Transportation Intelligence

Volume 4 Number 6

December 2006

Environment

Structures

Administration

Safety

Concrete

Pavements

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Structures
Field performance of concrete repair systems on highway bridge
Six proprietary concrete repair systems were evaluated for their performance and durability under field conditions. The fieldwork consisted of repairing corrosion-damaged reinforced concrete barrier walls of a highway bridge, and installing embedded instrumentation for their continuous monitoring over three years. The results indicated that the proprietary repair systems reduced the one risk of corrosion in the patches; however, the risk of corrosion in the existing concrete was not reduced. All concrete repair systems suffered from shrinkage cracking. (ACI Materials Journal, September-October 2006, pp. 366-373.)

Pavements
Preventative Maintenance Treatments of Flexible Pavements: A Synthesis of Highway Practice
An extensive literature review was conducted to synthesize past and ongoing research related to highway pavement maintenance and preservation techniques. The literature review was augmented with a web-based email survey that was distributed to all 50 U.S. states, Washington D.C. and 11 Canadian provinces, for a total of 62 recipients. The literature review and survey results provide interesting qualitative overviews of the state-of-the-practice of preventative maintenance treatments, and how these treatments are instigated, managed, and accessed by transportation department personnel throughout North America. This report focuses on studies that quantified the performance of various preventive maintenance treatments, including the effect these treatments have on pavement performance. (Montana Department of Transportation Report FHWA/MT-06-009/8117-26, October 2006, 103 p.)

Environment
Animal Vehicle Crash Mitigation Using Advanced Technology Phase I: Review, Design and Implementation
Animal-vehicle collisions affect human safety, property and wildlife. The number of these types of collisions has increased substantially over the last decades. This report describes the results of a project that explored the prospects for a relatively new mitigation measure to reduce animal-vehicle collisions: animal detection systems. This report documents Phase I of the project (October 1999 - December 2005). The report identifies existing animal detection system technologies and their vendors; describes the selection of two experimental detection systems and their installation at two field sites.(National Research Council of Canada paper NRCC-45610, January 2006, 16 p.)

Safety
Durability and sustainability of infrastructure — a state-of-the-art report
This paper discusses the basic concepts involved in infrastructure, durability, and sustainability. At present, infrastructure facilities are designed and constructed on the basis of direct costs only, without explicit consideration of maintenance and depreciation over its service life as in other industries. Proper design, operation, and management of infrastructure must deal with every facet of its service life, ranging from conception, feasibility studies, design, construction, operation, maintenance, repair and rehabilitation, and finally decommissioning and disposal of the system after it has outlived its useful life. (Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, June 2006, pp. 639-649.)

Environment

Planning and Environmental Linkages web site
Planning and Environment Linkages represent an approach to transportation decision-making that considers environmental, community, and economic goals early in the planning stage and carries them through project development, design, and construction. This can lead to a seamless decision-making process that minimizes duplication of effort, promotes environmental stewardship, and reduces delays in project implementation. This web site offers information developed and compiled by the FHWA and its partners to assist in strengthening planning and environment linkages. (US Federal Highway Administration web site.)

Tyre/Road Noise: Assessment of the Existing and Proposed Tyre Noise Limits
TRL has been commissioned by the Cleaner Fuels and Vehicles Division, Environmental Standards Branch of the Department for Transport (DfT) to carry out a programme of research to evaluate the effects that lowering the tyre noise limit values would have on actual levels of traffic noise. In particular, TRL have been asked to investigate how reducing tyre noise will affect wet grip adhesion, rolling resistance and hence fuel economy. In order to assess the economic effects of lowering the tyre noise limits, the work also includes a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA). This itemises the main costs and benefits associated with the proposed changes. It is intended that the results of this work will be used to inform and support the development of UK policy on tyre noise type approval and tyre noise limits. (UK Transport Research Laboratory Published Project Report 077, May 2006, 97p.)

Control of Dust Is a Major Must
This article presents some of the economic, health, and regulatory reasons for controlling dust on unpaved roads, and briefly describes some of the tools available to do so. (Better Roads, August 2006, pp. 20-29.)

