Digital Commons Network^™

Sound Sensor Networks And Sub/Urban Health: A Transdisciplinary Approach Using The Purdue Campuses As A Living Lab, Kurt Khaustov, Harshitha Pathania, Sophia Victoria Pimentel, Irem Ucar, Linda Ronglin Xu, Santosh Sai Ramesh, Zhengyi Jiang, Elian Inigo Turcal Rieza, Nathan Sing Lee, Ryce Pi, Atandrila Chowdhury, Felipe Saavedra Cardona, Tae Hong Park

Discovery Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Internship

Our project investigates environmental soundscapes in West Lafayette and on the Purdue campus - including the Purdue Airport with its newly reopened commercial terminal - treating these sites as a living laboratory. Conducted under the Discovery Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Internship (DUIRI) with mentorship from Dr. Tae Hong Park and his Citygram research, the study integrates engineering, data science, and acoustic ecology.

Building on the Soundscaper system, we are developing an interactive sound-mapping interface that allows users to hear synthetic soundscapes representing real-world conditions. We implement a geospatial-audio pipeline that links OpenStreetMap (OSM) data to our Object-Oriented Soundscape Synthesis (OS2) framework. …

Jase 5.1 Table Of Contents

Journal of the Arts and Special Education

No abstract provided.

Eggplant Cultivar Demonstration Results For West-Central Indiana, 2025, Petrus Langenhoven, Alexandria Catherine Snabes

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

An eggplant cultivar demonstration at Purdue University's Meigs Horticulture Facility evaluated ten cultivars during the 2025 growing season to support evidence-based variety selection for Indiana growers. Eggplant production in Indiana totaled 34 acres in 2022, representing part of a national industry where 88.9% of 7,261 operations cultivate less than one acre. This demonstration provided performance data under Indiana conditions while offering hands-on learning for horticulture students. Results inform cultivar recommendations for small to medium-scale Midwest producers supplying diverse markets, including restaurants, farmers' markets, and ethnic food retailers seeking this Solanaceae crop for Asian, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cuisines.

Stone Matrix Asphalt (Sma) Overlay Performance Evaluation, Jusang Lee, Jongmyung Jeon, Abdullah Al Mamun, Maya Khajehvand, John E. Haddock

JTRP Technical Reports

Stone matrix asphalt (SMA) is a specialized asphalt mixture designed to improve pavement performance by combining a coarse aggregate skeleton with a high-binder content mortar. This innovative design, adopted by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) in the late 1990s, offers distinct advantages over conventional hot mix asphalt (HMA). Currently, INDOT SMA-surfaced pavements are undergoing a second round of rehabilitation, which presents a valuable opportunity to assess their performance and return on investment (ROI). In Indiana, steel slag is used as the primary SMA coarse aggregate because of its toughness and durability. However, it may be possible to use other, …

Effective Shoulder Width On Rural Highway System Related To Roadway Departure Crashes, Mario A. Barahona, Vamsi Krishna Bandaru, Mario A. Romero, Andrew Tarko

JTRP Technical Reports

Roadway design plays a crucial role in traffic safety, particularly on rural roads. This research investigates the safety effectiveness of shoulder width on Indiana’s rural two-lane highways, and to use this understanding to provide a basis for more effective shoulder improvement programs. Although previous studies have established the benefits of shoulder widening in other states, limited research has been conducted in Indiana conditions. This research aims to evaluate the safety effectiveness of shoulders on rural roads in Indiana and to propose a practical and systemic approach to identifying road segments that require additional attention and possible need for shoulder improvements. …

Advancing Accelerated Bridge Construction And Fabrication In Indiana, Camila Duarte, Ashley Thrall

JTRP Technical Reports

The aim of this research was to increase the use of the accelerated bridge construction (ABC) and accelerated bridge fabrication (ABF) in Indiana. Specific research objectives included: (1) understand barriers to implementing ABC and evaluate ABF capabilities in Indiana, (2) investigate the benefits and limits of various ABC/ABF strategies specific to Indiana, and (3) develop guidelines and recommendations for implementing ABC/ABF in Indiana. The focus was on the scoping stage, with the goal of triggering which projects are candidates for ABC or ABF early in the process. Research culminated in (1) a system-level analysis tool that scores all bridges in …

