Technology Transfer for Better Roads 1

First Quarter 2000

Caminos

Publication No. FHWA-PL-2000-003/HPIP/2-00/(3M)EW

Newsletter of the Pan American Institute of Highways

Moving in the Millennium Toward

Global Technology

Technology exchange in the road transportation sector, as in

any field, is a catalyst for improvement and change. Road

transportation technology transfer/exchange center programs

have been established in the United States, Latin America,

central Europe and southern Africa as effective agents in the

process for continuous improvement. Road transportation

professionals and organizations (public and private) worldwide

need information and knowledge that will enable them to

advance their processes, incorporate new products into existing

programs, and increase technical know-how that produce

positive change and impact on road systems. A huge universe

of institutional and technical knowledge exists and continues to

be developed that can be tapped to fulfill varying information

and resource requirements.

Technology Transfer Centers can serve as a focal point and an

institutionalized catalyst for technology transfer activities.

They should be considered as part of a larger process of the

ongoing technology transfer process, and not the sole vehicle

for it.

The primary objective of a technology transfer/exchange

center program is to facilitate the acquisition and dissemination

of technology, practice and policy knowledge and know-how

that is relevant to a local operating road transportation

environment. They can be general in handling road

transportation topics, and adapting techniques to local

conditions, or can be specialized if desirable necessary. The

benefits of a technology transfer center are: Reducing or

eliminating duplication or redundancy of products and process

development by road agencies, thereby conserving resources.

Learning of beneficial policies, technologies, programs and

developments earlier and more systematically. Improving skills

which will lead to improved road transportation systems.

What is a Technology

Transfer Center

A technology transfer center can be a local, national, regional,

or international conduit for advancing information with regard

to best practices or policies between technology and policy

developers and users. A center is a repository for information

about technologies, practices and resources - from cutting edge (Continued on page 5)

Inside . . .

Message from the Executive

Director of the PIH ........................ 2

LTAP Conference .......................... 3

PIH Web Site ................................. 4

OECD Conference ....................... 4

PIH Certified Centers Corner ...... 6

PIH Corporate Sponsors Profile .. 6

Inside . . .

to best practices. A center serves as a focal point for

systematic technology transfer activities which include a

variety of media and training that meet the unique needs of

their respective transportation community. A technology

transfer center is a catalyst for improvements and

enhancements ranging from road infrastructure, construction

and maintenance, to planning, financing and managing roads.

Effective networks of technology transfer centers operate in

the United States (Local Technical Assistance Centers - LTAP),

Latin America and the Caribbean (Pan American Institute of

Highways - PIH), the Baltic Centers (Finland and its Baltic

neighbors: Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia), Sub-Saharan Africa,

and East Asia. New technology transfer centers are taking

shape in Central Europe and Russia.

Each Technology Transfer center focuses on the acquisition

and dissemination of information which will meet the needs of

their respective road community. The achievements of these

centers are founded on the awareness that productive

technology transfer relies as much on understanding the local

state-of -thepractice, as it does

on the array of

available state-ofthe-art technology

from elsewhere.

Although

organizational

structures and

methods vary

depending on local

conditions, effective

technology transfer

centers generally

share some basic

operating

characteristics that

allow them to

successfully perform

their functions.
2 Technology Transfer for Better Roads

Message from the Executive

Director of the PIH

Pan American Institute

of Highways

Federal Highway Administration

400 Seventh Street, SW

Room 3258

Washington, DC 20590

Caminos is intended to transmit

both innovative and traditional

technology. It is produced by the

Headquarters of the Pan

American Institute of Highways

(PIH) and located at the Office of

International Programs.

Comments and address changes

should be sent to PIH at the

address above.

Caminos is distributed to PIH

centers, to FHWA’s Washington

Headquarters and field offices,

the transportation community in

the Americas, and agencies

having direct involvement with

highway technology transfer.

King W. Gee

Director General, PIH

Antonio Nieves Torres

Executive Director, PIH

Caminos Editors

Phone: 202-366-0220

Fax: 202-366-3619

e-mail: pih-ipc@fhwa.dot.gov

Web site: www.pih-ipc.org

U.S. Department of Transportation

Federal Highway Administration

Distinguished Members of the PIH Network:

It pleases me to address my first message to you as

the new Executive Director of the Pan American

Institute of Highways (PIH). This is an

appointment that the PIH Director General has

extended to me and I have accepted.

