State Planning & Research (SP&R) Program - Part 2

The following "problem statements" were ideas for the state planning and research program for Federal fiscal year 2006, which ran from October 1, 2005 through September 30, 2006.  All documents are in PDF.

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Problem Title :  Statewide Level-of-Service Map and Model

Problem Statement : Develop a statewide level-of-service (LOS) map and associated model to provide LOS on each highway of the State Highway System.  LOS should follow the LOS definitions in the Highway Capacity Manual.

Develop a map for GIS uses and model for continual updating.  GIS uses must be compatible with ODOT GIS system.

Develop the scale critieria for the map, but the scale should include ODOT control sections.

Contact Person:

Problem Title :  GIS Portal for Transportation and Economic Statistics

Problem Statement : Develop interactive GIS system for transportation statistics to interface with socio-economic statistics such as population, educational level, income levels, employment levels within specificed distances of transportation facilities (highways, transit systems, rail facilities, airports) for development of economic development proposals.  Other economic development statistics and characteristics may need to be defined.

Close cooperation with Oklahoma's economic development agencies and personnel will be required.

GIS uses must be compatible with the ODOT GIS system.

Contact Person:

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Problem Title :  Asset Management Program

Problem Statement : Survey other DOT's to define a clear understanding of the objectives and provide alternate approaches for an Asset Management Program to layout a functional Asset Management Program for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT).  What can be added to existing programs that will increase present functionality.

Please Note: This information must be provided in a safe workable format conducive to the application(s) that are utilized by ODOT.

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Problem Title :  Truck Weight Enforcement

Problem Statement : Survey other DOT's to determine what may be the least expensive, most cost effective mix of fixed weigh stations, mobile enforcement, WIM's, virtual enforcement, and possible other technology to provide optimum monitoring of Oversize/Overweight vehicles to reduce damage to Oklahoma's roads and bridges.

Contact Person:

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Problem Title :  Investigation of Bridge Element Strength

Problem Statement : Investigate Bridge Element Strength (high-early -vs- maturity meter) Adhesion, strength, flexibility, load transfer, concrete strength, member strength, etc.

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Problem Title :  Follow up on previous "Performance of CRCP in Oklahoma" research projects.

Problem Statement : Follow up on previous "Performance of CRCP in Oklahoma" research projects.

Background : ODOT has published two previous reports on this subject area in 1991 and 1996.  In 1996, the Pavement Design Engineer had a concern about the "Y" and cluster cracking pattern exhibited in our newer CRCP and the effect it might have on future performance.  John Hallin, FHWA and later national ACPA, was called in to survey our CRCP and give advice.

Tasks : Tasks would include completing and updating the CRCP database, using PM data and field observations to assess condition of pavements, attempting to correlate distresses to different variables (base type, % reinforcing, absence of transverse steel, tied vs. free or AC shoulders, tube fed vs. tied steel, season or time of day of construction, and other design features), and writing followup report.

Time Frame : 12 - 18 months

Contact Person:

Problem Title :  Monitor new bonded overlay projects.

Problem Statement : Monitor new bonded overlay projects.

Background : ODOT constructed a 4" bonded overlay (BOL) on I-40 near Vian using an unified technique for creating the dowel bar retofit slots on the existing JPCP.  It has experianced some early cracking.  Another 3" BOL was placed over a 9" mesh dowel concrete pavement with badly distressed joints on I-44 just North of Lawton.  It has experienced early cracking.  Additional BOLs include on at Czech Hall Road on Iᆼ and one in Cherokee County on SH-51 ?  ODOT needs to know how BOLs will perform in these situations.

Tasks : Monitor and record the appearance of distresses and write report on BOLs in a few years.

Time Frame : 24 - 30 months

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Problem Title :  Investigate causes of premature longitudinal cracking on some new DJCP.

Problem Statement : Investigate causes of premature longitudinal cracking on some new DJCP.

