Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-06-019
Date: October 2005

Articles in this Issue

ACTT Now

Join the accelerated construction bandwagon. Over the past 2 years, more than half of States have realized the benefits of accelerated highway construction by participating in the Accelerated Construction Technology Transfer (ACTT) program. Started by the Transportation Research Board, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), ACTT brings State highway agency staff together with national experts in a range of skill sets for a 3-day workshop. At the workshop, participants identify innovative approaches to reducing time, costs, and congestion for a planned highway project while improving safety, quality, and roadway performance.

Showcasing the DC Tunnel Management System

Representatives from State and local transportation departments, transit and highway tunnel owners, tunnel authorities, consulting firms, academia, and others got an up close look at the first tunnel management system (TMS) designed for nationwide use at a showcase held September 20, 2005, in Washington, DC. The showcase highlighted the District of Columbia's implementation of the TMS over the last 2 years as part of an FHWA pilot project (see May 2005 Focus). "We hope that other tunnel owners will benefit from the District's experiences," said Gary Henderson, then Division Administrator for FHWA's DC Division office.

Showcase Demonstrates New Generation of Pavement Compactors

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), Carolina Asphalt Pavement Association, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently partnered on an Innovative Technology Showcase to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new generation of pavement compactors. This new generation includes such technology as a vibratory, rubber-tired roller; an oscillatory/vibratory steel-wheeled roller featuring horizontal shear compaction; and rollers with "intelligent compaction." The showcase evaluated the effectiveness of each of these new compaction systems as a solution for density control.

FHWA Sponsors Summit on Unknown Bridge Foundations

State-of-the-art technologies for characterizing unknown bridge foundations, as well as strategies for managing these foundations and the associated risk, will be featured at the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Unknown Foundations Summit, to be held November 15-16, 2005, in Lakewood, Colorado. According to FHWA's National Bridge Inventory, more than 80,000 bridges nationwide have unknown foundations.

Honoring Excellence in Highway Utilities

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is now accepting nominations for its biennial Excellence in Utilities Awards Program, which honors those that excel in improving the utility relocation and accommodation process while protecting the rights of property owners and other stakeholders. Awards will be given in the categories of Innovation, Leadership, Relocation, and Subsurface Utility Engineering.

Air Void Analyzer Offers More Accurate Concrete Testing

The National Partnership for Highway Quality's (NPHQ) 2005 Quality Conference, originally planned for New Orleans, Louisiana, will be held December 13-14, 2005, in Orlando, Florida. NPHQ brings together State, Federal, and highway industry leaders to encourage the use of quality practices that will improve safety and service for highway users. Featuring the theme, "Grounded in Quality: Ground Breaking Practices, Ground Gaining Programs," the conference's agenda will include presentations of case histories from highway agencies, leaders, and programs that are raising the bar on project delivery and performance.

Highway Technology Calendar