Digital Commons Network^™

Estuary, Kelle Loughlin

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Nh State Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act (Landscaping For Water Quality Workshop - 2026), Jay Aube

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Good Forestry In The Granite State - 3rd Edition, Cooperative Extension

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Small-World Simulations: A New Method To Test The Effect Of Legal Rules, Johannes Kruse

Coase-Sandor Institute for Law & Economics Research Paper Series

Small-world simulation exposes an artificial society to a legal rule and observes what its members do. The agents are driven by language models: their conduct is not stipulated in equations but reasoned in their own words. The architecture can be turned on any legal regime; personalized speed limits are the demonstration, chosen because rational-choice and behavioral predictions there conflict. Validated against documented driving patterns, the simulation generates behavior no one wrote into it. Because language models are trained on what people say rather than do, the method estimates orderings, not levels: a benchmark, not a substitute for evidence.

Economic Instrumentality Report Of Work & Occc, Manuel A. Rivera, Stephen Pratt, Frank Badu-Baiden, Margaret Zorrilla

Hospitality+™ Center for Innovation and Training

This report presents a comprehensive overview of the workforce supporting the OCCC, based on a research partnership with the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management. The analysis integrates nine interconnected studies examining workforce characteristics, job satisfaction, quality of life, commitment, retention, financial sustainability, and perceptions of meaning in work. Findings are based on 299 valid responses, representing front-line, supervisory, and managerial employees across the Central Florida events and tourism ecosystem.

Research Support To Indot On Systemwide Asset Condition Assessment Using Connected Vehicle Data, Andrew Thompson, Jairaj Desai, Rahul Suryakant Sakhare, Darcy M. Bullock

JTRP Technical Reports

Crowdsourced pavement roughness data using connected vehicles now provides cost-effective, high-resolution condition monitoring in near real-time. This study evaluates how connected vehicle data can support effective investment prioritization across Indiana’s road network and improve upon traditional data sources using surveys that are often done annually or biennially. A key challenge is handling terabyte-scale geospatial roughness datasets and integrating them meaningfully into asset management workflows. A scalable data processing methodology is outlined to address this issue and is used for the subsequent analysis.

This report’s analysis uses more than 3 billion daily CV-estimated roughness measurements (IRICVe) from 2022–2025, in addition to …

Assessment Of Temperature Correction Factors For Falling Weight Deflectometer Deflections, Pablo Orosa Iglesias, Jin Li, Bongsuk Park, Seonghwan Cho, John E. Haddock

JTRP Technical Reports

This study presents the development of an improved temperature correction methodology for falling weight deflectometer (FWD) deflections in full-depth asphalt pavements. The objective was to address the limitations of existing correction methods by integrating viscoelastic pavement behavior, structural properties, and realistic thermal gradients. Field temperature data from instrumented sites in Indiana were used to train a machine learning model capable of predicting pavement temperature profiles in flexible pavements. These predictions informed a series of finite element simulations that captured pavement responses to FWD loading under a range of thermal and structural conditions. Temperature correction factors were then derived and modeled …

Feasibility Study On The Development Of Indiana’S Connected And Automated Vehicle Roadmap And Strategic Plan, Can Cui, Juanwu Lu, Yupeng Zhou, Abin Mathew, Jue Zhou, Ziran Wang, Yaobin Chen

JTRP Technical Reports

This study provides INDOT with critical insights into major OEMs’ connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) development plans and related research and demonstration activities in several surrounding states, guiding infrastructure investment and policy decisions. The report delivers three outputs that guide the CAV technologies implementation in Indiana. First, it synthesizes the best regional practices and industry direction to distinguish what is feasible now from what requires further development. Second, it establishes a technical baseline that links priority applications to sensing and communications architectures with explicit attention to interoperability, security, and maintainability. Third, it defines an implementation framework that connects capital and …

Development Of Dashboards And Procedures For Using Connected Vehicle Data To Prioritize Investments In Electric Vehicle Related Infrastructure, Jairaj C. Desai, Nathaniel J. Sturdevant, George Mccue, Darcy M. Bullock

JTRP Technical Reports

The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program together provide $7.5 billion to support states with building out a nationwide EV charging network. Indiana’s Charging the Crossroads program, funded through the NEVI program, plans to invest almost $100 million to build an EV charging network along Indiana interstates and highways. There is broad consensus among states, that these fast charging station investments should be based upon quantitative geospatial data with the objective of maximizing the impact of the NEVI program investments.

