On February 19, 2013, TRB’s Long-Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) Committee sent its third letter report to Victor Mendez, administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The committee provides advice and assistance on the conduct of the LTBP program, which is designed to collect research-quality data on a large representative sample of in-service U.S. highway bridges and to analyze these data to improve understanding of the mechanisms and timing of bridge deterioration due to the effects of age, materials, traffic, and weather.
The report includes recommendations related to the following: planning and executing LTBP data collection, data analysis, and product development; enhanced communications; performance parameters for the 2013 field tests; strategic planning; data retention; the characterization of material and construction methods used for bridge decks; and deterioration data collection.
