Field and laboratory investigations for Full Depth Reclamation projects (open access)

Field and laboratory investigations for Full Depth Reclamation projects

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.
Date: March 2011
Creator: Sebesta, Stephen; Scullion, Thomas & Estakhri, Cindy K.
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Operational Performance Management of Priced Facilities (open access)

Operational Performance Management of Priced Facilities

"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).
Date: March 2011
Creator: Goodin, Ginger; Burris, Mark; Lomax, Timothy J.; Geiselbrecht, Tina & Brydia, Robert
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Evaluating the Impact of Overweight Load Routing on Buried Utility Facilities [Report 1] (open access)

Evaluating the Impact of Overweight Load Routing on Buried Utility Facilities [Report 1]

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.
Date: February 2011
Creator: Kraus, Edgar; Fernando, Emmanuel; Li, Yingfeng; Oh, Jeong Ho; Koncz, Nicholas & Quiroga, Cesar
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Laboratory and field performance measurements to support the implementation of warm mix asphalt in Texas (open access)

Laboratory and field performance measurements to support the implementation of warm mix asphalt in Texas

An objective of this study was to monitor the performance of more than 10 warm mix asphalt (WMA) projects in the state. Several WMA technologies were included in the study (foaming, Advera, Evotherm, Rediset, Sasobit) and it was determined that performance of the warm mix was comparable to hot mix. In addition, mix from two warm mix projects were subjected to different curing times and temperatures and then evaluated for mixture volumetrics and performance properties. Results from this study lend support to the current procedures the Texas Department of Transportation has adopted.
Date: July 2012
Creator: Estakhri, Cindy K.
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Full-depth reclamation : new test procedures and recommended updates to specifications (open access)

Full-depth reclamation : new test procedures and recommended updates to specifications

Rehabilitating an old pavement by pulverizing and stabilizing the existing pavement is a process referred to as Full Depth Reclamation (FDR). The stabilized layer becomes either the base or sub-base of the new pavement structure. This process has been used widely for over 20 years in Texas to strengthen and widen structurally inadequate pavement sections. This project developed guidelines on successful FDR practices, developed training materials, and identified areas where improvements to current practices are required. To improve the FDR process, this report includes the following enhancements: (1) As current laboratory testing to select the optimal type and amount of stabilizer takes too long and requires too much material, continue to run parallel testing with the small sample test protocols proposed in this report; (2) Use the falling weight deflectometer (FWD) during construction to validate that the design assumptions are being met; (3) Implement the proposed bond test to select the optimum prime material and amount needed to effectively bond the base to the surfacing materials; (4) Modify the specifications to avoid working in freezing conditions; and (5) Consider implementing the other modifications to specifications proposed in this report.
Date: July 2012
Creator: Scullion, Thomas; Sebesta, Stephen; Estakhri, Cindy K.; Harris, Pat; Shon, Chang-Seon; Harvey, Omar et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Performance comparison of various seal coat grades used in Texas (open access)

Performance comparison of various seal coat grades used in Texas

This report documents research efforts to provide comparative quantitative performance information for various grades of seal coat aggregate available in the Texas Department of Transportation standard specifications. Length of service before replacement and level of noise generated at the tire-pavement interface were the primary focuses of the relative performance evaluations. The additional service life possible from seal coats with larger aggregate and higher asphalt application rates is compared to the additional cost generally associated with these larger aggregate seal coats. The comparative performance information combined with knowledge gathered from numerous department field engineers resulted in the development of guidelines for optimal seal coat grade selection.
Date: July 2012
Creator: Krugler, Paul E.; Wirth, John E.; Estakhri, Cindy K.; Freeman, Thomas J.; Wikander, John P. & Wimsatt, Andrew J.
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Development of Texas Transportation Institute's asphalt compaction monitoring system (open access)

Development of Texas Transportation Institute's asphalt compaction monitoring system

"In recent years, the Texas Department of Transportation has made significant progress with the development and implementation of new technologies to measure the uniformity of new hot mix asphalt layer construction. In Project 0-6992, researchers took this check one step further by developing an accurate global positioning system tracking system for compaction rolling so that the compaction effort applied can be monitored for 100 percent of the new surface. This report presents details of the hardware and software developed in this study. The system was field tested on a number of new overlay projects in Texas."
Date: July 2012
Creator: Liu, Wenting; Scullion, Thomas & Kassem, Emad
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Accommodating oversize and overweight loads: technical report (open access)