I have previously had the opportunity to be

involved in the activities of the PIH during an

assignment at the headquarter’s office in the

Federal Highway Administration in 1993. The

important role that the PIH plays in the

transportation community of the America’s and the

international community in general is crucial to the

development of a better and safer roadway system

worldwide. In keeping up with the advances in

information technology and the new globalization

efforts going on around the world, the PIH is in a privileged position to serve the

transportation community of the world in the next century.

I cannot ignore the fact that there is a need for change in several aspects of the PIH

network to enable it to grow, to carry out it’s mission, and to be more effective in the

area of technology transfer. To do this, I am relying on the appropriate tools,

technology transfer techniques, and the most important element all, you, the heart

and soul of this great institute. With your centers and resources, I feel confident that

we can achieve our long and short-term goals.

With this focus and the support of the personnel of the PIH headquarters, I hope to

contribute by enhancing the development of the PIH activities in several areas. For

example, we can all benefit from the development of the tools necessary to make

our technology transfer more effective either by using traditional and innovative

means, or by the reestablishment of activities that contributed to the professional

improvement of the transportation professionals of the Americas.

We can expand the previous ideas and concepts already started by the PIH

Executive Committee and the PIH Strategic Plan, drafted at the July 1998 Executive

Committee meeting in Miami, Florida. To accomplish this, it is necessary to guide

the PIH network by fully optimizing the available resources through a budget

tailored to the long and short-term priorities.

I extend a cordial greeting to those with whom I have previously met during different

meetings of the PIH in which I participated as a representative of the network. For

those of you that I don’t know personally, in the upcoming months I will be traveling

to the network presenting my views of the network for the future, to all the PIH

center directors and representatives.

To all of you, I want to share the activities I have been working on for the past

several years. I had been working at the Long-Term Pavement Performance

Program in the Turner Fairbank Highway Research Center in McLean, VA.

To the PIH Members, I express my appreciation for your participation in the

network. The PIH membership database now consists of approximately 3,000

members. Participation in the PIH network is of supreme importance for the

success of the program, and for everyone that makes up the PIH network.

ANTONIO NIEVES TORRES

Executive Director
Technology Transfer for Better Roads 3

LTAP Centers Conference in Roanoke, VA

The 1999 Annual Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Conference was held from July 25-28, 1999 in Roanoke, Virginia.

This year’s conference was different from past conferences in that a large contingent of international technology transfer

delegates participated and shared their experiences. Everyone is used to seeing Arto Tevajarvi of Finland and representatives

from the Baltic technology transfer centers at the annual LTAP meeting. However, this year an unprecedented 22 international

delegates attended. First time

participants included the following:

Guillermo Arredondo of Mexico

Cecilia Olivia Caballero of Mexico

Armando Quintana Contreras of Mexico

Emilio Fernandez Covarrubias of Mexico

Dita Duobiene of Lithuania

Duran Edurdo of Mexico

Juan Garcia of Mexico

John Hwindingwi of Zimbabwe

George Kubita of the Czech Republic

Richard Mahlala of Zimbabwe

Juan Marcet of Argentina

Happiness Mgalula of Tanzania

Eduardo Duran Reyes of Chile

Hector Ariel Rodriguez of Mexico

Francisco Javier Lopez Silva of Mexico

Natalia Stoika of Russia

Anna Tsaplina of Russia

Josef Tunkr of the Czech Republic

Sandra Isabel Zelaya of Honduras

Guna Skangale of Latvia, Hillar Varik of

Estonia, and Arto Tevajarvi of Finland

were returning participants.

The 22 international delegates

participated in administrative,

managerial, and technical sessions; a visit

to the Virginia “Smart Road” project;

and a “Cracker Barrel” roundtable that

allowed representatives of

transportation-related organizations, such

as the Transportation Industrial Alliance,

the Transportation Research Board, and

the Salt Institute, to describe their

programs. For the international

participants, the managerial and

technical sessions were the highlight of the conference and it soon became clear that the challenges faced by technology transfer

centers are the same the worldwide.

For the first time in LTAP history, an international presentation was made to the entire LTAP audience. In his presentation

on technology transfer in Estonia, Mr. Varik described how he has adopted U.S. technology transfer concepts to Estonian

highway sector.

Tracy Busch

Phone: 202-366-9807

e-mail: international@fhwa.dot.gov

International Technology Transfer participants at the LTAP conference observe a

pavement maintenance demonstration in Roanoke, Virginia.

International Technology Transfer participants at the LTAP conference.
4 Technology Transfer for Better Roads

The Pan American Institute of Highways

Launches Bi-Lingual Web Site

The Pan American Institute of Highways

(PIH) has launched a new Web site that

will address road technology transfer

issues in the Americas. Headquartered in

Washington, DC at FHWA, PIH has a

network of 90 technology transfer

centers, 15 corporate sponsors, and

more than 3,000 individual members in

21 countries.

