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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>Assessing Wicking Geotextile for Enhanced Drainage and Stability in Highway Slopes: A Field Study in Central Texas</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2509301</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Highway slope failures are a significant geo-environmental hazard, disrupting transportation networks, causing costly repairs, delays, and endangering lives. Rainfall is a key contributor to these failures, reducing soil shear strength through infiltration. As extreme weather events intensify, there is a growing need for effective drainage solutions to enhance slope stability and ensure transportation infrastructure resilience. Multifunctional wicking geotextiles, known for their moisture redistribution capabilities, have emerged as a promising solution for improving slope stability by facilitating water drainage. This study builds on the previous SPTC project, ‘Multifunctional Geosynthetic-Based Stabilization to Increase Coastal Infrastructure Resilience’, which evaluated wicking geotextiles in laboratory settings. 
The current research aims to assess the field performance of wicking geotextiles in reinforced highway slopes through full-scale tests. Test sections will be constructed in central Texas, using both conventional and wicking geotextiles. A comparative analysis will focus on drainage efficiency and slope stability, particularly under extreme weather conditions. Data on soil moisture and slope deformation will be collected using moisture sensors and remote sensing technologies, such as Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). 
The objectives of this study will be accomplished through 5 tasks. Task 1 involves literature review and material procurement. Task 2 involves site selection and soil sample collection. Characterization of engineering properties of soil will be pursued in Task 3. Task 4 will involve design and construction of test sections. Task 5 involves monitoring of slope and data analysis. This study will provide critical insights into the long-term performance of wicking geotextiles, contributing to the development of more resilient and sustainable transportation infrastructure capable of withstanding extreme weather events.

]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 13 Feb 2025 15:04:06 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2509301</guid>
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      <title>Advanced Sensing Technologies for Practical UAV-Based Condition Assessment (C20.2020)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1876108</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The problem The study team is trying to investigate is the synergistic application of unmanned aerial
vehicles (UAVs) with active acoustic sensing (AAS) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for the underside inspection of bridge decks. The problem is important because that employing such UAV-AAS-SAR system can (i) reduce inspection cost by more than 50%, (ii) improve inspectors’ safety, and iii) mitigate traffic interference with little or no traffic control measures needed. Consequently, substantial increases in productivity can be expected with the advances in hardware and software for UAVs and sensors. The team proposes to (1) develop an acoustic sensor capable of actively interrogating concrete delamination of bridge decks from underneath, (2) develop a compact radar sensor capable of remotely scanning concrete surface for delamination detection, (3) develop a UAV platform capable of housing the acoustic and the radar sensors for bridge inspection, (4) develop image processing and interpretation algorithms for condition assessment, and (5) work with partners in the bridge inspection industry to guide design decisions to produce a practical and useful system.

