For more than 50 years, the Local Road Research Board (LRRB) has brought important developments to transportation engineers throughout Minnesota. Those developments range from new ways to determine pavement strength to innovative methods for engaging the public. Today, the LRRB remains true to its important mission: supporting and sharing the latest transportation research applications with the state’s city and county engineers.
Hot Topics
April LTAP Training Opportunities
- Mark your calendars! The Minnesota LTAP is offering two training opportunities this month, as well as a new online tutorial.
- Local Concrete Flatwork Specifications Webinar
April 16, noon - 1 p.m., Free
Presented by Daniel P. Frentress, PE, owner of Frentress Enterprises, LLC
This webinar will discuss the Minnesota Concrete Flatwork Specifications guide developed by the Minnesota LRRB and Minnesota LTAP. Design and construction professionals will learn about the specs they should follow as they move through the life of their concrete flatwork projects and receive information on mix design, concrete strength, quality control, and approval processes.
Click here for details and registration or download a copy of the guide. - Work-Zone Safety, Temporary Traffic Control, and Flagging
April 9 (Brainerd) and April 16 (Alexandria)
9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. (registration begins at 9 a.m.)
$50 includes lunch and program materials
Presented by Dave Scott, owner of Roadway Specialists
Working next to traffic can be dangerous, and it is especially important that personnel have a solid understanding of roles, responsibilities, and liability. Attend this four-hour workshop to learn key elements required for temporary traffic control, safety, and flagging.
Click here for details and registration. - Workzone Safety Tutorial (Online)
A new online tutorial is available for new, seasonal, or temporary staff to learn about the fundamentals of work-zone safety and the basic concepts of the work-zone area. This tutorial addresses many of the hazards inherent in road and street work and how these dangers can be minimized to keep motorists, pedestrians, and employees safe. The training includes a slide presentation, video, and a question/answer section to check comprehension of the material. All reading assignments are available online within the tutorial, so no additional books or materials need to be purchased. For more information, or to start the tutorial, click here.
- Local Concrete Flatwork Specifications Webinar
- April 8, 2013
New Videos on MnDOT’s Research Services YouTube Channel
- Three new videos related to roadway safety have been posted on YouTube.
- Access these and other videos on the LRRB.org Resources page
- February 8, 2013
Research Services FY2012 Annual Report Now Available
- On behalf of the Local Road Research Board and the Minnesota Department of Transportation, we are pleased to present the Research Services FY2012 Annual Report, which highlights both LRRB and MnDOT research activities in FY12.
You might also be interested in our LRRB At-A-Glance and Research Services At-A-Glance publications, which include lists of active research projects as well as completed reports and implementation products.
To receive a hard copy of one of the above documents, contact Sandy McCully at Sandra.mccully@state.mn.us or 651.366.3768.
Some research highlights:
- “Maintenance of Recreational Trails” (Report 2011RIC05) leveraged past LRRB-funded research into best practices for preserving trails to design and administer a workshop for city and county maintenance managers. (See Technical Summary on page 154 of the annual report, or click here.)
- “Material Testing Rates for Low-Volume Roads” (Report 2012-17) will help local governments save money by reducing the amount of testing required for the materials going into local roads. (See the Technical Summary on page 144 of the annual report, click here.)
- January 16, 2013