Publication Number: FHWA-SA-97-019
Date: January 1997

Articles in this Issue

A "How-To" Guide to Anti-Icing Strategies

Adopting anti-icing strategies has been made even easier. A new publication, Manual of Practice for an Effective Anti-Icing Program: A Guide for Highway Winter Maintenance Personnel, provides winter maintenance managers and field personnel with the essential information needed to start using this efficient and cost-effective approach to snow and ice control.

New Committee to Advise on LTPP Studies

A new committee-the TRB-Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Committee-has been formed to provide advice and guidance on the conduct of the ongoing LTPP studies. The committee, which met last month in Washington, D.C., is composed of top-level managers from State highway departments and industry, as well as academia and consulting (see sidebar). It replaces the recently retired Transportation Research Board (TRB) Pavement Performance Advisory Committee.

Pavement Maintenance Workshops Wrap Up Successful Run

What's the best way to repair common pavement problems? How can preventive maintenance prolong pavement life and improve ride quality? Hundreds of managers, crew supervisors, and others from highway agencies across the country have learned the answers to these questions at two workshops showcasing the pavement maintenance materials, techniques, and strategies evaluated under the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP). The workshops were held in each of the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) nine regions and were cosponsored by State departments of transportation.

Superpave System Gets a Boost in South and Central America

The quest for more durable asphalt pavements doesn't stop at the U.S. border, as the recent Latin American/U.S. Asphalt Technology Conference clearly demonstrated. The conference drew more than 500 engineers, technicians, and managers from highway agencies and the highway industry in 25 countries to Austin, Texas, in October, where they were joined by their peers from 39 States.

Highway Agency Staff Learn the Ropes and Lend a Hand at the South Central Superpave Center

Materials engineers and technicians from highway agencies are signing up for temporary duty at the South Central Superpave Center located in Austin, Texas. This "loaned staff" arrangement benefits both the Center and the highway agencies that are its customers-the Center gains an extra set of hands, and the staffer gains hands-on experience with the Superpave system.

Driverless Trucks Earn Good Safety Record at WesTrack

At WesTrack, the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) accelerated pavement testing facility in Nevada, four heavily-laden triple-trailer trucks go round and round the 2.9-km (1.8-mi) track at precisely 65 km/h (40 mph) for at least 15 hours per day, every day of the year. Driving those trucks would be a tedious job for even the best of drivers-and tedium can often lead to inattention, which can lead to accidents. Realizing this, the WesTrack project team set out to find a way to take the driver out of the truck. The result: a system that allows the trucks to be operated entirely autonomously-no driver sits behind the steering wheel.

SHRP Implementation Calendar