FHWA R&T Now

1

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

GENERAL/ADMINISTRATIVE

SHRP2 Announces Recipients of Third Round of Funding

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

Transportation Officials (AASHTO) recently announced the recipients of funding under the third 

round of the second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2). Organizations in 31 States will 

receive funds for project implementation and technical assistance. 

Program officials also announced the fourth round of SHRP2 products that will move from the 

research phase to widespread implementation beginning with the Round 4 Implementation 

Assistance Program. The application process opens March 30, 2014 and closes June 27, 2014. 

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

www.fhwa.dot.gov/goshrp2. 

ENVIRONMENT

Report: A Performance-Based Approach to Addressing Greenhouse Gas Emissions through 

Transportation Planning 

The publication, A Performance-Based Approach to Addressing Greenhouse Gas Emissions through 

Transportation Planning, is a practitioner handbook intended to serve as a resource for State 

departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations interested in addressing 

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through performance-based planning and programming (PBPP). 

Building on related resources addressing PBPP and mobile source emissions analysis, the handbook 

describes the use of GHG performance measures and other performance management techniques 

that support investment choices and decisionmaking. 

This document (Publication Number: FHWA-HEP-14-020) is available at 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/climate_change/mitigation/publications_and_tools/ghg_planning

/index.cfm. For more information, contact John Davies, 202-366-6039, johng.davies@dot.gov. 

ADVANCED RESEARCH

Fact Sheet: Innovative Neighborhood Transit—Assessing Demand for an Automated Community 

Shuttle Service

Novel neighborhood transit systems capable of providing the first or last mile of service could 

revolutionize travelers' use of traditional transit services.

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

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

May 2014

FHWA R&T Now
 FHWA R&T Now

2

This fact sheet discusses “Effects of Automated 

Transit and Pedestrian/ Bicycling Facilities on 

Urban Travel Patterns,” an FHWA Exploratory 

Advanced Research (EAR) Program study that 

was awarded to the University of Michigan. The 

study was aimed at assessing the demand for an 

innovative transit shuttle service using 

automated vehicles.

This document is available at 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/advancedresearch/pubs/14

046/index.cfm. For more information on the

University of Michigan project, contact Bob 

Ferlis, 202-493-3268, robert.ferlis@dot.gov. For 

more information about the EAR Program, 

contact David Kuehn, 202-493-3414, 

david.kuehn@dot.gov. 

Fact Sheet: Efficient and Safe Merging 

Solutions—Advanced Freeway Merge 

Assistance: Harnessing the Potential of 

Connected Vehicles

One of the major traffic bottlenecks and safety 

concerns on today’s busy roads occurs during 

freeway merges. “Advanced Freeway Merge 

Assistance: Harnessing the Potential of 

Connected Vehicles” is an EAR Program project 

designed to improve the efficiency and safety of 

freeway merges using connected vehicle 

technology. FHWA awarded the project to the 

University of Virginia Center for Transportation 

Studies in 2009. 

A fact sheet discussing the project is available at 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/advancedresearch/pubs/14

045/index.cfm. For more information about this 

project, contact Bob Ferlis, 202-493-3268, 

robert.ferlis@dot.gov. For more information 

about the EAR Program, contact David Kuehn, 

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

Workshop Summary Report: Multiscale 

Materials Modeling 

On April 23 and 24, 2013, FHWA’s Office of 

Infrastructure Research and Development (R&D) 

and the EAR Program held the workshop, 

Multiscale Materials Modeling, to explore new 

scientific approaches for measuring and 

modeling materials across multiple length and 

time scales. The goal of the workshop was to 

obtain expert feedback on the state of the art 

and identify EAR Program opportunities for 

multiscale material modeling. 

The workshop focused on how multiscale 

material modeling applies to the optimization of 

properties, durability, and the construction of 

asphalt and cementitious pavement and 

construction materials. The event allowed 

researchers who develop material models and 

engineers who use the results of material 

models to exchange ideas on the topic. 

Discussions featured purposes and audiences 

for current and future models; the state of the 

art in approaches to model degradation 

mechanisms across length scales; and technical 

and programmatic approaches to advance 

multiscale modeling methods. These 

conversations are expected to form a basis for 

the transition of results from research on 

multiscale material modeling and new plans for 

EAR Program activities. 

