Publication Number: FHWA-SA-96-015
Date: April 1996

Superpave Technology Delivery Team Formed

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has formed a cross-cutting Superpave Technology Delivery Team (TDT) to serve as the focal point for all Superpave implementation activities.

"The team will coordinate and direct Superpave initiatives in all FHWA offices here in headquarters and will provide support and leadership for field initiatives," said FHWA Executive Director Tony Kane, in announcing the team.

Coordinating the many ongoing and planned Superpave implementation and research projects is a big task, especially in light of the number of FHWA offices and people involved. By pulling together representatives from FHWA's engineering, research, technology transfer, and field offices, the TDT will foster improved communications and coordination among the many offices and staff involved in Superpave implementation.

The core membership of the TDT (see sidebar) brings a wide range of expertise to the team. Gary Henderson of FHWA was selected to lead the team. His role will be to act as a facilitator and coach, helping the team set direction, ensuring that everyone is given full opportunity to participate, and developing a sense of shared ownership and accountability among the team members. With his appointment, Henderson moves from FHWA's Office of Technology Applications, where he was heavily involved in projects to implement Superpave and other products of the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP), to FHWA's Office of Engineering.

"By focusing on what FHWA is doing as an agency, rather than as individual program offices, to implement Superpave, the team will help maximize FHWA's resources," says Henderson.

Henderson emphasizes that although the TDT will serve as the central point for Superpave implementation, it will continue to depend on the technical expertise throughout FHWA. "The TDT will complement the work being done by the technical experts who have been so heavily involved--and will continue to be involved--in Superpave." Broadly, the collection of experts involved in Superpave, as well as the core membership of the TDT, constitute a comprehensive Superpave implementation team.

By providing a focused voice on Superpave and getting the field offices more involved in Superpave implementation, the TDT will also help improve the delivery of timely information to FHWA's customers--namely, the State transportation departments and the highway industry.

The Asphalt Technical Working Group (TWG), composed of representatives from States, industry, and academia, will continue to focus on the technical aspects of the Superpave system and to set direction for the overall Superpave implementation program. The TDT will work closely with the TWG to ensure that the TWG's goals and objectives are translated into workable plans and programs.

"The team will look at the overall picture. One of the team's first tasks will be to develop a strategy for assisting the Asphalt TWG in reaching its goal of nationwide use of the Superpave binder specification by 1997 and the Superpave volumetric mix design system by 2000," says Henderson.

The Superpave TDT is the first of several technology delivery teams expected to be formed within FHWA. By bridging across FHWA offices, the teams will allow FHWA to "better focus our technology delivery, in terms of priority, time, staff, and dollars," says Kane. Each team will focus on delivering a key technology to the field offices and the States by a set date. The teams have five principal objectives:

• Better focus FHWA's technology initiatives, and direct its resources to support those initiatives.
• Develop stronger links between the research, development, implementation, and program management offices to improve the delivery of new technologies and technical expertise.
• Better utilize the breadth of FHWA's technical experts to direct and deliver technology programs.
• Nurture the development of expertise throughout the transportation community in key technical areas.
• Promote greater accountability in FHWA's technology programs.

The TDTs will build on the work of the technical working groups, expert task groups, research and technology coordinating groups, and other existing mechanisms for addressing technology issues. Each team will be charged with

• Developing a comprehensive strategy for meeting its objectives, including technology transfer initiatives, training, development, and demonstrations.
• Acting as champions for the technology initiative and supporting activities to reach and serve highway agencies.
• Carrying out the team's strategy and drawing in the resources necessary for reaching its objectives.
• Monitoring and evaluating the success of the delivery strategy.

For more information on the Superpave TDT, contact Gary Henderson at 202-366-1549 (fax: 202-366-9981).

Superpave Technology Delivery Team

Gary Henderson, Team Leader, Highway Operations Division, Office of Engineering

Ray Bonaquist, Special Projects and Engineering Division, Office of Engineering R&D

Charles Boyd, Colorado Division, Region 8

John D'Angelo, Highway Infrastructure Division, Office of Technology Applications

Jim Sorenson, Pavement Division, Office of Engineering