FAST Act Section 1422 Study on Performance of Bridges |
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Gregory G. Nadeau
Federal Highway Administration
16 November 2016
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 221 (Wednesday, November 16, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80712-80713]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-27504]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[FHWA Docket No. FHWA-2016-0029]
FAST Act Section 1422 Study on Performance of Bridges
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice and request for comment.
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SUMMARY: Section 1422 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation
(FAST) Act directs the Administrator of the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) to commission the Transportation Research Board
of the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study on the
performance of bridges that received funding under the Innovative
Bridge Research and Construction program in meeting the goals of that
program. Section 1422 also directs the Administrator of FHWA to provide
an opportunity for public comment on the study proposal before
commissioning the study. This notice provides the study proposal and
the opportunity for public comment.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 16, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Mail or hand deliver comments to Docket Management Facility:
U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room
W12-140, Washington, DC 20590. You may also submit comments
electronically at www.regulations.gov. All comments should include the
docket number that appears in the heading of this document. All
comments received will be available for examination and copying at the
above address from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays. Those desiring notification of receipt of
comments must include a self-addressed, stamped postcard or you may
print the acknowledgment page that appears after submitting comments
electronically. Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all
comments in any one of our dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf
of an association, business, or labor union). The DOT posts these
comments, without edit, including any personal information the
commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov, as described in the system
of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at
www.dot.gov/privacy.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Derek Constable, Office of Bridges
and Structures, (202) 366-4606, or via email at
derek.constable@dot.gov; Mr. Shay Burrows, Office of Bridges and
Structures, (202) 366-4675, or via email at shay.burrows@dot.gov; for
legal questions, Mr. Robert Black, (202) 366-1359, or via email at
robert.black@dot.gov, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Washington, DC 20590.
Office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., e.t., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Electronic Access
An electronic copy of this notice may be downloaded from the
specific docket page at www.regulations.gov.
Background
As directed by FAST Act Section 1422, FHWA will commission the
Transportation Research Board to conduct a study on the performance of
bridges funded by the Innovative Bridge Research and Construction
(IBRC) program as provided under section 503(b) of Title 23, United
States Code, and in effect on the day before the date of enactment of
the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A
Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The IBRC program was originated by the
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) with the
purpose of demonstrating the application of innovative material
technology in the construction of bridges and other structures. Seven
goals were identified in TEA-21. SAFETEA-LU continued the program, but
amended the program name, purpose, and goals. The program was then
discontinued with the passage of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the
21st Century (MAP-21) Act. The FAST Act directs FHWA to commission the
Transportation Research Board to conduct a study on the performance of
bridges that received funding under the IBRC program. The IBRC program
provided funding to help defray costs on more than 400 projects.
The study will include an analysis of the performance of bridges
that received funding under the IBRC program in meeting the program
goals;
(A) The development of new, cost-effective innovative material
highway bridge applications;
(B) the reduction of maintenance costs and lifecycle costs of
bridges, including the costs of new construction, replacement, or
rehabilitation of deficient bridges;
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(C) the development of construction techniques to increase safety
and reduce construction time and traffic congestion;
(D) the development of engineering design criteria for innovative
products and materials for use in highway bridges and structures;
(E) the development of cost-effective and innovative techniques to
separate vehicle and pedestrian traffic from railroad traffic;
(F) the development of highway bridges and structures that will
withstand natural disasters, including alternative processes for the
seismic retrofit of bridges; and
(G) the development of new nondestructive bridge evaluation
technologies and techniques.
The study also will include an analysis of the utility, compared to
conventional materials and technologies, of each of the innovative
materials and technologies used in projects for bridges under the
program in meeting the needs of the United States in 2015 and in the
future for a sustainable and low lifecycle cost transportation system;
recommendations to Congress on how the installed and lifecycle costs of
bridges could be reduced through the use of innovative materials and
technologies, including, as appropriate, any changes in the design and
construction of bridges needed to maximize the cost reductions; and a
summary of any additional research that may be needed to further
evaluate innovative approaches to reducing the installed and lifecycle
costs of highway bridges.
The FAST Act requires each State that received funds under the
program to provide to the Transportation Research Board any relevant
data needed to carry out the study.
The FHWA proposes to focus the study on only the technologies
implemented by the IBRC program and will only include bridges that
received IBRC program funding. The FHWA's Recommendations to Congress
on how to reduce the installed and life cycle costs of bridges will
also be based upon the IBRC program study and improvements inspired by
the program. In addition, FHWA proposes to focus the study on the
effect of the designs, materials, and construction methods on the
performance of bridges while they are in service.
The FHWA proposes that the assessment of the performance of bridges
while they are in service will use existing information and data that
is known or has already been collected by the bridge owners. The FHWA
proposes the TRB contact recipients of IBRC funding to provide
information and data by interview, survey, and/or release of records.
Interviews and surveys may be required to determine which projects to
focus the study on and to gather relevant background, cost, and
performance information. Records required may include data, documents,
and reports associated with design, construction, in-service
inspection, maintenance, evaluation, monitoring, and other relevant
phases or activities.
Interested parties are invited to provide comment on this study
proposal.
Authority: Sec. 1422, Pub. L. 114-94, 129 Stat. 1312; 49 CFR
1.85.
Dated: November 9, 2016.
Gregory G. Nadeau,
Administrator, Federal Highway Administration.
[FR Doc. 2016-27504 Filed 11-15-16; 8:45 am]
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