FHWA R&T Now

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POLICY & PARTNERSHIPS

TRB and FHWA Review Highway Research

FHWA leadership involved with research and technology demonstration and deployment recently 

participated in a meeting of the Research and Technology Coordinating Committee (RTCC), FHWA’s 

official research and technology (R&T) advisory committee. Leadership offered coordination and 

guidance through presentations focused on technology readiness levels that gage how close an 

innovation is ready for widespread adoption; proprietary products; State Department of 

Transportation workforce readiness for innovation; the R&T Performance Evaluation Program; 

international R&T collaboration; the U.S. Department of Transportation Modal Research Plan; 

freight R&T; and moving innovations into practice.

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) convenes the RTCC twice yearly to provide continuing 

guidance and advice on FHWA’s R&T program and makes broad-based research priority 

recommendations with an emphasis on FHWA’s annual research program plans and budgets. 

Committee membership is drawn from top officials in State departments of transportation, as well 

as university and private-sector research organizations, local government officials, highway 

suppliers, contractors and consultants, environmental and highway safety specialists, and highway 

users.

For more information, contact John Moulden, 202-493-3470, john.moulden@dot.gov. 

FHWA Meets with TRB Executives

In June, Butch Waidelich, FHWA’s Acting Deputy Administrator, and Michael Trentacoste, FHWA’s 

Associate Administrator for Research, Development, and Technology, attended the TRB Executive 

Committee meeting in Washington, D.C. The meeting featured a policy session discussion on smart 

cities and transportation. 

The TRB Executive Committee serves as an advisory group to the chairman and the governing 

board of the National Research Council. The FHWA Administrator, other U.S. Department of 

Transportation modal administrators, and other sponsors serve as ex officio members. Members 

represent a balance of transportation modes, academic disciplines, private and public sectors, 

echelons of government, geographical regions, and other relevant factors.

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)

July/August 2017

FHWA R&T Now
 FHWA R&T Now

EXPLORATORY ADVANCED RESEARCH

EAR Program Funds Truck Platooning Research 

FHWA’s Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) 

program is funding early-stage truck platooning 

research and pilot deployment to determine the 

system-wide, public benefits and costs of 

platooning. In partnership with Volvo Trucks, 

Peterbilt, Peloton, and WABCO, the EAR 

program is funding research using simulation 

and testing to examine platoon aerodynamics, 

platoon formation, and potential fuel economy 

benefits. 

Truck platoons are sets of heavy-duty trucks 

that are electronically coupled (using 

automation and connected vehicle technology) 

to allow them to drive in the same lane with 

short following distances, reducing fuel 

consumption and improving efficiency while 

using less highway lane capacity.

In May, the EAR program funded a 

demonstration in Los Angeles, California that 

provided visitors an opportunity to ride in a 

heavy truck that was part of a platoon of three 

trucks on a freeway. The speeds of the second 

and third truck were synchronized with 

cooperative adaptive cruise control.

FHWA is coordinating with others involved in 

truck platooning research and demonstrations,

including the U.S. Department of Energy and the 

U.S. Department of Defense. It also working 

with those involved in the Smart City Challenge 

in Columbus, Ohio. Funded by the U.S. 

Department of Transportation, the project aims 

to extend two-vehicle platoons to arterial 

operations in combination with freight signal 

priority.

The EAR program attains broad scientific 

participation and extensive coverage of 

advanced ideas and new technologies by 

engaging stakeholders throughout its 

processes—not only in identifying and scoping 

topics, but also in ensuring the technical quality 

of sponsored research through expert panels 

and in communicating research results. 

For more information, contact David Kuehn, 

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

INFRASTRUCTURE 

Technical Paper Wins Award at World 

Conference

Three researchers from the Turner-Fairbank 

Highway Research Center received a Best Paper 

Award at the World Conference on Pavement 

and Asset Management, which was held 

recently in Baveno, Italy. The paper, 

“Comparison of the Methodologies to Compute 

Pavement Surface Deflections from Traffic 

Speed Deflectometer Data,” written by Mahdi 

Nasimifar, Senthil Thyagarajan, and Nadarajah 

Sivaneswaran, was one of only two recognized 

with this distinction. Over 240 papers were 

presented at the conference, ranging in topics 

from design and materials to economic, political, 

and environmental management strategies for

pavements and asset management. 

For more information, contact Katherine Petros, 

703-493-3154, katherine.petros@dot.gov. 

New TechBrief: “Analytical Method to Measure 

Water in Asphalt and its Application to 

Emulsion Residue Recovery” 

In FHWA’s TechBrief, “Analytical Method to 

Measure Water in Asphalt and its Application to 

Emulsion Residue Recovery” (FHWA-HRT-15-

056), researchers observe that excess water in 

asphalt binders and pavement mixes can have a

deleterious effect on pavement performance. 

The addition of water to binders through using 

warm and cold mix technologies highlights the 

need for accurately measuring water in asphalt. 

Also, increased water content of biologically 

derived binders and oils may be responsible for 

compatibility issues with petroleum-based 

products. 

The TechBrief discusses how researchers 

developed a Karl Fischer titration method for 
 FHWA R&T Now

quantifying water in asphalt and asphalt 

emulsions that is accurate, quick, and highly 

sensitive. The method’s detection limit is 

approximately 100 parts per million (ppm). 

