Governor and Executive Council Agenda item PDF - 2026-03-25 - agenda 20

Meeting Date

2026-03-25

Attachment Kind Label

Agenda item PDF

Attachment Relation

primary_meeting_attachment

Agenda Numbers

20

Agency Names

Department Of Transportation, Department Of Information Technology (Tabled At G&C Meeting 3/4/26)

Parent Meeting Title

Governor and Executive Council meeting - 2026-03-25

DTTDepartment of Transportation

William Cuss, P.E.

Commissioner

THE STA TE OE NEW HAMPSHIRE

DEPARTMENT OT TRANSPORT A TION

3.0MAR 2 5 2026 David Rodrigue, P.E.

Assistant Commissioner

Michelle L. Winters

Deputy Commissioner

His Excellency, Governor Christopher T. Sununu

and the Honorable Council

State House

Concord, New Hampshire 03301

Bureau of Materials & Research

January 6, 2026

REQUESTED ACTION

Authorize, the Department of Transportation to enter into a Sole Source Project Agreement with the

University of New Hampshire Sponsored Programs Administration (Vendor #315187) Durham, New

Hampshire, to improve material durability in New Hampshire for a fee not to exceed $75,684. This

Agreement will become effective upon Governor and Council approval through November 30, 2027. 100%

Federal Funds.

Funding is available as follows:

04-96-96-963515-3054

Consolidated Federal Aid

046-500464 Gen Consultants Non-Benefit

FY 2026 FY 2027 FY2028

$30,000.00 $30,000.00 $15,684.00

EXPLANATION

This is a Sole Source Project Agreement with the University of New Hampshire Sponsored Programs

Administration as it is uniquely tied to New Hampshire's specific environmental conditions, requiring

substantial local expertise that the University of New Hampshire (UNH) possesses. Additionally, the study

aligns directly with a specialized area of UNH's recognized expertise, and the Principal Investigator is a

nationally respected authority in this field. Because of these factors, the work cannot reasonably be

performed by private industry or out-of-state organizations. It is in the best interest of both the Department

and the State to contract directly with UNH.

By way of background, this research is part of the Department's Statewide Planning and Research (SPR)

program. The Department of Transportation and UNH have a long-standing, collaborative relationship in

transportation research, which has consistently delivered mutual benefits—reducing costs for the State,

advancing workforce development, and maintaining New Hampshire's leadership in innovative

technologies. Past UNH research has produced significant advancements in highway and bridge practices,

including improved pavement design, increased use of recycled materials, stormwater management

solutions, and rapid construction techniques.

JOHN O. MORTON BUILDING • 7 HAZEN DRIVE • P.O. BOX 483 • CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE 03302-0483

TELEPHONE: 603-271-3734 • FAX: 603-271-3914 • TDD: RELAY NH 1-800-735-2964. INTERNET: WWW.NHDOT.COM

This request will provide for the disbursement of State Transportation Innovation Council funds awarded

by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to demonstrate advancements discovered through

collaborations regarding Internally Cured Concrete (ICC) technology for bridge curbs constructed by

NHDOT. ICC has been identified by FHWA as a proven yet underutilized innovation that limits shrinkage

cracking, which is a detriment to life cycle, particularly in-cold climate states.- Construction, monitoring,

and testing that show performance in real world settings will further adopt into material and construction

standards in New Hampshire and nationally.

To demonstrate the performance and constructability of ICC, four (4) full-scale bridge curbs with different

concrete formulas, i.e.; baseline, modified baseline, and two (2) ICC mixes that leverage different

aggregates, will be constructed by the Department of Transportation Bureau of Bridge Maintenance

beginning January 2026. Samples will be collected by the university for further testing, sensors will be

placed in the curb to measure other initial and ongoing parameters, and the curbs will be periodically

revisited over the following six months to measure the number and lengths of cracks. The demonstration

will support future decision making by NHDOT regarding when to deploy the technology. The sponsorship

represents a unique opportunity for New Hampshire due to our local expertise and the success of our ongoing

collaboration. The research study will address an immediate Department need to reduce early shrinkage

cracking and directly related ongoing collaborative research with UNH.

