FHWA R&T Now

Oh 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Technologies that Will Transform Transportation

Every year, taxpayer dollars fund research and development (R&D) at Federal laboratories. To 

improve the transition of innovations from the laboratory to the marketplace, the Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA) formed the Technology Transfer (T2) program. 

T2 strives to ensure that innovations developed for the U.S. transportation system are broadly 

available to all levels of the Government and the general public. FHWA’s goal is to become a 

recognized leader in T2, accelerating the movement of innovations beyond labs and into the 

government and public marketplace to benefit society. It is because of this vision that the T2 

program recognizes the FHWA Advanced Sensing Technology (FAST) Nondestructive Evaluation 

Laboratory (NDE Lab) at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) for its use of 

advanced, multidisciplinary technologies and its ability to share these technologies with external 

partners.

The FAST NDE Lab is a worldclass facility that conducts 

quality research, 

development, improvement, 

and implementation of FAST 

NDE systems and 

technologies to assist 

infrastructure owners. 

T2 and the FAST NDE Lab, in a 

collaborative effort to 

communicate and market lab 

technologies, developed a 

video to demonstrate the 

work being done on FAST 

NDE Lab products, which 

include an extensive 

collection of commercial and 

customized FAST NDE 

equipment. In addition, the 

T2 program creates

marketing collateral for 

dissemination to the public.

The T2 program is dedicated to assisting inventors and licensees through the entire T2 process. The 

program is focused on the commercialization of research products at FHWA by identifying new 

technologies and marketing them to the government and commercials sectors.

For more information about the program, contact Mary Huie at mary.huie@dot.gov.

March/April 2020

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

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

FHWA R&T Now

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

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

© Genex Systems.

Interview with the NDE Program Manager, 

Hoda Azari, in the NDE Lab.
 FHWA R&T Now

2

OPERATIONS

Improve Traffic Flow with Crowdsourcing

Gridlock, poor signal timing, an inability to quickly 

identify incident types, and poor road conditions 

are just a few of the many issues transportation 

agencies struggle with to manage the traffic 

system. Addressing these needs is expensive and 

time intensive.

Crowdsourcing has the potential to address these 

needs at very little cost. Crowdsourcing is a 

powerful tool that leverages the public to improve 

traveler information, traffic incident management, 

signal timing, weather-responsive management, 

work zone management, and more. 

More than half of all States and many local 

transportation agencies already use some form of 

crowdsourcing. Agencies gather data from agencyoperated and third party mobile applications, 

crowdsource data providers, and social media. 

These sources gather information that includes 

vehicle speeds, travel times, crashes, stalled 

vehicles, pothole or debris locations, adverse 

weather conditions, temperatures, and work zone 

locations.

Crowdsourcing overcomes gaps in geographic 

coverage of real-time monitoring systems, lags in 

timeliness of information, costs to build and 

maintain monitoring equipment, and jurisdictional 

data issues. Crowdsourced data are available 

wherever and whenever people travel, giving 

visibility into suburban and rural networks where 

roadway sensor technology is not available.

Agencies wanting to be more proactive in 

transportation systems management and 

operations (TSMO) may want to consider

harnessing the power of crowdsourcing to monitor 

roads and manage existing monitoring systems.

View the Innovation Spotlight video to learn more 

about how crowdsourcing may help your agency.

For more information, contact James Colyar 

at james.colyar@dot.gov or Paul Jodoin at

paul.jodoin@dot.gov.

Create Connectivity for Advanced Transportation 

Management

State DOTs are always looking for ways to ease 

congestion, improve roadway safety, and identify 

roadway interruptions and maintenance needs. 

The Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) Hub enables cities 

and States to leverage real-time, location-specific 

data to accomplish these goals.

The V2X Hub uses software that facilitates the 

exchange of data in a format that can be 

understood by vehicles and infrastructure devices 

to incorporate infrastructure into the connected 

vehicle (CV) architecture. The V2X Hub can receive 

messages from CVs and road users in the Society of 

Automotive Engineers (SAE) J2735 standard and 

transcodes the data to a National Transportation 

Communications for ITS Protocol (NTCIP) that 

infrastructure components, such as signal 

controllers, can understand, and vice versa. 

