by understanding highway behavior.

•	 Renewal—Address aging infrastructure through 

rapid design and construction methods that 

cause minimal disruption and produce long-lived 

facilities.

•	 Reliability—Reduce congestion through incident 

reduction, management, response, and mitigation.

•	 Capacity—Integrate mobility, economic, environmental, and community needs in the planning and 

designing of new transportation capacity. 

Over 80 SHRP 2 research projects are underway in the four focus areas, with a dozen completed to date, and most projects expected to conclude 

by 2013. With the extension of SAFETEA-LU, the 

SHRP 2 program has likewise been extended, 

allowing TRB extra time and budget resources to 

test and improve products developed during the 

original research phase of the program, fill gaps 

in the research, and plan for implementation. 

One completed high-value research project is Renewal Project R26: Preservation Approaches for 

High-Traffic-Volume Roadways. This initiative 

produced Guidelines for the Preservation of HighTraffic-Volume Roadways, which will help expand 

transportation agencies’ ability to use varied 

treatments to best meet the preservation needs on 

higher-volume roadways. Utility issues are another 

high-priority research topic, as utilities are among 

the major causes of delay in highway projects. 

Among the resulting products are reports on Encouraging Innovation in Locating and Characterizing Underground Utilities and Integrating the Priorities of Transportation Agencies and Utility 

Companies. 

In its 2009 report to Congress (Special Report 

296), TRB recommended that FHWA serve as the 

principal implementation agent for SHRP 2. Toward that end, FHWA is in the process of assessing 

the alignment of emerging SHRP 2 products with 

the Agency’s current program areas, and identifying potential priorities for deployment within 

those programs. With the December 2010 amendment of Section 510 of Title 23 of the U.S. Code, 

allowing the Secretary of Transportation to use 

SHRP 2 funds for implementation of SHRP 2 research products, FHWA is authorized to begin to 

engage in SHRP 2 development, demonstration, 

evaluation, and technology transfer activities. 

As more research projects move toward completion, FHWA will be taking an increased leadership role in SHRP 2 implementation.

20
Partnerships

National Partnerships

Transportation Pooled Fund Program

The Transportation Pooled Fund Program provides Federal, State, and local transportation agencies; academic institutions; foundations; and private industry the opportunity to jointly fund 

transportation research. Pooled fund studies have 

led to significant advances in technology, including 

the SafetyAnalyst software, which was jointly 

sponsored by FHWA and 27 State highway agencies. An LTPP pooled fund study, Falling Weight 

Deflectometer Calibration Center and Operational 

Improvements, has produced an improved FWD 

calibration system and protocol, which provide for 

collecting high-quality pavement data and performing quality control and assurance. And the CA4PRS 

(Construction Analysis for Pavement Rehabilitation Strategies) software, also developed through a 

pooled fund study, is helping States identify optimal highway rehabilitation strategies and make 

accelerated construction a reality.

Cooperative Highway Research

Also leading the way on highway research is the 

TRB-administered and State-sponsored NCHRP. 

By pooling resources and concentrating on topics 

of significant interest to States, NCHRP studies are 

changing practices across the country, leading to 

advances nationwide in everything from safety and 

design, to highway planning and operations, to 

construction and context sensitive solutions (CSS). 

FHWA’s R&T agenda is bolstered by the many national and international 

partnerships that support innovative, breakthrough highway research.

21

© www.iStockphoto.com/Kenneth Sponsler

The CA4PRS software, developed through an FHWA pooled fund study, helps States optimize highway rehabilitation 

strategies.
Quantifying the Benefits of Context Sensitive Solutions (NCHRP Report 642), for example, presents 

successful practices that transportation agencies 

have used to assess the value and benefits of integrating CSS principles in project development. 

These benefits include minimized overall impact 

to the human and natural environment, improved 

safety, and improved quality of life for communities. Snow and Ice Control: Guidelines for Materials 

and Methods (NCHRP Report 526), meanwhile, is 

helping agencies choose the appropriate winter 

maintenance strategies for their roadways. 