To obtain a summary report about this

workshop, visit 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/advancedresearch/pubs/13

103/index.cfm. For more information about the

project, contact Jack Youtcheff, 202-493-3090, 

jack.youtcheff@dot.gov. For more information 

about the EAR Program, contact David Kuehn, 

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

INFRASTRUCTURE

ASCE Nominates Gucunski as White House 

Champion of Change 

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 

nominated Nenad Gucunski, Ph.D., a professor 

and chair of the Department of Civil and 

Environmental Engineering at Rutgers 

University, as a White House Champion of 

Change. Gucunski, an FHWA contractor, was 

nominated for his contribution to the FHWA 

RABITTM bridge deck assessment tool research 

project. Individuals selected as Champions are 

those who have provided exemplary leadership 

to ensure that transportation facilities, services, 
 FHWA R&T Now

3

and jobs help individuals and their communities 

connect with 21st century opportunities. 

For more information on the RABITTM bridge 

deck assessment tool, go to 

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/tfhrc/progr

ams/infrastructure/structures/ltbp/ltbpresearch

/rabit/index.cfm and contact Hamid Ghasemi, 

202-493-3042, hamid.ghasemi@dot.gov. 

Research Leads to Bridge Design Specification 

Revisions for Modulus of Elasticity of Structural 

Concrete

AASHTO’s Load and Resistance Factor Design 

(LRFD) Bridge Design Specification provides the 

basis for the design of highway bridges in the 

United States. The concrete structures 

provisions have been developed over decades, 

with some of the provisions inevitably becoming 

less than acceptably accurate as concrete 

material advancements have opened doors to 

concretes with advanced mechanical properties. 

One fundamental provision relates the 

compressive strength of concrete to the 

modulus of elasticity; its influence is significant 

throughout the structural design specifications. 

Researchers have recognized that this provision 

provides insufficient accuracy for modern 

structural concretes. In an effort to address this 

issue, researchers involved with FHWA’s 

Structural Concrete Research Program compiled 

and analyzed results from hundreds of research 

studies in order to develop a new relationship 

for modulus of elasticity. This new relationship 

has been vetted by the AASHTO Subcommittee 

on Bridges and Structures Technical Committee 

#10 (SCOBS T-10), as well as the broader 

AASHTO community. 

In June 2014, this item will go to AASHTO ballot. 

For more information, contact Ben Graybeal, 

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

Research Results Call for Bridge Design 

Specification Revisions for Lightweight 

Concrete

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 to address 

these shortcomings. 

Researchers at Turner-Fairbank Highway 

Research Center (TFHRC) completed nearly 100 

full-scale structural tests of a variety of 

lightweight concrete formulations and have 

assessed a broad range of structural 

performance measures. On April 26, 2014, Ben 

Graybeal, Ph.D., P.E., who heads FHWA’s 

Structural Concrete Research Program, 

delivered recommended code provision

modifications to the AASHTO Subcommittee on 

Bridges and Structures Technical Committee #10 

(SCOBS T-10). 

Graybeal delivered these recommendations 

during AASHTO SCOBS T-10’s formal business 

meeting in Chicago, and the committee 

appeared to receive them well. In preparation 

for a 2015 ballot, the recommendations will be 

vetted by the broader AASHTO community. 

These specification revisions are expected to 

allow for consistent treatment of lightweight 

concrete throughout the bridge design 

community, enabling economical and 

appropriate use of an important structural 

material. 

For more information, contact Ben Graybeal, 

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

FHWA’s GRS-IBS Guidance Featured in Civil 

Engineering Magazine

In the April 2014 issue of ASCE’s Civil 

Engineering magazine, a feature article 

spotlights a bridge built by the Delaware 

Department of Transportation (DelDOT) using 

Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil (GRS) Integrated 

Bridge System (IBS) technology. 
 FHWA R&T Now

4

The article, Rapid Replacement, illustrates the 

value of GRS-IBS technology and FHWA’s design 

guidance. At the end of the article, the authors 

acknowledge FHWA’s geotechnical research 

team for their contributions and technical 

support. The team helped with the design, 

layout, development of the instrumentation 

plan, selection of instruments, and protocols for 

instrument installation and monitoring. They 

also provided onsite and on-call construction 

support. 