The V2X Hub can also translate Signal Phase and 

Timing (SPaT) data from NTCIP to SAE J2735 and 

send them to a roadside unit (RSU) to broadcast to 

vehicles. The V2X Hub is a message handler that 

acts as a translator and data 

© Utah Department of Transportation.

Crowdsourcing addresses a need or problem 

by enlisting the services of a large number of 

people through technology.

Source: FHWA.

A Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory 

researcher using the newest edition of V2X Hub.
 FHWA R&T Now

3

aggregator/disseminator for infrastructure 

components of a CV deployment. 

V2X Hub 5.0 includes updates to improve 

performance, such as a performance-measures 

application to run traffic status, such as queue 

length and average delay, based on real-time

vehicle data logged; a web API service that adds a 

new channel of data exchange between outside 

components and the V2X Hub and adds the 

possibility of remotely monitoring and configuring 

the V2X Hub and its plugins, therefore, adding 

capabilities to traffic management centers (TMC) 

for remote traffic management; a pedestrian 

plugin, which allows vehicles to receive messages 

from smartphones held by pedestrians who intend 

to cross a nearby intersection; a preemption plugin 

that allows emergency vehicles to request 

preemption calls to an approaching intersection if 

the vehicle has its siren and lights on and is in an 

emergency response situation; and work zone 

messages with data that can be updated from a 

remote TMC to make managing active work zones 

easier with multiple RSUs in the field. 

For more information, contact Deborah Curtis at

deborah.curtis@dot.gov.

SAFETY

Increase Roadway Capacity with CACC

Finding lower cost ways to increase highway 

capacity without financing major upgrades to 

existing road infrastructure is a challenge all State 

DOTs face.

FHWA’s Human Factors Team at the TFHRC 

conducted research to examine the potential of 

cooperative-adaptive cruise control (CACC) to 

increase existing roadway capacity by reducing 

gaps between strings of CACC vehicles traveling 

together. The Human Factors Team recently 

published an article entitled, "Merging into strings 

of cooperative-adaptive cruise-control vehicles", in 

the Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems:

https://doi.org/10.1080/15472450.2020.1728264.

The study centered on two experiments using a 

full-scale highway driving simulator at the TFHRC. 

In the first experiment, drivers attempted to merge

into a continuous stream of simulated CACC 

vehicles using either a CACC vehicle with merge 

assist, a CACC vehicle without merge assist, or a 

manually driven vehicle. Experiment 2 assessed 

how drivers traveling in a CACC string respond to 

vehicles attempting to merge into the string and 

whether that response is dependent upon a 

driver’s actual gap size or preferred following 

distance.

The researchers concluded that drivers seem 

willing to accept CACC technology and trust it to 

partially control the vehicle under certain 

circumstances. The findings highlight the value of 

providing drivers with CACC technology that can 

help them to safely manage merges.

For more Information, please contact Brian Philips, 

Team Leader, Human Factors, Office of Safety R&D

at brian.philips@dot.gov.

Research with States on New Barrier Designs

Crash tests are fundamental to ensuring safe 

design standards of roadway infrastructure. A fullscale crash test was conducted in March at the 

TFHRC’s Federal Outdoor Impact Laboratory (FOIL) 

in McLean, Virginia. Source: FHWA.

The FHWA highway driving simulator used in 

the first experiment.

Source: FHWA.

In this test, a pickup truck weighing 2270 kg 

(5000 lbs) and traveling at 100 km/h (62 mp/h) 

impacted a short-radius bridge-end barrier at 

an angle of 15 degrees.
 FHWA R&T Now

4

In this test, a pickup truck weighing 5000 lbs and 

traveling 62 mp/h impacted a short-radius bridgeend barrier at an angle of 15 degrees. This test is 

one of a series of tests being conducted to assess 

the barrier’s safety performance under different 

crash conditions. The objective of this research and 

test is to develop guidance and a barrier safety 

treatment to be placed near bridge ends with 

restricted rights of way in a format suitable for 

potential adoption and inclusion as an update to 

the American Association of State Highway and 

Transportation Officials Roadside Design Guide 

(RDG). The proposed design(s) shall meet minimum 

TL-3 MASH requirements by successfully meeting 

the criteria of the following tests with both the 

2270P pick-up truck, and the 1100C small car.