]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 15 Jul 2022 15:53:59 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1876108</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Monitoring of Transportation System Assets using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Satellite Data</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1948957</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Condition data of transportation assets is of prime importance for effective allocation and
utilization of resources for operating, maintaining, and upgrading ageing assets throughout its
lifecycle. The federal regulations, as a part of Transportation Asset Management (TAM) plan,
mandates state DOT’s to annually and/or biennially inspect certain assets – bridges and
pavement, and encourages inspection of other assets – walls, slopes, embankments, and
subgrades within the pavement Right-of-Way (ROW). Dearth of inventory data, condition data,
and performance measures of various assets within the pavement’s ROW has limited the scope
of current TAM applications. The main intent of this research project is to evaluate the possibility
of use of orbital Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite data for condition assessment and
performance monitoring of transportation assets. If successful, SAR data can be used to
effortlessly extend the current TAM scope as well as increase the monitoring frequency of
assets as needed (additional surveys can be done during inclement weathers, natural disasters,
and other hazard events).
The proposed research will conduct comprehensive literature review on SAR, SAR’s application
in transportation infrastructure monitoring and asset management, and identify potential
relationships between condition metrics and SAR data. Assessing the condition of ageing of
transportation assets in the south-central states by using cutting-edge technologies like SAR
satellite data can provide condition data of the assets – and this will lead to proactive
maintenance measures thereby prolonging the service life. The finding of this research will help
in understanding the role of the state-of-art orbital synthetic aperture radar remote sensing
platforms in accessing the performance of pavements and adjacent highway infrastructure. In
addition, it will help to understand and evaluate the extent, quality, reliability, and limitation of
SAR satellite data in monitoring transportation assets.
The research will lead to a report documenting a brief review of state of practice in TAM plans
as well as use of SAR data for monitoring the condition of transportation system assets.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 09 May 2022 10:44:45 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1948957</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Electromagnetic Detection and Identification of Concrete Cracking in Highway Bridges (1.4)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1590550</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The problem the research team is trying to solve is the structural assessment of aging concrete bridges (reinforced and prestressed) in New England, targeting at concrete cracking and degradation (e.g., carbonation, alkali-silica reaction). The problem is important because that the integrity of concrete cover indicates not only mechanical strength of the cross section but also the level of protection for steel corrosion. Concrete cracking and steel corrosion can occur to any component in concrete bridges. The team proposes to (1) conduct field radar inspection (using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and impact-echo) for 2D and 3D radar imaging and to (2) develop a damage detection model for predicting the level of structural damage for concrete bridges.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 04 Mar 2019 13:30:09 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1590550</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Characterization, Analysis and Prediction of Tunnel-Induced Ground Surface Settlement Using Machine Learning Methods and InSAR Imagery Analysis (UTI-UTC 05)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1500823</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project uses Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) to measure surface deformation related to various active tunneling projects. Current areas of interest include the Alaskan way viaduct replacement tunnel and the Uma Oya hydropower project.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 16 Feb 2018 16:23:35 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1500823</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>3D Microwave Camera for Concrete Delamination and Steel Corrosion Detection (SN-4)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1482775</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Corrosion of embedded steel reinforcement in concrete leads to concrete cracking and delamination, followed by increased salt and moisture permeation and further damage. Invisibility of the embedded rebar in combination with physical inaccessibility in elevated bridges presents a challenge in the assessment of RC bridge elements. Wideband (3D) microwave synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging techniques that can be integrated into a robot or UAV offer a potential practical solution to overcome this challenge.
Microwave SAR imaging acquires wideband data over a 2D spatial grid by raster (or electronic) scanning a reflectometer - real-time images. Our recently-developed microwave camera can produce 3D SAR images at 30 image frames per second (see https://youtu.be/mK_zU-GHxRA). This 45-N microwave camera operates at a frequency range of 20-30 GHz and has an aperture size of 130 x 165 mm. Similar but lighter systems can be designed with aperture size and frequency range optimized for imaging of concrete in bridges and pavements. When mounted on a robot or UAV, microwave cameras can cover a wide area of infrastructure as SAR imaging has been for terrain mapping and remote sensing.  However, the position tracking accuracy requirement must be more stringent for SAR imaging in NDE applications. The higher accuracy can be achieved in multiple ways (e.g. a more precise positioning device (laser) and a small optical camera). A recent study of concrete specimens with relatively high moisture and high chloride levels indicated great potential of 3D imaging to detect corrosion of the embedded steel bars in concrete. The 2D slice of a 3D image showed two corroded steel bars, embedded at 25 mm deep. 
Approach and Methodology: Microwave signals can propagate through concrete and be reflected by steel reinforcing bars, delamination and voids. They are attenuated by moisture, ionic solution, and corrosion by-products. The principle of microwave SAR imaging in NDE applications has been well-documented. A wideband antenna is used to scan a bridge element surface following a 2D grid of certain step (sub-Nyquist sampling rate for reduced measurement time). Using a uniquely-designed and patented reflectometer, the collected reflected data (reference to aperture of the antenna) is then fed to a custom 3D SAR imaging algorithm. The resulting image resolution depends upon the overall scanned area dimension, the wavelength inside materials, and the standoff distance. Higher frequencies (or shorter wavelength) render images with higher 3D resolution depending on the operation frequency, bandwidth and the permittivity of the material.

Overall Objectives: This project aims to develop and optimize a 3D microwave camera for bridge inspection on a robot or UAV platform, quantify its performance for steel corrosion evaluation and concrete delamination detection in RC bridge elements, and build a microwave camera prototype that can be installed on a UAV for field applications.

Scope of Work in Year 1: (1) Prepare concrete specimens with embedded reinforcing bars, (2) Evaluate corrosion rate or mass loss of rebar in 3.5wt.% NaCl solution with EIS tests over time, (3) Periodically take the specimens out of the solution and scan them (for processing 3D images) at various relative humidity levels (measured) to quantify the effect of moisture on delamination, and (4) Optimize critical design parameters of 3D microwave cameras for high fidelity and spatial resolution.

Scope of Work in Year 2: (1) Use laboratory-designed imaging probes and especially-prepared concrete specimens (with delamination and cyclically-corroded rebar) to determine optimal operating frequency, bandwidth, scanning approach (i.e., uniform vs. non-uniform and mono-static vs. bi-static) for each type of damage in order to optimize these critical design parameters for producing images with high fidelity and spatial resolution, (2) Perform numerical full-wave electromagnetic simulations to corroborate and further optimize findings in the previous task, (3) Evaluate and investigate the trade-off between a UAV and a climbing robot platform for microwave imaging system installation, and (4) Investigate commercially-available systems for providing critical geometrical information for the imaging system needed for proper SAR image production. 

Scope of Work in Year 3: (1) Perform experimental laboratory optimization for determining optimal frequency, bandwidth and scanning configuration and the influence of these parameters on such an imaging system characteristics for concrete delamination detection and steel rebar corrosion evaluation in reinforced concrete (RC), (2) Perform limited and pertinent numerical electromagnetic simulations by which to also electromagnetically-optimize those measurement parameters for corroborating and further enhancement of the measurement parameters determined in (1), (3) Design and build a suitable antenna with operational frequency bandwidth that spans from several hundred MHz to a few GHz (e.g., 250 MHz – 4 GHz) since the conflicting penetration depth and resolution criteria must be optimized, (4) Design a transceiver system for the imaging system to incorporate the antenna into it (as a single antenna or a linear array fashion), (5) Investigate issues related to a mobile platform movement and its effects on SAR image data collection and determine methods by which to account for, reduce or remove any such unwanted effects, and (6) Begin performing in-field measurements of some bridges.


]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 14 Sep 2017 21:48:28 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1482775</guid>
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