FHWA R&T Now ~ January 2014~

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

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) 

GENERAL/ADMINISTRATIVE 

SHRP2 Implementation Update 

FHWA is working closely with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials 

(AASHTO) and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) to implement the priority products resulting from the 

Second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2). The centerpiece of the implementation strategy is the 

SHRP2 Implementation Assistance Program, launched in 2013 to help transportation agencies begin to deploy 

SHRP2 products. Participants include State departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organizations, 

tribal agencies, and FHWA Federal Lands Divisions. 

Currently 9 products from the first two rounds of the implementation assistance program are being put into practice 

on approximately 135 different transportation projects in 38 States and the District of Columbia. The solicitation 

period for the third round will be open until February 14, 2014, offering opportunities to implement five new 

SHRP2 products: 

SHRP2 Solution R02: GeoTech Tools (apply now!)

SHRP2 Solution R05: Precast Concrete Pavement (apply now!)

SHRP2 Solution R15B: Identifying and Managing Utility Conflicts (apply now!)

SHRP2 Solution R23: Using Existing Pavement in Place and Achieving Long Life (apply now!)

SHRP2 Solution C20: Freight Demand Modeling and Data Improvement (apply now!)

For more information, contact Carin Michel, 410-962-2530, carin.michel@dot.gov. 

FHWA Posts RFI for Every Day Counts Initiative 

FHWA posted an Every Day Counts (EDC) Request for Information (RFI) on FedBiZOpps.gov in order to obtain 

suggestions, ideas, and recommendations for the third round of the EDC initiative. The initiative is designed to 

identify and accelerate the deployment of innovation aimed at reducing the time it takes to deliver highway projects, 

enhance safety, and protect the environment. FHWA is looking to promote new and innovative efforts by the private 

and public sectors that can bring road, highway, and bridge projects to completion faster. Suggestions are due by 

February 15, 2014. 

For more information, contact Julie Zirlin, 202-366-9105, julie.zirlin@dot.gov. 

ADVANCED RESEARCH

FHWA Provides Opportunity for International Research

FHWA is partnering with other national road administrations in the Infravation Program. The goal is to advance 

innovative, near-market materials or processes that will make highway infrastructure last longer, perform more 

efficiently, and cost less. Infravation is infrastructure plus innovation. The Infravation Program is the first 

cooperative research initiative between FHWA and other national road administrations developed from the ground 
up, which allows U.S. entities such as academic institutions, State departments of transportation, and businesses to 

participate in the research along with entities from other countries. 

For more information, please see www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/resources/infravation.cfm. 

Advances in Concrete Research

On December 3, 2013, at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, FHWA’s Exploratory Advanced Research 

(EAR) Program and Office of Infrastructure Research and Development hosted a workshop on advances in concrete 

research. The workshop provided a forum for conversations about innovative concrete research, presentations of 

research in progress, and discussions about opportunities and continued research gaps. 

For more information about the workshop, contact Richard Meininger, 202-493-3191, richard.meininger@dot.gov. 

For more information about the EAR Program, contact David Kuehn, 202-493-3414, david.kuehn@dot.gov. 

National Multimodal Freight Analysis Framework Research

On December 11, 2013, at the National Academies of Sciences’ Keck Center in Washington, D.C., the EAR 

Program supported the workshop, “National Multimodal Freight Analysis Framework Research,” for the Office of 

Freight Management and Operations and Office of Planning. Invited participants discussed the state of the art, 

primary gaps in current capabilities, and strategies for addressing these gaps, particularly in the areas of a 

multimodal freight networks, freight demand modeling, and origin-destination data disaggregation. At the 

conclusion of the workshop, FHWA identified a set of topics that could be incorporated into future EAR Program 

solicitations, and ultimately inform the Freight Analysis Framework version 4, scheduled for release in late 2015. 

For more information on the EAR Program, contact David Kuehn, 202-493-3414, david.kuehn@dot.gov. For more 

information on the workshop topic, contact Ed Strocko, 202-366-2997, ed.strocko@dot.gov. 

Fact Sheet: Understanding Transportation Systems—An Integrated Approach to Modeling Complex 

Transportation Systems

The ability to model and understand the complex dynamics of intelligent agents as they interact within a 

transportation system could lead to revolutionary advances in transportation engineering and intermodal surface 

transportation in the United States. Developing such a model is the goal of “Agent-Based Approach for Integrated 

Driver and Traveler Behavior Modeling,” an EAR Program study awarded to the University of Maryland. 

