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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>
    <image>
      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
      <url>https://rip.trb.org/Images/PageHeader-wTitle-RIP.jpg</url>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>Feasibility of Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) as Joint Material for Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2694442</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Advancements in manufacturing methods and the growing demand for high-strength materials in reinforced concrete have led to the development of steel reinforcing bars with strengths exceeding 100 ksi. These ultra-high-strength bars hold significant promise for bridge construction, as they could extend feasible span lengths beyond those achievable with conventional reinforcement while still meeting strength and serviceability requirements. Their use can also reduce girder depth, leading to material savings and lower overall construction costs. However, successful implementation requires addressing key concerns regarding serviceability and durability. Critical factors include corrosion resistance, structural behavior, and ductility of beams reinforced with these high-strength bars. 
The primary objective of the proposed work is to investigate the durability (corrosion resistance) and serviceability of concrete girders reinforced with very high-strength reinforcement, by testing bond-slip relationship between corroded and non-corroded steel rebars and concrete. 12 medium-span (8 in x 12 in x 10 ft) concrete beams will be cast and tested for strength and ductility. Six of the 12 beams will be subjected to accelerated corrosion. Under controlled conditions, the research team will test the strength and ductility characteristics of the beams reinforced with these bars. 
This study directly supports the mission of the Center for Healthy and Durable Transportation (CHDT), a University Transportation Center (UTC), whose primary research focus is enhancing the durability and service life of transportation infrastructure through innovative construction materials and techniques. By addressing the performance of very high-strength reinforcing bars in reinforced concrete girders and their behavior under corrosive conditions, this project advances the application of durable, next-generation materials for transportation infrastructure.

]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:16:30 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2694442</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Assessment and Evaluation of Post-Liquefaction Lateral Spread Impact on Bridge Deep Foundations</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1855320</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Durability and serviceability of bridges and their deep foundations could be highly influenced by the downdrag forces acting on the pile foundation due to the inundation of existing collapsible soil layers and resulting large soil settlement around the piles. The analysis of the bridge deep foundations under downdrag forces triggered by the inundation of collapsible of collapsible soils carries a lot of ambiguity and uncertainty. Current practice focuses on the assessment of downdrag force caused by the consolidation settlement of clay layers based on the distribution of fully mobilized downdrag force and resistance along the pile.

The proposed research work determines the excessive settlement of collapsible soil caused by the inundation of the soil based on a number of basic properties of the collapsible soils such as the soil’s initial void ratio, degree of saturation, uniformity coefficient, dry unit weight and collapse potential. Such an excessive soil settlement is employed in the proposed pile-soil model to assess the downdrag force acting on the pile skin and the associating pile axial response considering the pile-soil relative settlement and mobilized pile-soil resistance. The proposed model combines the pile-head axial load from the superstructure along with the developing downdrag force and mobilized pile-soil resistance above and below the neutral plane, respectively, based in the pile-soil interaction.