Background : A DJCP that was constructed in 1999 on SH-99 North of Seminole has a longitudinal crack that apeared shortly after construction and extends for 2.0 miles in the Northbound right lane.  Similarly, a new DJCP on US-77 North of Norman exhibited longitudinal cracking shortly after construction.

Tasks : Pull plans, talk to Residency, get daily diaries, take cores.  Write short report about findings.

Time Frame : 9 months

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Problem Title :  Repair & Seal Depressed Cracks in Asphalt Pavement - Materials and Methods

Problem Statement : Investigate successful materials and construction methods to repair & seal depressed cracks in asphalt pavement.

Compare Oklahoma projects of repair, reconstruction and full depth recycle.

Survey other states for successful repair projects with climatological data.

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Problem Title :  Validation of the CoreDry and CoreReader Apparatus

Problem Statement : The CoreDry apparatus dries asphalt roadway cores.  These cores are typically saturated with water during the drilling process.  The typical core is 6 inches in diameter and 2-8 inches thick.  A minimum drying period of overnight in an oven is typically required.  Some cores require more than 24 hours to fully dry.  The CoreDry may enable ODOT and Contractors to obtain test results quickly.  With roadway density being the most critical characteristic for asphalt pavement performance, this device would be of great benefit.  The current oven drying process is described in our OHD L-14 and AASHTO T 166.
The vendor's web site is http://instrotek.com/products.htm.

The CoreReader apparatus measures the bulk specific gravity of asphalt roadway cores and laboratory compacted specimens.  It could be investigated as an alternate method for our OHD L-45 test method or AASHTO T 275 (wax coated).  OHD L-45 uses a vacuum apparatus to determine the bulk specific gravity of cores when the absorption is greater than two percent by OHD L-14 or AASHTO T 166.
The vendor's web site is http://www.troxlerlabs.com/PRODUCTS/corereader.shtml

Objectives : Validation of the CoreDry apparatus or the CoreDry and CoreReader apparatus for implementation.

Researchers should produce a modified OHDL-14 Method of Test for Determining the Specific Gravity and Unit Weight of Compacted Bituminous Mixtures procedure should either device prove valid.

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Problem Title :  Recycled asphalt mixes

Problem Statement : Survey the ODOT field divisions pertaining to possible problems with recycled asphalt mixes.  Provide detailed data, especially when used in surface treatments.

Possibly follow or combine with field investigation of specific projects.

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Problem Title :  New Materials Lab

Problem Statement : Evaluate possible laboratory plans, utility and equipment needs for a new Materials Lab.

Objectives : Survey other states for services provided and the equipment necessary.

Identify ODOT's materials laboratory equipment needs.

Recommend equipment or other issues that we haven't considered.

Provide a practicable and workable floor plan with utility data and costs.

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Problem Title :  Investigate the Performance of UTW Projects on US-69 Near McAlester to Provide Longer Term Rehabilitation Options for Lower Volume Roadways

Problem Statement : Perform research on one or all of the Ultra-Thin Whitetopping (UTW) Projects on US-69 near McAlester.  Possible deliverables would include: number of ESALs supplied to date, distress survey, projection of ESAL's until failure or some other milestone (such as major repair), cost efficiency versus conventional whitetopping and maintenance requirement to date versus previous rehabilitation projects.

Background : The UTW project on US-69 near McAlester is in pristine condition. Since construction two more similar sections have been let to contract. The design for these projects are not sanctioned by the Roadway Division of the Oklahoma Department Of Transportation and have been implemented out of necessity and as a sort of trial basis.

Early indications are that this is a viable paving option, but long term performance has yet to be verified locally. There have been studies performed by the FHWA at their Accelerated Load Facility and there are other states using this concept successfully. Although this technique was developed for lower volume roads, by using it on a high truck traffic road an accelerated testing facility at our disposal. By looking at the traffic loading this project has taken, you should be able to project the same performance onto a lower volume roadway and discover a rehabilitation option that would yield a thirt-year performance instead of ten-year performance.