Accommodating oversize and overweight loads: technical report

"In this report the research project resulted in a statewide map recommending primary and alternate Oversize/ overweight (OS/OW)route networks for the most common origins and destinations based on historical Motor Carrier Division data. Keeping strategic routes open for OS/OW loads and minimizing the number of reroutes along the way will reduce the impedance and unknowns in this critical segment of the motor carrier industry."
Date: July 2012
Creator: Middleton, Daniel R.; Li, Yingfeng; Le, Jerry & Koncz, Nicholas
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Development of a MASH TL-3 median barrier gate (open access)

Development of a MASH TL-3 median barrier gate

Report regarding a median barrier gate designed to both offer protection to motorists and easier cross-median access for emergency and maintenance vehicles.
Date: February 2011
Creator: Bligh, Roger P.; Arrington, Dusty R.; Sheikh, Nauman Mansoor; Silvestri, Chiara & Menges, Wanda L.
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Benefits of Public Roadside Safety Rest Areas in Texas :  technical report (open access)

Benefits of Public Roadside Safety Rest Areas in Texas : technical report

Report regarding efforts to develop a benefit-cost analysis methodology for safety rest areas in Texas and to demonstrate its application in select corridors throughout the state. This project also considers approaches to developing rest areas that could reduce costs to the public.
Date: May 2011
Creator: Carson, Jodi L.; Pezoldt, Val J.; Koncz, Nicholas A., 1964- & Obeng-Boampong, Kwaku Oduro, 1977-
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Rapid Field Detection of Sulfate and Organic Content in Soils: Technical Report (open access)

Rapid Field Detection of Sulfate and Organic Content in Soils: Technical Report

Report regarding efforts to identify a technique to map the sulfate content of soil over a large area to a depth of 3 to 4 feet. Two devices are noted: an electromagnetic device called EM-38 and a soil conductivity device called VERIS 315.
Date: October 2010
Creator: Harvey, Omar; Sebesta, Stephen & Harris, Pat
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Rural planning organizations, their role in transportation planning and project development in Texas :  technical report (open access)

Rural planning organizations, their role in transportation planning and project development in Texas : technical report

Report containing research identifying and examining rural planning organizations, their structure and operation, and their role in transportation planning and programming.
Date: October 2010
Creator: Overman, John H.; Ellis, Patricia; Frawley, William; Taylor, Ryan; Geiselbrecht, Tina & Goodin, Ginger
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
The Overlay Tester : A Sensitivity Study to Improve Repeatability and Minimize Variability in the Test Results (open access)

The Overlay Tester : A Sensitivity Study to Improve Repeatability and Minimize Variability in the Test Results

"This report presents a comprehensive sensitivity evaluation of the critical steps of the Overlay Tester (OT) test procedure in an attempt to optimize the OT repeatability and minimize variability in the test results."
Date: February 2012
Creator: Walubita, Lubinda F.; Faruk, Abu N.; Das, Gautam; Tanvir, Hossain A.; Zhang, Jun & Scullion, Tom
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Comprehensive evaluation of compaction of asphalt pavements and development of compaction monitoring system (open access)

Comprehensive evaluation of compaction of asphalt pavements and development of compaction monitoring system

"This report aimed to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of compaction of asphalt pavements and develop software for monitoring field compaction in real time.The results were used to determine the effects of compaction temperature, compaction method, mixture design, and base type on the compactability of asphalt mixtures.Also in this report researchers developed a system for monitoring and documenting the compaction process of asphalt mixtures called compaction monitoring system (CMS)."
Date: April 2012
Creator: Kassem, Emad Abdel-Rahman, 1979-; Scullion, Tom; Masad, Eyad; Chowdhury, Arif; Liu, Wenting; Estakhri, Cindy K. et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Subbase and Subgrade Performance Investigation and Design Guidelines for Concrete Pavement (open access)

Subbase and Subgrade Performance Investigation and Design Guidelines for Concrete Pavement

Report regarding research into cheaper alternatives for the construction of pavement subbases that maintains adequate pavement performance.
Date: March 2012
Creator: Jung, Youn su; Zollinger, Dan G.; Cho, Byoung Hooi; Won, Mooncheol & Wimsatt, Andrew James, 1964-
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Performance monitoring pavements with thermal segregation in Texas (open access)

