FHWA R&T Now

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GENERAL/ADMINISTRATIVE

SHRP2 Solutions Announced for Round 5

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the American Association of State Highway and

Transportation Officials (AASHTO) have announced the following solutions to go forward for

implementation in Round 5 of the Second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2)

Implementation Assistance Program (IAP).  

• 3D Utility Location Data Repository (R01A)

• Performance Specifications for Rapid Renewal (R07)

• Railroad‐DOT Mitigation Strategies (R16)

• Planning Process Bundle (C02/08/09/12/15)

Each product selected for implementation assistance has the potential to deliver more efficient,

cost‐effective programs to meet today’s complex transportation challenges. Participants include

State departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organizations, tribal agencies, and

FHWA Federal Lands Divisions. Through Round 4, the joint FHWA/AASHTO IAP has put 24 SHRP2

Solutions into the hands of transportation agencies on approximately 200 projects.   

Product‐specific Webinars for Round 5 are scheduled for early December. The application period

for Round 5 will begin on January 16, 2015, with selections announced in April 2015. The

application process for Round 6 is expected to launch in June 2015.

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

www.fhwa.dot.gov/goshrp2.  

Research Pooled Fund Training Webinar Offered a Second Time

On November 13, 2014, staff from FHWA, AASHTO, and State departments of transportation

participated in a training Webinar for the Research Pooled Fund. The training focused on the

primary steps of originating, funding, conducting, leading, administering, and closing a pooled fund

project.  

Due to overwhelming demand, the same Webinar will be offered again on December 15, 2014.

December’s presentation will be recorded and subsequently posted on the Pooled Fund Web site.

For details about FHWA’s Transportation Pooled Fund Program, visit

www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/partnership/pooledfund.  

For information on how to participate in December’s Webinar, contact David Pamplin, 202‐493‐

3166, david.pamplin@dot.gov.

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

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) 

November/December 2014

FHWA R&T Now
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INFRASTRUCTURE

FHWA Delivers Bridge Design Specification

Revisions for Lightweight Concrete  

AASHTO’s Load and Resistance Factor Design

Bridge Design Specifications provide the basis

for the design of highway bridges in the United

States. The extensive provisions relating to

concrete structures are recognized to poorly

predict the performance of lightweight concrete

structures.  

With strong stakeholder support, FHWA’s

Structural Concrete Research Program

embarked on a research program in 2007 to

address these shortcomings. After hundreds of

tests, the compilation of multiple data sets, and

the assessment of various performance

parameters, a full ballot item has been

developed for consideration by the AASHTO

Subcommittee on Bridges and Structures

Technical Committee #10 (SCOBS T‐10).   

On September 6, 2014, this ballot item was

formally discussed in an open session at the T‐

10 meeting and T‐10 member States and

industry partners subsequently vetted the

ballot. Ben Graybeal, Ph.D., P.E., who heads

FHWA’s Structural Concrete Research Program,

led an extended discussion of the ballot item

during T‐10’s October meeting. After fielding

numerous questions, FHWA’s Research and

Development team was given T‐10 concurrence

contingent on addressing a set of twelve action

items in finalizing this twenty‐six part ballot

item.  

On October 30, 2014, the revised ballot item

was summited to the chair of T‐10 for formal

consideration by the full AASHTO Subcommittee

on Bridges and Structures. This ballot item is

expected to be voted on in April 2015. If passed,

these specification revisions will allow for

increased clarity and consistency in the design

of concrete structures while also facilitating

economical and appropriate use of an

underutilized class of concrete.   

For more information, contact Ben Graybeal,

202‐493‐3122, benjamin.graybeal@dot.gov.  

AAPA and ASRA Members Visit Turner‐Fairbank

On November 3, 2014, members of the

Australian Asphalt Pavement Association (AAPA)

and the Australian State Road Authority (ASRA)

visited Turner‐Fairbank Highway Research

Center (TFHRC) and met with staff to exchange

information and discuss developments. The

twenty‐one visitors included pavement

engineers and asphalt concrete company

executives. The visitors were given a tour of the

pavement testing facility, asphalt labs, and

chemistry lab, where they were shown new and

emerging equipment.    

