Katie Johnson

To help Midwestern state departments of transportation (DOTs) understand how and where to share their research results for maximum effect, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) launched Project 20-44(28), which identified several high-impact research projects and innovative strategies to disseminate the research and findings.

The project produced four short videos highlighting recently completed state DOT research with high potential for implementation across the region:

• Michigan DOT – Making Ultra High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) Affordable for All
• Iowa DOT – Extending the Life of Iowa’s Low-Volume State Roads
• Missouri DOT – Applying State-Specific Safety Data to Roadway Designs
• Ohio DOT – Streamlining Ohio’s Sustainable Channel Maintenance Practices

These videos, each running 3 to 5 minutes, feature interviews with investigators and state DOT staff and highlight how the research results will improve DOT operations and improve the transportation system for all users.

Two of these projects will also be featured in upcoming webinars that will allow stakeholders to learn about research findings and technology transfer channels in greater depth.

• Michigan DOT’s UHPC project will be featured on March 27, 2023, from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Eastern.
• Ohio’s sustainable channel maintenance practices project will be featured on March 29, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Eastern.

To attend either of these webinars, please email Chris Kline at chris.kline@ctcandassociates.com for a Zoom link.

Though moving slowly, an active landslide near Branson, Missouri presents an ongoing maintenance challenge to the four-lane highway nearby. To assess the land’s movement and predict future road maintenance needs, the Missouri Department of Transportation initiated a research project to use modern technology to monitor the slope’s movement.

Using unmanned aerial vehicles and LiDAR to measure the terrain’s surface, and several high-tech instruments to better understand conditions below ground, the agency was able to identify patterns in the movement that can be used to develop near- and long-term mitigation solutions.

Read the two-page brief: Landslide Monitoring Methods: Application of Existing Technologies to Long-Term and Real-Time Monitoring of Slope Movements, February 2023

Image source: Missouri Department of Transportation

 

 

When it comes to preserving and extending the life of asphalt pavements, maintenance managers have a variety of surface treatment options to choose from. But as each treatment comes with different benefits and costs, choosing the most cost-effective option can be challenging.

To help inform and simplify the decision-making process for its maintenance managers, the Arizona Department of Transportation developed an analytical framework to identify a range of pavement performance indicators and appropriate short-, medium- and long-term treatment solutions.

Read the two-page brief: Evaluating the Performance of Pavement Surface Treatments on Arizona Highways, December 2022

Image source: Arizona Department of Transportation

Asphalt roads are at risk of cracking and suffering other premature distresses because binders can become less effective with age. Concrete roads are also subject to cracks from shrinkage, fatigue and other issues.

As rejuvenators can help to restore the original properties of both types of pavements, the Illinois Department of Transportation initiated a research project to investigate whether capsules containing rejuvenating chemicals can be added to the pavement mixtures during construction, creating a self-healing process as the pavements crack and the capsules’ contents are released over time from within. The study also examined the possible benefits of embedding specific bacteria in concrete to promote mineral growth.

The research results could be used to help extend pavement life and reduce the need for preservation treatments at the surface.

Read the report: Using Microcapsules and Bacteria for Self-Healing in Rigid and Flexible Pavements, January 2023

Image source: Illinois Department of Transportation

Highway maintenance and field work requires a high level of management to ensure worker safety. Many state departments of transportation (DOTs) use an in-house-developed or vendor-provided safety management system to track and report incident data and identify effective mitigation strategies. To help DOTs across the country understand the various systems and tools in use, the National Highway Cooperative Research Program (NCHRP) published Synthesis 591: Use of Safety Management Systems in Managing Highway Maintenance Worker Safety.

To discuss the publication’s findings, the NCHRP will host a webinar on February 9 from 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Eastern.

View details and register.

Image source: Iowa Department of Transportation