Design and Construction Strategies
There is a range of strategies to encourage new ways of designing and building roads. The future of road building is through technologies that save time, taxpayer dollars and provide a better, safer driving experience. Some of the new design and construction strategies being put to use are highlighted below.
Accelerated Construction
Accelerated construction uses various techniques and technologies to
help reduce construction time while enhancing/maintaining safety and
quality.
Full Road Closure and Lane Closure
Road closure is an approach designed to eliminate the exposure of motorists
to work zones and workers to traffic by temporarily closing a facility
for rehabilitation or maintenance.
Night Work/Off Peak Work
Increasingly high traffic volumes on many highways make it
difficult to perform work operations in or near travel lanes during
much of the day because of the disruption in traffic flow and the risk
this introduces for the workers and the traveling public. As a result
of these concerns, all kinds of highway work are increasingly scheduled
for off-peak periods, particularly at night, to alleviate the problems
associated with working in traffic.
Positive Separation
Better ways are needed to balance the need for traveler mobility
through work zones, and the adequate space, lighting, and work environment
are needed to get the job done safely. Positive protection can reduce
the risk to workers and travelers with the use of devices, which contain
and redirect vehicles.
Additional Resources
NCHRP Synthesis 372: Emerging Technologies for Construction Delivery
This report explores the use of five emerging technologies for transportation construction projects: global positioning systems for layout, machine guidance, and quantity tracking; handheld computers for construction records; automated temperature tracking for concrete maturity monitoring; four-dimensional computer-aided drafting modeling for constructability analysis and improved communications; and web-based video cameras for remote project monitoring.
- Report (PDF, 3.90MB)
NHCRP Report 581: Design of Construction Work Zones on High-Speed Highways
This report explores an approach for the selection of an appropriate construction work zone type; offers suggested guidance for the design of geometric features, including horizontal and vertical alignment, cross-sectional features, and barrier placement; and examines a variety of ancillary features such as drainage systems, lighting, and surface type. As part of the research associated with this activity, a work zone prediction model and user's guide were created to help estimate free-flow vehicle speeds through two types of construction work zones on four lane freeways--single lane closures and median crossovers.
- Report (PDF, 3.49MB)
- Work Zone Prediction Model (XLS, 420KB)
- User's Guide (PDF, 64KB)
Using Continuously Reinforced Concrete to Minimize Future Reconstruction and Repair Work - Article in September 2007 issue of Better Roads
Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP) is a Portland cement concrete pavement that is expected to last an average of 30 to 40 years without needing repairs. It has been used less frequently than other pavements because of its high initial cost and longer installation time. Analysis done by the Illinois DOT (IDOT) found that in certain situations the higher initial costs can be significantly outweighed by the long term cost savings from fewer repairs and overlays, and the reduction in work zone-related traffic disruption. As a result, Illinois policymakers have mandated CRCP for highway projects that carry annual traffic volumes of 35-million equivalent single axle loads or more. IDOT sees CRCP as a way to reduce work zone impacts - to the agency in terms of cost, to drivers in terms of inconvenience and delays, and to the environment in terms of not having to deal with waste and debris from road work every five years.
You
will need the Adobe
Acrobat Reader to view the PDFs on this page.
To view Excel files (XLS), you can use the Microsoft Excel Viewer.
