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    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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    <atom:link href="https://rip.trb.org/Record/RSS?s=PHNlYXJjaD48cGFyYW1zPjxwYXJhbSBuYW1lPSJzdWJqZWN0aWQiIHZhbHVlPSIxNzc0IiAvPjxwYXJhbSBuYW1lPSJkYXRlaW4iIHZhbHVlPSI3MzAiIC8+PHBhcmFtIG5hbWU9InN1YmplY3Rsb2dpYyIgdmFsdWU9Im9yIiAvPjxwYXJhbSBuYW1lPSJ0ZXJtc2xvZ2ljIiB2YWx1ZT0ib3IiIC8+PHBhcmFtIG5hbWU9ImxvY2F0aW9uIiB2YWx1ZT0iMTYiIC8+PC9wYXJhbXM+PGZpbHRlcnMgLz48cmFuZ2VzIC8+PHNvcnRzPjxzb3J0IGZpZWxkPSJwdWJsaXNoZWQiIG9yZGVyPSJkZXNjIiAvPjwvc29ydHM+PHBlcnNpc3RzPjxwZXJzaXN0IG5hbWU9InJhbmdldHlwZSIgdmFsdWU9InB1Ymxpc2hlZGRhdGUiIC8+PC9wZXJzaXN0cz48L3NlYXJjaD4=" 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>
    <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>Container-on-Barge Market Demand </title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2673252</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project will assess the market demand and policy levers that could expand container-on-barge (COB) services along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. The study will identify key shippers, high-potential commodities, infrastructure needs, and incentive mechanisms to make COB competitive with trucking and rail. This work directly supports the Missouri Department of Transportation's (MoDOT’s) freight, sustainability, and economic development goals, and aligns with the Missouri State Freight Plan and the U.S. Maritime Administration's (MARAD’s) America’s Marine Highway Program.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 24 Feb 2026 15:27:46 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2673252</guid>
    </item>
    <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>Optimal Design of Inland Waterway System to Increase Supply Chain Resilience</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2625874</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project seeks to conduct research to develop mathematical models of supply chain network resilience that leverage the US inland waterway system. Extending the research conducted during year 1, which laid the foundation for developing advanced optimization and simulation methodologies to increase the resiliency of the inland waterway freight transportation system. Given the increasing threats from accidents, weather-related hazards, and terrorist attacks that have heightened risks for both freight and passenger transport systems, this project recognizes the pivotal role of inland waterways in mitigating these vulnerabilities. The resilience of intermodal systems, which are often significantly impacted by such events, leading to considerable economic losses, can be substantially improved by integrating inland waterways. This integration will be examined through the lens of network topology, investigating how different configurations and connectivity within the waterway system can influence key resilience metrics such as recovery time, system throughput, and adaptability in the face of disruptions. The expected deliverables include a characterization of resilient network topologies. A final synthesis report will present the research findings, including methodology, results, and recommendations for policymakers, stakeholders, and industry players. Reports will be shared with relevant stakeholders and research conferences, fostering public awareness of the benefits of inland waterway freight transport to increase supply chain resilience. The research endeavors seek to pave the way for a more resilient, interconnected, and environmentally friendly freight transportation network within the United States.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 18 Nov 2025 13:46:39 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2625874</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Operationalizing Smartwatch Technology to Measure and Mitigate Heat Stress Among Maritime Transportation Workers</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2620601</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Workers in the maritime transportation industry are being exposed to high-heat and high-humidity conditions, exacerbating their risk of developing heat-related illnesses. They include port and harbor operations, marine cargo handling, navigational services to shipping, and other support activities for water transportation. Heat-related illnesses range in severity from muscle cramps and spasms; to heat exhaustion, which if left untreated, can progress to a more serious condition; to heat stroke, a life-threatening emergency that requires immediate medical attention. Smartwatches have the potential to function as a means for detecting when a heat-related illness is imminent and/or progressing, leading to an opportunity for the risk to be mitigated through intervention. In a current MarTREC project that is nearing completion, the potential for smartwatch heat stress management has been explored by addressing the following research questions: (1) What are key indicators that can be used to quantify heat stress? (2) Can a smartwatch be used to measure heat stress in outdoor working environments? (3) Is it possible to communicate the onset of heat-related illnesses by incorporating a complete closed feedback loop? This project has made considerable progress in examining these questions, which began with conduct of a comprehensive literature review to identify the state-of-the-practice and where research gaps currently exist. These results then informed the development of a conceptual design with the goal of field-testing the application in a small-scale pilot study. The pilot study demonstrated promising results for the developed technology and its application to be feasibly utilized in an operational environment. The project aims to take this next step, namely to operationalize the technology and application in a maritime setting and to evaluate its effectiveness. More specifically, the goal of the research project is to implement the application for maritime use such that the technology can alert workers and their supervisors in real time about the onset of heat stress, provide immediate intervention, and contribute to the development of company-wide heat mitigation policy. Ultimately, the proposed project will determine the practicality of deploying smartwatch-based heat stress monitoring systems in this challenging environment.