A fact sheet discussing the project is available at www.fhwa.dot.gov/advancedresearch/pubs/13080/index.cfm. For 

questions about the project, contact Brian Gardner, 202-366-4061, brian.gardner@dot.gov. For more information 

about the EAR Program, contact David Kuehn, 202-493-3414, david.kuehn@dot.gov. 

Catalog: EAR Program Results for 2013 Available

The EAR Program, which addresses the need for longer-term, higher-risk research with the potential for long-term 

improvements to transportation systems, has just published its research results for 2013. The EAR Program seeks to 

leverage advances in science and engineering that could lead to breakthroughs for critical current and emerging 

issues in highway transportation—where there is a community of experts from different disciplines who likely have 

the talent and interest in researching solutions and who likely would not do so without EAR Program funding. This 

catalog of results documents the output of that effort, a critical link in the chain of research, development, and 
deployment of new technology and practices necessary for the United States to have the best transportation system 

in the world for decades to come. 

The results of EAR Program-funded projects may include new fundamental insights and how they can be applied in 

highway transportation; new research methods, models, or data that can accelerate applied research; or new system 

concepts or prototypes, including laboratory testing and possibly limited field testing. FHWA is committed to 

transitioning the results of EAR Program-funded projects and takes an active role in demonstrating results to 

audiences critical to continuing the research and development cycle. 

The catalog, “EAR Program Research Results—Updated Through 2013,” is available at 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/advancedresearch/pubs/14033/index.cfm. For more information about the EAR Program, contact 

David Kuehn, 202-493-3414, david.kuehn@dot.gov. 

INFRASTRUCTURE

Webinar Introduces Wind Hazards in Highway Engineering 

On January 27, 2014, FHWA continued its Aerodynamics Webinar Series with an hour-long session that discussed 

wind hazards in highway engineering. The speaker, Peter Irwin, has broad experience in wind engineering, including 

wind load, aeroelastic response, and lab/field testing of bridges and tall buildings. 

The Webinar focused on helping bridge engineers develop better capability in identifying potential aerodynamic 

issues and prioritize the use of resources towards mitigation of wind hazards. It covered past problems and lessons 

learned; types of bridge aerodynamic issues; strategies for design engineers and for maintenance and rehabilitation; 

and introductions to laboratory testing, field instrumentation, and analysis tools. 

The next Webinar, “Wind Load and Aerodynamic Design of Bridges,” will be held in March. For more information 

about the Aerodynamics Webinar Series, contact Harold Bosch, 202-493-3031, harold.bosch@dot.gov. 

TechBrief: Corrosion Monitoring Research of New York City Bridges 

This TechBrief observes that all State and local agencies responsible for maintenance of suspension bridge cables 

base their maintenance plan mainly on previous experiences and on information from limited inspections. Usually, 

the exterior covering of the cable is visually inspected biannually. If deterioration problems are suspected and if the 

maintenance budget allows, then indepth inspections are conducted. The cable is then unwrapped at a few locations 

along the cable length and is wedged into its center. Next, a visual inspection of the wires’ conditions is performed, 

and in some cases, a few wires are cut and removed for laboratory testing. 

Unfortunately, current visual inspections do not provide an adequate amount or sufficiently reliable data, indicating 

the need for innovative nondestructive testing and sensing technologies that can provide an immediate, 

comprehensive, and reliable assessment of cable conditions and their evolution with time either directly or through 

measuring-related variables (i.e., temperature, humidity, etc.). 

The document is available at 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/bridge/14024/index.cfm. 

For more information, contact Paul Virmani, 202-493-3052, paul.virmani@dot.gov. 

Report: LTBP Bridge Performance Primer 
This report discusses a study conducted as part of the Federal Highway Administration’s Long-Term Bridge 

Performance (LTBP) Program. The LTBP Program is a minimum 20-year research effort to collect scientific 

performance field data—from a representative sample of bridges nationwide—that will help the bridge community 

better understand bridge deterioration and performance. The products from this program will be a collection of datadriven tools, including predictive and forecasting models that will enhance the abilities of bridge owners to optimize 

their management of bridges. 