A number of sensors, such as high-speed cameras, 

accelerometers, angular-rate transducers, and 

speed-measuring devices, were employed to 

capture and document the crash event. These

measured data will be used as ground truth, 

confirming the accuracy of the simulated results.

For more information, contact Eduardo Arispe, 

Roadway Safety Research at 

eduardo.arispe@dot.gov.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Build Longer-Lasting, Lower Maintenance Roads

A poorly constructed road leads to high costs and 

other problems “down the road.” Knowing the best 

methods, materials, and mixtures can help roads 

last longer.

The Asphalt Materials Research program is 

undertaking a mixture-performance testcomparison study, relating intermediate 

temperature, index-based cracking tests to field 

performance. 

The study consists of three phases: evaluation of 

six tests using reheated loose mixtures from 

FHWA’s pavement test facility (PTF); evaluation of 

three tests using two long-term oven-aging 

procedures on loose mixtures from FHWA’s PTF; 

and evaluation of three tests using mixtures from 

State DOT partners.

In the asphalt materials field, the premier topic of 

focus in mixture design and characterization 

relates to performance tests, especially those that

can be conducted at intermediate (30°C or less)

temperatures and are capable of assessing fatigue 

resistance. This study features collaboration with 

industry, academic, and agency partners to 

advance the community’s knowledge of test 

variability and feasibility in a State qualityassurance program, and provide the ability to 

accurately align with known field performance.

Phase one of the study is finishing now. The six 

tests featured have been reduced to three for 

phase two, and the mixtures are being prepared in 

the asphalt binder and mixture laboratory. Phase 

three mixtures are being collected, and the 

anticipated end date for the study is early 2021. 

This experiment will be disseminated through 

technical briefs at the conclusion of each phase,

and webinar opportunities are being explored. 

For more information regarding this study, contact

Dr. David Mensching at david.mensching@dot.gov.

Avoid Costly Road Repairs with This New Test

Rehabilitation, retrofit, or reconstruction of alkalisilica reaction (ASR)-affected infrastructure is a 

multibillion-dollar challenge for highway agencies.

First discovered in 1935, ASR is an insidious cause 

of concrete deterioration that may not become 

evident until the affected infrastructure has been 

in service for many years.

ASR occurs when the alkali in cement reacts with 

silica in the aggregate and forms a gel (called an 

ASR gel) that can absorb water, swell, and crack 

the concrete. Researchers have beem devising test 

methods since 1947 that attempt to predict 

whether or not a given aggregate is likely to form 

ASR gels if used in concrete. There have been many 

Source: FHWA.

Specimen prepared for the indirect tensilecracking test in accordance with ASTM D8225–19.
 FHWA R&T Now

5

variations of these tests, and almost all have been 

engineering tests that rely on measuring the 

physical expansion of concrete and mortar 

specimens. 

The current best test is ASTM 1293, which takes a 

year and does not reliably predict field 

performance in all cases. After more than ten years 

of intensive research, the chemistry laboratory at 

the TFHRC has developed a very simple and 

economical test method that gives superior results 

to ASTM 1293 in just 21 days. It relies on purely 

chemical measurements; no concrete or mortar 

specimens are needed. The new test is called TFAST (Turner-Fairbank ASR Susceptibility Test).

To disseminate this test method to industry 

partners, the TFHRC chemistry lab staff conducted 

a 2-day training class at the TFHRC in December 

and disseminated a webinar in February. 

The director of the Pennsylvania Aggregate and 

Concrete Association said the suggestion that the 

test is a game changer is an understatement

because the test is so different and easy. T-FAST 

remains a work in progress. Stakeholders are 

invited to join in pushing this research effort 

forward.

For more information, contact Terry Arnold at

terry.arnold@dot.gov.

