Nov/Dec 2000
Vol. 64 · No. 3

Using Monte Carlo Simulation for Pavement Cost Analysis

by Keith D. Herbold

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) developed a model and made arrangements with 10 states and two pavement associations to prepare case studies illustrating the the application of risk analysis to life-cycle cost analysis in pavement design.

ITS Peer-to-Peer Program

by James Pol

This program provides free technical assistance to agencies seeking to improve transportation operations through the deployment of intelligent transportation systems.

Design Evaluation and Model of Attention Demand (DEMAnD): A Tool for In-Vehicle Information System Designers

by Christopher A. Monk, M. Joseph Moyer, Jonathan M. Hankey, Thomas A. Dingus, Richard J. Hanowski, and Walter W. Wierwille

FHWA developed a behavioral model that predicts the performance of drivers interacting with with an in-vehicle information system (IVIS) and a prototype software package that uses the behavioral model to evaluate the attention demanded to operate a give in IVIS.

Studying the Reliability of Bridge Inspection

by Brent M. Phares, Dennis D. Rolander, Benjamin A. Graybeal, and Glenn A. Washer

FHWA's Nondestructive Evaluation Validation Center initiated a comprehensive study to determine the reliability of visual inspection of highway bridges. The general objective was to provide an overall measure of the reliability and accuracy of routine and in-depth inspections and to study the influence of human and environmental factors on inspection reliability.

Ultrasonic Inspection of Bridge Hanger Pins

by Benjamin A. Graybeal, R.A. Walther, Glenn A. Washer, and Amy M. Waters

FHWA's Nondestructive Evaluation Validation Center conducted a study to determine the reliability of contact ultrasonic techniques in the field to accurately locate defects in hanger pins.

The Northwest Transportation Technology Exposition

by Catherine Nicholas and Clayton Wilcox

State and local transportation maintenance and engineering specialists from throughout the Pacific Northwest attended a technology exposition in September 2000 at Moses Lake, Wash., to observe new technologies and equipment in action.

Faster, Easier, Cheaper - Pyrotechnical Anchoring

by David Smallen

A French machine, using firecracker-type explosives ignited by a gas generator, shoots anchoring piles into the ground at 644 kilometers (400 miles) per hour.

Practical Research Answers Real-Life Questions

by Sybil Hatch

Two concurrent research programs funded by FHWA, ADSC, and others are being conducted to study anomalies in drilled shaft construction.

A Nondestructive Impulse Radar Tomography Imaging System for Timber Structures

by Jose E. Hernandez and Sheila Rimal Duwadi

The micropower impulse radar technology developed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory shows good potential for the nondestructive inspection of timber structures because of its small size and low power consumption and because its imaging capability is expected to accurately show the extent and location of problem areas and to produce data that can be more easily interpreted than conventional ground-penetrating radar data.

by John Harding

The SWAT program addresses work-zone factors and stresses the importance of accounting for work-zone influences when making transportation-improvement decisions.