RITRC Research

Transportation Research Topics for a New Decade

• Intelligent Transportation Infrastructure (ITI)
  • High Performing Transportation Materials
  • QC/QA: Electronic Materials Management System, PWL Specifications, etc.
  • Utility Conflict Management System
  • Total Transportation Asset Management: Design, Construction and Maintenance & Rehabilitation
• Intelligent Transportation System (ITS)
  • Traffic Congestion Reduction: Smart Highway, Rhode Island Intelligent Road
• Intelligent Transportation Infrastructure and System (ITIS)
• Safety
  • Evacuation plan from natural and artificial disasters
  • Roundabout and innovative geometric design
  • Young drivers
• Intermodal and/or Multimodal Transportation
  • Intermodal Transportation Center
  • Railway Engineering, etc.

• Environment
  • Green Technologies: Warm Asphalt, Recycling, etc.
  • Global Warming: Cool Pavements, e.g., Porous Pavement, Grass Pave
  • Roadside Beautification
• Energy
  • Conservation: Cold In-Place Recycling (CIR), etc.
  • Harvesting Solar Energies from Asphalt Pavement

Current and Recent Research Projects

Best Management Practices for the Invasive Polygonum Cuspidatum (Japanese Knotweed) Along Transportation Corridors

New England Transportation Consortium (NETC) 08-3

K. Wayne Lee, PI
Richard Casagrande, Co-PI
Edgar Kraus, Co-PI
Ajay Singh, Graduate Research Assistant

RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENT:
Japanese knotweed is a highly invasive plant that can be found in open habitats such as those found along riparian areas and transportation corridors. While knotweed can be found in nearly all regions of the United States, it is most widespread in New England and the Pacific Northwest. The USDA Plants Database reports that eight states officially list knotweed as a noxious weed or prohibited invasive species, including four New England states (New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut). In addition, the plant has been identified as widespread and highly invasive in the states of Rhode Island, New York, and Maine. Japanese knotweed grows up to ten feet tall and spreads via vegetative reproduction and, to a lesser extent, seeds. Knotweed grows prolifically along roadsides and can create safety and maintenance concerns by reducing sight distance, blocking signs, and encroaching on travel lanes. Knotweed has also been known to push up through pavement, damaging shoulders and road edges. In addition, knotweed can plug ditch lines and block culverts, reducing the effectiveness of these drainage structures and hindering their maintenance. Once established along roads, knotweed can spread to adjacent properties and riparian areas, creating vast monocultures that negatively impact native species and natural processes. Because knotweed sprouts readily from small fragments of stem and rhizome, it is easily spread by maintenance and construction activities undertaken by departments of transportation. Knotweed is extremely difficult to eradicate once it becomes established. Land managers use many different control methods on knotweed, but little research has been done to compare the efficacy of these control methods. Research is needed to provide guidance to departments of transportation for limiting the spread of knotweed and eradicating established populations using the most effective methods available.

OBJECTIVES:
This research will have two primary objectives: 1. Determine the degree to which common maintenance and construction practices play a role in the spread of knotweed. 2. Determine the most effective methods for controlling or eradicating knotweed populations.

Harvesting Solar Energy from Asphalt Pavements

Korean Institute of Construction Technology
K. Wayne Lee, PI
Kyung-Suk Kim, Co-PI
Saeja Kim, Co-PI
Sze Yang, Co-PI
Andrew J. Correia, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Asphalt pavement is one of the many things that go over looked throughout one’s day. Take a moment to think of how much pavement there is just in RI, then beyond as well, what about the whole nation? There is a lot of asphalt pavement that runs throughout the nation in its many different forms, as highways, rural road, and parking lots just to name a few examples. This study is being done to see what else all of this pavement do, other than just blanket the ground for travel. The heat island effect has been studied greatly over the past few years, due to a notable higher temperature in ambient air in urban cities. This is by the pavement absorbing solar radiation during the day, and then releasing it as the night cools. This is a great similarity to what solar panels seem to do in sunlight; they absorb light. With this similarity seen, can it be possible that there is enough energy transferred to the pavement from the sun, that it can be used as a solar panel. If so, then the nation as a whole has a completely untapped renewable source of energy. The objectives behind this study are to find a feasible way to harvest solar energy. To do this there are a few novel methods. One would be the integrated use of flexible solar panels within a roadway to power traffic fixtures. Another method that will be tested is the use of highly conductive pipes in a reverse radiant heating method to extract thermal energy from the pavement itself. Also it is possible to generate electricity from this system from the differentiating temperatures between the asphalt and the air. The technology is still being researched for this method, but in the near future it has the possibility of becoming more than a conceptual design.

