This report presents the construction and performance evaluation of a bridge deck overlay constructed with a 3M's polyolefin fibers, non-metallic fiber reinforced concrete (NMFRC). The mixture proportions used, the quality control tests conducted for the evaluation of the fresh and hardened concrete properties, and the procedure used for mixing, transporting, placing, consolidating, finishing, tining and curing of the concrete are described. Periodic inspection of the bridge deck overlay was done and this report includes the results of these inspections. The feasibility of using this NMFRC in the construction of highway structures has been established. The new NMFRC with enhanced fatigue, impact resistance, modulus of rupture, ductility and toughness properties is suitable for the construction of bridge deck overlays and may prolong the life of the deck.
An investigation of the materials certification process of the South Dakota Department of Transportation was conducted. The purpose of the investigation was to evaluate how the certification process worked and identify areas where improvements could be made. A key part of the investigation was to determine both the Department's process, as written, and the field practice by reviewing relevant manuals and specifications, and interviewing department staff, contractors, and suppliers. Discrepancies and redundancies that existed were identified, including the reasons for the discrepancies and redundancies. In addition, a survey was sent to all of the other State Departments of Transportation to determine how they use certificates. The investigation found several that the Department's field practice did not always match the procedures as described in their Materials Manual. Modifications to both the field practices and written processes were recommended to eliminate the discrepancies and redundancies that currently exist. Some of the recommendations included the use of umbrella certifications of systems that, at present require a large number of certificates and visual documentation. Such systems include guard rails, lighting systems, signal systems, chain link fences, buildings, and pavement marking and signing materials.
This report presents the results of the survey of 54 railroad grade crossings in South Dakota. Three basic types of crossings were studied: rubber, asphalt, and timber. The crossings were studied for the effect on roughness of highway and rail traffic, soil conditions, drainage, and age. Construction of five crossings was also observed, in order to evaluate the adequacy of the construction procedures and practices applied in South Dakota. The results of the study indicate that the main factors leading to the deterioration of railroad crossings include: differential settlement between crossings and the approaches, surfacing material breakdown, inadequate maintenance, and poor construction procedures regarding the foundation materials for the crossings. Based on the results of the surveys and inspections, conclusions regarding modes of distress and the adequacy of construction practices were formed. Recommendations were given in regard to measures that should be implemented to improve the performance of railroad crossings in South Dakota. The report stresses the need for semiannual cleaning and inspection of crossings, as well as repair and maintenance of items needing attention.
This is the dataset of the National Center of Sustainable Transportation (NSCT) project titled A Survey of Agencies Mitigating Extreme Heat Exposure Using Advanced and Novel Materials and Improved Pedestrian Infrastructure Design. The abstract of the project is as follows: Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related mortality in the United States, and extreme heat events are projected to continue increase in geographic extent, frequency, and severity in the United States as climate change progresses. Transportation infrastructure is a significant driver of the urban heat island (UHI) effects and of extreme heat events within micro-environments. Efforts to mitigate UHI impacts often focus on reflecting incoming solar radiation (i.e., increasing surface albedo) and providing shade (e.g., planting street trees). However, alterative and novel materials (ANM) for pavements that reduce heat storage, and green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) that promotes evaporative cooling, can provide additional heat mitigation pathways. Sidewalks facilitate non-motorized transportation, and are relatively low-risk, low-cost, and have simple structural requirements compared to other transportation infrastructure. Hence, sidewalks and adjacent planting strips can offer a logical test bed for new materials and designs. With the thermal comfort, safety, and efficiency of users in mind, environmentally responsible designs can also minimize energy embedded in construction materials and help maintain natural ecosystem processes. Although ANMs hold significant promise for heat effect mitigation, they have not yet achieved widespread implementation. This project reviewed the growing literature related to the application of ANMs and GSI to reduce UHI effects and implemented a survey of urban planners and public works engineers to assess the current and planned use of these strategies. The survey also asked respondents to identify barriers to implementing heat mitigation strategies within their pedestrian infrastructure systems. This report summarizes the survey methods, survey results, findings related to selection of mitigation alternatives, and respondent-reported issues associated with implementation (regulatory requirements, design standards, economic feasibility, etc.) for an anticipated reading audience of urban policy makers, planners, and practitioners.
Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related mortality in the United States, and extreme heat events are projected to continue to increase in geographic extent, frequency, and severity in the United States as climate change progresses. Transportation infrastructure is a significant driver of the urban heat island (UHI) effect and exacerbating extreme heat events. Efforts to mitigate UHI impacts often focus on reflecting incoming solar radiation (i.e., increasing surface albedo) and providing shade (e.g., planting street trees). However, advanced and novel materials (ANM) for pavements that reduce heat storage, and green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) that promotes evaporative cooling, can provide additional heat mitigation pathways. Sidewalks facilitate non-motorized transportation, and are relatively low-risk, low-cost, and have simple structural requirements compared to other transportation infrastructure. Hence, sidewalks and adjacent planting strips can offer a logical test bed for new materials and designs. With the thermal comfort, safety, and efficiency of users in mind, environmentally responsible designs can also minimize energy embedded in construction materials and help maintain natural ecosystem processes. Although ANMs hold significant promise for heat mitigation, they have not yet achieved widespread implementation. This project systematically reviewed the growing literature related to the application of ANMs and GSI to reduce UHI effects and implemented a survey of urban planners and public works engineers to assess the current and planned use of these strategies and identify barriers to implementation. This report summarizes the emergent themes from the systematic literature review, survey results and policy recommendations for an anticipated reading audience of urban policy makers, planners, and practitioners.
The 2D Quick Check Statewide Initiative created a process where the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) design projects are value engineered to improve safety, enhance efficiency, and reduce material costs early in the project delivery workflow. CDOT partnered with six consultants to develop 46 2D “Quick Check” (2dQC) models in 2021. Over the 46 2dQCs,$22.4 million in construction cost savings and resiliency benefits was identified. Another 108 design and safety innovations were discovered and documented. The success of the 2dQC initiative initiated a Phase 2 and Phase 3, so by 2024 there is a 2dQC program in place to reduce total project costs and streamline project delivery statewide. Implementation (Optional) The implantation of 2D Quick Checks involves (1) identifying a project-specific need or challenge, (2) collecting background information, (3) building a 2dQC model, and (4) sharing out results and alternatives to guide project decisions. Best practices, resources, and lessons learned were captured through the research initiative to help with these steps and are discussed in the body of the report. Through the initiative, a training curriculum was also developed to train internal and external partners on the 2dQC process and give others the knowledge and resources to implement 2dQCs statewide. The training course will continue to be offered through the next phases to ensure the success of this program continues and evolves over time.
Rural highway slopes are characterized by poor resistance to natural disasters and low insurance coverage, which poses a significant challenge for insurance companies. This paper aims to construct an insurance-oriented rural highway slope maintenance decision-making framework to optimize the slope maintenance strategy and effectively reduce the insurance company’s claim costs. Based on the expectation theory, a set of flexible calculation methods for slope maintenance cost and post-disaster reconstruction cost is proposed. Combined with the probability of slope disaster occurrence, the corresponding maintenance decision-making scheme is formulated. Through the analysis of practical engineering cases in China, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified. The results show that, after calculating the maintenance strategy of 184 slopes, it is found that nine of the slopes are maintained before the typhoon disaster, and it is expected that claims costs can be saved of up to 44.5 million Chinese yuan. This study not only provides a new way to improve the income of insurance companies, but also provides theoretical support and practical guidance for disaster risk management of rural highway slopes.
This document contains summary descriptions of results of selected, recently completed research investigations funded by the Federal Highway Administration's Exploratory Advanced Research Program. The research covers: (1) connected highway and vehicle system concepts; (2) breakthrough concepts in materials science; (3) human behavior and travel choices; (4) technology for assessing performance; and (5) new technology and advanced policies for energy and resource conservation. For each research project data includes project name, institution(s), objective, results, impact, and resource(s).
Industry guidance on the planning, operation, and design of airfield vehicle service roads (VSRs) is limited and dispersed across multiple documents. For that reason, VSR systems vary across the industry and are usually influenced by an airport’s unique operational demands, vehicle types, airfield and facility configurations, and other airport-specific characteristics. The objective of this synthesis is to describe planning, design, and operations for airfield VSR systems, including operations on apron, non-movement, and movement areas. The synthesis considers VSR issues such as maintaining the road, driver’s training, safety concerns, and operational challenges of VSR layouts. Information used in this study was attained through a literature review and interviews with 10 airport operators representing 22 airports of varying airfield sizes, activity levels, and geographic locations.
Expedited bonded concrete overlays offer an economical alternative to rehabilitating concrete pavements. The construction of a bonded concrete overlay in El Paso has provided the opportunity to research pavement design, mix design, construction methods, and specification development for use in future overlay construction. This report documents the valuable information collected during the construction of the bonded concrete overlay on IH-10 in El Paso. Although this project did not proceed as an expedited overlay, it was planned and researched as such. Unfortunately, a combination of factors led to delamination in some areas of the overlay. This report identifies the causes of these delaminations that occurred during this construction and makes recommendations for future overlay construction. Project selection, design, construction, and quality control are addressed in an included guide for expedited bonded concrete overlays. Also addressed is the scheduling of the construction in such a way as to avoid marginal or severe environmental conditions. The methods presented in this report may be used to construct bonded concrete overlays that can be opened to traffic 12 to 24 hours after concrete placement.
