Develop a New Tool for Evaluating Infrastructure and Planning Impacts from Changes in Truck Traffic and Truck Technologies
The overall project goal shall further improve freight planning and strategy tools used in Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Research Project 0-6984, Evaluate Potential Impacts, Impediments, and Solutions of Automated Trucks and Truck Platooning on Texas Highway Infrastructure to better assess the operational and physical impacts of freight traffic on the Texas Highway Freight Network. The research team’s tool enhancements shall allow for better evaluation of specific infrastructure impacts and resiliency considerations (bridges and pavements) from new truck automation and platooning technologies, as well as changes in truck loads, all of which are expected to increase over time, thus also allowing for analysis of alternative routes. The research team will tailor the tool to perform detailed analysis of the heavy freight corridors designated for early adoption of autonomous and platooned truck traffic in Texas, such as IH-10, IH-35, and IH-45. The research team will build a user interface allowing input of various planning strategies and scenarios giving planners a means to identify and evaluate potential design, operational, and physical hardening modifications that can minimize any negative impacts of new trucking technologies. The tool shall incorporate real-world condition histories from pavement and bridge asset management databases to identify infrastructure vulnerabilities due to changes in freight traffic and better prioritize future roadway maintenance project selection. Additionally, the research team will perform targeted modeling to identify best lane use options for automated and platooned trucks under a variety of operational scenarios and at varying traffic levels.
Language
- English
Project
- Status: Completed
- Funding: $510653
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Contract Numbers:
0-7124
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Sponsor Organizations:
Texas Department of Transportation
125 E. 11th Street
Austin, TX United States 78701-2483 -
Managing Organizations:
Texas Department of Transportation
125 E. 11th Street
Austin, TX United States 78701-2483 -
Project Managers:
Dassi, Martin
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Performing Organizations:
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Texas A&M University System
3135 TAMU
College Station, TX United States 77843-3135 -
Principal Investigators:
Morgan, Curtis
- Start Date: 20210901
- Expected Completion Date: 20231231
- Actual Completion Date: 20231231
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Asset management; Autonomous vehicles; Freight traffic; Highway corridors; Overweight loads; Traffic platooning; Transportation planning
- Geographic Terms: Texas
- Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Freight Transportation; Highways; Motor Carriers; Planning and Forecasting; Vehicles and Equipment;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01782695
- Record Type: Research project
- Source Agency: Texas Department of Transportation
- Contract Numbers: 0-7124
- Files: RIP, STATEDOT
- Created Date: Sep 23 2021 10:16AM