Life-cycle planning (LCP) is an integral part of the transportation asset management (TAM) framework. LCP is a process that estimates the full cost of managing an asset over its anticipated useful life. It is a practice based on economic and engineering principles to facilitate the development of a life-cycle activity plan for a given asset that balances costs, risks, and expected performance. NCHRP Research Report 1065: Life-Cycle Planning Analysis in a Transportation Asset Management Framework , from T...

Just as postwar houses and subdivisions are increasingly being considered for eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, so too are the commercial properties that stand alongside suburban and exurban roadways. Despite the large number of postwar commercial properties, very little guidance exists on how to consistently evaluate the potential significance of these properties. NCHRP Research Report 1067: Postwar Commercial Properties and Section 106: A Methodology for Evaluating Hi...

Five welding processes are approved within AASHTO and the American Welding Society's bridge welding code for the fabrication of steel highway bridges. Each of these processes produce heat-affected zones (HAZs) of varying size and severity in the steel. NCHRP Research Report 1056: Toughness Requirements for Heat-Affected Zones of Welded Structural Steels for Highway Bridges , from TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program, presents proposed requirements for the toughness of HAZs of welded struct...

Measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic led state departments of transportation (DOTs) to rapidly expand their flexible work policies and programs. Agencies are continuing to use flexible work arrangements. NCHRP Research Report 1072: Telecommuting, Remote Work, and Hybrid Schedules: Managing the Shift to a Flexible Work Future , from TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program, provides successful practices and identifies key considerations to help state DOTs offer flexible work arrangements i...

Approximately 55 percent of the passenger vehicles registered in the United States are light trucks, such as sport utility vehicles, vans, minivans, and pickup trucks. Conventional automobiles, such as sedans and coupes, make up the rest of passenger vehicles. NCHRP Research Report 1061: Highway and Street Design Vehicles: An Update , from TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program, proposes revisions to the dimensions of 16 of the 20 design vehicles used in the 2018 edition of AASHTO’s A Policy...

Weigh-in-motion (WIM) systems provide an estimate of the static weight of moving vehicles. WIM data is used for transportation and freight planning, pavement and bridge design, and highway safety investigations. NCHRP Research Report 1070: Tools for Assuring WIM Data Quality: Practical Guide , from TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program, provides state departments of transportation with new procedures to help practitioners improve accuracy and increase the reliability of WIM data. Supplement...

Rural areas face unique challenges in providing connectivity and access to essential goods and services, including but not limited to jobs, education, health care, and social services.  NCHRP Research Report 1059: Access to Jobs, Economic Opportunities, and Education in Rural Areas , from TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program, presents a guide to defining and addressing the unique accessibility challenges in rural communities. Supplemental to the report are decision-support tools that ...

Most of the literature that discusses the future effects of automated vehicles assumes they will become the dominant form of transportation and then explores how AVs may affect transportation systems and society more broadly. However, relatively little research has provided details meant to support assumptions that significant AV deployment is inevitable. The quality of forecasting and the types of assumptions made vary widely. NCHRP Research Report 1049: Realistic Timing Estimates for Automated Vehicle ...

Wrong-way driving (WWD) crashes cause hundreds of fatalities and thousands of injuries annually in the United States. Although WWD crashes have been a concern since the advent of access-controlled divided roadways, the problem persists despite efforts to address it over time. NCHRP Research Report 1050: Wrong-Way Driving Solutions Handbook , from TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program, is a handbook to help reduce the risk of WWD crashes. Supplemental to the report is NCHRP Web-Only Document...

Historically, the most common method for determining asphalt content was extraction using different methods and solvents such as trichloroethylene, methylene chloride, or n-propyl bromide. In the 1980s, the use of chlorinated solvents for asphalt extractions began to be questioned because of potential health and safety impacts and disposal difficulties. NCHRP Research Report 1060: Ignition Furnace Correction Factors: Identifying Influences and Minimizing Variability , from TRB's National Cooperative High...