FHWA R&T Now ~ March 2011 ~

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

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

(USDOT), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

GENERAL/ADMINSTRATIVE

Planning for the Implementation of the Second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2)

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) continues to manage the Second Strategic Highway Research 

Program (SHRP 2) and has been convening implementation-planning workshops to help prepare for the 

deployment of the first research results. FHWA liaisons and technical staff are fully engaged in both the 

workshops and the SHRP 2 Technical Coordinating Committees, as they evaluate the projects and 

recommend initiatives for implementation or further research during 2011.

Congress extended the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users 

(SAFETEA-LU) surface transportation authorization through September 30, 2011. Congress also extended

the continuing resolution passed in December 2010, which amended Section 510 of Title 23 to allow the 

Secretary of Transportation to use SHRP 2 funds for implementation of research products related to SHRP 2. 

This provision allows resources for FHWA to begin to be engaged in SHRP 2 development, demonstration, 

evaluation, and technology transfer activities. FHWA is in the process of assessing the alignment of emerging 

SHRP 2 products with FHWA’s current program areas and identifying potential priorities for deployment 

within those programs. 

FHWA continues its close collaboration with TRB, the American Association of State Highway and 

Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to 

educate and position its agencies, State departments of transportation, and industry for deployment of SHRP 2 

research results. This multiorganizational approach to implementation activities will ensure that proper 

preparations are made for the establishment of a formal SHRP 2 Implementation Program upon 

reauthorization. 

For more information, contact Margie Sheriff, 202-366-1747, margie.sheriff@dot.gov.

ADVANCED RESEARCH

Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program Awards Research on Agent-Based Modeling and 

Simulation for Transportation

The object of this research, conducted by the University of Maryland, is to develop an innovative agent-based

approach for integrated driver- and traveler-behavior modeling with applications for transportation systems 

management, capital investment evaluation, transportation planning, and beyond. The proposed scope of 

work focuses on agent decision types, including en route diversions, pre-trip route choice, departure time 

choice, and mode choice, which provide the crucial linkages between traditional traffic simulation, travel 

demand, and innovative agent-based models. Data required for building the driver and traveler agents will be 

collected through interactive laboratory experiments, driving simulators, and traditional-, Web-, and globalpositioning-system–based surveys. Agent behavior rules will be empirically estimated with rule-based

artificial intelligence methods and possibly utility-based methods when detailed agent behavior data are not 

available. The award is a result of a national broad agency announcement for Exploratory Advanced Research

(EAR) proposals issued in May 2010. 
For more information 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.

FHWA EAR Program Partners on Cyber-Physical Systems

Researchers who received awards under the EAR Program are included in a National Science Foundation 

invitation-only workshop on ―Developing Dependable and Secure Automotive Cyber-Physical Systems from 

Components.‖ The workshop held in Troy, Michigan on March 17-18 provides information on how research 

of cyber-physical systems can improve safety, mobility, and fuel efficiency. Cyber-physical systems integrate 

in-vehicle, infrastructure-based, and combined vehicle-infrastructure hardware and software component 

systems. For more information about the workshop, visit: http://varma.ece.cmu.edu/Auto-CPS2011/Index.html.

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

INFRASTRUCTURE

Long-Term Pavement Performance Program Highlights: Accomplishments and Benefits 1989–2009

The need for information on how pavements perform over time came to the forefront in the early 1980s, as 

the deterioration of highways built two or three decades earlier became a concern for highway agencies. The 

mission to study performance data systematically nationwide and to promote extended pavement life was 

advanced by TRB, AASHTO, and FHWA. To view the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Program 

Highlights publication, visit:

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/ltpp/10071/index.cfm

Long-Term Pavement Performance Program—Accomplishments and Benefits 1989–2009—Summary 

Report

The Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Program began in 1987 as part of SHRP. Its primary purpose 

was to establish a national long-term pavement database to support pavement research and improved 

pavement performance. When SHRP ended as planned in 1992, the LTPP Program continued under FHWA

with the participation of highway agencies in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 10 

Canadian Provinces. 

