"In this report the researchers try to provide a more diverse set of tools and options for Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) personnel that will help ensure timely vegetation establishment to meet Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) regulatory requirements, minimize project delays, and help reduce long-term costs in vegetation development and management."

"In this report the goal of the project was to develop implementation guidance that the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) can use to make better decisions regarding when and where to use positive protection in work zones and when to consider exposure control and other traffic control measures that could improve work zone safety."

"An instrumented, simulated bridge pier was constructed, and two full-scale collisions with an 80,000-lb van-type tractor-trailer were performed on it. The trailer was ballasted with bags of sand on pallets. The simulated pier was 36 inches in diameter and was supported in the longitudinal direction by two load cells. Force-versus-time data were obtained from the load cells."

Report on a project is to investigate field evaluation plans and procedures, and develop field performance-based evaluation procedures for pavement marking materials.

Full-depth reclamation (FDR) offers a timely, cost-effective solution to restore a pavement's condition. However, FDR represents only one technique in the engineer's toolkit available for addressing deteriorating pavement conditions. The purpose of this project is to provide guidance on determining whether a pavement is a candidate for FDR and, if so, what design, construction, and inspection processes will maximize the performance of the completed reclamation. This report presents initial recommendations for selecting a candidate FDR project and developing design options (including field sampling and lab design protocols). Along with a literature review, these recommendations are illustrated by application on several projects in the Texas Department of Transportation's Austin and Dallas Districts.

Report on a study examining the impact performance of T101 bridge rails with pickup trucks. The study determined the T101 bridge rail did not meet Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware evaluation criteria for test 3-11 and the vehicle overturned after losing contact with the barrier.

"This study provides a framework in which operating decisions for priced facilities can be made and can guide the changes in operational strategies for a facility over time" (p. i).

"This project focused primarily on the specific issue of developing a new technical tool to help TxDOT and other key operating agencies/stakeholders better predict when major elements of evacuation operations should be implemented."

Report regarding a median barrier gate designed to both offer protection to motorists and easier cross-median access for emergency and maintenance vehicles.

This research investigated the overhang and shear capacity of a precast overhang system for potential use during the construction of bridges with precast overhang panels. The research was performed in three phases: the Phase 1 research including work specifically for the Rock Creek Bridge in Parker County, Texas; the Phase 2 research for general precast overhang panels, and; the Phase 3 research investigating the shear capacity. Grout material characteristics were also assessed for possible use in the haunch; constructability issues were also addressed.

From abstract: This report focuses on the year one project objectives, which were (a) provide a review of technical design and engineering requirements for utility accommodation in Texas, (b) provide a preliminary assessment of potential impact of overweight loads on buried utilities, (c) provide a preliminary assessment of Utility Accommodation Rules (UAR) adequacy to deal with overweight loads on buried utilities, (d) provide preliminary recommendations for a business process for Texas Department of Transportation overweight routing coordination, and (e) provide recommendations for the phase 2 utility damage evaluation.

Report on research performed on the application of instruments including accelerometers and tiltmeters to monitor bridge scour. The instrumentation on the two bridges does not show great hope of application of accelerometers to monitor bridge scour because of a lack of sufficient excitation from traffic. Tiltmeters can provide the integral behavior of the bridge, and therefore are very useful devices for scour monitoring. Guidelines and protocols for scour monitoring based on the US59 over Guadalupe River Bridge and the SH80 over San Antonio River Bridge are provided in the study.

This project evaluates Vehicle Mileage (VM) fees as a possible funding mechanism for meeting the State of Texas' long-term transportation needs. Researchers conducted listening sessions with the general public and stakeholders to gather input on the concept. Researchers also prepared a decision matrix that can aid policy makers in evaluating the various trade-offs in policy that will be encountered in vehicle mileage fee system development. This study identified both challenges and opportunities for implementation of VM fees.

An implementation project was performed to expand use of transversely varied asphalt rate (TVAR) seal coat practices in all districts. The project included nine regional workshops, continued field texture testing of test sites, provided one set of sand patch test equipment to each Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) district, and published 500 copies of the TVAR Field Guide for broad TxDOT distribution.

This report presents the details of the design developed for mounting the traffic control sign support on top a portable concrete traffic barrier (PCTB), description of the full scale crash test performed on the design, and an assessment and evaluation of the performance of the PCTB with the sign support mounted on top according to specifications of "Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware" (MASH). The PCTB mounted sign support assembly anchored to the top of the TxDOT Type 2 PCTB tested for this project performed acceptably for MASH test 3-11.

Report on research examining the implementation of Senate Bill 1266, which provides for alternative funding methods for transportation projects and presenting recommended amendments to address the bill's shortcomings.

Report on research develop information to communicate the safety and economic impacts of converting frontage roads from two-way to one-way. Researchers studied five locations in Texas where frontage roads were converted from two-way operation to one-way operation and developed accident modification factors related to frontage road conversion segments that roadway designers can use to guide frontage road conversion project planning.

Report of a project to identify and evaluate methods that may reduce the number of sign hit by errant vehicles with field studies conducted near Corpus Christi, Texas.

Report documenting the findings from the research that was carried out as part of Phase II of Texas Department of Transportation Project 0-5627. The research included measurements and analysis of mechanical and physical properties of aggregates used in surface mixes in the state of Texas.

This report summarizes the results of research aimed at advancing the commercial readiness of a new hybrid mode of inter-modal freight transportation called the Freight Shuttle System (FSS).

Report on a series of workshops provided by the Texas Department of Transportation on the topic, "Incorporating Safety into the Highway Design Process." The report focuses on workshop content, attendance, and participation evaluation.

"The test reported herein corresponds to American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) test 3-10. This is primarily a severity test that assesses risk of injury to the vehicle occupants."

Report on research examining alternative methods for collecting data on external travel movements and evaluating the potential for synthesizing/modeling external travel in lieu of conducting external surveys. The report also provides recommendations to the Texas Department of Transportation on the most viable methods to estimate external travel movements for use in travel demand models in urban areas in Texas.

" This report documents the work performed during Project 0-6387, "Performance Based Roadside Maintenance Specifications." "