The bridge project, the first of its kind in 

Delaware, was carried out using funds from 

FHWA’s Innovative Bridge Research and 

Deployment Program. The project was one of 

FHWA’s first Every Day Count showcases offered 

by the GRS deployment team. 

For more information, contact Mike Adams, 

202-493-3025, mike.adams@dot.gov. 

SAFETY

Report: A Guide for Maintaining Pedestrian 

Facilities for Enhanced Safety 

Each year, approximately 4,000 pedestrians are 

killed and tens of thousands are injured in the 

United States. Research has demonstrated that 

pedestrian safety increases when walking 

facilities, such as sidewalks, walkways, and curb 

ramps are implemented and properly 

maintained. However, maintaining pedestrian 

facilities so they remain safe and accessible is 

often a difficult undertaking. Walkability and 

accessibility are big issues. There are also 

liability consequences related to poor, 

inadequate, or infrequent inspection and 

maintenance of pedestrian facilities. This report, 

which aims to improve safety and mobility, 

identifies effective and exceptional practices, 

along with barriers for pedestrian facility 

maintenance. 

This document (Publication Number FHWA-SA13-037) is available from the Federal Highway 

Administration Office of Safety. 

For more information, contact Tamara Redmon, 

202-366-4077, tamara.redmon@dot.gov. 

OPERATIONS

FHWA Hosts Public Meeting on Research Data 

Exchange

On March 26, 2014, FHWA’s Office of 

Operations Research and Development, in 

partnership with the Data Capture and 

Management (DCM) Program, hosted a public 

meeting on the Research Data Exchange (RDE) 

at TFHRC. The RDE provides access to real-time 

and archived intelligent transportation systems 

(ITS) data sets from multiple sources, including 

connected vehicles; probe messages; traffic 

monitoring and reporting devices (for example, 

volumes, speed, and crashes); incidents; traffic 

signals; weather sensors; and transit vehicles. 

The meeting was an opportunity for the public 

sector, researchers, and the private sector 

(namely those involved with ITS transportation 

management systems and connected vehicle 

applications) to discuss the current functionality 

and operation of the RDE; the process and plans 

for collecting, managing, and supporting the use 

of connected vehicle related data sets to be 

posted on the RDE; the need and potential 

priorities for connected vehicle-related data sets 

to be made available on the RDE; and 

opportunities to enhance the operation and use 

of the RDE. 

For more information about the workshop, 

contact Gene McHale, 202-493-3275, 

gene.mchale@dot.gov. For more information

about the RDE, visit http://www.its.rde-net. 

FHWA Conducts Public Meeting on Data 

Capture and Management Program

On March 27, 2014, FHWA, in partnership with 

the DCM Program, held a meeting at the 

National Highway Institute to seek input on 

future plans and candidate initiatives for the 

DCM Program. Participants included public and 

private sector researchers and stakeholders who 

will be involved with collecting, developing, 
 FHWA R&T Now

5

implementing, managing, operating, or sharing 

multisource and multimodal data with traffic 

management systems or ITS devices to enhance 

the performance of the surface transportation 

system. 

Workshop topics included the DCM Program’s 

current and proposed plans and activities; 

potential private and public sector uses and 

users of connected vehicle and other sources of 

multimodal data; potential private and public 

sector roles and vision for collecting, integrating, 

managing, and sharing multisource, multimodal 

data in an operational connected vehicle 

environment; gaps in practice and knowledge 

and technologies to assist the public and private 

sector to collect, use, or integrate connected 

vehicle data with multisource data; and 

potential DCM Program initiatives to foster the 

availability and use of multisource and 

multimodal data in an operational connected 

vehicle environment. 

For more information about the workshop, 

contact Jon Obenberger, 202-493-3265, 

jon.obenberger@dot.gov. For more information 

about the DCM Program, visit 

http://www.its.dot.gov/data_capture/data_capt

ure.htm.

