High Performance Steel Designers' Guide
6.0 Research
The transition from research to practice has been very swift for high performance steels. In less than 3 years after the initiation of the joint research effort by AISI, FHWA and the Navy, HPS 70W steel plates became commercially available and used successfully by Nebraska, Tennessee, the New York State Thruway Authority and others for bridge design and construction. Many states are now using HPS steels. With continuing funding from the steel industry, state and federal governments, the HPS Research Program will continue to make improvements in material, design, fabrication and construction.
A key source of practical research ideas comes from the designers. As the designers work with HPS steels, issues relating to design, fabrication, construction, inspection will arise. Many of these issues will be solved by referring to this HPS Designers' Guide and/or contacting the sources listed in this Guide. There will be more difficult issues that cannot be solved readily. These difficult and more complex issues are potential topics for research.
The designers are encouraged to develop research problem statements on topics of state and national interest. Each year, State DOTs, FHWA, AASHTO, TRB and other research organizations are looking for research ideas for providing practical solutions and advancing the state-of-the-knowledge of bridge engineering.
The format for and a sample of research problem statement are shown in Appendix B. Research problem statements may be submitted to the Research Director, Office of Research, State DOT; Chairman, AASHTO Technical Committee for Research (T-11); Chairman, TRB Committee AFF20 Steel Bridges; and other research organizations.
The author is Chairman of the Subcommittee on Research Needs, TRB Committee AFF20 Steel Bridges. The author will be happy to help with preparing research problem statements and make recommendations for submitting them through the proper channel.