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Current Projects

Extended Molecular Monitoring for Padden Creek

This study is evaluating the ecological impacts of culvert replacements on Padden Creek near Bellingham, Washington. Padden Creek supports runs of coho and chum salmon and migrating Chinook salmon and steelhead trout. WSDOT began construction in April 2021 to replace two culverts that have slopes that prevent fish passage to improve habitat for migratory species and other wildlife along the 2.7 miles of Padden Creek between Padden Lake and Bellingham Bay. A contractor is replacing the existing concrete box culvert at I-5 with two fish passable bridges and the double concrete box culvert at SR 11 with a 20-foot single span concrete box culvert. To evaluate the impacts of those replacements, UW researchers are sampling the water for DNA at Padden Creek and two control creeks monthly through September 2022. They will develop molecular assays for three to five species that are a priority for WSDOT, such as salmonids, lamprey, and freshwater mussels, by using CRISPR-Cas12a technology. The goal is to hand off these assays to WSDOT and other state agencies so that they may autonomously use these techniques in the future for evaluating these and other waterways.

Principal Investigator: Ryan Kelly, School of Marine & Environmental Affairs, UW
Sponsor: WSDOT

WSDOT Technical Monitors:
Tammy Schmidt  
Susan Kanzler 

WSDOT Project Manager: Jon Peterson  
Scheduled completion: March 2023

WSDOT Developing and Calibrating Fragmental Rockfall Models

Managing rock slopes adjacent to highway infrastructure requires considering possible slope instability and designing mitigation efforts to prevent rockfall damage to the roadway and travelers. When engineers design a slope scaling program, rockfall catchment area, or rockfall barrier, they generally use a rockfall simulation model to predict the potential path and distribution of falling rocks. However, current 2D models tend to significantly overestimate the length of falling blocks’ travel paths, which leads to more expensive and extensive protection than required for slope maintenance. Recent studies have demonstrated that rockfall models built in game engine environments can replicate the observed pathways and fragmentation sizes of rockfall events. The ultimate goal of this pooled fund study, led by WSDOT, is to develop “game-engine”-based  3D rockfall simulation software, based on data from LiDAR or photogrammetry models, that has the potential to more realistically model rockfall fragmentation and large block interaction.

Transportation Pooled Fund details

Principal Investigators:
Joseph Wartman, Civil and Environmental Engineering, UW
Jean Hutchinson, Geological Science and Engineering, Queen’s University
Michael Olsen, Civil and Construction Engineering, Oregon State University

Sponsors: WSDOT
with pooled funds from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, New York, Tennessee, and Texas
WSDOT Technical Monitor: Marc Fish
WSDOT Project Manager: Jon Peterson
Scheduled completion; June 2026

Determination of Laboratory Aging Conditions for Hot Mix Asphalt Cracking Test (IDEAL-CT)

Previous WSDOT studies have indicated that a majority of asphalt pavements fail as a result of cracking first. This is especially concerning with the increased use of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS), both of which can become severely oxidized and brittle, which can lead to accelerated pavement cracking. WSDOT plans to implement a cracking performance test as a part of hot mix asphalt (HMA) design to improve the cracking performance of asphalt pavement and has selected the IDEAL-CT test. However, before a cracking test can be conducted on an HMA mixture, the HMA samples must be appropriately aged. One of the goals of this project is to develop an aging protocol that will accurately mimic the aging of pavement in the field at the time that cracking occurs—in Washington, typically between three and five years after overlay construction. The researchers also intend to develop a mix design procedure that will improve the cracking resistance of mixes with high percentages of RAP, RAS, and reclaimed asphalt materials. Each year WSDOT spends more than $100 million on asphalt roadways. The results of this study should increase the service lives of asphalt pavements, thereby reducing life cycle costs and also the frequency of traffic disruption during repair.

