Spring Meeting in Seattle

No Boundaries members and invited guests met in Seattle, Washington, from April 10 to 12 to learn about maintenance management innovations.

New member and guest departments of transportation who participated included California, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi and Texas.

Presentations and round-table discussions addressed:

• Pollinators
• Maintenance asset management
• Silica dust exposure
• Roadway surface treatments
• Maintenance innovations
• Agency program updates

The meeting also featured maintenance-related technical tours:

• State Route 520 floating pontoon bridge
• Alaskan Way (State Route 99) tunnel construction

High-resolution images are available on No Boundaries' Flickr page.

During the No Boundaries business meeting, members tentatively selected the next meeting for October or November 2018, with Texas DOT hosting. A date will be announced after initial meeting details are finalized.

New No Boundaries Website

We invite you to visit No Boundaries at our new home online: maintainroads.org.

The site has a new look and is reorganized to help you easily find maintenance resources and information about the No Boundaries program.

We welcome any feedback about how we can continue to improve our website.

Welcome Colorado DOT

This spring Colorado Department of Transportation became a member of No Boundaries, bringing the total number of member agencies to 19.

Colorado joins No Boundaries members Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington State, and Wisconsin.

As a reminder, as No Boundaries continues with activities in 2018 and beyond, the program remains open to new members.

No Boundaries is Transportation Pooled Fund project #TPF-5(330). State DOT commitments to the project can be made using 100% federal funds. Contact Brian Hirt, CTC & Associates, at 402-770-9067 for more information.

Meetings and Events

Training Opportunities

Upcoming TRB Webinar

• Using Pavement Management to Set and Analyze Targets for Federal Reporting
  TRB will conduct a webinar on July 10 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time that describes a method in which departments of transportation could manage their road networks in order to predict performance measures for the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) and Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Acts. Details.

Recordings of Past TRB Webinars Available

Missed a recent TRB webinar? Recordings of most webinars are available by request from TRB (some organizations may pay a fee), and presentation slides are often posted online after the webinar concludes. Find maintenance-related webinars on TRB's website, and contact TRB's Reggie Gillum to request a recording.

Upcoming American Society of Civil Engineers Seminars and Webinars

ASCE seminars and webinars are available at reduced prices for ASCE members.

• ASCE Webinar: Stormwater BMPs: What Works, What Doesn't and What About Maintenance
  This webinar, to be held June 6 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time, will provide an overview of a wide range of best management practices, covering wet detention basins, first-flush capture, filtration and infiltration methods, and stormwater wetlands. Details.
   
• ASCE Seminar: Flexible Pavement Design and Rehabilitation
  This two-day face-to-face seminar, to be held June 7 and 8 in Scottsdale, Arizona, is designed to take both the experienced everyday pavement designer and the newcomer and introduce them to the simplified world of pavement design using modern computational tools such as WESLEA for Windows and PaveXpress. Details.
   
• ASCE Webinar: Best Practices and Lessons Learned from the Design and Construction of Rigid Pavements
  This webinar, to be held June 13 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time, will present the key features of design, construction, maintenance and rehabilitation to help agencies and other owners ensure that they are getting what they pay for and cost-effectively extend the service life of pavement infrastructure. Details.
   
• ASCE Webinar: Effective Design and Use of Roadway Pavement Markings
  This webinar, to be held June 27 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time, will describe a number of applications where markings can be used effectively in the design of roadways and in the enhancement of existing roadway operations. Details.
   
• ASCE Webinar: Best Practices of Incorporating Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement and Rejuvenation Alternatives
  This webinar, to be held July 25 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time, will discuss the significance of using recycled asphalt binder in new construction, not only to reduce construction cost but also to save natural resources and reduce pavement carbon footprint while ensuring a high-quality pavement. Details.

Asset Management Research

A Remote Sensing and GIS-Enabled Highway Asset Management System, Phase 2
Georgia DOT

Researchers validated the performance of an automatic asphalt pavement crack classification algorithm that uses data collected from commercial remote sensing (GIS/GPS) and spatial information technologies (such as lidar). The results showed that the algorithm could improve the productivity and efficiency of collecting pavement distress information. Report.

Compendium of Best Practices in Road Asset Management
Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program

This compendium presents best practices for the introduction and development of road asset management based on a desk review of the experiences in the 11 member countries of the CAREC Program. It aims to optimize economic benefits by minimizing maintenance and road user costs. Report.