The report is intended to provide a comprehensive definition of bridge performance that will be the foundation for 

carefully designed research studies in the LTBP Program. The report describes the barriers and complications that 

hinder the understanding of bridge performance and identifies the measures by which bridge performance is 

currently defined. The report divides bridge performance into specific issues, identifies the most critical issues, and 

describes the types of data necessary to analyze these issues. This report will be of interest to engineers involved 

with research, design, construction, inspection, maintenance, and management of bridges as well as to 

decisionmakers at all levels of management in public highway agencies. 

This document is available at 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/ltbp/13051/index.cfm. 

For more information, contact Hamid Ghasemi, 202-493-3042, hamid.ghasemi@dot.gov. 

Report: Pavement Marking Demonstration Projects: State of Alaska and State of Tennessee 

This report provides information on four topics related to advanced pavement marking systems: an evaluation of the 

durability and cost effectiveness of alternative marking materials; a two-part study on the safety impacts of wider 

edge lines, the first part using operational effects as surrogate safety metrics and the second part based on a post-hoc 

analysis of safety data; an evaluation of the potential environmental impacts of cost-effective pavement marking 

systems; and a review of the effect of State procurement processes on the quality of installed markings. 

The intent of this report is to provide decisionmakers with information on materials and methods that will reduce the 

overall national expenditure on pavement markings, while providing improved guidance and enhanced safety for the 

driving public. 

For more information, contact Carl Andersen, 202-493-3045, carl.andersen@dot.gov. 

SAFETY 

TechBrief: Where Pedestrians Cross the Roadway 

This TechBrief describes research on the environmental influences on where and when pedestrians cross the 

roadway across 20 different sites. In 2010, 13 percent of all crash fatalities were pedestrians. Of these, 68.1 percent 

occurred outside of intersections. As a result of the large proportion of pedestrian fatalities that occur at 

nonintersection locations, it is important to investigate the causal factors of these collisions. Despite the large 

proportion of crashes, there has been little research investigating why pedestrians cross roadways at unmarked 

locations. 

The present study sought to better understand the environmental influences on both where and when pedestrians 

elect to cross the road. The study team observed, coded, and analyzed the circumstances surrounding when and 

where crashes took place at more than 70,000 crossings. The study team created a model to predict crossing 
behaviors. These data have the potential to guide roadway design. This approach may aid in the selection and 

location of pedestrian crossing interventions (e.g., new pedestrian activation crossing beacons), ultimately increasing 

pedestrian safety in shared use environments. 

This document is available at www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/13099/index.cfm. 

For more information, contact Jim Shurbutt, 202-493-3420, jim.shurbutt@dot.gov. 

RECENT PERIODICALS 

Public Roads—January/February 2014 

This issue includes: Now Is the Time for Innovation; When Disaster Strikes; Setting the Bar for Excellence; and The 

Century Challenge. 

It is available online via www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/14janfeb/index.cfm. 

For more information, contact TaMara McCrae, tamara.mccrae@dot.gov. 

 

FOCUS Newsletter December 2013

The December issue includes: Post-Tensioning for Bridges: FHWA Manual Presents New State-of-the-Practice; InPlace Recycling Techniques for Asphalt Pavements; FHWA Launches Aerodynamics Webinar Series; Meet LTPP 

InfoPave; Infrastructure Innovation Webinars; and Highway Technology Calendar. 

 

The issue is available online via www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/focus/13dec/13dec00.cfm. 

For more information, contact Lisa Pope, lgpope@woodwardcom.com.

Innovator: Accelerating Innovation for the American Driving Experience—January/February 2014

This issue includes: Pennsylvania Group Demonstrates Value to Taxpayers; Agency Staff Learn From Colleagues at 

Peer Exchanges; States Expand 3-D Modeling Use; GRS Model Helps Deploy Innovation; States Innovate!; 

Innovator to Go Electronic; Visit Us at TRB; Wyoming Opens Its First Diverging Diamond; and Calendar. 

The issue is available online via www.fhwa.dot.gov/hfl/innovator/issue40.cfm. 

For more information, contact Kathleen Bergeron, kathleen.bergeron@dot.gov. 

Links: 

Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/

Resource Center: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/resourcecenter/ 

National Highway Institute: http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/home.aspx

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