Increasingly, state departments of transportation (DOTs) are challenged to design and build longer life concrete pavements that result in a higher level of user satisfaction for the public. One of the strategies for achieving longer life pavements is to use innovative materials and construction optimization 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 concrete pavement research initiatives. The purpose of this pooled fund project is to identify, support, facilitate and fund concrete research and technology transfer initiatives.

Main objectives include:

• Identify needed research priorities by region
• Provide a forum for technology exchange between participants
• Develop and fund technology transfer materials
• Provide on-going communication of research needs faced by state agencies to the FHWA, industry, and CP Tech Center
• Provide technical leadership for concrete related national initiatives to advance state-of-the-art construction and material practices.

It is anticipated that this consortium would become the national forum for state involvement in the technical exchange needed for collaboration and new initiatives and provide tactical strategies and solutions to issues identified by the member states.

The TTCC is open to any state agency desiring to be a part of new developments in concrete. TTCC will meet in conjunction with the National Concrete Consortium (NCC), twice a year. NCC Bylaws and the Executive Committee membership can be found at http://www.cptechcenter.org/ncc/TTCC-NCCMeetings.cfm.

TTCC Project Activities and Deliverables: 

• Identify and guide the development and funding of technology transfer materials such as tech brief summaries, web based courses, and training materials from research activities
• Publish Moving Advancements into Practice (MAP) Briefs on a quarterly basis
• Provide research ideas to funding agencies
• Identify and instigate needed research projects
• Include current activities and deliverables of the pooled fund on the CP Tech Center website
• Maintain the pooled fund project website with current activities and deliverables
• Maintain the TTCC pooled fund listserv; a forum for state reps to post questions to the other state reps and hear how similar problems or situations have been mitigated
• Track TTCC listserv posted problems and discussions and categorize them for inclusion in a library on the project website
• Develop research problems statements for possible pooled fund projects to address research needs identified by member state reps
• Act as a technology exchange forum for the participating entities
• Contribute to a technology transfer newsletter on concrete pavement research activities every six months
• Submit electronic quarterly reports following lead state guidelines Pooled fund activities and budgets are discussed at the semi-annual meetings.
• Proposals for minor research, synthesis studies, and/or training are often presented by partners and then discussed and voted on at the semi-annual meetings. NCC members may propose needed research and/or training, however they may not vote on how to utilize the federal pooled funds. Selection of needed work by partners does not guarantee work can be conducted under this pooled fund project since the Iowa DOT and FHWA must ensure the work will fit within the funding guidelines and scope of the project. Occasionally e-mail discussions and votes are warranted.
  

Funding: 30 states @ a minimum of $8,000 per state for each of five years = $1,200,000. Since many states are only able to commit one year at a time, the minimum funds required for this to become a pooled fund project and to be maintained as such each calendar year are $240,000 per year.

Commitment levels:

• $8,000/year to support the pooled fund and allow 1 participant to attend semi-annual meetings
• $12,000/year to allow 2 participants to attend semi-annual meetings each year
• $16,000/year to allow 3 participants to attend semi-annual meetings each year
• $20,000/year to allow 4 participants to attend semi-annual meetings each year

Summary of Requirements for Project Sponsors:

• Financial support
• Meeting opportunity based on level of funding for participation twice a year for 1, 2, 3, to 4 participants from each state (based on level of funding)
• Active collaboration with each other and principal investigators to identify, instigate, develop, and author tech transfer materials and research initiatives. States may choose to contribute additional funds for specific tech transfer or research initiatives, beyond the normal pooled fund financial contribution. These initiatives may be funded either by individual states, or if multiple states have the same needs, then the initiatives may be funded and overseen by a group of states
• Championing the deliverables from the pooled fund such as providing technical material to key staff, and facilitating implementation of new technologies and practices. TTCC members would also act as a contact person for researchers when their state participates in concrete pavement research within their state

New members: This pooled fund is always accepting new member states. Please inquire with the Lead Agency Contact noted above to join this effort.