Several of the tour participants have previously

visited TFHRC in connection with the two

Accelerated Loading Frames in use in Australia.

Three members of the tour group are from the

Australian Roads Research Board (ARRB). The

Queensland State Road Authority and ARRB

participants intend to establish an accelerated

load facility on Queensland. Their visit offered

them an overview of how equipment for

pavement research is used at TFHRC.

For more information, contact Jack Youtcheff,

202‐493‐3090, jack.youtcheff@dot.gov.  

NCHRP 24‐41 Project Team and VDOT Staff

Tour Geotechnical Facilities

On October 28, 2014, the research team of the

National Cooperative Highway Research

Program (NCHRP) 24‐41 project, Defining the

Boundary of Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil (GRS)

Composite Behavior, visited TFHRC.  

The visit featured a tour of FHWA’s GRS Pier, the

outdoor strong floor, the full‐scale prototype

GRS‐Integrated Bridge System (IBS) abutments,

the long‐term GRS bridge piers, the outdoor test

pits, and the indoor geotechnical laboratory.

Discussions included the significance of research

projects conducted at TFHRC and the use of
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advanced instrumentation that will help the

NCHRP team achieve their core objectives.  

Staff from the Virginia Department of

Transportation (VDOT) also attended the tour,

which was timely, as they are preparing for an

IBS project in Staunton, VA in early 2015. The

bridge will be constructed by the Staunton

District State Force Crew and instrumented as

part of the NCHRP project. In support of the

Every Day Counts initiative, FHWA will provide

technical assistance for the bridge.  

For more information, contact Mike Adams,

202‐493‐3025, mike.adams@dot.gov.  

FHWA Meets with National Concrete Bridge

Council  

On November 12, 2014, FHWA held its annual

meeting with the National Concrete Bridge

Council at TFHRC. The National Concrete Bridge

Council is an umbrella group composed of

industry organizations with a direct interest in

the concrete bridge sector. The annual meeting

provides a forum for both FHWA and NCBC

members to discuss matters of mutual interest.

For more information, contact Ben Graybeal,

202‐493‐3122, benjamin.graybeal@dot.gov.  

TechBrief: Long‐Term Bridge Performance—

High Priority Bridge Performance Issues  

The objective of this technical brief is to

describe the bridge performance issues that will

be studied under FHWA’s Long‐Term Bridge

Performance (LTBP) Program, including how

they were identified and prioritized with the

assistance of bridge owners and other key

stakeholders in the bridge community. It is

intended for bridge owners and the bridge

community at large (bridge engineers, bridge

inspectors, and bridge asset managers)

interested in the activities of the LTBP Program.

This document is available at

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

tructure/structures/ltbp/14043/index.cfm. For

more information, contact Susan Lane, 202‐493‐

3151, susan.lane@dot.gov.  

SAFETY

Researchers Deliver Final Project Presentations

for Two TCD Pooled Fund Studies

On October 6, 2014, FHWA’s Office of Safety

Research and Development (R&D) Human

Factors Team hosted the final project

presentation for the Traffic Control Devices

(TCD) Pooled Fund study, “Evaluation of

Elongated Pavement Markings.” The study

aimed to evaluate the conspicuity, legibility, and

effectiveness of symbolized pavement markings

that are horizontally elongated versions of the

post‐mounted signs they complement.  

The goals included:

 Determining post‐mounted sign types

that would most benefit from

complementary pavement markings.

 Developing proposed design

considerations for elongated pavement

markings.  

 Evaluating the conspicuity and legibility

of selected elongated markings.

 Evaluating the effectiveness of

symbolized elongated pavement

markings when complementing post‐

mounted signs.  

To download the report, visit

www.pooledfund.org/Document/Download/536

6.

On October 10, 2014, researchers conducted the

final project presentation for the TCD Pooled
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Fund study, “Human Factors Evaluation of

Warning Sign Legends for Emergency Incidents.”

