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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>
      <url>https://rip.trb.org/Images/PageHeader-wTitle-RIP.jpg</url>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>Development Of Ultra High performance Concrete With Low-Density Flexible Fibers For Bridge Applications</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2633323</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) for bridge elements, repair materials, and other applications often contains 2 % to 3 % by volume of steel fibers to impart resistance to plastic shrinkage, improve its resistance to abrasion and impacts, and to provide additional strength and fracture toughness. However, steel fibers are much heavier than organic fibers such as polypropylene (PP) or polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), while their stiffness and tensile strength are only modestly greater. UHPC for bridge elements could be made with a lower density and potentially higher strength-to-weight ratio if it could be reliably made with PP or PVA fibers instead of steel. PP and PVA fibers have the additional advantage that they are not susceptible to corrosion, are inert in alkaline environments, have negligible water absorption, impart greater impact resistance and abrasion resistance, and contribute less to greenhouse gas emissions than their steel counterparts. The objective is to determine the compressive strength, fracture toughness, and strength-to-weight ratios of chemically pretreated PP-reinforced UHPC as a function of PP dosage. The property variations with these variables will be linked to fiber dispersion and macro flaws using lab-scale X-ray microcomputed tomography (µCT).]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 02 Dec 2025 15:26:19 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2633323</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Microstructure Analysis with X-ray CT Scan Imaging to Develop Enhanced Full-Depth Reclamation (FDR) Mixes Through Optimized Mix Design Compaction Effort</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2480362</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The use of Full Depth Reclamation (FDR) and the development of novel binders have continued to grow over the last three decades in the US. The mix design is conducted through several steps including combining in-place materials, adding pre-mix water, applying and mixing binder, compacting, curing, and testing with or without conditioning. To “harmonize” testing conditions for different “stabilization” methods, agencies often utilize a generic “mix design” system, irrespective of the type of in-place materials and binders. This approach, while convenient, is not the most optimal, as it may not utilize the unique advantages of a specific binder and may also result in an inferior FDR base course. The single most important property that controls the strength of FDR mixes and their potential to deteriorate over time under traffic loading is the efficiency of compaction during the recycling process. Efficient compaction of FDR mixes can result in a favorable microstructure, which increases the density and strength, reduces the potential for moisture damage, and enhances its long-term durability. The microstructure of the compacted FDR is affected by the optimum binder content, which is mostly dictated by the compaction effort (number of gyrations with the Superpave Gyratory Compactor, SGC) that is utilized during mix design. Different research reports recommend different gyration numbers, and at the same time, tests indicate a significant difference in the strengths of samples compacted with different numbers of gyration. Some binders can significantly facilitate compaction at the expense of relatively more sensitivity to compaction effort. Therefore, a pertinent question is, what is the optimized compaction effort that could lead to the formation of the optimized microstructure of FDR mixes that are resistant to deterioration? The answer to this question will result in the development of new specifications to guide the mix designers to develop appropriate optimum binder content and the contractors to utilize appropriate compaction equipment and passes in the field. The research is proposed based on observations from the literature, inferences from the Cycle 1 SPTC study, and interviews with the FDR and cement industry.
The objective of the proposed research is to investigate the effect of mix design compaction effort on the microstructure, density and strength, and thereby develop an optimized mix design procedure for mixes with different binders. The scope of work consists of preparing FDR specimens with different binders, using different compaction efforts, measuring their conventional laboratory properties, characterizing their microstructure using X-Ray CT scan, and correlating microstructure to the strength and stiffness of FDR mixes. Building on Cycle 1 findings, the matrix of materials will consist of one FDR blend of RAP and granular materials and two binders which are proven to be most promising in terms of strength and performance under accelerated loading and testing from Cycle 1, i.e., CSS1H emulsified asphalt, and high Yield emulsified asphalt. Three different laboratory levels of compaction will be used. The test results will include phase identification, density, porosity, damage evaluation from X-ray CT scan, as well as indirect tensile strength and stiffness with and without conditioning. The proposed research will be carried out in five tasks spread over a 12-month period. Task 1: Design FDR mixes using 50, 75, and 100 SGC gyrations per TxDOT specifications Tex-113-E and Tex-241. Task 2: Conduct Indirect Tensile Strength (per Tex-226-F), and stiffness (per AASHTO T307) tests on dry and moisture-conditioned specimens. Task 3: Carry out X-ray CT scan, conventional density test (Tex-113-E), and Indirect Tensile Strength (Tex-226-F) at different loading levels on samples compacted at optimum binder contents and different gyration levels. Task 4: Correlate microstructure and the extent of damage to strength and stiffness. Task 5: Prepare and submit the final report.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 01 Jan 2025 17:15:15 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2480362</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Drilled Shaft Imaging With 2d Ultrasonic Waveform Tomography</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2339973</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this research is to develop a new ultrasonic technique for full-volume imaging of drilled shafts. The technique will enable to characterize the whole drilled shaft at high-resolution (cm-pixels) for assessment of concrete and defects both inside and outside the rebar cage.