Digital Commons Network^™

Use Of Geosynthetics On Subgrade And On Low And Variable Fill Foundations, Eirini Christoforidou, Antonio Bobet, Tommy Nantung, Philippe L. Bourdeau

JTRP Technical Reports

There are significant problems during construction to establish an adequate foundation for fills and/or subgrade for pavements when the natural ground has low-bearing soils. Geosynthetics such as geogrids, geotextiles, and/or geocells could provide a less time-consuming, costly alternative for establishing an adequate foundation for the fill and/or subgrade. There is extensive evidence in the literature and on DOTs practices about the suitability of using geotextiles in pavements as separators. Previous studies have also shown that the use of geogrids in flexible pavements as a reinforcing mechanism could decrease the thickness of the base layer and/or increase the life of the …

2021 Standard-Size Triploid Watermelon Variety Evaluation In Indiana, Wenjing Guan, Dan Egel, Dennis Nowaskie, Dean Haseman

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

A total of 6,700 acres of watermelons were planted in Indiana in 2020 with a production value of $46.9 million (USDA 2021). Production in Indiana in 2020 was increased from 6,500 acres and $35.3 million production value in 2019. Primary watermelon type grown in Indiana is standard-sized triploid watermelons. Variety selection based on yield, disease resistance and fruit quality is a key decision in watermelon production. The objective of this study is to provide watermelon producers and seed companies with the updated information on the performance of watermelon varieties grown in Indiana.

Structural Evaluation Of Full-Depth Flexible Pavement Using Apt, Tommy E. Nantung, Jusang Lee, John E. Haddock, M. Reza Pouranian, Dario Batioja Alvarez, Jongmyung Jeon, Boonam Shin, Peter J. Becker

JTRP Technical Reports

The fundamentals of rutting behavior for thin full-depth flexible pavements (i.e., asphalt thickness less than 12 inches) are investigated in this study. The scope incorporates an experimental study using full-scale Accelerated Pavement Tests (APTs) to monitor the evolution of each pavement structural layer's transverse profiles. The findings were then employed to verify the local rutting model coefficients used in the current pavement design method, the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG). Four APT sections were constructed using two thin typical pavement structures (seven-and ten-inches thick) and two types of surface course material (dense-graded and SMA). A mid-depth rut monitoring and automated …

Empowering The Indiana Bridge Inventory Database Toward Rapid Seismic Vulnerability Assessment, Leslie Bonthron, Corey Beck, Alana Lund, Farida Mahmud, Xin Zhang, Rebeca Orellana Montano, Shirley J. Dyke, Julio Ramirez, Yenan Cao, George P. Mavroeidis

JTRP Technical Reports

With the recent identification of the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone in addition to the New Madrid Seismic Zone, Indiana’s Department of Transportation (INDOT) has become concerned with ensuring the adequate seismic performance of their bridge network. While INDOT made an effort to reduce the seismic vulnerability of newly-constructed bridges, many less recent bridges still have the potential for vulnerability. Analyzing these bridges’ seismic vulnerability is a vital task. However, developing a detailed dynamic model for every bridge in the state using information from structural drawings is rather tedious and time-consuming. In this study, we develop a simplified dynamic assessment procedure …

Public Acceptance Of Indot’S Traffic Engineering Treatments And Services, Sarah E. Adsit, Theodora Konstantinou, Konstantina Gkritza, Jon D. Fricker

JTRP Technical Reports

As a public agency, interacting with and understanding the public’s perspective regarding agency activities is an important endeavor for the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). Although INDOT conducts a biennial customer satisfaction survey, it is occasionally necessary to capture public perception regarding more specific aspects of INDOT’s activities. In particular, INDOT needs an effective way to measure and track public opinions and awareness or understanding of a select set of its traffic engineering practices. To evaluate public acceptance of specific INDOT traffic engineering activities, a survey consisting of 1,000 adults residing within the State of Indiana was conducted. The survey …

Using The Light Weight Deflectometer For Performance-Based Quality Assurance Testing Of Cement Modified Subgrades, Peter J. Becker

JTRP Technical Reports

This report documents the findings from SPR-4230 (Alternative Quality Assurance Methods for Compacted Subgrade). The main objective of SPR-4230 involved establishing performance-related quality assurance (QA) test methods for pavement subgrade construction. Because INDOT generally prefers specifying subgrade treatment type IBC (i.e., 14-in. cement modified subgrade), this study focused on performance-based QA test methods for constructing cement modified subgrade. Moreover, INDOT prefers using light weight deflectometer (LWD) for chemically modified subgrade construction acceptance, so this study aimed to use LWD deflection measurements as performance-related construction acceptance criteria. A laboratory study was performed to relate LWD deflections with resilient modulus that is …

