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Transportation Maintenance Innovation

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Maintenance Sessions and Papers for 2021 TRB Meeting

No Boundaries has prepared a listing of technical sessions and papers related to maintenance for the virtual 2021 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting. The compendium includes each presentation’s title, authors, identification number, and a link to find the work on TRB’s Online Program portal. Note: TRB requires a login to access full papers. If you are having trouble accessing the papers, check with your DOT or other transportation library.

Download the compendium: 2021 TRB Annual Meeting: Technical Sessions and Papers Related to Maintenance.

Spring Certification Program Aims to Improve Pavement Preservation Treatments

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

Ohio Evaluates Options for Reducing and Removing Roadside Litter and Debris

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

Indiana Compiles Best Practices for Patching Composite Pavements

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.

Different approaches detailed in the report include logistical processes, alternative repair materials, and evaluation and testing protocols.

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

Image source: Virginia Department of Transportation

FHWA Webinar on Full Depth Reclamation

The Federal Highway Administration will host a virtual seminar from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Eastern on December 17, 2020, to discuss full depth reclamation (FDR).

Webinar topics will range from project selection to construction to quality control. Presenters will also address FDR best practices and tricks of the trade.

Register with your @dot.gov e-mail address or external collaboration account. If you do not have an account, you will be asked to request one to complete registration and attend the event.

Image source: FHWA

Iowa Frames Tool for Making Bridge Deck Maintenance Decisions

Earlier this year, researchers completed the first phase of an effort to help refine Iowa DOT’s current bridge management decision-making program. Focusing on bridge decks, the proposed framework provides a ranked list of alternative maintenance strategies for individual bridges, approximating cost, service life, and risk as part of the evaluation. Next steps would be to fully develop the framework into a web- or PC-based tool.

Read the report: Bridge Deck Preservation Portal – Phase 1, February 2020.

Image source: Matt Turner (CC BY 2.0)