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    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
    <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
    <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>Debris Removal System</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2607965</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) is responsible for maintaining safe roadways for the motoring public. 67-3-16 requires the State Highway Commission, the governing body of the NMDOT, to construct, repair, and maintain highways within the state, as in their judgment will best serve the interest of the general public. Part of maintaining the roadways in good operation is to clear debris that can be hazardous to the public. Currently, NMDOT personnel are required to close traffic lanes as well as leave the safety of their vehicle, putting themselves in harm's way,  to remove roadway debris. A safer and more effective way for the Department to meet this statutory requirement would be to use devices to clear the roadway. 
 
The Department is currently conducting a Debris Removal System pilot study with vendors J-Tech (Lane Blade) and IC Innovations (Incident Clear). The units selected are equipped on the front of the vehicles and are truck-mounted hydraulic-actuated blade attachments to collect litter. This will allow the NMDOT personnel to remove hazardous road debris without leaving the safety of their vehicle. At the end of the pilot study, the Department will select the best Debris Removal System to ultimately provide safer roadways and reduce delays for the Department and the motoring public of New Mexico. 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 09 Oct 2025 12:17:13 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2607965</guid>
    </item>
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      <title>TRS: Management of Woody Debris in Rivers to Protect Bridges and Reduce Flood Risk</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2607955</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project will summarize the risks to bridges created by the presence of woody debris, conduct a survey of state department of transportation (DOT)s to understand practices in other states on this topic, and document applicable laws and regulations in Minnesota rivers and floodplains. This Transportation Research Synthesis (TRS) will be used to further the understanding of this issue both for bridge owners as well as regulatory authorities.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 08 Oct 2025 16:56:43 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2607955</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Improving Roadway Debris Clearance for Coordinated Highways Action Response Team (CHART) Responders.</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2118355</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) Coordinated Highways Action Response Team (CHART) responders are responsible for clearance of debris on the roadway as they patrol routes. A pilot program implementing the use of a "Lane Blade" to assess the cost benefit of such device. It is MDOT SHA's expected deliverable to reduce time clearing debris while increasing safety of our CHART responders.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 14 Feb 2023 12:47:03 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2118355</guid>
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      <title>Efficient and Safe Removal &amp; Debris Disposal of Ash Trees Killed by Emerald Ash Borer </title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1749089</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Over the past several years the full affects of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) have been felt across the entire state.  Rather than only a few trees dying along a roadway per year, the infestation of EAB has caused many Ash trees to die in only a couple of years.  This greatly increases the amount of work that must be done in a short time.  The EAB feeds on the soft tissues just beneath the bark of the Ash.  The feeding cuts off the circulatory system of the tree causing the tree to die.  As a result, the tree dies very quickly and becomes brittle.  Due to the structure of the dead Ash tree, it is difficult to determine how the tree will fall when cut.  Another danger is falling dead limbs.  Because the trees are very brittle, limbs will break and separate from the tree rather than bend when the tree is being removed resulting in falling hazards.  Unlike a living tree, when a dead Ash tree is cut and hits the ground it shatters and debris from the tree flies in all directions.  The flying debris cannot only cause damage to equipment, but also injuries to workers.  Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has thousands of dead Ash trees along its rights-of-way that must be removed.
The goal of this research is to develop a solution for efficient and safe dead Ash tree removal and handling of generated debris.  The results of this research will increase safety for the motoring public by allowing ODOT to more quickly remove the hazards from the roadway. It should also increase the safety and an efficiency for the tree removal crew. Increasing efficiency may also save the department money.  
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2020 15:18:57 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1749089</guid>
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      <title>Develop Cost Effective Alternatives for Mitigating Debris and Environmental Impacts Around Bridge Piers</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1641128</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Accumulations of debris on bridge piers can obstruct, contract, or redirect flow leading to (1) rise in water surface elevations for high flow events causing more frequent flooding of adjacent properties and greater potential for overtopping the roadway, (2) bank erosion and subsequent misalignment of the channel through the opening, (3) localized scour of the river bed around piers potentially undermining the bridge foundation (Lagasse et al., 2010), and (4) increased horizontal forces that may directly damage the substructure or indirectly stress components of the superstructure (Bradley et al, 2005). While catastrophic failure of a bridge due to debris is relatively rare, the need for difficult and dangerous maintenance to remedy debris accumulations is common and can be costly to ameliorate. Numerous researchers suggest that debris removal can be a major component of the overall life cycle costs of a structure and that effective maintenance programs to remove or avoid debris accumulations is an efficient means to preserve and extend bridge service life.
 

The overall goal of the proposed study is to identify and test a suite of best management practices and equipment for removal of existing debris accumulations from bridge piers and evaluate/design/test/monitor structures to avoid accumulations in the future. The alternative
practices that are identified should be safe and efficient to implement. Furthermore, the practices should be acceptable to ODOT and, therefore, end-users must be engaged in the development and testing of potential solutions. To achieve these goals, the research team proposes the following overarching
objectives:
(1) Document current state-of-the-art debris removal techniques and mitigation practices used by state DOT's and other public or private entities;
(2) Test debris removal techniques to determine if alternatives are preferable to current practice and quantify their cost, potential impacts to motorists, and determine alignment with ODOT's current knowledge, skills, and abilities to implement; 
(3) Assess and evaluate countermeasures to mitigate future debris accumulations from forming;
(4) Design, implement, and monitor performance of debris removal and avoidance countermeasures;
(5) Disseminate knowledge and project outcomes through the production of multi-media educational materials to facilitate technology transfer; and
(6) Develop decision aids to guide the selection of practices.   ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 29 Jul 2019 14:10:22 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1641128</guid>
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      <title>Effectiveness of International and National Measures to Prevent and Reduce Marine Debris and Its Impacts</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1227947</link>
      <description><![CDATA[An ad hoc committee will be formed to examine the effectiveness of international and national measures to prevent and reduce marine debris and its impact. The committee will prepare a report that includes: (A) An evaluation of international and domestic implementation of MARPOL Annex V and the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (33 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.) and identification of cost-effective, innovative approaches that could be taken to improve implementation and compliance. (B) A review and assessment of technologies, strategies, and management practices for further reducing the impact of marine debris, including derelict fishing gear. As part of this review, the committee will examine the International Maritime Organization's Guidelines for the Implementation of Annex V of MARPOL and recommend additional federal or international actions that could be taken to further reduce debris and its impacts. (C) An evaluation of the role of floating fish aggregation devices in the generation of marine debris and existing legal mechanisms to reduce impacts of such debris, focusing on impacts in the Western Pacific and Central Pacific regions. (D) An overview of the existing federal statutes on marine debris (including land-based sources) with a description of the responsibilities of the designated federal agencies.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:11:36 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1227947</guid>
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