Monitoring Of A Steel-Reinforced Mse Abutment Wall And Evaluation Of Its Bearing Capacity Based On The Cpt And Dcpt, Venkata Abhishek Sakleshpur, Monica Prezzi, Rodrigo Salgado, Peter Becker, Yaser Zafari

JTRP Technical Reports

A two-span bridge, supported by steel H-piles and mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) bridge abutments, was constructed as part of a new interchange on I-65 in Whitestown, Indiana. The east and west MSE abutment walls consisted of precast concrete facing panels, ribbed steel strips, and coarse-grained backfill soil. A section near the middle of the east MSE abutment wall was selected for instrumentation and performance monitoring. A variety of sensors, including earth pressure cells, strain gauges, inclinometers, and crackmeters were used to measure the magnitude and evolution of several quantities, such as the vertical stresses at the base of the leveling …

Feasibility Of Utilizing Native Grasses And Forbs In Lieu Of Exotic Cool Season Grasses On Roadside Rights-Of-Way, Wesley Bollinger, Rabin Bhattarai, Jeffrey W. Matthews

JTRP Technical Reports

We assessed the status of 34 native species plantings along roadsides in Indiana and Illinois and evaluated soil conditions, distance from road, and surrounding landscape cover to determine which factors led to successful long-term establishment of plantings. Cover by seeded native species and native species overall increased with distance from road and decreased with increasing soil nitrate and phosphorous. Number of native species and seeded native species increased with distance from road and greater seed mix diversity. In contrast, richness of non-native, non-seeded species was greater at shorter distances from road. Across all sites, 84 of the 150 native species …

Research Support To Indot On I-465 Southeast Variable Speed Limit And Ramp Meter Project, Jairaj Desai, Christopher Gartner, Rahul Suryakant Sakhare, Edward D. Cox, James Sturdevant, Darcy M. Bullock

JTRP Technical Reports

Traditionally, crash data, crash risk models, video recordings and user surveys have been utilized by agencies to measure the safety benefits of ramp metering technology. Connected vehicle data can now provide an agile evaluation alternative for quantifying impact of ramp meter deployments. Furthermore, in contrast to crash data, connected vehicle near miss events occur much more frequently, so the before-after evaluation can be conducted over a much shorter time period consisting of a few months, or perhaps even a few weeks.

Indiana deployed ramp meters on the southeast section of I-465 around Indianapolis, on or around May 14, 2024, which …

Demonstration Of Zero Speed Inertial Profilers, Dwayne Harris, Steve Karamihas

JTRP Technical Reports

The Indiana Department of Transportation currently, uses inertial profilers for pavement smoothness quality control and quality assurance. However, this profilers face limitations in urban environments characterized by slow speeds and stop and go traffic. Currently, equipment vendors are developing new profiler platforms that include improved spatial and temporal filters, additional sensors, and novel computational methods to enhance performance in urban environments. This research is to evaluate the performance of these updated systems in urban slow speed environments.

Communication Of Fixed And Mobile Warnings To Commercial Trucks Using In-Cab Notification, Jairaj Desai, Rahul Suryakant Sakhare, Jijo K. Mathew, Nathaniel Sturdevant, Edward Cox, Darcy M. Bullock

JTRP Technical Reports

Improving commercial vehicle safety continues to be an important priority for all stakeholders. There has been considerable focus in Indiana on reducing work zone related crashes, particularly those involving commercial motor vehicles encountering unexpected slowdowns or stopped traffic on the Interstate. Connected vehicle data have the potential to warn motorists of impending slowdowns and congestion in real-time. Multiple data providers have recently begun providing in-cab alerts to commercial vehicle drivers in areas of congestion, dangerous slowdowns, and work zone construction to increase driver awareness of potential hazards. This research utilized 1-second frequency data from trucks receiving in-cab alerts for Congestion …

Systematic Study Of Type 1l Cement For Mixture Optimization And Carbon Reduction, Jookyeung Sung, Rui He, Na (Luna) Lu, Yining Feng

JTRP Technical Reports

The use of Portland Limestone Cement (PLC, Type 1L), a sustainable alternative to Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), has gained traction in the United States as a means to reduce the carbon footprint associated with concrete production. Despite its environmental benefits, the inconsistent field performance, particularly with respect to strength development, durability, and admixture compatibility, has raised concerns about its application. This study aims to systematically evaluate the performance of PLCs in terms of material properties, mechanical behavior, durability, and microstructural characteristics, with the goal of informing optimized mixture designs and supporting broader implementation of PLC in infrastructure applications.

