Construction & Design

The Annual New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Research Showcase is an opportunity for New Jersey’s transportation community to experience the broad scope of ongoing academic research initiatives and share technology transfer activities being conducted by institutions of higher education and their associates.

In this free seminar, researchers from NJIT will discuss their work to date studying the uses and benefits of recycled concrete as a replacement for natural aggregate, sustainable rapid-repair cements for infrastructure maintenance, understanding the durability of low-carbon concrete mixtures, and more.

This course reviews the basic regulations and engineering guidelines for the installation of pavement markings and properly establishing and posting regulatory, warning, and guide signs.

This course will provide students with enough information to develop an asset management program from scratch or allow them to build upon an existing program through exposure to both theory-based research and development outcomes as well as use cases and best practices that are based on real world examples.

This course provides participants with (1) a basic understanding of intersection safety issues, (2) “how to” information for common safety tasks and low cost safety improvements that do not require an engineered design, and (3) background information on safety tasks that do not require an engineer.

A grant from the NSF helped launch Atlantic Cape Community College’s new associate’s degree program in applied science with a concentration on small commercial drone field technicians.

Last month we spoke to CAIT-affiliated researcher Dr. James Hughes to discuss COVID-19 and its potential impacts on the economy and regional transportation. Now we check back with him again for new insights as the situation progresses.

The February 2018 issue of CE magazine featured THMPER—a portable, rapid testing device for bridge load-bearing capacity. THMPER is a breakthrough because it does this critical task faster, cheaper, and with less traffic disruption than other current methods.

David Orr from the Cornell University Local Roads Program is working on a tool to help towns with low-volume rural/local roads plan and build them in keeping with the traffic loads they carry.

Dr. Szary leads CAIT’s research efforts helping to align them with USDOT’s national vision and the needs of stakeholders in the Northeast region. He has been a member of CUTC’s executive board previously, most recently serving as Secretary last year.

As the economic impact of climate change on infrastructure continues to grow, it is important to consider these impacts in future resilience planning. CAIT Director Dr. Ali Maher discussed this and more in a recent presentation during the ITRC Seminar Series.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy recently announced the formation of a statewide council of leaders from various industry, community, and faith-based groups and institutions across New Jersey to work together and advise on the state’s restart and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rutgers CAIT recently enhanced capability in large-scale structural-testing equipment that will enable full utilization of its existing laboratory infrastructure and expand its portfolio in transportation research by providing access to a capability that currently does not exist in any other university in NJ and the region.

The 110-year-old Portal North Bridge carries approximately 450 trains and 200,000 passengers on an average day, and is in need of repair. CAIT helped to secure new funding from FRA that will allow NJ Transit and other stakeholders to advance these vital infrastructure projects.

The Infrastructure Asset Management Academy for Engineers and Planners is a 6-course program taught by experts at CAIT and industry partners designed to provide students with the knowledge, tools, and experience needed to make more informed asset management decisions.

ARA was selected as a contractor to provide program support and engineering services to the FHWA’s Office of Bridges and Structures and National Geotechnical Team. CAIT has teamed up with them as a subcontractor to provide research support and expertise.

Modern asphalt pavement performance testing has evolved quickly. The physical testing procedures are relatively simple, but analyzing the collected data is complex and intensive. If you’re an asphalt technician or engineer, that’s where RAAT-Pack has your back.

The FRA issued a notice of funding opportunity for state of good repair projects including a total of $291.4 million in grant funding to help repair vital intercity passenger rail assets. Of that funding, NJ Transit was later awarded $18.3 million to upgrade the Trenton Transit Center, and CAIT helped to secure it.

Researchers are developing a new tool to monitor track misalignment on the Manhattan Bridge that will help NYC engineers make informed repair and rehabilitation decisions in the future. They are also investigating the impact of dynamic amplification on bridge-fatigue life and possible mitigation options.

Dr. Jie Gong’s recent work has focused on promoting coastal urban community resilience, including leading remote sensing-based post-disaster reconnaissance missions during Hurricane Sandy and other storms with the goal of advancing damage assessment methods and turning data into actionable resilience knowledge.

