Publication Number: FHWA-RD-02-011
Date: June 2002

Articles in this Issue

FHWA Course Ushers in New Pavement Design Era

Meet the new approach to pavement design in Introduction to Mechanistic Design of New and Rehabilitated Pavements, a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) course now available through the National Highway Institute (NHI). The 5-day course (No. 131064) presents the theory and application of the most current mechanistic design concepts and explores the status of ongoing research and the impact it might have on the state of the practice.

Finite Element Analysis: A Powerful Tool for Structures

In today's world of high-end computers, the finite element method has emerged as a powerful analysis tool for structural applications. The method involves simulating the structure's behavior by building a computer model and breaking down the structure into an assembly of finite-sized elements. The behavior of the elements and the overall structure can then be obtained by formulating a system of constitutive relationship and algebraic equations that can be readily solved with computer processors. "The power of the finite element analysis method lies in its versatility. Its applications are unlimited," says Waider Wong of the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Eastern Resource Center (ERC).

All HPC All the Time

Questions about high-performance concrete (HPC)? Interested in learning more about HPC projects that other States have done? Jump online and join the discussion at the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) new HPC Community of Practice. Located on the Web at knowledge.fhwa.dot.gov/cops/hpcx.nsf/home, the site is dedicated to the exchange of knowledge and information to promote better decision-making, spark innovation, and speed technology transfer throughout the transportation community.

In Brief

The Transportation Curriculum Coordination Council (TCCC), which was formed in 2000 to improve training opportunities for transportation workers (see Septem-ber 2001 Focus), recently launched a new Web site to share information nationwide. The site (www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/tccc/) includes information on training courses and State programs and contacts, as well as links to regional training and certification programs and news on the latest TCCC work.

Avoiding Utility Delays: What Works

Utility-related problems are a leading cause of delays for highway construction projects, according to a recent National Cooperative Highway Research Program study. With record numbers of infrastructure capital improvement projects coinciding with mergers and downsizing on the part of utilities, making an increased effort to avoid delays is more important than ever. A new video available from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), CCC: Making the Effort Works!, is here to help.

Highway Technology Calendar