The project is 100% Federally funded with the State Transportation Innovation Council (STIC) award.

Sincerely,

William J. Cass, PE

Commissioner

Attachments

COOPERATIVE PROJECT AGREEMENT

between the

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, Department of Transportation

and the

University of New Hampshire of the UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

A. This Cooperative Project Agreement (hereinafter "Project Agreement") is entered into by the State of

New Hampshire, Department of Transportation, (hereinafter "State"), and the University System of

New Hampshire, acting through University of New Hampshire, (hereinafter "Campus"), for the

purpose of undertaking a project of mutual interest. This Cooperative Project shall be carried out under

the terms and conditions of the Master Agreement for Cooperative Projects between the State of New

Hampshire and the University System of New Hampshire dated November 13, 2002, except as may be

modified herein.

B. This Project Agreement and all obligations of the parties hereunder shall become effective on the date

the Governor and Executive Council of the State of New Hampshire approve this Project Agreement

("Effective date") and shall end on 11/30/27. If the provision of services by Campus precedes the

Effective date, all services performed by Campus shall be performed at the sole risk of Campus and in

the event that this Project Agreement does not become effective, State shall be under no obligation to

pay Campus for costs incurred or services performed; however, if this Project Agreement becomes

effective, all costs incurred prior to the Effective date that would otherwise be allowable shall be paid

under the terms of this Project Agreement.

C. The work to be performed under the terms of this Project Agreement is described in the proposal

identified below and attached to this document as Exhibit A, the content of which is incorporated herein

as a part of this Project Agreement.

Project Title: Demonstrating Internally Cured Concrete Technology into Standard Bridge Curbs

for NH DOT

D. The Following Individuals are designated as Project Administrators. These Project Administrators shall

be responsible for the business aspects of this Project Agreement and all invoices, payments, project

amendments and related correspondence shall be directed to the individuals so designated.

State Project Administrator Campus Project Administrator

Name: David Gaylord Name: Gretchen Swain

Address: 5 Hazen Drive Address: Sponsored Programs Administration

Concord, NH 03301 Service Building

51 College Rd

Durham, NH 03824

Phone: 603-271-1659 Phone: N/A

E. The Following Individuals are designated as Project Directors. These Project Directors shall be

responsible for the technical leadership and conduct of the project. All progress reports, completion

reports and related correspondence shall be directed to the individuals so designated.

State Project Director Campus Project Director

Name: David Gaylord Name: Eshan Dave

Address: 5 Hazen Drive Address: Civil & Environmental Engineering

Concord, NH 03301 Kingsbury Hall

Room W173

Durham, NH 03824

Phone: 603-271-1659 Phone: 603-862-5268

Campus Authorized Official

Date

DH

1/6/26

F. Total State funds in the amount of $75,684 have been allotted and are available for payment of allowable

costs incurred under this Project Agreement. State will not reimburse Campus for costs exceeding the

amount specified in this paragraph.

Check if applicable

[~1 Campus will cost-share% of total costs during the term of this Project Agreement.

^ Federal funds paid to Campus under this Project Agreement are from Grant/Contract/Cooperative

Agreement No. NA from FHWA under CFDA# 20.200. Federal regulations required to be passed

through to Campus as part of this Project Agreement, and in accordance with the Master Agreement

for Cooperative Projects between the State of New Hampshire and the University System of New

Hampshire dated November 13, 2002, are attached to this document as Exhibit B, the content of

which is incorporated herein as a part of this Project Agreement.

G. Check if applicable

I I Article(s) of the Master Agreement for Cooperative Projects between the State of New

Hampshire and the University System of New Hampshire dated November 13, 2002 is/are hereby

amended to read:

H. ^ State has chosen not to take possession of equipment purchased under this Project Agreement.

I I State has chosen to take possession of equipment purchased under this Project Agreement and will

issue instmctions for the disposition of such equipment within 90 days of the Project Agreement's end-

date. Any expenses incurred by Campus in carrying out State's requested disposition will be fully

reimbursed by State.

