RESEARCH
NEWS
the
newsletter of the
New England Transportation Consortium
Vol. 1, No. 1 - Fall 2000
General
Content:
- NETC's Research Program
- Current Research Projects
- Meet the Consortium Members
- NETC Publications
PAGE 1 (front cover)
Article Title: Welcome From the Chairman
Author: William D. Anker, Chairman of NETC Policy Committee and Director, Rhode Island Department of Transportation.
Article
Text:
As we enter the new millennium, New England's transportation agencies
and state research universities have an important contribution to make.
A regional transportation system that moves people and goods efficiently
and safely while respecting the environment provides the underpinning
for a vibrant economy and an improved quality of life.
Research leading to the development and implementation of new technologies and practices will be the key to achieving a transportation system that will complement and enhance the social, environmental, and economic apirations of our communities.
We will need new technologies in the use of materials heretofore not seen in New England's transportation infrastructure. In 1996, a team of transportation experts from the Federal Highway Administration, state transportation agencies, academia and industry conducted a two-week tour of Europe and Japan to assess the state of technology in the use of advanced composite materials in those areas. The team found the United States to be lagging behind Europe and Japan, who are conducting a number of demonstration projects and field applications of fiber-reinforced polymer matrix materials in both the construction and rehabilitation of transportation infrastructure.
This year, the Policy Committee of the New England Transportation Consortium (NETC) approved funding for a research initiative on the use of advanced composite materials for our region's highway infrastructure. The initiative will provide valuable information to New England's transportation agencies on the application of advanced composite materials in our own highway infrastructure. It will also explore a mechanism for establishing a partnership with private industry to implement the technology.
The NETC is a cooperative effort of the transportation agencies and land grant universities of the six New England states. Through the pooling of its professional, academic, and financial resources, the Consortium is positioned to play a leading role in the development and implementation of new technologies and practices needed to ensure that our transportation systems are capable of meeting the needs of our communities in the twenty-first century.
Article Title: The New England Transportation Consortium: Mission, Organization and Management
Author: Colin A. Franco, Chairman, NETC Advisory Committee and Managing Engineer, Research and Technology Development, Rhode Island Department of Transportation
Article
Text:
Mission
The New England Transportation Consortium is a cooperative effort of the
transportation agencies of the six New England states. Through it, the
states pool professional, academic and financial resources for research,
technology transfer and education, leading to improved technologies and
practices for dealing with common transportation problems and the training
of transportation professionals.
Organization
and Management
The Consortium operates through a committee structure consisting of a
Policy Committee, Advisory Committee and Project Technical Committee.
The day to day administration and coordination of activities of the Consortium
are are provided by the Coordinator, Gerald M. McCarthy, located at the
University of Connecticut's Transportation Institute, and the Lead State
Representative, James M. Sime, located at the Connecticut Department of
Transportation.
- Policy Committee - The Policy Committee is comprised of Chief Administrative Officers of the member state transportation agencies and the Division Administrator from the lead state's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) office. Their responsibilities are to provide funding for the Consortium and to approve the annual research program.
- Advisory Committee - The Advisory Committee is comprised of one representative from each of the state transportation agencies, a representative from the lead state's FHWA Division Office, and one representative from each of the NETC's member state universities. The Advisory Committee is responsible for developing the annual research program and recommending it to the Policy Committee for approval. The committee is also responsible for oversight and administration of the Consortium's activities.
- Project Technical Committees - The Project Technical Committee is appointed by the Advisory Committee for each of the research projects. This committee is responsible for developing the project scope of work, evaluating and recommending proposals to be funded to the Advisory Committee, and provide project oversight.
PAGE 2
Article Title: Funding and Contracting NETC's Research Program
Author: James M. Sime, NETC Lead State Representative and Manager of Research, Connecticut Department of Transportation
Article
Text:
The Connecticut Department of Transportation is the Consortium's designated
Lead Agency. As such, its responsibilities are:
- Administer
funds from Consortium members for its operation, including funds from
the FHWA's pooled fund program which allows states to pool funds to
address a transportation-related need too large to fund by a single
state
- Develop
and execute, on behalf of NETC, agreements for funding of the Consortium's
research projects
- Establish
a system for the financial accounting of NETC's operations
- Maintain
and provide financial and cost accounting services acceptable to the
Consortium's members and the Federal Highway Administration
- Payment of project invoices
The Lead Agency's representative (also a member of the Consortium's Advisory Committee) and the Consortium's Coordinator, together provide all the services necessary for the administration and coordination of activities of the Consortium.
