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    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
    <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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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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      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>Design of Stormwater BMPs for Surface and Groundwater Protection Based on Site-Scale Soil Properties: Phase II</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2706364</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this project is to optimize the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) removal potential of stormwater basins by improving the ability to predict the performance of common native soil properties alone, or with a BAM amendment, and using two planting specifications typically utilized in Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) maintenance. Phase II will build upon the findings of Design of Stormwater BMPs for Surface and Groundwater Protection Based on Site-Scale Soil Properties: Phase I BDV24-977-43 (hereafter referred to as “Phase I”), which demonstrated the superior performance of unamended native soils with moderate soil organic matter and clay contents in the removal and sequestration of N and P during short-term laboratory experiments. Specifically, the research team will leverage this knowledge in a new experiment with improved external validity through the use of outdoor mesocosms in a multi-year study (e.g., scaling-up in both space and time). Commonly encountered native Florida soils will be prepared and planted per FDOT specification in replicated stock tanks (e.g., ~300-500 gal), with or without a BAM blanket filter, and using at least two FDOT approved vegetative strategies. Inflow and outflow hydrology will be controlled to mimic wet and dry basin hydropatterns and real-time mass balance of nutrient transport/transformation. The plant-soil-microbial interactions will be investigated to determine optimal N and P removal rates under varied hydrology. This new empirical data will improve stormwater BMPs by more accurately assessing the potential of native site soils, planting, and amendment strategies to function in nutrient remediation at the project site scale.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 10:39:28 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2706364</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Phase II: After Study Evaluation of Interstate 4 (I-4) Florida's Regional Advanced Mobility Elements (FRAME) Project (After Analysis)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2706007</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Restart of BED26-977-08. The objective of this research project is to develop the evaluation plan for the after conditions of the I-4 FRAME project. Then, before/after study for the evaluation metrics will be conducted to identify the degree of improvement (or not) for every metric from the before to the after observations. The study findings will be analyzed and documented. To conduct the task, the research team will perform the following activities: (1)  determine the evaluation criteria tailored to the I-4 FRAME project objectives; (2) describe the data collection procedures tailored to these criteria that are needed to report on the achievement of project objectives; and (3) document how the I-4 FRAME project addressed the safety challenges on the project corridors compared with Phase ? (before).]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 22 May 2026 09:10:26 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2706007</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Determination of Test Methods to Quantify the Effects of Organic and Inorganic Constituents in Silica Sand Used for Construction</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2698276</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Quality control of sand and fine aggregate is of paramount importance to ensure the structural adequacy, long-term durability and sustainability of structures owned by the 
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). To ensure the organic components within sand do not exceed minimum threshold values, an evaluation of the materials as well as the test methods themselves will be performed as part of this research project. The results from the research project BEB28 suggest that there is a good correlation between the results obtained from the Modified Walkley Black (MWB) method and elemental analysis via combustion (EA) method. The two methods yield similar or consistent measurements of organic carbon content in soil samples. Such correlation is valuable because it indicates that both methods can be used interchangeably or in conjunction to assess soil organic carbon levels. This correlation strengthens the reliability and applicability of both techniques in soil research and management.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2026 07:34:22 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2698276</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of a Real-Time Decision Support Framework for Resilient Bridge Infrastructure During Evolving Hazard Conditions
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2696159</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Bridge infrastructure serves as a critical lifeline for transportation, emergency response, and economic continuity. In hazard-prone regions such as Florida, bridges face escalating risks from floods, hurricanes, and wildfires that can rapidly disrupt traffic flow and delay emergency operations. Existing bridge management systems primarily focus on long-term planning and condition assessment, offering limited capability for real-time decision-making during evolving hazard events. This project aims to develop a real-time decision support framework that enables dynamic management of bridge infrastructure under active hazard conditions. The proposed framework will integrate real-time hazard forecasts, sensor-based condition monitoring, and infrastructure performance data to guide rapid, data driven decisions. Using advanced analytics and scenario modeling, the system will support time-sensitive operational actions such as rerouting, temporary reinforcement, and emergency closures. A visual decision-support interface will convey hazard progression, bridge condition, and recommended response strategies to transportation agencies and emergency managers in an intuitive, spatially enabled format. Building upon prior work at Florida A&M University on the IntelliViz prioritization platform, this research extends the concept from long term resilience planning to operational support. A regional case study in Florida will demonstrate the practical implementation of the framework and its benefits for improving coordination, minimizing downtime, and enhancing public safety during flood and hurricane events. By integrating real-time data streams with predictive modeling and visualization tools, the project will bridge the gap between static risk assessment and dynamic hazard response, providing a scalable and implementable framework for strengthening transportation resilience and supporting informed, timely decisions during extreme events.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:01:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2696159</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Optimization-Based Framework and Decision-Support Tool for Bridge Toll Implementation Under Behavioral and Operational Constraints