This Project Agreement and the Master Agreement constitute the entire agreement between State and

Campus regarding this Cooperative Project, and supersede and replace any previously existing

arrangements, oral or written; all changes herein must be made by written amendment and executed for the

parties by their authorized officials.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the University System of New Hampshire, acting through the

University of New Hampshire and the State of New Hampshire, Department of Transportation have

executed this Project Agreement.

By An Authorized Official of:

University of New Hampshire

Name: Dianne Hall

Title:Manager, Pre-Award Compliance

Signature and Date: WvijQ-

By An Authorized Official of:

Department of Transportation

Name: "To L gy

Title:

Signature and Date: / /

By An Authorized Official of: the New

Hampshire Office of_the Attomey General

Name:

Title:

Signatureand

By An Authorized Official of: the New

Hampshire Governor & Executive Council

Name:

Title:

Signature and Date:

DHCampus Authorized Official

Date

EXHIBIT A

A. Project Title: Demonstrating Internally Cured Concrete Technology into Standard Bridge Curbs

for NH DOT ^ ■

B. Project Period: January 1, 2026-November 30, 2027

C. Objectives: An on-going NHDOT SPR2 research study has conducted literature review and

laboratory trials for developing internally cured concrete (ICC) mix designs for bridge curbs with the

objective of lowering early-age cracking potential. In addition to ICC, this project has also shown

favorable results with reduced cementitious materials (RCM) mix design. The purpose of this work

plan is to demonstrate these technologies on a full scale as well as to validate their viability through

construction of typical NHDOT bridge curbs and measurement of their cracking performance.

Further, samples will be taken for laboratory characterization of the trial materials used in the

demonstration. The main objectives of this planned effort are the following;

(1) Validate laboratory findings for ICC and RCM based concrete mixes on the full scale in terms of

early-age cracking performance.

(2) Provide NHDOT bridge maintenance crews with first-hand experience in placing and finishing

ICC and RCM mixes side-by-side with conventional concrete.

(3) Conduct laboratory testing on demonstration materials to obtain their fresh (workability and air

content) and hardened (compressive strength evolution) properties as well as durability

characteristics (surface resistivity).

D. Scope of Work: To achieve the aforementioned objectives, this effort will construct four full-scale

bridge curbs at NHDOT Bridge Maintenance unit's Franklin facility. The main difference between

the four curbs will be the FCC mix composition: (I) Baseline (standard NHDOT class "A" or "AA"

mix); (2) ICC variation of baseline with use of lightweight fine aggregate (LWFA); (3) ICC variation

of baseline with use of superabsorbent polymer (SAP); (4) RCM variation of baseline with 15%

lower cementitious material than baseline.

Construction Plan

The curbs will be constructed to emulate a typical bridge curb with standard detailing as used by NHDOT.

To fully simulate the boundary conditions of typical bridge curbs, concrete slabs will be used to

represent the bridge deck. The slabs (8 inch thick) will be placed and fully cured prior to placement

of the curbs on top of them. Once steel reinforcement for curbs is prepared, strain gauges will be

installed using the longitudinal bars to measure the shrinkage of the curbs. Further, concrete maturity

sensors (either integral to strain gages or stand-alone) will be embedded in the curbs to track the

concrete internal temperatures as well as their hydration processes. The curbs (I) baseline and (4)

15% RCM will be placed using concrete procured by NHDOT directly from ready mix supplier. The

UNH research team will manufacture concrete for curbs (2) ICC-LWFA and (3) ICC-SAP using a

portable mixture on-site.

Laboratory Testing Plan

The research team has developed a suite of testing that would accompany the placement of the trial curbs.