Indot Research Program Benefit Cost Analysis—Return On Investment For Projects Completed In Fy 2020, Bob Mcculloch

JTRP Technical Reports

To demonstrate the value of research and its implementation, the Governor’s Office requested an annual financial analysis of the INDOT Research Program to determine the return on the research investment (ROI). The current financial analysis is for research projects that completed in FY 2020. Analyses on previous year’s projects is necessary primarily due to the time it takes some project outcomes to be implemented, extending into the following year. Therefore, the FY 2020 analysis is completed in calendar 2021. The ROI analysis will supplement the annual IMPACT report by adding a more rigorous quantitative benefit cost analysis (BCA) to the …

Development Of An Intelligent Snowplow Truck That Integrates Telematics Technology, Roadway Sensors, And Connected Vehicle, Justin Mahlberg, Yaguang Zhang, Sneha Jha, Jijo K. Mathew, Howell Li, Jairaj Desai, Woosung Kim, Jeremy Mcguffey, Tim Wells, James V. Krogmeier, Darcy M. Bullock

JTRP Technical Reports

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) manages and maintains over 28,000 miles of roadways. Maintenance of the roadways includes pavement repair in the summer as well as snow removal and de-icing in the winter. The prioritization of assets during winter storm events is crucial and impacts travel and safety. The objective of this project was to identify and develop tools INDOT could provide its operators to effectively perform winter operation de-icing activities. This project examined application methods and data to provide analytics and make data-driven decisions for state-wide deployment and operations. Discovery of calibration metrics partnered with fleetwide telematics enabled …

Alternate Interchange Signing Study For Indiana Highways, Stanley Chien, Yaobin Chen, Renran Tian, Lingxi Li, Donglin Liu, Jue Zhou, Dan Shen

JTRP Technical Reports

The main objectives of this research were to (1) understand signing issues from the perspective of drivers and (2) develop recommendations for improving interchange signing in Indiana to aid driver understanding and increase the safety and efficiency of highway traffic operations. An online survey with specific questions was designed and distributed through email, social media, online newspapers, and a survey company with the goal of better understanding driver thinking when approaching decision-making areas on the interstate. The analysis of the survey results revealed the following.

• Drivers usually do not know the interchange types as they approach an interchange on the …

Life Cycle Integration Of Building Information Modeling In Infrastructure Projects, Xingzhou Guo, Chi Tian, Jinwu Xiao, Yunfeng Chen, Jiansong Zhang

JTRP Technical Reports

Building Information Modeling (BIM) can provide solutions to many challenges of asset management, such as missing data, incompatible software, and an unclear business process. However, current implementation of BIM in infrastructure projects has only considered limited factors, such as technology application and digital information delivery, while issues of system compatibility and information needs are still missing. Different aspects of a business are interdependent and an incompatible development of various factors might result in different levels of BIM implementation or even project failure. Comprehensive research is needed to explore the key factors and challenges of BIM implementation in infrastructure projects. This …

Use Of Lrfr Methodology For Load Rating Of Indot Steel Bridges, Prekshi Khanna, Mark D. Bowman

JTRP Technical Reports

Load rating of bridges before 1994 was primarily conducted by Load Factor Rating (LFR). In 1994, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) developed and encouraged the use of a probabilistic-based method titled Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) for carrying out bridge design. A new methodology consistent with LRFD was also developed and adopted for conducting load rating. Thus, a new Load and Resistance Factor Rating (LRFR) was adopted by AASHTO in 2001 for load rating. Today, the bridges that were designed by the old LFD methodology are rated by both LFR and LRFR. Continued development …

Investigation Of Durability And Performance Of High Friction Surface Treatment, Fulu Wei, Ce Wang, Xiangxi Tian, Shuo Li, Jie Shan

JTRP Technical Reports

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) completed a total of 25 high friction surface treatment (HFST) projects across the state in 2018. This research study attempted to investigate the durability and performance of HFST in terms of its HFST-pavement system integrity and surface friction performance. Laboratory tests were conducted to determine the physical and mechanical properties of epoxy-bauxite mortar. Field inspections were carried out to identify site conditions and common early HFST distresses. Cyclic loading test and finite element method (FEM) analysis were performed to evaluate the bonding strength between HFST and existing pavement, in particular chip seal with different …

Last Mile Delivery And Route Planning For Freight, Ananth V. Iyer, Konstantina Gkritza, Steven R. Dunlop, Dutt J. Thakkar, Raul Candanedo, Srinath Jayan, Pooja Gupta, Rishabh Jain, Sai Bhargav, Atharva Sabnis, Vrinda Chopra, Xinyue Chen

JTRP Technical Reports

This report analyzes anticipated list mile challenges in Indiana by using a scenario-based approach to develop forecasts of GDP growth and thus freight growth across industry clusters in Indiana counties; potential congestion implied by this growth; and a proactive plan to add capacity to alleviate the congestion. We use a quantitative approach to aggregate ramp level flows, industry cluster locations, county layout, and economic activity to develop our recommendations.