However, traditional methods for monitoring electric vehicle (EV) usage have …

Guidelines For Use And Design Of Deep Foundations For Three-Sided Structures, Yao Wang, Rodrigo Salgado, Monica Prezzi

JTRP Technical Reports

Buried three-sided structures are widely used for roadway crossings and underpasses. Whereas spread footings are common, deep foundations are required when weak soils, scour risk, or site constraints exist. This study aimed to improve understanding of load-transfer mechanisms and develop guidance for the design of deep foundations supporting buried three-sided structures.

A nationwide survey of 34 state DOT engineers and 12 three-dimensional finite element analyses were conducted. Results show that greater stem wall height and thicker earth cover lead to a more uniform live-load distribution between piles. The most critical condition occurs when the design truck is placed near the …

Rampcast Phase Ii: Connected Vehicles Traffic Management Application On Indiana Highways, Abin Mathew, Agnideven Palanisamy Sundar, Juntong Peng, Jue Zhou, Yaobin Chen, Feng Li

JTRP Technical Reports

This project advances connected vehicle applications by developing and testing an enhanced RampCast system, a comprehensive traffic management system using C-V2X technology for Indiana highways. The system features a dual-mode architecture integrating both short-range (PC5) and long-range cellular (Uu) C-V2X communication pathways, utilizing commercial-grade Cohda MK6 hardware and adhering to SAE J2735 standards to ensure interoperability. A key innovation is the integration of an AI-based prioritization framework, which leverages a large language model to enhance the contextual relevance of traffic messages. This AI system introduces two intelligent agents: one to dynamically estimate the appropriate display distance for an event based …

Integration Of Bim For Bridge Modeling, Jiansong Zhang, Hang Li, Temitope Akanbi, Hosam Hegazy, Fan Yang, Meta Soy, Yunfeng Chen, Hazar Nicholas Dib

JTRP Technical Reports

Existing INDOT bridge projects mainly use PDF plans for the official deliverables and records to be communicated, transferred, and stored among different stakeholders. With the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) BIM standard (ISO 16739) adopted by AASHTO as the national standard for modeling bridge projects, there comes a great opportunity to upgrade the documentation of INDOT bridge projects to 3D BIM in compliance with this national standard, while at the same time addressing the need to manage and retrieve project information in a more convenient and efficient way. In addition, INDOT needs to achieve the goal of meeting new Specifications for …

The Business Case For Sustainable Road Infrastructure Development, David Holguin Mejia, Deepak Benny, Dong Yoon Song, Konstantina Gkritza, Kumares Sinha, Samuel Labi

JTRP Technical Reports

This study developed a business-case framework for embedding sustainability into the Indiana Department of Transportation’s (INDOT) practices. The study first identified the role of sustainability in road infrastructure development, and then discussed strategic plans, sustainability programs, and institutional challenges that shape how sustainability actions are conceived and executed. The study reviewed existing sustainability rating systems, established exposure metrics, and subsequently developed a business-case framework called the Road Infrastructure Sustainability Evaluation (RISE) to guide INDOT in embedding sustainability across the full infrastructure lifecycle, from planning through end-of-life. RISE follows a multicriteria analysis approach, incorporating indicator selection, criteria evaluation, weighting, normalization, and …

Utilizing Emergency Management Audio Messages For Traffic Incident Management Performance Measures, Christopher Gartner, Vihaan Vajpayee, Jairaj Desai, Darcy M. Bullock

JTRP Technical Reports

Timely and accurate information regarding roadway incidents is critical for Traffic Management Centers (TMCs) to maintain safety and mobility. While Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) cameras and crowdsourced data provide significant visibility, rural interstate corridors often suffer from coverage gaps, or "blind spots," where incidents go undetected until significant queuing occurs. Public safety radio communications serve as the primary coordination method for first responders, creating a "verbal infrastructure" that contains vital information regarding incident location and severity. This study evaluates the feasibility of using Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) to bridge these gaps by monitoring and analyzing radio traffic. The project developed …