"Eco-efficient Pavement Construction Materials" provides engineers with the latest information and research on eco-efficient pavement materials and green infrastructure.

New research from Rutgers CAIT is examining the consistency and relationship of three Pavement Condition Indexes. Analyzing them can result in more durable and sustainable airfield pavement in the long-term, and has the potential to help find improvements to the current practices in airfield-pavement management systems.

A new report from the New Jersey Task Force on Transportation, Mobility, and Support Service Needs of Adults with Autism highlights and identifies State policies and programs that can be improved to help remove or lessen barriers and enhance access to transportation for those with disabilities.

ASCE Central Jersey honors members dedicated to the advancement of engineering every year at its annual awards ceremony. This year, they selected CAIT-affiliated researcher Dr. Husam Najm for the Educator of the Year Award due to his dedication in helping educate the next generation of civil engineers at Rutgers.

The Coastal Universities Coalition is a consortium of the nation’s leading academic institutions convened to develop science-based solutions to the most pressing issues facing populated coastal regions. This month, a CAIT researcher was invited by the organization to speak on infrastructure resilience.

On September 16th from 2-3 pm, Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) hosted affiliated researcher Dr. Nenad Gucunski for a presentation on the state-of-the-art in the use of Nondestructive Evaluation and other technologies for the comprehensive assessment of concrete bridges.

Changing global climate patterns and warming temperatures are increasing the risk and vulnerability of numerous key transportation infrastructure assets, and new research from a CAIT-affiliated researcher suggests that this may include asphalt pavements as well.

A recent paper from Rutgers CAIT validated the Paratransit Skills Assessment and found it can predict an individual's ability to use paratransit services with greater than 96% accuracy.

This year, a Rutgers and CAIT-affiliated faculty member took home the 2019 NJDOT Research Implementation Award for his innovative work on the development of a new protocol for accepting new coating systems.

Traffic load and vehicle weight are two important variables in doing proper pavement design. A new study analyzed traffic clusters in New Jersey to characterize the data into mechanistic-empirical pavement design. This will help the state better understand its roads and build better designs in the future.

A report from CAIT researcher Dr. Thomas Bennert, in collaboration with stakeholders from NJDOT, tests the performance of existing High Friction Surface Treatment installations at locations in New Jersey, as well as the viability of alternatives such as High Friction Chip Seal for areas showing signs of premature failure.

In the years following the devastation that Hurricane Maria caused for Puerto Rico, CAIT-affiliated researchers at PUPR have been collecting field data from damaged traffic signs and bridges, testing these transportation assets to better understand their structural failures and breaking points during the storm.

The Region 2 UTC consortium is focusing on developing practical tools and methods to improve infrastructure health, durability, and resilience. Partners are: Atlantic Cape Community College, Columbia, Cornell, NJIT, Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico, Princeton, Rowan, SUNY–Farmingdale, and University at Buffalo.

On December 9th from 2-3 pm, CAIT-affiliated researchers will give a webinar on "Effects of Exposure to Fire on Strength of Suspension Bridge Cables Over Time" as part of the ongoing CAIT Seminar Series.

On Thursday, February 25th, Rutgers CAIT will host UTC partners at the University at Buffalo for a seminar discussing their latest research quantifying damage to concrete tunnel lining during fire events in order to recommend proper mitigation actions and improve overall resilience of tunnels.

On Wednesday, September 16th, from 2-3 pm, Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) will host the next installment of its ongoing seminar series on the state of the art in nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and other technologies for the assessment of concrete bridges.

On January 29th, 2021, from 2-3 pm EST CAIT will host UTC partners from the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico for a seminar on their latest research studying damages from Hurricane Maria to improve future infrastructure resilience.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation. Includes stories on recent events, research, and faculty accomplishments and activities.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation. Includes stories on recent events, research, and faculty accomplishments and activities.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation. Includes stories on recent conferences, research, and faculty accomplishments and activities.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

Columbia University recently announced 10 faculty teams that were each awarded $85,000 to develop innovative technology for New York City during COVID-19. CAIT-affiliated researcher Dr. Sharon Di was among one of those faculty teams selected for a project developing a crowd management systems for public transit systems.