Since 1989, the LTPP Program has monitored nearly 2,500 pavement test sections throughout the United 

States and Canada. Approximately 950 test sections are still being monitored today. By collecting and 

analyzing data from these pavement test sections over time, researchers are gaining insight on how and why 

pavements perform as they do. This enables researchers to learn how to build better, longer lasting, and more 

cost-effective pavements. To view the LTPP summary report, visit:

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/ltpp/10072/index.cfm

LTPP Computed Parameter Dynamic Modulus Study

LTPP recently completed the LTPP Computed Parameter Dynamic Modulus Study, which developed 

estimates of the dynamic modulus of hot-mix asphalt layers on LTPP test sections following the models used 

in the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide. In addition, LTPP*, a user-friendly software, was 
developed to facilitate dynamic modulus computations. The software can be obtained from the LTPP 

Customer Support Service Center at ltppinfo@dot.gov or at 202-493-3035. 

For more information on the software and study findings, please refer to the TechBrief, LTPP Computed 

Parameter: Dynamic Modulus at:

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/ltpp/11018/index.cfm.

China Earthquake Reconnaissance Report: Performance of Transportation Structures in the May 12, 

2008, M7.9 Wenchuan Earthquake

On May 12, 2008, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake occurred in Wenchuan County in Sichuan Province, China. 

Shortly after the earthquake, FHWA’s Turner–Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) contacted its 

Chinese counterpart, the Research Institute of Highway from the Ministry of Communication of China, to 

arrange a visit to the affected areas for transportation system reconnaissance. For various reasons, the plan for 

the earthquake reconnaissance was not finalized until late July 2008. The U.S. transportation system 

reconnaissance team visited the earthquake-affected areas from July 20–24, 2008. This report is a summary of 

the team’s findings and the lessons learned from the earthquake event. 

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/11029/index.cfm

User Guidelines for Waste and Byproduct Materials in Pavement Construction

The primary purpose of this guideline document is to assist those who have an interest in using or increasing 

their understanding of the types of waste and byproduct materials that may be recovered and used in 

pavement construction applications.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/97148/index.cfm

SAFETY

FHWA and NHTSA Collaborate to Develop New Small Car Finite Element Model

Since 1992, the FHWA and NHTSA have collaborated in the development of 18 finite element vehicle 

models for use in a variety of crash-simulation studies. All of these models, once validated, have been made 

freely available to encourage wider use of finite element analysis in safety research. 

The most recent of these vehicle models is the 2010 Toyota Yaris sedan. The vehicle was purchased and

systematically reverse engineered —torn apart, parts laser scanned, elements defined, material properties 

identified, and elements re-meshed—to create a detailed (850,000 element) computer model of that vehicle. 

It is expected that the initial version of the Yaris model will be released in April 2011. The model will help 

hardware designers to develop the next generation of safer roadside hardware by using crash simulation. 

Ongoing work on the Yaris will focus on fully modeling the vehicle’s interior to support NHTSA occupant 

safety research efforts. This model is expected to serve a variety of FHWA and NHTSA analysis needs for 

the next 8–12 years. The Yaris sedan conforms to the small test vehicle specification required in the new 

roadside hardware crashworthiness standards, the Manual for Assessment of Safety Hardware (MASH); thus,

it will be used to evaluate how well existing or proposed new roadside barriers will perform under MASH 

criteria. 

