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Overview of Continuing Project to Synthesize Information on Highway Problems
A staff digest of the progress and status of NCHRP Project 20-5, "Synthesis
of Information Related to Highway Problems," for which the Transportation
Research Board is the agency conducting the research. Individual studies for
the project are managed by Jon Williams, Manager, Synthesis Studies and Donna
L. Vlasak, Senior Program Officer.
INTRODUCTION
Highway administrators, engineers, and researchers face problems for which
information already exists, either in documented form or as undocumented
experience and practice. This information may be fragmented, scattered, and
unevaluated. As a consequence, full knowledge of what has been learned about a
problem is frequently not brought to bear on its solution. Costly research
findings may go unused, valuable experience may be overlooked, and due
consideration may not be given to recommended practices for solving or
alleviating the problem.
There is information on nearly every subject of concern to highway
administrators and engineers. Much of it derives from research and much from
the work of practitioners faced with problems in their day-to-day work. To
provide a systematic means for assembling and evaluating such useful
information together and making it available to the entire highway community,
the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials has-
through the mechanism of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program-
authorized the Transportation Research Board to undertake a continuing study.
This study, NCHRP Project 20-5, "Synthesis of Information Related to
Highway Problems," searches out and synthesizes useful knowledge from all
available sources and prepares concise, documented reports on specific topics.
Reports from this endeavor constitute an NCHRP report series, Synthesis of
Highway Practice.
THE SYNTHESIS PROJECT
This synthesis series reports on current knowledge and practice, in a compact
format, without the detailed directions usually found in handbooks or design
manuals. Each report in the series provides a compendium of the best knowledge
available on those measures found to be the most successful in resolving
specific problems.
To develop these syntheses in a comprehensive manner and to ensure inclusion of
significant knowledge, the Transportation Research Board hires a consultant
with expertise in the topic area to collect and analyze available information
assembled from numerous sources, including state departments of transportation,
and write a summary report. A panel of experts in the subject area is
established to guide the consultant and review the synthesis report.
For each topic the project objectives are (1) to locate and assemble documented
information; (2) to learn what practice has been used for solving or
alleviating the problems; (3) to identify all ongoing research; (4) to learn
what problems remain largely unsolved; (5) to organize, evaluate, and document
the useful information that is acquired; and (6) to disseminate the synthesis
information to all who might benefit from it.
Each synthesis is an immediately useful document that records practices that
were acceptable within the limitations of the knowledge available at the time
of its preparation. New knowledge can be expected to be added to that which is
now at hand and eventually the synthesis may need to be updated or redone. The
readers and users of the syntheses are in the best position to know when this
has occurred. Whenever you believe that a synthesis should be updated, it would
be appreciated if you would contact TRB and propose a synthesis update. You may
do this by clicking on the "Suggest an NCHRP or TCRP Topic" button on
the Synthesis Home Page, http://www.trb.org/Studies/Synthesis/Syntheses.asp
Selection of Topics
NCHRP Project Committee SP20-05 meets each year to select topics for study
using funds from the upcoming fiscal year. Current funding allows for
initiation of about 12 syntheses per year. This number, plus some alternate
topics, is selected by the committee at its annual project meeting.
The following factors are considered in the selection process for synthesis
topics:
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The topic should address a problem that is widespread enough to generate broad
interest in the synthesis.
- The topic should be timely and critical for
expediting delivery, improving the quality, or lowering the cost of
transportation programs.
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The topic is appropriate if current practice is non-uniform or inconsistent
from agency to agency, or if the validity of some practices appears to be
questionable.
- The quality and quantity of useful available information
should indicate a need to organize and compress that which has already been
learned and written on the topic.
- The topic should not be one where ongoing
research or other activities in progress might be expected to render the
synthesis obsolete shortly after completion.
Each year many more topics are suggested for the committee's consideration than
can be programmed for study in Project 20-05. Nevertheless, the continued
success of this project depends on a constant supply of worthy synthesis
topics. The interest of those who have recommended topics is sincerely
appreciated, and they are urged to continue. Candidate topics are suggested by
members of the committee and by a variety of other sources, including state
department of transportation personnel; FHWA, AASHTO, and TRB committees; and
other practitioners and researchers. They can be submitted via the internet
using the "Suggest an NCHRP or TCRP Topic" button provided on the
Synthesis Home page, http://www.trb.org/Studies/Synthesis/Syntheses.asp
Conduct of the Studies
Following the project committee's selection of topics, studies are initiated,
usually in the order of priority assigned by the committee. A panel consisting
of practitioners and researchers is formed for each topic. At its first
meeting, this topic panel thoroughly discusses the topic, refines the tentative
scope to its final form, suggests sources of information, and identifies and
discusses potential topic consultants.
Following this meeting, a consultant is hired to gather information on the
topic, synthesize it, and write a report. Typically, the agreement covers a
period of 12-15 months. Information gathering and preparation of the first
draft of the synthesis report usually takes about 8 months. This draft is
reviewed by the topic panel with the consultant, often at the second panel
meeting. A revised draft is then prepared by the consultant. Subsequent drafts
and meetings are scheduled if needed, although this rarely occurs.
After the staff is substantially satisfied with the report, a final draft is
sent to the members of NCHRP Project Committee SP20-05 for their approval. At
the same time, members of the topic panel have their last chance to review the
report, which is usually published as an NCHRP Synthesis of Highway Practice.
New NCHRP Synthesis Topics
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