FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION 1995 RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Abstract
This is the third annual report highlighting the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA's) 1995 Research & Technology Program. The report highlights the following: "Making the Roads Better", including selective research with high-payoff areas, a "find it and fix it" approach, deployed high-quality, useful products to our customers as well as asked our customers to be our partners, and strove for quality. "Putting It on the Road" - Hot Technologies, including the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program, SuperPave, high-performance concrete, deep soil mixing technology, the Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM); Cool Mechanisms, including the Priority Technology Program, Technology Development Teams, Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) showcases, the National Technology University network, Load and Resistance Factor Design for bridges, as well as videoconferencing, and the Internet. "Fixing What's Broken" - Responding to Disaster, including the Kobe, Japan earthquake, and using railroad flat cars as a temporary bridge for the I-5 after the collapse of the Arroyo Pasajero Bridge, working with the Highway Innovative Technology Center (HITEC); Avoiding Disaster, including non-destructive evaluation, anti-icing technology, older driver research, sleep deprivation study, and red-light-running campaign for States use. "Doing It Together" - Working with industry, including the National Freight Partnership, the private sector on the Automated Highway System (AHS), the National AHS Consortium, national Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) architecture, ITS standards in critical areas, and an environmentally friendly asphalt pavement; Working an Operational Test Evaluation contract, the LTPP program, Partnership for Transportation Investment, and a national Commercial Vehicle Information Systems Network; Working on the International Scene, including the DIVINE international project on truck-pavement interface, the Pan American Institute of Highways (65 centers in 20 countries), traffic safety conference for Latin American and Caribbean countries in Brazil, working with the Republic of South Africa and the Russian National Training Center, the International Fellowship Program, scanning tours for Australian, European, Canadian and Mexican technology, and ITS technologies for the North American Free Trade Agreement. "Getting It Right" - Better Data, including MOBILE Vehicle Emissions Model to study air quality, Highway Safety Information System (HSIS), household surveys, a Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey initiated in 1995, equations to determine design criteria for prestressed concrete beams, video inspection of highway edge drains and field evaluations of low volatile organic compound (VOC) coatings; Better Simulations and Models, including HIGHWAY1, that estimates direct highway construction employment, cost allocations, the Highway Economic Requirements System (HERS), Travel Model Improvement Programs, and improvement of roadside safety hardware; and Better Methods.