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Final Report November 2009

Table of Contents

• Introduction
  • Highways for LIFE Demonstration Projects
  • Report Scope and Organization
• Project Overview and Lessons Learned
  • Project Overview
  • HFL Performance Goals
  • Economic Analysis
  • Lessons Learned
  • Conclusions
• Project Details
  • Background
  • Project Description
• Data Acquisition and Analysis
  • Safety
  • Construction Congestion
  • Quality
  • User Satisfaction
• Technology Transfer
• Economic Analysis
  • Construction Time
  • Construction Costs
  • User Costs
  • Cost Summary
• Appendix A: Workshop Agenda

List of Figures

• Figure 1. General project location.
• Figure 2. Placement of precast columns.
• Figure 3. Footing detail.
• Figure 4. Coupler used to splice rebar to connect the footings, columns, and pier caps.
• Figure 5. Column bar connection detail.
• Figure 6. Typical intermediate bent detail.
• Figure 7. Column detail.
• Figure 8. Workers check alignment of prefabricated columns with template.
• Figure 9. Pier cap detail.
• Figure 10. 130 ft long Prestressed "bulb–I" beam installation.
• Figure 11. Portable dynamic message boards.
• Figure 12. Solar-powered trailer with speed and traffic sensor.
• Figure 13. Web site display showing position of the message boards.
• Figure 14. Comparison pavements (left to right): Exit 13 ramp and Exit 14 ramp.
• Figure 15. Newly constructed pavement test sections (left to right): Kia Boulevard bridge deck, Exit 6 off–ramp, and Exit 6 on–ramp.
• Figure 16. OBSI dual probe system and the SRTT.
• Figure 17. Mean A-weighted sound intensity frequency spectra for the exit ramps.
• Figure 18. Mean A-weighted sound intensity frequency spectra for the Kia Boulevard bridge deck and U.S. 27.
• Figure 19. ARAN van.
• Figure 20. GDOT Commissioner Gena Abraham
• Figure 21. FHWA Georgia Division Administrator Rodney Barry.
• Figure 22. Darryl VanMeter of GDOT addressing the audience.
• Figure 23. Lamar Pruitt of GDOT presenting construction overview.
• Figure 24. Prahlad Pant discussing the real-time speed advisory and reporting system.

LIST OF TABLES

• Table 1. Historical 3–year crash data.*
• Table 2. OBSI summary.
• Table 3. Mean roughness measurements.
• Table 4. User satisfaction summary.
• Table 5. Capital cost calculation table.
• Table 6. Temporary detour pavement itemized cost estimate.
• Table 7. Estimated total traffic on I-85 used to compute safety impacts.
• Table 8. Comparison of safety costs—baseline versus as–built.

Foreword

The purpose of the Highways for LIFE (HfL) pilot program is to accelerate the use of innovations that improve highway safety and quality while reducing congestion caused by construction. LIFE is an acronym for Longer–lasting highway infrastructure using Innovations to accomplish the Fast construction of Efficient and safe highways and bridges.

Specifically, HfL focuses on speeding up the widespread adoption of proven innovations in the highway community. "Innovations" is an inclusive term used by HfL to encompass technologies, materials, tools, equipment, procedures, specifications, methodologies, processes, and practices used to finance, design, or construct highways. HfL is based on the recognition that innovations are available that, if widely and rapidly implemented, would result in significant benefits to road users and highway agencies.

Although innovations themselves are important, HfL is as much about changing the highway community's culture from one that considers innovation something that only adds to the workload, delays projects, raises costs, or increases risk to one that sees it as an opportunity to provide better highway transportation service. HfL is also an effort to change the way highway community decisionmakers and participants perceive their jobs and the service they provide.

The HfL pilot program, described in Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA–LU) Section 1502, includes funding for demonstration construction projects. By providing incentives for projects, HfL promotes improvements in safety, construction–related congestion, and quality that can be achieved through the use of performance goals and innovations. This report documents one such HfL demonstration project.

Additional information on the HfL program is at www.fhwa.dot.gov/hfl.

Notice

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation.

The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade and manufacturers' names appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the object of the document.

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8–72) Reproduction of completed page authorized

Acknowledgments

The project team would like to acknowledge the invaluable insights and guidance of Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Highways for LIFE Team Leader Byron Lord and Program Coordinators Mary Huie and Kathleen Bergeron, who served as the technical panel on this demonstration project. Their vast knowledge and experience with the various aspects of construction, technology deployment, and technology transfer helped immensely in developing both the approach and the technical matter for this document. The team also is indebted to Darryl VanMeter, acting administrator of the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) Office of Innovative Program Delivery. Our sincere gratitude is also due to Greg Wiggins and Greg Bowen of GDOT for their assistance and coordination during the construction of this project. Finally, the team also appreciates the technical support for this report provided by C.W. Matthews Contracting, Inc. and the Arcadis design-build team.

Abbreviations and Symbols