Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-11-010
Date: January/February 2011
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Articles in this Issue

An Innovative Solution for Rock Slope Stabilization

How do you stabilize surrounding rock slopes and protect drivers from rockfall hazards while preserving the scenic beauty of Virginia's George Washington (GW) Memorial Parkway? For the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division office and the National Park Service, the innovative answer proved to be "rock glue."

New FHWA Course Introduces the Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester

How well will your new asphalt pavement perform? Find out how to better predict the performance of an asphalt mix by attending the new course offered by the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) National Highway Institute (NHI), Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester (AMPT) (Course No. FHWA-NHI-131118). Development of the course was supported by FHWA and Transportation Pooled Fund Study TPF-5(178), "Implementation of the AMPT for Superpave Validation." Launched in 2008, the study offered States the opportunity to obtain and learn how to use the AMPT to evaluate asphalt mixtures.

Developing the Next Generation of Bridges: The Long-Term Bridge Performance Program

The Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Long-Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) program is leading the way toward a better future for bridge performance. Launched in 2008 and now in its pilot project phase, the LTBP program will collect, maintain, and study high-quality, quantitative performance data for a representative sample of bridges nationwide. These bridges will feature many structural types and materials, as well as variations in geometry, age, traffic volume, truck loads, and climatic conditions. "This innovative program will lead the way towards identifying high-value, state-of-the-art procedures and practices for assuring bridge performance from cradle to grave," said Firas I. Sheikh Ibrahim, Team Leader for Infrastructure Management in FHWA's Office of Infrastructure Research and Development.

Diagnosing and Mitigating ASR in Transportation Structures

A new report from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is designed to assist engineers in diagnosing and mitigating alkali-silica reaction (ASR), which can lead to expansion and cracking of concrete elements and the premature deterioration of concrete structures. Report on the Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Mitigation of Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR) in Transportation Structures (Pub. No. FHWA-HIF-09-004) details the necessary steps for detecting and evaluating ASR in a highway structure. The report was developed through FHWA's ASR program, which launched in 2006 with the goals of increasing concrete pavement and structure durability and performance and reducing life-cycle costs through the prevention and mitigation of ASR.

Design-Build in Transportation on Display at Annual Conference

Get started using design-build or take your experience to the next level at the 2011 Design-Build in Transportation Conference, to be held March 28-30, 2011, in Kansas City, Missouri. Cosponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Design-Build Institute of America, and other industry groups, the conference will look at lessons learned in the use of the design-build project delivery method for transportation projects.

Highway Technology Calendar