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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>
      <url>https://rip.trb.org/Images/PageHeader-wTitle-RIP.jpg</url>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>Efficacy, Advancement, and Monitoring of Carbon Fiber Composite Cable (CFCC)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2724770</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Carbon Fiber Composite Cable (CFCC), and the Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) materials are being used for prestressing
applications in Michigan bridge rehabilitation and replacement projects with the most recent generation of CFCC is a 0.7-inch strand
configuration. The quantity of stands is similar to conventional strands, and concomitant updated design criteria. Determining the
efficacy of the new 0.7-inch CFCC strand long-term behavior is essential for future design and construction considerations.
Monitoring the CFCC elements in newly constructed bridges (with 0.7-inch strands) and some prior construction (from OR14-039)
will provide an understanding of the long-term behavior and realizations of recommendations on future designs, and continued
considerations of field deployment.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 07 Jul 2026 10:05:57 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2724770</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Full-Scale Performance Evaluation of a Modular, Lightweight, UHPC Panel System for Repair of Corrosion-Damaged Steel H-Piles</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2695941</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project directly supports the mission of the Center for Healthy and Durable Transportation (CHDT) by advancing innovative, implementable solutions to extend the service life of aging bridge infrastructure. The research focuses on developing and validating a modular, lightweight ultra-high-performance concrete panel system (UHPC-PS) for rehabilitating corrosion-damaged steel H-piles—critical substructure elements in United States bridges. By integrating advanced materials such as fiber-reinforced UHPC and carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) grids with practical field deployment strategies and full-scale performance validation under realistic service and seismic loading, the project enhances infrastructure durability, constructibility, long-term performance, and public safety, directly benefiting transportation agencies.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 23 Apr 2026 16:26:18 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2695941</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Testing Sand-Lightweight Concrete Bridge Deck Members Reinforced with Glass FRP Bars: Phase I</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2652545</link>
      <description><![CDATA[It is widely recognized by State departments of transportation (DOTs) that bridge decks are one of the most widely known elements in the highway infrastructure needing replacement, especially in the north east and mid-west of the United States due to corrosion imposed by deicing salts. The introduction, success and standardization of the use of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) bars in various structural elements, especially those prone to corrosion, represents a value added to the life cycle cost of these members since the estimated service life of GFRP bars is 75-100 years. This type of innovative reinforcing material, when combined with lightweight concrete to produce bridge decks represents a new advancement and breakthrough in structural engineering innovation. Very little has been done in research on lightweight concrete bridge decks when combined with GFRP bars.
Phase I of this study will be comprised of the following distinct tasks:
1.	Mix design calibration for sand lightweight concrete:
Using 1L Cement (Portland-Limestone), which has approximately 10% (+/- 2%) raw natural unprocessed Lime Stone inter-ground with the clinker, from Ashgrove or Monarch, trial batches will be performed with standard cylinder tests for compressive strength and standard prisms for flexural tension. Lightweight aggregates will be acquired from either Buildex or Arcosa. Water reducer with slightly higher w/c ratio (around 0.4) will be initially targeted. Mix design will target 5,200 psi concrete (+/- 800 psi) to yield 4000 psi as a minimum in all cases. Use of synthetic fibers in another trial mix will also be examined.
2.	Bond tests using the hinged beam test:
Five bond tests will be performed using the finalized mix designs cast into the standard hinged (RILEM) beam specimen. At least three bond tests will be performed on sand lightweight concrete while the other two tests will be reserved for a sand lightweight concrete reinforced with synthetic fibers plus a GFRP bar to improve bond and another one with epoxy-coated bar. A single size GFRP bar (#4) will be acquired from Mateen Bars and used in the four bond tests. The last test will be the control using #4 epoxy-coated bar.
3.	Full Scale flexural deck tests:
Based on the results of the bond tests, the mix design will be finalized and applied in casting the full-scale specimens. These deck specimens will have a cross section of 20 in. width by 8.5 in. depth. The full length will be 7’ 11” with 4” bearing plates at each support leaving 7’ 3” of clear span. Both ends will be fixed to induce negative moments. The end fixities will be achieved by sandwiching the 4” of beam support ends in between two thick plates tightened together by two side threaded rods with pre-tensioned applied torque to each. Two-point loads will be applied on both sides of the mid-span to generate a moment diagram closest to that of a distributed load by spacing them a distance to achieve that. The deck sections will be reinforced with #5 GFRP bars on top and #4 GFRP bars on the bottom at a spacing to be computed by design to achieve a moment capacity equivalent to that of a standard KDOT deck design using epoxy-coated steel bars. Five different deck specimens will be constructed as follows: 
Specimen 1: Control deck specimen with epoxy-coated steel bars.
Specimen 2: Deck specimen with #5 top and #4 bottom GFRP bars.
Specimen 3: Identical to Specimen 2 for redundancy.
Specimen 4: Identical to Specimen 2 using 3#3 top and 2#3 bottom bundled GFRP bars.
