Publication Number: FHWA-SA-96-013
Date: February 1996

Articles in this Issue

In Brief

Highway engineers and technicians seeking Superpave training are having an easier time finding it, as more and more States begin offering workshops and courses on the Superpave system. Case in point: The Michigan Transportation Technology Center, located at Michigan Technological University, held a Superpave workshop for 22 engineers and inspectors in December. The 4-day workshop included both classroom and laboratory sessions on asphalt binder analysis and volumetric mix design.

Hot-Mix Asphalt Course Helps Engineers Gear Up for Superpave

The Superpave system is bringing changes to the conventional method of hot-mix asphalt (HMA) pavement design and construction. To help the highway industry adapt to the Superpave system and improve its HMA construction techniques, the National Highway Institute offers a training course for construction engineers and field inspectors involved in planning, constructing, and inspecting HMA pavement projects. The purpose of the course is for the construction team to develop a partnering approach that will enable them to make consistent, accurate decisions regarding materials, construction techniques, and other factors affecting a pavement's performance and cost.

Iowa DOT's Anti-Icing Campaign Reaps Generouse Rewards

Lee Smithson has snow on his mind. Every October or early November, before Iowa's first big storm, he sends out news releases and invites reporters from local newspapers and radio and television stations to his office to discuss snow and ice control.

Mobile Concrete Testing Laboratory Brings New Technologies to States

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently outfitted a new mobile laboratory for testing of portland cement concrete. The 18-wheel tractor-trailer replaces the mobile laboratory that had been used for Demonstration Project 75 (Field Management of Concrete Mixes). The old mobile laboratory racked up more than 100,000 miles traveling across the United States to demonstrate new equipment and test procedures to State and local highway agencies. The new mobile lab will be used to introduce equipment at conferences and workshops, conduct field evaluations on new and innovative equipment, and provide technical assistance to State and local highway agencies.

Project Looks at Long-Term Effectiveness of Protection and Rehabilitation Strategies on Concrete Bridges

As part of the long-term pavement performance (LTPP) studies, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is monitoring approximately 30 bridges in the United States and Canada that have been treated with corrosion inhibitors, are outfitted with cathodic protection systems, or have undergone electrochemical chloride extraction (ECE). The project is a continuation of a Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) study, which examined these different protection and rehabilitation strategies on concrete bridges and structures.

Regional Superpave Centers Fully Equipped

The five Superpave regional centers have each received a Superpave shear tester (SST) and an indirect tensile tester (IDT), which means they are now fully outfitted with the Superpave equipment. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) purchased the equipment and loaned it to the Superpave centers. The equipment manufacturers have begun visiting each Superpave center to help set up and demonstrate the new test devices.