Principal Investigator: Haifang Wen, Civil and Environmental Engineering, WSU
Sponsor: WSDOT
WSDOT Technical Monitor: Steve Davis
WSDOT Project Manager: Mustafa Mohamedali
Scheduled completion: June 2023

Development of a Specification for Quality Acceptance of Chip Seals Using a Laser Scanner

Chip seals, used for pavement surfacing, rehabilitation, maintenance, and preservation, cover over 7,000 miles of roadway in Washington state. Chip seals (or bituminous surface treatments) involve the application of emulsified asphalt, followed by the spreading of chips and choke stone, compaction, sweeping, and application of a fog seal. The cost of a chip seal project per lane mile is far less than that of hot mix asphalt. However, an inability to accurately measure and control the percentage of chip embedment contributes to unpredictable variation in the performance of chip seal projects. A laser scanner could be used to determine the percentage of chip embedment both quickly and accurately. The device is portable and smaller than a nuclear gauge. However, even though laser scanners have shown great potential, no one has systematically evaluated this tool for use in chip seal construction. In addition, a specification for the required percentage of chip embedment and a test protocol for the laser scanner are needed.  This project will draft a specification for the appropriate percentage of chip embedment and will develop a test protocol for the use of a laser scanner in chip seal construction. The results should help prevent premature failure of chip seals and lower pavement life cycle costs.

Principal Investigator: Haifang Wen, Civil and Environmental Engineering, WSU
Sponsor: WSDOT

WSDOT Technical Monitors:
Kevin Littleton 
Kim Schofield

WSDOT Project Manager: Jon Peterson
Scheduled completion: December 2023

Safety of Long Girders during Handling and Transportation: Lateral Stability and Cracking

Today’s girders are much longer and heavier than those that have been used in the past. This poses challenges to transportation agencies in handling, transporting, and erecting the girders, as under their own weight they can buckle laterally and fail.  Traditionally, analysis of this potential behavior has ignored torsional deformations because doing so greatly simplifies the calculations. However, although traditional models have so far proved adequate, today’s longer, heavier girders are challenging their assumptions. And with those girders, the potential consequences of ignoring torsional deformation could prove to be not only costly in terms of time and money but also unsafe. This project is seeking to improve the fundamental characterization of girder instability by developing new models that include torsional deformation and consider a broad range of material properties and concrete weights. Models will be developed to analyze both the lateral stability of uncracked girders and the role of cracking in reducing girder stiffness and thus increasing instability. The researchers will assist WSDOT in implementing the findings by providing the lateral stability criteria necessary to develop a set of new girder shapes that will take advantage of the materials that allow the use of longer spans.

Principal Investigators:
John Stanton, Civil and Environmental Engineering, UW
Richard Wiebe, Civil and Environmental Engineering, UW

Sponsor: WSDOT
WSDOT Technical Monitor: Geoff Swett
WSDOT Project Manager: Mustafa Mohamedali
Scheduled completion: March 2024

Promises of Data from Emerging Technologies for Transportation Applications: PSRC Case Study, Planned Continuation and Expansion of Phase II

Emerging technologies such as automated vehicles, advanced data analytics and machine learning, and on-demand ride services will not only fundamentally alter the transportation landscape but will provide new data that can be used for transportation planning and analysis. This project is examining the properties of these new data and identifying potential applications. Phase I developed a preliminary framework for integrating emerging and conventional data from diverse sources. Using the Seattle SR 99 Tunnel Tolling Project as a case study, Phase II began to demonstrate the value of emerging big data (more specifically, app-based data) and their fusion with data from other, conventional sources in evaluating a project’s impact on transportation system performance and in answering critical and time-sensitive planning and policy-related questions. This continuation of Phase II will focus on investigating other potential future data sources, such as transportation network companies, insurance providers, and automakers, and on sharing methodologies created for data processing, origin/destination estimation, and validation. The researchers will make all work open source in order to help state, regional, and local agencies better coordinate among agencies and with data providers.

Principal Investigators:
Jeff Ban, Civil and Environmental Engineering, UW
Cynthia Chen, Civil and Environmental Engineering, UW

Sponsor: WSDOT
WSDOT Technical Monitor: Natarajan Janarthanan
WSDOT Project Manager: Doug Brodin
Scheduled completion: December 2023

Performance of Steel Jacket Retrofitted Reinforced Concrete Bridge Columns in Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquakes

In 1991 WSDOT began a seismic retrofit program for state bridges that continues today. WSDOT’s primary method for retrofitting concrete bridge columns is steel jackets. The USGS recently released updated hazard maps that require structural design in Western Washington to plan for increased levels of seismicity, reflecting the potential for the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) to generate large magnitude, long duration earthquakes. The ability of WSDOT’s bridge columns retrofitted with steel jackets to resist this increased earthquake hazard level is not well understood, and questions remain regarding the level of damage that would be sustained in a CSZ earthquake. If the level of retrofit is not sufficient to prevent collapse, the millions of dollars expended by WSDOT on retrofit will not deliver the intended results. This project will characterize the expected performance, ductility capacity, and collapse probability of steel jacket retrofitted bridge columns in CSZ earthquakes and will develop a simple tool that WSDOT can use to assess whether a standard steel jacket retrofit is adequate to resist a design level earthquake for each bridge column in its inventory.

