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GENERAL/ADMINISTRATIVE

White House OST-P Visits Turner-Fairbank

On August, 6, 2015, Bob Simon, Principal Advisor to the Director for Energy, Transportation, and 

Resources, at the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy (OST-P), visited FHWA’s 

Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC). Simon was briefed by FHWA Associate 

Administrator Michael Trentacoste and others on FHWA’s Research and Technology Program and 

visited several of TFHRC’s laboratories that work with asphalt mixtures. Simon also visited the 

Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory and viewed a crash test at the Federal Outdoor 

Impact Lab. The Principal Advisor has a particular interest in advanced research, cutting-edge 

developments, and the Technology and Innovation Deployment Program, including FHWA’s Every 

Day Counts Initiative. 

For more information, contact Hiwot Abdi, 202-493-3999, hiwot.abdi@dot.gov.

ADVANCED RESEARCH

Summary Report: The Impact of Automated Transit, Pedestrian, and Bicycling Facilities on Urban 

Travel Patterns 

FHWA’s Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program recently published a report that 

summarizes an EAR project that examined the effects of automated transit and pedestrian and 

bicycling facilities on urban travel patterns. The distance between a traveler’s origin or destination 

and the nearest public transit station is often time-consuming, inconvenient, or unsafe to travel 

and may discourage potential transit riders from using the system. Known as the “last-mile 

problem,” this distance impedes full usage of existing transit systems, particularly in outlying 

suburban and exurban areas.

The project explored the potential of a hypothetical driverless vehicle to improve access to and use 

of available rapid-transit rail service. Researchers conducted a survey in four metropolitan Chicago 

neighborhoods served by commuter rail to determine how residents’ travel preferences might 

change with the potential addition of an automated community shuttle service to and from the 

station as well as a package of streetscape improvements to facilitate walking and bicycling to the 

station. The neighborhoods differed in levels of population density, current rail use, land use, and 

affluence. 

The report is available to download at 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/advancedresearch/pubs/15015/index.cfm. 

A news update of research, technology, and development from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), 

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

September/October 2015

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INFRASTRUCTURE

Hydraulics Lab Celebrates New Flume System, 

Holds Open House

On September 1, 2015, FHWA’s J. Sterling Jones 

Hydraulics Laboratory held an open house at 

TFHRC to celebrate its new multifunctional 

flume system, which is expected to advance the 

lab’s ability to predict flooding-related damages 

and improve design guidance for mitigating 

impacts on bridges and other hydraulic 

structures. The event brought together 

leadership and staff from FHWA headquarters, 

including FHWA Executive Director Jeff Paniati, 

and office directors and researchers from 

various disciplines. J. Sterling Jones, for whom 

the lab is named after, also attended the event.

To display how the new flume operates and 

mark the beginning of the Hydraulics Research 

Program’s strategic vision, the Executive 

Director pushed the system start button, 

prompting water to flow into the flume and 

stream beneath a small scale bridge. 

Boasting a 90-foot-long and 13-foot-wide 

tiltable working platform for setting up 

experiments, the flume system features a 27-

foot-long flow inlet headworks, an outlet 

section, and a sediment recirculating system 

that is nationally unique. 

The recirculating system allows for sediment 

infeed from the bottom of the flume channel 

sections. The flume system will support the 

hydraulics research program’s vision to enhance 

experimental work and use computational fluid 

dynamics modeling for a large part of the 

research.

The open house also included a demonstration 

of the lab’s in-situ scour testing device, which is 

expected to help in assessing the soil erosion 

resistance at bridge foundation sites. An FHWA 

Strategic Initiative, the in-situ scour testing 

device is part of a new bridge scour design 

methodology that researchers are currently 

working on in the lab.

Executive Director Jeff Paniati pushes the start 

button on the new flume.

Water flows into the flume and streams 

beneath a small scale bridge.

The in-situ scour testing device is part of a new 

bridge scour design methodology.
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Researchers also demonstrated the lab’s 

advanced high performance computing 

capabilities in collaboration with the Argonne 

National Laboratory and discussed how the 

multifunctional flume system will support the 

interaction between experiments in the flume 

and computer modeling.

The open house concluded with a 

demonstration of the lab’s three dimensional 

printing capabilities. Researchers discussed how 

these capabilities have enhanced the lab’s 

working environment.