The developed pile-soil model is compiled into a computer code with a user-friendly graphical interface for input and output data. The proposed model will be validated through case studies available in the literature.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 28 May 2021 19:05:29 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1855320</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of Structural Design Guide for Ultra High Performance Concrete</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1467626</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) has been recognized as a choice of material for mitigating bridge infrastructure challenges as well as to introduce innovative construction projects. In recent years, the use of UHPC has gained momentum in bridge projects across the country. However, formal structural design guidance for this material does not exist in North America, and therefore a comprehensive effort is required to formulate recommended design guidance so that the application of this material can be broadened.
The objective of this project is to develop a comprehensive guide that can be used for structural design of UHPC.
Using existing literature, design methods and outcomes from ongoing research, this project will develop a comprehensive guide that can be eventually implemented or cited by other standards and codes. The topics to be included in this guide include: 
(1) Introduction; 
(2) Mechanical properties;  
(3) Demand forces and stresses;  
(4) Design methods using sectional analysis;  
(5) Strength design; 
(6) Serviceability design;  
(7) Design for durability; and  
(8) Design of composite construction. 
In addition to providing very high compressive strength, UHPC has noticeable tensile strength. The current codes deal with the design of UHPC members in different manners especially when they are designed with reinforcing steel. This particular issue will be systematically studied and included in the design guidelines.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 22 May 2017 09:27:19 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1467626</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Remote, Ultra-Low Power Wireless Sensing System for Multimetric Self-Powered Monitoring of Bridge Components
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1369999</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Development of a multimetric sensing system and data interpretation procedures for determining damage identification and quantification dramatically transform the economics of bridge preservation/management and improve the serviceability of bridges. The system will consist of a network of low-cost sensors attached to critical bridge components. Each sensor node is self-powered and capable of continuously monitoring and storing the dynamic strain, acceleration, and frequency response in the host structure.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2015 15:57:54 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1369999</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Structural Health Monitoring &amp; Condition Assessment of Chulintna River Bridge</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1307041</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of the proposed research is to improve the safety of bridge structures in the state of Alaska through implementation of innovative structural health monitoring (SHM) technologies to evaluate the structural integrity and serviceability, and to provide reliable information for changing structural response, decision-making of maintenance/repair and closure, etc. of monitored bridges. Based on a synthesis of current-in-use and emerging SHM knowledge and technologies with a specific interest in what could be potentially used on bridges in cold, remote regions, such as Alaska, this research is to establish a bridge SHM program for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (AK DOT&amp;PF). This objective is going to be achieved by identifying appropriate technologies, developing technologies where items are needed but missing, and implementing these technologies to remotely monitor and on-site evaluate the structurally deficient Chulitna River Bridge. A SHM protocol will be developed for applications to bridges in the State of Alaska. A SHM system with a variety of sensors will be developed to measure and monitor structural and environmental conditions to assist in evaluation of the Chulitna River Bridge performance. This system will be designed to detect bridge structural defects or deterioration in its early stages and to assist in the prediction of its future performance. It will also be utilized to mitigate impacts resulting from changed conditions. It is expected that this system will be able to provide more reliable information on the real structural health condition. We expect that it can be used to improve safe performance of this bridge. As a new safety and management tool, monitoring will complement traditional bridge inspection methods. Implementation of an effective monitoring system will likely result in a reduction in inspection manpower, early detection of deterioration/damage, development of optimum inspection and repair schedules before the deterioration/damage grows to a condition where major repairs are required and as a result this technology can used to reduce life cycle costs.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 24 Apr 2014 01:01:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1307041</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Effectiveness-Based Pavement Preservation Selection Based on Statistical Analysis of Long Term Pavement Performance Data</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1266300</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Pavement preservation can retard development of pavement distresses and improve pavement function performance. Quantification of the effectiveness of preservation has important implications for the selection of pavement maintenance strategies and decision making in pavement management system. Most of previous studies mainly focused on the effectiveness of preservation on pavement serviceability index (PCI) and roughness; few studies considered the effectiveness of preservation on individual pavement distress and safety performance. The objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of pavement preservation on mitigating different asphalt pavement distresses and restoring pavement surface friction using the extracted data from the Long Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program and advanced statistical analysis methods. The asphalt pavement distress considered in the analysis includes fatigue cracking, longitudinal cracking, transverse cracking, and rutting. It is expected that the analysis results can aid state and municipal agencies better select the appropriate maintenance treatments to maximize the cost-effectiveness of pavement preservation and increase the longevity of transportation infrastructure. The proposed research is closely related to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) research goal and University Transportation Research Center (UTRC) research focus area on State of Good Repair.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 29 Oct 2013 01:00:21 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1266300</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Performance Evaluation of Damage-Integrated Girder Bridges</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1239041</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Within the bridge community, there is a divide between the parties in design and preservation. Designers primarily focus on static conditions at the time of construction with limited consideration of future conditions related to maintenance, whereas preservation professionals emphasize on maintenance and repair practices with limited focus on design behavior and system performance. Similar to the concept of immediate depreciation of a new vehicle purchase, bridges in-service begin to degrade after they are placed in service, albeit at a lower rate. Current maintenance practices are not sufficient to predict the exact consequential effects that are imposed on the performance and serviceability of bridge system under the influence of routine degradation conditions. As a result, the main objective of this research is to establish a framework to integrate different sources of damage mechanisms into the measure of system performance, based on which serviceability and remaining service life of deteriorated superstructures can be effectively evaluated. The corresponding investigation of this research program will be conducted on a numerical analysis platform with association of limited experimental database for validation of the proposed models and conceptual methodology. In future, the proposed framework can be developed into a performance-based assessment tool that can be widely implemented by transportation agencies.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 30 Jan 2013 01:00:29 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1239041</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development and Validation of a Predictive Settlement Model for Pile Driving in Silts</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1232048</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Mitigating the settlement of adjacent ground and structures during pile driving is of vital importance during bridge construction because of potential project cost increases, work stoppages and issues related to public safety. However, as urban development increases so does the quantity of construction activities near existing and aging bridges. This increase in nearby construction can have a profound effect of the serviceability of existing bridges by causing large settlements of the supporting soil. Therefore, settlement predictions must be included in not only bridge foundation design and construction but also in any bridge monitoring and/or preservation program. The objective of this research is to conduct a bench-scale study to be used in the development and validation of models for predicting settlement of adjacent ground and structures due to pile driving in silts. Ultimately, the results of this work will be used by engineers and contractors working on bridge foundations, excavation support, and construction monitoring programs in these soils.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:30:59 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1232048</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Serviceability and Prestress Loss Behavior of SCC Prestressed Concrete Girders Subjected to Increased Compressive Stresses at Release</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1231006</link>
      <description><![CDATA[There are limited measurements documented in the literature related to long-term prestress losses in self consolidated concrete (SCC) members. Recorded test data has shown variations in mechanical property behavior of SCC compared to conventional HSC mixtures in the 8-12 ksi range. Over the past year, precast manufacturers such as Coreslab Structures, Inc., in Marshall, MO have experienced inconsistencies in camber behavior with SCC which may be attributed to mechanical property variations, but variation in stress may also be a contributing factor. Additionally, increasing the allowable fiber stress limit is desired for full utilization of materials and members, as long as structural performance is maintained. Furthermore, accurate prediction of time-dependent prestress losses is essential for determination of the effective prestress force, which effects serviceability prediction and structural performance. Further investigation is required.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:10:20 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1231006</guid>
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