HIGHWAYS: HOW STATE AGENCIES ADOPT NEW PAVEMENT TECHNOLOGIES

The General Accounting Office (GAO) was asked to determine (1) how highway pavement technologies are adopted for use, (2) the extent to which the states use selected technologies, (3) the criteria (cost or performance measures) the states use in adopting selected technologies and (4) barriers that prevent the states from adopting selected technologies. In order to analyze the technology adoption decision process, GAO surveyed the 51 state highway agencies (including the District of Columbia) and requested examples of their technology evaluations for six selected technologies (fabrics to reduce reflective cracking, crack and seating, water sensitive asphalt mix design, hot mix recycling, retrofit edge drains, and undersealing). GAO found that highway agencies have widely differing levels of experience with the six selected technologies. While performance and cost are the most important factors in agency decisions about technologies, GAO found highway agencies that used the selected technologies regardless of evaluation performance results. From agency responses, GAO also identified several other factors that might be barriers to the adoption of technology. Three general conditions about the decision process that illustrate the difficulties inherent in the adoption of cost-effective technologies by highway agencies were observed. Highway agencies tend to operate in an environment where (1) pavement research, development, and adoption processes appear fragmented, (2) the highway pavement technology adoption process tends to vary by state as well as by technology, and (3) technology evaluations are often less than comprehensive in measures, methods, and reporting details.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.gao.gov/docdblite/summary.php?recflag=&rptno=PEMD-88-19
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, Committee on Public Works and Transportation, House of Representatives.
• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. General Accounting Office

  441 G Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20548
• Publication Date: 1988-8

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 121 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Costs; Data collection; Decision making; Driver rehabilitation; Pavement design; Pavement maintenance; Pavements; Performance; State departments of transportation; Surveys; Technological innovations; Technology; Utilization
• Uncontrolled Terms: Rehabilitation
• Old TRIS Terms: Highway pavement
• Subject Areas: Design; Finance; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Pavements; Research; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I61: Equipment and Maintenance Methods;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00485300
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: GAO/PEMD-88-19
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 31 1989 12:00AM