Publication Number: FHWA-RD-01-066
Date: August 2001

Articles in this Issue

FHWA Course Offers New Look at Pavement Preservation

A 2-day course entitled, Pavement Preservation: The Preventive Maintenance Concept (Course No. 131054), is now available by request from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), through the National Highway Institute (NHI). The course serves as an introduction to preventative maintenance programs and highlights the importance of these programs to successful pavement preservation.

National Pavement Preservation Forum II: Protecting Our Investment

This follow-on conference to the 1998 Forum for the Future will again bring together champions and practitioners in the pavement preservation arena.

In and Out in 72 Hours

Seventy-two hours and time to spare. Faced with three intersections on U.S. 395 in Kennewick, Washington, that needed to be completely reconstructed last fall, the Washington State Department of Transportation (DOT) took the unconventional route and shut each intersection down completely for one weekend to perform the necessary repair work with full depth concrete. The roads were closed at 7:00 p.m. on a Thursday and were required to be reopened by 6:00 a.m. on Monday. In each case, the contractor, Inland Asphalt, completed the work ahead of schedule and the roads were back in service by Sunday evening

In Brief

Now available are printed copies of four manuals of practice on pavement repair materials and procedures, originally published as a two-volume set by the Strategic Highway Research Program and recently updated by the long-term pavement performance (LTPP) program. Each of the following manuals includes a discussion of the most appropriate time to apply a particular treatment, what types of materials and construction methods should be used, and how to evaluate the performance and cost-effectiveness of a repair procedure.

New Standard Adopted for Recycled Glass in Pavements

The use of recycled materials in pavements has received a boost with the adoption of a new national specification for recycling glass in soil aggregate base courses. The specification, entitled "Glass Cullet Use for Soil Aggregate Base Course," was adopted by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in December 2000 and will be published in the next edition of AASHTO's Standard Specifications for Transportation Materials of Sampling and Testing.

Rhode Island Keeps Bridge Data at Its Fingertips

With the touch of a button, bridge inspectors at the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (DOT) can instantly call up reports on 341 separate bridge inspection items, thanks to a custom-designed database. For Rhode Island, the database has turned what was often a cumbersome inspection reporting process into a fast and streamlined system, making it easier for the State to evaluate its structures and prepare the annual Structural Inventory and Appraisal reports required by the Federal Highway Administration.

Highway Technology Calendar