Using cutting edge technology stemming from augmented reality and connected vehicles, a CAIT researcher presents a potential new way to analyze infrastructure failures despite a lack of available data — as was the case in the Edenville Dam failure.

The way that we think about and use transportation as it exists today has been shaped by innovative women leaders throughout history. They have contributed greatly to the safety of all modes of travel, efficiency of our transportation systems, and the development of new technology that drives transportation into the future.

In June UTC partners at Cornell's Local Roads Program will host a free webinar on low-volume roadway pavements and how to use a new software they have developed to help local agencies do their own pavement designs.

The Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) is accepting applications for projects relating to surface transportation. TAP provides federal funds for community-based “non-traditional” projects designed to strengthen the cultural, aesthetic, and environmental aspects of the nation’s intermodal system.

FHWA acting administrator Brandye Hendrickson has announced the fifth round of the agency’s Every Day Counts (EDC) program, 10 selected proven, yet underutilized innovations to enhance safety, reduce congestion, shorten project timelines, and improve sustainability.

FHWA and the National Association of County Engineers helped 25 counties in California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, Ohio, and Wisconsin develop Local Road Safety Plans. LSRPs provide a framework for local agencies to identify specific conditions that contribute to severe crashes.

Thomas D. Everett was honored for his service and received the prestigious Rutgers Engineering Society Distinguished Engineer Award earlier this month at The 2019 Medal of Excellence Awards Dinner. He stopped by CAIT for a tour of The BEAST and other facilities too.

FHWA announced that it is withdrawing its interim approval of Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons. The concerns that led to this decision are not related to the functionality or safety of the device, but with the proprietary nature of hardware. Photo: ©Ryan Gillespie/Orlando Sentinel.

The December 31, 2018, sunset date for “new permanent installations and full replacements of cable barriers, cable barrier terminals and crash cushions” now only pertains to crash cushions. See important clarification on MASH Implementation site. Photo: WSDOT.

Primarily focused on the performance of structures under fire, Dr. Negar Elhami Khorasani is currently researching damage to concrete railway-tunnel lining during fire events, which can have millions of dollars of impact, through a UTC Fire in Tunnel Collaborative Project at CAIT.

A CAIT researcher has developed permeable concrete designs that are highly effective in handling heat. This pavement contains large connected pores, allowing water to drain and reducing pavement temperature. In some crowded cities, average air temperatures reach 1.8 to 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit higher than in more rural areas.

FHWA has developed a comprehensive set of programs, strategies, and tools for managing safer, smarter, more efficient temporary traffic control. How can you start using them?

Dr. Cecilia Feeley will be using a safe, virtual environment to study how people with autism react to different types of pedestrian infrastructure. She is recruiting participants for the study now.

At 62 years and counting, the region’s longest-running asphalt pavement conference was attended by nearly 320 pros from research, transportation agencies, and private industry.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority are advancing more than $1.1 billion in construction contracts for 2019.

At the 99th Annual Transportation Research Board Meeting, a student from UTC partner school NJIT was recognized by CUTC as a Student of the Year. The award highlights outstanding UTC students and their accomplishments in the field of transportation.

The Murphy administration announced that the New Jersey Transportation Infrastructure Bank is now offering low-interest loans to municipalities and counties to help them reduce the overall cost of local transportation projects.

CAIT researchers at the Rutgers Asphalt and Pavement Laboratory created this new free technology and are now licensing it to professionals in the field. The software can easily provide analysis for various asphalt-performance testing specifications while alleviating errors and decreasing testing time.

Under-designing roads can mean more expensive repairs for local towns and counties in the long run. Cornell’s Dr. David Orr, PE, developed an innovative tool to help bring the proper pavement designs to local agencies. The product launched this winter following testing by local agencies and stakeholders in New York State.

