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National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis Reports

Syntheses report on the state of the practice based on literature reviews and surveys of recent activities in critical areas. Syntheses also inform airport managers about innovations being used by others to solve problems.
 
Below are the latest 20 NCHRP Synthesis Reports that have been produced by TRB.  A page highlighting NCHRP Reports that have been released since June 2001 is available online.  To search for older publications visit the TRB Online Bookstore or the TRB Publication Index.

Practical Highway Design SolutionsPractical Highway Design Solutions
March 15, 2013
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 443: Practical Highway Design Solutions presents information on the application of practical design approaches in roadway project development. Practical design is the default term used in the report to describe approaches or initiatives some state transportation agencies have adopted that result in design solutions for specif...
Practices and Performance Measures for Local Public Agency Federally Funded Highway ProjectsPractices and Performance Measures for Local Public Agency Federally Funded Highway Projects
May 2, 2013
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 442: Practices and Performance Measures for Local Public Agency Federally Funded Highway Projects explores what performance measures, delivery practices, strategies, and tools are currently used in relation to federally-funded local public agency (LPA) highway project development and delivery, and how they are used to measure...
High Performance Concrete Specifications and Practices for BridgesHigh Performance Concrete Specifications and Practices for Bridges
April 11, 2013
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 441: High Performance Concrete Specifications and Practices for Bridges documents the types of specifications and practices used by state transportation agencies to produce high performance concrete for bridges. The report also identifies specifications and practices reported as having improved concrete performance and t...
Performance-Based Seismic Bridge DesignPerformance-Based Seismic Bridge Design
March 28, 2013
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 440, Performance-Based Seismic Bridge Design (PBSD) summarizes the current state of knowledge and practice for PBSD. PBSD is the process that links decision making for facility design with seismic input, facility response, and potential facility damage. The goal of PBSD is to provide decision makers and stakeholders with data...
Use of Transportation Asset Management Principles in State Highway AgenciesUse of Transportation Asset Management Principles in State Highway Agencies
February 7, 2013
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 439: Use of Transportation Asset Management Principles in State Highway Agencies explores the state of practice for transportation asset management among state departments of transportation.
Expedited Procurement Procedures for Emergency Construction ServicesExpedited Procurement Procedures for Emergency Construction Services
November 20, 2012
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 438: Expedited Procurement Procedures for Emergency Construction Services explores procurement procedures being utilized by state departments of transportation in coordination with federal agencies to repair and reopen roadways in emergency situations.
Assessing the Long-Term Performance of Mechanically Stabilized Earth WallsAssessing the Long-Term Performance of Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls
September 6, 2012
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 437: Assessing the Long-Term Performance of Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls explores methods to assess the long-term performance of mechanically stabilized earth walls. For the purposes of the report, "long-term" denotes the period of time from approximately one year after the wall is in service until the end of its desig...
Local Policies and Practices That Support Safe Pedestrian EnvironmentsLocal Policies and Practices That Support Safe Pedestrian Environments
August 8, 2012
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 436: Local Policies and Practices That Support Safe Pedestrian Environments documents various tools and strategies used by municipalities to improve the safety, convenience, and accessibility of the pedestrian experience.
Use of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) by State Departments of Transportation and Metropolitan Planning OrganizationsUse of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) by State Departments of Transportation and Metropolitan Planning Organizations
June 20, 2012
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 434: Use of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) by State Departments of Transportation and Metropolitan Planning Organizations describes ways that transportation planners are using the PUMS data. The report is designed to serve as a reference for transportation planners who may be able to exploit these...
Significant Findings from Full-Scale Accelerated Pavement TestingSignificant Findings from Full-Scale Accelerated Pavement Testing
November 5, 2012
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 433: Significant Findings from Full-Scale Accelerated Pavement Testing documents and summarizes significant findings from the various experimental activities associated with full-scale accelerated pavement testing (f-sAPT) programs that have taken place between 2000 and 2011. The report also identifies gaps in knowledge relat...
Recent Roadway Geometric Design Research for Improved Safety and OperationsRecent Roadway Geometric Design Research for Improved Safety and Operations
April 19, 2012
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 432: Recent Roadway Geometric Design Research for Improved Safety and Operations reviews and summarizes roadway geometric design literature completed and published from 2001 through early 2011, particularly research that identified impacts on safety and operations. The report is structured to correspond to chapters in th...
Practices to Manage Traffic Sign RetroreflectivityPractices to Manage Traffic Sign Retroreflectivity
April 27, 2012
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 431: Practices to Manage Traffic Sign Retroreflectivity includes examples of practices that illustrate how different types of transportation agencies might meet federal retroreflectivity requirements for traffic signs.
Cost-Effective and Sustainable Road Slope Stabilization and Erosion ControlCost-Effective and Sustainable Road Slope Stabilization and Erosion Control
June 13, 2012
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 430: Cost-Effective and Sustainable Road Slope Stabilization and Erosion Control presents information on cost-effective and sustainable road slope stabilization techniques, with a focus on shallow or near-surface slope stabilization and related erosion control methods used on low-volume roads. The report address topic plannin...
Geotechnical Information Practices in Design-Build ProjectsGeotechnical Information Practices in Design-Build Projects
May 14, 2012
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 429: Geotechnical Information Practices in Design-Build Projects addresses how states use geotechnical information in solicitation documents and contracts for design-build highway projects. The report examines current practices regarding the allocation of geotechnical risk and the level of geotechnical information provided wi...
Practices and Procedures for Site-Specific Evaluations of Earthquake Ground MotionsPractices and Procedures for Site-Specific Evaluations of Earthquake Ground Motions
April 17, 2012
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 428: Practices and Procedures for Site-Specific Evaluations of Earthquake Ground Motions identifies and describes current practice and available methods for evaluating the influence of local ground conditions on earthquake design ground motions on a site-specific basis. The report focuses on evaluating the response of soil de...
Extent of Highway Capacity Manual Use in PlanningExtent of Highway Capacity Manual Use in Planning
April 11, 2012
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 427: Extent of Highway Capacity Manual Use in Planning assesses how state departments of transportation, small and large metropolitan planning organizations, and local governments are using or might use the Highway Capacity Manual for planning analyses, or more specifically, for performance monitoring, problem identification,...
Performance-Based Highway Maintenance and Operations ManagementPerformance-Based Highway Maintenance and Operations Management
June 6, 2012
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 426: Performance-Based Highway Maintenance and Operations Management explores performance-based management practices that are applied by state departments of transportation (DOTs) in highway maintenance and operations.
Waterproofing Membranes for Concrete Bridge DecksWaterproofing Membranes for Concrete Bridge Decks
March 30, 2012
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 425: Waterproofing Membranes for Concrete Bridge Decks documents information on materials, specification requirements, design details, application methods, system performance, and costs of waterproofing membranes used on new and existing bridge decks since 1995. The synthesis focuses on North American practices with some info...
Engineering Economic Analysis Practices for Highway InvestmentEngineering Economic Analysis Practices for Highway Investment
May 10, 2012
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 424: Engineering Economic Analysis Practices for Highway Investment explores how U.S. transportation agencies have applied engineering economics--benefit–cost analyses and similar procedures--to decisions on highway investments.
Long-Term Performance of Polymer Concrete for Bridge DecksLong-Term Performance of Polymer Concrete for Bridge Decks
January 20, 2012
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 423: Long-Term Performance of Polymer Concrete for Bridge Decks addresses a number of topics related to thin polymer overlays (TPOs). Those topics include previous research, specifications, and procedures on TPOs; performance of TPOs based on field applications; the primary factors that influence TPO performance; current cons...