New Products Committee
The Department of Transportation has a process to evaluate new products and procedures that may be approved for the Department’s use on construction and maintenance projects.
This evaluation involves several steps. Upon receiving the "Application for Evaluation" the product/procedure is directed to the specific section to which this product/procedure would be best suited. (i.e. deck waterproofing to Bridge, pothole patching material to Maintenance, etc.) Evaluation is then begun to see if this product/procedure is useful or beneficial to the Department.
Evaluators use all forms of information to better understand the product/procedure; this also involves regulatory and testing institutions such as AASHTO, HITEC etc. Many products require field-testing to fully understand their benefits. Should this be the case, the product/procedure will be moved to a "Long Range Evaluation" to monitor its progress.
Having completed the evaluation, the findings and recommendations are then presented to the New Products Committee for action. Upon reaching a decision you will be notified of the Committee’s action. Typically, the Committee’s action falls into one of the following categories:
- Approved
- Not Approved
- Product Meets Current Specifications
- Non-Interest Or Limited Use Item
For more information on new products, visit the Materials Laboratory.
Also, AASHTO has a Product Evaluation Listing (APEL) Web site. This site contains a new product database and is the repository for findings from the evaluation and testing of new and/or proprietary, engineered transportation products. On this site you will be able to find information relating to new product evaluations being conducted or completed by the various state Departments of Transportation (DOT's). Besides new product information, you will find other information that may be helpful to you is also available, including: manufacturer addresses and contacts; state DOT and other agency contacts; various AASHTO meetings and conferences; product related links; and, news concerning the APEL Program, National Transportation Product Evaluation Program (NTPEP) Program and other pertinent AASHTO efforts.
Keep in mind that APEL is NOT an Approved Products List. What it is, rather, is a listing of new products that have been, or are currently being, evaluated by the DOT's through formal laboratory and/or field test procedures.
The primary purpose of this site is to provide a venue for the sharing of information relative to new products and their evaluations. For this reason the contents of these pages are fully searchable. Anyone who accesses this site is encouraged to browse and make full use of its contents.
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WSDOT Branch Library
The WSDOT Library as part of the Office of Research and Library Services, maintains the most comprehensive transportation library in the state. The WSDOT Librarian conducts library research and provides literature reviews for many of the research projects conducted by the agency.
The WSDOT Library is affiliated with the Washington State Library and Library holdings are reflected in the State Library online catalog. The WSDOT Library provides access to books, technical reports, journals, conference proceedings, videos, manuals, and standard plans and specifications.
The WSDOT Library collaborates with the Library to catalog WSDOT research reports and to make national and state research documents available to WSDOT employees, university researchers, consultants, other government entities, and the public.
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Washington State Technology Transfer Center (WST2)
The WST2 Center is one of 57 technology transfer centers that make up the national Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP). As a partnership among WSDOT, FHWA and Washington State local agencies, the Center provides a coordinated technology transfer program that is responsive to local agencies.
The goal of the WST2 Center is to enhance the technical and management skills and knowledge of local agencies staff so they can use resources more efficiently and effectively through sharing and coordination of technical expertise, training, technical materials, technical advice, and services.
State Materials Laboratory TechNotes
TechNotes is an effort by the Headquarters Materials Laboratory to share design and construction technology gained from national research or studies done throughout WSDOT. The goal is to distribute this type of information in an easy-to-read, concise format to all personnel who deal with the issue being presented.
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