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Focus

Federal Highway Administration / Publications / Focus / April 2008

Accelerating Infrastructure Innovations

Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-08-012
Date: April 2008

Articles in this Issue

Green Highways: Partnering to Build More Environmentally Sustainable Roadways

Going green is an everyday goal for the members of the Green Highways Partnership (GHP), a collaborative effort among the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), other Federal agencies, State transportation and environmental agencies, industry, trade associations, members of academia, and contractors to encourage environmentally friendly road building. These green practices include using recycled materials in highway construction, improving stormwater management to prevent toxins from leaching into streams and rivers, and protecting critical habitats and ecosystems during the planning and construction of highway infrastructure.

The Era of Intelligent Compaction Has Arrived

Compaction during the paving process is critical to achieving high-quality and uniform pavement materials and long-lasting roadway performance. However, currently used compaction equipment, operational procedures, and density measurement protocols do not consistently result in the desired compaction and density levels in all areas of the pavement, often leading to reduced service lives. Intelligent compaction (IC), which is now in use in Europe and Asia, can provide better control and oversight of the compaction process, resulting in improved and more uniform compaction, increased productivity, and a reduction in highway repair costs.

Warm-Mix Asphalt Debuts in Yellowstone National Park

The successful deployment of warm-mix asphalt on roadways in Yellowstone National Park in August 2007 provided valuable experience in using this environmentally beneficial technology for the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Federal Lands Highway (FLH) division and representatives from State and local transportation agencies, contractors, the National Park Service, and other organizations. "The project allowed Federal Lands to evaluate the viability of the technology as a standard construction practice for Federal Lands projects," says Brad Neitzke, FLH Materials Engineer at FHWA.

A Peer-to-Peer Approach to Improving Work Zone Safety and Mobility

State or local transportation agencies looking for assistance in improving work zone safety and mobility can now turn to the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Work Zone Safety and Mobility Peer-to-Peer (P2P) program. How does it work? Once a request for assistance is received, FHWA's P2P coordinator will match the requesting agency with a transportation professional who has experience that is appropriate to the request. "The Work Zone P2P program provides State and local transportation agencies with easy access to knowledgeable peers across a wide range of work zone issues," says Chung Eng, FHWA's Work Zone Team leader. "Peers can provide insight on how to address common challenges in implementing work zone management strategies."

Meet FHWA's Pavement and Materials Environmental Stewardship Team

Building more environmentally sustainable highways is the goal of the new Environmental Stewardship Team launched by FHWA's pavement and materials program in 2007. One of six Focus Area Leadership and Coordination (FALCON) teams created to meet the strategic objectives of the pavement and materials program (see August 2007 Focus), the Environmental Stewardship Team's members represent offices throughout FHWA, including Headquarters, the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, FHWA Resource Center, division offices, and Federal Lands Highway division. The team also includes a representative from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Highway Technology Calendar

Updated: 06/27/2017
Federal Highway Administration | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000