Western Federal Lands Highway Division

Deep Patch Repair, Phase I: Analysis and Design

A repair technique known as a deep patch has been widely used in the western U.S. to address settlement and shallow failures in both fill and natural slopes. While deep patches have been used for over 20 years, there has been little information documented about their performance, design, and construction. The objective of this research was to evaluate the deep patch slope repair methodology by analytical methods and field observations for the purpose of developing a simple design method suitable for use by Federal Lands Highway and Forest Service personnel. Literature was reviewed, current design methodologies were documented and site visits were conducted to better understand how the deep patch methodology has been used in the past, to evaluate the performance of in-service deep patch sites and to help authenticate the newly proposed design method. An analytical study was conducted to model the effects of various slope configurations, failure mechanisms, deep patch design geometries, and type of geosynthetics using 2D and 3D computer modeling software. The effects of depth and vertical spacing of the reinforcement on the performance of the deep patch was analyzed in addition to the geometry of the reinforcement at the face of the slope. From these efforts, a new design procedure was developed.

Deep Patch Repair, Phase I: Analysis and Design  (Acrobat, 11.92 MB)

Exploring Bicycle Options for Federal Lands: Bike Sharing, Rentals and Employee Fleets

Federal land management agencies are exploring how bicycle programs can provide employees and visitors with more travel choices, while working toward their environmental, public health and sustainability goals. This report explores three options for making bicycles more readily available in Federal lands: public bicycle sharing programs, bicycle rental operations and employee bicycle fleets.

Exploring Bicycle Options for Federal Lands  (Acrobat, 12.8 MB)

Traffic Monitoring: A Guidebook

Traffic Monitoring: A Guidebook discusses different approaches to traffic monitoring and helping decisions to be made are based on the quality of the traffic data being collected and how well that traffic data reflects the actual events that are occurring. This guidebook should aid the user in developing a basic understanding of traffic data collection principles and procedures. This guidebook will provide an overview of traffic monitoring through simple descriptionswhich explain the various basic concepts related to a successful traffic monitoring program. Furthermore, this document investigates some of the challenges associated with a traffic monitoring program including variability in traffic, adjustment factors, and strategies for assisting with under-funded programs.This guidebook does not attempt to cover every aspect and detail of traffic monitoring but provides a starting point that leads the user to a successful traffic monitoring program.

Traffic Monitoring: A Guidebook  (Acrobat, 5.98 MB)

Traffic Monitoring In Recreational Areas

Traffic monitoring in recreational areas is often challenged by distinct traffic and roadway characteristics and the multitude of agencies responsible for the management of Federal lands and/or the collection of supporting traffic data. These challenges are exacerbated by a lack of consistent procedural guidance; existing national traffic monitoring guidelines lack sufficient direction and detail for recreational travel.

In an effort to improve/lend consistency to traffic monitoring in recreational areas, the Coordinated Technology Implementation Program tasked the Office of Federal Lands Highway-Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) with conducting an assessment of the nationwide practices for recreational traffic data collection. A review of pertinent literature related to recreational traffic data collection was conducted. A targeted survey of various State and local agencies responsible for traffic monitoring was administered. A workshop focused on traffic monitoring in recreational areas was also conducted. Key findings from these activities are briefly described herein.

Traffic Monitoring In Recreational Areas  (Acrobat, 3.56 MB)

CTIP News, 2010, FHWA-WFL/TD 10-001

The Coordinated Federal Lands Highway Technology Implementation Program (CTIP) is a cooperative technology deployment and sharing program between the FHWA Federal Lands Highway office and the Federal land management agencies. It provides a forum for identifying, studying, documenting, and transferring new technology to the transportation community. More information about the CTIP program is available online at www.ctiponline.org.

CTIP News, 2010  (Acrobat, 6.67 MB)

Placement of Warm Mix Asphalt on the East Entrance Road of Yellowstone National Park, FHWA-WFL/TD-09-002

In an effort to deploy the warm mix asphalt (WMA) technology to Federal Lands Highway (FLH) and cooperating agencies, a Coordinated Technology Implementation Program (CTIP) proposal was approved by agency representatives. This CTIP project allowed FLH to take the lead in working with our client agency and contractors to evaluate the viability of warm mix technology as a standard construction practice. The demonstration evaluated two different WMA technologies (Advera and Sasobit) on a construction project on the East Entrance Road of Yellowstone National Park. The mixtures were placed in August/September 2007.

