BACKGROUND

The Canadian Strategic Highway Research program (C-SHRP) was initiated in 1987 to extract the benefit of the United States Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP). SHRP was initiated to make significant advances in traditional highway engineering and technology through the concentration of new research funds. The Long Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) experiments have been designed under SHRP to evaluate a wide range of pavement types, over a 20 year time frame, and under real field conditions. The LTPP study involves over 2800 test sites located on primary highways in North America. The Canadian Long Term Pavement Performance (C-LTPP) Project was established in 1989 under C-SHRP to supplement the US LTPP experiments by considering factors of particular interest to Canada. The C-LTPP Database User's Guide describes the C-LTPP project and the contents of the corresponding database, and provides a simple procedure for requesting data.

C-LTPP DATA INSIGHT PROJECTS

In 1994, C-SHRP initiated the first data insight projects, with the following objectives:

1. Provide the knowledge (or insight) needed for the development of improved performance and design models, by quantifying the influence of various factors on the performance of the asphalt concrete overlay;
2. Promote the use of the C-LTPP Database.

C-SHRP is and will continue to conduct its own data insight projects in support of the longer term C-LTPP pavement evaluation plan.

To help achieve the two objectives of the data insight projects, C-SHRP decided in early 1996 to establish the "C-LTPP Graduate Research Program" where by the C-SHRP LTPP Steering Committee will approve and monitor student-proposed analyses of the C-LTPP Database.

PROCESS

Mechanism to Apply for C-SHRP Grant:

• Graduate student proposals may be submitted to C-SHRP (Steve Goodman) at any time during the year.
• The proposed project must involve direct analyses or evaluations of the C-LTPP Database or sections thereof.
• The C-SHRP LTPP Steering Committee will evaluate each proposal to:
  1. Determine if the proposal is eligible for the program (i.e. meets expectations, suitable analyses, promising project);
  2. If proposal is eligible, determine the amount of funding commensurate with the promise of the project (funding amounts will range from $2,000 to $5,000);
  3. If proposal lacks in some regard, suggest modifications to scope of project in order to render it eligible for C-SHRP funding; or
  4. If proposal is clearly not eligible, notify the student that the C-SHRP grant will not be awarded.
• Graduate students can expect to receive a reply within 1 month of submitting the proposal.

Mechanism for Completing the Project

• Once a project is deemed appropriate for a grant by C-SHRP, regular University guidelines for supervision of graduate work will apply.
• The graduate student shall complete and submit the "C-LTPP Data Request Form" located at the back of the C-LTPP Database User's Guide to receive the necessary data (this can be done at any time during the course of the work).
• In the course of the project, if the student envisions significant modifications to the project scope described in the original approved proposal, C-SHRP should be provided with a 1-page "proposed changes".
• A final research report is to be submitted to C-SHRP by the graduate student.
• The C-SHRP LTPP Steering Committee will review the final report to ensure the project was conducted according to expectations (i.e. according to approved proposal, involving direct analysis or evaluation of C-LTPP data).
• C-SHRP anticipates that most funded projects will produce a paper suitable for presentation at the annual Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) Conferences.

Mechanism for Releasing Funds

1. C-SHRP grants will range from $2,000 to $5,000 depending on the promise of the proposed project, as assessed by the C-SHRP LTPP Steering Committee.
2. The grant will be forwarded to the graduate student in two installments after his/her proposal has been approved by the C-SHRP LTPP Steering Committee.

Requirements for Participating in the C-LTPP Graduate Research Program

• Graduate students must be enrolled in a recognized engineering program of a Canadian university.
• Eligible research projects must involve work at the graduate level dealing with direct analyses or evaluation of C-LTPP data.
• A proposal is to be completed according to the guidelines outlined in the "Request for Proposals", and submitted to C-SHRP.
• Once a project is deemed appropriate for a grant by C-SHRP, regular University guidelines for supervision of graduate work will apply.
• The final research report must be submitted to C-SHRP.

C-LTPP Graduate Research Program

SUGGESTED RESEARCH TOPICS

The following research topics are provided to assist graduate students in selecting a research subject that is currently of interest to the C-SHRP Program, and that is eligible for acceptance in the C-LTPP Graduate Research Program. Students should remember that eligible projects must involve direct analyses of data from the C-LTPP Database.

• develop predictive models using data elements from the C-LTPP Database;
• investigate the influence of different factors on a measure of performance;
• evaluate and explain the variability of different data elements;
• compute summary variables or indices that illustrate a given pavement characteristic;
• use of new data analyses techniques using the C-LTPP data;
• interpretive performance evaluation of the C-LTPP test sites

The preceding research topics are provided as a general guide only to assist graduate students in selecting a research subject. Variations on the above topics as well as other research subjects related to C-LTPP may also be accepted.