The objective of this project was to identify

message options for Traffic Incident

Management (TIM) legends such as the

information on advance warning and guide signs.

Researchers used a multi‐staged approach to

identify legend options for TIM traffic control

devices.   

   They considered the following factors:

 Level of specificity.

 Use of symbols and/or words.

 Road user demographics (e.g., language,

age).

 First responder characteristics (e.g.,

emergency medical services, police,

firefighters).

 Natural events such as flooding,

landslides, or snow‐related emergencies

characteristic of different geographic

regions.

 Incident severity and frequency—rare

events such as chemical spills versus

common events such as traffic collisions.

To download the report, visit

www.pooledfund.org/Document/Download/536

7.  

Both presentations were attended by

representatives of State and local governments,

the private sector, and FHWA’s Office of

Operations, Office of Safety, and Office of Safety

R&D. The projects were funded through FHWA’s

TCD Pooled Fund Consortium.

For more information, contact Jim Shurbutt,

202‐493‐3420, jim.shurbutt@dot.gov.    

Report: Collecting and Analyzing Stakeholder

Feedback for Signing at Complex Interchanges

Drivers at unfamiliar interchanges must read the

available signage, observe pavement markings,

and determine a path through the interchange

before they reach the gore point. As an

additional source of stress, driver errors at

interchanges are often more difficult to correct

since drivers transfer to a grade‐separated

freeway, highway, or roadway which provides

limited access points for their return to the

original roadway. Clear navigation signage is

needed to guide drivers and reduce errors.

Recent FHWA research examined challenges

that drivers face while navigating complex

interchanges, which was important for

understanding these problems from the drivers’

perspective. This report discusses a project that

extended this line of research through

interviews with State engineers and other

stakeholders regarding practical challenges

related to complex interchanges. The goal of the

project was to identify design constraints

related to signing, markings, and geometry for

complex interchanges and to identify useful

topics for future research that will yield findings

that can address those design issues.  

This document is available at

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

y/14069/index.cfm. For more information,

contact Jim Shurbutt, 202‐493‐3420.

jim.shurbutt@dot.gov.  

OPERATIONS

Report: Analysis of Network and Non‐Network

Factors on Traveler Choice Toward Improving

Modeling Accuracy for Better Transportation

Decisionmaking

Travelers’ choices are central to the

performance of a transportation system, but

little is known about what influences such

choices or the impact they have on system
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performance. When selecting a transportation

management strategy, a transportation

management center operator must understand

and anticipate how travelers will respond and

the potential benefits of alternative overall

strategies.

This report addresses the current state of the

practice, identifies gaps in knowledge regarding

traveler choices, and provides six case studies

on how to improve current models. It provides a

comprehensive conceptual framework that

incorporates traveler behavior and the impact

on network performance for demand‐side and

supply‐side measures. The document will be a

resource for both traveler choice researchers

and organizations considering transportation

management strategies that influence traveler

choice.

The report is available at

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

tions/13097/index.cfm. For more information,

contact Taylor Lochrane, 202‐493‐3293,

taylor.lochrane@dot.gov.  

RECENT PERIODICALS

Public Roads—November/December 2014

This issue includes: A New Approach to

Improving Travel Times; One Size Doesn't Fit All;

An Evolving Partnership; Bracing for Hard Times

Ahead; and Surviving an Interstate Bridge

Collapse.

It is available online via

www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/14

novdec/index.cfm.  

For more information, contact TaMara McCrae,

tamara.mccrae@dot.gov.  

Innovator: Accelerating Innovation for the

American Driving Experience—

September/October 2014

This issue includes: EDC‐3: The Next Wave of

Transportation Innovations Is Here; GRS‐IBS

Showcase Shows How It's Done; Helping Local

Agencies Procure Consultants' Services; Solar

Highways Move Closer to Reality; North Carolina

Superstreets Enhance Travel Time, Safety; States

Innovate!; and Calendar.

The issue is available online via

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hfl/innovator/e‐

version/issue_44/.  

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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