Advertisement:
The National Scene
The National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) and Transit
Cooperative Research Program (TCRP), programs of the National Research
Council's Transportation Research Board, periodically solicit proposals
for research to develop solutions to operational problems facing highway
and transportation agencies. Those interested in submitting proposals
can obtain information from the NCHRP and TCRP web site: www4.nas.edu/trb/crp.nsf
Article Title: Developing the New England Transportation Consortium's Research Program
Author: Gerald M. McCarthy, Coordinator, New England Transportation Consortium
Article
Text:
Project Selection
The process begins with the Coordinator's solicitation of statements
of high priority transportation problems from Consortium members. Problem
statements are screened by the Lead Agency to eliminate topics already
adequately researched. the Advisory Committee reviews and selects problem
statements to be recommended to the Policy Committee for funding. Proposals
are invited from member universities and other selected research institutions.
The Research
Program for 2001
The six research program projects adopted by NETC's Policy Committee to
be placed under contract in the year 2001, are as follows:
Project
01-1; Title: Advanced Composite Materials (Fiber Reinforced Polymers or
Polymer Matrix Composites) for New England's Highway Infrastructure: a
Synthesis of Technology and Practice; Funding = $50,000
Project 01-2; Title: Development of a Testing Protocal for Quality Control/Quality
Assurance of Hot Mix Asphalt; Funding = $80,000
Project 01-3; Title: Design of Superpave Hot Mix Asphalt for Low Volume Roads; Funding = $100,000
Project 01-5; Title: Procedures for the Evaluation of Liquid-Applied Membrane Waterproofing; Funding = $75,000
Project 01-6; Title: Field Evaluation of a New Compaction Device; Funding = $50,000
Project 00-8; Title: Performance and Effectiveness of a Thin Pavement Section Using Geogrids and Drainage Geocomposites in a Cold Region; Funding = $150,000
Total Program = $505,000
PAGE 3
Article Title: Current Research Projects
Article
Text:
Currently, NETC has fourteen research projects under contract. For information
on these projects or to contact the Pricipal Investigators, visit the
NETC web site at
www.cti.uconn.edu/ti/Research/netc_home.htm. The following is a sampling
of current or recently completed projects:
- Project
94-2; Title: Testing Reinforced Concrete Bridges With Radar. Based on
an anlysis of the capabilities of GPR, this project will develop specifications
for use by highway agencies in acquiring and using GPR systems. Contact
Dr. Dryver Huston, University of Vermont at (802) 656-1922 or email
huston@enba.uvm.edu.
- Project
95-1; Title: The Use of Chips to Limit Frost Heave. Provides recommendations
regarding material properties and construction techniques for the use
of tire chips as an insulation layer to limit frost heave on paved roads.
Contact Dr. Dana Humphrey, University of Maine, at (207) 581-2176, or
email dana.humphrey@umit.maine.edu.
- Project
96-3; Title: Fiber Reinforced Composites for Bridge Elements. Recommendations
will be developed on protective coatings and strengthening systems for
bridge elements which are durable, economical and practical for field
use. Contact Dr. Perumalsamy Balaguru, Rutgers University, at (732)
445-3537, or email balaguru@rci.rutgers.edu.
- Project 99-6; Title: The Effects of Concrete Removal Operations. Using on-site, computer-based monitoring of the stresses imposed by hoe-ram demolition equipment, guidelines will be developed for the use of demolition equipment to insure that the integrity of remaining bridge components is not adversely affected. Contact Dr. Rusk Masih, University of Connecticut, at (860) 405-9030, or email masih@uconnvm.uconn.edu.
