Katie Johnson

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) offers a noninvasive method for inspecting and detecting deterioration in concrete bridge decks.

To make the process faster and more efficient, Tennessee DOT developed new data collection and processing tools that increase automation. These resources use GPR scans to generate color-coded maps, allowing inspectors to visualize areas in need of further investigation.

Read the report: Concrete Bridge Deck Deterioration Assessment Using Ground Penetrating Radar, May 2021

Image source: Tennessee DOT

Planting prairie strips, or native perennials, along a field’s borders is an age-old strategy used by farmers to naturally reduce erosion. When planted along roadways, prairie strips may provide similar environmental benefits by increasing the stability of the soil, reducing runoff and pollution, and establishing habitats for pollinators.

A new three-part webinar series will explore what it takes to establish and maintain prairie strips to maximize their potential, including how to properly prepare a site, seed prairie strips and manage the plants over time.

The entire series is free to attend, with sessions on different aspects of prairie strips to be held on February 8, 15 and 22 from 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. Central. The webinar is presented by Sand County Foundation, a nonprofit private land conservation organization.

Learn more and register.

Image source: Sand County Foundation

Each year in the United States, thousands of vehicle crashes are caused by roadway debris.

To better understand the causes and potential solutions of this pervasive problem, Utah DOT conducted an assessment of the current litter-mitigation strategies across the state. In addition to identifying the major contributors of highway litter, the effort produced a list of recommendations to track, enhance and enforce Utah’s existing litter-reduction tactics.

Read the report: Highway Litter Mitigation: Executive Report, September 2021

Image source: Utah DOT

The January/February 2022 issue of Innovator, the Federal Highway Administration’s bimonthly newsletter, features the success stories of several No Boundaries member states.

Michigan’s State Transportation Innovation Council (STIC) was one of two to recently win a 2021 STIC Excellence Award for its “strong leadership, involvement by diverse groups, innovation in performance tracking, and promotion of innovation implementation.” Among Michigan’s many exciting initiatives is the MDOT Innovations dashboard. This public-facing tool shares details about new materials, methods and technologies being explored within the agency and features an interactive map showing where the innovations have been deployed across the state.

In addition, Texas, California and Colorado were each recognized for their highway construction workforce partnerships. These joint collaborations, which can include stakeholders from state and local agencies and private industries, aim to tackle the workforce shortage in new and innovative ways.

Sign up to get the next issue of Innovator delivered to your inbox.

Image source: FHWA

Recognizing pavement conditions and making real-time adjustments to seal coat shot rates helps transportation agencies get the most out of their preservation treatments.

To aid engineers in the field, Texas DOT developed an automated process that uses lidar data to assess changing pavement conditions and make informed and cost-effective decisions regarding application rates.

Read the report: Seal Coat Binder Rate Adjustments Using LiDAR Data, June 2021.

Image source: Arizona DOT

A recently enacted federal rule requires all organizations that provide entry-level commercial driver’s license (CDL) training to meet certain requirements by February 7, 2022.

To help transportation agencies comply, the Clear Roads pooled fund has developed free, downloadable CDL training materials for both instructor-led classroom and behind-the-wheel training.

Learn more and request the training materials from Clear Roads.

Image source: Nevada DOT