SHRP Clearinghouse-On the 'Net and Better than Ever

Getting up-to-date information on the products of the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) is now easier than ever, thanks to a new Internet Web page sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The SHRP Information Clearinghouse (at http://www.hend.com/shrp/shrp) groups information in four areas:

• Products. Here, you can search for products by program area-asphalt, concrete & structures, snow and ice control, pavement maintenance, work zone safety, and long-term pavement performance-or by product number. Each listing includes a description, abstracts of related SHRP reports, and a person to contact for more information. Each listing also has a link to the Transportation Research Board's (TRB) on-line bookstore, where you can obtain copies of the SHRP research reports.
• Publications. This section offers links to the SHRP Product Implementation Status Report, to the on-line edition of Focus, and to the TRB's on-line bookstore.
• Directory. This section includes an easy-to-search master directory of hundreds of State, Federal, and private-sector employees involved with SHRP implementation; a committee directory that lists the members of the technical working groups and other teams working on SHRP implementation; and a directory of State SHRP coordinators.
• Calendar. This section-a comprehensive, up-to-date schedule of events related to SHRP implementation-lists upcoming conferences, workshops, and other events, and has links to the TRB calendar and to FHWA's Office of Technology Applications calendar. "We plan to update the calendar section every 2 weeks," says Dan Larson of Henderson Associates, which developed and maintains both the dial-up and Web versions of the clearinghouse under a contract with FHWA.

The new Internet clearinghouse also offers links to several other Web sites related to SHRP implementation (see August 1996 Focus, page 4).

The decision to create a Web version of the dial-up clearinghouse, which has been operational since 1994, was the result of requests from users, says Larson. "As the Internet craze took hold, the first question was, 'Is the clearinghouse on the Web?' The development of the Internet version was prompted by customer demand."

The Web version of the clearinghouse will not replace the dial-up system; both versions will be maintained for the time being in order to support existing users. The FHWA, along with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and its member agencies, is reviewing how the clearinghouse can and should evolve in the future to best support the information needs of users. The capabilities of mechanisms such as the World Wide Web open up a number of possibilities, and FHWA welcomes comments and input from users.

The dial-up version of the SHRP Information Clearinghouse is available to anyone with a PC-compatible computer and a 9600-baud modem. To obtain a free copy of the software needed for dial-up access, contact Kimeerly Moody at Henderson Associates (telephone: 202-682-3739; fax: 202-682-2535).

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