Get the Latest Research Using Large Diameter 

Open-End Steel Pipe Piles (LDOEPs) for Bridges

A multiyear research effort into LDOEP use is 

detailed in “Development of Guidelines for Bearing 

Resistance of Large Diameter Open-End Steel Piles” 

(FHWA-HRT-20-011). LDOEP foundations are often 

preferred over similar-size drilled shafts and/or pile 

groups in bridge projects requiring support from 

larger lateral, seismic, and axial loads because they 

are more cost effective and also address 

constructability and/or environmental concerns. 

However, current design guidance and codes are 

based on load tests for open-end piles with 

diameters less than 24 inches, casting doubt as to 

the reliability of existing methods to estimate the 

bearing resistance of LDOEPs. 

This research evaluates static design methods 

using a new load-test dataset of steel LDOEPs in 

cohesive, cohesionless, and mixed soil conditions 

(see the FHWA Deep Foundation Load Test 

Database v.2). The analysis includes development 

of steel LDOEP-specific resistance factors for each 

of the design methods considering multiple loadtest failure criteria, combinations of design 

methods, and combinations of side and base 

conditions, all leading to recommended design 

approaches for LDOEPs. This report is useful for 

geotechnical and bridge engineers, consultants, 

and contractors. 

For more information, contact Dr. Jennifer Nicks at

jennifer.nicks@dot.gov.

Source: FHWA.

Concrete deterioration caused by ASR.

© Shannon & Wilson.

Installation of large diameter open-end steel 

pipe piles.
 FHWA R&T Now

6

Construction Specifications Maximize Project 

Delivery Quality

How can a road agency minimize risk in project 

delivery and increase the likelihood that the 

project will be of high quality and on track? 

Construction specifications provide the 

requirements for construction on a project to help 

achieve a higher level of confidence in accepting 

quality materials with higher performance, longer 

life, and reduced lifecycle costs.

FHWA has released a series of three animated 

whiteboard videos focused on specifications for 

highway construction to help improve quality. The 

first video, Types and Uses of Construction 

Specifications, introduces viewers to various 

types of specifications, including quality 

assurance specifications, warranty 

specifications, performance-based 

specifications, and performance-related 

specifications. The second video, Quality 

Assurance Specifications, covers how quality 

assurance specifications work, and highlights key 

aspects of a well-written quality assurance 

specification. The third video, Performance 

Related Specifications, covers how performance 

related specifications work, and includes steps 

involved in their development.

The videos, which can also be shared via social 

media, are available on the FHWA YouTube 

channel.

Video 1: Types and Uses of Construction 

Specifications

https://youtu.be/-FfOUfIbfF4

Video 2: Quality Assurance Specifications

https://youtu.be/VeicnhCzn2A

Video 3: Performance Related Specifications

https://youtu.be/Lpu3ye1URrs

For more information, contact Matthew Corrigan, 

FHWA Office of Infrastructure R&D, at 

matthew.corrigan@dot.gov. 

EXPLORATORY ADVANCED RESEARCH

Accurately Forecast Future Travel Demand 

Increased demand for transportation infrastructure 

causes congestion and forces cities and States to 

develop alternative solutions to manage 

congestion.

The Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program 

is supporting a second study, “Using Behavioral 

Economics to Better Understand Managed Lane 

Choice,” which could improve the accuracy of 

travel demand models. Researchers at the Texas 

A&M Transportation Institute are examining the 

choices drivers make between priced managed 

lanes and general-purpose lanes and the factors 

behind these choices. The research team has 

identified behavioral traits at different price points 

that may help predict habitual, compared to 

deliberative, decisions. 

For more information about the managed lane 

choice project, contact Bingxin Yu, FHWA Office of 

Transportation Policy Studies, at 

bingxin.yu@dot.gov.

Prevent Accidents Caused by Cell-Phone Use

Cell phones are the number one distraction on 

roads today. As of 2019, more than 25 percent of 

accidents are caused by texting while driving. 

FHWA’s EAR Program supports a behavioral 

economics project that can result in more accurate 

models for predicting the choices travelers make

while on the road and inform policy and 

transportation planning decisions. 

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania 

and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia are 

examining the influence of technology-based 

nudges and tiered incentives in a study called 

“Comparative Effectiveness of Alternative 

Smartphone-Based Nudges to Reduce Cellphone 

Use While Driving” that may help develop public 

safety programs for reducing distracted driving.