Association between Landscape Features and Transportation Corridors on Movements and Habitat-Use Patterns of Wolverines
Wolverines are a rare carnivore that live at low densities and have large spatial requirements; characteristics that leave them vulnerable to both direct and indirect effects of highways. Maintaining connectivity between sub-populations is necessary to allow dispersal for gene flow and recolonization of vacant habitats. We captured and monitored 14 wolverines between 2002 and 2005 to determine spatial requirements in relation to major roads in our study area in southwestern Montana, as well as to collect general ecological data. We performed 30 backtracks of wolverines to investigate their movements in relation to habitat and topography, and identified locations where wolverines interacted with roads. (Montana Department of Transportation Report FHWA/MT-06-005/8171, June 2006, 63 p.)

Using Archived AVL-APC Data to Improve Transit Performance and Management
This report explores the effective collection and use of archived automatic vehicle location (AVL) and automatic passenger counter (APC) data to improve the performance and management of transit systems. Spreadsheet files are available on the web that provide prototype analyses of long and short passenger waiting time using AVL data and passenger crowding using APC data. (TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 113, 2006, 94 p.)

Development of a Roadway Weather Severity Index
The purpose of this study is to research and develop a weather severity index that would be appropriate for roadways. The desired attributes of the index are as follows: the index would directly correlate with winter maintenance costs; the index would correlate with the relative hazards of driving conditions experienced by motorists, including snow, blowing snow, ice, frost, rain, fog and wind; the index would use data that is already available, such as through the National Weather Service (NWS) or RWIS stations; the index would be easy to use and interpret. (Montana State University Western Transportation Institute Report, August 2005, 76 p.)

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Structures

Use of wet cellulose to cure shotcrete repairs on bridge soffits. Part 1: Field trial and observations
This paper presents the results obtained from a research project that focused on investigating the feasibility of using cellulose fibers to cure bridge soffit repairs. The use of cellulose as a curing method involves spraying wet cellulose on the freshly applied shotcrete. By adhering to the shotcrete, the wet cellulose maintains the relative humidity within the shotcrete above the level required to sustain hydration of the cementing materials. (Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, July 2006, pp. 807-814.)

Field Inspection of In-Service FRP Bridge Decks
This report provides guidance for the in-service inspection of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bridge decks. Part one of the report contains recommended field procedures, evaluation guidelines, and reporting standards for periodic inspection of in-service FRP bridge decks. The second part of the report includes documentation of the research effort that led to development of part one of the report. (TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 564, 2006, 175 p. + apps.)

Laboratory and Field Study of Composite Piles for Bridge Substructures (16.4 MB)
The most commonly used pile materials are steel, concrete, and wood. These materials can degrade, and the degradation rate can be relatively rapid in harsh marine environments. It has been estimated that the U. S, spends over $1 billion annually for repair and replacement of waterfront piling systems. This high cost has spurred interest in alternative composite pile materials such as fibre-reinforced polymers (FRPs), recycled plastics, and hybrid materials. Because only minimal performance data have been collected for composite piles, a research project was undertaken to investigate (1) soil-pile interface behavior of composite piles, (2) the long-term durability of concrete-filled FRP shell composite piles, (3) the driveability and axial and lateral load response of concrete-filled FRP composite piles and steel-reinforced recycled plastic piles by means of field tests and analyses. In addition, a long-term monitoring program was implemented at a bridge over the Hampton River in Virginia. (US Federal Highway Administration Report FHWA-HRT-04-043, March 2006, 384 p.)

Evaluation of Concrete Deck and Crack Sealers
The primary objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness and relative performance of commercially available concrete bridge deck and crack sealants. A total of thirteen deck sealants and ten crack sealants were selected for study under laboratory conditions that simulated the exposure to deicing salts and freeze-thaw cycles encountered in practice. (Wisconsin Department of Transportation Report WHRP 06-09, December 2005, 164 p.)