Contact Person:

Problem Title :  Investigate the I-40 'Vian' Bonded Concrete Overlay Project

Problem Statement : Perform research on the I-40 Vian project to determine the exact nature of the failure mode.

Background : There have been several successful Bonded Concrete Overlays (BCOs) constructed in Oklahoma over the last few years but the BCO project on I-40 near Vian has some problems.  The project differs from all the rest in two ways.  First is the obvious, each existing transverse joint was milled out full width with a cold mill with a dowel basket placed in the milled out area over the joint and then covered monolithically with the placement of the overlay.  This theory became suspect when maintenance crews discovered de-bonding at the full depth replacement sections (these joints were not milled out).

Second and not so obvious is the method of surface cleaning.  The entire surface was cold milled which in itself is normal, however, instead of brooming the cold mill dust off the surface and then air blasted, the surface was cleaned by wet brooming which created a slurry.  This slurry may have inadvertently been forced into the pores of the surface by the broom thereby decreasing the ability to bond.

Contact Person:

Problem Title :  Calibrate and Validate the Inputs Needed to Implement the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide

Problem Statement : The Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (M-EPDG) is a new product resulting from the efforts initiated by the AASHTO Joint Task Force on Pavements and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) to enhance and improve existing pavement design procedures.  This Design guide will eventually replace the AASHTO 1993 Guide that is currently being used by most states (including ODOT).

The M-EPDG performance models were calibrated and validated primarily using data from the Long Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program.  Each agency has to also undertake a local calibration effort to verify the accuracy of the national calibration coefficients for the specific local conditions, and recalibrate the models if necessary.  This is not a simple task and will require a great deal of effort to evaluate the inputs needed to accurately reflect the uniqueness of pavement needs for the Oklahoma system.

Movement toward this new design procedure is imperative.  ODOT stands to save substantial resources over the long term by more accurately predicting pavement performance.  One of the great features of this method is the ability to predict distress levels over time.  This should be a great help in the pavement management area and provide much needed information for Life Cycle Cost Analysis.

Contact Person:

Problem Title :  Determine the remaining capacity of deteriorated timber bridge pile

Problem Statement : Determine a simplistic method to estimate the remaining capacity of deteriorated timber bridge pile.

Objectives :
1)  Determine a simplistic method to estimate the remaining capacity of deteriorated timber bridge pile.

    Pontis database shows there are:
        85 state highway bridges supported by exposed timber pile (2,200 pile).
        Of these, 71 bridges have been in place over 65 years (1,949 pile).

        395 local bridges supported by exposed timber pile (4,019 pile).
        Of these, 151 bridges have been in place over 65 years (1,327 pile)

    Failure methods:
        Decay, Cracking, Hollowing, Bending, Local Buckling

Benefit:  Increase information when making Maintenance and Replacement decisions, and reduce either the risk to ODOT caused by not load restricting a bridge low enough or reducing the economic impact by allowing a bridge to be less restricted than what ODOT might otherwise do.

2)   a)  Determine the effectiveness of fiberwrap/epoxy-filled pile repair.
       b)  Determine the effectiveness of various timber pile repairs.

Background :
November 2005 letting - ODOT has scheduled the replacement of 6 bridges (Love County, SH-32 over the Walnut Bayou)
   4 of the 6 bridges are supported by timber pile (100 pile)
   Sept. 2003 - Fiber-wrap repairs were made to 6 of the 10 bent piling of the
   bridge 4306-1451X.
  1)  The four unmodified piling could be used for estimating the compressive and
        bending capacity of the piling at the time of repair.
  2)   a)  The six repaired could be used for estimating the effectiveness of the repairs.
  2)   b)  Of the remaining 90 pile, most have been modified by various repair methods,
        while a few have not been modified.
If funding allowed, the information from testing the other 90 pile could augment the satistical information provided by 1 and 2a.