FHWA and AASHTO to Present on the National 

Connected Vehicle Field Infrastructure 

Footprint Analysis

The National Connected Vehicle Field 

Infrastructure Footprint Analysis is a joint effort 

between FHWA and AASHTO aimed at 

developing a deployment footprint and plan 

that will describe the need for connected 

vehicle infrastructure, the form that the 

infrastructure should take, where and when the 

infrastructure should be deployed, and the cost, 

organizational, and institutional implications of 

deploying the infrastructure. The analysis will 

result in a policy foundation for a connected 

vehicle environment. 

The FHWA-AASHTO team presents on the 

analysis at three upcoming events:

• May 6, 2014: AASHTO Subcommittee on 

Systems Operations and Management 

Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN. To register, 

visit 

http://ssom.transportation.org/Pages/defaul

t.aspx.

• May 22, 2014: T3 Webinar on the National 

Connected Vehicle Field Infrastructure 

Footprint Analysis. To register, visit 

http://www.pcb.its.dot.gov/t3/s140522_cv_f

ootprint_analysis.asp.

• May 29, 2014: Cooperative Transportation 

Systems Pooled Fund Study and AASHTO 

Connected Vehicle Working Group Meeting. 

To learn more, contact Jim Wright, AASHTO, 

jwright@aashto.org.

For more information about the National 

Connected Vehicle Field Infrastructure Footprint

Analysis, contact Ben McKeever, 202-493-3270, 

ben.mckeever@dot.gov.

FHWA Begins Data Collection on I-66 for Speed 

Harmonization Field Experiment

On April 27, 2014, four microwave radar 

detection trailers were deployed on I-66 

eastbound between Route 7 and Fairfax Drive to 

begin preliminary data collection and algorithm 

testing for FHWA’s Office of Research and 

Development’s speed harmonization field 

experiment. Speed harmonization is a method 

of slightly decreasing the speeds of vehicles 

approaching a bottleneck in order to smooth 

traffic flow, reduce stop and go traffic, and slow

the onset of major congestion. 

In this study, researchers will calculate an 

optimal speed and utilize a remote server at 

TFHRC to broadcast it to three vehicles in live 

traffic on I-66 eastbound during the evening 

peak period. The vehicles are equipped with 

connected and automated vehicle technologies. 

This experiment is scheduled to take place 

during a test window of 9 days, from May 20, 

2014 to June 23, 2014. 
 FHWA R&T Now

6

On May 1, 2014, the FHWA project team met 

with the Virginia Department of Transportation 

(VDOT), Virginia State Police, and Virginia Center 

for Transportation Innovation and Research to 

discuss how to coordinate safety efforts during 

testing activities and the field experiment. 

For more information, contact Joe Peters, 202-

493-3269, joe.peters@dot.gov. 

RECENT PERIODICALS

Public Roads—March/April 2014

This issue includes: FHWA’s R&T Agenda 

Addresses National Challenges; Pushing the 

Limits of Pavement; Where the Water Meets the 

Road; Making Inroads for Women in 

Transportation; Traveling the Capital Beltway Is 

Now E-Zier; and Creating Smarter Work Zones. 

It is available online via

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

marapr/index.cfm. For more information, 

contact TaMara McCrae, 

tamara.mccrae@dot.gov. 

FOCUS Newsletter April 2014

The April issue includes: Accelerating 

Infrastructure Innovations: Goodbye Focus,

Hello Innovator; Rock Solid: Rockeries Offer 

Context-Sensitive Slope Solutions; Protecting 

Transportation Investments with Risk-Based 

Asset Management; USDOT Publishes Notices of 

Proposed Rulemaking; FHWA Offers Highway 

Friction Tester Demonstrations; Participate in 

the LTPP Warm-Mix Asphalt Study; 

Infrastructure Innovation Webinars; and 

Highway Technology Calendar.

The issue is available online via 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/focus/14apr/1

4apr00.cfm. For more information, contact Lisa 

Pope, lgpope@woodwardcom.com.

Innovator: Accelerating Innovation for the 

American Driving Experience—March/April 

2014

This issue includes: New Hampshire First in Line 

for STIC Incentives; Warm-Mix Asphalt Comes 

Up a Winner; Montana Showcases GRS-IBS 

Benefits; States Innovate; Smart Work Zone 

System Succeeds in Kansas; Intelligent 

Compaction Gains Momentum; and Calendar.

The issue is available online via 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/hfl/innovator/eversion/issue_41/. 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

________________________________________

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