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    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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    <language>en-us</language>
    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
    <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
    <image>
      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
      <url>https://rip.trb.org/Images/PageHeader-wTitle-RIP.jpg</url>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>Modernization and Updates to the AASHTO Guide Specifications for Highway Construction</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2709240</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Guide Specifications for Highway Construction (Guide Specs) provides an important national resource for transportation agencies by promoting consistency in construction specifications, methods of measurement, basis of payment, and testing procedures. The technical content of the Guide Specs was last updated and published in 2020 through NCHRP Project 20-07, which primarily focused on adding new sections rather than performing a comprehensive revision. The previous full edition was published in 2009. Since that time, significant changes have occurred in highway construction technology, safety, contracting methods, and regulatory practices.

Many contracting options beyond the traditional design-bid-build method are increasingly being used. At the same time, technological advances such as integrated digital workflows and digital ticketing are becoming more common, and performance-related specifications such as balanced mix design, performance engineered mixes, and nondestructive testing (NDT) acceptance procedures are continuing to evolve. As these technologies and practices advance, it is imperative that the Guide Specs be modernized to ensure they remain technically accurate, relevant, and compatible with current industry practices.

 OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research is to comprehensively update and expand the AASHTO Guide Specs. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:43:53 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2709240</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Decision Support for Dynamic Risks: Determinants of Model Adoption</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2703696</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Since the COVID-19 pandemic, significant supply chain disruptions continue to impact the U.S. economy and have negative impact on transportation networks. Sudden changes in demand or freight availability contribute to increased volatility in freight prices. In turn, volatile freight rates impact the management of transportation networks and increase the difficulty of decision making. This research addresses this problem through the development of decision support tools to proactively respond to initial indicators that predict changes in driver availability and freight cost with the goal of supporting enhanced, early actions to mitigate the risk of disruptions and promote safer transportation network operations.
Work on related prior projects has underscored the importance of forecasting sources of risk to improve the management of transportation systems and the need to understand the key decision components to maximize the value of information to the decision maker. The proposed research will rely on this prior work and make advancements towards the design of an implementable system by examining the end-user perception of decision support recommendations for transportation contracting decisions. 
The research will interview transportation professionals to identify factors that influence their current decision-making and factors that would affect their adoption of a decision support tool. The results of these interviews, in conjunction with prior findings in related research, will inform the design of features for a decision support tool. Design features will be identified for an initial prototype that is suitable for conducting future usability testing of the interactive features. This research continues progress towards the development of a dynamic decision support tool that can ultimately improve the quality of transportation management decisions and continue the legacy of leadership in America’s transportation networks. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 15 May 2026 14:13:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2703696</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Practices. Topic  57-12. Practices for Incentivizing Contractor Performance for Progressive-Design-Build and Construction Manager/General Contractor Highway Projects
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2630479</link>
      <description><![CDATA[State departments of transportation (DOTs) have developed a variety of approaches to incentivize contractors for progressive-design-build (PDB) and construction manager/general contractor (CM/GC) highway projects. Incentives for these procurement types encourage contractors to proactively address risks, innovate, and develop accurate estimates. Examples include financial incentives, collaborative workshops, early engagement, and public reporting. The goal is to ensure that contractors remain motivated to optimize the schedule and reduce costs, ultimately leading to successful project outcomes.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this synthesis is to document state DOT practices related to incentivizing contractor performance for PDB and CM/GC highway projects. The synthesis will encompass incentive and disincentive strategies used throughout the life of a project to enhance contractor performance.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2025 18:32:12 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2630479</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Practices. Topic 57-15. Institutionalizing Innovations and their Associated Skillset from Alternative Contracting Methods</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2630495</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Project delivery methods have evolved significantly in recent decades as public owners seek to accelerate schedules, reduce claims, encourage innovation, and incorporate life-cycle considerations. State departments of transportation (DOTs) increasingly use alternative contracting methods (ACMs), such as construction manager/general contractor (CM/GC), design–build (DB), progressive design–build (PDB), and public–private partnerships (P3). These approaches often require closer collaboration between designers and contractors, rely on performance specifications, and provide opportunities to pilot new practices such as 3D design and building information modeling. While some states have institutionalized these innovations, practices vary and are not widely shared. A synthesis is needed to document how ACMs have supported innovation in design and construction and to identify the staffing, skills, and training needed to implement such efforts.

