From January 8 – 12, more than 13,000 transportation professionals will gather in Washington DC for the Transportation Research Board’s 96th annual meeting (TRB 2017). There, they will discuss new technologies, present on-going research in materials performance, hold meetings, and transfer technology through high-quality technical sessions. Geosynthetics are plentiful at the event.
The Walter E. Washington Convention Center will be the focal point, with 5,000 presentations and 800+ sessions. Hot topics include transformational technologies, resilience, and public health.
Among the panel session and special events highlighted by TRB 2017 in a January 4 release:
- S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx will speak on “Beyond Traffic – Looking Forward to Innovation in an Era of Rapid Change.” The remarks from Secretary Foxx will look across the next 30 years in transportation network changes and expectations.
- The Build America Bureau, which was created to expand the use of federal transportation credit programs and to streamline technical and financial assistance to accelerate project delivery, will present on “What’s Happening and Looking Forward”.
- A series of state DOT CEO roundtables with issues such as leadership, challenges, and right-of-way management in ever-changing, multi-modal transportation networks
GEOSYNTHETICS AT TRB 2017
The Standing Committee on Geosynthetics (AFS70) will hold meetings and will sponsor numerous sessions. Highlights in geosynthetics from the TRB 2017 interactive program include:
- Lightweight Fill Alternatives for Construction of Walls, Embankments, and Abutments
January 8, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
James Brennan, TranSystems Corporation, presiding
Jie Han, University of Kansas, presiding - Sustainability in Geotechnical Engineering
January 9, 3:45 – 5:30 pm
Kenneth Fishman, McMahon and Mann Consulting Engineers, P.C., presiding
Anand Puppala, University of Texas, Arlington, presiding
Jennifer Nicks, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), presiding - Geosynthetics for Earth-Retaining Structures
January 10, 1:30 – 3:15 pm
Michael Adams, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), presiding - Geosynthetics for Pavement Applications: Testing and Performance
January 10, 3:45 – 5:30 pm
Mark Wayne, Tensar International Corporation, presiding - Geosynthetics in Transportation Infrastructure
January 11, 8:00 – 9:45 am
Jennifer Nicks, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), presiding - Geosynthetics Committee Meeting
January 11, 2:30 – 6:00 pm
Learn more about TRB 2017 at:
http://www.trb.org/AnnualMeeting/AnnualMeeting.aspx
See also the Geosynthetics Committee page:
http://www.trb.org/AFS70/AFS70.aspx
