FHWA R&T Now

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POLICY & PARTNERSHIPS

FHWA Participates in SCOR Meeting

FHWA’s Office of Research, Development, and Technology recently participated in a meeting held

by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Standing

Committee on Research (SCOR). The committee reviewed the 2018 ballot of problem statements

and selected final projects for the 2018 National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP).

The total available for the 2018 program is estimated at $34 million. About 3,000 projects have

been undertaken by NCHRP since 1962.

SCOR acts as AASHTO’s driving force for high‐quality transportation research and innovation to

improve the Nation’s mobility of people and goods. Its mission is to support AASHTO and the

transportation community by delivering strategic, high‐quality research results while addressing

development, technology transfer, and implementation.

SCOR’s responsibilities are to:

 Encourage and assist other AASHTO committees and subcommittees to identify research

needs, define research emphasis areas, and utilize research findings.  

 Solicit research problem statements from the member departments, AASHTO committees,

and FHWA; screen the submittals; prioritize them; and recommend annual NCHRP

programs for consideration by AASHTO’s Board of Directors.  

 Monitor the Transportation Research Board’s performance as program manager for the

NCHRP.  

 Monitor the NCHRP and make appropriate recommendations and reports to AASHTO.

 Review, observe, and encourage the effective use of research funding, and recommend

appropriate funding levels.  

 Serve as a forum, coordinating committee, and advocate for highway and other

transportation research on behalf of AASHTO and its member departments.  

 Review, monitor, and foster coordination of the various national programs of highway

research and other transportation research.  

 Study and foster the role of industry in highway research and other transportation

research.

For more information, contact Jack Jernigan, 202‐493‐3363, jack.jernigan@dot.gov.  

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

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) 

May/June 2017

FHWA R&T Now
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FHWA Takes Part in K‐12 STEM Symposium   

On March 25, 2017, staff from FHWA’s Turner‐

Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC)

participated in the 2017 K‐12 STEM Symposium

at The Nysmith School for the Gifted in

Herndon, Virginia. The symposium provided an

opportunity for children to discover new and

exciting possibilities in the fields of science,

technology, engineering, and mathematics

(STEM) within the National Capital Region,

including those with the U.S. Department of

Transportation (USDOT) and FHWA.

Michael Trentacoste, FHWA’s Associate

Administrator for Research, Development, and

Technology, and about 10 other Federal staff

employees from TFHRC and Eastern Federal

Lands presented and displayed research and

development technologies and discussed

related activities. Activities for the day included

hands‐on experiences, such as student robotics

teams, flight simulator competitions, three

dimensional printers, and other science and

mathematics exhibits.   

Students visiting TFHRC’s display learned about

pavement and bridge engineering and

connected vehicle technologies. Attendees also

received information about high school and

college STEM internships in government and

industry.

Speakers at the symposium included

Congressional Representative Barbara Comstock

(R‐VA 10th District), National Aeronautics and

Space Administration Astronaut Lawrence J.

DeLucas who discussed “STEM in Space,” and

many other luminaries in technology and STEM

education. Organizers of the event estimate that

over 4,400 parents, students, and teachers

attended.

For more information, contact Hiwot Abdi, 202‐

493‐3999, hiwot.abdi@dot.gov.    

EXPLORATORY ADVANCED RESEARCH

Infravation Program Advances Research to

Field Demonstrations  

The Infravation Program, which stands for

infrastructure plus innovation, is a cross‐Atlantic

research effort to advance innovative, near‐

market materials or processes that will make

highway infrastructure last longer, perform

more efficiently, and cost less. A cooperative

research initiative between FHWA and the

Forum of European Highway Research

Laboratories (FEHRL), the program is moving

promising research from the laboratory forward

into field demonstrations. The Infravation

Program has made nine awards that total about

$11 million. Seven of the nine awards included

U.S. research entities, which participated in

conducting the research and gained access to

the results.   

Students discovered new and exciting

possibilities in the STEM fields.     

Students visiting TFHRC’s display learned about

pavement and bridge engineering and

connected vehicle technologies.
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FHWA is supporting attendance from State

departments of transportation at field

demonstrations to gain practitioner feedback on

the viability of certain technologies and

determine interest in additional technology

development or demonstrations in the United

States.   