This report documents the results and summarizes the findings of this technology deployment.

Placement of Warm Mix Asphalt on the East Entrance Road of Yellowstone National Park  (Acrobat, 929 KB)

Best Management Practices for Chemical Treatment Systems for Construction Stormwater and Dewatering, FHWA-WFL/TD-09-001

Chemical treatment systems (CTS) are implemented in areas where traditional, physical erosion and sediment control practices will not meet water quality goals for construction site runoff. The purpose of CTS is to reduce the amount of suspended sediment which would be released using conventional erosion control systems. The primary mechanism is the introduction of chemical flocculants into runoff, resulting in a binding of the suspended clays and silts together into larger particles which settle more quickly or can be filtered from the stormwater. Flow control through CTS is of vital importance for the proper dosing of stormwater runoff. All normal hydrologic analyses must be done to insure that reasonable peak flows are accounted for along with typical flows from designed storm events. Once analysis is adequately addressed, then the project can deal with the complexities of design and dose rate requirements.

The overall objectives of this book are twofold. First, it is designed to provide a technically credible basis for best management practices for the use of CTS for turbidity reduction on road construction projects. Secondly, it is designed to identify the most important variables to address when selecting chemical treatment best management practices for a particular site.

Best Management Practices for Chemical Treatment Systems for Construction Stormwater and Dewatering  (Acrobat, 1.78 MB)

CTIP News, 2009, FHWA-WFL/TD-08-004

The Coordinated Federal Lands Highway Technology Implementation Program (CTIP) is a cooperative technology deployment and sharing program between the FHWA Federal Lands Highway office and the Federal land management agencies. It provides a forum for identifying, studying, documenting, and transferring new technology to the transportation community. More information about the CTIP program is available online at www.ctiponline.org.

CTIP News, 2009  (Acrobat, 2.08 MB)

Preserving a Landmark in the Sky: Rehabilitation of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, FHWA-WFL/TD-08-001

Beginning in the late 1800s, visitors started arriving at what is now known as Glacier National Park. In 1900 the area was recognized as a Forest Preserve but was still open to mining and homesteading. President Taft in 1910 designated the land as a National Park, the tenth in the nation.

The construction of the Going-to-the-Sun Road was a huge undertaking. Even today, visitors to the park marvel at how such a road could have been built. The final section of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, over Logan Pass, was completed in 1932 after 11 years of work. The road is considered an engineering feat and is a National Historic Landmark. It is one of the most scenic roads in North America. The construction of the road forever changed the way visitors would experience Glacier National Park. Future visitors would drive over sections of the park that previously had taken days of horseback riding to see.

Just across the border, in Canada, is Waterton Lakes National Park. In 1931, members of the Rotary Clubs of Alberta and Montana suggested joining the two parks as a symbol of the peace and friendship between our two countries. In 1932, the United States and Canadian governments voted to designate the parks as Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, the world’s first. More recently the parks have received two other international honors. The parks are both Biosphere Reserves, and were named as a World Heritage Site in 1995. This international recognition highlights the importance of this area, not just to the United States and Canada, but to the entire world.

While much has changed since the first visitors came to Glacier, it is possible to relive some of Glacier’s early history. You can take a horseback ride like an early visitor. Miles of hiking trails follow routes first used by trappers in the early 1800s. Several hotels and chalets, built by the Great Northern Railway in the early 1900s, house summer guests. A visit to Glacier National Park is still a great adventure!

Come and experience Glacier’s pristine forests, alpine meadows, rugged mountains, and spectacular lakes. With over 700 miles of trails, Glacier is a hiker’s paradise for adventurous visitors seeking wilderness and solitude. Relive the days of old through historic chalets, lodges, transportation, and stories of Native Americans. Explore Glacier National Park and discover what awaits you.

