Kansas DOT Research Project Implementation Presented By Rick Kreider (Chief of Research) Created By Susan Barker (T 2 Engineer)

All Research Results are Implemented! Implementation Plans are executed on all contracted Research that has published results with the exception of Pooled Fund Projects. The Thesis you started out with may not be Implemented but the RESULTS of the Research Project are Implemented. The Results may indicate that the project should not be Executed again, but you are Implementing the Results of the Research Project by not doing the proposed project.

EXAMPLE 1: Research to look at installing signs to turn on your hazard lights during pilot car operation in a construction Zone. Results showed that using Hazard Lights made no difference in safety in the construction zone. The results of the Research Project indicated that this action had no benefit and should not be done. Benefit/Cost for implementation was figured on the cost of installing the signs on construction projects over a three-year period. Thus a savings (benefit) was received by implementing the results of the Research without implementing the project idea.

Implementation is formally considered at each stage of project development A Research Implementation Plan (RIP) is completed for each published Research Report. RIP is prepared by the Project Monitor with assistance from the KDOT Technology Transfer Engineer Before the Tech Transfer Engineer walked the Project Monitors through the RIP paper work, very few were completed. (30-minute Meeting!)

Suggested Benefit Categories

How Benefit info is Used Reported to the Research Program Council (Management at KDOT, Local FHWA, Kansas Association of Counties, KU and KSU Engineering Deans. Current program Benefit/Cost Ratio for Projects Implemented is 16.2:1 with 58 % of the Projects Implemented. (When the program first started-1989, it was common practice to say that a lot of Research projects were not Implemented when the results of the project did not find a cost benefit. Now we look at Implementing the results of the Research not necessarily the thesis of the project.)

EXAMPLE 2: Fiber Reinforced Polymer Confinement of Square and Slightly Rectangular Concrete Columns Originally Confined with Steel Ties

Project Result A computer model was developed to estimate the combined behavior of the two confinement systems, steel ties and Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) wraps on Bridge Columns.

Benefits! (Structural Engineer Lingo) For existing bridges where geometric changes to the roadway below would require adherence to AASHTO extreme event loading strengthen or protection of the bridge pier. Analysis: The ability to analyze a column beyond the design capacity to the ultimate strength does not exist in any currently available software. To do so would require extensive knowledge of available research; and the engineering ability to link complex theories to the structure being considered. Otherwise the Engineer of Record would be required to build non-linear finite element analysis models to determine the existing capacity and added capacity for the FRP column strengthening. The above requirements are significant limit the available design consultant choices; the cost and amount of hours required would be significant. Design: The current approach to the problem stated above is to protect the bridge pier from the TL-5 loading. This requires an independent crashworthy 52” F-Shaped barrier to be constructed in front of the pier. Below are some of issues associated with this solution.

Benefits! (Structural Engineer Lingo…continued) Existing guard fence replacement. A new guard fence would be design, detailed and constructed. Foundation and the barrier would be designed, detailed and constructed. This may involve shoulder reconstruction. Traffic control would be required for this approach. In many instances there is not enough room to construct the barrier in these cases a crash wall would have to be constructed between the columns. Safety: A barrier protection system reduces the clear zone distance and reduces the safety of the traveling public. The construction of a protection system may require traffic control potentially reducing the safety of the traveling public during construction.

Benefits! (Simple Terms) Strengthening an existing Bridge Column and accounting for its structural benefits with this software reduces public safety concerns and greatly reduces design and construction concerns.

Benefit Calculations (Three Year) Estimated possible costs without this research and software: Three bridges/yr effected. Consultant fee for Analysis/Design/Detailing plus Field Construction and Inspection of Traffic Control/Construction without the effects of user costs = $100,000. (conservative) Cost/Injury (see attached crash cost) = $288,000/injury assuming only one person in the vehicle is injured.

Benefit Calculations (Three Year) Benefits over a three-year period: (3 bridges/yr X $100, accident/yr X $288,000) X 3 yrs = $1,764,000 NOTE: Within KS, a peer review is conducted on all calculations exceeding $1M. This project started out as $2.8M benefit.

Thank You!