The objective of this synthesis is to document state DOT practices on using CM/GC, DB, and PDB project delivery methods to inform future advances and innovative design and construction practices.

Information to be gathered includes (but is not limited to): (1) Use of ACMs, their evolution, and their impact on efficiency, cost, and industry adoption; (2) Innovative solutions enabled by ACMs, including common patterns, applications, and benefits; (3) Programmatic changes in design and construction practices resulting from ACM-driven innovations; (4) Processes and procedures DOTs and state highway administrations (SHAs) use to identify, evaluate, and institutionalize innovations; and (5) Skillsets, knowledge, and training strategies needed to support innovation and leadership in ACM implementation.

Information will be gathered through a literature review, a survey of state DOTs, and follow-up interviews with selected DOTs for the development of case examples. Information gaps and suggestions for research to address those gaps will be identified.

Information sources (partial): (1) FHWA Publication No: FHWA-RC-BAL-04-0015 Innovative Contracting Solutions: Alternative Contracting Methods, https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/resourcecenter/teams/construction/cpm_6ics.pdf (2) FHWA Publication No: FHWA-HRT-17-100 – Alternative Contracting Method Performance in U.S. Highway Construction, 2018. (3) Tran. D., Gransberg, D., and Harper, C. NCHRP Synthesis 518: Staffing for Alternative Contracting Methods. (2018). Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/25211 (4) FHWA Alternative Contracting Methods (ACMs) Library: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/construction/contracts/acm/ (5) Tran, D., Harper, C., and Minchin, R. E., Jr. NCHRP Synthesis 504: Strategic Program Delivery Methods. (2017).  Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/24719   ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2025 16:49:58 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2630495</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Legal Problems Arising out of Highway Programs. Topic 27-02. State and Local Suspension and Debarment Programs of Contractors</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2209736</link>
      <description><![CDATA[No abstract provided.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 11 Jul 2023 10:58:41 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2209736</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Legal Problems Arising out of Highway Programs. Topic 27-04. Managing Performance for Innovative Technology Contracts</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2209735</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In the last decade, information technology applications for transportation have changed and improved how state departments of transportation (DOTs) services, including parking and active transportation, are operated, used, and funded. The transportation industry has also observed significant shifts in the behavior of travelers and the market trends caused by social, economic, and environmental factors and, more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Most state DOTs want to utilize these new technologies to enhance and improve transportation services. Accordingly, they will seek third-party technology experts (“vendors”) to provide and integrate the new technologies into the services. Such vendors are relied upon to develop, deploy, operate, and maintain new technology applications in accordance with certain stated specifications. This reliance on vendors may create challenges in procuring and overseeing these services for the agencies. 

The objective of this research is to gather and present information on innovative mobility technologies and tools to help state DOTs with contracts to achieve desired vendor performance in a cost-effective manner. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 11 Jul 2023 10:41:32 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2209735</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Division of Construction Research On-Call Services FY2024-2026</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2208699</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is charged with the management and maintenance of Ohio's vast transportation system.  ODOT strives to execute this charge in the most effective and efficient manner possible.  At times, ODOT encounters situations where low-cost, short-term, focused research tasks are needed to address an urgent issue.  While important and potentially impactful, these research tasks do not warrant the level of a full-scale research project.  Due to the time-sensitive nature of these tasks, it is possible that some of these tasks go unmet because the standard contracting process requires more time than available.  To address this issue, ODOT developed the Research-On-Call (ROC) program.  The ROC is designed to provide direct, quick access to researchers in specific areas of expertise to conduct short-term, focused, urgent research tasks.  This ROC will focus on tasks from the Division of Construction.                         ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 07 Jul 2023 11:06:21 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2208699</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Legal Aspects of Airport Programs. Topic 15-03. Legal Impacts to Airports from State Legalization of Marijuana</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2205310</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Airports, while physically located within individual states, operate as instruments of commerce subject to federal jurisdiction as part of the national transportation system. This duality, requiring airports to navigate multiple layers of laws and regulations, is particularly significant in the context of cannabis, where some states have legalized the substance for certain uses while federal law continues to prohibit it.