Preserving a Landmark in the Sky: Rehabilitation of the Going-to-the-Sun Road  (Acrobat, 3.28 MB)

A Manager's Guide to Roadside Revegetation Using Native Plants, FHWA-WFL/TD-07-006

This guide is intended to support managers in facilitating successful protection and/or establishment of native vegetation as an integral part of road design and construction. This report summarizes the concepts and approaches developed in Roadside Revegetation: An Integrated Approach to Establishing Native Plants, from a manager’s perspective. While the full report is designed for field-level practitioners, it is this reference document that engineers and managers should use as a guide in project planning, design, and construction. This guide summarizes an integrated approach to effectively revegetating roadsides and other disturbance areas associated with road construction, modification, or obliteration. Management issues including scope, schedules, budgets, communication, and quality assurance are outlined as they relate to integrating revegetation practices.

By incorporating an integrated approach to revegetation into project management, the end product, the finished road, will be a better product. The driving public, partners, and other communities affected by road projects—including the plants, animals, and other forms of life—will be better served by this approach.

Additional training and information is available online at http://www.nativerevegetation.org/.

A Manager’s Guide to Roadside Revegetation Using Native Plants  (Acrobat, 3.36 MB)

Roadside Revegetation: An Integrated Approach to Establishing Native Plants

Native plants are a foundation of ecological function, affecting soil conservation, wildlife habitat, plant communities, invasive species, and water quality. Establishing locally-adapted, self-sustaining plant communities can also support transportation goals for safety and efficiency.

Past obstacles to establishing native plant communities on roadsides have been technical, informational, and organizational. Effective strategies and practical techniques for revegetating the disturbed conditions with limited resources must be made available to practitioners. Multiple disciplines, ranging from engineering to soil science, ecology, botany, and wildlife science, must be able to work cooperatively, not in isolation.

This report offers an integrated approach to facilitate the successful establishment of native plants along roadsides and other areas of disturbance associated with road modifications. It guides readers through a comprehensive process of: 1) initiating, 2) planning, 3) implementing, and 4) monitoring a roadside revegetation project with native plants.

Additional training and information is available online at http://www.nativerevegetation.org/.

Roadside Revegetation (Complete Text)  (Acrobat, 15.95 MB)

Sections:

• Introduction  (Acrobat, 1.08 MB)
• Chapter 1  (Acrobat, 458 KB)
• Chapter 2  (Acrobat, 209 KB)
• Chapter 3  (Acrobat, 15.97 MB)
• Chapter 4  (Acrobat, 467 KB)
• Chapter 5  (Acrobat, 1.77 MB)
• Chapter 6  (Acrobat, 1.08 MB)
• Chapter 7  (Acrobat, 225 KB)
• Chapter 8  (Acrobat, 375 KB)
• Chapter 9  (Acrobat, 397 KB)
• Chapter 10  (Acrobat, 8.4 MB)
• Chapter 11  (Acrobat, 234 KB)
• Chapter 12  (Acrobat, 469 KB)
• Chapter 13  (Acrobat, 130 KB)
• Bibliography  (Acrobat, 2.59 MB)

Successful Roadside Revegetation Using Native Plants (DVD)

The use of native plants in roadside revegetation has evolved as a much better approach for the ecosystem. This DVD documents the processes and techniques used in successful and innovative projects that used native plants for roadside revegetation. (The DVD contains both SD and HD versions. Explore the disk on a computer to watch the HD version.)

Current and Innovative Solutions to Roadside Revegetation Using Native Plants

The use of native plants in roadside revegetation has evolved as more and more resource management agencies prescribe the practice as a much better approach for ecosystem. However, this practice is not widely used by state and local agencies that are responsible for building majority of the roads. The goals and priorities of those responsible to successfully complete roadside revegetation projects are as diverse as the methods used to accomplish them. Even for the most seasoned revegetation professional, achieving success is not guaranteed. A domestic scan was initiated by the Federal Highway Administration to facilitate understanding about the processes and techniques used in successful and innovative projects that used native plants for roadside revegetation.

This report summarizes the observations, discussions and broad conclusions of nationally-recognized revegetation specialists during the 2009 scan tour. A key finding was that there are many interconnected elements involved in both the technical and non-technical aspects of the revegetation process – all of which should be addressed in a project revegetation plan. Notably, the non-technical aspects—planning, design, implementation, monitoring, and maintenance—were found to be just as critical to the success of revegetation projects as the technical aspects.