Researchers tested Strategic Highway Research 

Program binders to assess the effectiveness of 

the method. Neat binder water content varied 

from 100 to 275 ppm water. They applied the 

method in the evaluation of three emulsion 

recovery procedures and noted that each 

procedure removed sufficient water for 

rheological measurement of the residues. More 

testing with the Universal Simple Aging Test 

plate vacuum oven method or more time in the 

oven may be necessary to ensure ruggedness for 

all asphalt emulsions.

This TechBrief is available to download at

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

tructure/pavements/15056/index.cfm. 

For more information, contact Jack Youtcheff, 

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

OPERATIONS

FHWA Discusses Automated Vehicle Research 

at IEEE Intelligent Vehicle Symposium

FHWA recently discussed its automated vehicle 

research activities during a presentation at the 

IEEE Intelligent Vehicle Symposium in Los 

Angeles, California that brought together 

professionals involved in standards 

development, algorithm development, robotics, 

and artificial intelligence. 

The presentation focused on FHWA’s recent 

efforts to conduct additional research and 

testing on connected automation systems that 

operate at intersections and on highways. It 

underscored the benefits of considering how 

automated vehicles are connected through 

communications to enable vehicles to operate 

more effectively in the system. The presentation 

also highlighted the new $2 million effort to 

enhance and test the signalized intersection 

approach and departure application and the 

cooperative adaptive cruise control application. 

FHWA is developing test plans and will begin 

testing in spring 2018 at the Aberdeen Proving 

Grounds. 

For more information, contact Brian Cronin, 

202-493-3269, brian.cronin@dot.gov. 

Researchers Complete D2X Hub Proof of 

Concept Field Test 

FHWA’s Office of Operations Research and 

Development has completed the Device to 

Everything (D2X) Hub Proof of Concept Field 

Test, a project focused on evaluating the hub’s 

ability to support the exchange of messages 

between connected mobile devices, vehicles, 

and intelligent transportation system (ITS) 

infrastructure. Testing was conducted from June 

12 to 23 in Columbus, Ohio. 

Funded by the ITS Joint Program Office, the D2X 

Hub will provide public agencies with a platform 

to facilitate the exchange of data to improve 

how they manage traffic and the safety and 

mobility of travelers using connected mobile 

devices. FHWA recently demonstrated D2X Hub 

capabilities to technical staff from its Ohio 

Division Office, the Ohio Department of 

Transportation, and the facilities of the City of 

Columbus at the Battelle and Ohio State 

University. The D2X Hub prototype and 

supporting documents are available to 

download at: 

https://www.itsforge.net/index.php/community

/explore-applications#/45/135. 

For more information, contact, Jon Obenberger, 

202-493-3265, jon.obenberger@dot.gov. 

FHWA Participates in M Enabling Summit

FHWA’s Office of Operations Research and 

Development participated in the M Enabling 

Summit, a conference in Washington D.C. that 

brought together professionals involved with 

accessible International Coding Technologies 

products, services, and consumer technologies. 

Titled, “Making Connected Things and Services 

Accessible for All,” the event provided a 

platform for empowering technologies and 
 FHWA R&T Now

focused on next-generation innovations and 

breakthroughs for users of all abilities. 

For more information, contact Mohammed 

Yousuf, 202-493-3199, 

mohammed.yousuf@dot.gov. 

SAFETY

New Report: “Cooperative Adaptive Cruise 

Control Human Factors Study: Experiment 4-

Preferred Following Distance and Performance 

in an Emergency Event” 

FHWA’s report, “Cooperative Adaptive Cruise 

Control Human Factors Study: Experiment 4-

Preferred Following Distance and Performance 

in an Emergency Event” (FHWA-HRT-17-024), 

presents human factors research to examine the 

effects of cooperative adaptive cruise control 

(CACC) on driver performance in a variety of 

situations. The report summarizes driving 

simulator experiments in which the driver was 

required to drive in a stream of vehicles. 

Participants experienced a vehicle merge in 

front of them and an emergency event that 

required driver intervention. The participants’ 

preferred following time gap did not 

significantly affect collision avoidance. However, 

those participants following at shorter distances 

were more likely to intervene more rapidly that 

those following at a far distance. 

These findings support the idea that 

performance depends more on overall CACC 

following distance settings than with drivers’ 

personal preferences. This will allow CACC 

systems to implement a single following 

distance gap (or set of gaps based on vehicle 

physics). The results show that it is critical that 

drivers receive clear alerts when it is necessary 

to take over control of the vehicle. Without such 

measures, it is possible that CACC 

implementation may not result in improved 

roadway safety. 

This report is available to download at 

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

y/17024/index.cfm. 

For more information, contact Brian Philips, 

202-493-3468, brian.philips@dot.gov. 

RECENT PERIODICALS

Public Roads—May/June 2017

This issue includes: Connected Vehicles: Coming 

Soon to a Road Near You; Slamming on the 

Brakes on a Mounting Problem; Where Can the 

Big Rigs Park?; and Riding Out the Storm.

It is available online via 

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

mayjun/index.cfm. 

For more information, contact Lisa Shuler, 

lisa.a.shuler@dot.gov. 

Innovator: Accelerating Innovation for the 

American Driving Experience—July/August 

2017

This issue includes: Arizona’s First Prefabricated 

Bridge Improves Historic Route 66; Integrating 

Permitting Processes to Speed Up Project 

Delivery; The Power of People in Advancing 

Innovation; Road Safety Audit Helps Missouri 

Target Safety Investments; Using Ultra-High 

Performance Concrete to Build Bridges Better; 

States Innovate!; and Events.

The issue is available online via 

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

1/3dIssue/. 

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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