Pedestrian And Bicyclist Trespassing Impacts On Rail Grade Crossings Safety And Mobility, Shanyue Guan, Siqi Chen, Shufan Liu, Samy Noureldin, Bridgette Hail, Brandon Burgoa, Elizabeth Mouser, Alison Shaner, Paige Story, Karen Stippich

JTRP Technical Reports

Highway roads intersect with a railroad track, forming a multimodal transportation system. The intersection is called a highway railroad grade crossing (HRGC). Because of the multiple transportation operations, induced conflict at the grade crossing, crashes may happen between road users (e.g., automobiles, pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.) and trains in operations at highway railroad grade crossings. This is a global challenge for many countries around the world. According to the 2022–2026 Indiana Strategic Highway Safety Plan and 2022 Indiana Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety Action Plan, one of the biggest challenges facing Indiana is the higher numbers of pedestrians in and around crossing …

Identify Bridge Design Guidelines For Wildlife Crossings, Jon Padfield, Kyle Squillace

JTRP Technical Reports

Annual vehicle miles driven in the United States doubled, from 1.6 trillion to 3.2 trillion in the 40 years between 1983 and 2023. Unfortunately, one side effect of the increase in vehicle miles driven has been the prevalence of Animal-Vehicle Collisions (AVCs).

As early as 1975, efforts began in some Western states to create safe animal passages such as the wildlife overpass over I-15 in Beaver, Utah. Wildlife passages increased in popularity from the 1970s through the 1990s, but they were mainly being designed and constructed in the Western United States.

Today, there is increasing and broader interest in safe …

Physics-Based Modelling Of Concrete Degradation Phenomena: Impact Of Construction Defects On Long Term Cost And Material Properties, Manuel Salmeron, Oscar D. Forero, Talha Faiz Mohammed, Kabir Shrivastava, Shirley J. Dyke, Julio A. Ramirez

JTRP Technical Reports

The quality of workmanship and adherence to specifications during the bridge construction phase of concrete decks, slabs, and continuous T-beams, are key factors on which future structural performance and durability hinge. If construction practices do not meet the required standards of quality, they may trigger early onset of deterioration processes that shorten the service life leading to unplanned interventions or unscheduled repairs, thus intensifying the need for maintenance actions and increasing costs during the service life of the bridge. Despite the consensus view that substandard construction practices reduce the performance of concrete structures, quantifying the impact is challenging. This difficulty …

Review Of Aashtoware Pavement Me Design Version 3.0, Jusang Lee, Jongmyung Jeon, John E. Haddock

JTRP Technical Reports

This study evaluated the differences between AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design (PMED) Version 2.6 and Version 3.0 using representative Indiana pavement structures and traffic conditions. PMED Version 3.0 introduces several major updates, including adoption of the MERRA-2 climate database, revised rigid pavement slab-base interaction models, updated calibration coefficients, and support for Multiple Stress Creep Recovery (MSCR)-based asphalt binder grading. Because the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) currently uses PMED Version 2.6 with locally calibrated distress models, evaluation of Version 3.0 was necessary prior to implementation. A total of 114 pavement design files representing full-depth asphalt pavements, asphalt overlay pavements, and Portland …

Receiver, Vehicle, And Roadway Systems For A Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer Roadway Testbed, Oscar Andrés Moncada, Isaac Abram, Nicholas Frooninckx, Vatan Mehar, Chiara Cervini, O'Brien Ben, Bruno Cesar Krause Moras, Steve Pekarek, John E. Haddock, Dionysios Aliprantis, Aaron Brovont, Konstantina Gkritza, Rob Swanson

JTRP Technical Reports

A dynamic wireless power transfer (DWPT) system using a novel three-phase transmitter/receiver design was embedded 2.4 in beneath the surface of an existing rigid pavement on US 52/US 231 in West Lafayette, Indiana, with 85 coils installed and paired with a retrofitted Class-8 Cummins electrified truck. The system successfully delivered 50–190 kW at speeds up to 65 mph with efficiencies approaching 85%, and all coils met electromagnetic balance targets; similar results were validated on a 3-coil testbed at Utah State University, with magnetic flux densities well below human exposure limits. Testing also demonstrated strong misalignment tolerance and reliable high-power delivery …

