July/August 1998
Vol. 62· No. 1

LTPP: The Next Decade

by Charles J. Churilla

The Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Long-Term Pavement Performance Program (LTPP) is the largest and most comprehensive pavement study in the world.

Concrete Pavements - Past, Present, and Future

by Thomas J. Pasko Jr.

As designers planning for the future, we must continually look back to where we have been — both the mistakes made and the lessons learned. It is amazing how often we appear to have "reinvented the wheel" or how we have duplicated experiences around the country and around the world. Duplication, however, is not without value because it provides verification that supports the logic of our design philosophy.

Pavement Management Systems - Past,Present, and Future

by Fred Finn

This article was adapted from a presentation by Fred Finn at the National Workshop on Pavement Management in New Orleans, La., July 20, 1997.

Developing Long-Lasting, Lower Maintenance Highway Pavement

In the course of committee reviews of FHWA's annual research and technology program plans, Laurence J. Adams of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), a former committee member with extensive experience managing National Aeronautics and Space Administration research programs, often asked why the highway industry did not aim its research programs at more ambitious goals.

World's Longest Suspension Bridge Opens in Japan

by James D. Cooper

On April 5, 1998, 10 years after construction began, the ribbon was cut to open the world's longest suspension bridge, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in Japan. Following a parade of the 1,500 invited guests (including this author) across the bridge, the Crown Prince and Princess of Japan officiated the formal ceremony.

Planning for a New Type of Natural Disaster: El Nino Phenomenon Brings Innovative Approaches

Hamlet's classic query was on the minds of the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Region Nine staff last fall. Would the much-publicized El Niño actually bring widespread flooding and mudslides to their region, which encompasses Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada? Was it "to be"?

Clean Air and Transportation: The Facts May Surprise You

by Michael Koontz

Faced with the full gamut of lingering air quality challenges, Congress enacted the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990. These amendments confront many of the same environmental issues that prompted the original act in 1970 and the amendments of 1977, and they continue to look toward transportation to reduce air pollution.

Computer Bits Give Geotechnical Drilling Cutting-Edge Technology

by Richard J. Barrows and Stephen Hay

The Geotechnical Business-Focused Team (BFT) of the Western Federal Lands Highway Division (WFLHD) required a process for collecting data during geotechnical subsurface explorations that was easier and faster than the handwritten borehole logging (recording) system currently being used by WFLHD.

Evaluating Accelerated Rut Testers

by Pedro Romero and Kevin Stuart

Pass or fail? This is what most departments of transportation (DOTs) want to know about an asphalt mixture before it is used to build or repair a road. If the mixture passes a rut-resistance test, it can be used on a road, but if it fails, the search continues until a good mixture is found.