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    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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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>Mechanistic-Based Evaluation of Performance Thresholds for Engineered Surface Asphalt Mixtures  </title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1905289</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In general, three approaches can be considered to develop performance-based threshold criteria for asphalt mixtures designed using the Balanced Mix Design (BMD) methodology. Approach (I) is an approach in which a pool of asphalt mixtures representing typically designed and produced mixtures in a given region/climate are subjected to a suite of empirical tests considering different modes of distress. Approach (II) is an approach in which the empirical test results that are correlated to the results from fundamental tests are used to establish performance criteria. On the basis of these correlations, the empirical test results can be adopted and used as surrogate indices, in lieu of the results from fundamental tests, and then subsequently incorporated into mechanistic empirical (ME) design alongside the volumetric properties of asphalt mixtures.  Approach (III) is an approach in which the empirical test results are directly correlated to in-service performance of asphalt mixtures to establish performance thresholds.  Although the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has been extensively building upon its BMD initiative based on Approach (I), the empirical tests (for durability, rutting, and cracking) and associated thresholds have never been verified through the use of Approach (II). This study provides an opportunity to establish links between the results from empirical and fundamental tests, and provide incorporation of the empirical test responses alongside volumetric properties of asphalt mixtures into mechanistic-empirical (ME) structural pavement design. This is a vital step to a practical integration of mixture design and structural design. Moreover, this study provides an opportunity to verify (or refine) the BMD performance thresholds on the basis of ME approach, rather than through the empirical approach alone. Finally, this effort will help establish traffic-based performance thresholds for the empirical tests.  ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 24 Jan 2022 12:21:03 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1905289</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Y3R1- Analysis of Freight Movement Within Regional
Evacuations</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1868878</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Natural disasters are one of the most common emergency events in the United States. Florida is a state
that frequently suffers from such events, specifically hurricanes. As the number of major hurricanes
increases, the need to ensure resilient freight movement in the wake of a disaster is ever present.
Unfortunately, as a major storm approaches, evacuating traffic represents a significant disruption to
freight logistics. At a moment when cargo shipments are vital to prepare for and recover from a regional
national disaster, freight transportation operates at a diminished capacity. The high demand for essential
goods, compounded by a hindered ability to move these goods, constitutes a significant vulnerability on
a national level. This research seeks to explore freight movements before, during, and after an
emergency evacuation in support of identifying lessons learned and best-practices for future planning.
The goal of this research is to build upon the prior knowledge and expand the scientific understanding of
freight movements on the surface transportation network before, during, and immediately following a
regional evacuation and major hurricane. The research goal will be achieved by investigating the
movement of goods along Florida’s trucking routes in the weeks leading up to and following the
September 10, 2017 landfall of Hurricane Irma. The 2017 evacuation from Hurricane Irma has been
referred to as the largest evacuation in the history of the United States. Approximately 6.5
million Floridians were placed under either mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders
(Marshall, 2017). This event undoubtedly had a significant impact on the freight movements
across the state. The proposed research will take an empirical approach to quantitatively
describe the movement of freight during this disrupted period to investigate what happened and
what can be learned for future events]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 27 Jul 2021 09:40:15 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1868878</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>The Impacts of Covid-19 on US Retail: An Empirical Investigation</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1845535</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Covid-19 clearly increased the demand for online shopping. But Covid likely also affected offline shopping: the timing, frequency, and duration of customers’ store visits are all likely different because of Covid. Moreover, both the online and the offline effects of Covid likely vary by location. And these effects have strategic implications for retailers’ omnichannel portfolios. For example, big brick-and-mortar players such as Target and Walmart managed to use curbside pickup to grow both their revenues and their profits during Covid. The research team aims to empirically understand Covid’s effects on customers’ shopping behavior, and the resulting implications for retailers’ omni-channel portfolios. The research team is especially interested in retailers with strong brick-and-mortar assets (such as Walmart and Target). ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 07 Apr 2021 19:11:06 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1845535</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Use of Complex Fluids for Enhanced Cellulosic Pre-treatment.
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1367710</link>
      <description><![CDATA[No summary provided.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2015 11:32:39 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1367710</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Training Course for the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1236521</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This effort will include a curriculum, course materials and problem sets for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Stochastic   Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM).  The course will cover model theory, application and interpretation of input date and model results.  The sample problems will include example data sets to on-line data sources to include the National Water Information System Web. United States Geological Survey (USGS) will provide all materials, equipment, labor and any other items necessary to carry out this research as defined in this Statement of Work (SOW).]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 15:48:24 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1236521</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Activities Conducted while Traveling: An Empirical Examination of their Impact on the Value of Travel Time Savings</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1235187</link>
      <description><![CDATA[From early studies of time allocation onward, it has been acknowledged that the "productive" nature of an activity such as travel could affect its utility. Yet until recently, there has been very little empirical assessment of such an effect, in particular the potential effect of activities conducted while traveling on the (dis)utility of the trip and thence the value of travel time savings for such a trip. In previous phases of this multi-year study, the researchers developed a fundamental conceptualization of polychronicity (multitasking) attitudes and behavior. Currently, they are in the process of creating a survey to measure those general constructs, together with multitasking attitudes and behavior specifically while commuting, and standard socioeconomic traits. This proposed continuation of the research will fund (1) the administration of the survey to a choice-based sample of California commuters; (2) data entry, cleaning, and management; and (3) initial empirical analysis. The study has attracted the interest and support of the planning manager of the Capitol Corridor (Amtrak) service linking Sacramento and San Francisco, for its potential to illuminate the impact of multitasking on the utility of using public transportation.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 15:25:50 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1235187</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Training Course for the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1234787</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Application and use of water quality models and their results depend on the user's understanding of the model theory and application to real world and unique situations. Acceptance and use of the model depends on the formation of a group of users who are familiar with the model, how it works and when to use it. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will develop the documents and training modules necessary to define and implement the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM).]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 15:19:20 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1234787</guid>
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