</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2696158</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project aims to develop a novel theoretical framework and a practical decision-support tool to guide strategic bridge toll implementation under real-world behavioral and operational constraints. Traditional toll optimization and project evaluation models focus on market uncertainties but neglect critical human behavioral factors, such as present bias, that significantly influence decision outcomes. To bridge this gap, the proposed research introduces an optimization framework that integrates behavioral dynamics into infrastructure decision-making, enabling the identification of strategies that maximize long-term social welfare while addressing short-term user response and implementation pressures. The accompanying decision-support tool will translate this framework into an interactive, user-friendly platform for transportation agencies and policymakers. It will allow users to simulate and compare alternative tolling strategies, assess implementation timelines, and visualize trade-offs between system efficiency, user response, and long-term performance outcomes. By empowering decision-makers to make data-driven, welfare-maximizing choices, this project supports more effective, publicly acceptable, and operationally robust tolling practices. The research will generate theoretical advances, peer-reviewed publications, and an actionable tool ready for integration with Florida Department of Transportation's (FDOT’s) planning processes, ultimately contributing to more resilient, safe and efficient transportation infrastructure systems.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:59:05 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2696158</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>FY 25/26 Florida Local Technical Assistance Program</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2673041</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The overall goal and associated objectives of the Florida Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Center is to deliver a highway training curriculum and technical assistance that will provide local agencies with tools to build their capacity and means to innovatively address their roadway network challenges and be reflective of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)’s current core areas of Safety, Infrastructure Management, Workforce Development, and Organizational excellence.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 24 Feb 2026 13:15:14 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2673041</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Concrete Materials Research Synthesis</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2671998</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The outcomes and objectives of this synthesis will include the following: (1) Compile, review, and summarize selected concrete materials research sponsored by Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). (2) Identify common themes, research findings, and implementation outcomes related to concrete durability, performance-based approaches, and mix design practices. (3) Evaluate how previous research aligns with current agency priorities and national best practices. (4) Identify gaps, challenges, and opportunities for future research that can advance the agency’s materials and construction quality initiatives.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 18 Feb 2026 13:18:58 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2671998</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Efficient system reliability assessment of shoreline seawalls: Applications to SEAHIVE (UM)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2663225</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Seawalls play a critical role in protecting coastal transportation systems from erosion, flooding and storm surges. Yet their performance is deteriorating due to changes in structural capacity and increasing external demands, posing growing threats to coastal safety. Evaluating the reliability and risk of seawalls along the shoreline is essential for informed maintenance and repair decisions. However, the large scale of shoreline seawalls and the complex coastal and geotechnical conditions in Miami present significant challenges for system reliability analysis. This is a collaborative research project conducted in partnership with Texas State University. The objective of this research project is to develop an efficient and practical framework that integrates interdisciplinary expertise in geotechnical asset management, seawall design and construction, and reliability analysis to perform system reliability analysis of shoreline seawalls.
The proposed project builds on two lines of prior works. First, an effective and well-defined inspection rating system was developed to evaluate the conditions of mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls at Texas State University. Second, SEAHIVE®, a novel seawall composed of concrete perforated hexagonal prisms, was developed at the University of Miami and has been implemented in the Miami area for its ability to dissipate wave energy and protect habitats. Leveraging these advances, the proposed project will establish a unified framework for reliability assessment of shoreline seawalls.
The project consists of two phases: component-level and system-level reliability analysis. At the component level, the research team will develop an efficient and effective method to evaluate the reliability analysis of individual SEAHIVE® components. First, using available analytical models and experimental data, the team will define limit states that specify the conditions under which SEAHIVE® components perform adequately or fail. Second, the inspection rating method originally developed for MSE walls will be recalibrated for SEAHIVE® in the Miami area, following procedures established in prior work. Finally, these calibrated ratings will then serve as inputs to the defined limit states, enabling the calculation of reliability indices. The expected outcome of this phase is a practical guideline for engineers to quickly rate the seawall and determine the component reliability index.