Three cement …

Backcalculated Dynamic Modulus Master Curve From The Time Histories Of Falling Weight Deflectometer Surface Deflections, Mohammad Ali Notani, Seonghwan Cho, John E. Haddock

JTRP Technical Reports

Accurate structural evaluation of flexible pavements is important for cost-efficient maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) strategies. Traditional back-calculation methods based on Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) data assume elastic behavior, overlooking the viscoelastic nature of asphalt materials and subsequently leading to inaccuracies. This study introduces a mechanistic-based back-calculation technique to estimate the dynamic modulus (E*) master curve directly from FWD time-history data. By integrating layered elastic theory with viscoelastic principles, the proposed method first determines the relaxation modulus, E(t), using Differential-Time Fourier Transform (DTFT) analysis. This time-domain response is then converted into the frequency domain to construct the E* master …

Automated Record Keeping For Maintenance Operations Via Tracking Of Maintenance Vehicles Using Telematics Tracks, Anugunj Naman, Yaguang Zhang, Aaron Ault, James V. Krogmeier

JTRP Technical Reports

Efficient and accurate record-keeping for maintenance vehicle operations is essential for optimizing resources, improving accountability, and enhancing decision-making for transportation agencies. The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) sought an automated system to verify and improve work order records using telematics-based vehicle tracking. This study developed and evaluated a system that leverages GPS data from INDOT’s Data Warehouse to automate work order verification, track vehicle movements, and enhance data accuracy for winter highway maintenance operations.

The system integrates GPS tracking, automated data processing, and visualization tools to address key challenges such as data standardization, GPS accuracy, and time resolution. Results indicate …

Feasibility Of 3d Scanning Technology For Bridge Inspection And Management, Kyubyung Kang, Jinwu Xiao, Jiashu Hu, Deven Kanakamedala, Jungil Seo, Amit Varma

JTRP Technical Reports

This report evaluates the feasibility of 3D scanning technologies, including LiDAR, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), and UAV photogrammetry, for improving bridge inspection practices. The study identifies challenges in adopting these technologies, particularly for detecting corrosion, section loss, and deformation in steel girders and other critical structural components. A framework is developed to integrate 3D scanning data with defect detection and structural analysis tools, ensuring compatibility with existing bridge inspection and asset management systems. The report provides practical guidelines for optimizing scanning strategies, data processing workflows, and implementation procedures to support Indiana’s bridge inspection practice. The proposed framework is designed to …

Roadside Right-Of-Way Maintenance Strategies, Cheryl Daniels, Angela Burdell, Patrick Ewbank, Keith Shane

JTRP Technical Reports

The Indiana Department of Transportation’s (INDOT) roadside management program is tasked with multiple items across the state’s 39,000 lane miles. Roadside maintenance is an essential task that keeps INDOT’s rights-of-way (ROWs) safe and functional for drivers. Most roadside vegetation maintenance work for INDOT is outsourced, and INDOT’s in-house staff perform any follow-up vegetation maintenance as needed. INDOT needs to focus on cost-efficient solutions due to budgetary constraints from increased labor, equipment, and contractor costs and no budgetary increases.

INDOT contracted Davey Resource Group, Inc. (DRG) to provide recommendations for updates to INDOT’s roadside ROW vegetation maintenance strategies. DRG completed a …

Practical Implementation Of Superabsorbent Polymers (Sap) For Internally Cured Concrete, Chibueze Sylvester Ajuonuma, Raikhan Tokpatayeva, Akul N. Seshadri, Jan Olek, Kendra Erk, Alberto Castillo

JTRP Technical Reports

Laboratory investigations and results from a year-long field trial demonstrated that plain Type IL cement and slag cement concrete that was internally cured by superabsorbent polymer (SAP) has increased strength and durability compared to SAP-free mixtures, mixtures containing colloidal nanosilica, and mixtures that were externally cured with a surface-applied curing compound. SAP was successfully delivered to fresh concrete mixtures at the ready-mixed concrete plant by using dissolvable bags containing premeasured amounts of dry SAP particles. No batching adjustments were necessary to successfully utilize SAP in the concrete mixtures.