Current and Innovative Solutions to Roadside Revegetation Using Native Plants  (Acrobat, 3.9 MB)

Endangered Species Act: Build Smart, FHWA-WFL/TD-07-004

To provide the best possible quality of life and protect our diverse environment construction activity must be planned, designed, and executed with the highest possible regard for the environment. For construction and development, federal agencies have been assigned a special leadership role to demonstrate best construction practices. The federal agencies and state departments of transportation are working hard to provide regional programs and training for ESA that relate specifically to highway construction and maintenance. These two CDs are designed to acquaint highway construction inspection personnel with the ESA and to help them direct their contractor to Build Smart. The CDs provide information useful to both the experienced and inexperienced inspector. Disk 1 covers an introduction to the ESA, compliance to the ESA, and a review of the independent duties an agency has under the ESA. Disk 2 covers constructing to the ESA, two case histories, and additional resources for inspectors. Presentations include graphics, videos, and photographs throughout the CDs, which summarize key items discussed in the text. Navigation through the CDs is accomplished by using the navigation bar on the left hand side of the screen and the continue button that appears inside discussion topics.

Endangered Species Act: Build Smart  (Acrobat, 288 KB)

Pathways to Tomorrow: Transportation Education for Tribal Professionals, FHWA-WFL/TD-07-003

The purpose of this series is to educate the community, the leadership, and specifically the individual(s) put in charge of moving tribal citizens and goods in a safe and efficient manner. This series is additionally intended for the educator who is promoting safety for our children and other community members.

Within this booklet you will find a DVD containing short films on various topics along with a brief description of each short film. Use this to educate yourself and others in transportation and its effects on our lives. You will also find websites and supplemental information that can further your understanding and outreach efforts.

Pathways to Tomorrow: Transportation Education for Tribal Professionals  (Acrobat, 641 KB)

Application of Ground Anchors and Soil Nails in Roadway Construction, FHWA-WFL/TD-07-002

Application of Ground Anchors and Soil Nails in Roadway Construction includes five multimedia presentations that describe and explain the principles of science and engineering related to the construction of ground anchors and soil nail wall systems. The objective for the first module, Introduction to the Inspection of Soil Nails and Ground Anchors, is to offer an introduction to drilled soil nails and ground anchor technologies, especially relating to installation, testing, and inspection. Recognizing the extensive knowledge base for these topics, this module forms the prerequisite to the advanced topics offered in the second and third modules. The two advanced modules are in alignment with existing FHWA reports and permit more digital features to be introduced to enhance learning.

The Inspection of Soil Nail Walls module includes metric conversion screens and very extensive features for viewers with disabilities. Interactive animation, video, practice exercises, and checklists are provided throughout the module, summarizing key items discussed in the text. Printable blank forms and checklists are included via web browser access in the contract documentation section. These forms are used by the inspector during the construction inspection process to record important data concerning the installation and testing of either the ground anchors or soil nails. Of special significance and digital complexity are the comprehensive corrosion protection schematic sequences detailing current design and construction practice for Bar and Multi-Strand tendons, under both Class 1 and Class 2 protection.

Application of Ground Anchors and Soil Nails in Roadway Construction  (Acrobat, 749 KB)

Road Engineering and Construction Practices for Cold Regions, FHWA-WFL/TD-07-001

Road Engineering and Construction Practices for Cold Regions CD includes multimedia presentations that describe and explain the principles of science and engineering related to road engineering and construction for cold regions. The contents are presented on 275 pages accessible sequentially or in any order through the use of a sophisticated navigation system. The text is augmented by 159 photographs, 248 figures, PowerPoint^® slide shows, clickable Internet links, downloadable software, and 175 complete reference documents. Guest speakers describe cold regions problems and solutions in the "Expert Speaks" series of twenty audio clips and fifteen video clips.

This presentation may be appreciated at several interest levels. Readers with limited cold regions experience can achieve a basic overview of the field by simply reading the text, perusing the photographs, and watching the videos. Professionals seeking in-depth understanding can study the figures, read reference documents, listen to audio clips, download and use software, and explore Internet resources. Continued exposure to the fundamental principles underlying engineering and construction practices will improve one's ability to successfully complete engineering projects in cold regions.

Road Engineering and Construction Practices for Cold Regions  (Acrobat, 594 KB)