Evaluating Concrete Bridge Deck Performance
Since the service life of concrete bridge decks designed by traditional procedures is often shorter than desired, their ability to withstand constant and heavy use in a variety of operating environments is of major concern. In this project, the relative performance of three bridge decks constructed with different concretes and reinforcing steel configurations was studied to help determine which deck offers the best performance over time. (Montana Department of Transportation Report FHWA/MT-06-006/8156-002, July 2006, 305 p.)

Evaluation of the Performance of Concretes Containing Fly Ash and Ground Slag in Bridge Decks
Cores from 36 bridge decks were evaluated to assess the condition and quality of the concrete by petrographic methods and direct and indirect measures of the transport properties. Transport properties were measured by a rate of absorption test (ASTM C 1585) and by electrical conductance using the rapid chloride permeability apparatus (ASTM C 1202). The decks were distributed across Virginia to reflect the varied geographic and climatic regions. (Virginia Transportation Research Council Report VTRC 07-R7, September 2006, 23 p.)

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Administration

Best-Value Procurement Methods for Highway Construction Projects
This document examines procurement methods, award algorithms, and rating systems for use in awarding best-value highway construction contracts. The report also explores screening criteria for selecting projects for application of best-value procurement, implementation strategies, and a model best-value specification. (TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 561, 2006, 213 p.)

Life Cycle Costing
The research project was initiated by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to develop guidelines for determining the long-term costs of adding additional capacity and other related transportation improvements to the state highway and bridge system. Future costs, including ongoing maintenance, rehabilitation, and replacement costs have not been traditionally considered when a project is advanced. At the planning level this project allows for CDOT to estimate the future cost of adding capacity to the transportation system and to assess the impacts that transportation related projects will have on future year budgets. (Colorado Department of Transportation Report CDOT-DTD-R-2006-3, February 2006, 31 p.)

Guidebook for Evaluating, Selecting, and Implementing Suburban Transit Services
This report examines the current status of suburban transit services and land-use environments and the relationship between the two. Types of suburban transit services include commuter, route deviation, demand response, circulators, shuttles, and vanpools. Also, the guidebook describes the emerging trends that significantly influence the availability and operation of suburban transit services. TCRP Web-Only Document 34 (http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_webdoc_34.pdf) includes eight case studies that describe the types of suburban transit services offered; the types of operational issues; the funding arrangements; the marketing program; the performance-measurement program; and the successes, challenges, and lessons learned from introducing suburban transit services. The companion report also includes quantitative and qualitative decision matrixes. (TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Web-Only Document: 34, 2006, 250 p.)

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Safety

Speed Management: enforcement and new technologies
Management of speeds of drivers of motorized vehicles has a high safety potential. Until now this has been done mostly by road design, setting speed limits, and enforcing these limits. Speed enforcement is reported to be effective (5-35% reduction in casualties) and cost-beneficial. Use of modern technologies, such as safety cameras, laser guns, section control, etc., have made speed enforcement more effective and efficient. This paper reviews the scientific evidence about the effects of modern speed enforcement methods and discusses some new technologies for speed management and their potential impact on crashes. Most parts of this paper were presented at the Xth PRI World Congress, 27-29 March 2006 in Abu Dabi, United Arab Emirates. (SWOV Institute for Road Safety Report R-2006-5, 2006, 31 p.)

Median Barrier Guidelines for Texas
Under this project, new guidelines were developed to assist highway engineers with the evaluation of median barrier need such that the highest practical level of median safety can be achieved. The recommended guidelines are based on analysis of median-related crashes in Texas. The crash data were used to develop crash statistical models for the various types of median-related crashes. Based on the estimates derived from the frequency and severity models and crash costs used by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), an economic analysis of median barrier need was performed. Guidelines for installing median barriers on divided, access-controlled freeways were developed as a function of average annual daily traffic (AADT) and median width. Guidance based on mean cross-median crash rate was also developed to assist engineers with evaluation o f median barrier need on existing highway facilities. (Texas Transportation Institute Report FHWA/TX-06/0-4254-1, August 2006, 106 p.)