For more information, contact Ken Opiela, 202-493-3371, kenneth.opiela@dot.gov.
OPERATIONS

FHWA’s New Laboratory Is Up and Running at TFHRC

FHWA’s new Transportation Operations Laboratory (TOL) was just recently designated as an Intelligent 

Transportation Systems test bed. The TOL consists of a data resources test bed, concepts and analysis test 

bed, and cooperative vehicle-highway test bed. A powerful example of the TOL’s utility involves 

communication among vehicles, infrastructure, and mobile devices. Traffic signals can communicate their 

phases and timing to vehicles and pedestrians who carry mobile devices. The vehicles anonymously transmit 

their positions, travel times, and other data to traffic management centers, which in turn communicate 

advisory messages to drivers through dynamic messaging on road signs or inside the vehicles via warning 

tones. Traffic signals will ―talk‖ to other cars and traffic signals about where they are and how fast they are 

going. This concept could lead to revolutionary decreases in delays and a reduction in the number of crashes 

that occur during stop-and-go traffic. 

For more information, contact Joseph Peters, 202-493-3269, joe.peters@dot.gov. 

Selection of High-Priority Mobility Applications Announced at the 2011 Annual TRB Meeting

In January 2011, USDOT announced the selection of 10 high-priority mobility applications for coordinated 

research activities focused on applications development and testing under the Dynamic Mobility Application 

(DMA) Program. As a first step, the DMA Program will seek to partner with the research community to 

further develop these 10 transformative concepts and to refine data and communication needs. These needs 

will inform related efforts in the Real-Time Data Capture and Management Program in support of application 

development to collect, assemble, and provide relevant data resources integrating data from wirelessly 

connected vehicles, travelers, and roadside–wayside infrastructure. The resulting well-organized data and 

associated descriptors (collectively known as data environments) will include data from field tests and 

advanced simulation models and be made broadly available. Later, in Phase 2 of the mobility program, 

selected mobility applications will be identified for further development, testing, and benefits assessment 

utilizing these open data environments. 

For more information, contact Ben McKeever, 202-493–3270, ben.mckeever@dot.gov.

http://www.its.dot.gov/press/2011/mobility_app.htm

Synthesis of Congestion Pricing-Related Environmental Impact Analyses Report

This report presents a summary and analysis of current practices as well as a set of recommended practices 

for conducting before-and-after evaluations of congestion pricing projects. This study focuses on the 

environmental impact areas most commonly considered in literature: air quality, noise, and environmental 

justice—sometimes termed equity—that considers how impacts distribute across different types of people, 

especially low-income and minority groups. Because environmental impacts are driven by the broader travel 

impacts of congestion pricing projects, this study also investigated state of the practice and assessed gaps in 

travel evaluation methodologies, including traffic, transit, and traveler behavior.

Published literature providing detailed environmental evaluation methodology information is not plentiful,

and there are very few critical assessments of the state of the art, limitations, and best practices. This study 

intends to address that gap and provide recommendations that will inform future congestion pricing projects.
For more information, contact Gene McHale, 202-493-3275, gene.mchale@dot.gov. 

http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop11008/index.htm

Applications for the Environment: Real-Time Information Synthesis (AERIS) Team Identifies 

Potentially Transformative Applications to Improve Environmental Performance

The Multimodal Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) team for Applications for the Environment: RealTime Information Synthesis (AERIS) met at TFHRC on March 14 for a retreat to identify potentially 

transformative strategies and applications that could use ITS-connected vehicle technologies to improve 

environmental performance. The AERIS team conducted foundational research and identified a number of 

ITS strategies and applications that promise to improve environmental performance. The team reviewed how 

these applications, and others proposed by the team, might be developed and bundled to achieve benefits at 

scales that would be considered transformative. For this analysis, strategies and applications were reviewed 

on the basis of their projected potential for achieving environmental improvements in terms of carbon 

production, emissions, and fuel consumption. These initial transformative applications will be reviewed 

internally within USDOT and then later in a planned workshop where external stakeholders can participate. 

Later, tracks of the AERIS Program will then evaluate these applications through comprehensive modeling 

and analysis activities. The AERIS team will then recommend possible additional investments by the ITS 

Program that could enable development and deployment of the most promising applications. 

For more information, contact Bob Ferlis, 202-493-3268, robert.ferlis@dot.gov.