NJ STIC held its annual spring meeting on April 4, 2018. Presentations included updates on status of STIC projects, overviews of select projects and outreach efforts, and a roundtable discussion. Presentations are posted on the NJDOT tech transfer website.

The short-term goal of this research is to develop a guideline that agencies can implement into their own decision-making processes when evaluating rapid-repair materials. Down the road, researchers hope to develop new methods of testing rapid-repair materials and freeze-thaw cycles so that it becomes standardized.

NJDOT recently received a $16,000 grant through the FHWA's ASAP program. Using the money, they will partner with NJLTAP and other stakeholders to develop a workshop designed to spread and implement proven safety countermeasures, from rumble strips to roundabouts, throughout the state.

Amid restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the region, researchers at the Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation have still been able to conduct important work and take on new challenges in transportation—highlighted by recent media coverage and virtual events.

Researchers at the Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation continue to conduct important work and take on new challenges in transportation during the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic. Here are some of our recent highlights.

Researchers at the Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation continue to conduct important work and take on new challenges in transportation during the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic. Here are some of our recent highlights.

As the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center, part of CAIT’s mission is to share the innovative tools, technologies, and processes that its researchers develop with the right stakeholders so that they can be implemented and solve the most pressing challenges today’s transportation network and industry faces. 

Researchers at the Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation continue to conduct important work and take on new challenges in transportation during the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic. Here are some of our recent highlights.

This October, CAIT has been in the news for various research and projects, has seen faculty members honored for their excellence in education and research, and has hosted a number of classes and site visits.

Researchers at the Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation continue to conduct important work and take on new challenges in transportation during the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic. Here is some of what we have been working on, highlighted by recent media coverage and virtual events.

From analyzing research gaps in applying autonomous and connected vehicles to discussing scenarios for railway tunnel fires, Region 2 UTC partners had an eventful summer. Below are some highlights from our researchers to you, and upcoming events to look out for.

From innovative research to receiving awards, read about some of the recent highlights and successes from researchers at the Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation during the summer months.

U.S. News & World Report revealed its 2021 Best Colleges ranking this September. Among a number of schools, many UTC partners were recognized in general as well as for their individual engineering programs.

By using Stormwater Green Infrastructure such as rain gardens and more recently porous parking lots, a CAIT-affiliated researcher is leading the way in building and implementing these environmentally-friendly measures to help control flooding events for at-risk neighborhoods.

CAIT has been busy in recent months with projects ranging from building virtual reality modules for workforce training to using drones in innovative ways for highway interchange asset inspection. Check out the latest edition of Transportation Today, our print newsletter, for these stories and much more.

As the Region 2 UTC lead institution, Rutgers CAIT gathered its consortium partners and high-level industry leaders to discuss the next round of UTC projects, clients’ priorities, and collaboration. Discussions focused on finding real-world implementable solutions for pressing transportation issues in the region.

This summer local officials celebrated the grand opening of a new 2-mile asphalt trail along the Skillman Road Pathway in Montgomery Township, NJ. In partnership with NJDOT, FHWA, and Rutgers CAIT, the pathway includes areas of experimental porous concrete designed to alleviate flooding and puddling in the area.

Able to climb stairs, navigate rough terrain, and respond to commands, the mobile robotic dog, “Spot,” offers Rutgers CAIT researchers an autonomous technology for innovations in infrastructure maintenance and repair.

Robots are emerging in multiple roles for infrastructure construction, condition monitoring, and maintenance. From rigid machines to flexible soft ’bots—whether they fly, climb, crawl, or swim—these tools have rapidly expanding capabilities, applications, and utility in the field.

FHWA has been rolling out pavement technologies for construction and maintenance of roadway surfaces that can potentially save money, increase safety, and improve performance. The agency also is facilitating their use across the country.

Although roundabouts have been in widespread use in other countries for a number of years, it is only during the past few years that their application in the United States has received increased attention by both the public and transportation professionals.

