OBJECTIVE

The objective of this research is to complete the work begun in NCHRP Project 17-71 to develop and prepare a proposed HSM2 in a format suitable for adoption as an AASHTO publication. The proposed HSM2 will synthesize and incorporate relevant ongoing and completed research including finished NCHRP Project 17-71 deliverables, related documents, and user feedback in order to expand the scope and quality of HSM2 to increase application and improve its usability.

STATUS

The kick-off meeting was held on Jan. 19, 2021 and work is underway on Tasks 2-4.

TASKS

Task 1. Kick-off Meeting and Project Management. This task will allocate technical, managerial, and administrative resources necessary to support Project 17-71A, as well as to allocate resources for feedback and control processes to ensure that technical, cost, and schedule objectives are met.

Task 2. Review of Materials from NCHRP Project 17-71. The objective of Task 2 is to conduct a thorough review of the materials from NCHRP Project 17-71 to assess the status of work begun under NCHRP Project 17-71 towards the production of the HSM2 in a format suitable for adoption as an AASHTO publication. The materials available from NCHRP Project 17-71 include draft chapters, review comments on chapters, responses to those comments, plans for incorporating new material into chapters, and a review of the preceding material by the NCHRP Project 17-71 panel and the AASHTO Steering Committee on the HSM. In addition, an interim deliverable on the single-state calibration factors being developed in NCHRP Project 17-72 is available for review.

Task 3. Assessment of Research for Potential Incorporation into the HSM2. The objective of Task 3 is to assess completed and ongoing research for potential incorporation into HSM2, by considering factors such as: likelihood of the research being completed by a suitable date, quality of the research, compatibility with material in the first edition of the HSM that will remain in HSM2, compatibility with other new research considered for incorporation in HSM2, value to HSM2 users, and impacts of incorporating the research on the overall 17-71A project budget and schedule.

Task 4. Glossary of Terms and Phrases to be Used and Avoided in the HSM2. The objective of Task 4 is to develop a glossary of terms and phrases to be used and avoided in the HSM2 that will guide its production through to the final draft.

Task 5. Interim Report and Meeting. The objective of Task 5 is to summarize the results of Tasks 1, 2, 3, and 4 in an interim report and recommend optional work plans for developing HSM2, in a format suitable for adoption as an AASHTO publication. The research team and NCHRP project panel will then meet in June 2021 to review the Phase I interim report and approve a recommended Phase II work plan for execution.

Task 6. Execution of Approved Phase II Work Plan. In Task 6, the research team will execute the approved Phase II work plan as developed in Task 5 and presented in the Task 5 interim report.

Task 7. Final Project Deliverables. In Task 7, the research team will prepare and submit to NCHRP the final project deliverables, including: The proposed HSM2, in an electronic format suitable for transmittal to AASHTO for balloting and eventual publication; a final report documenting the entire research effort; a Microsoft® PowerPoint presentation detailing the updated chapter outline for the HSM2 and significant differences between the first and second editions; and a recommended implementation plan