State Research

State research is also producing big innovations. 

The State Planning and Research program provides 

Federal-aid funding to States to address their particular challenges. As AASHTO highlighted in its 

Research Makes the Difference 2010 publication, despite the difficult economic times, States are committed to finding smarter transportation solutions. 

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, 

for example, is developing a guide on repairing 

22

damaged prestressed concrete bridge systems. The 

Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) 

has developed a tool for better forecasting freight 

demand. And the North Carolina Department of 

Transportation has implemented an improved 

system of vehicle detectors and signal timing software to reduce the number of intersection collisions on high-speed roads. In every State, innovations such as these are the result of valuable 

highway research. 

University Transportation Centers

The University Transportation Centers (UTC) 

program is a critical part of the U.S. DOT’s efforts 

to use cutting-edge technologies and innovations 

to find solutions to the transportation challenges 

of the 21st century. Initiated in 1987, the program’s 

60 centers are integrated within institutions of 

higher learning throughout the country, serving as 

vital sources of transportation research and incubators of new ideas. The centers also help to develop the next generation of transportation professionals. The UTC program is administered by U.S. 

NCHRP research has helped transportation agencies choose the appropriate winter maintenance strategies for their roadways.

© www.iStockphoto.com/Oksana Perkins
23

© www.iStockphoto.com/Stan Rohrer

Through the State Planning and Research 

program, ALDOT has developed a tool for 

better forecasting freight demand.

DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration. Each UTC focuses its research on a 

specific transportation theme. Recent themes have 

included developing tools to support greenhouse 

gas emission reductions, improving highway safety 

by identifying high-risk rural road segments and 

safety countermeasures, and conducting nondestructive evaluations of roadways. 

Solving Transport Challenges Globally 

Collaboration with international partners on 

transportation research and the exchange of specialized knowledge and experience will allow for 

more breakthrough advances and lay the groundwork for the next generation of global researchers. 

FHWA’s international cooperation on research and 

technology deployment is focused on both exploring foreign technology innovations for possible 

adaptation and use in the United States and facilitating the use of tested U.S. technologies in other 

countries, including developing countries. This 

international collaboration includes facilitating 

the transfer of research-based knowledge and best 

practices through the establishment of Technology 

Transfer Centers in the Caribbean, Latin America, 

Sub-Saharan Africa, and parts of Eastern Europe 

and Russia. In an era where economic productivity is tightly linked to transportation efficiency, advancing a more efficient global transportation system enables economic growth and development 

around the world.

Through a variety of partnerships and interactions, FHWA’s international activities address the 

U.S. transportation community’s demand for access to information on state-of-the-art technology 

and practices used worldwide. These relationships 

involve technical workshops and exchanges, partnerships between State DOTs and international 

counterparts, participation in international organizations, and other information and technology 

sharing activities. The international programs can 

also provide support for U.S. foreign policy goals 

and may also lead to opportunities for the U.S. private sector. Among these programs is the International Technology Scanning Program sponsored 

by FHWA, in cooperation with AASHTO and 

NCHRP. This program identifies best practices 

and emerging technologies for implementation in 

the United States. 

Learning about the use of prefabricated bridge 

elements and systems in Europe and Japan, for 

example, accelerated the implementation of the 

technology in the United States. After observing the use of self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) to rapidly transport and install prefabricated bridges in Europe, adopting the use of 

SPMTs was the top implementation recommendation. SPMTs are multi-axle, computer-controlled 

platform vehicles that can move in any horizontal 

direction and also have vertical lift. States such as 

Florida, Rhode Island, and Utah were among the 

first to employ SPMTs to accelerate bridge projects in the United States. Florida, for example, 

used prefabricated bridge elements and SPMTs to 

cut 4 months off the project schedule for construction of the new Graves Avenue Bridge in Volusia 

County. The accelerated construction resulted in 

$3 million in user cost savings.

