A steady stream of local engineers, researchers, Texas A&M University students and members of the City of College Station Public Works Department toured the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) Mobile Concrete Trailer (MCT) on the Texas A&M campus May 22–23. The MCT was set up in the parking lot of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) … Read More
construction
Workshop on Accelerated Road Construction Paves Way for Future Research Needs
Completing major road reconstruction projects years ahead of schedule — especially in Texas’ urban areas — saves lives, time and a lot of commuter frustration. However, speeding up the process while maintaining the quality of the work and emphasizing safety is no easy task. It requires extensive planning, coordination and buy-in from all the players. … Read More
Keeping Texans Informed During Construction Projects
The I-35 Expansion Project in Central Texas For travelers and business owners, construction projects — whatever their long-term benefits — can be an annoying, frustrating experience. Exits closed, access limited, traffic slowed down in work zones — mitigating the effects of those necessary evils is what a mobility coordinator does on behalf of the Texas … Read More
Transportation Research Challenges
Transportation research is a multi-disciplinary, national effort to identify and solve the challenges we face in planning, building and maintaining the thousands of miles of roadway in this country. Traffic Safety Fatal rear-end collisions nationally in 2012 — 1,933 with 120 of those occurring in highway work zones. Trade In 2012, a record 5.1 million … Read More
Recycling the road: Full-depth reclamation uses old roadways to make new
Not only is recycling good for the environment, it is good for our pocketbook. Recycling is the process of turning used products into raw materials for making new products. With thousands of miles of roadway in place — many needing rehabilitation — reusing the existing pavement materials can make a big cash difference. Full-depth reclamation … Read More
Streamlining the construction process: TTI researchers find ways to cut costs
State departments of transportation (DOTs) throughout the country are battling the same worsening problems: a lack of funds for road construction and soaring prices for materials like steel and concrete. When funds are available, these rising costs have DOTs scrambling for dollar-stretching ideas. “Construction costs have almost doubled between 1998 and 2006,” says Ivan Damnjanovic … Read More
Black top served hot: TTI research helps lengthen road life
Potholes in the road cause more problems than commuters just spilling their coffee. Potholes are also a safety hazard and an expensive burden to the taxpayers footing the bill for repairs. Thermal segregation, one major cause of potholes, occurs in isolated, low-density areas when the temperature differs greatly during placement of the new overlay. Hot-mix … Read More