Contact Person:

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Problem Title :  Modeling of 85th Percentile Speed for Rural Highways for Enhanced Traffic Safety

Problem Statement : Traffic operations on two-lane rural highways and setting realistic speed limits are some of the difficult tasks faced by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT).  For such highways, over taking slower vehicles is possible only by the use of the opposing lane where site distance and gap in the opposing traffic stream play a key role.  While, most states, including Oklahoma, use the 85th percentile speed as a major factor in determining posted speeds for rural highways, other factors such as pavement width, type and width of shoulder, topography, weather, roadside development, and accident experience also play an important role in determining posted speeds.  In recent years neural network models have been used successfully for many engineering problems, including modeling 85th percentile speeds in rural highways in Kansas.  Similar models are needed for Oklahoma for enhanced traffic safety on rural highways in the state.  A neural network model based on appropriate pavement, traffic and environmental data can be an effective tool for ODOT to enhance traffic safety in the state.  Research is needed to develop such a model.

Objective : This project will help revise a model that was developed by OU for ODOT in 1996.  This model will produce an effective tool for ODOT to enhance traffic safety within the State of Oklahoma.

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Problem Title :  Usage of alternative methods in lieu of positive barrier walls to channelize and seperate two-way traffic on ODOT construction projects

Problem Statement : Evaluate and consider usage of alternatives to seperate two-way traffic on ODOT construction projects from a risk assessment standpoint and develop guidelines for use.

Other state DOT's such as Missouri, Kansas, Colorado could be surveyed for centerline delineation, barrier types and usage.

Indices could include traffic volumes, classification of highway, accident history, physical length of project, duration of project, percent trucks, seasonal weather conditions for the project and more.  In some instances there is no question as to whether or not positive barrier walls should be used, but other applications, the risks may be minimal and an alternative system may be cost effective.

Contact Person:

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Problem Title :  Cost Determination and Strategies for Bridge Replacement -vs- Rehabilitation

Problem Statement : Survey other DOT's for processes, priorities and/or policies for bridge replacement and rehabilitation.

Development of guidelines/decision tools for determining cost effectiveness of rehabilitation -vs- replacement of bridge structures by different types and rehab strategies.

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Problem Title :  Bridge Replacement Priorities

Problem Statement : Survey other DOT's for processes, priorities and/or policies for bridge replacement.

Develop processes to determine and prioritize for bridges >50 yrs. to be replaced.

What factors should be included and what weight should they have to determine priority.

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Problem Title :  Public Perception of Delay/Duration of Construction Projects

Problem Statement : Oklahoma highway construction projects affect thousands of motorists every day.  With the delay experienced by motorists, and the duration of these projects, the Department has tried a variety of contracting methods to accelerate progress and/or decrease motorist delay.  What is the public's perception of cost, or inconviences of the delay/duration of construction projects and what is received in value or benifit from these methods.

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Problem Title :  Future effects of Rail Freight capacity on Oklahoma's highway system

Problem Statement : During the Statewide Intermodal Transportation plan development, Rail and Freight capacity are of a concern in the Nation's Rail System and to their pontential impact on Oklahoma's rail and highway systems.  Investigate these concerns and potential effects, and provide solutions to problems identified.

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Problem Title :  Pedological -vs- In-Place Soil Surveys

Problem Statement : Survey other DOT's for benefits and/or liability issues, determination of method usage, and make recommendations for Pedological -vs- In-Place Soil Surveys.

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Problem Title :  Funding availability for improvements to Oklahoma's transportation infrastructure.

Problem Statement : Determine the long-term effects of ODOT's funding and spending on construction projects by forcasting rates based on actual, inflationary and ideal conditions.

Objectives : Comparison of the monies available for improvements as compared to monies spent by categories, also providing for increased and decreased amounts and percentages.

