News

The Transportation Research Board’s Standing Committee on Roadside Maintenance Operations (AKR20) will be presenting a webinar on December 1, 2020 to highlight some of the current realities with pollinator habitat on highway transportation rights of way.

Agenda (all times Eastern):

1:00 p.m. – 1:10 p.m. Introduction and Background (Jennifer Hopwood, Xerces Society; and Scott Lucas, Committee Chair, Ohio DOT)
1:10 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Monarch Nationwide Candidate Conservation Agreement on Energy and Transportation Lands – Effects on Highway Maintenance Practice (Kris Gade, Arizona DOT)
1:30 p.m. – 1:50 p.m. Pollinator Site Selection and Preparation Practices (Stephanie Dobbs, Illinois DOT)
1:50 p.m. – 2:10 p.m. Lessons Learned from Public-Private Partnerships and Roadside Enhancement (Jessica Oh, Minnesota DOT)
2:10 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Question and Answer Panel Discussion

This event is hosted by the Washington State DOT Research Office on the GoToWebinar Platform. Register.

Image source: Washington State DOT (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

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.

In a recent study, Minnesota DOT researchers used lab and field tests to evaluate blends of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) and virgin aggregate for use as gravel road surface layers. Maintenance costs for a 50% RAP blend and a 100% virgin aggregate surface were compared as part of an economic analysis, and two field studies analyzed the performance of blends with 15% to 80% RAP content.

Read the research report: Optimal RAP Content for Minnesota Gravel Roads, March 2019.