Katie Johnson

Beginning this spring, the California Pavement Preservation Center will offer a certification program designed to help state and local agencies improve the design and construction of pavement preservation treatments.

The 2021 Pavement Preservation Academy will consist of four 3-hour modules on a variety of topics such as chip seals, slurry seals, micro surfacing and more. The modules are currently scheduled for the following dates in March (all times are Pacific):

• 1:30 PM – 4:30PM, Tuesday, March 16, 2021.
• 1:30 PM – 4:30PM, Thursday, March 18, 2021.
• 1:30 PM – 4:30PM, Tuesday, March 23, 2021.
• 1:30 PM – 4:30PM, Thursday, March 25, 2021.

At the conclusion of the program students must take an online exam to complete their certification requirements. Registration is limited to 40 participants, and the cost is $200 per person before February 28, 2021. Register.

Image source: FHWA

Since roadside litter comes in all shapes and sizes, removing it from Ohio’s highway drainage system has traditionally been a manual job. Hoping to find more efficient, productive and cost-effective options, researchers evaluated several types of vacuum-based machines that warrant further investigation and identified several practices that can be immediately implemented to improve current collection efforts.

Read the report: Mitigating Storm Drainage System Impacts From Litter and Debris, March 2020.

Image source: Ohio DOT

Reviewing other states’ practices, researchers at Purdue University have identified a list of promising options to improve the identification, construction and performance of patches in composite pavements.

Read the report: Best Practices for Patching Composite Pavements, January 2020.

Image source: Virginia Department of Transportation

The Vermont Agency of Transportation recently evaluated the performance of a high-friction bridge deck overlay system that also functions as a waterproofing membrane. The quick-curing overlay consists of an aggregate chip seal affixed with a synthetic polymer epoxy. Five years after application on a low-volume bridge, annual site visits and structures inspections have shown the bridge and overlay to be in good condition, and the system has provided good skid resistance and waterproofing.

Read the report: Assessment of Poly-Carb Flexogrid Bridge Deck Overlay System, April 2019.

TRB has published a new E-Circular that provides an overview of the current state of the practice for structural monitoring technologies. Chapters address the purpose and value of structural monitoring; when to consider the use of structural monitoring; types of sensor technologies; implementation; transforming data into knowledge; ensuring a financial return from a structural monitoring project; and frequently asked questions.

Read the report: Structural Monitoring, June 2019.

Photo courtesy of Oregon DOT.

In 2014, Washington State DOT began constructing hot chip seals, which use an asphalt binder applied at 275 to 370 F and can be opened to traffic at normal operating speeds as soon as the binder has cooled. WSDOT recently conducted a construction and performance review of 11 hot chip seal projects, finding that most were performing well. The study developed construction recommendations for future projects.

Read the research report: Review of Hot Bituminous Surface Treatments in Washington State, January 2019.