National Academies Press: OpenBook

Practical Highway Design Solutions (2013)

Chapter: Front Matter

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2013. Practical Highway Design Solutions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22636.
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NAT IONAL COOPERAT IVE H IGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM NCHRP SYNTHESIS 443 TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD WASHINGTON, D.C. 2013 www.TRB.org Research Sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in Cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration SubScriber categorieS Administration and Management • Highways • Design Practical Highway Design Solutions A Synthesis of Highway Practice conSultant Hugh W. McGee, Sr. Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Incorporated Vienna, Virginia

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM Systematic, well-designed research provides the most effective approach to the solution of many problems facing highway administrators and engineers. Often, highway problems are of local interest and can best be studied by highway departments individually or in cooperation with their state universities and others. However, the accelerating growth of highway transportation develops increasingly complex problems of wide interest to highway authorities. These problems are best studied through a coordinated program of cooperative research. In recognition of these needs, the highway administrators of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials initiated in 1962 an objective national highway research program employing modern scientific techniques. This program is supported on a continuing basis by funds from participating member states of the Association and it receives the full cooperation and support of the Federal Highway Administration, United States Department of Transportation. The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies was requested by the Association to administer the research program because of the Board’s recognized objectivity and understanding of modern research practices. The Board is uniquely suited for this purpose as it maintains an extensive committee structure from which authorities on any highway transportation subject may be drawn; it possesses avenues of communications and cooperation with federal, state, and local governmental agencies, universities, and industry; its relationship to the National Research Council is an insurance of objectivity; it maintains a full-time research correlation staff of specialists in highway transportation matters to bring the findings of research directly to those who are in a position to use them. The program is developed on the basis of research needs identified by chief administrators of the highway and transportation departments and by committees of AASHTO. Each year, specific areas of research needs to be included in the program are proposed to the National Research Council and the Board by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Research projects to fulfill these needs are defined by the Board, and qualified research agencies are selected from those that have submitted proposals. Administration and surveillance of research contracts are the responsibilities of the National Research Council and the Transportation Research Board. The needs for highway research are many, and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program can make significant contributions to the solution of highway transportation problems of mutual concern to many responsible groups. The program, however, is intended to complement rather than to substitute for or duplicate other highway research programs. Published reports of the NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM are available from: Transportation Research Board Business Office 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 and can be ordered through the Internet at: http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore Printed in the United States of America NCHRP SYNTHESIS 443 Project 20-05, Topic 43-05 ISSN 0547-5570 ISBN 978-0-309-22383-6 Library of Congress Control No. 2013955685 © 2013 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. COPYRIGHT INFORMATION Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein. Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, FAA, FHWA, FMCSA, FTA, or Transit Development Corporation endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP. NOTICE The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of the Governing Board of the National Research Council. The members of the technical panel selected to monitor this project and to review this report were chosen for their special competencies and with regard for appropriate balance. The report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council, or the program sponsors. The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National Research Council, and the sponsors of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report. NOTE: The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National Research Council, the Federal Highway Administration, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and the individual states participating in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of this report.

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished schol- ars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. On the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and techni- cal matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Acad- emy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achieve- ments of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering. The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, on its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine. The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Acad- emy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council. The Transportation Research Board is one of six major divisions of the National Research Council. The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to provide leadership in transportation innovation and progress through research and information exchange, conducted within a setting that is objective, interdisci- plinary, and multimodal. The Board’s varied activities annually engage about 7,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transporta- tion, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. www.TRB.org www.national-academies.org

SYNTHESIS STUDIES STAFF STEPHEN R. GODWIN, Director for Studies and Special Programs JON M. WILLIAMS, Program Director, IDEA and Synthesis Studies JO ALLEN GAUSE, Senior Program Officer GAIL R. STABA, Senior Program Officer DONNA L. VLASAK, Senior Program Officer TANYA M. ZWAHLEN, Consultant DON TIPPMAN, Senior Editor CHERYL KEITH, Senior Program Assistant DEMISHA WILLIAMS, Senior Program Assistant DEBBIE IRVIN, Program Associate TOPIC PANEL 43-05 ERIC T. DONNELL, Pennsylvania State University, University Park KATHRYN P. HARVEY, Missouri Department of Transportation, Jefferson City JEFF D. JASPER, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Frankfort STEPHEN F. MAHER, Transportation Research Board JOHN M. MASON, JR., Auburn University DAVID C. O’HAGAN, Palmer Engineering, Tallahassee, FL DAVID JOE POLLY, Oregon Department of Transportation, Salem BRIAN L. RAY, Kittelson & Associates, Inc., Portland, OR CHRISTINE A. BLACK, Federal Highway Administration, Lakewood, CO (Liaison) KEITH J. HARRISON, Federal Highway Administration, San Francisco, CA (Liaison) COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS STAFF CHRISTOPHER W. JENKS, Director, Cooperative Research Programs CRAWFORD F. JENCKS, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs NANDA SRINIVASAN, Senior Program Officer EILEEN P. DELANEY, Director of Publications NCHRP COMMITTEE FOR PROJECT 20-05 CHAIR CATHERINE NELSON, Oregon DOT MEMBERS KATHLEEN S. AMES, Michael Baker, Jr., Inc. STUART D. ANDERSON, Texas A&M University BRIAN A. BLANCHARD, Florida DOT CYNTHIA J. BURBANK, PB Americas LISA FREESE, Scott County (MN) Community Services Division MALCOLM T. KERLEY, Virginia DOT RICHARD D. LAND, California DOT JOHN M. MASON, JR., Auburn University ROGER C. OLSON, Minnesota DOT ROBERT L. SACK, New York State DOT FRANCINE SHAW-WHITSON, Federal Highway Administration LARRY VELASQUEZ, JAVEL Engineering, Inc. FHWA LIAISON JACK JERNIGAN MARY LYNN TISCHER TRB LIAISON STEPHEN F. MAHER ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Hugh W. McGee, Sr., Ph.D., P.E., was responsible for the collection and assessment of the information reported in this synthesis. Dr. McGee is a senior highway safety engineer with the firm of Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. The synthesis would not have been possible without the coopera- tion of the representatives of the state departments of transportation who responded to the questionnaire survey and particularly those who participated in follow up interviews; they included: •   Joseph Jones, Missouri Department of Transportation •   George Lukes, Utah Department of Transportation •   Jeff Jasper, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet •   David Polly and Kent Belleque, Oregon Department of Transpor- tation •   Jonathan  Marburger  and  Jim  Brewer,  Kansas  Department  of  Transportation •   Loren Thomas, Idaho Department of Transportation Valuable assistance and guidance was provided by the Topic Panel. The project was managed by Jo Allen Gause of the NCHRP Synthesis staff.