We develop forecasts through the year 2050 based on long-term planning approaches used by other states (California, Ohio, and Utah). We use data from global databases that consider different possible geo-political …

Using Emerging And Extraordinary Data Sources To Improve Traffic Safety, Andrew P. Tarko, Qiming Guo, Raul Pineda-Mendez, Mario A. Romero

JTRP Technical Reports

The current safety management program in Indiana uses a method based on aggregate crash data for conditions averaged over several-year periods with consideration of only major roadway features. This approach does not analyze the risk of crashes potentially affected by time-dependent conditions such as traffic control, operations, weather and their interaction with road geometry. With the rapid development of data collection techniques, time-dependent data have emerged, some of which have become available for safety management. This project investigated the feasibility of using emerging and existing data sources to supplement the current safety management practices in Indiana and performed a comprehensive …

Use Of Recycled Asphalt, Ayanda Thembeka Ncube, Antonio Bobet

JTRP Technical Reports

The term Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) is used to designate a material obtained from the removal of pavement materials. RAP is used across the US in multiple applications, largely on asphalt pavement layers. RAP can be described as a uniform granular non-plastic material, with a very low percentage of fines. It is formed by aggregate coated with a thin layer of asphalt. It is often used mixed with other granular materials. The addition of RAP to aggregates decreases the maximum dry unit weight of the mixture and decreases the optimum water content. It also increases the Resilient Modulus of the …

Evaluating Reserve Strength Of Girder Bridges Due To Bridge Rail Load Shedding, Yao Wang, Mirela D. Tumbeva, Ashley P. Thrall

JTRP Technical Reports

This research experimentally and numerically evaluated the reserve strength of girder bridges due to bridge rail load shedding. The investigation included: (1) performing non-destructive field testing on two steel girder bridges and one prestressed concrete girder bridge, (2) developing validated finite element numerical models, and (3) performing parametric numerical investigations using the validated numerical modeling approach. Measured data indicated that intact, integral, reinforced concrete rails participate in carrying live load. Research results culminated in recommendations to evaluate the reserve strength of girder bridges due to the participation of the rail, as well as recommendations for bridge inspectors for evaluating steel …

Develop And Deploy A Safe Truck Platoon Testing Protocol For The Purdue Arpa-E Project In Indiana, Greg Shaver, Miles Droege

JTRP Technical Reports

Hilly terrain poses challenges to truck platoons using fixed set speed cruise control. Driving the front truck efficiently on hilly terrain improves both trucks fuel economies and improves gap maintenance between the trucks. An experimentally-validated simulation model was used to show fuel savings for the platoon of 12.3% when the front truck uses long horizon predictive cruise control (LH-PCC), 8.7% when the front truck uses flexible set speed cruise control, and only 1.2% when the front truck uses fixed set speed cruise control. Purdue, Peloton, and Cummins have jointly configured two Peterbilt 579 trucks for relevant combinations of: (1) coordinated …

Feasibility Study And Design Of In-Road Electric Vehicle Charging Technologies, Theodora Konstantinou, Diala Haddad, Akhil Prasad, Ethan Wright, Konstantina Gkritza, Dionysios Aliprantis, Steven Pekarek, John E. Haddock

JTRP Technical Reports

Electric Roadways (ERs) or Dynamic Wireless Charging (DWC) lanes offer an alternative dynamic and wireless charging method that has the potential of giving electric vehicles (EV) limitless range while they are moving. Heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) are expected to be early adopters of the DWC technology due to the higher benefits offered to these vehicles that are traveling on fixed routes. The goal of this project was to assess the feasibility of ERs in Indiana and design a test bed for in-road EV charging technologies. The most suitable locations for implementing DWC lanes were identified on interstates that are characterized by …

Road Ditch Line Mapping With Mobile Lidar, Ayman Habib, Darcy M. Bullock, Yi-Chun Lin, Raja Manish