The site (www.pih-ipc.org) complements

the organization’s efforts to transfer and

share road technologies, practices and

experiences among its membership. A

key feature of the site is that the

information is available in both Spanish

and English to meet the needs of the

membership throughout the Western

Hemisphere and Spain.

Beyond the basic information about the

organization and its activities, the site

includes technical supplements on

various road-related subjects in

both languages. An interactive

discussion area facilitates

exchanges between members and

other visitors on any road-related

field. The site also encourages

information sharing and match

making on training opportunities

and needs. As a node on the

World Interchange Network, the

site connects visitors to this

valuable information exchange resource.

“PIH built this Web site as an electronic

focal point for our membership, and

other visitors, to learn about technical

innovations, talk to each other, and

contribute their knowledge to the

practice of road building,” said Antonio

Nieves Torres, PIH Executive Director.

“The site is also a place to keep up-todate on our various activities, and to find

out more about our membership

programs,” Nieves added.

Enrique Ordóñez

Phone: 202-366-0217

e-mail: pih-ipc@fhwa.dot.gov

OECD Conference on Transportation

Knowledge Management in Latin America

Spreads the Word

The Organization for Economic

Cooperation and Development (OECD)

recently hosted a conference on

information and documentation in

transport to raise the profile and need for

knowledge management in Latin

America. FHWA and DOT’s Bureau of

Transportation Statistics cosponsored the

event, held in Acapulco, Mexico,

November 1999, with several

international transportation-related

organizations. The conference was

attended by about 150 transportation

and information professionals from

around Latin America, and OECD

member countries.

The conference emphasized the benefits

of timely and systematic acquisition and

dissemination of information on

transportation. One objective of the

conference was to determine the

information system needs in Latin

America, as they pertain to

transportation.

One of the key information products

demonstrated at the conference was the

International Road Research and

Documentation (IRRD) program, and

the work done by centers contributing to

the database. Several Latin American

countries have centers that contribute to

the Spanish-language version of IRRD,

introduced in 1998. A prime goal of the

conference was to increase the use of

the IRRD by Latin American countries,

as well as to broaden the range and

depth of contributions by the region to

the system. IRRD is also available in

English, French and German.

The IRRD program is part of OECD’s

Road and Transport Research program,

which OECD is actively expanding to

reach non-OECD member countries.

The Road Transport Research program

also operates the International Road

Traffic and Accident Database (IRTAD),

which provides internationally

comparable data, among other features.

This is especially relevant in Latin

America where road-related injuries and

fatalities are high and on the increase.

The main outcome of the conference

was the agreement that the centers in

Latin America would take the lead in

institutionalizing and spreading the use of

IRRD, as well as coordinating the

acquisition of information and including

it in the program.

Donald Symmes

Phone: 202-366-9627

e-mail: international@fhwa.dot.gov

Web site: www.oecd.org/transport
Technology Transfer for Better Roads 5

(Continued from page 1)

Moving in the Millennium Toward

Global Technology

The elements of success for a

Technology Transfer Center include:

1. Providing systematic technology and

information transfer that targets local

needs and expertise.

2. Integration into an existing

transportation-related institution

(public road agency, local authority,

academic institution, research

laboratory, or professional or trade

association) that houses the center as

part of its ongoing operation. This

relationship saves resources and

provides the credibility and contacts

necessary to launch new initiatives

and programs.

3. Functioning independent of host

institution to maintain objectivity in its

activities, and meet the specific needs

of its broader range of stakeholders.

4. Having a visionary “champion” for

the technology transfer center who

can advance its goals and objectives

within the local road transportation

professional and institutional

community. Such a person could be

from the leadership of a road

administration, active association,

respected researcher, academic or

practitioner.

5. Involving public and private (partner/

stakeholder) participation to develop

and deliver programs and projects.

6. Coordinating activities and share

information and resources with other

regional, national, and international

transportation-related organizations

and associations.

There is much to be gained by a free

exchange of technology, experiences and

know-how. Improvements in

international road transportation enhance

the flow of goods and services and help

promote economic self-reliance through

expanded local, regional, and

international trade.

