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    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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    <atom:link href="https://rip.trb.org/Record/RSS?s=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" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
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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>Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Practices. Topic 56-08. Using Cathodic Protection to Mitigate Corrosion of Highway Structures</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2384691</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In 2003, the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) estimated that the cost of corrosion to bridge infrastructure in the United States was approximately $8.3 billion annually. In a follow-up study in 2013, the global cost of corrosion was estimated to be US$2.5 trillion annually, which was equivalent to 3.4% of the global gross domestic product (GDP.) Ten years on, those costs are likely to have substantially increased. Corrosion deterioration of highway bridges significantly impacts the overall service life of the structures, which can lead to costly repairs for the bridge owners and high indirect costs and disruption for the users. The application of cathodic protection (CP) has demonstrated an ability to control corrosion and extend the service life of highway structures. Many state DOTs use CP in various applications, depending on their regional environments and experience with the technology, to preserve and extend the service life of structures.
Several different CP products, solutions, and applications are available for mitigation of reinforced concrete or structural steel corrosion, and new technologies are being developed each year. Highway structures throughout the United States are exposed to a wide variety of environments (e.g., a marine structure in coastal Florida, a bridge in Minnesota exposed to deicing chemicals) for which corrosion challenges vary. Therefore, DOTs use an array of CP solutions to maintain structures across a range of environments. The methods by which DOTs monitor these systems also varies.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of the synthesis is to document (1) the different types of CP methods and their applications to mitigate corrosion in highway structures and (2) how DOTs implement and manage various CP systems.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 29 May 2024 17:14:59 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2384691</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Toughness Requirements for Heat-Affected Zones of Welded Structural Steels for Highway Bridges</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1685011</link>
      <description><![CDATA[AASHTO M 270 (ASTM A709), Standard Specification for Structural Steel for Bridges, covers the chemical, mechanical, and toughness properties of structural steel intended for use in bridges. The AASHTO/AWS D1.5 Bridge Welding Code covers the welding processes and requirements for welded highway bridges, but it does not address the toughness requirements for heat-affected zones (HAZs) of welded structural steels. Also, toughness requirements for HAZs of welded structural steels are not covered in AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications. There is a need to identify the factors affecting the toughness for HAZs of welded structural steels used in highway bridges and determine what toughness requirements are necessary for incorporation in the AASHTO/AWS Bridge Welding Code and the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications. This information will ensure that the HAZs will exhibit the toughness properties that are necessary for the intended performance and service life. Recent work completed under NCHRP Project 10-95 provided a review of some of the issues related to the toughness of HAZs of welded structural steels and proposed a preliminary research plan for identifying toughness requirements of welded structural steels used in highway bridges (see Special Note A). However, additional research is needed to further define and address the issues associated with toughness of HAZs, and to develop the proposed toughness requirements.  
 
The objective of this research is to develop proposed toughness requirements for the heat-affected zones (HAZs) of welded structural steels for highway bridges. The research shall deal with steels intended for use in bridges as identified in AASHTO M 270, Standard Specification for Structural Steel for Bridges.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 10 Feb 2020 19:34:47 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1685011</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>The Identification of Stress State of Critical Bridge Components Using Nonlinear Acoustics</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1335185</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project will develop and demonstrate the application of nonlinear acoustics for identifying the stress state of critical highway bridge components through laboratory-scale and field testing. Work in Stage 1 will involve laboratory-scale demonstration of the proposed approach. Theoretical and numerical models will be developed to identify the most sensitive ultrasonic waves to the level of stress on structural steel. The selected ultrasonic waves will be tested on a wide-flange profile loaded uniaxially and a gusset plate loaded bi-axially. The load value will be increased incrementally, and the ultrasonic measurement will be taken at each loading step to develop a sensitivity curve of the stress-ultrasonic velocity relationship. Work in Stage 2 will involve field demonstration of the proposed approach based on the outcomes of Stage 1. A steel truss bridge provided by Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will be modeled using a finite element program. Truss elements will be modeled using discrete elements; the gusset plate will be modeled as a two-dimensional plate element. The stress levels of the selected elements will be identified using numerical simulation. Field measurements, using the hand-held ultrasonic device, the ultrasonic setting, and the correlation curve developed in Stage 1, will be taken for comparison with the finite element results. The field results will be used to further refine the correlation curve. Additionally, the required hardware variables for implementing the methodology into automated processing of the hand-held device will be identified and discussed with the instrument manufacturer. The outcome of this final stage will be the demonstration of the proposed approach in a real-life testing situation in the field.