News

GRS-IBS Offers Unique Advantages in the Construction of Small Bridges

Posted & filed under LHTAC News, Technical Articles.

Instead of conventional bridge support technology, Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil (GRS) Integrated Bridge System (IBS) technology uses alternating layers of compacted granular fill material and fabric sheets of geotextile reinforcement to provide support for the bridge. GRS also provides a smooth transition from the bridge onto the roadway, and alleviates the “bump at the bridge” problem caused by uneven settlement between the bridge and approaching roadway. The technology offers unique advantages in the construction of small bridges, including:

  • Reduced construction time and cost, with costs reduced 25 to 60 percent from conventional construction methods.
  • Easy to build with common equipment and materials; easy to maintain because of fewer parts.
  • Flexible design that’s easily modified in the field for unforeseen site conditions, including unfavorable weather conditions.

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New Year and New Changes to the Road Scholar Program

Posted & filed under T2 News.

The Road Scholar/Road Master Program is managed at a state level to provide training in the latest road-related technologies and innovation to all transportation workers. The Idaho Road Scholar Program is a way for local road professionals in our state to be recognized for successfully completing a series of training courses. The program curriculum is designed to provide participants with the fundamentals of safety, management, and advanced technologies, as well as exposure to a wide variety of other topics relevant to the transportation field. Through this program, the local agencies will also be provided an opportunity to develop the agencies’ greatest asset – its employees. (more…)

Next EDC Exchange April 3, 2014

Posted & filed under Every Day Counts Initiative.

EDC Exchange for Local and Tribal Agencies
Intelligent Compaction: Understanding the Technology

This EDC Exchange will focus on real world examples of where Intelligent Compaction (IC) has been used by contractors. Local public agencies can benefit from this technology by adapting IC roller retrofit kits to existing vibratory rollers. It gives the local public agency the opportunity to upgrade their existing fleets and take advantage of this technology. The implementation of this technology and the availability of retrofits kits make using IC more affordable to everyone.

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Who’s Most at Risk of Driving Drowsy

Posted & filed under Technical Articles.

Anyone who drives is at risk of falling asleep at the wheel, but some groups of people are more at risk than others. They include:


• Young drivers – Combining inexperience with sleepiness and a tendency to drive at night puts young people at risk, especially males aged 16-25 years.

• Shift workers and people working long hours – People who work night shifts, rotating shifts, double shifts or work more than one job have a six-fold increase in drowsy driving crashes.

• Commercial drivers – Those who drive a high number of miles and drive at night are at significantly higher risk for fall-asleep crashes. Commercial drivers have also been found to be at a high risk for sleep disorders.

• People with untreated sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) – People with untreated OSA are up to seven times more likely to have a drowsy driving crash. For some people insomnia can increase fatigue.

• Business travelers – Frequent travelers who may be suffering from jet lag and crossing time zones, spending long hours behind the wheel or getting too little sleep. http://drowsydriving.org

Drowsy Driving

Posted & filed under Technical Articles.

By Tom Odegaard Executive Director Evergreen Safety Council

According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) surveys, half of Americans consistently report that they have driven drowsy and approximately 20% admit that they have actually fallen asleep at the wheel in the previous year.

Did You Know:
100,000 crashes each year are caused by fatigued drivers? Each year drowsy driving crashes result in at least 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary losses? 55% of drowsy driving crashes are caused by drivers less than 25 years old? Being awake for 18 hours is equal to a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08%, which in every state is the legal limit for driving under the influence (DUI) and leaves you at equal risk for a crash?

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