FOREWORD PREFACE By Jo Allen Gause Program Officer Transportation Research Board Some state departments of transportation (DOTs) have adopted design solutions—often labeled “practical design”—for specific roadway projects at reduced costs, thereby allow- ing the agencies to better address critical needs of the entire roadway system. This synthesis presents information on the application of practical design approaches in roadway project development. Information used in this study was acquired through a review of the literature, a survey of state DOTs, and follow-up interviews with six state DOTs that have adopted formal practical design policies. Hugh W. McGee, Sr., Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc., collected and synthesized the information and wrote the report. The members of the topic panel are acknowledged on the preceding page. This synthesis is an immediately useful document that records the practices that were acceptable with the limitations of the knowledge available at the time of its preparation. As progress in research and practice continues, new knowledge will be added to that now at hand. Highway administrators, engineers, and researchers often face problems for which infor- mation already exists, either in documented form or as undocumented experience and prac- tice. This information may be fragmented, scattered, and unevaluated. As a consequence, full knowledge of what has been learned about a problem may not be brought to bear on its solution. Costly research findings may go unused, valuable experience may be overlooked, and due consideration may not be given to recommended practices for solving or alleviat- ing the problem. There is information on nearly every subject of concern to highway administrators and engineers. Much of it derives from research or from the work of practitioners faced with problems in their day-to-day work. To provide a systematic means for assembling and evaluating such useful information and to make it available to the entire highway commu- nity, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials—through the mechanism of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program—authorized the Transportation Research Board to undertake a continuing study. This study, NCHRP Proj- ect 20-5, “Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Problems,” searches out and syn- thesizes useful knowledge from all available sources and prepares concise, documented reports on specific topics. Reports from this endeavor constitute an NCHRP report series, Synthesis of Highway Practice. This synthesis series reports on current knowledge and practice, in a compact format, without the detailed directions usually found in handbooks or design manuals. Each report in the series provides a compendium of the best knowledge available on those measures found to be the most successful in resolving specific problems

CONTENTS 1 SUMMARY 5 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Background, 5 Objective of Synthesis, 5 Approach, 5 Synthesis Contents, 6 7 CHAPTER TWO RESULTS OF INITIAL SURVEY OF STATE DEPARTMENTS OF TRANSPORTATION Survey Practices, 7 Status of States Regarding a Practical Design Policy, 7 States Considering a Practical Design Policy, 8 Information Useful in Developing a Practical Design Policy, 8 9 CHAPTER THREE BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN METHODS Project Development Process, 9 Design Policy, Standards, and Guidelines, 9 Design Exceptions, 10 Context Sensitive Solutions, 10 Resurfacing, Restoration, and Rehabilitation Projects, 11 Value Engineering, 11 Flexible Design, 12 13 CHAPTER FOUR PROFILES OF STATES WITH PRACTICAL DESIGN POLICIES Missouri Department of Transportation, 13 Idaho Transportation Department, 16 Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, 18 Kansas Department of Transportation, 21 Oregon Department of Transportation, 25 Utah Department of Transportation, 28 31 CHAPTER FIVE FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND SUGGESTED RESEARCH Findings, 31 Conclusions, 33 Suggested Research, 33 35 REFERENCES 36 APPENDIX A STATE DOT SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE 39 APPENDIX B STATE RESPONSES TO SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE

46 APPENDIX C MISSOURI DOT PRACTICAL DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION MANUAL 54 APPENDIX D CASE EXAMPLE OF PRACTICAL DESIGN FOR MISSOURI DOT 59 APPENDIX E IDAHO DOT MEMORANDUM ON PRACTICAL DESIGN 61 APPENDIX F KENTUCKY TRANSPORTATION CABINET MEMORANDUM ON PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS 71 APPENDIX G CASE EXAMPLES OF PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS FOR KENTUCKY TRANSPORTATION CABINET 75 APPENDIX H EXCERPT FROM 2011 DECADE REPORT, KANSAS DOT 78 APPENDIX I CASE EXAMPLES OF PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR KANSAS DOT 86 APPENDIX J EXAMPLE OF CHARTER FOR OREGON DOT 90 APPENDIX K UTAH DOT MEMORANDUM ON IMPLEMENTATION OF PRACTICAL DESIGN 91 APPENDIX L EXAMPLE OF DESIGN EXCEPTION REPORT FOR UTAH DOT Note: Many of the photographs, figures, and tables in this report have been converted from color to grayscale for printing. The electronic version of the report (posted on the Web at www.trb.org) retains the color versions.

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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 specific roadway projects believed to better address the critical needs of the entire roadway system.

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