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 15 Feb 2024 13:07:15 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2339973</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Field Evaluation of Geophysical Applications for DOTD</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2111935</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This research will evaluate the effectiveness of the Electrical Resistivity, Seismic Refraction, and Cross-hole Tomography geophysical methods in Louisiana soils and provide detailed descriptions of each method, including their applicability to geotechnical engineering, pros and cons, and cost of each method and required equipment. This research will determine whether the device/test method(s) actually improves confidence in normal operations, and whether the technology should be conducted in-house requiring consultants due to the intricacies of that particular method, or if the infrequent use and equipment cost are not feasible/efficient. The researchers will then develop recommendations and provide an action plan for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) to implement and utilize these geophysical methods in various geotechnical applications in Louisiana, such as mapping lithology and foundation integrity studies.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2023 12:01:35 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2111935</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Program to Advance Computed Tomography for the Development of Reference Standards for Pipeline Anomaly Detection and Characterization</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2085745</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The project will develop an inspection process and validate the data produced through the use of Computed Tomography (CT) as a non-destructive evaluation technology system for measuring crack and seam anomalies in pipe steel. Validation of the CT Technology System will enable the pipeline industry to establish a set of reference standards that can be used for a wide range of purposes, including technology development and qualification, personnel training, and competency testing.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 16 Dec 2022 14:15:37 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2085745</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Determination of In-situ Rock Density and Strength with SH-Love Wave Tomography</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2058569</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this proposed work is to develop an advanced testing system (hardware and data reduction methodology) for determination of rock density and strength. The system will enable to provide both density and strength at relevant resolutions (6-inch to foot pixels) for entire rock volume supporting foundations without requirement of borings. The analysis module (data reduction tool) will be transferred to FDOT, who owns the module for future uses in site investigations of soil/rock properties and stratigraphy.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 08 Nov 2022 07:39:43 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2058569</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Deployment of Ground Penetrating Radar and Ultrasonic Tomographer Non-Destructive Techniques for Assessment of Corrosion-Deteriorated Adjacent Prestressed Concrete Box Beams</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1482474</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Civil infrastructure systems play an important role in every aspect of the United States. The average age of the nation’s 607,380 bridges is approximately 42 years old and one in nine of the nation’s bridges is rated as structurally deficient. The United States is facing a major challenge to build safe and sound bridge systems with long-term durability, low maintenance costs and short construction periods. About 26 percent of the highway bridges in the United States are in need of repair or replacement, and a large number of these deficient bridges are reinforced or prestressed concrete structures. The cost of the United States infrastructure rehabilitation is estimated at over 1.5 trillion dollars over the next five years, with corrosion deterioration costs due to deicing salt and sea salt estimated at $150 billion. The United States Congress has recently approved a multi-year, $305 billion highway, transit and railway authorization bill to provide much-needed funds for State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) to fix deteriorated and deficient transportation infrastructure. The corrosion of reinforcing steel and prestressing strands is one of the major causes of deterioration, reduced durability or even failure of reinforced and prestressed concrete bridge structures. Corrosion does not only destroy the smooth riding quality of the bridge deck, but it could eventually compromise the structural integrity and safety of the bridge. Over the past few years, West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) has provided sizable funds to support the Lead Investigator’s work to assess the service life of corrosion-deteriorated reinforced concrete (RC) members in highway bridges (Zatar 2014). Bridges built with adjacent precast, pre-stressed concrete box beams are very popular and economical in all MATS States and nationwide. They have been used in the past two decades to foster the Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) concept. According to a recent National Bridge Inventory data, adjacent concrete box beams constitute 17 percent of bridges built annually on public roads (Naito and Warncke 2008 and Russell 2009). Without proper guidance, corrosion problems may be exacerbated for adjacent prestressed concrete (PC) box beams. Any rational decision regarding maintenance, repair, or replacement of the deteriorated members should take into account the member’s condition, the extent of deterioration, the expected remaining service life and the impact of alternative maintenance and repair options on the service life of the members. While visual inspection might provide a qualitative estimate of the damage, the specific location along a strand and the damage level cannot be clearly defined. There have been multiple cases where accurate condition assessments have revealed insufficient capacities and standard remediation and rehabilitation were inadequate. Evaluations of strand corrosion, broken strands and duct voids of adjacent PC box beams are essential in developing accurate and reasonable repair and maintenance strategies. This project aims at identifying the feasibility of using Ground Penetrating Rader (GPR) and Ultrasonic Tomographer to assess prestressed tendons’ condition, to provide detailed information about concrete deterioration and to assist with assessment and management of corrosion-deteriorated adjacent box beams in the Mid-Atlantic States.