The FHWA Infrastructure Research and Development (R&D) program provides technologies and solutions to advance practices in highway infrastructure engineering. Research and development activities address pavements, bridges, tunnels, culverts and geotechnical constructions (e.g., walls, slopes, cuts, and fills) and the materials from which they are constructed.
FHWA's Infrastructure R&D is organized under two broad program areas:
Pavement and Materials | FHWA's pavement and materials R&D is concerned with all aspects of highway pavement engineering and management, including: long-term performance; structural design; material testing, evaluation, specification and mixture design, and optimization for both traditional and innovative materials; performance evaluation and prediction; construction; life-cycle cost analysis and the environmental and sustainability aspects and implications of highway pavements. |
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Bridges and Structures | FHWA's bridge and structures R&D guidelines and specifications for the design, construction, evaluation, and preservation of bridges, tunnels, culverts, geotechnical constructions (e.g., walls, slopes, cuts, and fills) and other highway structures (e.g., sign structures); aerodynamic and hydraulic engineering guidance; design and mitigation guidance for extreme events (e.g., seismic, blast, and scour); advanced materials and structural systems; tools for the assessment and condition monitoring of highway structures; and data-driven performance management and preservation tools. |