ACRP Legal Research Digest 49: Legal Impacts to Airports from State Legalization of Cannabis, from TRB's Airport Cooperative Research Program, provides insight into the legal impacts to airports from these and ongoing efforts by certain states to legalize cannabis by identifying key issues and corresponding legal guidance, where available.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 04 Jul 2023 12:57:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2205310</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Legal Aspects of Airport Programs. Topic 15-01. Accommodating Federal Agencies at Airports and Related Contractual Concerns</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2061057</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Airports host multiple federal agencies that play key roles in the operations, safety, and security of their facilities. Planning and operation of airports across the United States may require accommodation of multiple federal agencies, but the legal authority defining airports’ rights and obligations to these agencies is varied and at times unclear.
ACRP Legal Research Digest 47: Accommodating Federal Agencies at Airports and Related Contractual Concerns, from TRB's Airport Cooperative Research Program, seeks to provide a single source of information concerning airports’ rights and obligations to accommodate federal agencies and to enter into cooperative agreements and other agreements.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 15 Nov 2022 20:01:52 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2061057</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of an Updated Expected Adverse Weather Day Chart</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2021849</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Seasonal and daily weather events impact construction projects in various ways across the different climatological zones of South Dakota.  Depending on the type of construction project, its location, and stage of completion, moisture and temperature variations may lead to construction delays and subsequent requests for contract time extensions.  Past experiences have shown significant time and effort are spent on settling disputes between what the contractor and the South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) consider to be a reasonable number of expected adverse weather days during the contracting period.
Objectives of this study are as follows: 
(1)	Develop criteria and guidelines to establish the number of available, construction working days on a weekly basis for the variety of construction project types across South Dakota.
(2)	Develop classification maps based upon significant geographical factors and climate that can be used to determine expected adverse weather days and related construction working days.
(3)	Develop weekly expected adverse weather day tables and charts that can be used for the variety of construction project types across South Dakota.
(4)	Recommend how best to use expected adverse weather day tables and charts for the contract administration of projects with working day, calendar day, and fixed completion date contracts.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 12 Sep 2022 17:11:10 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2021849</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Practices. Topic 54-12. Programmatic Implementation of Alternative Contracting Methods</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1953243</link>
      <description><![CDATA[
Alternative Contracting Methods (ACMs), including Design-Build (DB), Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC), and Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) have added a wide range of options for state departments of transportation (DOTs) to consider when delivering projects. DOTs have traditionally used the design- bid-build (DBB) method–by awarding a contract for construction to the lowest bidder, based on agency-designed plans. The DBB delivery method is now so engrained in local, state, and national agency processes, standards, and contracts that most agencies are organized around this one delivery model. Thus, implementing ACMs warrants different mindsets and approaches to processes, standards, risk allocations, and contracts to reach successful project outcomes. While some DOTs have focused on a single project to test an ACM or have developed each ACM project on an individual or one-by-one basis, other DOTs have developed agency-wide programmatic approaches to build and maintain consistency when implementing ACMs across multiple projects or regions. This consistency brings greater efficiency and familiarity for agency staff, stakeholders, and industry participants. But whether, or how, an agency chooses to establish a programmatic approach to implementing ACM projects varies from one agency to the next.
 
The objective of this synthesis is to document state DOT practices of programmatic approaches to ACMs.
 
