Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection

[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 73 (Thursday, April 16, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 20561]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-07407]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[Docket No. FHWA-2026-0496]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments 
for a New Information Collection

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to 
request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for a new 
information collection, which is summarized below under SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal 
Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Please submit comments by June 15, 2026.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number 
0496 by any of the following methods:
    Website: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
    Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
    Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    Hand Delivery or Courier: U.S. Department of Transportation, West 
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Corrigan, (202) 493-3365, 
Office of Infrastructure Research and Development, Federal Highway 
Administration, Department of Transportation, 6300 Georgetown Pike, 
McLean, VA 22101. Office hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Bridging the Data Gap in Pavement Management and Quality 
Assurance.
    Background: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is 
researching the current state of practice for digital project delivery, 
specifically regarding pavement and materials testing and electronic 
quality assurance (QA) data within State transportation agencies.
    While many industries leverage artificial intelligence, machine 
learning, and robust data analytics to improve decision-making, the 
highway construction field is seeing an increased need to link 
disparate data sources. This integration supports various applications, 
including design models, intelligent construction, e-ticketing, 
materials testing, digital as-builts, pavement management systems 
(PMS), and Building Information Modeling (BIM) for Infrastructure.
    Agencies are transitioning toward BIM as the successor to standard 
plan sets. However, because agencies utilize tools from multiple 
vendors, interoperability is critical. Seamless data transfer across 
BIM platforms requires a standardized data schema; without it, agencies 
risk data loss during translation between applications.
    While QA data has long been a staple of highway construction, the 
ability to analyze and leverage these assets throughout a project's 
lifecycle is less mature. Many agencies want to maximize their 
electronic data but face challenges in integration. Currently, while 
agencies are proficient in producing data via test equipment, they 
often lack the standardized workflows necessary to analyze and 
integrate that data into broader systems.
    The goals of this research are to:
    1. Assess the beneficial uses and limitations of electronic QA 
data.
    2. Evaluate its implications for use in digital as-builts, Advanced 
Digital Construction Management Systems (ADCMS), and lifecycle asset 
management.
    3. Identify gaps and the requirements for a standardized data 
schema.
    FHWA will develop and distribute a survey instrument organized by 
the People-Process-Technology-Data framework. The survey will seek 
information regarding:
    •  The extent of collection, processing, storage, and 
analysis of pavement and materials QA data across design, construction, 
and asset management.
    •  The availability and integration of geospatial 
information.
    •  Currently implemented commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) and 
in-house technologies and databases.
    •  Existing data exchange standards or processes supporting 
digital QA data.
    •  Challenges associated with data-related practices and 
manipulation ``touch points.''
    •  Specific data use cases and desired practices not yet 
implemented.
    Respondents: 3 FHWA Federal Lands Highway Divisions, 52 
Transportation Agencies (including 50 U.S. States, the District of 
Columbia, and Puerto Rico), and American Association of State Highway 
and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Committee on Materials and 
Pavements.
    Frequency: Once.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: 30 minutes per response.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 28 hours total. The total 
hours = 1,680 minutes = 30 minutes x 56 responses.
    Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of 
this information collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed 
collection is necessary for the FHWA's performance; (2) the accuracy of 
the estimated burdens; (3) ways for the FHWA to enhance the quality, 
usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that 
the burden could be minimized, including the use of electronic 
technology, without reducing the quality of the collected information. 
The agency will summarize and/or include your comments in the request 
for OMB's clearance of this information collection.
    Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. chapter 
35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.

    Issued on: April 14, 2026.
Jazmyne Lewis,
Information Collection Officer.
[FR Doc. 2026-07407 Filed 4-15-26; 8:45 am]
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