Publication Number: FHWA-RD-00-061
Date: September 2000

Articles in this Issue

Anti-Icing/RWIS Training Goes Nationwide

"How do you train people to use anti-icing techniques and RWIS [road weather information systems]?," asks Lee Smithson of the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) and coordinator of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Snow and Ice Cooperative Program (SICOP). Until now, each State has tackled this question separately, with some States developing their own training programs and others using materials from product vendors. A new project recently launched by AASHTO, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and a pooled-fund research program known as AURORA, which includes State highway agencies and international partners, will bring these individual strands together into a new nationwide training program for anti-icing/RWIS.

Concrete for the 21st Century

Mark your calendars now for the Seventh International Conference on Concrete Pavements, scheduled for September 9-13, 2001, in Orlando, Florida. The conference will feature new technologies related to the design, construction, and rehabilitation of concrete, with the overall theme being the use of concrete in developing long-lasting pavement solutions for the 21st century.

In Brief

Jack Springer has joined the long-term pavement performance (LTPP) program as a highway research engineer. He will be responsible for overseeing field operations for the four LTPP regions. Springer had previously worked since 1995 in FHWA's Ohio division office as a research technology transfer engineer and urban program engineer.

Smoother Roads Playbook: A Winning Strategy for Concrete Pavements

On the football field, John Madden coached his team to Super Bowl success. In the new video, Smoother Roads Playbook, he introduces viewers to the Kansas Department of Transportation's (DOT) successful strategy for achieving smoother concrete pavements. Since implementing new smoothness specifications for concrete pavements 15 years ago, Kansas has gained national recognition for its innovative techniques and construction practices. The introduction of the pavement smoothness specification "was the single most important impact on concrete paving that I've seen in my career," says Mike Lackey, former State Transportation Engineer for Kansas DOT.

Students Encouraged to Unlock the Data in Third Annual LTPP Contest

University students once again have the opportunity to analyze the wealth of data contained in the long-term pavement performance (LTPP) program database, as the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) kick off the third annual International Contest on LTPP Data Analysis. "Nothing can substitute for the inquisitive young mind when trying to find ways to mind information and solve problems using real data," says Jim Sorenson of FHWA.

Highway Technology Calendar