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 12 Dec 2014 01:00:47 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1335185</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of an Intrinsically Conductive Polymer-Based Low-Cost, Heavy-Duty, and Environmentally-Friendly Coating System for Corrosion Protection of Structural Steels</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1334858</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project will develop and demonstrate the application of a polymer-based, low-cost and environmentally-friendly coating system for the corrosion protection of structural steels in highway structures. Work in Stage 1 will focus on laboratory development and evaluation of the coating system based on intrinsically conducting polymers (ICP). Promising ð-conjugated polymers will be produced and doped into ICPs using chemical treatment. Using scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, anti-corrosion capabilities of the polymers will be evaluated when coated on steel samples as the primer layer. The electrical potential of the substrate surface will be measured to evaluate the steel-ennobling capability of the primer. The electronic and ionic conductivities of the primer in the substrate electrolyte system will be determined to evaluate respectively the oxygen smearing-out capability (for reducing coating delamination) and the smart corrosion-healing capability of the primer. Three ASTM standard tests: B117 (Salt Spray Test), D5894 (Cyclic Weathering Exposure Test), and D4541 (Pull-Off Strength Test) will be conducted to evaluate the overall corrosion durability under different corrosive conditions (B117 and D5894) and the tensile adhesion to substrate surface (D4541) of the coating system. Work in Stage 2 will focus on field evaluation and technology transfer of ICP-based coating system. Working in collaboration with the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA), two field sites will be chosen for evaluating the in-service durability of the developed ICP-based coating system. The blistering, rusting, undercutting, and pull-off strength of the coated steel panels will be evaluated following similar procedures and criteria as the ASTM standards B117, D5894 and D4541. Based on test performance results, necessary modifications and improvements will be made to the formulation, doping techniques, and coating-application procedures of the prototype coating system. Finally, technology transfer efforts will also be initiated in collaboration with Maryland SHA by demonstrating the application of the coating system in field conditions. The coating system will be further evaluated in the North East Protective Coating  Committee (NEPCOAT) states and, if successful, plans for nationwide implementation will be developed.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 10 Dec 2014 01:02:35 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1334858</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Further Development and Marketing of Low-Cost, High Performance Steels for Infrastructure Applications</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1236683</link>
      <description><![CDATA[1. INTRODUCTION/ PROGRESS AND CURRENT STATUS We witnessed significant progress in the past year in our marketing efforts and in the development of new low-cost high-performance steels. Our SAFTEA-LU Year 5 efforts will build upon this success. In addition to continuing our outreach and marketing activities with steel companies, state and public transit agencies, we will collaborate with steel companies to develop even lower-cost commercial steels with improved mechanical properties and weathering resistance. Further, we will address the FHWA grand challenge: developing "super" weathering steels, especially for operating in salt environments, with ASTM G101 corrosion index of 9.0. Such steels will sustain only one-fifth the corrosion loss of existing weathering steels such as A588. Results obtained in the past year have shown us the right direction, and we are tantalizingly close to reaching this goal. The following summarizes our progress for the SAFTEA-LU Year 4 project: (a) With the support of ITI over the past few years, we developed and thoroughly tested a series of high-performance steels for infrastructure applications. One steel, A710B, was produced in the plate form and was used to fabricate welded girders for a large bridge in Lake Villa, Illinois in 2006. This steel is the most corrosion-resistant structural steel on the market today. As a result, the bridge was not painted, resulting in more than $300,000 in savings. Our periodic inspections of this bridge indicate that the steel weathers uniformly and that a very hard and highly adherent protective oxide coating has formed on the steel surface. In year 4, we continued marketing of this steel. In 2009, IDOT approved the construction of a new bridge on Dixie Highway in Flossmoor, Illinois and requested us to develop a less expensive variant of A710B. We succeeded with a "lean" version or A710B (labeled as A710B-L) by reducing the amounts of Cu and Ni in the steel. Its mechanical and fracture-resistant properties significantly exceed the requirements for bridge steels. Steel Dynamics produced this steel in 2010 in the form of largeflange I-beams. The use of I-beams led to the elimination of welding, further reducing the construction cost. The Dixie Highway Bridge was finished in November 2010 (Figure 1). Note that A709 high-performance bridge steel, the competitor to our bridge steels, could not be produced as I-beams because it requires special thermo-mechanical processing to achieve its properties. Our steels do not need heat treatment; they are just hot-rolled and air-cooled. (b) Sponsored by FHWA, we developed a knowledge-based theoretical approach to the design of "super" weathering steels. Based on this approach, we made the first attempt to designing such steels. A 50-kg laboratory prototype was produced (labeled as A710B-Ti-P). The mechanical properties are excellent: yield strength = 57 ksi, and elongation to failure ~ 30%, Charpy absorbed energy at 25ºC = 94 ft-lbs. Accelerated weathering tests performed at the Kentucky Transportation Center demonstrated that this steel exhibits significantly less corrosion loss than steels currently used in bridges, including A588W weathering steel and our original A710 Grade B steel (Figure 2). 