Increasingly, state departments of transportation (DOTs) are challenged to design and build longer life facilities that result in a higher level of user satisfaction for the public. One of the strategies for achieving longer life facilities is to use innovative technologies and practices. In order to foster new technologies and practices, experts from state DOTs, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), academia and industry must collaborate to identify and examine new and emerging technologies and systems. The implementation of cost effective research and new technologies is important to change how we do business by improving our products and services. Implementation of new innovations requires considerable resources (time and money) to integrate the technologies into the day to day business practices for DOTs. This project will promote promising ready to deploy innovations that can be used by other DOTs and hence save time and money for agencies. Communicating successful research products throughout the US is essential for proving that research products can be integrated into DOTs that make a difference. An ongoing forum is needed to provide broad national leadership that can rapidly address the challenges facing DOTs with the adoption of new technologies. This pooled fund project will assist in promoting successful technology transfer among participating DOTs, in which partner states will contribute and identify their innovations that can be used by other DOTs. The project will increase awareness among participating agencies about promising technologies and will help in the development of marketing plans for these technologies. The project will also help in identifying training classes needed for specific research topics for member State DOTs. This project is a continuation of the Missouri DOT led project began in 2011. Many states share information between their peers of other states. This is through many different disciplines and includes many personnel within State DOTs. For the pooled fund to be successful it should not become so large in different topics and be time consuming that it becomes difficult to coordinate within the different organizations. Thus the pooled fund will focus on non-snow and ice maintenance activities by the participating the State DOT’s. This is also being selected because with tight economic budgets there is much more to done with innovation in the maintenance area and State DOTs can learn from each other in a coordinated effort. The focus will not include snow and ice operations, since the pooled fund TPF-5(218); Clear Roads Winter Highway Operations is covering this topic.

Through this pooled fund project, the Ohio Department of Transportation will work with other State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) to facilitate the implementation of promising non-snow and ice maintenance innovations and technologies. This project provides a forum for State DOTs to share their maintenance innovations with each other, support technology transfer activities and develop marketing and deployment plans for the implementation of selected innovations. Resources will be provided for implementing the innovations that includes travel, training and other technology transfer activities. This project is a continuation of the previous project initiated and led by the Missouri DOT TPF-5(239). In addition, it will capture and build on the momentum created by the Maintenance Peer Network. It is anticipated that this consortium will become the national forum for state involvement in the technical exchange needed for collaboration and new initiatives, and be a forum for advancing the application and benefit of research technologies. In addition, the project will create a searchable database or warehouse where innovations and research done relating to highway maintenance can be found and showcased. State participation in this process will be through the pooled fund. FHWA, industry and others will be invited to participate in the project discussions and activities. Workshops will continue to be provided for the states participating in the pooled fund project. This project will help DOTs to save time and money by not investing in the same research that has already been performed by other State DOTs. Hence rather than having each DOT identify and implement research separately, DOTs can work collectively through this pooled fund project. The Ohio DOT will serve as the lead state for the execution of the pooled fund project described in this proposal. The Ohio DOT will handle all administrative duties associated with the project.

We request that participating states contribute $10,000 each for the fiscal years 2015 through 2017. 1) Identify promising innovations and technologies ready for implementation within Maintenance activities, developed by the participating State DOTs, non-participating DOTs and outside entities. 2) Develop marketing plans for selected ready to deploy innovations and technologies 3) Organize training classes about specific research topics for member State DOTs. 4) Develop searchable database where innovations and research projects developed across the country can be identified and accessed. Although the minimum commitment has been met, No Boundaries is still encouraging and accepting new members. Contact Brian Hirt at brian.hirt@ctcandassociates.com if your agency would like to become a member.