November/December 2006 · Vol. 70 · No. 3

November/December 2006

Communication Product Updates
Compiled by Zac Ellis of FHWA's Office of Research and Technology Services

Below are brief descriptions of products recently published online by the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Office of Research, Development, and Technology. Some of the publications also may be available from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). In some cases, limited copies are available from the Research and Technology (R&T) Product Distribution Center.

When ordering from NTIS, include the NTIS publication number (PB number) and the publication title. You also may visit the NTIS Web site at www.ntis.gov to order publications online. Call NTIS for current prices. For customers outside the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the cost is usually double the listed price. Address requests to:

National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: 703-605-6000
Toll-free number: 800-553-NTIS (6847)

Address requests for items available from the R&T Product Distribution Center to:

R&T Product Distribution Center, HRTS-03
Federal Highway Administration
9701 Philadelphia Court, Unit Q
Lanham, MD 20706
Telephone: 301-577-0818
Fax: 301-577-1421

For more information on research and technology publications from FHWA, visit the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center's (TFHRC) Web site at www.tfhrc.gov, FHWA's Web site at www.fhwa.dot.gov, the National Transportation Library's Web site at http://ntl.bts.gov, or the OneDOT information network at http://dotlibrary.dot.gov.

Federal Highway Administration University Course on Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation (TechBrief) Publication
No. FHWA-HRT-06-065

The second edition of the Federal Highway Administration University Course on Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation, a set of resources designed to provide background materials for an undergraduate or graduate university course, is now available from FHWA. FHWA distributes this teaching resource to stimulate the development of university courses nationwide on bicycle and pedestrian transportation. The course is divided into five modules, which are sectioned into lessons. In the 24 lessons, the course covers a wide range of topics as outlined below:

• Module 1: Course Introduction
• Module 2: Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning
• Module 3: Pedestrian Facility Design
• Module 4: Bicycle Facility Design
• Module 5: Issues Common to Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation

The complete report may be obtained from the R&T Product Distribution Center by e-mail to report.center@fhwa.dot.gov, by fax to 301-577-1421, or by phone to 301-577-0818.

Design of Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavements Using Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Rebars
Publication No. FHWA-HRT-05-081

FHWA, in a cooperative agreement with West Virginia University, is performing a research study entitled Development and Deployment of Second Generation FRP Composites Applied to Concrete Pavements. This publication, Design of Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavements Using Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Rebars, documents the third of four tasks within that study. The corrosion resistance characteristics of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) rebars make them a promising substitute for conventional steel reinforcing rebars in continuously reinforced concrete pavements (CRCPs). Studies are conducted on the effect of using GFRP rebars as reinforcement in CRCP on concrete stress development, which directly relates to the concrete crack formation that is inevitable in CRCP. Under restrained conditions, concrete volumes change because of shrinkage and temperature variations, causing early-age cracks in CRCP.

In this study, an analytical model has been developed to simulate the shrinkage and thermal stress distributions in concrete due to the restraint provided by GFRP rebars in comparison with the stresses induced by steel rebars. The results show that the stress level in concrete is reduced with GFRP rebars because of the low Young's modulus of GFRP. In addition, the analytical model has been used to estimate concrete strain variation in reinforced concrete slabs because of changes in concrete volume. Results then were compared with the experimental observation. Finite element (FE) methods also were developed to predict the stress distribution and crack width in the GFRP-reinforced CRCP section that is subjected to the concrete volume changes under various CRCP design considerations. Examples include the coefficient of thermal expansion of concrete, the friction from the pavement's subbase, and the bond slip between concrete and reinforcement.

Based on the results from the FE simulation along with the mechanistic analysis, a series of feasible designs of the GFRP-reinforced CRCP has been proposed. The stress levels in the GFRP reinforcement, the crack widths, and the crack spacings of the proposed pavements are shown to be within the allowable design requirements.

The document is available online at www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/pccp/pubs/05081/. Free printed copies are available from the R&T Product Distribution Center. Printed copies also may be purchased from NTIS. The NTIS order number is PB2006-101243.

Why Your Agency Should Consider Asset Management Systems for Roadway Safety
Publication No. FHWA-HRT-05-077

This primer provides a general overview of asset management systems for roadway safety elements and initial guidance for agencies beginning to consider those systems. Asset management is a strategic approach to managing transportation infrastructure elements. It provides a systematic process for maintaining, upgrading, and operating physical assets cost effectively.

Information in the primer can help State departments of transportation (DOTs) increase their use of state-of-the-practice techniques on roadway safety hardware management systems. FHWA developed the primer for State DOT personnel, particularly chief engineers and other top management, involved with planning, funding, and executing roadway safety hardware management systems.

The document is available online at www.tfhrc.gov/safety/pubs/05077/index.htm. Free printed copies are available from the R&T Product Distribution Center. Printed copies also may be purchased from NTIS. The NTIS order number is PB2006-101561.

Roadway Safety Hardware Asset Management Systems Case Studies
Publication No. FHWA-HRT-05-073

This study provides information to State DOTs on roadway safety hardware management systems that can help increase use of state-of-the-practice techniques. FHWA developed this report for State DOT personnel, particularly chief engineers and other top management, involved with planning, funding, and executing roadway safety hardware management systems.

Free printed copies are available from the R&T Product Distribution Center. Printed copies also may be purchased from NTIS. The NTIS order number is PB2006-101186.

Improving Pavements With Long-Term Pavement Performance: Products for Today and Tomorrow
Publication No. FHWA-RD-03-049

This report is a compilation of award-winning technical papers from the third annual International Contest on Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Data Analysis 2001-2002. In 1998, FHWA, the LTPP program, and the Highway Division Pavements Committee of the American Society of Civil Engineers initiated a program to organize an international contest on the use of LTPP data. The competition was designed to involve university students-future pavement engineers-in the analysis of data from the LTPP database. The program has been in operation for 4 years, and the papers contained in this document are the results of the 2001-2002 contest.

Printed copies may be purchased from NTIS. The NTIS order number is PB2006-101652.

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Other Articles in this issue:

Get In, Stay In, Get Out, Stay Out

A Noteworthy Year

Cambridge Plans a Livable Community

Saving a National Treasure

RSAs for Safety

Crisis Response

On the Way to Greener Highways

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November/December 2006 · Vol. 70 · No.3