Research News

Design and Testing of Modular Expansion Joint Noise Mitigation Strategies

While expansion joints are a necessary component of bridges, they also contribute to noise pollution. This study investigated the design and feasibility of strategies to mitigate noise caused by modular expansion joints on Washington state’s Evergreen Point Floating Bridge (SR 520 bridge) over Lake Washington.

Developing a Multi-Criteria Prioritization Tool to Identify Promising Locations for Transit-Oriented Development on WSDOT-Owned Park and Ride Sites

By planning and implementing transit-oriented development (TOD) projects, public agencies can promote environmentally responsible and socially equitable transportation services while also making important contributions to alleviating the affordable housing shortage. This project developed a planning support tool that WSDOT can use to cost-effectively identify the most promising park and ride sites on which to focus its TOD efforts.

Approaches to Target Setting for PM3 Measures

With transportation performance management (TPM), transportation agencies use roadway performance information such as reliability and delay to help make investment and policy decisions to achieve transportation system performance goals. The purpose of this project was to provide examples of different options available to state departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations for setting the roadway performance targets required for performance management.

Facilitating Analysts’ Use of Traffic Data from the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Program

This study was designed to improve the experience of users of Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) data by enhancing the traffic data included in the LTPP database and making it easier for researchers to find and select the traffic data they need for their specific analyses.

Long-Term Bond Characteristics of the Interface Between the Substrate and Overlay in Shotcrete Applications, Phase III

Shotcrete, concrete applied pneumatically at high velocity, has the potential to save costs and construction time when used to replace cast-in-place concrete for retaining walls and slope stabilization. It is becoming popular for vertical and overhead applications where conventional formwork and repairs are difficult and costly. The results of this project will be helpful to highway agencies in achieving the best structural quality and durability when shotcrete is used.

Impacts of Cascadia Subduction Zone M9 Earthquakes on Bridges in Washington State: Single-Degree-of-Freedom (SDOF) Idealized Bridges

The Cascadia Subduction Zone is capable of producing large-magnitude, megathrust earthquakes that will affect the performance of every new and existing bridge in the western half of Washington state. This project evaluated the impacts on bridges of a magnitude 9 (M9) earthquake to help agencies prioritize earthquake retrofit efforts and to support the development of emergency response plans.

2022 Seattle Commute Survey

The 2022 Seattle Commute Study captured insights into Seattle area commuter trip choices and motivators, as well as origins and destinations. The results give transportation planners a clearer picture of travel trends in relation to demographic groups, employment types, and housing.

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Community Engagement Support for the Highway System Plan Update

This project conducted a statewide community outreach effort designed to inform the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) about the transportation spending priorities of state residents as part of WSDOT’s update of the Highway System Plan.

West Seattle Bridge Case Study

In March 2020, coinciding with shutdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the West Seattle Bridge, the main bridge connecting West Seattle with the rest of the city of Seattle, was closed to traffic because of structural deterioration. The unexpected closure of the bridge disrupted passenger and freight mobility to/from West Seattle, increasing travel times and generating bottlenecks on the remaining bridges. This project documented the impacts of the closure on freight flow in and out of West Seattle.

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Bench-Scale Electrochemical Treatment of Co-contaminated Clayey Soil

During roadway construction, transportation agencies frequently unearth industrial soil contamination that threatens both public health and the environment. Management of such compounds to meet environmental regulations can cause construction delays and increase costs. For this study, the researchers sought to develop an accelerated in situ treatment approach adaptable for use at any construction site to cost-effectively remove high-molecular-weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metals from clayey soil.

Washington State Transportation Center