Rutgers CAIT hosted A Training Course on Ground Improvement Methods that outlined best practices for dealing with poor ground conditions at the job site. Professional engineers came to campus for the two-day event to learn about these technologies from guest instructor Jerry A. DiMaggio.

A CAIT researcher has developed two fully-interactive virtual environments that mesh innovative VR technology with the needs of infrastructure managers. Roadside crews can step into both of these bridge and pump-station environments, and step out with the hands-on experience they need to do their jobs.

This new research project will help to identify best practices to facilitate truck movements and minimize truck wait time at JFK International Airport for land-side cargo movements through a systems analysis of cargo movement and logistics.

Elizabethtown Gas brought in a Rutgers Drone team to map a gas pipeline replacement project and capture geolocations of newly installed underground infrastructure. The data collected will help the team develop enhanced As-Built models that are vital for informing infrastructure stakeholders in the area.

The American Council of Engineering Companies of New Jersey celebrated its 50th annual Engineering Excellence Awards this July, and recognized Rutgers professor and CAIT-affiliated researcher Dr. Nenad Gucunski as its Educator of the Year.

Since Hurricane Ida struck New Jersey, a team of Rutgers engineers, researchers and students has been in the field assessing flood damage and gathering data to help improve flood prediction models and how New Jersey responds to future storms.

As part of a pilot project funded by NJDOT and FHWA, Rutgers and CAIT-affiliated researchers, alongside Montgomery Township, are building a 1,500-square ft. test sidewalk made of porous concrete in Montgomery, NJ to collect performance data.

Recent UTC projects from Rutgers CAIT address critical issues of asset management, transportation safety, and infrastructure resilience during severe weather events as Hurricane Season 2020 continues.

The Middlesex County - Mobility Living Laboratory is transforming 12 downtown city acres and the wider Middlesex County into a cutting-edge smart mobility testing ground, designed to create an "innovation economy" in the region that aligns with the state's goals.

Hurricane Maria left devastating effects on Puerto Rico when the storm struck in 2017, with NOAA's Office for Coastal Management totaling the damage at $90 billion. Now, research from the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico is examining ways to make pedestrian and traffic infrastructure more resilient in the area.

The BEAST at Rutgers CAIT is more than just an innovative facility that can estimate the lifespan of bridge systems. It also serves as an opportunity for students to receive experiential learning through the number of research projects that piggyback on the ongoing and future accelerated testing efforts within the lab.

The 99th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board will feature transportation professionals from around the world for a week of presentations, posters, meetings, awards, networking, and more. Use this schedule to find out when and where researchers from Rutgers CAIT will be discussing their own work.

New Jersey's conference observing National Work Zone Safety Week celebrated its 20th year in 2019 and drew more than 250 transportation professionals from construction, public works, maintenance operations, engineering, utilities, and public safety.

Transportation professionals from around the world came together last week to share research, discuss the future of the industry, network, and more. Among them, researchers from CAIT shared their own work ranging from autonomous vehicles and accessibility to preventing tunnel fires.

During a recent episode of the Structural Engineering Podcast Channel, UTC partner at NJIT and CAIT-affiliated researcher Dr. Matthew Bandelt, was interviewed about his work with this innovative material and its many applications. 

October 2020 marked the 10th anniversary of the Transportation Autism Project at CAIT. This webinar focused on the first ten years of innovative work from the Center making transportation accessible for those on the autism spectrum.

On August 24th from 3-4 pm, the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) hosted Mark Vessely, P.E., principal engineer with BGC Engineering for a presentation on geotechnical asset management.

On Friday, January 29th, CAIT hosted UTC partner Dr. Gustavo Pacheco-Crosetti for a seminar presentation on his work to date studying the damages from Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico in order to improve future infrastructure resilience.

On December 9th CAIT hosted affiliated researchers from Columbia University for a webinar on their latest research studying the “Effects of Exposure to Fire on Strength of Suspension Bridge Cables Over Time” as part of the ongoing CAIT Seminar Series. Watch the webinar here.