For more information, contact Kornel Kerenyi, 

202-493-3142, kornel.kerenyi@dot.gov. 

TFHRC Hosts Mini-Seminar on Precast Concrete 

Pavements 

On July 21, 2015, TFHRC hosted a mini-seminar 

on the state of the practice and applications of 

precast concrete pavements. Presented by 

FHWA’s Precast Pavement Implementation 

Team, the seminar addressed how precast 

concrete pavement systems are becoming the 

pavement systems of choice for rapid 

rehabilitation of high volume roadways in urban 

and suburban areas where daytime lane closure 

may be challenging. 

The use of precast concrete pavement (PCP) 

technology can significantly reduce traffic 

impacts along such roadways and provide longer 

lasting treatments. Project R05, a study 

completed in 2012 under the Second Strategic 

Highway Research Program (SHRP2), 

demonstrated that PCP technology is ready for 

wider implementation and that many of the PCP 

systems available in the United States can meet 

the needs of highway agencies for rapid renewal 

of their highway systems. Several highway 

agencies, including Caltrans, Illinois Tollway, 

New York State Department of Transportation 

(DOT), New Jersey DOT, and Utah DOT are 

routinely using PCP technology for repair as well 

as corridor-wide pavement rehabilitation and 

reconstruction. A review of projects constructed 

in the United States and the SHRP2 field testing 

indicated that sufficient advances have been 

made to reliably design and construct PCP 

systems to achieve five key attributes of 

successful pavements: constructability, concrete 

durability, load transfer at joints, panel support, 

and efficiency. 

The mini-seminar offered information on the 

state of precast concrete pavement technology 

and an overview discussion on the selection of 

candidate projects for PCP applications, PCP 

systems, and PCP applications. The event also 

featured case studies of PCP use by various 

agencies.

The SHRP2 Project R05 report, Precast Concrete 

Pavement Technology, is available at 

www.trb.org/main/blurbs/167788.aspx. For 

more information, contact John Moulden, 202-

493-3470, john.moulden@dot.gov. 

FHWA National Geotechnical Discipline Team 

Meets at TFHRC

On July 21 and 22, 2015, members of FHWA’s 

National Geotechnical Discipline Team 

conducted an annual business meeting at 

TFHRC. Hosted by FHWA’s Office of 

Infrastructures Research and Development 

Bridge and Foundation Engineering Team, the 

meeting brought together representatives from 

the Resource Center, headquarters, and the 

National Highway Institute. Each office provided 

an overview of their activities, with discussions 

focused on research and program needs. The 

aim of the meeting was to maintain 

communication, cooperation, and coordination 

within the discipline and align programs.

It also provided an opportunity for the 

participants to tour the facility. In addition to a 

visit to the Geotechnical Laboratory, the tour 

included a visit to the Hydraulics Laboratory—to 

learn about the new multifunctional flume 

system and the in-situ scour testing device—and 

to the Accelerated Loading Facility test pits, 

where researchers were working on the 

Transportation Pooled Fund project, 

“Standardizing Lightweight Deflectometer 
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Measurements for Quality Assurance and 

Modulus Determination in Unbound Bases and 

Subgrades.” Feedback about the meeting was 

positive and included action items to further 

develop the discipline and programs within the 

agency and establish a geotechnical succession 

plan.

For more information, contact Mike Adams, 

202-493-3025, mike.adams@dot.gov. 

Article on Lightweight Concrete Recognizes 

Research at TFHRC

Ben Graybeal, who heads FHWA’s Structural 

Concrete Research Program, and Gary Greene of 

Trine University recently published the article, 

“FHWA LWC Research Leads to LRFD 

Specification Changes,” in ASPIRE magazine. The 

article, which appears in the magazine’s 

Summer 2015 issue, focuses on the extensive 

research program executed at TFHRC to assess 

the structural performance of lightweight 

concrete (LWC) and to assist the American 

Association of State Highway and Transportation 

Officials in instituting appropriate revisions to 

the Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) 

Bridge Design Specifications.

To read the article, visit 

www.aspiremagazinebyengineers.com/i/532296

-summer-2015. For more information, contact 

Ben Graybeal, 202-493-3122, 

benjamin.graybeal@dot.gov. 

