HITEC

The Highway Innovative Technology Evaluation Center (HITEC) is a nationally recognized, first-stop service center and clearinghouse for implementing highway innovation. HITEC conducts impartial performance evaluations for market-ready products where standards or specifications do not exist. HITEC accepts both "high-tech" and "low-tech" products and/or technologies that are intended for use in any aspect of the highway community including design, construction, operation, or maintenance.

When a manufacturer is introducing a new or innovative technology, it is often necessary to demonstrate the product to many, if not all, owners, builders, consumers, state agencies, etc. to prove that it performs as claimed. This practice is inefficient, time consuming, and often costly. To overcome these barriers, HITEC facilitates the conduct of consensus-based, nationally accepted performance evaluations of new or innovative technologies for the highway industry through its simple and highly effective collaborative process.

The Collin Group was the principal investigator for the HITEC evaluation of rammed aggregate piers and has provided HITEC like evaluations for Maryland, North Carolina, Oregon, Virgina, and West Virginia on mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) systems.