A recently released report on Advancing Bridge 

Safety and Serviceability presents information on 
safety and serviceability practices related to the 

design, construction, maintenance, and management of bridges. Team members studied practices 

in Austria, England, Finland, France, and Germany 

to learn about new approaches in designing and assessing bridges, such as the use of refined analysis 

to gain a better understanding of how a bridge behaves under traffic loads. 

In October 2009, FHWA became an Associate of 

the Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories (FEHRL). This organization 

brings together more than 30 national research 

and technical centers in Europe, along with associated institutes worldwide. FEHRL is engaged in a 

range of road engineering research topics, including safety, infrastructure, operations, environmental issues, and economic evaluation. 

A Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between 

FHWA and FEHRL signed in July 2011 provides a 

strategy for partnership that will extend the reach 

of individual resources and enhance the quality of 

the resulting research products, establishing a protocol for collaborating on and jointly funding priority research topics. The MoC will speed the development and implementation of innovations and 

new highway technologies, enable technologies first 

identified in Europe to be brought to the United 

States more quickly, and expand the markets for U.S. 

technologies. For example, work underway in Europe on reducing pavement friction could be leveraged and brought to the United States with nominal 

FHWA funding, achieving greater value for the research investment. 

24
FHWA plays a critical central leadership role in developing, deploying, and implementing transportation innovations, as well as collaborating with the 

public and private sectors, academia, and the international community to provide a comprehensive innovation program. In many cases, the Agency acts as 

a convener, bringing the R&T community together 

to define priorities and future directions.

FHWA’s organizational structure provides a 

platform that facilitates innovation delivery. With 

Division offices located in each State, and Local 

Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) centers 

located nationally, agency staff can interact directly with State and local governments and help to 

foster innovation deployment.

The Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center 

in McLean, Virginia, is home to more than 20 laboratories, data centers, and support facilities. At the 

center, approximately 100 staff members, primarily 

engineers and scientists, conduct and manage apR&T Across FHWA

plied research to improve the state of the practice 

and exploratory advanced research to enhance the 

state of knowledge. They are supported in this work 

by approximately 200 onsite contractor staff. Areas 

of expertise and research include safety, infrastructure materials and systems, human-centered systems, vehicle-highway interaction, operations and 

intelligent transportation systems, and materials. 

New ideas are at the heart of research in all of these 

diverse areas, but FHWA’s R&T agenda always keeps 

the end goal in mind as projects move from inception to innovation.

FHWA’s Office of Infrastructure provides leadership, technical assistance, and program assistance in the areas of asset management, bridges, 

pavements, and program administration. Also providing leadership is the office’s Highways for LIFE 

program, which focuses on accelerating the adoption of innovations and technologies. Innovations 

developed through the Office of Infrastructure include the Pavement Health Track Analysis Tool, 

which can be used to determine the health of a 

pavement network in terms of the pavement’s remaining service life, based on rideability and pavement distresses.

The FHWA Office of Operations provides national leadership for the management and operation of the surface transportation system, including the areas of congestion management, ITS 

deployment, traffic operations, emergency management, and freight management and operations. 

Initiatives include the Localized Bottleneck Reduction Program, which examines the root causes, 

impacts, and potential solutions to traffic chokepoints that are recurring events. As part of this 

initiative, the office issued An Agency Guide on 

How to Establish Localized Congestion Mitigation 

Programs in 2011.

Reducing highway fatalities and injuries is the 

mission of the FHWA Office of Safety, which works 

with State and local partners and others in the 

Offices across FHWA are supporting new R&T initiatives and 

the deployment of innovation. 

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Staff at FHWA’s Turner-Fairbank Highway Research 

Center conduct research in such areas as safety, 

infrastructure materials and systems, and operations 

and intelligent transportation systems. 
A rock cut slope on the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Arlington, Virginia. The innovative 

use of rock gluing on the Parkway stabilized the rock slopes while preserving the scenic beauty of 

the Parkway. 