Portable Driving Simulation Platform For Innovative Intersections, Luyang Jiang, Zihao Li, David Chen, Blake Edwards, Angel Rivera Cardenas, George Takahashi, Brandon Pitts, Ziran Wang

JTRP Technical Reports

This report presents a portable driving simulation platform developed to improve public understanding and evaluation of innovative intersection designs. Built in Unity, the system integrates real-world roadway data with modular traffic and vehicle simulation to create realistic, interactive driving scenarios. Results show the platform effectively supports driver learning and stakeholder engagement, demonstrating its feasibility as a tool for education, safety analysis, and deployment support of innovative intersections.

Demonstration Of Infrared Pavement Heater, Dwayne Harris

JTRP Technical Reports

Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) maintenance currently employs several patching methodologies; however, prior to this study, INDOT had little experience with using infrared pavement heaters as a maintenance tool.  The purpose of this research was to introduce pavement heating technologies and provide INDOT maintenance personnel with experience using these technologies.

Implementation Study For In-Place Testing Of Asphalt Treated Cold Recycled Pavements, Pablo Orosa Iglesias, Cheng Zhang, Daniel Mauricio Santamaria, John E. Hadddock

JTRP Technical Reports

This study evaluated the feasibility of rapid in-situ strength test methods for asphalt-treated cold recycled (ATCR) pavements in Indiana, with a secondary objective of characterizing the dynamic modulus of a locally produced ATCR mixture for use as AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design inputs. The long-pin shear test (LPST) and short-pin raveling test (SPRT), developed through National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Project 09-62, were evaluated on a cold in-place recycling (CIR) project on SR 13 in Greenfield, Indiana. Field results for blow counts exceeded the proposed NCHRP threshold moments after compaction, with torque values approaching but not yet reaching the NCHRP …

Simulating Current And Future Ev Growth Scenarios In Indiana, Omar Faruqe Hamim, Xiaowei Chen, Kenny Chandra Wijaya, Lavan Teja Burra, Zengxiang Lei, Rajat Verma, Konstantina (Nadia) Gkritza, Satish Ukkusuri

JTRP Technical Reports

As Indiana transitions toward electric mobility, data-driven planning is essential to guide electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure investment and deployment. This study evaluates the current and future performance of Indiana’s EV charging infrastructure using Multimodal Energy-Efficient Trip Simulation in Real Time (METS-R), a high-resolution simulation platform. Five EV adoption scenarios, ranging from pessimistic to optimistic, are modeled for the years 2024 through 2031, to assess spatial and temporal variations in public charging demand. Results reveal increasing public charging demand under high adoption scenarios, with significant disparities between urban and non-urban areas. Accessibility to public charging is found to be uneven …

Evaluation Of Aggregate Gradation Specifications And The Feasibility Of Harmonization With Aashto Standards, Husam Elgaali, Ayesha Shah, Jan Olek

JTRP Technical Reports

The aggregate gradations specified by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) differ from those of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Preliminary discussions suggest that adopting AASHTO standard gradation sizes could provide national alignment and simplify production for those operating in multiple states and supplying projects not subject to INDOT specifications. A comprehensive study was performed to evaluate the current INDOT specifications for coarse and fine aggregate gradations and to assess the potential impacts and feasibility of adopting AASHTO-specified gradations. A comparative analysis of INDOT gradations against AASHTO, ASTM International (ASTM), and those of neighboring states …

Indot Training Gap Analysis, Developing A Training Program For Indot Workforce Development (New, Front-Line, Supervisors) And Smart Tool For Effective Planning For Workforce, Steven R. Dunlop, Satish V. Ukkusuri, Yunfeng Chen, Dutt J. Thakkar, Eunhan Ka, Shagun Mittal, Xinran Hu, Ze Wang, Isha Khanna, Rithesh Tammineni

