This multidisciplinary research program aims to develop integrated physical and biological process modeling and tools for evaluating vulnerability and resilience under multiple sea-level rise (SLR), inundation, and management scenarios, facilitating informed adaptation planning and coastal management decision-making.

The goal of this program is to increase:

• Coastal resilience
• Surface-transportation resilience

For the surface-transportation resilience focus area, these research projects are expected to include traditional investigators of the effect(s) of SLR as well as transportation professionals, including transportation planners, engineers, and environmental specialists from various transportation agencies, departments, and planning organizations. The goals of this project are to:

• Quantify the vulnerability of surface transportation systems to SLR and inundation.
• Quantify the social, economic, and/or ecological benefits of resilient adaptation options.
• Predict the effects of SLR and inundation on surface transportation infrastructure under varying risk mitigation and management strategies.

West coast States have faced several deadly wildfires in recent years, devastating local infrastructure (i.e., bridges, pavements, drainage pipes, etc.). Roads experienced pavement damage and were closed for repair activities, sometimes for an extended period. In the face of a rapidly increasing number of wildfire events, State departments of transportation (DOTs) have been scrambling to address these unprecedented damages.

Reports indicate that the wildfires have caused pavement damage (such as scarring, surface spalling, depressions, and potholes) and weakened asphalt binder. Furthermore, during the Federal Highway Administration’s “Highway Resiliency to Wildfire Events” peer exchange, a couple of State DOTs reported cases where pavement acted as an effective wildfire barrier. Despite all these real-world experiences, a comprehensive study to outline the current state of knowledge of the direct and indirect impact of wildfires on pavements and to identify areas for further research is still needed. The Wildfire Pavement Project will address this research gap, conducting a literature review and targeted interviews with DOT officials in wildfire-prone States to investigate what happens to pavements exposed to wildfire. The project will also list areas that need additional research in this field. Based on this project’s outcomes, the next research phase could focus on mitigation and prevention measures to address the direct and indirect impacts of wildfires on pavements.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Sustainable Pavements Program established the SPTWG, a forum for information sharing and exchange, to integrate stakeholder technical feedback and input into FHWA’s pavement sustainability efforts. The SPTWG meets biannually to facilitate stakeholder discussion and to inform the next steps of the Sustainable Pavements Program. Previously, the Sustainable Pavements Program completed two major phases of progression:

• Phase 1—Outlining the state of knowledge in the field of pavement sustainability.
• Phase 2—Implementation of pavement sustainability goals.

Currently in phase 3, the Sustainable Pavements Program is expanding the program’s knowledge and capturing innovative perspectives through four focus areas: environment, economy, social, and resilience. The resilience focus aims to increase the ability of pavement to withstand gradual climate-change and extreme weather events. The SPTWG provides an opportunity for stakeholders to contribute to this focus area’s state of knowledge and incorporate their innovative perspectives and practices.