Federal Highway Administra

Exploratory Advanced Resea

Presentation for the 

AHD30, Structures Maintenance Committ

January 16, 2013
January 16, 2013

Presentation Objectives

• EAR Program Background• EAR Program Focus on 

Structural Maintenance

• Longer Term Vision

Presentation for AHD30 Structures Maintenance 
January 16, 2013

What is EAR?

Presentation for AHD30 Structures 

Maintenance
January 16, 2013 

Focus Areas

• Connected highway and vehicle systems• Breakthrough concepts in material science • Human behavior and travel choices• New technology and advanced policies for 

energy and resource conservation

• Technology for assessing performance

Cross cutting

• Nanoscale research• Information sciences

Presentation for AHD30 Structures 

Maintenance
New Materials

• Potential for advances in

– Reduced cracking– Increased corrosion resistance

January 16, 2013 Presentation for AHD30 Structures Maintenance

SEM Image from Zach Grasley, TAMU
Assessing Performance

• Demonstrated advances in

– Application of new technology for 

sensor systems

– Methods for signal analysis and 

predictive modeling

January 16, 2013 Presentation for AHD30 Structures Maintenance
January 16, 2013 

EAR Program Methods

• Focus on high-risk, high payoff 

research

• Merit review is used to enhance the 

quality of research processes and results

• Research stakeholders are 

involved throughout 

• Commitment to successful project 

handoff

Presentation for AHD30 Structures 

Maintenance
January 16, 2013

Breadth with Depth

• All projects begin with initial stage 

investigations

– Reference searches, scanning trips, 

convening workshops, etc. 

• Assure leverage of the most recent, 

relevant and advanced research from all fields

• Not all initial stage investigations 

lead to (or are expected to lead to) follow-on or actionable results

Presentation for AHD30 Structures 

Maintenance
January 16, 2013 Presentation for AHD30 Structures 

Maintenance

Experts and Partners

• Experts and research stakeholders 

are involved throughout 

– From topic generation and scoping, 

through evaluation of proposals, ongoing research

• Stakeholders include

– Academic– Government (federal, state, and local)– Industry (businesses, associations)– International
Project Handoff

• Continued Committment to 

projects transitioning out of Program

– Focused outreach of project 

results

– Meetings, demonstrations with 

potential new funders

January 16, 2013 Presentation for AHD30 Structures Maintenance 
January 16, 2013

EAR Program Payoff

• Encouraging original ideas• Connecting with new partners• Growing scientific capacity and 

pushing disciplinary frontiers

– Building tools that accelerate 

discovery, allow for new measurements, concepts

• Pointing the way to new 

technology, applications

Presentation for AHD30 Structures Maintenance 
Longer-Term Impact

• New Materials

– Faster, better, 

less expensive construction

– Increased longterm durability

January 16, 2013 Presentation for AHD30 Structures Maintenance 

Photo of casting structural 

element from Purdue University
Longer-Term Impact

• Moving from assessing 

performance to controllingperformance

– At the material level, adaptive, 

multi-functionality, self-sensing, self-healing

– At the structural level, selfsensing, predictive, resilient, 

evolving

January 16, 2013 Presentation for AHD30 Structures Maintenance 
January 16, 2013

EAR Program websitewww.fhwa.dot.gov/advancedresearchDavid KuehnProgram Manager(202) 493-3414david.kuehn@dot.gov

Thank You

Presentation for AHD30 Structures 

Maintenance