TIG Announces Accelerated Deployment of New Technologies
The Technology Implementation Group (TIG), whose mission is to champion
the implementation of ready-to-use technologies, products, or processes
resulting in economic or qualitative benefits, has selected three new
technologies for accelerated deployment this year. These new high payoff,
innovative technologies are the air void analyzer (AVA), the use of
ground penetrating radar (GPR) for roads, and the use of global positioning
systems (GPS) for surveying.
Sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials (AASHTO), the TIG will in coming months approve plans to promote
the new focus technologies among State highway agencies, local agencies,
and industry partners. Technologies previously selected for deployment
were prefabricated bridge elements, intelligent transportation system
technologies for work zones, and accelerated construction methods.
The AVA can be used to measure the air content, specific surface, and
spacing factor of fresh portland cement concrete. Because the new technology
can be used on fresh concrete, it allows real-time evaluation, helping
to improve quality control. The Kansas Department of Transportation
has been using this technology since April 2001 and has developed a
State specification that it uses routinely. Kansas will work with the
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to lead the TIG implementation
effort. Implementation goals include developing a common standard test
protocol, specification, and data collection form that all States could
use and identifying training needs and available resources.
GPR can be employed to collect information about underlying highway
pavement layers without incurring the time and labor costs and traffic
delays that come with the traditional method of drilling through the
pavement to take core samples. GPR systems, in contrast, collect pavement
layer data quickly, unobtrusively, and inexpensively. The GPR technology
is mounted on vehicles that can move at normal highway speeds, minimizing
the exposure of highway workers to traffic and making the process nearly
invisible to the traveling public. Information collected using GPR includes
pavement layer thickness and identification of pavement areas where
underlying layers are rapidly deteriorating. Texas, which has used GPR
since 1993, is the lead State for this technology.
GPS technology, which utilizes a constellation of satellites that transmit
signals continuously, can have numerous highway applications, such as
surveying pavement condition and inventorying highway assets. It offers
such benefits as increased accuracy and reductions in labor, time, and
costs. Utah is serving as the lead State for the initiative aimed toward
use of GPS in transportation surveying applications.
As Lead State teams and implementation plans are developed for each
of the new TIG technologies, Focus will provide updates. For
more information on TIG, visit the TIG Web site at www.aashtotig.org.
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Articles in this issue:
Pavement Management Systems: A Powerful Tool for Performance Monitoring
A New Weapon in Fighting ASR in Concrete
FHWA Workshop Introduces New Life-cycle Cost Analysis Software
TIG Announces Accelerated Deployment of New Technologies
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