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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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    <item>
      <title>Extraction and Physio-Mechanical Testing of FRP Reinforcing Bars from 5-year-old Seawater Concrete Test Blocks on Halls River Bridge Bulkhead</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2377933</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The primary objective is to review the limitation of using BFRP rebar in submerged conditions, as currently stated in the Structures Manual Volume 4 by extracting concrete test blocks containing FRP reinforcing bars from the Halls River Bridge bulkhead cap, and performing tests as indicated in this scope on BFRP and GFRP bars, and CFRP strands embedded in the test blocks.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 03 Jun 2024 14:31:29 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2377933</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Methods to Measure Emerging Contaminants in Stormwater

</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2381713</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Recent data on emerging contaminants has prompted state departments of transportation (DOTs) and water authorities to explore significant investments in stormwater sampling and treatment infrastructure. This proactive approach aims to more fully understand the occurrence and impact of emerging contaminants and the effectiveness of stormwater treatment systems. By gathering this data, decision-makers can offer more accurate, informed strategies for managing stormwater, leading to more efficient design, construction, and maintenance of treatment systems.

Research is needed to determine the methods and materials needed to measure concentrations of emerging contaminants in runoff, stormwater-treatment system effluent, and receiving waters to support cost-effective quantitative threat assessments and treatment decisions. 

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this project is to develop recommended practices for state DOTs for assessing sampling methods used to measure emerging contaminants as well as new contaminants identified in the future. 

]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 15:52:38 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2381713</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Phase I GPR Study – Investigate use of GPR to Evaluate Type and Extent of Pavement Distress</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2262767</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This study will be a collaboration between Burns Cooley Dennis, Inc. (BCD) and Dynatest and have three primary objectives.  Relative to the first objective, under SS 287 GPR traces were collected on each of the 64 test sections included in the SS 263 field sampling/testing project.  SS 287 also evaluated the set of traces from each of 16 of the 64 test sections.  The first objective in this proposed Phase I GPR study will be to evaluate the set of GPR traces that were collected from each of the remaining 48 test sections (64 - 16) to determine if additional potential distresses can be identified.  The second primary objective will be to identify a limited number of sections for further investigation in the field via coring to substantiate the hypothesis that anomalies observed within GPR traces can be used to identify distresses present within a pavement structure.  Based upon the GPR trace evaluations for each of the 64 test sections, select location(s) within a small subset of the 64 test sections will be cored to prove/disprove the observed GPR anomalies.  The final objective will be to recommend whether to conduct a Phase II study which would involve coring GPR anomalies observed within the remaining test sections not cored in phase I.  It is envisioned that field coring in both phases would provide sufficient correlation of observed anomalies within GPR traces to pavement distresses to establish reliability in use of GPR as an aid in developing pavement maintenance and rehabilitation projects.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 06 Oct 2023 10:54:57 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2262767</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Implementing the
AASHTO Mechanistic
--Empirical Pavement
Design Guide (Phase III) </title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2227877</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' (AASHTO's)
new Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design (PMED) method can be a significant improvement in pavement design but the models must be calibrated using local
data to accurately predict design performance. Due to the complexity of the research
problem, a four-phased approach over several years was deployed. Following the completion of Phase I -- Literature Review & State of Practice Assessment in 2021 and Phase II -- Development of an AASHTOWare® Pavement M-E User Manual and Development of a Local Experimental Plan and Sampling Template in 2022, this third phase is to evaluate the sample size for distress prediction models, and to collect/obtain relevant field data (such as distress data, Falling Weight Deflectometer data, etc.) and laboratory data (such as mixture production data, mixture performance data, binder properties, etc.) that are needed for the local calibration of the AASHTO Level 1 PEMD prediction models. The data collected in this phase will be then used for research effort in Phase IV -- Calibration and Validation of the M-E Prediction Models based on Massachusetts conditions. The experimental plan designed for this phase of the project includes: (1) review the previously developed local experimental plan and sampling template from Phase II; (2) evaluate the estimated sample size for bias and precision for each of the distress prediction models; (3) select roadway segments and plant produced mixtures, mixtures that represent the spectrum of mixtures produced in Massachusetts will be collected and tested in Phase III; (4) continued laboratory testing of mixtures to obtain data for Level 1 PMED implementation; (5) conduct field and forensic investigations; and (6) establish a calibration database using excel. 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 11 Aug 2023 15:12:38 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2227877</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Postmortem Blood Genomics Biorepository</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1943805</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project is designed to establish protocols for long-term molecular preservation of fatal civil aviation accident autopsy specimens provided to the FAA for accident investigation. Samples will be preserved towards future biomarker research.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 25 Apr 2022 12:57:41 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1943805</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Environmental Assessment of Culvert Fish Passage using Environmental DNA</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1906839</link>
      <description><![CDATA[WSDOT is correcting hundreds of fish passage barriers in compliance with a U.S. District Court injunction. Culvert injunction implementation also requires post-project monitoring. WSDOT contracts with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) for biological monitoring to detect salmon and steelhead presence at WSDOT fish passage sites. Current methods for assessing fish use upstream of corrected barriers requires biologists walking the stream looking for evidence of salmon. 