JTRP Technical Reports

Maintenance of roadside ditches is important to avoid localized flooding and premature failure of pavements. Scheduling effective preventative maintenance requires mapping of the ditch profile to identify areas requiring excavation of long-term sediment accumulation. High-resolution, high-quality point clouds collected by mobile LiDAR mapping systems (MLMS) provide an opportunity for effective monitoring of roadside ditches and performing hydrological analyses. This study evaluated the applicability of mobile LiDAR for mapping roadside ditches for slope and drainage analyses. The performance of alternative MLMS units was performed. These MLMS included an unmanned ground vehicle, an unmanned aerial vehicle, a portable backpack system along with …

Post-Fire Assessment Of Prestressed Concrete Bridges In Indiana, Amit H. Varma, Jan Olek, Christopher S. Williams, Tzu-Chun Tseng, Sijia Wang, Dan Huang, Tom Bradt

JTRP Technical Reports

This project focused on evaluating the effects of fire-induced damage on concrete bridge elements, including prestressed concrete bridge girders. A series of controlled heating experiments, pool fire tests, material tests, and structural loading tests were conducted. Experimental results indicate that the portion of concrete subjected to temperatures higher than 400°C loses significant amounts of calcium hydroxide (CH). Decomposition of CH increases porosity and causes significant cracking. The portion of concrete exposed to temperatures higher than 400°C should be repaired or replaced. When subjected to ISO-834 standard fire heating, approximately 0.25 in. and 0.75 in. of concrete from the exposed surface …

Synthesis Study Of Best Practices For Mapping And Coordinating Detours For Maintenance Of Traffic (Mot) And Risk Assessment For Duration Of Traffic Control Activities, Isaiah C. Mwamba, Mohamadali Morshedi, Suyash Padhye, Amir Davatgari, Soojin Yoon, Samuel Labi, Makarand Hastak

JTRP Technical Reports

Maintenance of traffic (MOT) during construction periods is critical to the success of project delivery and the overall mission of transportation agencies. MOT plans may include full road closures and coordination of detours near construction areas. Various state DOTs have designed their own manuals for detour mapping and coordination. However, very limited information is provided to select optimal detour routes. Moreover, closures or detours should provide not only measurable consequences, such as vehicle operating costs and added travel time, but also various unforeseen qualitative impacts, such as business impacts and inconvenience to local communities. Since the qualitative aspects are not …

Mechanical Properties Of Durable Pavement Marking Materials And Adhesion On Asphalt Surfaces, Hyungyung Jo, Hyeyoung Son, Mitchell Rencheck, Jared Gohl, Devin Madigan, Hugh Grennan, Matthew Giroux, Trevor Thiele-Sardina, Chelsea S. Davis, Kendra A. Erk

JTRP Technical Reports

Mechanical properties of commercially available temporary pavement marking (TPM) tapes and thermoplastic materials used as permanent pavement markings (PPM) were investigated using the non-destructive Tape Drape Test and conventional mechanical testing. The impact of temperature and aging on the adhesion of TPM tapes and thermoplastic PPM applied to asphalt core surfaces with various surface roughness and treatments was determined using a modular peel fixture and shear adhesion tests. The adhesion of TPM tapes to model smooth surfaces decreased as surface temperature was increased from 0 to 40°C (32 to 104°F). For some tapes, reduced adhesion and brittle broken fracture were …

Effective Design And Operation Of Pedestrian Crossings, Noshin S. Ahmad, Raul Pineda-Mendez, Fahad Alqahtani, Mario Romero, Jose Thomaz, Andrew P. Tarko

JTRP Technical Reports

Pedestrians are vulnerable road users since they are prone to more severe injuries in any vehicular collision. While innovative solutions promise improved pedestrian safety, a careful analysis of local conditions is required before selecting proper corrective measures. This research study had two focuses: (1) methodology to identify roads and areas in Indiana where the frequency and severity of pedestrian collisions are heightened above the acceptable level, and (2) selecting effective countermeasures to mitigate or eliminate safety-critical conditions. Two general methods of identifying specific pedestrian safety concerns were proposed: (1) area-wide analysis, and (2) road-focused analysis. A suitable tool, Safety Needs …

Cpt-Based Geotechnical Design Manual, Volume 3: Cpt-Based Design Of Foundations—Example Problems, Venkata A. Sakleshpur, Monica Prezzi, Rodrigo Salgado, Mir Zaheer

JTRP Technical Reports

This manual provides guidance on how to use the cone penetration test (CPT) for site investigation and foundation design. The manual has been organized into three volumes. Volume 1 covers the execution of CPT-based site investigations and presents a comprehensive literature review of CPT-based soil behavior type (SBT) charts and estimation of soil variables from CPT results. Volume 2 covers the methods and equations needed for CPT data interpretation and foundation design in different soil types, while Volume 3 includes several example problems (based on instrumented case histories) with detailed, step-by-step calculations to demonstrate the application of the design methods. …

