Publication Number: FHWA-SA-96-019
Date: August 1996

Articles in this Issue

Regional Calibration Centers are "Raising the Bar" on Quality of Pavement Management Systems

The falling weight deflectometer (FWD), originally used for pavement research, has become an important tool for State highway agencies' pavement management systems. In Arizona, FWD data are crucial to the majority of pavement design and rehabilitation work. . According to Larry Scofield of the Arizona Department of Transportation (DOT), such accuracy would not be possible without the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) regional calibration centers, which use the reference calibration method developed by SHRP researchers.

Get the Latest Tips and Tools for Winter Maintenance

The snow and ice have long melted, but memories of the record-setting winter storms that struck the East Coast this past January are still fresh in the minds of the highway agencies that grappled with clearing the streets. To learn from their experiences and to prepare for whatever next winter will bring, winter maintenance managers and technicians will gather at two 1-day events next month in the Washington, D.C., area-the Eastern Snowbelt Cities Conference, hosted by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG), and the Eastern Winter Road Maintenance Symposium and Equipment Expo, organized by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

In Brief

Asphalt Technical Working Group met in Washington, D.C., in May. Topics on the agenda included the low-temperature algorithm for Superpave binders, N-design for the Superpave gyratory compactor, Superpave software, and training and technical assistance for users of the Superpave system.

Superpave System Puts More Durable Pavement Within Reach for Minnesota County

When Blue Earth County, Minnesota, set out to try the new Superpave system on its roads, highway engineers didn't know if the system would prove economically feasible or practical to construct. "I was reasonably certain Superpave would perform better than our conventional mix," says Alan Forsberg of the Blue Earth County Highway Department. "But I wanted to determine if Superpave was constructable and what the costs were."

LTPP Regional Coordination Offices Announced

FHWA recently selected, through the competitive procurement process, four engineering firms to serve as the regional coordination offices for the long-term pavement performance (LTPP) studies. The firms were awarded 5-year contracts, which began July 1, 1996.

Superpave 2000 Conference to Highlight Implementation Efforts Across the Country

What's the latest on the Superpave system? Find out at the Superpave 2000 National Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, on August 21-22.

SHRP Implementation Calendar