2 Figure 1. Dixie Highway Bridge completed in 2010 using large-flange A710B-L I-beams Figure 2. Accelerated weathering test results (ASTM G85 annex A) performed at the Kentucky Transportation Center (c) We visited Nucor Steel Company in Decatur, AL and presented our work on strengthening and toughening of steels using nanosized copper precipitates. Subsequent discussion led Nucor to use our concept to improve the strength and toughness of their coiled sheet steels. Nucor invested more than $100,000 to develop these new steels (see attached letter). In accordance with our recommendations, Nucor produced two 170-ton commercial heats of the steel for structural support rails for truck frames, with increased yield and ultimate tensile strengths by about 15%, from 71 to 82 ksi and from 85 to 97 ksi respectively. The absorbed fracture energy of the steel was very high, more than 150 ft-lbs at -20°F in small, ¾-sized, Charpy specimens. The ASTM G101 corrosion index for the new Northwestern-modified Nucor steel increases from about 4.2 to 6.2. According to Table 1, the Northwestern-modified Nucor steel is more corrosion-resistant than A588 and A606 (used for signs, sign structures, light poles and other highway structures). This means that for example, under certain standard weathering conditions, the new Northwestern-modified Nucor steel will sustain only 70% of the corrosion loss of A606. 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 A572 A588 50W A710B A710B-Ti-P Corrosion Loss, g/cm2 VVV 3 Table 1. ASTM G101 Corrosion Index for Selected Steels 2. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH FOR FY2012 This proposal addresses the goal of National Strategy for Surface Transportation Research to improve highway structures by enhanced materials, in particular by design and implementation of new, drastically improved steels with respect to strength, low-temperaturefracture toughness, weldability, and weatherability. Therefore, our objectives for FY2012 are to develop low-cost, high-performance steels (modifications of A710B) and to market these steels for infrastructure and other industrial applications. Research and commercialization activities will include (1) development of low-cost, high-performance alternatives to A588 weathering steel for bridges and A606 steel for highway structures such as signs, signal structures, and light poles; (2) pushing the corrosion performance of our "super" weathering steel for operation under high-salt environments; (3) monitoring the weathering performance of two Illinois bridges built with our steels (Lake Villa and Dixie Highway); (4) marketing and participation in the construction of new bridges in Illinois and other states; (5) working with companies in the commercialization of our steels for other than bridge applications; and (6) presentations in professional conferences, visits to steel companies and consumers to further promote the steels developed with ITI funding for infrastructure and other applications. The main deliverables in FY 2012 are: * New low-cost, high-performance steels with mechanical and corrosion performance superior to those of A588, current weathering steel used in bridges and A606, current steel used in highway structures such as signs, signal structures, and light poles; * New P-alloy steel with significantly enhanced corrosion performance with good lowtemperature fracture toughness; * New bridge/bridges in Illinois and other states built with A710 Grade B steel or its lowercost modifications; * Disseminations of results via presentations in conferences, meetings with steel companies and consumers, and publications in journals and proceedings. In addition, we are developing steels for infrastructure applications with better weathering properties. A few years ago, Federal Highway Administration expressed interest in the development of a "super" weathering steel for bridges in highly corrosive chloride-laden environments. We were sponsored by FHWA to develop a knowledge-based theoretical design of such a "super" weathering steel. We found that some elements that were not used in weathering steels in the past could significantly boost corrosion resistance of steels. We designed a new steel based on the A710 Grade B steel composition with addition of more phosphorous and titanium. A laboratory steel heat was produced and is being tested. The steel is strong and very ductile. Preliminary laboratory accelerated tests indicated the superior corrosion resistance of the newly developed steel over our original A710 Grade B and the currently used in bridges A709 HPS70W steel.  Since the market for steels for infrastructure applications such as bridg]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 15:51:13 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1236683</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Project 1a: Structural Steel Coatings for Corrosion Mitigation - MS&amp;T</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1230723</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Significant maintenance costs are extended nationwide each year for coating structural steel bridge elements in an effort to protect them from corrosion and deterioration. Coating of structural steel presents a significant, costly maintenance challenge that is critical to mitigating the detrimental effects of corrosion to extend the service life of bridges and reduce operational costs. The field performance of coating can be inconsistent, being affected by the quality and method of surface preparation, the environment surrounding the bridge, presence of chlorides and corrosion products (which may be entrapped between plates in built-up members or other details that cannot be cleaned), the type of coating utilized and other factors. The goal of this study is to identify the most cost effective coating for protecting structural steel from corrosion, with consideration of factors such as ease of installation, long-term performance and costs.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:04:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1230723</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Project 1a:  Structural Steel Coating for Corrosion Mitigation - UMC</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1230719</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Evaluation of Coating System Performance in Missouri Task 1 of the proposed research consists of a field evaluation of the existing coating systems in Missouri to determine the past and current performance of coating systems utilized in the State. The steel coating systems and procedures being utilized by other State DOTs will be evaluated with respect to current practices to identify areas to be examined for enhancing current practices and potential cost impacts. A consistent and quantitative method for characterizing the condition and performance of a coating in place would be defined based on experience in other States, standards and needs such that a systematic study of coating performance in Missouri can be conducted. The field performance survey will document and correlate factors such as environment, location and extent of coating failure/corrosion, surface preparation procedures, etc.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:04:52 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1230719</guid>
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