Bridge Repair and Rehabilitation Research

Best Practices for Construction and Repair of Bridge Approaches and Departures
Florida DOT

Researchers investigated root causes of asphalt pavement distresses like alligator cracking and rutting on Florida bridge approaches and departures. Pavement rehabilitation strategies and guidelines developed from these findings will help minimize pavement distresses and improve ride quality and safety. Report.

Longer Lasting Bridge Deck Overlays
Kentucky Transportation Center

An analysis of the most effective methods for bridge deck overlay construction and repair included a review of current practices, new technologies, state standards and other relevant data. The study found that the two most important factors for successful projects are using a comprehensive approach when selecting a bridge deck rehabilitation method and following instructions closely when installing overlays or waterproofing membrane systems. Report.

Eyes in the Sky: Bridge Inspections with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Oregon DOT

Researchers evaluated the performance of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in bridge inspections to determine whether they are cost-effective and useful to transportation agencies. A cost-benefit analysis on the use of UAS in selected bridge and tower inspections showed a cost savings of approximately $10,000 per bridge inspection. Report.

Drainage Systems Maintenance Research

Enhanced Roadside Drainage System for Environmentally Sensitive Areas
Science of the Total Environment, January 2018

Toxic pollutants commonly found in roadway storm water runoff are recognized as a leading cause of water quality impairment in watersheds. This paper presents a design methodology for enhanced roadside drainage systems that can be used to manage runoff in environmentally sensitive areas. Paper.

Gravel Roads Research

A Digital Image Analysis of Gravel Aggregate Using CT Scanning Technique
International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology, March 2018

Particle shape is an important factor that affects the properties of gravel aggregate. In this study, researchers used three-dimensional digital image processing technology to better characterize the shape of aggregates. Paper.

Feasibility of Granular Road and Shoulder Recycling
Iowa DOT

This study examined cost-effective methods of recycling existing degraded granular surface materials by mixing them with fresh aggregates. Researchers conducted laboratory and field tests to develop a method for determining optimum gradations and plasticity of granular surface materials to maximize performance and durability. Report.

Pavement Maintenance Research

Effectiveness of Maintenance Activities on Pavement Conditions
Austroads

Researchers in Australia examined the impact of pavement maintenance and preservation activities (periodic maintenance and rehabilitation) on pavement condition and distress. The study included a comparison and analysis of observed deterioration rates, historically derived rates, and predicted deterioration. Project page.

A Project-Based Sustainability Rating Tool for Pavement Maintenance
Engineering, April 2018

After reviewing nine sustainability rating tools for pavement, researchers developed a new sustainability rating tool for pavement maintenance that can be used to evaluate individual projects and raise public awareness about the importance of pavement maintenance. Article.

Performance Measurement Research

Guidelines for Informing Decisionmaking to Affect Pavement Performance Measures
Federal Highway Administration

Based on a previous study that validated FHWA's proposed pavement performance measures for assessing pavement conditions, researchers developed guidelines for making decisions that affect pavement performance measures. The new guidelines provide strategies transportation agencies can use to improve overall pavement conditions from poor to fair to good. Report.

State Transportation Planning: Linking Quantifiable Performance Measures and Infrastructure Condition Outcomes
Public Works Management and Policy, January 2018

Researchers examined whether state DOTs with quantifiable performance and pavement condition targets have better road repair and maintenance performance outcomes than DOTs without targets. Results suggested that quantifiable performance targets may be a useful tool for decision-making, planning, and resource allocation in pursuit of desired performance outcomes. Abstract.

Roadside and Vegetation Maintenance Research

Passive Roadside Restoration Reduces Management Costs and Fosters Native Habitat
Ecological Restoration, March 2018

This study tracked growth changes of native plants along roadsides after reduced mowing, focusing on whether reducing mowing allows invasive plants to proliferate. Based on evidence that showed reduced mowing did not lead to an increase in invasive plant cover, researchers recommended the implementation of passive roadside restoration when possible to foster habitat heterogeneity and to lower management costs. Abstract.

Survey of Key Monarch Habitat Areas Along Roadways in Central and North Florida
Florida DOT

Milkweed plant population is important in supporting monarch butterfly breeding sites. In recent years, scientists have documented a decrease in the number of pollinators, including monarchs. In this study, researchers examined large sections of Florida roadsides to identify where habitat could be expanded. They also made recommendations to help maximize productivity of milkweed and other plant populations for monarch and pollinator conservation. Report.

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