Project Investigators:
Christopher Motter, Civil and Environmental Engineering, WSU
Adam Phillips, Civil and Environmental Engineering, WSU

Sponsor: WSDOT
WSDOT Technical Monitor: Bijan Khaleghi
WSDOT Project Manager: Mustafa Mohamedali
Scheduled completion:  September 2021

Linear Scheduling Evaluation and Best Practices, Phase 2

Traditional project scheduling methods provide overwhelming amounts of data for large projects. This can make the task of fully communicating project information to diverse audiences and communities challenging. In addition, WSDOT’s design teams, working with multiple and varied partners and internal specialists, need to be able to quickly grasp the nature of a project, its context, and the work activities, locations, and timing that will occur. Linear scheduling has the potential to be an extremely effective tool in tracking cost, duration, and appropriate justification and can enhance WSDOT’s current processes related to project cost risk assessment and value engineering. Other industries regularly use linear scheduling. Phase 1 of this study conducted a literature review of best practices related to linear scheduling for heavy civil engineering projects. In Phase II, the researchers will develop project performance metrics to quantify the benefits of using a linear scheduling program. They will also investigate available tools and software to provide vendor selection guidelines. The findings will build confidence in the adoption and use of a linear scheduling program to further improve project metrics.

Principal Investigator: Amy Kim, Civil and Environmental Engineering, UW
Sponsor: WSDOT
WSDOT Technical Monitor: Mark Gabel
WSDOT Project Manager: Mustafa Mohamedali
Scheduled completion: December 2021

Extending the SR 522 SPaT Challenge to Active Transportation Users

This project will give researchers hands-on experience with the connected transportation environment and interactions among pedestrians, bicycles, vehicles, and traffic signals. Specifically, this project will integrate data from traffic control system signal phase and timing (SPaT) broadcasts along SR 522 north of Seattle within an application (app) that pedestrians and bicyclists will use on their mobile devices. Pedestrians will be able to use the app to request right of way and receive information on the status of the pedestrian signal. Bicycle users will be able to indicate their presence to actuate the traffic signal. All users will also be able to send/receive better quality information on their location within a crosswalk, bicycle lane, pathway, or vehicle travel lane. The project not only has the potential to improve intersection operations but has clear implications for helping increase the safety of all non-motorized road users, particularly those with vision impairments and other disabilities.

Principal Investigator: Yinhai Wang, Civil and Environmental Engineering, UW
Sponsor: WSDOT
WSDOT Technical Monitor: Justin Belk
WSDOT Project Manager: Doug Brodin
Scheduled completion: June 2023

Seismic Retrofit of Hollow Piles

The overall goal of the proposed research is to design, and prove experimentally, methods to seismically retrofit prestressed concrete hollow pile-columns used in bridges.  WSDOT maintains approximately 25 bridges that are supported on hollow precast, prestressed concrete pile-columns. Most were constructed in the 1960s. The seismic performance of these bridges is in now question because the hollow sections have been shown to have little flexural ductility, which may cause them to fail prematurely. This project will determine the flexural strength and deformation capacity of a typical as-built, hollow, precast, pre-tensioned pile-column before retrofitting. Researchers will then develop a retrofit method, including design procedures, for the potential plastic hinge at the cap beam connection, and they will develop implementation procedures for the retrofit method. In addition, this project will create a simple numerical modeling tool that will allow WSDOT to rank existing bridges according to the risk that they pose to help it prioritize bridge retrofitting.

Principal Investigators:
John Stanton, Civil and Environmental Engineering, UW
Paolo Calvi, Civil and Environmental Engineering, UW

Sponsor: WSDOT
WSDOT Technical Monitor: Bijan Khaleghi
WSDOT Project Manager: Doug Brodin
Scheduled completion: December 2019

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