Reducing The Dependency On Chlorides And Impacts, Ajuna P. John, Hoon C. Shin, Isaiah C. Mwamba, David J. Yu, Amisha Shah, Samuel Labi

JTRP Technical Reports

This study examined the performance and environmental impacts of various deicing materials, assessed their short- and long-term effects on infrastructure, soil, and water quality, and identified opportunities for operational improvement within INDOT’s winter maintenance practices. The study used a comprehensive methodology that included an extensive literature review, a detailed survey of INDOT personnel (both field crews and supervisory staff), in-depth interviews, and rigorous statistical analysis. Additionally, a multi-criteria decision analysis framework was developed and used to evaluate alternative deicing materials based on performance, cost, environmental impact, and ease of application. The results and findings suggest that sodium chloride remains the …

Investigation Of Low Friction On Asphalt Pavements, Jieyi Bao, Cheng Peng, Xiaoqiang Hu, Yi Jiang, Jusang Lee, Shuo Li, Ayesha Shah

JTRP Technical Reports

This study explores low-friction issues in specific asphalt pavements utilizing dolomite aggregates within an Indiana Department of Transportation district. It examines the frictional characteristics of these aggregates, concentrating on initial friction (PSV0) and long-term friction retention (PSV10). Employing a mix of laboratory tests, field data analysis, and statistical modeling, the research assesses how mechanical, physical, and chemical properties influence the overall friction behavior of dolomite aggregates.

The evaluation of Design Mix Formulas (DMFs) revealed no statistically significant effect on pavement friction, with variations more closely tied to aggregate quality and construction practices rather than the mix design itself. Inconsistent friction …

Development Of Incident Management Performance Measures Database And Supporting Training Material, Myles W. Overall, Justin Mukai, Rahul Suryakant Sakhare, Jairaj Desai, Hillary Lowther, Edward Cox, James Sturdevant, Darcy M. Bullock

JTRP Technical Reports

Secondary crashes resulting from traffic queues are a significant national safety concern. Traffic Incident Management (TIM), which involves coordinated multi-agency response to roadway incidents, is widely recognized as an effective approach to mitigating these crashes. This study aimed to develop a library of after-action case studies to support TIM training and evaluate current practices. Leveraging connected vehicle data alongside crash reports, camera footage, and dispatch audio, the research compiled 267 comprehensive after-action review reports for incidents across Indiana from June 2020 to March 2025. These reports, indexed by key attributes such as date, location, and incident type, form what is …

202501-05, 01/16/2025, I-65 N, Mm 165.7, Tippecanoe Co., Myles W. Overall, Rahul Suryakant Sakhare, Justin Mukai, Jairaj Desai, Deborah Horton, Darcy M. Bullock

After-Action Reports for Traffic Incident Management (TIM)

No abstract provided.

202501-09, 01/23/2025, I-70 W, Mm 0.1, Vigo Co., Myles W. Overall, Rahul Suryakant Sakhare, Justin Mukai, Jairaj Desai, Deborah Horton, Darcy M. Bullock

After-Action Reports for Traffic Incident Management (TIM)

No abstract provided.

202502-07, 02/28/2025, I-94 E, Mm 7.8, Lake Co., Myles W. Overall, Rahul Suryakant Sakhare, Justin Mukai, Jairaj Desai, Deborah Horton, Darcy M. Bullock

After-Action Reports for Traffic Incident Management (TIM)

No abstract provided.

202501-07, 01/20/2025, I-465 Il, Mm 49.9, Marion Co, Myles W. Overall, Rahul Suryakant Sakhare, Justin Mukai, Jairaj Desai, Deborah Horton, Darcy M. Bullock

After-Action Reports for Traffic Incident Management (TIM)

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Asset Management Programs Of Locals: Bridges And Pavement Conditions, Richard Ajagu, Dongyoon Song, David Holguin Mejia, Deepak Benny, Mohammadhosein Pourgholamali, Isaiah C. Mwamba, Kumares Sinha, Samuel Labi

