Publication Number: FHWA-RD-99-110
Date: December 1999

In Brief

After almost 10 years of use, many of the long-term pavement performance test sections are beginning to show their age. In an attempt to capture the last critical observations from the remaining asphalt pavement maintenance effectiveness test sections, a team of industry representatives, consultants, and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) personnel visited the specific pavement study (SPS) 3 test sites in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas on August 24-26, 1999.

The team found the condition of the test sites ranged from fair to poor condition, with most of the test sections having reached the end of their useful life and in need of corrective action. On the whole, however, the pavements in the treated sections are in better shape than those in the control sections, and in most cases, the maintenance treatments appear to have extended the life of the pavements. The tour findings will be included in the final report on the southern region SPS-3 test sections that is currently being prepared by the review team. For more information, contact Bob Davies at FHWA, 202-366-2023 (fax: 202-366-9981; email: robert.davies@fhwa.dot.gov).

Reports summarizing the results of five long-term pavement performance (LTPP) research studies are now available from the Federal Highway Administration. The reports include the Study of LTPP Distress Data Variability, Volume I (Publication No. FHWA-RD-99-074) and Volume II (Publication No. FHWA-RD-99-075). This study documents the results of research evaluating and quantifying the variability of pavement distress data collected by the LTPP program. Also available are final reports on the SHRP Joint Reseal Experiment (Publication No. FHWA-RD-99-142), SHRP AC Crack Treatment Experiment (Publication No. FHWA-RD-99-143), PCC Partial-Depth Spall Repair Experiment (Publication No. FHWA-RD-99-153), and the SPS-4 Supplemental Joint Seal Experiment (Publication No. FHWA-RD-99-151).

To order copies of the reports, contact the FHWA Research and Technology Report Center at 301-577-0906 (fax: 301-577-1421).

A summary of the long-term pavement performance (LTPP) data analysis program is now available. LTPP Analysis: Putting the Data to Work (Publication no. FHWA-RD-99-169) can be obtained either by contacting the FHWA Research and Technology Report Center (phone: 301-577-0906; fax: 301-577-1421) or by visiting the Web site www.tfhrc.gov and clicking on Pavements/LTPP/Library/Brochures.

FHWA, assisted by other sectors of the U.S. Department of Transportation, recently conducted a series of five workshops on its National Corridor Planning and Development and Coordinated Border Infrastructure programs. The workshops, held in Baltimore, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, and Phoenix, were designed to give participants background information on the Corridors and Borders grant programs, which will award funding to States in fiscal year 2000. The corridors program's purpose is to provide allocations for the planning, design, and construction of corridors of national significance, economic growth, and international or interregional trade, while the borders program funds improvements at both the Canadian and Mexican borders. The workshops covered this year's grant application process and solicited input from participants on evaluation measures for and future directions of the programs. For more information about the Corridors and Borders grant programs, contact Martin Weiss in the Office of Intermodal and Statewide Programs, 202-366-5010. Information can also be found on the Web at www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep10/corbor/corbor.html.

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