Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-09-015
Date: July 2009

Articles in this Issue

Traffic Analysis Toolbox Offers New Guides to Work Zone Modeling and Simulation

Two new volumes in the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Traffic Analysis Toolbox series offer transportation departments guidance in using a range of analytical tools for work zone planning and management. "Successfully deployed, these tools can be invaluable assets in understanding and minimizing road user delays and keeping key stakeholders informed," says Tracy Scriba of FHWA. "While the use of analytical tools as part of work zone impacts analysis may not be necessary for every project, these guides will help agencies understand the available analytical approaches and tools and determine how and when they might be best applied to support work zone analysis and decisionmaking."

A Quick Check of Your Highway Network

Has your highway network had a checkup lately? Are your resources being allocated strategically to achieve the best value? Will current and planned reconstruction, rehabilitation, and preservation work produce a net improvement in the condition of your network?

First International Conference on Transportation Construction Management: New Solutions in Successful Project Delivery

At the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) Technical Forum, held April 21, 2009, in St. Louis, Missouri, more than 60 attendees learned more about the fundamentals of LCCA, discussed their own experiences in applying LCCA principles using the FHWA RealCost software, and were introduced to the latest version of the software. Also participating through a Web link were an additional 25 online attendees. "The forum was a great opportunity for State presenters to display examples of the LCCA they performed when using the FHWA RealCost software. It also provided attendees an opportunity to discuss any issues or questions they might have regarding using LCCA or the RealCost software," says Tashia Clemons of FHWA's Office of Asset Management.

FHWA Launches Online ASR Reference Center

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) launched a new online Alkali-Silica Reactivity (ASR) Reference Center this spring, providing users with one-stop access to ASR-related information. Located at www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/concrete/asr/reference.cfm, the site features an overview of ASR, as well as research reports, specifications, guidance documents, case studies, and links to other useful Web sites.

FHWA's ACTT Toolkit: Bringing the Power of Accelerated Construction Straight to You

Now available online and on CD is the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) ACTT Workshop Toolkit (Pub. No. FHWA-HIF-08-011), which is designed to assist State highway agencies in hosting Accelerated Construction Technology Transfer (ACTT) workshops. The toolkit provides agencies with a useful overview of the ACTT process, as well as sample workshop agendas and materials, case studies of previous ACTT workshops, and sample workshop proposal forms to submit to FHWA.

Gusset Plate Guidance for Truss Bridges Available from FHWA

A new Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) publication, Load Rating Guidance and Examples for Bolted and Riveted Gusset Plates in Truss Bridges (Pub. No. FHWA-IF-09-014), provides guidelines to State transportation departments in meeting the requirements of FHWA Technical Advisory T 5140.29, "Load-Carrying Capacity Considerations of Gusset Plates in Non-Load-Path Redundant Steel Truss Bridges." The guidance includes sections on gusset plate resistance in accordance with both the load and resistance factor rating (LRFR) method and the load factor  rating (LFR) method. Also included are gusset plate load rating examples for LRFR and LFR. The methodology of the guidance is based on existing knowledge as well as best practices and judgments.

Highway Technology Calendar