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    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
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    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
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      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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      <title>Improving Design and Construction of Transportation Infrastructure through Bedrock Characterization</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1715321</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Tertiary bedrock formations are commonly encountered during the design and construction of transportation infrastructure in Wyoming. The engineering properties of these bedrocks are highly variable due to the geological processes to which they have been subjected including deposition, cementation, weathering and erosion. Furthermore, comprehensive experimental investigations on these bedrocks are rarely performed in the past due to the absence of advanced rock testing equipment, and hence their strength and deformation behaviors are not well understood. However,  transportation infrastructure, such as bridges, slopes and roadways, is either constructed on or associated with these bedrock formations in Wyoming. The overall objective of the proposed research is to understand the strength and deformation behaviors of Wyoming bedrocks in order to improve the resilience of Wyoming transportation infrastructure to disaster. The research objectives will be achieved by completing six major tasks: literature review, assessment of Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) electronic database and rock inventory, geotechnical investigation and rock sampling, laboratory rock testing, data analysis and correlation development, and outcomes recommendations and reporting. The research will yield many beneficial outcomes pertinent to design and construction of transportation infrastructure.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 18 Jun 2020 14:12:27 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1715321</guid>
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      <title>Development of General Guidelines on The Effects of Bridge Span Range and Skew Angle Range on Integral Abutment Bridges (IABs) (3.7)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1638201</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The aim of this research is to improve guidelines for the modeling, design, and construction of IABs in the following areas:
(a)	The effect of the roadway profile grade on substructure; 
(b)	The constructability of pile supported IABs at a site with shallow bedrock;  
(c)	The effect of ranges of skew angle on axial and bending stresses in the superstructure; 
(d)	The effect of axial and bending stresses in the superstructure caused by thermal expansion and contraction for a range of bridge spans.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 17 Jul 2019 11:31:34 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1638201</guid>
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      <title>Geologic Hazards Mapping: Identifying Sinkholes and Karst Susceptible Areas in Worth, Cerro Gordo, Mitchell, and Floyd Counties HR-3018</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1603749</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The original sinkhole map for Iowa was generated based primarily on the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) county soil surveys. These data sources have proven to vastly underrepresent the number of sinkholes in Iowa. Even if a sinkhole is not readily visible, a region may still be likely to have karst issues. Characteristics of bedrock units and depth to bedrock can be used to determine areas with high karst potential. Previous geologic maps provided the basis for determining areas with bedrock that typically form karst features and sinkholes, but were produced at a state-wide scale (Witzke et al., 2010). By synthesizing more recent geologic mapping data, the previous map resolution can be improved upon to further characterize the bedrock and identify areas with high karst potential.
The IGS will map four counties (Worth, Cerro Gordo, Mitchell, and Floyd) in north central Iowa that are known to have a large number of sinkholes (Figure 1) and that may be impacting existing roadways. This area includes several transportation corridors (portions of state highways 9, 27, and 14; US highways 18, 65 and 218; and Interstate 35) and population centers (Mason City and Charles City). These four counties have recently been mapped for surficial and bedrock geology by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) STATEMAP program (Quade et al., 2012; Liu et al., 2012, 2015, 2018; Tassier-Surine et al., 2015, 2018; Clark et al., 2016; Kerr et al., 2018) and a 25 foot bedrock elevation contour map has also been produced from this effort. Depth to bedrock data is further improved for this area as hundreds of GeoSam data points were relocated during recent mapping. The combination of new data sources will provide the opportunity for development of a much more comprehensive sinkhole and karst potential map. The four county area will be surveyed using the methods utilized by the IDNR within the eight county area in 2010. This procedure, coupled with more accurate bedrock subdivisions created during recent STATEMAP mapping and the revised 25 foot bedrock contour maps, will allow for improved identification and characterization of sinkhole and karst prone areas.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2019 10:11:34 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1603749</guid>
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      <title>Geophysical Characterization of Tunnel Construction Site, Louisville, Kentucky</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1231033</link>
      <description><![CDATA[University of Missouri, Rolla (UMR) proposes to acquire electrical resistivity and refraction tomography at the Kentucky Department of Transportation (KDOT) tunnel site, Louisville, Kentucky. These geophysical data will be processed, analyzed and interpreted with the objective of mapping and characterizing soil and bedrock at this construction site. The main project deliverables will be a suite of maps and geologic cross-sections depicting variations in soil thicknesses and lithology and rock quality. Maps showing the locations and orientations of solution-widened joints and other potential engineering hazards will also be presented.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:10:51 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1231033</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of Three-Dimensional, Full Wave Field Seismic Imaging Technology for Transportation Infrastructure Projects</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1228261</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Three-dimensional (3-D) characterization of near-surface material properties is of paramount importance to transportation infrastructure projects. Conventional seismic methods are labor intensive which makes shallow 3-D imaging uneconomical. Automated 3-D seismic surveying technology, the "autojuggie," has been developed at the University of Kansas for efficient high-resolution ultra-shallow imaging of geologic materials. The proposed research will further develop the autojuggie for automated acquisition of 3-D seismic over paved surfaces and for three-component (3-C) recording. Three-component acquisition of the full seismic wavefield will allow for determination of material mechanical properties. Combined with high-resolution 3-D imaging of bedrock topography, fracture density and orientation, and void detection, it will facilitate transportation infrastructure projects. The new technology of automated 3-D&amp;3-C seismic imaging will be tested at a Kansas transportation site. This project will be used to initiate research in transportation infrastructure, levee monitoring, and void and tunnel detection with state, federal and private organizations.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:17:37 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1228261</guid>
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