JTRP Technical Reports

Indiana’s 2016 House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1001 provided a funding mechanism for transportation infrastructure that required Local Public Agencies (LPAs) to have an Asset Management Plan (AMP) to be eligible for funding. In 2022, the Indiana General Assembly desired to know the extent to which LPAs had adopted AMPs in response to this legislation. This study’s literature review found that LPAs nationwide are increasingly adopting asset management practices. Analysis of aggregate data on local road expenditures and revenues in Indiana showed significant reductions in maintenance expenditures in post-HEA 1001-2016 years, suggesting the efficacy of the 2016 legislation. The data trend …

Development Of Web Portal For The Management, Visualization, And Analysis Of Collected Mobile Lidar Data Along Indiana’S Transportation Corridors, Sang-Yeop Shin, Hanjin Kim, Arnav Goel, Jinha Jung, Ayman Habib

JTRP Technical Reports

Efficient road management requires collecting and analyzing various geospatial data related to transportation corridors. Mobile Mapping Systems (MMS), integrated with GNSS/INS units, RGB cameras, and LiDAR technology, enable the collection of geo-tagged imagery and 3D point cloud data across roadway networks. Acquired data helps in the inventory and management of transportation networks. However, users face challenges in accessing high data volumes, especially when considering hardware and software requirements. To address these challenges, the Purdue research team developed a web portal to efficiently store and provide easy access to geospatial data collected along Indiana’s transportation corridors. The web portal provides an …

Autonomous Mower Pilot Project, John T. Evans, Greg M. Shaver, Michael A. Mardikes, Nathan C. Sprauge, Timothy J. Wiegman, Shreyas Supe, Ethan M. Brown

JTRP Technical Reports

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) spends approximately $19 million annually on roadside mowing, which is a process that is time-consuming, costly, and poses safety risks. Automated mowing solutions have the potential to reduce costs and increase safety, but they will need to be extremely well tested before being deployed. In this work, data from current mowing practices was collected using machine mounted cameras, which was used to inform the creation of a digital twin environment that allows for rigorous initial testing of potential autonomous solution with no risk. The digital twin was created using digital elevation models of Indiana …

Safety Performance Of Non-Signalized Traffic Control Strategies, Andrew P. Tarko, Mario A. Romero, Vamsi Krishna Bandaru, Qiming Guo, Lucas Florez

JTRP Technical Reports

The Indiana safety management program targets the reduction of crashes at high-speed, two-way stop-controlled (TWSC) intersections, which are responsible for 8.2% of serious crashes statewide that cause approximately 1,000 serious injuries and over 90 fatalities annually. Key risk factors include human error, high traffic volumes, and high speeds. Despite the implementation of measures, such as alternative intersection designs and enhanced visibility, additional countermeasures are needed to further mitigate these risks at rural TWSC intersections with lower traffic volumes. Intersection Conflict Warning Systems (ICWS) presents a promising solution by alerting drivers to potential vehicle conflicts.

The main objective of this study …

A Study Of Suburban Arterial Safety Performance Based On Median Type, Andrew Tarko, Qiming Guo, Priya Darshini Narayanan, Mario A. Romero, Vamsi K. Bandaru

JTRP Technical Reports

Suburban arterial roadways must serve two conflicting road functions: regional mobility and access to the abutting land. The potential for conflicts between traffic passing through and traffic accessing road from the neighboring areas could raise safety concerns. Selecting an adequate cross-section is among important decisions that road designers and traffic engineers consider when mitigating the mentioned conflict. The following three alternative treatments offer different access control levels: undivided cross-section with no median, two-way left-turn lane instead of a typical median, and non-traversable median. The frequency of access points and the selected median treatment option should be commensurate.

Although it is …

Remaining Service Life Prediction Of Indiana Pavements Using Mechanistic Methods, Seonghwan Cho, Bongsuk Park, Cheng Zhang, John E. Haddock

JTRP Technical Reports

Accurate remaining service life (RSL) prediction facilitates effective pavement maintenance strategies, extends service quality, and reduces costs. This study developed RSL prediction models for major distresses­ in INDOT pavement—including full-depth asphalt flexible, rigid, and composite pavement­—using Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) and International Roughness Index (IRI) data. The structural and functional prediction models were developed based on the analysis of field data and finite element simulation results. All indicators of the structural prediction models could easily be obtained by processing raw FWD data. The IRI prediction models were developed for INDOT pavements using an enhanced approach for analyzing historical IRI databases. …