For more information about the EAR Program’s 

project on cellphone use, contact James Pol, FHWA 

Office of Safety R&D, at james.pol@dot.gov.

© Texas A&M Transportation Institute.

Models that predict the use of priced managed 

lanes help gauge the demands placed on tolled 

highways and aid in planning future 

infrastructure.
 FHWA R&T Now

7

RECENT RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

EAR

• Mobile Device Data for Origin-Destination 

Travel Trends

• New Transportation Simulation Technology for 

Safer Roadways

Infrastructure

• Development of Guidelines for Bearing 

Resistance of Large Diameter Open-End Steel 

Piles

• Techbrief: Quickly Analyzing Thermoplastic 

Road-Marking Material for Titanium Dioxide

• Technote: Synthesis - The Reduction and 

Analysis of Pavement Profiler Data to Quantify 

the Bump at the End of the Bridge

• LTBP Newsletter—Winter 2020

• Handbook for Including Ancillary Assets 

Transportation Asset Management Programs

Safety

• Research Utilizing SHRP2 Data to Improve 

Highway Safety: Development of Speed—Safety 

Relationships

RECENT PERIODICALS

Innovator March/April 2020

In this issue: Public Involvement Communication 

Tools for a 21st Century Audience, Unmanned 

Aerial Systems Take Flight in Highway 

Transportation, Innovation Synergy: UAS Videos 

Enhance Virtual Public Involvement Techniques, 

The Pathway to Innovation, Safety Awards 

Highlight Every Day Counts Innovations, States 

Innovate, EDC Outtakes: Weather-Responsive 

Management Strategies.

The issue is available online.

Public Roads Spring 2020

The Spring 2020 issue of Public Roads magazine is 

now available on the FHWA website. This issue 

recognizes the role that women play in the 

transportation industry and demonstrates FHWA’s 

commitment to inspiring the next generation of 

women in transportation. In this special thematic 

issue, get to know women—including USDOT’s top 

leaders Elaine L. Chao, Nicole R. Nason, K. Jane 

Williams, and Mala K. Parker—who are making a 

difference and advancing key USDOT initiatives. By 

maintaining our diverse workforce, FHWA can 

leverage a range perspectives when solving the 

Nation’s transportation challenges.

The spring issue is available at: 

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroa

ds/20spring/index.cfm. 

For more information or to submit an article, 

contact Maria Romstedt at 

maria.romstedt@dot.gov. 

LINKS

Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center: 

https://highways.dot.gov/research/

Resource Center: 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/resourcecenter/

National Highway Institute: 

www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/home.aspx

ABOUT FHWA R&T NOW

FHWA R&T Now is a newsletter containing 

information and updates about research, 

technology, and development from the U.S. 

Department of Transportation, Federal Highway 

Administration. The newsletter is an electronic 

newsletter and is updated approximately every 

other month. Send your comments, questions, 

suggestions, and feedback to

FHWA_Now@dot.gov.

Online access: 

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/rtnow/.

Please forward this newsletter to others you think 

might find it interesting and/or useful. 

Mail:

Federal Highway Administration

FHWA Office of Research, Development, and 

Technology

Attention: Dawn Vanlandingham

6300 Georgetown Pike

McLean, VA 22101
 FHWA R&T Now

8

Distribution—FHWA R&T Now is being distributed according to a standard distribution. Direct 

distribution is being made to the FHWA Divisions and Resource Center.

Key Words—Infrastructure, Operations, Safety, EAR, exploratory advanced research, research, V2X Hub, 

technology transfer, T2, nondestructive evaluation, NDE lab, crowdsourcing, CACC, cooperative adaptive 

cruise control, vehicle string, crash test, cell phone, managed lanes, alkali-silica reaction, ASR, simulator, 

asphalt, pavement test facility, indirect tensile-cracking test.

Notice—This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the USDOT in the interest of 

information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the use of the information 

contained in this document.

The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or manufacturers' 

names appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the objective of the 

document.

Quality Assurance Statement—The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides high-quality 

information to serve Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public 

understanding. Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, 

and integrity of its information. FHWA periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs and 

processes to ensure continuous quality improvement.