BACKGROUND

High Performance Concrete was one of seven technology groups under the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP). The mission of this Lead State Group was to promote implementation of high performance concrete technology for use in pavements and bridges and share knowledge, benefits and challenges with states and their customers. In support of the team's mission, a strategic plan with goals, strategies, and action items was developed. This plan provided the framework essential to carrying out the team's mission and addresses a number of issues that were critical to the implementation and technology transfer of HPC for bridges and pavements.

The core of the Lead State Team for HPC included the professional staff of States, agencies, and private industry involved in earlier implementation efforts. This team included:

• DOT - New Hampshire, Virginia, Washington, Nebraska, Iowa, and Arizona
• FHWA - Washington Division, Office of Technology Applications
• Private Industry - Portland Cement Association, American Concrete Pavement Association, National Concrete Bridge Council, American Concrete Institute

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Since its initiation, some of the major accomplishments of the team included:

• Promoting the building of 15 SHA HPC-Bridge projects.
• Promoting the building of 21 SHA HPC-Pavement projects.
• Identifying and coordinating with a single point-of-contact in each SHA.
• Co-sponsoring HPC-Bridge Showcases.
• Promoting and participating in HPC technology transfer activities at the state and national levels.
• Developing and disseminating concrete bridge and pavement surveys.
• Establishing focus teams in the Lead States.
• Establishing a Lead States web site with links to FHWA and other web sites
• Producing a bi-monthly publication of HPC Bridge Views.
• Sponsoring an award of a three-year HPC pooled-fund study entitled "Compilation and Evaluation of Results from High Performance Concrete Bridge Projects" to evaluate needed specification changes.

There are a number of activities still underway which will further HPC technology and implementation. These include training efforts, various research projects, FHWA supported pavement and bridge research programs, and efforts to develop specifications and test methods.

TRANSITION ISSUES

The HPC Lead States Team acknowledges four important factors that brought success to the program and need to be addressed in the future:

• Dedicated and sufficient funding for research, technology transfer, and construction implementation, with sufficient seed money for demonstration projects, is critical to any future success of HPC.
• Support from the individual Lead State's top management is a key to success.
• Partnerships with industry and academia are extremely important.
• Every SHA should have a "champion" with an interest and adequate time and energy to promote HPC activities within their States.

Unequivocally, the Lead States process worked for HPC implementation.

The primary technical goal for the future is to make HPC the standard practice for all concrete construction. This will require that concrete be engineered to meet the specific performance requirements. For this to happen, the Lead States Team identified the following opportunities:

• Develop a long-term strategic plan for HPC-Bridges in partnership with government, industry, and academia that includes incorporating HPC into the educational system.
• Integrate HPC-Bridges with non-conventional structural reinforcement.
• Develop and implement life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) for HPC-Bridges.
• Develop HPC-related standards, specifications and test methods.
• Update and keep current the HPC-Bridge and HPC-Pavement definition.
• Coordinate future HPC-Pavement activities with industry.
• Maintain HPC web site and publicize the list server.
• Continue communications with all parties, including making presentations at future AASHTO Subcommittees and FHWA Bridge Workshops.
• Facilitate the identification and initiation of HPC research through various organizations.
• Establish a mechanism for presenting the HPC-Bridge Workshop to agencies and industry.
• Continue updating information through continuation of the bridge survey.
• Publicize the FHWA's Innovative Bridge Research and Construction Program (IBRCP).

CONCLUSION

There are many improved practices included in the HPC Lead State Program, not the least being the formation of a new community with common interests and needs. The transition to various AASHTO subcommittees will require serious coordination among the bridge, construction, pavement, and maintenance disciplines for it to succeed. Additionally, very little can be done without a cooperative effort among the States, industry, academia, and FHWA.

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