Research

The primary goal of this study is to help transportation stakeholders achieve better understanding of the usefulness of augmented reality (AR) technologies and encourage wider acceptance of AR in life-cycle management of transportation infrastructure systems through literature synthesis, technology evaluation,…

The intended activities of the project are to:

• Conduct comprehensive review of the existing ITS system architecture and implementation in New Jersey
• Document the best practices in ITS system architecture practices in the country, which support transition to connected and electric vehicles

The primary goal of this proposal is to develop a simple to use tool that would allow local agencies to develop a mechanistic-empirical design for lower volume (<1,000 vpd) highways. The primary focus would be on pavement overlays and rehabilitation. The current tools available use older empirical-only meth…

The overall goal of this study is to determine the most optimal time to apply pavement preservation treatments. Researchers will conduct full-scale accelerated pavement testing and performance evaluation. They also will examine different pavement alternatives, conducting comprehensive performance evaluations i…

Performance- or risk-based earthquake engineering has gained widespread acceptance as a path to achieve user-specified performance targets, which include characterizations of casualties, repair cost, and business interruption, for intensity, scenario- and time-based assessments. There are tools whose roots are in U.S. nu…

This project aims to develop a 2-D hydrodynamic model to assess the extent/severity of flooding from extreme weather events (such as Hurricane Sandy) and to evaluate the efficiency of existing transportation infrastructure.

The model will incorporate a representation of the transportation system network, flood eve…

Major tunnel fires can lead to catastrophic events potentially resulting in the loss of lives, property damage, long service disruptions, and major socioeconomic impacts. A number of previous historical events confirm that tunnel fires may not necessarily cause collapse, but significant damage to the tunnel lining and lo…

The primary goal of this project is to analyze the failure of different types of transportation signage during Hurricane Maria. The specific objectives are:

• determine the causes of signage failure
• suggest improvements to the design and construction to avoid or reduce…
  

The primary goal of this proposal is to analyze pedestrian bridges that were damaged or collapsed during Hurricane Maria. The specific objectives of the project are:

• Develop an inventory of pedestrian bridges that were damaged or collapsed due to the hurricane and document the type of failures exp…
  

The primary goal of this project is to analyze motor vehicle bridges that were damaged or collapsed during Hurricane Maria. The specific objectives of the project are:

• develop an inventory of bridges that experienced damages or collapsed
• determine the causes of failu…
  

The risks associated with infrastructure are clearly identified but training to minimize the impact of these challenges is sparsely available or lacking in related content. This project will design and establish academic credentials as well as non-credit short courses that will prepare participants to assess, mitigate …

Rapid-repair cements are important to extending the life of infrastructure. Damage occurs to concrete systems because of poor construction quality, accidents, severe environmental conditions, and general wear and tear. Using rapid-repair materials allows agencies to repair the infrastructure without causing un…

The primary goal of this project is to understand the combined impact of corrosion and earthquake hazards on existing bridges, and the impact of repairs using cementitious composites on the vulnerability of bridges to these hazards. This will be achieved by establishing a probabilistic framework that can then be used to …

The overarching aim of the research is to explore and establish the ability of large-amplitude, forced vibration testing to reveal the current performance and forecast the future system performance of bridges, with the consideration of dynamic soil-foundation-structure effects. With the ability to perform reli…

The primary goal of this proposal is to develop a customized concept of operations (ConOps) of rail track asset management and risk management, built upon an understanding of existing practice, needs, and gaps. The ConOps will be customized to a particular rail agency: PATH.

This research will adopt an “user-in-…

The primary goal of this project is to develop a new sample-to-answer, in-situ micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) probe that can rapidly determine hot-spot locations of metal contamination and what areas do or do not require dredging. This tool could make the resource management process significantly more…

The Port Authority of NY & NJ is a leader nationally in incorporating climate resilience into major capital projects at the design phase. The agency has adopted comprehensive design guidelines to improve the resilience of agency infrastructure. However, the agency is interested in documenting leading practices at pee…

Robots are emerging force in some of the most challenging working environments. Whether they are flying drones or climbing robots, rigid machinery systems or soft robots made from flexible organic materials, their mix of mobility, strength, and configurability poises them to revolutionize the field of infrastructure main…

Existing infrastructure in the U.S. is deteriorating; the symptoms of overdue maintenance and under investment are ever-present in our society. To ensure the safety of existing infrastructure, on-site life-time inspections and monitoring are required. While these methods yield a great deal of raw and analyzed data, curre…

The purpose of this project is to explore and document both positive impacts autonomous vehicle (AV) transportation, aka a self-driving car, could have on persons with a broad array of disabilities and other transportation issues, as well as challenges that may hinder their successful usage of this revolutionary technolo…