On May 3, 2017, in Tampa, FL, researchers held

a demonstration on sustainable concrete using

seawater, salt‐contaminated aggregates, and

non‐corrosive reinforcement (SEACON). They

demonstrated the safe utilization of seawater

and salt‐contaminated aggregates (natural or

recycled) for a sustainable concrete production

when combined with noncorrosive

reinforcement to construct durable and

economical concrete infrastructures.   

In September 2017, in Atlanta, GA, researchers

plan to demonstrate the integration of

advanced remote sensing technologies,

including terrestrial laser scanning, video, and

photogrammetry to rapidly and accurately

capture the state of a bridge. This project, called

Semantic Enrichment Engine for Bridges

(SEEBRIDGE), has the potential to advance work

in intelligent construction technologies.   

In Arizona, later this year (in November or

December), researchers will demonstrate how

to incorporate phase change materials for

applications in concrete to improve concrete

performance and durability. The project is called

Enhancing Concrete Life in Infrastructure

through Phase Change Systems (ECLIPS).

Visit

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/resources/i

nfravation.cfm for more information, or contact

David Kuehn, 202‐493‐3414,

david.kuehn@dot.gov.   

FHWA Utilizes TRL Scale and Assessment

Process    

Starting with FHWA’s Exploratory Advanced

Research Program and extending to other parts

of its portfolio in the Office of Research,

Development, and Technology, FHWA is using a

Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale and

assessment process for describing the maturity

of highway research products. Based on a

system originally developed by the National

Aeronautics and Space Administration, TRL

assessments document and communicate the

maturity of research and suggest detailed steps

that might advance the maturity of a given

research product.   

Visit

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/advancedresearch/tr

l_h.cfm for more information, or contact David

Kuehn, 202‐493‐3414, david.kuehn@dot.gov.   

INFRASTRUCTURE  

FHWA’s Test Method for Lime Adopted as a

Permanent Standard

AASHTO recently adopted a test method,

referred to as T‐362, to determine if the correct

amount of lime has been added to hot mix

asphalt. Developed by FHWA’s Chemistry

Laboratory at the Turner‐Fairbank Highway

Research Center, T‐362 is now a permanent

standard test method. In 2008, AASHTO had

given the test method provisional status under

TP‐72, which was titled, “Quantitative

Determination of the Percentage of Lime in Hot

Mix Asphalt.”

Asphalt pavements are made by mixing hot

aggregate with molten asphalt, then placing the

mixture and rolling it while it is still hot. Some

States treat the aggregate with lime (calcium

hydroxide) to improve the moisture resistance

of the pavement. Whether the lime has been

added to the mix or not has been an issue in the

past. With T‐362, State departments of

transportation can now readily determine if the

correct amount of lime has been added to the

hot mix asphalt.

For more information, contact Terry Arnold,

202‐493‐3305, terry.arnold@dot.gov.   
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Report Covers Assessment of Weld Geometries

for Bridge Decks  

FHWA recently published the report,

“Optimization of Rib‐to‐Deck Welds for Steel

Orthotropic Bridge Decks” (FHWA‐HRT‐17‐020),

which documents fatigue testing results of full‐

scale geometries of various orthotropic rib‐to‐

deck weld geometries. FHWA undertook this

study to assess these weld geometries and

potentially provide performance data that might

alleviate restrictive fabrication specifications.

Currently, these restrictions are reducing the

competitiveness of orthotropic steel decks

versus other alternatives.  

Researchers explored such parameters as the

welding process, weld penetration, and fit‐up

tolerance. When the project began, the current

practice in the United States was to use a one‐

sided partial penetration weld joining the rib

and deck plates together with a minimum of 80‐

percent penetration requirement. Melt‐through

and blow were also considered rejectable

defects. Such restrictive requirements result in a

very narrowly defined welding procedure with

little tolerance for variation. In practice, this

leads to numerous weld repairs and rigorous

inspection requirements that drive up the cost

of orthotropic deck fabrication.

Researchers found that the 80‐percent

penetration requirement can be significantly

relaxed because fatigue performance was

largely dictated by weld size and not

penetration. A simple correlation is provided

between weld size and penetration to guarantee

AASHTO Category C fatigue performance that

should provide for more relaxed fabrication

specifications. Finally, specimens fabricated with

purposeful fit‐up gaps were found to close

provided the original gap did not exceed 0.020

inch.

This report is expected to benefit those

interested in the design and fabrication of steel

orthotropic bridge decks, including State

transportation departments, steel bridge

fabricators, design consultants, and researchers.

This document is available to download at

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

tructure/structures/bridge/17020/index.cfm.  