The fresh concrete properties, including slump and air content will be captured to ensure that each

OH

Campus Authorized Official

Date 1/6/26

concrete batch meets NHDOT standards. Additionally, the mechanical properties of the concrete will

be determined, which would involve casting 32 cylinders. These would be used to measure the

compressive and indirect tensile strength development of the concrete. As the cylinders cure, they

would be placed in a simulated pore solution to allow researchers to verify the variation of the

surface resistivity. Unrestrained shrinkage beams will also be cast to confirm the batches' volumetric

stability.

Planned Work Distribution

This effort is proposed to include activities by both NHDOT and the University of New Hampshire

(UNH).

E. Deliverables Schedule:

UNH Tasks and Activities;

(1) Task-1: Design of materials for trials

a. Work with FCC producer to identify mix designs for trial

b. Procure LWFA and SAP materials necessary for ICC-LWFA and ICC-SAP curb construction.

(2)Task-2: Support during curb placement:

a. Be available at the site before and during placement to help install the concrete strain gauges.

b. Make PCC batches with two ICC variations (LWFA and SAP) on site using component materials

used in baseline PCC.

c. Assist in placement of PCC and in casting of cylindrical (compressive and indirect tensile strength)

and unrestrained shrinkage prismatic specimens.

d. Conduct fresh concrete property tests to measure workability and air content on each of the four

PCC mixes sampled during curb placement.

(3) Task-3: Analysis

a. Conduct hardened concrete tests on samples cast during curb placement.

b. Monitor curing of curbs, internal strain generation and conduct crack measurements and

quantification on curbs for 6 months.

c. Document the study in terms of overall approach and procedures, fresh and hardened concrete test

results, comments from NHDOT crew regarding placement and finishing, and early-age cracking

performance.

d. Use data from strain gages within ongoing NHDOT project for conducting structural analysis of

curbs.

NHDOT Tasks and Activities:

(1) Place underlying slabs using NHDOT class "AA" PCC for each of the four curbs.

(2) Work with NHDOT's PCC supplier to identify baseline mix design and to set-up logistics for supplier

to provide baseline PCC as well as 15% RCM mix.

(3) Procure component materials (aggregates, cementitious materials and admixtures) that will be used in

baseline mix for on-site making of two ICC batches.

(4) Placement of all four curbs.

(5) Provide access to UNH researchers for making visits to the NHDOT facility for collecting data and

conducting crack measurements.

F. Budget and Invoicing Instructions: Campus will submit invoices to State on regular Campus

invoice forms no more frequently than monthly and no less frequently than quarterly. Invoices will

be based on actual project expenses incurred during the invoicing period, and shall show current and

cumulative expenses by major cost categories as shown below. State will pay Campus within 30

days of receipt of each invoice. Campus will submit its final invoice not later than 75 days after the

Project Period end date.

Of-f

Campus Authorized Official

Date 1/6/26

Budget Items State Funding

1. Salaries & Wages * $32,194

2. Employee Fringe Benefits $1,626

3. Travel $2,524

4. Supplies and Services' $22,169

5. Equipment 0

6. Facilities & Admin $17,171

Total $75,684

Campus Authorized Official

Date F6/26

EXHIBIT B

This Project Agreement is funded under a Grant/Contract/Cooperative Agreement to State from the Federal

sponsor specified in Project Agreement article P. All applicable requirements, regulations, provisions, terms

and conditions of this Federal Grant/Contract/Cooperative Agreement are hereby adopted in full force and

effect to the relationship between State and Campus, except that wherever such requirements, regulations,

provisions and terms and conditions differ for INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, the

appropriate requirements should be substituted (e.g., 0MB Circulars A-21 and A-110, rather than 0MB

Circulars A-87 and A-102). References to Contractor or Recipient in the Federal language will be taken

to mean Campus; references to the Government or Federal Awarding Agency will be taken to mean

Government/Federal Awarding Agency or State or both, as appropriate.

Special Federal provisions are listed here: None or Uniform Guidance issued by the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) in lieu of Circulars listed in paragraph above..

Campus Authorized Official

Date 1/6/26