Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-07-010
Date: January/February 2007

Articles in this Issue

ACTT: Building on Success

"Building on Success" is the theme today of the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Accelerated Construction Technology Transfer (ACTT) program, as the ACTT concept matures and more States adopt the ACTT goals as standard practice. Started by the Transportation Research Board, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and 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. Twenty-nine workshops have been held to date. Most of the projects that have been let have seen a reduction of planned construction time by 30 percent or more. Millions of dollars have also been saved.

FHWA's New Online Benefit-Cost Analysis Tool

When making decisions about highway projects, transportation agencies should consider a range of benefits and costs. Will a project's performance warrant the resources needed to build it? Which project alternative will result in the greatest net benefit and the most return on taxpayer dollars? The Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) new online, browser-based benefit-cost analysis tool, BCA.Net, is designed to provide valuable support to the highway decisionmaking process.

Raising the Bar on Highway Quality

Projects that are raising the bar for highway design, construction, and management were honored at the National Partnership for Highway Quality's (NPHQ) 2006 "Making a Difference" awards, presented in New Orleans, Louisiana, in November 2006. NPHQ brings together State, Federal, and highway industry leaders to encourage the use of quality practices. The awards recognize transportation departments and other organizations that have elevated the standards for roadway performance, safety, and environmental stewardship through innovative techniques and teamwork.

Working Together to Advance Bridge Technology in the United States and Japan

Advancing bridge engineering technology in the United States and Japan brought 60 representatives from both countries to the 22nd U.S.-Japan Bridge Engineering Workshop in Seattle, Washington, in October 2006. "The workshop's major themes this year were geotechnical engineering, structural health monitoring, and advanced seismic technologies, serving as an important technology exchange vehicle between the two countries," says Phillip Yen of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and U.S. chairman for the workshop. The annual event is sponsored by the Transportation Task Committee of the U.S.-Japan Cooperative Research Program in Natural Resources' Panel on Wind and Seismic Effects.

LTPP Data: Access the World's Largest Pavement Performance Database

The latest edition of the world's largest pavement performance database is now available from the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program. LTPP Standard Data Release (SDR) 21 can be obtained as a five-CD set or a single DVD. The SDR is in Microsoft Access® format.

Highway Technology Calendar