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Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology
Coordinating, Developing, and Delivering Highway Transportation Innovations

Report
This report is an archived publication and may contain dated technical, contact, and link information
Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-05-040
Date: March 2005

Office of Research, Development, and Technology FY 2004 Performance Report

Appendix D: Market-Ready Technologies Click to view detailed alternative text

FHWA List of Market-Ready T&Is

The following T&Is have been identified by FHWA as warranting special attention. This list is not intended to include all T&Is available. Numerous T&Is are being developed, but are not yet ready to be marketed in the field. In addition, many T&Is are considered good concepts, practices, and/or success stories that should continue to be shared. This initial list is intended to be a dynamic list. A process will be developed for reviewing and updating these T&Is.

511—An easy-to-remember three-digit telephone number available to State and local transportation agencies nationwide so they can readily provide information, highway, and transit conditions to travelers by telephone. Travelers can make more informed decisions regarding travel routes and modes, resulting in a more balanced transportation network. Contact: Bob Rupert, 202–366–2194.

Asset Management Guide—A guide, along with the companion National Highway Institute (NHI) course, that illustrates asset management principles and identifies techniques and methods for adopting the decisionmaking framework in transportation agencies. Contact: Stephen Gaj, 202–366–1559.

Augered Piles—Technology characterized by drilling a hollow-stem auger into the ground, forming the diameter of the pile. Sand-cement grout or concrete is pumped into the hole as the auger is being removed from the hole, eliminating the need for temporary casing. After the auger is removed, reinforcement is installed in the pile. For certain applications, these foundation systems can be constructed more quickly and less expensively than can deep foundation alternatives. Contact: Silas Nichols, 410–962–2460.

Border Wizard—A PC-based model that accurately simulates all cross-border movements of autos, buses, trucks, and pedestrians, using customs, immigration, and security procedures. It can be used to evaluate and balance policy needs for security and trade efficiency, and address community impacts of improvements and functions at and near borders. Contact: Mike Onder, 202–366–2639.

Dispute Resolution Guidance for Environmental Streamlining—Procedures that present strategies for interagency collaborative problem solving during the transportation development and environmental review process. Contact: Ruth Rentch, 202–366–2034.

Expanded Polystyrene Geofoam—Lightweight material that can be used as fill behind walls and other support structures. In specific applications, these materials may be required to reduce stress on underlying soils or lateral pressures to retaining walls, abutments, or foundations. Contact: Peter Osborn, 410–962–0702.

FHWA Traffic Noise Model (TNM), Version 2.1—A model that improves the ability to predict noise impacts in the vicinity of highways and thus improves the quality of decisions. Field efforts would be to assist with the implementation of the FHWA TNM and guide future improvements to the model. Contact: Bob Armstrong, 202–366–2073.

Highway Economic Requirements System, State Version—A software model designed to evaluate the implications of alternative programs and policies on the conditions, performance, and user cost levels associated with highway systems. The model provides cost estimates for achieving economically optimal program structures and predicting system condition and user cost levels resulting from a given level of investment. Contact: David Winter, 202–366–4631.

Improved Decisionmaking Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS-T)—A software program that allows for manipulation, analysis, and display of geographically referenced data. Applications include safety analysis, environmental partnering, asset management, highway inventory attributes, and over-sized truck permitting. The GIS-T Web site (http://www.gis-t.org/yr2004/gist2004.htm) contains numerous examples of how and where this technology has been implemented. Contact: Mark Sarmiento, 202–366–4828.

Interagency Funding Guidance for Environmental Streamlining—Guidance provides transportation and resource agencies with options for using Federal funds to support Federal resource agency coordination for streamlining environmental reviews. Contact: Ruth Rentch, 202–366–2034.

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) SpecWizard—A software tool that can help transportation agencies write specifications for the National Transportation Communication for ITS Protocol (NTCIP) standards-based ITS equipment. Contact: Jason Hedley, 202–366–4073.

Load and Resistance Factor Design and Rating of Structures—An AASHTO Load Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) and Load Resistance Factor Rating (LRFR) bridge specification provides for more uniform levels of safety, which should lead to superior serviceability and long-term maintainability. Contact: Firas Ibrahim, 202–366–4598.

Pavement Smoothness Methodologies—New pavement smoothness specification covers smoothness test methods, smoothness equipment specifications, and equipment-certifica- tion programs. Contact: Mark Swanlund, 202–366–1323.

QuickZone—A user-friendly computer software tool for esti mating and analyzing length of queues and delays in work zones. Contacts: Scott Battles, 202–366–4372; Deborah Curtis, 202–493–3267.

Red Light Cameras—Automation of the traditional enforcement of violations for running red lights by using camera systems at light-controlled intersections that detect an offending motorist, capture an image of the license plate, and issue a citation by mail. Contact: Hari Kalla, 202–366–5915.