FHWA Researcher to Speak at Easter Seals Webinar on Transportation Accessibility 

In April, Mohammed Yousuf, from FHWA’s Office of Operations Research and Development, will be 

speaking at two Webinars hosted by the Easter Seals Project Accessible Community Transportation in Our 

Nation (ACTION). Yousuf will be discussing technologies that could be used in enhancing transportation to 

make it more accessible for those with disabilities. The first Webinar, ―Research Today to Increase 

Accessibility Tomorrow: The Cutting Edge of Wayfinding Technology,‖ will be held on April 13, 2011. The 

second Webinar, ―Implementing Wayfinding Technology in Public Transit: The BART System from Three 

Perspectives,‖ will be held on April 20, 2011. Easter Seals Project ACTION promotes universal access to 

transportation for people with disabilities under Federal law by partnering with transportation providers, the 

disability community, and others. 

For more information, contact Mohammed Yousuf, 202-493-3199, mohammed.yousuf@dot.gov. 

http://projectaction.easterseals.com/site/PageServer?pagename=ESPA_homepage. 

Disability Association Promotes FHWA’s Disabilities Workshop on Technology Innovations 

After a very successful workshop sponsored by FHWA on Technological Innovations in Transportation for 

People with Disabilities, the American Association of People with Disabilities circulated a story about the 

workshop to disability leaders through the Justice for All e-news and blog service. The link can be viewed at 

http://tiny.cc/1i963. 

FHWA’s Office of Operations R&D, under the EAR Program, conducted the workshop on February 23, 

2011, at TFHRC. The workshop was held for technology and disability experts outside the transportation 

industry to discuss how technological advancements in transportation could help empower people with 

disabilities to become more mobile. There were 30–40 experts in attendance, some with actual disabilities, 

from various companies and organizations that champion accessibility, mobility, and safety in transportation 

for people with disabilities. The workshop participants discussed technologies, such as mobile computing, 

computer vision, artificial intelligence, and robotics, which could be used in innovative ways to help those 
with vision impairment and other disabilities, to be more independent. The topics discussed can be used to 

help shape new research, initiatives, and applications for the future. 

For more information, contact Mohammed Yousuf, 202-493-3199, mohammed.yousuf@dot.gov.

RECENT PERIODICALS

FOCUS Newsletter—March 2011

This issue includes: Pavement Management Roadmap: A Roadmap to Preserving Our Pavement Investments;

Designing the Next Generation of Wildlife Crossings; Safer Driving, Safer Work Zones: National Work Zone 

Awareness Week 2011; Highway Technology Calendar; and, Training in Action at the National Highway 

Institute.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/focus/11mar/11mar00.cfm

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

FOCUS Newsletter—January/February 2011

This issue includes: An Innovative Solution for Rock Slope Stabilization; New FHWA Course Introduces the 

Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester; Developing the Next Generation of Bridges: The Long-Term Bridge 

Performance Program; Diagnosing and Mitigating ASR in Transportation Structures; Design-Build in 

Transportation on Display at Annual Conference; and, Highway Technology Calendar.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/focus/11jan/11jan00.cfm

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

Transportation and Climate Change Newsletter—Winter 2010–2011

This issue includes: EPA Issues 2010 Fuel Economy Trends Report Success in Stewardship Newsletter 

Features FHWA’s Climate Change Adaptation Activities; Pew Center Releases Report Highlighting Options 

to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Transportation; Pew Reports on Federal Agency Adaptation 

Activities; National Weather Service Offers Storm Surge Interactive Maps; NRDC Rates State Transportation 

Policies Based on Greenhouse Gas Reduction Potential; and 2010 Tied as Warmest Year on Record.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/climatechange/newsletter/ccnews0211.htm

Links

TFHRC: 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

______________________________________________________________

Please forward this newsletter to others you think might find it interesting and/or useful.

Suggestions may be submitted to: FHWA_Now@fhwa.dot.gov