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transportation community to develop and promote 

programs and technologies to improve safety. To 

carry out this mission, the office uses a data-driven, systematic approach that addresses the “4Es” 

of safety: engineering, education, enforcement, and 

emergency medical services. Resources include information and guidance on “Nine Proven Crash 

Countermeasures,” such as the Safety Edge, road 

safety audits, rumble strips, and roundabouts. 

FHWA’s Office of Policy and Governmental 

Affairs encompasses the areas of Highway Policy 

Information, International Programs, Transportation Policy Studies, and Legislative and Governmental Affairs. Initiatives include maintaining the Highway Performance Monitoring System, which 

includes data on the condition, performance, use, 

and operating characteristics of the Nation’s highways. International activities include the Global 

Technology Exchange Program, which fosters information sharing and the facilitation of partnering 

relationships among U.S. States and their counterparts in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

The FHWA Office of Planning, Environment, 

and Realty provides leadership in the areas of comprehensive intermodal and multimodal transportation planning, environmental protection and enhancement, and the fair and prudent acquisition and 

management of real property. Recent initiatives include the development of a 2011 Transportation 

Planning for Sustainability Guidebook, which examines how sustainability considerations can be better 

incorporated into transportation planning. The 

guidebook features case studies highlighting sustainability planning practices at State DOTs.

FHWA’s Office of Federal Lands Highway provides program stewardship and transportation engineering services for the planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation of 

the highways and bridges that provide access to and 

through National Parks and other Federally owned 

and Tribal lands. The Federal Lands Highway Program (FLHP), which was created by the 1982 Surface Transportation Assistance Act, provides financial resources and technical assistance for a 

coordinated program of public roads that serves the 

transportation needs of Federal and Tribal lands. 

The Federal Lands Highway Technology Program 

evaluates new highway technology that will improve the quality and efficiency of the FLHP and its 

delivery systems within the highway community. 
The program provides solutions that are sensitive to 

agency needs, improve agency efficiency, and improve the quality of transportation projects. 

Technology advances deployed through Federal 

Lands include the innovative use of “rock glue” to 

stabilize rock slopes on roadways and protect drivers from rockfall hazards, while aesthetically improving the appearance of the rock slope. The technique has been used on the George Washington 

Memorial Parkway in Virginia and for projects on 

the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania, and the Great 

Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. 

The Office of Technical Services provides key 

support to the delivery of technologies and innovations. By bringing together the FHWA Resource 

Center, National Highway Institute (NHI), and 

Technology Partnerships Programs under one office, FHWA strengthened its ability to deliver vital 

services more strategically. The Resource Center 

and its Technical Service Teams facilitate technology deployment and technical assistance, NHI provides critical training opportunities, and the Technology Partnerships Programs offer education and 

local and tribal technology assistance.

The Technical Service Teams provide expertise 

and innovative technical assistance to help State 

and local agencies successfully adopt and deploy 

new technologies in such areas as construction and 

project management, finance services, operations, 

pavement and materials, safety and design, and 

structures. The work of the teams is bolstered by 

NHI, which offers more than 300 courses across 17 

program areas to advance the performance of the 

transportation workforce. A growing number of 

courses are available online, meeting the need for 

training even as State and local agencies face tighter 

budgets. Partnerships are also key, as the Technology Partnerships Programs support the training, 

technical assistance, and technology deployment efforts of the LTAP and Tribal Technical Assistance 

Program centers. The program also works with international partners to support professional development and technology transfer.

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As FHWA prepares for future challenges, the R&T story continues to 

evolve. To learn more about the array of initiatives underway, including details on new research projects, technology deployment, opportunities for partnerships, and plans for the R&T future, visit www.fhwa.dot.

gov/research today. The Agency’s new Facebook page and YouTube channel 

also offer opportunities to learn about all things FHWA, including current 

news items, new technologies and initiatives, ongoing programs, and recent 

events. Check out FHWA’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/

Federal-Highway-Administration/175380479155058. To view FHWA’s YouTube 

channel, visit www.youtube.com/user/USDOTFHWA.

The R&T Story Continues 

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Publication No. FHWA-HRT-11-053