Since seawalls function as interconnected systems rather than isolated units, the next phase is system-level analysis. Specifically, the team will elicit statistical correlations in seawall deterioration and soil conditions across different locations using inspection, measurement, and simulation data. An efficient system reliability analysis will then incorporate these correlations into component-level reliability analysis to compute the overall reliability index of seawalls along the shoreline. Together, the two phases will yield a practical decision support tool to efficiently inspect the shoreline seawalls and estimate the system reliability index in support of risk management and maintenance prioritization for seawalls.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 31 Jan 2026 11:03:15 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2663225</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Study to Understand the Influence of Emergency Vehicle Color, Reflectance, Signing/Arrow Boards, and Lighting Configurations in Reducing Responder-Involved Crashes</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2642797</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The main objective of the research project is to develop a set of recommendations on emergency lighting, vehicle colors, markings, use of dynamic message boards, and placement of graphics to influence driver compliance with Florida’s “Move Over” law. The goal of this project is to understand the effect of different emergency lights color and flash patterns on human eyes and how to improve the conspicuity, visibility, and reflectivity of RRSP vehicles in varying light and weather conditions to improve Road Ranger Service Patrol (RRSP) safety.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 17 Dec 2025 15:58:45 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2642797</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of Concrete Performance-Based Specifications</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2640690</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objectives of this project are as follows: 1. Identify key performance measures and thresholds for concrete used in Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) applications; 2. Determine practical and low-risk methods to implement performance metrics and promote concrete durability; 3. Identify specification and guideline improvements that support performance-based specifications; 4. Propose revisions to specifications and materials manual guidance.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 16 Dec 2025 09:26:16 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2640690</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Continuous Friction Measuring Equipment Assessment and Testing Results for Florida Pavement</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2571988</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this research study is to develop a continuous friction measurements program (CFMP) in Florida to enhance road safety and optimize road maintenance by providing continuous real-time data on road surface friction, geometry, and related safety conditions.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2025 09:36:37 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2571988</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Integrated Approaches to Establishment, Mowing, and Weed Control for Florida Roadside Turfgrasses</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2569675</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The main objectives of this research are to: (1) evaluate site-specific protocols for establishing and maintaining turfgrass stands in sandy, low-nutrient roadside soils; (2) investigate mowing regimes and their effects on turfgrass quality and maintenance requirements; (3) assess integrated weed management strategies for sustainable control of priority invasive species; and (4) examine practices that influence roadside turfgrass health and erosion control.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 27 Jun 2025 07:49:10 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2569675</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Enhancing FDOT Standard Specifications and Construction Guidance with Large Language Models</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2569563</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The main objective of this research is as follows: (1) perform an industry survey of large language models (LLM) that meet Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) artificial intelligence (AI) policy objectives; (2) test an AI system that can rapidly extract and deliver accurate information from FDOT Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction; (3) document the performance of the LLM, including accuracy in citing source materials, frequency of hallucinations, and robustness is use of industry jargon; (4) enable real-time querying of the FDOT specifications, both in the field and office, through mobile or web applications; and (5) ensure the AI system can interpret the specifications accurately and provide users with clear, concise, and legally sound interpretations of FDOT requirements.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 26 Jun 2025 13:36:27 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2569563</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Assessing Performance of the SR 29 Advanced Wildlife Warning System in Collier County</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2569150</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The primary objective is to determine if the newly installed wildlife detection and warning system provides a measurable reduction in wildlife-vehicle related crashes within the detection zone. Secondary objectives include evaluating: (1) the reliability of the advanced wildlife warning system (AWWS) in correctly detecting target wildlife species, and (2) the effectiveness of the AWWS in eliciting positive driver responses when alerted to a hazard in the roadway (increased awareness, vehicle speed reduction and advanced braking).]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 24 Jun 2025 12:43:20 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2569150</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>The Ecological, Genetic, and Disease Impacts of Translocations on Florida Scrub-jays (Aphelocoma Coerulescens) Impacted by Habitat Loss</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2569131</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objectives of this project are to translocate Florida scrub-jays (FSJs) annually in Fall 2025 and 2026 from abundant populations in South Brevard to areas with low abundance and available habitat, supported by population viability analyses and the FSJ recovery coordinator. This includes evaluating potential recipient conservation lands, banding and collecting genetic and disease data from translocated birds, and monitoring their success as breeders. Additionally, the project aims to assess the genetic compatibility of translocated FSJs using existing genomic datasets to investigate kinship, genetic variation, and immunogenetic compatibility, which may impact translocation success. Finally, the project will determine the impact of pathogenic infections on translocated FSJs and how translocations affect pathogen transmission dynamics, including creating a pathogen database, characterizing pathogen presence and diversity, and testing associations between infections and genetic variation.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 24 Jun 2025 09:55:35 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2569131</guid>
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