For more information, contact Justin Ocel, 202‐

493‐3080, justin.ocel@dot.gov.  

Summary Report Examines Cracking in Jointed

Plain Concrete Pavements

FHWA has published the summary report,

“Analysis of Cracking in Jointed Plain Concrete

Pavements” (FHWA‐HRT‐16‐073), which

discusses an investigation of the trends of

longitudinal and transverse cracking in jointed

concrete pavements based on Long‐Term

Pavement Performance (LTPP) Program

Strategic Study of Structural Factors for Rigid

Pavements (SPS‐2) data. LTPP SPS‐2 is an

excellent resource for studying long‐term

performance of jointed concrete pavements

because of the availability of data for pavement

performance, material properties,

environmental data, and traffic data.

Researchers identified the impacts of slab

properties, base type, traffic volume, and

environmental factors on the occurrence and

extent of longitudinal and transverse cracking

from a simple analysis of the raw cracking data.

They selected SPS‐2 sites in Arizona and

Arkansas to investigate cracking mechanisms in

detail, proposed a new hypothesis for the

prevalence of premature cracking on these sites,

and tested the hypothesis by numerical

simulations.

Researchers found that longitudinal and

transverse cracking were more sensitive to slab

thickness and base type than other construction

variables. Surface cracking was worse in dry

climatic zones than wet zones. Most transverse

cracks initiated from the slab edge close to the

shoulder, and two forms of longitudinal cracks

can initiate from transverse edges of slabs: a

single long crack or multiple short cracks along

the whole section. In addition to inadequate

compaction of the base layers during

construction and rehabilitation, the major
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contribution to premature longitudinal cracking

appeared to be voiding beneath the outer edge

of the pavement. This is caused by localized

plastic deformation of “depressurized” soil,

which occurs principally due to slab curl.

This document is available to download at

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

tructure/pavements/ltpp/16073/index.cfm. For

more information, contact Deborah Walker,

202‐493‐3068, deborah.walker@dot.gov.  

OPERATIONS

Talking Freight Webinar Focuses on Connected

Trucks

On March 22, 2017, FHWA participated in a

Talking Freight Webinar, which focused on

connected trucks and related research and

implementation initiatives. Osman Altan, who

was one of the speakers and is a research

transportation specialist at Turner‐Fairbank

Highway Research Center, provided an overview

of TFHRC’s current truck‐oriented vehicle‐to‐

infrastructure and vehicle‐to‐vehicle research

initiatives. The discussion focused on truck

platooning and related topics, and how heavy

vehicles adjust their speed profiles to traffic

signal timings in real time to account for higher

truck traffic volumes and reduced fuel

consumption through intersections. Steve Boyd

of Peloton Technology, who was also a speaker,

discussed efforts to utilize vehicle‐to‐vehicle

communications technology to increase the

efficiency of truck platooning, help reduce fuel

emissions, and enhance truck safety. Over 250

people attended the webinar.

For more information, contact Osman Altan,

202‐493‐3391, osman.altan@dot.gov.   

AMCD Project Complete, Team to Present

Results and Recommendations

The Advanced Messaging Concept Development

(AMCD) project—which was led by FHWA’s

Office of Operations Research and Development

and the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint

Program Office and conducted by the Crash

Avoidance Metrics Partnership consortium and

the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute—is

complete. In April, the research team provided a

final project briefing. This innovative connected

vehicle messaging project demonstrated new

multivehicle data messaging (through

infrastructure to vehicle and vehicle to

infrastructure technology) and Transportation

Management Center message transmission

control strategies in real‐world driving

conditions for non‐safety critical applications.

The project team will present findings, lessons

learned, and future research recommendations

leading to early prototyping and deployment

opportunities. The final results report will be

available in July 2017.  

For more information, contact Dale Thompson,

202‐493‐3270, dale.thompson@dot.gov.   

Integrated Prototype Evolutionary Framework

Project Discussed at Meeting

On May 15, 2017, FHWA’s Office of Operations

Research and Development hosted a 1‐day

workshop focused on connected‐automated

vehicle (CAV) research. The event offered an

opportunity to present the next evolution of

cutting edge technology research currently

underway at the Saxton Transportation

Operations Laboratory, including a new

endeavor called the CAV Integrated Prototype I

– Evolutionary Framework. This framework is

expected to serve as a visionary roadmap for

CAV research and development over the next

few years. Input from those who attended could

shape the design of this framework and the

direction of future connected‐automation

research.