JTRP Technical Reports

The primary goal of the study was to understand reasons for workforce turnover, addressing INDOT’s employee attraction and retention strategies. This objective was achieved by dividing the project into four tasks, each focusing on different criteria. Task A focused on understanding workforce development needs and gaps by determining training opportunities available at INDOT and understanding the different training methods and frequency of training required. Additionally, Task A also benchmarked workforce development programs with industry and other neighboring states. Task B comprised performing a comprehensive numerical and text data analysis of the workforce using exit interview data to identify the reasons …

Bridge Data Virtual Validator, Jiansong Zhang, Bo Pang, Meta Soy, Bernard Nartey, Yunfeng Chen

JTRP Technical Reports

This report presents Bridge Data Virtual Validator, which is a prototype web-based tool developed to support automated quality assurance (QA) of INDOT bridge project deliverables. The project focuses on Final Tracings documents, where important bridge data are distributed across bridge plans, cost estimates, and other documents/elements. Two validation components were developed. The first component supports bridge plan format compliance checking by using optical character recognition (OCR), computer vision, and rule-based reasoning to identify missing or inconsistent letting control information such as file numbers, dates, stamps, signatures, and sheet numbers. The second component performs comparative checking of pay items between bridge …

Exploring Autonomous Maintenance Technologies (Amt) In Indot Road Maintenance Activities: A Feasibility Study, Ajuna Puthenpurackal John, Cong Zhang, Yunfeng Chen, Yiheng Feng

JTRP Technical Reports

This project conducted a feasibility study of adopting autonomous maintenance technologies (AMTs) for Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) road maintenance activities. It surveyed state DOT representatives on AMT adoption, reviewed candidate AMT products and automation levels, and conducted a preacceptance survey to INDOT maintenance personnel. The market and technology reviews identified 51 AMTs across eight categories: snowplowing, mowing, crack sealing, pothole patching, traffic-control-device setup and retrieval, sweeping, culvert inspection, and roadway inspection and three automation types: full automation, partial automation, and remote operation. The INDOT survey showed cautious, technology-specific acceptance, with highest near-term potential for traffic control device setup, culvert …

The Lived Experiences Of Counselors Working With Adults Suffering From Major Depression In Nursing Home Facilities. A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Grounded In A Wellness Perspective, Melissa Arguelles De Jesus

All Student Theses and Dissertations

There is new knowledge that major depression disorder (MDD), specifically, is one of the most encountered mental health diagnoses assigned among older adult residents who live in a nursing home (NH) setting (Matos Queiros et al., 2021). Antidepressants are known to be the main improvement factor and optimal management for treating depression; however, consideration for other treatment modalities continues to be explored (Voineskos et al., 2020). Wellness counseling, which is known to foster a person-centered approach, may help NH residents develop coping skills to enhance both overall welfare and everyday functioning across multiple domains. Residents can be empowered as decision …

Gender-Inclusive Language In Spanish: A Data-Informed Sociolinguistic Exploration Of Naming Variation, Silvia Rivera Alfaro, Jonathan Hanon

Publications and Research

ABSTRACT

This paper presents a data-informed sociolinguistic exploration of the variation in the names given to gender-inclusive language in Spanish. We use publicly available Google Trends (GT) data to describe the frequency of usage of different names over time and explore their geographical distribution. To account for the challenges and limitations of using Google Trends, we compare the data with information from two large linguistic corpora (CORPES XXI and Google Books Ngram Viewer). Using these tools, we generate small datasets to explore the intricacies of the topic addressed in this paper. In our literature review, we identified 17 names for …

Turbine Exhaust Cylinder And Manifold Wake Interactions At High Swirl Angle, Christian A. Anzalotta

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

A commonly observed flow interaction in industrial gas turbine (IGT) exhaust diffuser configurations is investigated, where upstream structural wakes interact with downstream airfoil-like components, potentially leading to unsteady loading. To better understand the mechanisms contributing to this behavior, a scale-model is designed. Dynamic similarity is achieved by matching the Strouhal number (St) of the vortex shedding from the strut. A bell-mouth followed by a swirler is installed in front of the strut to mimic the flow angles at the inlet section of the turbine exhaust. Experiments are conducted for three swirl angles, namely, 30°, 45°, and 60°. Power spectra computed …