Roundabouts—A circular intersection that requires entering vehicles to yield to existing traffic in the circulatory roadway. Studies show that modern roundabouts can reduce intersection fatalities by up to 90 percent, reduce injury crashes by 76 percent, and reduce crashes involving pedestrian by 30–40 percent. Contact: Hari Kalla, 202–366–5915.

Rumble Strips—Shoulder rumble strips, continuous grooved indentations in roadway shoulders that provide both an audible warning and a physical vibration to alert drivers that they are leaving the roadway. Studies have shown that these strips yield a significant reduction in run-off-road crashes. Contact: Dick Powers, 202–366–1320.

Safe Speeds in Work Zones—Two technologies that can improve safety in work zones—portable speed limit signs that automatically display the safe speed based on traffic conditions and the nature of the roadwork and feedback displays that show the speed of approaching vehicles. Contact: Davey Warren, 202–366–4668.

Transportation, Economics, and Land Use System (TELUS)—An information-management and decision-support system that helps State DOTs and metropolitan planning organizations (MPO) prepare their annual transportation-improve-ment programs and Statewide transportation-improvement programs. Contact: Fred Ducca, 202–366–5843.

AASHTO Technology Implementation Group Approved Technologies

AASHTO created the Technology Implementation Group (TIG) to identify high-payoff, ready-to-use technologies and to champion the implementation or deployment of these few select technologies, products, or processes that are likely to yield significant economic or qualitative benefits to the users throughout the country. FHWA works closely with and fully supports the AASHTO TIG initiatives and the implementation of the approved TIG technologies. The FHWA Priority, Market-Ready Technologies and Innovations include the following nine approved AASHTO TIG technologies.

Accelerated Construction—This undertaking promotes creative techniques to reduce construction time and enhance quality and safety. It includes techniques and elements along with innovative contracting practices that reduce congestion and enhance quality and safety. Contact: Dan Sanayi, FHWA, Dan.Sanayi@fhwa.dot.gov.

Air Void Analyzer—The Air Void Analyzer can be used to provide real-time evaluation for measuring air content, specific surface, and the spacing factor of fresh portland cement concrete. Contact: John Wiakowski, Kansas DOT, JohnW@ksdot.org.

Fiber Reinforced Polymer—This material can be used to repair cracks in overhead sign supports by wrapping the support with the fiber reinforced material. Contact: Paul Wells, New York State DOT, pwells@gw.dot.state.ny.us.

GPS Surveying—The GPS uses satellites that transmit signals continuously. It has many highway applications, including surveying pavement conditions and inventorying highway assets. Contact: Charlie Brown, North Carolina DOT, CharlieBrown@dot.state.nc.us.

Ground-Penetrating Radar—Vehicle-mounted, ground-pene-trating radar can be used to collect information about underlying highway pavement layers without incurring the time and labor costs and traffic delays associated with traditional methods of drilling for core samples. Contact: Mike Murphy, Texas DOT, mmurphy@dot.state.tx.us.

Highway Rail Warning System—A low cost active warning system that can replace passive crossing warning signs at low volume, highway-railroad at-grade intersections. The system consists of locomotive-installed hardware that communicates with the crossing device to activate the signals; it can upload and download data on nearby crossings and report on system operations or health. The device is mounted on standard crossing poles and is solar/battery powered with wireless communications between the device and the locomotive. Contact: Dave Huft, South Dakota DOT, dave.huft@state.sd.us.

ITS Technologies in Work Zones—The use of ITS technologies in work zones, such as ramp-metering systems, intrusion alarms, and queue-detection information (sensors/cameras), is aimed at increasing safety for workers and road users and ensuring a more efficient traffic flow. These technologies provide ways to better monitor and manage traffic flow through and around work zones, and thus minimize the impact of delays and increase safety. Contact: Doug Rose, Maryland State Highway Administration, Drose@sha.md.us.

Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems—These prefabricated elements and systems may be manufactured on or offsite, under controlled conditions, and brought to the job location ready to install. These systems minimize traffic impacts of bridge construction projects, improve construction-zone safety, make construction less disruptive for the environment, improve the quality of our nation's bridges, and lower life cycle costs. Using these systems also reduces traffic and environmental impacts by minimizing the need for lane closures, detours, and use of narrow lanes. Contact: Mary Lou Ralls, Texas DOT, mralls@dot.state.tx.us.

Thermal Imaging Safety Screening System—The system allows an operator at a weigh station to view the relative temperatures of brake drums through the wheel rims of commer cial vehicles. The infrared image of a correctly operating brake system shows all brake drums to be hot and approximately the same temperature when the vehicle is braking. When a brake is defective, the brake drum appears to be the same temperature as the wheel rim and darker than a properly operating brake. The system was developed using commercial, off-the-shelf components and advanced infrared image acquisition, processing, and storage. Contact: Gary Hoffman, Pennsylvania DOT, ghoffma@dot.state.pa.us.

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