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 10 Nov 2025 09:36:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2620601</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>A Reinforcement Learning Framework for Dynamic Inland Waterway Maintenance Under Stochastic Shoaling and Annual Budget Allocation</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2620600</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This research proposes a dynamic, data-driven framework for long-term inland waterway maintenance planning that integrates reinforcement learning (RL), and stochastic modeling. Unlike traditional models that assume deterministic sedimentation, known multi-year budgets, and static decision horizons, the research team models shoaling as a stochastic process, budgets as annually realized random variables, and infrastructure deterioration as a gradual, condition-dependent process. The core of the methodology is an infinite-horizon sequential decision model that makes year-by-year dredging and lock maintenance decisions using RL. Dredging is modeled as a continuous decision variable, and policy learning is guided by a custom-designed simulation environment that reflects realistic physical and institutional constraints. The team trains RL agents using Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO). This work addresses the curse of dimensionality that limits conventional optimization techniques by learning generalizable policies rather than enumerating all possible scenarios. By finding the solution across various uncertainty regimes, the team provides both methodological insights and practical guidance for agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The resulting framework offers a robust and adaptive tool for managing long-term infrastructure investment under uncertainty]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 10 Nov 2025 09:33:02 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2620600</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Automatic Boundary Detection and Change Analysis Using Static and Dynamic Imagery</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2616823</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project aims to develop an automated segmentation and boundary detection system capable of identifying geometric features and changes in river boundaries using advanced image processing techniques on satellite imagery, digital photographs, and videos. Current aerial remote sensing and data collection techniques use LiDAR, photogrammetry, or other methods that require significant time and computational power to assess and identify key features of interest. Therefore, rapid or real-time monitoring of dynamic conditions such as flooding is difficult or impossible. By combining a fast segmentation algorithm with novel edge detection and artificial intelligence (AI)-based classification methods to analyze boundary changes, the proposed system will allow for temporal monitoring of river conditions and adjacent infrastructure, and aid in the detection of any deviations from established boundary norms. While this system has numerous potential use cases, the main focus of this research will be the creation and training of a system that can identify and quantify a number of key features used for asset management, flood monitoring, and disaster response associated with levees and adjacent transportation infrastructure.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 30 Oct 2025 14:39:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2616823</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Resilient Multimodal Transport Systems via Container-on-Barge</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2600576</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Recent events like the crack in the I-40 bridge, California wildfires,
and the Dolton, Illinois landslide have revealed vulnerabilities in transportation systems, causing closures, delays, freight rerouting, and congestion. Traditional resilience measures such as redundancy and infrastructure strengthening help mitigate some disruptions but often fall short against natural disasters and lack long-term impacts. Container on barge (CoB) transport, although currently underutilized in the nation and less explored in academic research, can alleviate the pressure on the existing system during disruptions and offer a more flexible, cost effective and sustainable solution. Therefore, in this project, the research team proposes to conduct a holistic study examining the integration of CoB into intermodal freight transportation systems, focusing on system resilience. Specifically, the team will first develop a context-aware approach for uncertain disruption quantification, and then design  reliable CoBbased strategies to further mitigate disruptions. Additionally, the team will perform numerical experiments to validate the effectiveness of the proposed approaches.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 30 Oct 2025 14:37:36 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2600576</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Autonomous Electric Ferries (Autoferry) - Low Carbon Connectors - II</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2548807</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Island and peninsula communities in the Puget Sound are often isolated from regional cities like Seattle and Tacoma due to large transit time by road. Regional ferry systems are large and expensive to operate, limiting the number of service times and access points. Most of the ferries only operate between larger regional towns and major cities, isolating smaller communities that often lack bus services as well. Autonomous electric ferries offer a unique low-carbon option to better connect rural communities in the region. In recent years, the Washington state ferry system has struggled with staffing and maintenance of older diesel ferry systems. For example, the residents of Anderson Island and Ketron Island in the south Puget Sound region are served by one ferry that connects them to the mainland. For Ketron Island, the ferry runs only 4 times per day and was out of service completely for several days recently while the ferry was being repaired. This project will focus on addressing key technical objectives with the autonomous ferries, including (1) autonomous docking procedures, (2) optimization of possible routes for weather and tidal events, and (3) building deeper partnerships with commercialization partners. Our methods will include literature review, weather and tidal data collection, design and prototyping, and testing.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 01 May 2025 15:30:15 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2548807</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Measuring the Resilience of Texas and Louisiana Ports Within the Context of the National Marine Transportation System</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2509306</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project will develop methods to assess the connectivity and resilience of Gulf Coast ports, focusing on port-to-port cargo movements. Understanding port criticality is essential for prioritizing infrastructure maintenance and improvements, especially in the context of limited funding. Building on previous research by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineering Research and Development Center (ERDC), this study will utilize Automated Identification System (AIS) data and the PageRank algorithm, which ranks port importance based on network connectivity rather than conventional metrics like tonnage.
