Data-Driven Resilience Planning for Transportation Infrastructure: Pilot Study in Texas
This one-year pilot proposes marrying three rich but rarely combined data streams—high-resolution weather data (freeze/thaw, temperature, rainfall, snow/ice, etc.) supplied by the Southern Regional Climate Center (SRCC), Connected-Vehicle Data (movements, windshield wiper events, delay, etc.) that capture real-time operating conditions, and Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT’s) own asset and condition inventories (e.g. pavement condition data) into a cohesive, decision-ready framework. The research team will begin by geolinking these datasets and mining them for hazard frequency, traffic exposure, and structural vulnerability signals. Machine-learning and stochastic life-cycle cost models will then translate those signals into corridor-level risk profiles and economic damage curves under three strategies: do-nothing, reactive repair, and proactive hardening. Over the course of twelve months, the research team will iterate through four tightly coupled phases: (1) data assembly and quality control; (2) vulnerability assessment that fuses hazard intensity with deterioration and delay models; (3) scenario-based economic analysis to identify the most cost-effective resilience options; and finally, (4) delivery of an interactive web geographic information system (GIS)-based platform that maps risks, ranks projects, and lets engineers explore “what-if” funding scenarios. The researchers will ensure that methods align with agency workflows and that results are immediately actionable. Tangible pilot products—open-source modeling code, corridor-level risk maps, and a web-based GIS platform with an implementation guide and training workshop—will give Texas a clear blueprint for maximizing every resilience dollar. These outputs will enable TxDOT to pursue proactive adaptation and pave the way for multi-state deployment in the future. Expected benefits include lower lifecycle costs, fewer weather-related disruptions, and safer travel for Texans. Equally important, the modular design allows the Southern Plains Transportation Center to extend the framework to other Region 6 states in a potential follow-on effort, furthering USDOT goals for safety and infrastructure durability.
- Record URL:
Language
- English
Project
- Status: Active
- Funding: $125,000.00
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Contract Numbers:
69A3552348306 (CY3-TAMU-04)
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Sponsor Organizations:
Southern Plains Transportation Center
University of Oklahoma
202 W Boyd St, Room 213A
Norman, OK United States 73019Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
University Transportation Centers Program
Department of Transportation
Washington, DC United States 20590 -
Managing Organizations:
University of Oklahoma, Norman
School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science
202 West Boyd Street, Room 334
Norman, OK United States 73019 -
Project Managers:
Ghasemi, Hamid
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Performing Organizations:
Texas A&M University, College Station
Zachry Department of Civil Engineering
3136 TAMU
College Station, TX United States 77843-3136Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Texas A&M University System
3135 TAMU
College Station, TX United States 77843-3135 -
Principal Investigators:
Wu, Jason
Le, Minh
Zhang, Zhe
- Start Date: 20250901
- Expected Completion Date: 20260831
- Actual Completion Date: 0
- USDOT Program: UTC
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Asset management; Connected vehicles; Data fusion; Infrastructure; Life cycle costing; Machine learning; Maps; Pavement condition; Risk assessment; Weather and climate
- Geographic Terms: Texas
- Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Data and Information Technology; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Pavements; Planning and Forecasting;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01975695
- Record Type: Research project
- Source Agency: Southern Plains Transportation Center
- Contract Numbers: 69A3552348306 (CY3-TAMU-04)
- Files: UTC, RIP
- Created Date: Jan 5 2026 11:27PM