Railroads are on Track to keep Iowa's Economy Healthy and Growing, 2005

Just as the railroad tracks guide trains toward their destination, Iowa’s railroads play a vital role in keeping our state’s economic health and growth “on track” for the future.

Growing The Fields of Opportunity for Children and Adults with Autism in Iowa, 2009-2010

Many would argue that the dramatic rise in autism has reached critical mass, and this council echoes that statement. Iowa, like many states in the nation, is currently ill equipped to handle the large influx of children and adults with autism. When this council was initially formed we were facing diagnosis rates of 1 in 150 and currently the diagnosis rate is 1 in 91. Current resource strains in education, qualified trained professionals, access to care, and financial services are rapidly deteriorating Iowa’s ability to deliver quality services to children, adults, and families affected by autism. If Iowa leadership fails to act quickly the already strained system will face a breaking point in the following areas: financing, coordination of care, educational resources, early identification, adult services, and access to service delivery - just to name a few. This council has taken the past 12 plus months hearing testimony from state officials, providers, and caregivers to ensure that care for those with autism is effective, cost efficient, and accessible. This council will be making recommendations on three major areas; early identification, seamless support/coordination of care, and financing of care. While these areas will be highlighted in this first annual report it in no way minimizes other areas that need to be addressed such as early intervention, special education, training, in-home support services, financing options, and data collection. Implementing the initial recommendations of this council will lay foundational support for the areas mentioned above. Often those in position to help ask what can be done to help families in Iowa. This council has provided a roadmap to help facilitate effective and proven treatments to children and adults with autism.

Correlation of Locally-based Performance of Asphalts with Their Physicochemical Parameters, HR-298, 1990

This project was undertaken to study the relationships between the performance of locally available asphalts and their physicochemical properties under Iowa conditions with the ultimate objective of development of a locally and performance-based asphalt specification for durable pavements. Physical and physicochemical tests were performed on three sets of asphalt samples including: (a) twelve samples from local asphalt suppliers and their TFOT residues, (b) six core samples of known service records, and (c) a total of 79 asphalts from 10 pavement projects including original, lab aged and recovered asphalts from field mixes, as well as from lab aged mixes. Tests included standard rheological tests, HP-GPC and TMA. Some specific viscoelastic tests (at 5 deg C) were run on b samples and on some a samples. DSC and X-ray diffraction studies were performed on a and b samples. Furthermore, NMR techniques were applied to some a, b and c samples. Efforts were made to identify physicochemical properties which are correlated to physical properties known to affect field performance. The significant physicochemical parameters were used as a basis for an improved performance-based trial specification for Iowa to ensure more durable pavements.

Image Analysis for Evaluating Air Void Parameters of Concrete, HR-396, 1998

This research project investigated the use of image analysis to measure the air void parameters of concrete specimens produced under standard laboratory conditions. The results obtained from the image analysis technique were compared to results obtained from plastic air content tests, Danish air meter tests (also referred to as Air Void Analyzer tests), high-pressure air content tests on hardened concrete, and linear traverse tests (as per ASTM C-457). Hardened concrete specimens were sent to three different laboratories for the linear traverse tests. The samples that were circulated to the three labs consisted of specimens that needed different levels of surface preparation. The first set consisted of approximately 18 specimens that had been sectioned from a 4 in. by 4 in. by 18 in. (10 cm by 10 cm by 46 cm) beam using a saw equipped with a diamond blade. These specimens were subjected to the normal sample preparation techniques that were commonly employed by the three different labs (each lab practiced slightly different specimen preparation techniques). The second set of samples consisted of eight specimens that had been ground and polished at a single laboratory. The companion labs were only supposed to retouch the sample surfaces if they exhibited major flaws. In general, the study indicated that the image analysis test results for entrained air content exhibited good to strong correlation to the average values determined via the linear traverse technique. Specimens ground and polished in a single laboratory and then circulated to the other participating laboratories for the air content determinations exhibited the strongest correlation between the image analysis and linear traverse techniques (coefficient of determination, r-squared = 0.96, for n=8). Specimens ground and polished at each of the individual laboratories exhibited considerably more scatter (coefficient of determination, r-squared = 0.78, for n=16). The image analysis technique tended to produce low estimates of the specific surface of the voids when compared to the results from the linear traverse method. This caused the image analysis spacing factor calculations to produce larger values than those obtained from the linear traverse tests. The image analysis spacing factors were still successful at distinguishing between the frost-prone test specimens and the other (more durable) test specimens that were studied in this research project.

Correlation of Locally-Based Performance of Asphalts with their Physicochemical Parameters, Task 1 Report, HR-298, 1988

This is the first report of 6 tasks to be performed in an effort to establish locally-based quality and performance criteria for asphalts, and ultimately to develop performance-related specifications based on simple physicochemical methods. Three of the most promising chemical methods (high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), thermal analysis, and X-ray diffraction were selected to analyze 4 different types of samples. The results will indicate the fundamental asphalt property variables that directly affect the field performance in Iowa. The details of the materials and procedures employed are described, and the results of the tests are presented.

Correlation of Locally-Based Performance of Asphalts with Their Physicochemical Parameters, Progress Report 2, HR-298, 1989

This project was undertaken to study the relationships between the performance of locally available asphalts and their physicochemical properties under Iowa conditions with the ultimate objective of development of a locally and performance-based asphalt specification for durable pavements. Physical and physicochemical tests were performed on three sets of asphalt samples including: (a) twelve samples from local asphalt suppliers and their TFOT residues, (b) six core samples of known service records, and (c) a total of 79 asphalts from 10 pavement projects including original, lab aged and recovered asphalts from field mixes, as well as from lab aged mixes. Tests included standard rheological tests, HP-GPC and TMA. Some specific viscoelastic tests (at 5 deg C) were run on b samples and on some a samples. DSC and X-ray diffraction studies were performed on a and b samples. Furthermore, NMR techniques were applied to some a, b and c samples. Efforts were made to identify physicochemical properties which are correlated to physical properties known to affect field performance. The significant physicochemical parameters were used as a basis for an improved performance-based trial specification for Iowa to ensure more durable pavements.