Performance monitoring pavements with thermal segregation in Texas

This report investigated the performance of asphalt surface mixtures that exhibited thermal segregation during construction from 2004 to 2009. The results do not show that thermally segregated locations will fail within three to seven years but they do show that instances of thermal segregation may continue to be anomalous locations in the layer that could lead to failures in the pavement structure.
Date: April 2012
Creator: Sebesta, Stephen & Scullion, Tom
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Effects of bending and heat on the ductility and fracture toughness of flange plate (open access)

Effects of bending and heat on the ductility and fracture toughness of flange plate

"This report documents the findings of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)sponsored research project that investigated the possible causes of the cracking and developed recommendations to prevent the occurrence of such cracking."
Date: May 2012
Creator: Keating, Peter B. & Christian, Lee C.
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Development of guidelines for triple left and dual right-turn lanes :  technical report (open access)

Development of guidelines for triple left and dual right-turn lanes : technical report

Report regarding the development of geometric and signal design guidelines for triple left-turn lanes and dual right-turn lanes and then evaluatues the safety of such sites in Texas.
Date: July 2011
Creator: Cooner, Scott A.; Ranft, Stephen E.; Rathod, Yatin K.; Qi, Yi; Yu, Lei; Wang, Yubian et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Synthesis and Study of the Roadside Vegetation Establishment Process (open access)

Synthesis and Study of the Roadside Vegetation Establishment Process

"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."
Date: May 2011
Creator: Storey, Beverly J.; Schutt, James R.; McFalls, Jett A.; Jones, Kim D.; Garza, Abel P.; Gaus, Teresa A. et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
White Paper:  State of ITS Industry and Assessment of Project Types (open access)

White Paper: State of ITS Industry and Assessment of Project Types

"This report describes the state of the intelligent transportation system (ITS) industry and provides a reference for use in soliciting ITS strategic plan inputs from stakeholders in Texas."
Date: November 2011
Creator: Seymour, Edward J. (Edward James), 1951-; Chaudhary, Nadeem; Middleton, Dan; Brydia, Robert & Miller, Kristine
Object Type: Paper
System: The Portal to Texas History
Traffic signal operations handbook workshop series :  final report (open access)

Traffic signal operations handbook workshop series : final report

Report documenting the development and conduct of a two-year series of workshops to share information with Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) engineers and technicians regarding the cost-effective design and operation of traffic signals at intersections along state highways in Texas.
Date: September 2011
Creator: Pratt, Michael P. & Bonneson, James A.
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Performance Measures for Public Transit Mobility Management (open access)

Performance Measures for Public Transit Mobility Management

Report that looks at the state of mobility management practice throughout Texas, as well as national best practices in mobility management. Additionally, this research provides an overview of the varying roles of state departments of transportation in public transit mobility management efforts. The research also presents applied mobility management for agencies seeking to implement mobility management programs as well as a menu of performance measures that can be utilized based on the type and level of program implemented.
Date: December 2011
Creator: Sen, Lalita; Majumdar, Sarmistha R.; Highsmith, Meredith; Cherrington, Linda K. & Gilliland, Cynthia A. Weatherby
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
TxDOT uses of real-time commercial traffic data :  opportunity matrix (open access)

TxDOT uses of real-time commercial traffic data : opportunity matrix

Based on a TxDOT survey, a review of other state DOTs, and researcher understanding of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) needs, the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) team developed a comprehensive list of opportunities for TxDOT to consider pertaining to future use of private sector (PS) data. Specific opportunities for applying private data were reviewed in light of accuracy of the data, coverage areas, data availability, cost, and control of the data stream.
Date: January 2012
Creator: Middleton, Dan; Brydia, Robert; Kraus, Edgar; Cheu, Kelvin; Rajbhandari, Rajat, 1973-; Songchitruksa, Praprut et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Development of a MASH TL-2 guardrail-to-bridge rail transition compatible with 31-inch guardrail (open access)

Development of a MASH TL-2 guardrail-to-bridge rail transition compatible with 31-inch guardrail

Report discussing the development of a transition roadway rail that is suitable on lower-speed roadways and that is suitable for implementation.
Date: December 2011
Creator: Bligh, Roger P.; Arrington, Dusty R. & Menges, Wanda L.
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History