Article Title: Meet the Consortium Members
Article
Text:
NETC Policy Committee
Chairman: William Ankner, Director, Rhode Island Department of Transportation
Matthew Amorello, Commissioner, Massachusetts Highway Department
Brian Searles, Secretary, Vermont Agency of Transportation
Leon Kenison, Commissioner, New Hampshire Department of Transportation
James Sullivan, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Transportation
John Melrose, Commissioner, Maine Department of Transportation
Donald West, Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration-Connecticut
Advisory Committee
Chairman: Colin Franco, Managing Engineer, Research & Technology Development,
Rhode
Island Department of Transportation
Transportation Agency Representatives:
Robert Cauley, Materials & Research Engineer, Vermont Agency of Transportation
Stephen Pepin, Manager of Research, Massachusetts Highway Department
Amy Jackson-Grove, Federal Highway Division, Connecticut
Gilbert Rogers, Assistant Director of Project Development, New Hampshire
Department
of Transportation
Dale Peabody, Transportation Research Engineer, Maine Department of Transportation
James Sime, Manager of Research, Connecticut Department of Transportation
State University Representatives:
Per Gardner, Associate Professor, University of Maine, Orono
K. Wayne Lee, Professor, University of Rhode Island
Norman Garrick, Associate Professor, University of Connecticut
Walaa Mogawer, Professor, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
David Gress, Professor, University of New Hampshire
James Olson, Professor, University of Vermont
PAGE 4 (back cover)
Article Title: NETC Publications
Article
Text:
Copies of these and other publications may be obtained by contacting NETC
by phone at (860) 486-5400, or email naomi.sanders@uconn.edu:
Available publications are numbered 1 through 8 below. When ordering, ask for the article by NETCR number, title, author and date.
- NETCR21.
Title: NETC Annual Report for Calendar Year 1999. Date: 2000.
Describes the Consortium's accomplishments for 1999, active research projects, financial status, and provides a list fo reports, papers, and presentations arising from the Consortium's funded research. - NETCR1. Title: Construction Costs of New England Bridges. Author: Alexander, University of Maine. Date: 1996. Identifies factors influencing the construction costs of New England highway bridges and makes recommendations for reducing costs.
- NETCR8. Title: Tire Chips as Lightweight Backfill for Retaining Walls. Author: Humphrey, University of Maine. Date: 1998. Provides design criteria for tire chips as lightweight backfill for retaining walls.
- NETCR10. Title: Crash Testing and Evaluation of the NETC 2-Bar Curb-Mounted Bridge Rail. Authors: Mak and Menges, Texas Transportation Institute, Texas A & M University. Date: 1998. Presents the results of NCHRP 350, Test Level 4 crash tests conducted on a curb-mounted bridge railing designed by New England Transportation Consortium. A schematic drawing and a description of the bridge rail are provided.
- NETCR14. Title: Full-Scale Crash Evaluation of the NETC 4-Bar Sidewalk-Mounted Steel Bridge Railing. Authors: Kimball and Mayer, Southwest Research Institute. Date: 1999. Presents the results of NCHRP 350, Test level 4 crash tests conducted on a sidewalk-mounted bridge railing designed by the New England Transportation Consortium. Design drawings of the bridge rail and its installation, and specifications for the bridge rail materials are provided.
- NETCR13. Title: Procedures for the Evaluation of Sheet Membrane Waterproofing. Author: Korhonen, U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, New Hampshire. Date: 1999. Details the genesis of blisters, a major problem for membranes, and defines test procedures to evaluate sheet membranes based on their ability to adhere to concrete, accomodate strain, resist puncturing, and pass water vapor.
- NETCR18. Title: Implementation of Superpave. Authors: Stephens and Mahoney, Connecticut Advanced Pavement Lab, Connecticut Transportation Institute, University of Connecticut. Date: 1999. Examines the causes of variations in Superpave Performance Graded Asphalt Binder test results and provides recommendations on the techniques of binder testing.
- NETCR12. Title: Use of Tire Chip/Soil Mixtures to Limit Frost Heave and Pavement Damage of Paved Roads. Author: Humphrey, University of Maine. Date: 2000. Provides recommendations regarding material properties and construction techniques for the use of tire chips as an insulation layer to limit frost heave on paved roads.
Research News is published two times a year by the New England Transportation Consortium. For more information, or to be added to our mailing list, please contact Gerry McCarthy, NETC Coordinator, at the Connecticut Transportation Institute, University of Connecticut, 179 Middle Turnpike, Unit 5202, Storrs, CT 06269-5202, or email mccarthy@engr.uconn.edu. For information on NETC's current research projects, visit our web site: www.cti.uconn.edu/ti/Research/netc_home.htm
End of "Research News" Volume 1, Issue 1 - Fall 2000 issue.