Pervious Concrete Research Facility

Winter Performance and Enhancement of Pollutants Removal

Vinka Craver, Co-PI
K. Wayne Lee, Co-PI
Steven Kohm, Graduate Research Assistant

The construction of permeable parking lots, local or low-volume roads, and bike paths as an alternative to impermeable surfaces has been shown to be an effective method of stormwater source control. The main design criterion for infiltration systems has usually been the reduction of peak discharge through the retention of stormwater flow. To date although some effort has been directed towards the use of such systems for the treatment of retained pollutants, there has been little thought put into gaining a fundamental understanding of the chemical and microbiological processes taking place. In addition, winter maintenance practices have hindered the promotion of pervious concrete pavement.

Previous research has demonstrated the ability of a permeable pavement to retain suspended solids. Limited research has been conducted concerning water-purification properties of pervious concrete. Few studies examined the growth of microorganisms within pervious concrete by observing the consumption of the dissolved oxygen, however these studies have not been systematically and long term performed. Additionally, no study has been performed using different type of soil amendments such as organically modified soils and nanomaterials-soil composites.

The proposed work will contribute with new information regarding the enhancement of the attenuation of the pollutant load in stormwater runoff in parking lots and local roads which require winter maintenance practices, e.g., sand-salting. This information has an important significance in coastal state, such as Rhode Island, since coastal systems are sensitive to this type of contamination.

This project has also a strong educational and outreach component. Two research/educational facilities will be implemented to determine the potentially beneficial environmental implications of pervious concrete.

Pavement Managment System for the University of Rhode Island Campus

K. Wayne Lee, PI
Daniel Hartman, Graduate Research Assistant
Ajay Singh, Graduate Research Assistant

A Pavement Management System (PMS) is a tool that assists highway agencies in finding optimum strategies to achieve the best possible pavement network using the minimum amount of resources. MicroPAVER is a computer program for PMS that incorporates Pavement Condition Index (PCI) concepts, and it was selected as the most appropriate PMS software for this study. PCI is a score of zero to 100, with 100 being excellent. It is determined based on type, severity, and density of pavement distresses. In this study a comprehensive network level PMS analysis will be performed on the University of Rhode Island.

The problem of maintaining roadways in a systematic and orderly fashion is nothing new to public works officials; pavement deterioration and rehabilitation has been an issue throughout the history of paved roadways. The rising costs, increased traffic, and reduced budget, the need to obtain the best value in terms of road rehabilitation is crucial for both the public roadways users and the struggling local government. The primary purpose of a PMS is to aid decision makers who are faces with the problem of deteriorating roadways and limited budgets, in using their the best possible value for the available funds while providing long lasting, smooth, safe and economical pavement. A PMS can provide benefits to the transportation agencies in a number of ways: to develop physical inventories, prioritize sections for maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R), develop M&R strategies, and budget analysis, etc. Additionally a PMS will improve the efficiency of decision making, provides feedback on the consequences of decisions and facilitates the coordination of activities within the agency.

The Effect of Asphalt Binder Grade on the Performance of Rhode Isand Hot Mix Asphalt

Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT)
K. Wayne Lee, PI
Satish Kumar Gundapuneni, Graduate Research Assistant

The main objective of the research project was to formulate a guideline to select an appropriate binder to produce high performance asphalt mixtures in Rhode Island. The study evaluated various types of asphalt mixtures, which are being used in Rhode Island roadway. Experimental design included dense grade asphalt mixtures and surface treatment mixtures, e.g., dense friction mixes and paver placed elastomeric surface treatment (PPEST). Dense grade mixtures studied were Class I-1, Superpave, and Bailey gradation.

Transit Study for the Narragansett Indian Tribe

Fred Ihenacho, PI
K. Wayne Lee, Co-PI
Daniel Hartman, Graduate Research Assistant

The main purpose of the study was to provide a professional measurement of the transit needs of the Narragansett Indian Tribe (NIT) and to recommend a cost effective Tribal Transit Program to meet those needs, with a focus on the needs of Tribal members without vehicles or with limited access to them especially low-income, teenagers, senior citizens, disabled, and families with young children.

Currently the NIT provides many medical and social services to Native American Tribal members, who live near the Reservation and throughout Washington County, including demand-response transportation service to and from the NIT Health Center. This service is provided using one full-time driver and one 4-passenger sedan which is inadequate to meet all the service requests. There are other limited transportation services provided by other tribal programs at the reservation, however, there is no comprehensive transit system. The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) is the only public transit agency in the area. RIPTA and other public service organizations do no provide direct transportation to the reservation. The NIT Department of Natural Resources and Tribal Planning has recognized these deficiencies and the need for public transportation in the community to access employment, schools, job training, medical care, recreation, and other services.

In order to develop a scope of work for the study the, NIT Department of Natural Resources and Tribal Planning identified several key issues as follows:

• Identify the full extent of transit needs for the Tribal Community
• Inventory existing transit services to the Reservation and in Washington County
• Evaluate adequacy of the existing transit services
• Coordinate with the existing transit services
• Develop a cost effective transit program

Effects of Subsurface Moisture Levels on Pavement Lifecycle on RI Rt. 165

Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT)
University of Rhode Island

Kathleen Wilson, Co-PI 
K. Wayne Lee, Co-PI