<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="https://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
  <channel>
    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
    <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
    <atom:link href="https://rip.trb.org/Record/RSS?s=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" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
    <description></description>
    <language>en-us</language>
    <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>
    <image>
      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
      <url>https://rip.trb.org/Images/PageHeader-wTitle-RIP.jpg</url>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
    </image>
    <item>
      <title>Reinforcement Mechanism of Articulating Concrete Mats (ACMs) and Geosynthetic Fabric for the Design of Highway Embankment in Coastal Louisiana </title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2646938</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Coastal highway embankments differ significantly from conventional highway embankments or levees due to their exposure to hurricanes and tropical storms. These events generate substantial hydrodynamic wave pressures that must be considered in design. Reinforcing soil fills at different elevations with geosynthetics is a common approach, but doing so effectively requires research that enhances existing design methods and clarifies their underlying rationale. Design elements such as tensile forces, reinforcement length, and vertical spacing depend on understanding the mechanical behavior of these materials under extreme loading.  

Because coastal embankments are subjected to wave pressures from storms with defined return periods, engineers must account for the maximum hydrodynamic loads these storms generate. In particular, the unique reinforcement roles of geosynthetics and articulating concrete mats (ACMs) must be thoroughly understood to optimize the design. Key factors include ACM layer thickness, the number and arrangement of non-woven geotextile separator layers, and failure modes such as tensile rupture and pull-out resistance in geogrids and woven geotextiles.  

Building on the results from Southern Plains Transportation Center (SPTC)-funded Cycles 1 and 2, this project will use experimental and numerical methods to evaluate the behavior of geosynthetic reinforcements placed at various elevations within embankment fills. Emphasis will be placed on understanding how these materials fail under load and how their performance changes with elevation and storm intensity. In addition to continuing the work from earlier phases, this project will also assess the seepage-reduction capabilities of non-woven geotextiles and the surface stabilization benefits of ACMs applied to embankment slopes.  

Large-scale direct shear testing will be conducted to analyze both tensile rupture and pull-out failure mechanisms in conditions representative of coastal environments. Seepage and slope stability analyses will complement this testing to evaluate the combined performance of ACMs and geotextile separators under storm loading.  

The findings from this research will help validate and refine current design guidelines for coastal highway embankments that incorporate geosynthetics and ACM armor. The study will also contribute to a deeper understanding of conventional geosynthetic failure mechanisms in coastal applications. Ultimately, the research will yield practical, implementable steps for assessing both internal and external stability in coastal embankment design.  ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 05 Jan 2026 22:35:37 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2646938</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Geophysical Investigation of Seepage Associated with the Lake Sherwood Earth Fill Dam</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1234574</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Missouri S&amp;T will acquire electrical resistivity tomography data and self-potential data at selected locations on the Lake Sherwood earth fill dam. These geophysical data will be processed, analyzed and interpreted with the objective of locating and mapping seepage pathways that might compromise the integrity of the earth fill dam. The main project deliverable will be a map showing the location of the key and identified seepage pathways.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 15:14:42 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1234574</guid>
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>