Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-09-017
Date: September 2009

Articles in this Issue

Your Online Training Connection for Concrete Pavement Construction

From the fundamentals of materials used for concrete pavements to troubleshooting techniques, an array of free online training courses on materials and construction practices for concrete pavements are available from the Transportation Curriculum Coordination Council (TCCC), in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) National Highway Institute (NHI). The TCCC's members include representatives from FHWA, NHI, regional State training and certification groups, several American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials subcommittees, and industry associations.

SHRP 2: Advancing the Nation's Highway System

The Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) 2 continues to move forward with accelerating solutions for highway safety, renewal, reliability, and capacity. The program's goal is to develop recommended procedures, practices, and applications to advance the Nation's highway system in these four key focus areas. In the renewal area, research addresses the need to complete renewal work quickly and with minimal disruption to the community, as well as to produce facilities that are long lasting. As the SHRP 2 2008 annual report notes, "SHRP 2 research aims to institute a new way of thinking of highway renewal so that the benefits of rapid renewal can be achieved consistently and systematically."

FHWA Launches Information Exchange for Bridges

Come join the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) new online Information Exchange for Bridges (IEB) at knowledge.fhwa.dot.gov/cops/ep.nsf/home. Launched by FHWA's Highways for LIFE program and Office of Bridge Technology, the site offers information on innovative products and processes for bridge construction, including details on preparing project descriptions, specifications, and construction drawings. Also featured are the text and construction drawings from FHWA's recently released Connection Details for Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems manual (see June 2009 Focus).

Accelerating Construction with EPS Geofoam

Solutions for accelerating construction of highway embankments on soft or unstable ground, a problem that has long challenged transportation engineers, will be highlighted in a free Web conference sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Highways for LIFE program and National Highway Institute (NHI). Scheduled for October 7, 2009, from 2:30-4 p.m. (eastern standard time), Advancements in EPS Geofoam for Transportation Applications will examine how the use of super-lightweight fills such as Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) geofoam to mitigate soft ground problems is becoming more popular. This out-of-the-box solution has enabled transportation agencies to build better, faster, and more cost effectively.

Next Generation Transportation Solutions

A new series of fact sheets available from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) highlights the next generation transportation solutions of FHWA's Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program.

Highway Technology Calendar