In addition to the PageRank method, the study will explore other analytical tools, such as flow-based minimum cut and connectivity algorithms, to provide a more comprehensive assessment of the Marine Transportation System (MTS). Simplifying assumptions from ERDC’s work—such as using ship volume as a proxy for tonnage and accounting for international ports lacking AIS data—will enhance the accuracy and efficiency of the analysis.
The study will characterize the MTS using the most recent AIS data and perform an in-depth analysis of port criticality, with a specific focus on the seaports of Texas and Louisiana, as they fall within the Southern Plains Transportation Center’s scope. The results will guide decisions on port maintenance, resilience, and major infrastructure improvements, contributing to a more robust and disaster-resilient port network. The following tasks will be executed: Task 1 involves developing the required network dataset. In Task 2 the research team will apply various algorithms to the various MTS network representation developed in Task 1. Additional insights gained from these algorithms versus using a tonnage-only evaluation will be discussed in Task 3. This task will also recommend potential use of the outputs from this study. Task 4 involves disseminating the study findings. The research team will provide a copy of the report to the ERDC study team that produced the previous report.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 13 Feb 2025 15:02:43 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2509306</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>A Simulation and Decision-Support Tool for Vulnerability Reduction in Hazardous Material Transportation via the U.S. IWTS</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2499032</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Stakeholders are faced with challenges in tracking and managing freight movement, evaluating human-infrastructure interactions (e.g., navigation, lockage), and suggesting alternative solutions in response to contingencies. On the other hand, vessel operators need to have good situational awareness to quickly and effectively avoid hazards and accidents. Among various types of products, hazard materials constitute a great portion of shipments. Such materials can be found in many forms on the U.S. inland waterway transportation system (IWTS), including petroleum products (e.g., diesel fuel, asphalt), chemicals (e.g., fertilizers, pesticides), and household and consumer products (e.g., paints, adhesives). Indeed, petroleum products make up over 75% of waterborne shipments. Compared to highways, rails and other modes of transportation for hazard materials, the waterways have the heaviest shipments. To minimize economic losses while ensuring safety and security during hazardous material transportation, it is invaluable to develop a computerized tool for sharing information and evaluating the impacts of a sequence of decisions, such as voyage planning and rerouting, on freight movement, costs and risks. With previous support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Maritime Transportation Research and Education Center (MarTREC), this research team has developed an advanced NetLogo-based simulation tool that enables visualizing, evaluating and maintaining multimodal transportation infrastructure. This research project seeks to advance the simulation- and machine learning-based tool to help involved personnel understand how the IWTS currently performs, assess potential risks, and respond to various accidents and disruptions, especially those involving hazard material shipments. The goal is to provide an open-source software tool and machine learning-based decision-making approaches that assist the relevant stakeholders and operators in tracking hazardous material movement, making timely decisions, and enhancing the safety of the U.S. IWTS and beyond. The research findings to be achieved will be broadly disseminated to researchers and practitioners through research publications and presentations. The team will promote real-world applications of the tool by working with MarTREC partners and collaborators.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 29 Jan 2025 17:11:29 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2499032</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>An Elementary School STEMusical: Exciting the Future of STEM</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2499037</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This educational outreach project will build upon past efforts to educate and excite future science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) leaders at the elementary school level (K-4). Partnering with educators at Root Elementary School in Fayetteville Arkansas, the project will create an updated STEMusical theatrical program centered around maritime engineering challenges (lock passage, barge impact, dredging operations, etc.), exciting elementary grade students about engineering through an entertaining, informative, and memorable experience. The project will develop and execute in-class experiential learning exercises that educate, while the created STEMusical lyrics and music will assist in knowledge retention. A total of two public student performances of the developed STEMusical will be held by the conclusion of the project and commercialization efforts will be undertaken to expand the developed STEMusical program to schools nationwide.  ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 29 Jan 2025 16:57:40 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2499037</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis and Analysis of Maritime Supply Chain and Freight Indicators</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2499068</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In August 2024, United States container imports increased almost 13% year-over-year and remain greater than the 2.4 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) mark which historically stresses maritime logistics infrastructure. After July 2024 saw a 26-month high in U.S. container imports, this second month of relatively great volume contributed to increased port transit time delays at 7 of the top 10 U.S. ports. Based on these freight trends and their effects on the supply chain there should be motivation to focus on the maritime side of port congestion (inside the gate) and its economic impact related to freight movement, transportation labor and capacity tightness. These supply chain and freight indicators are published by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics but require synthesis and analysis to greater benefit decision makers and the public.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 29 Jan 2025 16:49:43 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2499068</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Developing Optimization Methods for Maritime Escort Strategies for Littoral and Chokepoint Shipping Lanes</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2499090</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Protecting maritime shipping lanes, particularly vulnerable littoral chokepoints, is critical to maintaining global economic stability. These narrow sea passages connecting major bodies of water are susceptible to disruption, as demonstrated by recent hostile activities in the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz. This project aims to address the growing complexity of maritime threats by developing mathematical optimization models for allocating limited U.S. military assets to neutralize or alleviate the risk of potential threats. The research will develop mixed-integer programming (MIP) models to determine effective strategies involving a diverse set of protection assets, such as warship escorts, unmanned aerial vehicles, and missile defense systems. The project will specifically focus on minimizing risks to vessels while also optimizing the cost-benefit balance for defending these critical shipping corridors. By collaborating with U.S. Navy stakeholders at the U.S. Northern Command, the findings will support enhanced operational planning, contribute to securing domestic transportation infrastructure, and improve the resilience of the global supply chain. This work seeks to fill a gap in the literature by providing a comprehensive, quantitative approach to maritime defense in the context of modern threats.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 29 Jan 2025 16:37:47 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2499090</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Vulnerability Assessment of Bridges Crossing Major US Rivers in Support of a Safe and Resilient Transportation System</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2499097</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project will assess and evaluate the vulnerability of bridges on major inland waterways to allisions. The project will compile and synthesize the inventory of vehicle bridges across the Mississippi, Columbia, and Ohio Rivers.  A list of allision incidents from 2003-2024 will be compiled using Coast Guard marine casualty reports.  Based on the latest requirements for design of bridges to withstand allisions, the project will identify the bridges that are most vulnerable.  The project will review options for bridge protection, considering bridge strengthening versus replacement.  An estimate of annual barge traffic passing under the bridges will be used to indicate criticality.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 29 Jan 2025 16:07:19 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2499097</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>RES2025-06: Navigating Possibilities Unlocking Tennessee's Waterways for Interstate Freight Transportation</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2487459</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The problem of underutilized waterways for freight transportation in Tennessee presents a significant opportunity for the state to realize economic, environmental, and infrastructure benefits (see RES 2023-07). By leveraging its inland waterways and investing in transportation infrastructure, Tennessee can enhance its competitiveness, promote sustainable development, and build a more resilient and prosperous future for its residents and businesses. The focus of the study will be to investigate (i) shippers moving cargo, (ii) the specific cargo class(es) transported, (ii) the current navigable routes by which cargo moves, (iv) the estimated total costs of these cargo movements, (v) challenges encountered in moving cargo on the inland waterways, and (vi) how these waterways can be more effectively utilized for handling identified cargo and commodities. The extent of the problem and the potential benefits for Tennessee are significant, multifaceted, and briefly discussed next. Economic Impact: Tennessee's geographical location positions it as a strategic hub for inter/intra-state commerce. By developing its waterways for freight transportation, the state can capitalize on its central location to facilitate the movement of goods between the Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico, and potentially other  southeastern regions. This can attract businesses seeking efficient transportation routes, expand market access for Tennessee-based industries, as well as connect other industries to Tennessee.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 08 Jan 2025 15:05:06 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2487459</guid>
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