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Concrete

Job Site Evaluation of Corrosion-Resistant Alloys for Use as Reinforcement in Concrete
Economic considerations have historically precluded consideration and widespread use of high-performance (corrosion-resistant) reinforcements such as stainless steels in bridge construction. However, with the advent of life-cycle cost analysis as a project planning tool and of a requirement that major bridge structures have a 75–100 year design life, the competitiveness of such steels has increased such that enhanced attention has now focused in recent years upon these materials. The project objective was to evaluate and provide a historical record of approved State bridge construction projects throughout the United States that employed corrosion-resistant reinforcement. The study involved site visits, documentation of attributes and any problems associated with the various reinforcement types, and acquisition and testing of reinforcement samples. (US Federal Highway Administration Report FHWA-HRT-06-078, June 2006, 88 p.)

Interim Recommendations for the Use of Lithium to Mitigate or Prevent Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR)
This report provides a basic overview of alkali-silica reactions (ASR), including information on mechanisms, symptoms of ASR damage in field structures, mitigation approaches, test methods, and specifications. A comprehensive summary of lithium compounds is provided, including information on their production, availability, and use in laboratory concrete studies and field applications (including a range of case studies). Guidelines for using lithium compounds as an admixture in new concrete and for treating existing structures suffering from ASR-induced damage are presented, including information on how to assess the efficacy of lithium compounds in laboratory tests. (US Federal Highway Administration Report FHWA-HRT-06-073, July 2006, 94 p.)(This item can be requested from the TIS.)

Identifying Incompatible Combinations of Concrete Materials: Volume I - Final Report; Volume II - Test Protocol
Unexpected interactions between otherwise acceptable ingredients in portland cement concrete are becoming increasingly common as cementitious systems become more and more complex and demands on the system are more rigorous. Such incompatibilities are exhibited as early stiffening or excessive retardation, potential for uncontrolled early-age cracking, and unstable or unacceptable air void systems. A number of test methods have been reviewed to assess their usefulness in detecting incompatibility early to help prevent problems with pavements in the field. The protocol was developed to allow product manufacturers, concrete producers, contractors, and owners to monitor their materials and concrete systems. (US Federal Highway Administration report FHWA-HRT-06-079 and FHWA-HRT-06-080, August 2006, 159 p; 83 p.)(This item can be requested from the TIS.)

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Pavements

2006 Canadian Asphalt Mix Exchange Program
Fifty two Canadian engineering organizations participated in the 2006 CANADIAN ASPHALT MIX EXCHANGE PROGRAM. The exchange provides an opportunity for participants to compare their test results to those of other laboratories. It provides a mechanism for review and refinement of existing test methods and equipment. The exchange evaluates the volumetric and mechanical properties of an asphalt aggregate mixture using Marshall mix design procedures, the gyratory compactor, and the ignition oven. This report documents the test results for the year 2006. (Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation Report, May 2006, 74 p.)

Aggregate Tests for Hot-Mix Asphalt Mixtures Used in Pavements
This report examines performance-based procedures to test aggregates for use in pavements utilizing hot-mix asphalt (HMA) mixtures and provides guidance on using these procedures for evaluating and selecting aggregates for use in specific mixture applications. (Transportation Research Board TCRP Report 557, 2006, 48 p.)

Precast Concrete Paving Panels: The Colorado Department of Transportation Region 4 Experience, 2000 to 2006
Beginning with a pilot project in December 2000, the Colorado Department of Transportation, Region 4 (northeast corner of Colorado), pursued the use of precast concrete panels as a means to speed repair of concrete pavements. The outcome of the repair techniques occurring within 8 to 9 hours has provided a means to minimize traffic disruption at peak traffic hours. A description of construction concerns and techniques is included. While a high success rate has occurred with thicker panel depths (8 inches and above), shallower panel depths ( 7 inches and below) have had a higher failure rate than was expected. Panels have been installed in high traffic areas principally I-25 north of Denver. Additional sites with fewer panels have been on US Hwy 287 north of Fort Collins and US Hwy 85 near Greeley. (Colorado Department of Transportation Research Report CDOT-DTD-R-2006-8, August 2006, 37 p.)

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