The new method using eDNA enables the detection of species by taking water samples and analyzing the DNA which is constantly shed by organisms in the environment. This looks to be a more efficient and reliable method especially for detecting species present at low levels or those which are difficult to observe. The use of eDNA would also allow for the detection of rare or endangered species, or others of management interest which could aid in project analysis or prioritization. 
The proposed project will develop and routinize sensitive and cost-effective methods for endangered species assessments and post-project monitoring. Utilizing eDNA methods from water samples, the detection of salmonid species, ESA listed species, invasive species and other species of conservation interest will be undertaken as a continuation of a project already underway between UW and WSDOT at fish passage restoration sites in Skagit county on state roadways. Sampling protocols will be developed for three target species, along with guidelines for data interpretation. The protocols will be applicable for other species besides the three chosen for this proposal. 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 27 Jan 2022 18:41:41 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1906839</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluation of Ground Penetrating Radar as a Tool in Designing Maintenance and Rehab Projects in Mississippi</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1510281</link>
      <description><![CDATA[A large portion of Mississippi Department of Transportation's (MDOT’s) construction budget is spent on maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) of existing roadways. An important aspect of evaluating existing pavements during the design of M&R treatments is coring. Cores provide the designer an indication of pavement condition. Currently, cores are cut randomly or based upon visual observation of the pavement surface. A tool that assists the designer in selecting more appropriate core locations would provide the designer better data for the design. One such tool that may be of benefit is the ground penetrating radar (GPR). A GPR is equipment that transmits electromagnetic energy into the ground (or pavement). When this energy encounters a discontinuity within the pavement structure, the energy is reflected or refracted back toward the surface. A receiving antenna then records the variations in the return signal. Because of its ability to identify these discontinuities within a pavement structure, the GPR has the potential of identifying pavement distresses or conditions that are not visible at the pavement surface. The objective of this study will be to evaluate whether the GPR can be used as a tool to assist an Engineer design M&R treatments by better identifying questionable areas for further evaluation.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2018 10:42:11 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1510281</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>CSM Conversion Factors and Regression Parameters to Back Cast CSM Strength and Modulus</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1510101</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design software requires a 28-day Modulus of Rupture (MOR) for characterizing the strength, and a 28-day elastic modulus (E) for characterizing the stiffness, of a cementitiously stabilized material (CSM) base layer.  Cored field samples of CSM will be obtained as part of the data collection effort to locally calibrate the Pavement ME transfer functions.  The age of these samples correspond to the period of time from initial construction to time of sampling; i.e., 10 – 20 years, not 28 days as required by Pavement ME.  Further, Mississippi DOT has not evaluated the MOR for CSMs typically used in Mississippi.  Since laboratory testing for CSM MOR is time consuming, level two correlation factors are required to estimate MOR from either CSM indirect tension (IDT) or unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests.  
