Research Needs Assessment

The basis of the FPL research program for wood transportation structures is a comprehensive research needs assessment completed in 1993 as a cooperative project with Iowa State University and the Federal Highway Administration. The needs assessment, which involved an extensive survey to identify and prioritize research needs, has been a valuable tool for formulating and executing research projects. It includes a ranking of research needs by overall priority and a prioritized ranking of research needs by research area, including system development and design, lumber design properties, preservatives, alternative transportation system structures, inspection and rehabilitation, and technology and information transfer. A summary of accomplishments related to the needs assessment was published in 1998.

A revision of the needs assessment is currently in progress and will be posted when the final publication is complete.

Research needs assessment report (490 kb pdf)

Research needs by overall priority (22 kb pdf)

Research needs by category (22 kb pdf)

Research needs assessment accomplishment report (344 kb pdf)