Specimen 5: Identical to Specimen 4 for redundancy.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 13 Jan 2026 15:59:44 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2652545</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Investigating the Performance of Corrosion-Resistant GFRP-Reinforced Bridge Railings with Open Expansion Joints</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2529965</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The test specimen’s structural setup will be adjusted to match the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) impact pendulum's universal foundation and simulate an open expansion joint. Efficient structural solutions preventing GFRP reinforcement slippage will be developed and tested. The impactor used in previous tests will be refined to better replicate real-world truck impact conditions in terms of height and width. These adjustments aim to provide valuable insights into enhancing the safety performance and durability (and subsequently resiliency) of corrosion-resistant GFRP reinforcing in bridge railings.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 28 Mar 2025 08:24:10 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2529965</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Experimental Evaluation of Strengthening Methods for Bridge Piers Against Vehicular Collision</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2369297</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this research is to understand how to strengthen existing piers to resist collision forces common in multiple Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) districts. A better understanding of strengthening methods with conventional concrete collars, ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) collars, fiber reinforced plastics (FRPs) or other optimized methods would make those repairs more cost efficient. The goal is to strengthen the existing piers to resist the AASHTO LRFD 600-kip (2668.93-KN) ESF. Based on the finite element models and theoretical calculations of conventional concrete, UHPC, and carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) wrap developed in the phase 1 of research, the authors aim to construct reduced-scale models for impact testing and full-scale models for static testing that could help FDOT understand how to improve and retrofit existing piers to have adequate capacity to resist the AASHTO LRFD 600- kip equivalent static design force and improve without a pier protection barrier. Given the limited existing research on pier strengthening to improve resistance against lateral impact, this study aims to enhance the safety of existing bridges and provide more cost-efficient strengthening solutions.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 03 Jun 2024 14:37:53 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2369297</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Performance Specification of Fiber-Reinforced Plastic Materials for Highway Cargo Tank Packaging Phase II</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2071552</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project will establish experimental testing procedures and develop a finite element analysis framework for evaluating the performances and determining the specifications of fiber reinforced plastic cargo tanks used for highway transport of hazardous materials and will provide performance data and technical parameters for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to use in developing uniform performance and design standards for fiber reinforced plastic cargo tank motor vehicles.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 28 Nov 2022 14:19:58 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2071552</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Performance Of Portable Tanks Constructed of Fiber Reinforced Plastic</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2071551</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Research will conduct performance tests to determine if existing fleet of portable tanks statisfy the design requirements proposed by the United Nations]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 28 Nov 2022 14:19:57 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2071551</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Performance Specification of Fiber-Reinforced Plastic Materials for Highway Cargo Tank Packaging Phase I</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2071549</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project will establish experimental testing procedures and develop a finite element analysis framework for evaluating the performances and determining the specifications of fiber reinforced plastic cargo tanks used for highway transport of hazardous materials and will provide performance data and technical parameters for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to use in developing uniform performance and design standards for fiber reinforced plastic cargo tank motor vehicles.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 28 Nov 2022 14:19:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2071549</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Fiber-Reinforced Plastic (FRP) Wraps for Next Generation Sustainable and Cost-Effective Rehabilitation of Coastal Transportation Infrastructure in the Mid-Atlantic Region</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1401185</link>
      <description><![CDATA[A major impediment for the implementation of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) in transportation infrastructure is the lack of effective references for training and technology transfer in practice, because the information is usually disparate, often confusing, and even contradictory. Therefore, this project offers the opportunity for developing a concise yet complete reference report that can serve as a “practical” educational tool, and facilitate the evaluation and implementation of externally bonded FRP repair by State Department of Transportation (DOT) personnel. An extensive review of FRP retrofit literature for highway structures will be performed. An evaluation of FRP-retrofitted projects in West Virginia will be completed. Bridge location, purpose of the FRP wrap, retrofit details and cost, cost/benefit studies, percentages of added capacities and targeted versus actual time frames for the FRP retrofit will be documented. Other advantages and disadvantages will be presented. Non-destructive testing/non-destructive examination (NDT/NDE) practices for inspecting FRP external wraps shall be developed. Of a major importance is to evaluate the acceptance levels of FRP-retrofitted projects by DOTs and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The outcomes of the completed research to evaluate the remaining service life of corrosion-deteriorated concrete bridge members based on the existing chloride content will be heavily utilized. The research team will work closely with West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) members managing the databases, inventory, inspection reports, digital pictures, load ratings, load postings, remaining strength, etc. Criteria will be proposed to determine the suitability for FRP retrofit of types of structures, based on assessments for damage and inventory parameters. The project team will propose a prioritized classification process into three levels for possible candidate structures. WVDOT and VDOT candidate structures will be evaluated against these criteria. Existing reports and national guidelines/ specifications will be reviewed. The review will cover all the aspects of FRP research pertaining to repairing, reinforcing, or strengthening by external wrap and near-surface mounting. VDOT and WVDOH structural programs will be examined to check how they could account for FRP strengthening.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 16 Mar 2016 12:56:37 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1401185</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Long-term Behavior of GFRP Reinforced Panels after Eight Years of Field Exposure</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1314836</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Since 1998, Missouri Science &amp; Technology (S&amp;T)/University of Missouri-Rolla investigators have been involved in more than 25 bridge repairs and/or new bridge construction involving composite materials. To date, many of these projects have shown reliable field performance. However, there have been little follow-up investigations to study their residual capacity and behavior after long-term exposure to conditioning. This study will examine the crack pattern development over time in glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) reinforced panels fabricated in 2005 and exposed to field conditions. The study will also test and autopsy the GFRP reinforcing bars to examine property degradation. The GFRP reinforced panels will be studied in flexure to examine any degradation in flexural behavior.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2014 01:01:12 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1314836</guid>
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