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Focus

Federal Highway Administration / Publications / Focus / October 2006

Accelerating Infrastructure Innovations

Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-07-007
Date: October 2006

Articles in this Issue

Highway Quality on the Move

With a coast-to-coast commemorative caravan, parades, and events in cities large and small, transportation departments, communities, and citizens of all ages celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Interstate this year. The landmark achievement transformed the Nation and brought unprecedented mobility to our daily life. As we celebrate this milestone in 2006, we also look to the future of our highways. How do we address the challenges of population and vehicle growth, aging roadways, and increased traffic congestion while improving safety? And how do we best meet the mobility needs of 21st century drivers?

A Long-Life Future for Concrete Pavements

Coming soon to a concrete pavement near you: Two-lift concrete construction and the use of a pavement design catalog are just some of the practices recommended for implementation in the United States by a scan team of concrete pavement and materials specialists that visited Canada and Europe in May 2006. The goal of the Long-Life Concrete Pavement Scan was to learn more about design philosophies, materials requirements, construction practices, and maintenance strategies used to construct and manage portland cement concrete pavements with long life expectancies. Sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and the Transportation Research Board's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), the scan team included representatives from State transportation departments, FHWA, NCHRP, academia, and industry associations.

New Training for Underwater Bridge Inspection

Inspection of the underwater portions of the Nation's bridges is the focus of a new 3-day course now available from the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) National Highway Institute (NHI). Using real-life examples, Underwater Bridge Inspection (Course No. FHWA-NHI-130091) offers an overview of diving operations. The course provides bridge inspection training that is now required by the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) for all divers conducting underwater inspections. "Satisfactory completion of this course will fulfill the NBIS requirement for an underwater bridge inspection diver," says Gary Moss of FHWA. Bridge inspection program managers, structural engineers, and non-diving bridge inspectors from the public and private sectors will also benefit from the course.

Transportation Planning and Asset Management

A new brochure available from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Transportation Planning and Asset Management (Publication No. FHWA-IF-06-046), is designed to assist metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), transportation departments, and others in balancing funding realities with mobility needs; public expectations; and community, legislative, and environmental considerations. The brochure outlines how transportation asset management provides a valuable tool to maximize system performance, improve customer satisfaction, and minimize life-cycle costs. It also looks at the role of an MPO in asset management, how to get started in implementing an asset management program, and the benefits of applying asset management during the planning process.

LTPP Products 2006

Since 1987, the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program has collected and analyzed data across North America to better understand how and why pavements perform the way they do. This data analysis has resulted in a range of products and tools to meet today's pavement technology needs. The new LTPP Product List (Publication No. FHWA-HRT-06-119) outlines the many products available in such categories as Maintenance and Rehabilitation, Pavement Management Systems, and New and Reconstructed Pavements.

High Performance Materials Training Now on CD

The latest information on high performance materials (HPM) for bridges is now easy to access with the launch of a new two-CD set by the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Resource Center. Captured on the CD are training sessions on fiber reinforced polymer composites, high performance concrete, high performance steel, corrosion-resistant reinforcing bars, and accelerated bridge construction and prefabricated bridge elements. The Resource Center's Structures Technical Service Team presented the training to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) in February and March 2006.

Highway Technology Calendar

Updated: 06/27/2017
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