Attendees included a large group of internal and

external research partners and stakeholders.

Senior technical staff from various modal

administrations (such as the National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration, Federal Motor

Carrier Safety Administration, and Federal

Transit Administration) engaged with external

research partners (such as the U.S. Army

Aberdeen Test Center, the Volpe Center, and
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the Saxton Transportation Operations

Laboratory) to offer feedback and ideas on the

evolutionary framework and architecture being

developed. Research teams from the Saxton

Laboratory, Volpe Center, and Aberdeen Test

Center delivered presentations on CAV

Integrated Prototype research and led technical

discussions on various architectural topics.  

For more information, contact Taylor Lochrane,

202‐493‐3293, taylor.lochrane@dot.gov.   

SAFETY

FHWA Releases New Version of IHSDM

FHWA has released version 12.1.0 of the

Interactive Highway Safety Design Model

(IHSDM), a suite of software analysis tools for

evaluating safety and operational effects of

project‐level geometric design decisions on

highways. The new version includes revisions to

the Policy Review Module to reflect revised

controlling criteria for the design of projects on

the National Highway System. Changes were

also made in other areas, including

improvements to the Crash Prediction Module

and the Traffic Analysis Module. The software is

available to download for free on the IHSDM

Web site, www.ihsdm.org, which includes

information related to case studies, past

webinar materials, and frequently asked

questions. IHSDM technical support is available

via IHSDM.Support@dot.gov and 202‐493‐3407.  

IHSDM, which supports the Data‐Driven Safety

Analysis initiative that is part of FHWA’s Every

Day Counts 3 efforts, includes six evaluation

modules applicable to rural two‐lane highways:

crash prediction, design consistency,

intersection review, policy review, traffic

analysis, and driver/vehicle. The crash

prediction module serves as a faithful

implementation of AASHTO’s Highway Safety

Manual, Part C: Predictive Methods. The module

deals with two‐lane rural highways, multilane

rural highways, urban and suburban arterials,

freeways and ramps/interchanges.

For more information, contact Abdul Zineddin,

202‐493‐3288, abdul.zineddin@dot.gov.   

Meeting Covers Early Findings in Using SHRP2

Safety Databases

Representatives from FHWA, AASHTO’s Second

Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2)

Safety Task Force, the National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, and the Transportation

Research Board gathered at the National

Highway Institute in Arlington, Virginia to hear

about progress in the second phase of the

“Concept to Countermeasure—Research to

Deployment Using the SHRP2 Safety Databases”

research effort. Nine teams participating in this

effort delivered presentations on early research

findings.  

The presentations showed potential for future

new or improved safety countermeasures,

driver education efforts, and enforcement

strategies in eight critical safety areas based on

insights gained in using the SHRP2 Naturalistic

Driving Study (NDS). Examples of critical safety

areas include, work zones, pedestrian crossings,

and lighting and weather impacts on drivers.

Because of contractual and funding logistics,

FHWA will need to determine which teams will

advance to Phase 3 and the amount of funding

that will be awarded to each before most of the

Phase 2 research is completed. The ultimate

goal is to use the innovative SHRP2 NDS and

Roadway Information Database to improve our

understanding of human behavioral

components of safety, resulting in

implementable countermeasures that improve

safety performance.  

For more information contact Aladdin Barkawi,

202‐493‐3312, aladdin.barkawi@dot.gov.  

RECENT PERIODICALS

Public Roads—March/April 2017

This issue includes: Providing a Shoulder to Drive

On; The Times They Are Definitely Changing;

Doubling Down on Safety Innovations; States
                                                                                                                             FHWA R&T Now

Learning From Each Other; Onward and

Upward; and Working Smarter, Together.

It is available online via

www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/17

marapr/index.cfm.    

For more information, contact Lisa Shuler,

lisa.a.shuler@dot.gov.     

Innovator: Accelerating Innovation for the

American Driving Experience—May/June 2017

This issue includes: Making Transportation Safer

for Every Pedestrian; Innovation Makes Rapid

Work of Minnesota Bridge Project; Taking Data‐

Driven Safety Analysis to the Local Level;

Incentive Funds Help States Standardize

Innovations; Summit Showcases e‐Construction

Benefits; States Innovate!; and Events.

The issue is available online via

www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/innovator/issue6

0/3dIssue/.   

For more information, contact Nichole Causey,

nichole.causey@dot.gov.

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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