Hydraulic Engineering Discipline Meets at 

TFHRC

FHWA’s annual Hydraulic Engineering Discipline 

meeting was held August 10–14, 2015 at TFHRC. 

Hosted by FHWA’s J. Sterling Jones Hydraulics 

Research Laboratory, the meeting brought 

together professionals from various offices, 

including the Headquarters Office of Bridges and 

Structures, TFHRC, the Resource Center, and the 

three Federal Lands Highway Divisions. 

Comprised of 18 members, the Hydraulics 

Discipline gathers each year to engage in a 

variety of activities, such as participating in 

internally led training; addressing design issues 

and concerns; receiving updates on policy, 

research, technology development and 

deployment, and training; and revising the 

multiyear National Hydraulics Activities 

Roadmap. Key topics of this year’s meeting 

included the hydraulic design of bridge 

abutments and shallow bridge foundations; the 

design, installation, and quality control of scour 

countermeasures; and an assessment of climate 

change and sea level rise impacts on 

infrastructure. 

For information contact Kornel Kerenyi, 202-

493-3142, kornel.kerenyi@dot.gov. 

Report: Evaluation of LTTP Climatic Data for 

Use in MEPDG Calibration and Other Pavement 

Analysis 

Improvements in FHWA’s Long-Term Pavement 

Performance (LTPP) Program’s climate data are 

needed to support current and future research 

into climate effects on pavement materials, 

design, and performance. The calibration and 

enhancement of the Mechanistic-Empirical 

Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) is just one 

example of these emerging needs.

The report, “Evaluation of LTTP Climatic Data for 

Use in MEPDG Calibration and Other Pavement 

Analysis,” includes results of an evaluation of 

climate data from Modern-Era Retrospective 

Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA), 

which provides continuous hourly weather data 

starting in 1979 on a relatively fine-grained 

uniform grid. MERRA is based on a reanalysis 

model that combines computed model fields 

(e.g., atmospheric temperatures) with ground-, 

ocean-, atmospheric-, and satellite-based 

observations that are distributed irregularly in 

space and time. 

This document includes recommendations for 

incorporating hourly MERRA data into the LTPP 

database. The report is available to download at

www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infras

tructure/pavements/ltpp/15019/index.cfm. 
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SAFETY

FHWA Posts Sources Sought Notice to Conduct 

Market Research

On September 1, 2015, FHWA posted a Sources 

Sought notice to conduct market research. The 

notice aimed to determine if there are any small 

business concerns, educational institutions 

(historically black colleges and universities)

capable of performing certain non-personal

services technical support for FHWA’s Office of 

Safety Research and Development. These 

services will support research on why traffic 

crashes occur and help advance science and 

data driven approaches that can counteract the 

factors that create a crash. 

For more information, contact James Pol, 202-

493-3371, james.pol@dot.gov. 

Technical Brief: Safety Evaluation of Access 

Management Policies and Techniques 

Access management offers access to land 

development while preserving the flow of traffic 

on the surrounding road network for safety, 

capacity, and speed. Although operational 

effects of access management have been 

investigated quantitatively through different 

modeling and analysis approaches, more 

scientifically rigorous evaluations are needed. 

The technical brief, “Safety Evaluation of Access 

Management Policies and Techniques,” 

discusses a study to fill research gaps and 

quantify the safety impacts of corridor access

management decisions. 

Researchers developed corridor-level crash 

prediction models to estimate and analyze the 

safety effects of selected access management 

techniques for different area types, land uses, 

roadway variables, and traffic volumes. They 

collected more than 600 miles of detailed 

corridor data across four regions of the United 

States to facilitate the model estimation 

process. 

This technical brief is available to download at 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safet

y/15038/index.cfm. 

Report: Safety Evaluation of Centerline Plus 

Shoulder Rumble Strips 

As part of its strategic highway safety effort, 

FHWA organized a pooled fund study of 38 

States to evaluate low-cost safety strategies. 

The report, “Safety Evaluation of Centerline Plus 

Shoulder Rumble Strips,” discusses research 

aimed at evaluating the safety effectiveness of 

several low-cost safety strategies through 

scientifically rigorous crash-based studies. One 

of the strategies selected for evaluation was the 

application of shoulder rumble strips and 

centerline rumble strips in combination. This 

strategy is intended to reduce the frequency of 

crashes by alerting drivers that they are about 

to leave the travelled lane. 