In this study MOR, IDT, UCS, and E will be evaluated for typical Mississippi blends of CSM.  Conversion factors will be developed between each of the three strength characterizations and between UCS and E.  Strength and modulus regression parameters will be developed to back cast strength and modulus from age of cored samples to 28 days.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2018 10:23:08 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1510101</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Characterization and Modeling of Photon Absorption in Asphalt Materials for Improved Accuracy and Consistency of Nuclear Density Measurement</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1356625</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Although the nuclear method has been widely used in the compaction measurement of both soils and asphalt pavements, its accuracy for asphalt pavements is not as good as that for soils. Due to this issue, many disputes have incurred in construction projects, which resulted in replacement of the nuclear test method with the core sample method in many state departments of transportation (DOTs) for quality assurance or acceptance including the Region II states, although most contractors still use it on quality control as a fast and economic test method. The previous investigation disclosed that the above disputes can mainly attribute to the effect of asphalt's chemical constitution on the nuclear gauge count readings. There are three basic types of photon interaction with matter, i.e., the Compton, photoelectric, and pair production effects. The first two effects are dominant in the existing nuclear test methods. Attenuation from the Compton effect is proportional to physical density; however attenuation from the photoelectric effect depends on atomic number or composition. Therefore, to accurately measure material density, the relative composition effect needs to be corrected. In other words, the Compton and photoelectric effects need to be decoupled. The goal of this project is to improve the accuracy and consistency of the nuclear test methods in asphalt pavement construction. To this end, we will first investigate the energy absorption difference between asphalt and aggregate materials. Experiments will be conducted to test the energy absorption rates of asphalt binders, mixtures, and soil materials using different nuclear sources. The nuclear gauge count reading changing with asphalt material density and microstructure will be characterized and modeled. The correlation between actual block densities and nuclear gauge count readings will be analyzed and understood, and photon absorption will be simulated through particle transmission analysis, and an appropriate calibration equation will be developed.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 05 Jun 2015 01:00:49 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1356625</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Criteria for Predicting Scour of Erodible Rock in West Virginia</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1300217</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The study will assess the scour potential of bridges founded on rock within West Virginia by selecting 15 existing bridge locations, with a minimum of one bridge located in each of the ten West Virginia Department of Highways (WVDOH) districts. The bridges under study will be selected in collaboration with WVDOH Project Monitors and will include sandstone, siltstone, claystone, shale, and limestone rock types. Determination of cumulative stream power, and rock characteristics from modified slake durability testing of collected samples, will be performed. Methodologies and test methods developed for the NCHRP Project 24-29, Scour at Bridge Foundations on Rock will be among those applied to the evaluation of rock and stream characteristics of West Virginia. The goal of the study will be to collect geologic and hydrologic data that is site-specific to West Virginia, study relationships between site hydraulics and rock scour, and develop models that can be used to more accurately predict rock scour at bridges. In addition, a map will be developed showing the areas within West Virginia that are more prone to scour. The map will indicate where scour potential exists and where scour is not known to be a problem. The map will be based primarily on the data collected and evaluated for the 15 bridge study sites. Scour potential for areas of the map where site-specific data is lacking will be based on reasonable extrapolation from site-specific data, existing geologic mapping, WVDOH records, and other data sources considered reliable.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 26 Feb 2014 01:00:38 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1300217</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Ground Penetrating Radar (GRP) for Pavement Evaluation</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1253620</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In the near future the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department Pavement Management System (PMS) will utilize a Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) to collect network level pavement structural data to aid in predicting performance of pavement sections.  One of the drawbacks to running the FWD is that pavement thickness is required for the tested pavement section.  The standard method for obtaining pavement thickness information is coring.  Coring for a network level survey would be cost prohibitive.  Coring costs can run between $3,000 and $3,600 per day with a typical collection distance of 20 miles per day.  The Department manages over 16,000 centerline miles of highways.  Previous research has shown Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is a proven and reliable technology that can be used as a feasible alternative to provide pavement thickness data.  GPR data collection can be costly as well; contract services for pavement thickness can cost between $50 and $100 per mile from a reputable service provider.  GPR equipment has become less cumbersome, more user-friendly and more affordable in the last few years.  There are GPR technologies that employ multiple antennas to provide pavement layer thickness for network level surveys.  These newer technologies could provide the pavement layer thicknesses required for network level FWD data collection in a timely and cost-effective manner.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 26 Jun 2013 01:00:07 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1253620</guid>
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