Information for this study was gathered through a literature review, a survey of state DOTs, and follow-up interviews with selected DOTs. Case examples of six state DOTs provide additional information on practices of programmatic approaches to ACMs. 
Daniel Tran of Tran and Associates, LLC, Lawrence, Kansas, collected and synthesized the information and wrote the report, supported by Christopher Harper, Black Dog Consultants, LLC, and Roy Sturgill, Jr., Blue CyClone, LLC. The members of the topic panel are acknowledged on page iv. This synthesis is an immediately useful document that records engineering considerations and practices that were acceptable within the limitations of the knowledge available at the time of its preparation. As progress in research and practice continues, new knowledge will be added to that now at hand.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 17 May 2022 10:41:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1953243</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Practices. Topic 54-16. Post-Construction Evaluation Practices for Highway Projects Delivered Using Alternative Contracting Methods</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1953233</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this synthesis was to document state department of transportation (DOT) practices for evaluating the outcomes of the ACM process after project completion. Alternative contracting methods (ACMs) are contract payment provisions, procurement procedures, and various types of project delivery methods used in place of traditional design-bid-build and low-bid contracting. Common ACMs used by state DOTs include design-build, construction manager/general contractor, progressive design-build, public-private partnerships, and indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracting. Information for this study was gathered through a literature review, a survey of state DOTs, and follow-up interviews with selected DOTs. Case examples of six state DOTs provide additional information on evaluating ACM projects post construction. Christofer M. Harper, of Black Dog Consultants, LLC, Daniel Tran, of Tran and Associates, LLC, and Roy E. Sturgill, Jr., of Blue CyClone, LLC, collected and synthesized the information and wrote the report. The members of the topic panel are acknowledged on page iv. This Synthesis is an immediately useful document that records practices that were acceptable within the limitations of the knowledge available at the time of its preparation. As progress in research and practice continues, new knowledge will be added to that now at hand.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 16 May 2022 17:51:35 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1953233</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Highways. Topic 54-02. Outsourcing Stormwater Best Management Practice Inspection &amp; Maintenance Activities</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1953230</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Post-construction stormwater best management practices (BMPs) are constructed facilities engineered to manage and treat stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces, such as buildings, roads, and parking lots. These BMPs are designed to reduce the amount of stormwater runoff, prevent erosion, and improve water quality by removing pollutants from stormwater. The maintenance and the inspection of these BMPs are critical for supporting functionality and performance. The objective of this synthesis is to document state department of transportation (DOT) practices related to outsourcing post-construction stormwater BMP inspection and maintenance activities.
 
Information for this study was gathered through a literature review, a survey of state DOTs, and follow-up interviews with selected DOTs. Case examples of six state DOTs provide additional information on outsourcing post-construction BMP inspection and maintenance activities. 
 
J. Blake Whitman and Michael A. Perez, MAPLE Consulting, LLC, collected and synthesized the information and wrote the report. The members of the topic panel are acknowledged on page iv. This synthesis is an immediately useful document that records practices that were acceptable within the limitations of the knowledge available at the time of its preparation. As progress in research and practice continues, new knowledge will be added to that now at hand.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 16 May 2022 17:29:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1953230</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Transit Practices. Topic SG-20. Performance Metrics in Third Party Contracts for Bus Operations and Maintenance</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1854187</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The synthesis will document current practices and metrics used to contract out bus operations and maintenance in North America. It will look at all situations where O&M  services are contracted out (i.e. the entire network is contracted out or divisions or sections of the network are contracted out). The synthesis will document the reasons for outsourcing and the metrics used by agencies for evaluating whether to self-operate or contract out bus operations and maintenance in North America.  In addition, the synthesis will ascertain how agencies are holding their third party providers accountable against contractual terms as well as methodologies that agencies use to monitor and oversee contractors. 
 ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 25 May 2021 22:52:15 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1854187</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Create a Standardized Scope of Services Template</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1716630</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Preparing a draft Scope of Services (SOS) is one of the initial steps that the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) makes for projects that require consultant procurement. Depending on contract type, the scoping phase generally takes between four and 12 months. This timeline hampers SCDOT’s ability to meet stated goals within the Strategic Plan Strategy to “Increase SCDOT’s reliability of delivering projects on-time and on-budget” for projects requiring a consultant. SCDOT seeks to treamline the consultant scoping process by:  (1) reduce the scoping phase to less than 50 days by creating standardized SOS templates utilizing SCDOT-developed tasks commonly included in a SOS for various project types; (2) strategically engaging other DOT’s and the FHWA to identify enhancements to standard SOS templates; and (3) identifying methods to store, access, and update the newly created templates.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2020 14:31:44 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1716630</guid>
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