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 11 Sep 2017 16:59:21 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1482474</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Extending the Usage of High Volume Fly Ash in Concrete</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1318019</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Concrete mixtures that contain a high volume of fly ash (greater than 30%) have become more desirable for the increase in sustainability and economy of these mixtures. Extensive work has been completed by the principal investigator (PI) Volz for the Missouri Department of Transportation under several previous projects to show that there are many applications where high volume fly ash can be used to provide satisfactory performance. However, several additional additives had to be included in the concrete mixture to improve the reactivity and subsequent strength gain of the mixture. While these additives did improve the performance of the mixtures, there was still a measurable difference between the high volume fly ash mixtures and concretes that use traditional volumes of fly ash. Furthermore, during the durability testing of these mixtures, there was poor performance of these mixtures in the ASTM C 672 salt scaling test. These differences in performance in these materials provide significant barriers between low and high dosages of fly ash that will not allow their usage in bridge decks, pavements, sidewalks, or any element with a time sensitive strength gain. Recent work has been completed by Silva, Cheung, and Roberts of W.R. Grace to introduce a new and promising method of pre-treating fly ash by soaking it in water or other solutions before using it in concrete. This treatment allows the fly ash mixtures investigated to show improved early and later age reaction rates and subsequent strength gain. This methodology needs to be investigated with a larger number of fly ash sources and also the mechanisms need to be better understood. If the benefits of this method could be achieved in a practical manner, then this would greatly improve the ability to use high volume fly ash concrete and would address several of these critical issues with delayed strength and setting. Even if these issues are addressed then there will still be problems with the subsequent scaling of these mixtures. While there are a number of different ways to address this problem, it would be better if there was a greater understanding of the mechanisms of salt scaling with high volume fly ash and why it is more severe than low volumes. In order to investigate this, the research team will use X-ray computed tomography techniques to image samples during freezing and thawing cycles. This technique can make 3D maps of materials with a scale of 1 micron and has been a significant focus of research of PI Ley at OSU. This technique will allow direct observations to be made of the crack initiation sites and their subsequent growth under freezing cycles. Once the scaling mechanism is better understood, then this will give much greater insight to guide future solutions.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 01 Aug 2014 01:15:17 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1318019</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Ultrasonic Tomography for Infrastructure Inspection</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1313119</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The structural integrity of railroad infrastructure is critical in order to address structural repair needs in a timely fashion and ensure rail safety. This includes the regular inspection and maintenance of railroad tunnel linings and timber beams and ties. Since tunnels are naturally in an aggressive environment that is not conducive to lane closures, early detection that leads to preventive maintenance is a necessity. The occurrence of damage and deterioration in railroad timber beams and ties can lead to failure of the components and, in the worst case, derailment of the train. According to the Federal Railroad Administration, wide gages due to defective/missing cross ties accounted for the highest percentage (17.1%) of all railway accidents in the US from 2008-2011 (FRA, 2011). It is therefore crucial to detect damage at an early stage so that, by taking appropriate measures, failure can be prevented. The proposed project will examine the use of Ultrasonic Tomography (UST) to examine the interior of wooden beams and cross ties as well as railroad tunnel linings on-site. The Ultrasonic Tomographer employs a matrix (4x12) of low-frequency, shear transducers that generate shear waves through the depth of a specimen under test. The waves are reflected by internal discontinuities and changes in medium (such as concrete, air, and steel). This behavior is utilized to map voids, delamination, cracks, and other defects, as well as structural depth and reinforcement presence. The waves are sequentially emitted and received by 66 paired transducers per single scan, causing repeated reflections and patterns to stand out for inspection. Through the use of dry-point-contact piezoelectric sensors, the transducers do not require the use of a coupling agent, making it practical for on-site applications. The recorded signals undergo automated signal processing to identify the existence, location, and size of the potential discontinuities. The UST technique can be used to map entire three dimensional (3D) images of concrete sections as well as single-point evaluations.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 19 Jun 2014 01:00:49 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1313119</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Imaging of Voids Beneath Bridge Bent Using Electrical Resistivity Tomography</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1301308</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In an effort to better understand and define the lateral and vertical extent of shallow water-filled voids beneath a bridge bent (I-44, across Gasconade River), Missouri University of Science &amp; Technology (MS&amp;T) will acquire electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data along six traverses immediately adjacent to the bent in question. Four of the ERT traverses will be laid out parallel to the river, two on either side of the bridge bent in question. Depending on site access constraints, the other two ERT traverses will be laid out roughly perpendicular or at a skewed angle to the river on either side of the existing bridge bent. The layout may need to change due to site access and potential issues working around the construction at the site. The intent is to use this non-invasive technology to map the lateral and vertical extent of the water-filled voids so that appropriate mitigation plans can be developed.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 07 Mar 2014 01:01:45 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1301308</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Mapping Subsurface in Proximity to Newly-Developed Sinkhole Along Roadway</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1253629</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Missouri University of Science and Technology (MS&amp;T) will acquire electrical resistivity tomography profiles in immediate proximity to a newly-developed sinkhole in Nixa Missouri. The sinkhole has closed a well-traveled municipal roadway and threatens proximal infrastructure. The intent of this investigation is to characterize the subsurface expression of the sinkhole so that appropriate mitigation efforts can be designed and implemented.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 26 Jun 2013 01:00:21 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1253629</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>
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