Technology transfer centers need to

work together so that they can grow into

an effective mechanism for information

and resource sharing. A commitment

from the centers around the world can

provide an effective mechanism for

information and resource sharing. In

attempt to catalytically initiate this

process, a contingent of international

technology transfer delegates

representing Argentina, Chile, Honduras,

Chihuahua-Mexico, Lithuania, Russia,

Czech Republic, Tanzania and

Zimbabwe participated in the 1999

Annual Local Technical Assistance

Program Conference in Roanoke,

Virginia, USA. This event allowed these

representatives to share their ideas,

experiences, as well as meet colleagues

from around the world which may be of

value to obtain information on practices

and policies.

All road practitioners can benefit from

opportunities like these which result in

greater cooperation and exchange. All

those involved in the advancement of

technical information and resources

should move together to promote,

produce and strengthen technology

exchange worldwide. The vision of the

Federal Highway Administration’s,

Office of International Programs and the

Pan American Institute of Highways is to

have a worldwide network of technology

transfer centers pertaining to road

transportation technology and practices.

Stephen Gaj/Daphne Speaks

Phone: 202-366-0220

e-mail: pih-ipc@fhwa.dot.gov
6 Technology Transfer for Better Roads

The Asphalt Institute

PIH CERTIFIED CENTERS CORNER PIH CORPORATE

SPONSORS PROFILE

The Asphalt Institute (AI) founded in

1919, is a U.S.-based association of

international petroleum asphalt

producers, manufacturers, and affiliated

businesses. The Asphalt Institute mission

is to promote the use, benefits, and

quality performance of petroleum asphalt

through engineering, research, and

educational activities and through the

resolution of issues affecting the industry.

The Asphalt Institute joined the

technology transfer network of the Pan

American Institute of Highways (PIH) as

a regular center in 1993, and in 1995 it

received Certification as a PIH

Technology Transfer Center.

The Asphalt Institute provides:

• A staff of professional

engineers located around

the United States that is

dedicated to protecting,

preserving, and

expanding the asphalt

market.

• Engineering and

promotion provided routinely

through publication development

and education seminars that ensure

specifiers will continue to choose

asphalt.

• Specific engineering services for

large projects that persuades a

pavement selection committee to use

asphalt instead of other materials.

• Engineering assistance specifically

for member companies such as

assisting with the development,

production and followup of large

projects that could have

repercussions on the selection of

asphalt materials for years to come.

• State-of-the-art Research Center

with staff and equipment to assist

your company with projects or to

conduct research that affects the

entire asphalt industry.

• SUPERPAVE specification system

engineering expertise both in lab and

in the field throughout the United

States.

• The only organization solely devoted

to the asphalt market.

• New market promotion.

• Access to information demonstrating

the environmental friendliness of

asphalt materials.

• Communications such as reports on

industry events; asphalt sales reports;

Asphalt Institute publications and

magazines; web site and

clearinghouse, opportunities to speak

to nationwide audiences of asphalt

users via seminars.

In collaboration with the PIH

Headquarters, AI has

produced publications for

the Federal Highway

Administration on

SUPERPAVE Mix

Design and

SUPERPAVE

Performance Graded Asphalt Binder

Specification in Spanish. AI’s future

activities include, forming a Latin

American Committee, opportunities to

teach seminars and translate publications

in the Americas.

Asphalt Institute

Research Park Drive

P.O. Box 14052

Lexington, KY 40512-4052 USA

Phone: 606-288-4963

Fax: 606-288-4999

e-mail: asphalt@asphaltinstitute.org

Web site: www.asphaltinstitute.org

Clements Consulting, a division of New

Hampshire Engineering Corporation, has

been in business for over 25 years. It

provides services to both Private Industry

and Government Agencies in the

following areas:

• Strategic development of marketing

plans for new and innovative

transportation technology

• Senior Ministries of Transportation

Management Counciling in the

evaluation and application of

transportation technology

• U.S. representation of Latin

American firms seeking to partner

with U.S. transportation and banking

institutions for the construction of

projects in Latin America.

• Latin American Transportation

Project coordination for U.S. firms

and joint venture partners.

As a participant in many of PIH/World

Bank Provial’s throughout Latin America,

both as a PIH Corporate Sponsor and

through its president John A. Clements,

a former PIH General Director. Clements

Consulting is run by Mr. Clements who

has served in local, State, national, and

international governments as well as

holding several senior management

positions in private industry.

Clements Consulting

1456 Woodbury Avenue, Suite 207

Portsmouth, NH 03801-3210 USA

Phone: 603-436-9028

Fax: 603-431-1093

e-mail: hjclements@aol.com

Clements

Consulting

The United Sates Government does not

endorse products or manufacturers. Trade

and manufacturers names appear in this

newsletter only because they are sponsors

of the PIH and are integral to its

operation.