Categories to include, but not limited to, expenditures for right-of-way, utility relocation, mitigation efforts, planning efforts, design efforts, etc.

Show amounts and percentages available for actual construction when compared to increasing property values, increased utility relocation costs, additional mitigation requirements, increased costs for planning & design, etc.

Determine while an increase of money available, if the percentage available for actual construction is decreasing and compare to the needs of the infrastructure.

Determine if the system's needs will continue to increase and at what rate that may be greater than the funding availability due to increased traffic volumes in critical areas.

Determine the long term effects and impact that the funding scenario has on the ODOT's ability to conduct business.

Presentation of the effects of the statistically analyzed data and illustrated via graphs, charts or other visual representations.

Contact Person:

Problem Title :  Develop An Improved System for Contract Time Determination

Problem Statement : Over the last twenty years contract time has become an increasingly important element of highway construction projects.

Excessive contract time is costly, extends the construction workers' exposure to traffic, prolongs the inconvenience to the public and subjects motorists to less than desirable safety conditions for longer periods of time.

Insufficient contract time results in higher bids, overrun of contract time, increased claims, substandard performance and safety issues.

ODOT should strive for the shortest practical duration of traffic interruption during highway construction.

ODOT currently relies upon; a rule of thumb, ie...1-span bridge = 90 calendar days, 2-span bridge = 120 calendar days, etc..., or a manually developed critical activity schedule, CPM, to determine contract time for construction projects.  Provided the personnel that performs this function has a considerable amount of working experience with the contract time process and plenty of time to manually produce the CPM, a reasonable contract time can be determined.  Absent the extensive work experience or necessary lead time the establishment of a reasonable contract time is a hit or miss proposition.  Recognizing that time is money, ODOT should take advantage of available computer software to automate, enhance and update the contract time determination system in an effort to establish reasonable contract time.
The proposed system should:

Provide a rational system for establishing reasonable contract time for highway construction projects.

Provide a procedure to account for significant changes, flexible start date, seasonal limitation, project phasing, specific project requirements, etc..., that could affect the estimated contract time.

    Provide a basis for better planning of resources for construction projects.

    Provide documentation for a stronger defense in contract time disputes.

Allow less experienced personnel to gain confidence as they learn how to consistently estimate reasonable contract times.

Objectives :
Review the contract time determination procedures currently in use at ODOT and other DOT's.

Develop models or templates that represent the various types of highway construction projects performed by ODOT Contractors.

Determine the controlling pay items or activities for each type of ODOT construction project model/template.

Develop minimum, average and maximum production rates for each controlling item to use with the ODOT construction project models/templates.

Develop a computer system for ODOT personnel to use when estimating contract time for highway construction projects.

Develop a user manual and train ODOT personnel in the use of the new system.

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Problem Title :  Effect of Increased Fleet Miles Per Gallon (MPG) and Hybrid Vehicle Development on State Fuel Tax Revenue

Problem Statement : Study the various scenarios of increasing fleet vehicle MPGs on the revenue generated by the state fuel tax.  Also include the effect of hybrid vehicle development and incorporation into the state vehicle mix.

Also include the effect of non-petroleum based fuels, such as biofuels, on the potential impacts to the state fuel tax revenue.

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Problem Title :  Rail Needs Assessment

Problem Statement : Inventory and assess the needs of the Oklahoma rail system.  Primary attention should be paid to the State-owned rail system. Identify rail strengths and weakness.  Assess State system for new higher-load rail hoppers and interconnectivity with private rail lines and facilities.  Develop GIS capable inventory of rail facilities.  GIS uses must be compatible with ODOT GIS System

Assess safety factors (such as rail/highway/county road crossing safety) of all rail lines

Assess need for intermodal rail transfer facilities.

Contact Person:

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General questions and questions not related to inquiries and/or responses to the above problem statements can be e-mailed to the Planning & Research Division

or in writing to: