State Planning and Research
(SP&R) Guide
National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP)
NCHRP was created in 1962 as a means to conduct research in
acute problem areas that affect highway planning, design, construction,
operation, and maintenance across the country. NCHRP primarily
focuses on the following research areas: pavements; economics;
operations and control; general materials; illumination and
visibility; snow and ice control; traffic planning; forecasting;
bituminous materials; specifications, procedures, and practices;
law; bridges; equipment; maintenance of highways and structures;
general design; roadside development; safety; concrete materials;
finance; special projects; testing and instrumentation; vehicle
barrier systems; mechanics and foundations; and impact analysis.
Examples of research projects previously approved by NCHRP include
"Illumination Guidelines for Nighttime Highway Work"; "Quantifying
Congestion"; "Extending Span Ranges of Precast, Prestressed
Concrete Girders"; "Financing and Improving Land Access to U.S.
Cargo Hubs"; and "HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) Pipe Material
Specifications and Design Requirements." More information on
these and other NCHRP projects can be found at: http://www.trb.org/CRP/NCHRP/NCHRP.asp.
This section of the Web guide includes information about State
contributions.
The NCHRP disseminates information throughout the transportation
community and conducts independent research that benefits various
transportation agencies throughout the country. Each year, States
contribute 5.5 percent of their SP&R funds to the NCHRP
to ensure its continued successful operation. Details concerning
the structure of the NCHRP can be found at The
National Academies Web site. The information contained within
this section addresses the process of determining each State's
contribution to the NCHRP and the States' roles in determining
NCHRP's annual research goals.
Please refer to the 23
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) sections 420.107
and 420.203
for information related to this section.
Contact William Zaccagnino, William.Zaccagnino@fhwa.dot.gov,
with questions or suggestions about this guide.