Detection And Classification Of Concrete Patches By Integrating Gpr And Surface Imaging, Peng Cheng, James V. Krogmeier, Mark R. Bell, Kelvin Wang, Joshua Li, Guangwei Yang

JTRP Technical Reports

This research considers the detection, location, and classification of patches in concrete and asphalt-on-concrete pavements using data taken from ground penetrating radar (GPR) and the WayLink 3D Imaging System. In particular, the project seeks to develop a patching table for “inverted-T” patches. A number of deep neural net methods were investigated for patch detection from 3D elevation and image observation, but the success was inconclusive, partly because of a dearth of training data. Later, a method based on thresholding IRI values computed on a 12-foot window was used to localize pavement distress, particularly as seen by patch settling. This method …

Safety, Mobility, And Cost Benefits Of Closing One Direction Of The Interstate In Rural Areas During Construction Work, Suyash Padhye, Isaiah Mwamba, Kyubyung Kang, Samuel Labi, Makarand Hastak

JTRP Technical Reports

With specific regard to interstates in the rural area, Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has expressed a need for research that sheds light on this Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) issue so the agency [INDOT and the contractor] can make informed decisions regarding the crossover sections versus the closure in one direction with detour roads. A number of studies have investigated the advantages and disadvantages of various MOT strategies; however, there is no specific study that can help INDOT traffic engineers and design engineers make decisions by comparing direct and indirect benefits of crossovers and detours (full lane closures). This research …

Tscan–Stationary Lidar For Traffic And Safety Applications: Vehicle Interpretation And Tracking, Vamsi Krishna Bandaru, Mario A. Romero, Cristhian Lizarazo, Andrew P. Tarko

JTRP Technical Reports

To improve traffic performance and safety, the ability to measure traffic accurately and effectively, including motorists and other vulnerable road users, at road intersections is needed. A past study conducted by the Center for Road Safety has demonstrated that it is feasible to detect and track various types of road users using a LiDAR-based system called TScan. This project aimed to progress towards a real-world implementation of TScan by building two trailer-based prototypes with full end-user documentation. The previously developed detection and tracking algorithms have been modified and converted from the research code to its implementational version written in the …

Cpt-Based Geotechnical Design Manual, Volume 2: Cpt-Based Design Of Foundations—Methods, Venkata A. Sakleshpur, Monica Prezzi, Rodrigo Salgado, Mir Zaheer

JTRP Technical Reports

This manual provides guidance on how to use the cone penetration test (CPT) for site investigation and foundation design. The manual has been organized into three volumes. Volume 1 covers the execution of CPT-based site investigations and presents a comprehensive literature review of CPT-based soil behavior type (SBT) charts and estimation of soil variables from CPT results. Volume 2 covers the methods and equations needed for CPT data interpretation and foundation design in different soil types, while Volume 3 includes several example problems (based on instrumented case histories) with detailed, step-by-step calculations to demonstrate the application of the design methods. …

Cpt-Based Geotechnical Design Manual, Volume 1: Cpt Interpretation—Estimation Of Soil Properties, Fawad Niazi

JTRP Technical Reports

This manual provides guidance on how to use the cone penetration test (CPT) for site investigation and foundation design. The manual has been organized into three volumes. Volume 1 covers the execution of CPT-based site investigations and presents a comprehensive literature review of CPT-based soil behavior type (SBT) charts and estimation of soil variables from CPT results. Volume 2 covers the methods and equations needed for CPT data interpretation and foundation design in different soil types, while Volume 3 includes several example problems (based on instrumented case histories) with detailed, step-by-step calculations to demonstrate the application of the design methods. …

Improve And Gain Efficiency In Winter Operations, Ananth V. Iyer, Steven R. Dunlop, Olga Senicheva, Dutt J. Thakkar, Ruier Yan, Karthikeyan Subramanian, Suraj Vasu, Gokul Siddharthan, Juily Vasandani, Srijan Saurabh

JTRP Technical Reports

This report analyzes the current service level of winter operations in Indiana and explores opportunities to optimize performance. We analyze data regarding winter operations managed by INDOT and provide specific quantified estimates of opportunities to improve efficiency while also managing costs. For our exploration, we use data provided by INDOT sources, qualitative insights from interviews with INDOT personnel, literature survey data and benchmarking information, salt and supplier data analysis, and simulation. As part of our research, we developed a simulation model to visually represent the impact of alternate management of trucks for snow removal and a dashboard to understand the …