Researchers obtained geometric, traffic, and 

crash data at treated two-lane rural road 

locations in Kentucky, Missouri, and 

Pennsylvania. To account for potential selection 

bias and regression-to-the-mean, they 

conducted an Empirical Bayes before-after 

analysis using reference groups of untreated 

two-lane rural roads with similar characteristics 

to the treated sites.

This report is available to download at 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safet

y/15048/index.cfm. 
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OPERATIONS

FHWA Releases Version 2.2 of RDE and New 

Connected Vehicle Data Sets 

FHWA’s Office of Operations Research and 

Development has released version 2.2 of the 

Research Data Exchange (RDE) and new 

connected vehicle data sets. A Web-based data 

resource provided by the U.S. Department of 

Transportation Intelligent Transportation 

Systems (ITS) Program, the RDE now contains 

two new data environments associated with 

intersection queues and weather sensing 

applications that were demonstrated during the 

2014 ITS World Congress. These new data 

environments include intersection queueing 

data and situation data based on J2735 

messages (queue counts by lane at a downtown 

intersection; counts of instrumented vehicles in 

queue at traffic signal phases; videos of queues; 

vehicle situation data from nine instrumented 

vehicles; and intersection and traveler situation 

data from roadside units) and data from a 

weather sensing and alert demonstration (road 

weather-related observation data and road 

weather-related advisory warnings).

The RDE collects, manages, and provides access 

to archived and real-time multisource and 

multimodal data to support the development 

and testing of ITS applications. Features 

included in the latest release include version 

control to track updated versions of data; a link 

to the weather data environment containing 

road weather data; a graphical and text based 

search capability across all data environments; 

and the ability to “like” or promote files with 

social media. 

To explore this resource, visit the RDE Web site 

at www.its-rde.net.

For more information, contact Gene McHale, 

202-493-3275, gene.mchale@dot.gov, or Jon 

Obenberger, 202-493-3265, 

jon.obenberger@dot.gov. 

Report Available on INFLO Dynamic Speed 

Harmonization and Queue Warning

The final report, Technical Report on Prototype 

Intelligent Network Flow Optimization (INFLO) 

Dynamic Speed Harmonization and Queue 

Warning, was recently published. The report 

describes the prototyping, acceptance testing 

and small-scale demonstration of the INFLO 

Prototype Speed Harmonization (SPD-HARM) 

and Queue Warning (Q-WARN) applications. The 

report also describes programmatic and 

technical accomplishments of the program. The 

Small-Scale Demonstration fully confirmed the 

functionality of the INFLO Prototype System in 

an operational highway traffic environment. 

The document is available at 

http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/55000/55300/55304/1000

30614-

601_Technical_Report_on_Prototype_Intelligen

t_Network_Flow_Optimization_Final_.pdf. 

For more information, contact Govindarajan 

Vadakpat, 202-493-3283, g.vadakpat@dot.gov. 

RECENT PERIODICALS

Public Roads—July/August 2015

This issue includes: Keeping Virginia Moving; 

Access for All; Ohio’s Training Gets a Boost; 

Changing the Landscape of Livability; and How 

Could a Pile of Dirt Cause a Major Interstate 

Bridge To Tilt?

It is available online via 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/15

julaug/index.cfm. 

For more information, contact TaMara McCrae, 

tamara.mccrae@dot.gov. 

Innovator: Accelerating Innovation for the 

American Driving Experience—

September/October 2015

This issue includes: Boost Safety by Going on a 

Road Diet; GRS-IBS Makes Quick Work of Bridge 

Replacement; Innovation Results; Alternative 
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Technical Concepts Gain Momentum; Cut 

Crashes by Targeting Safety Improvements; See 

Where Innovation Starts; Report Updates 

Progress on Every Day Counts; States Innovate!; 

and Events.

The issue is available online via 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/hfl/innovator/eversion/issue_50/. 

Links:

Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center: 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/

Resource Center: 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/resourcecenter/ 

National Highway Institute: 

www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/home.aspx 

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