Since 1989, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Sediment and Erosion Control Laboratory (SEC Lab) has generated an Approved Products List (APL) for the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT’s) use of erosion-control products. Some 25 years later, the SEC Lab continues to be the nation’s premier facility for performance evaluation of roadside environment management. TTI’s […]
environment
Research in All Kinds of Weather: TTI’s Environmental and Emissions Research Facility
When researchers at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) need a place to test vehicle emissions, they don’t have to go far — one of the largest drive-in environmental chambers in the United States is housed at Texas A&M University’s Riverside Campus. But the Environmental and Emissions Research Facility (EERF) does more than just emissions […]
TTI Helps Texas Stay on Course for the Future
As Texas lawmakers prepare for the 84th Texas Legislative Session, one of the topics on their agenda is the Texas transportation system. How to maintain and enhance all modes of transportation in the state to benefit residents, business owners and travelers has been discussed in recent sessions. Given innovations in technology and a growing population, […]
TTI’s SEC Lab Expands to Meet Demand
For years, TTI’s SEC Laboratory has provided sponsors with a state-of-the-art facility for assessing sediment and erosion control products. This expansion will more than double our current capabilities and reduce the waiting list.
Looking into the Retroreflective Glass
As the paint–glass bead mixture used in roadway markings for light retroreflection is applied to the road, degrades over time, and is reapplied, what effect does it have on the people handling it and on our environment?
Freight Shuttle System Promises the Next Historic Milestone in Freight Movement
Picture a system in which transporters powered by electric motors carry trailers from trucks and containers from ships on an elevated track above existing highway right-of-way, safely separated from passenger traffic.
A Blueprint for Sustainability
Sustainability — a popular, emerging concept — has become a key consideration in the delivery and operation of transportation infrastructure, and at all levels of government.
Making the Most of a Fixer-Upper
Transportation and Sustainability in the 21st Century Nothing lasts forever. For researchers in transportation, that particular cliché presents a challenge. If nothing lasts forever, how can we build a better, more efficient, longer-lasting network? Bang for the buck. More from less. As stakeholders in transportation, you no doubt know these phrases by heart. The key […]
Keeping Tabs on the Elements: TTI’s Environmental Research Focuses on Water, Air Standards
Seeing a smoking vehicle traveling down the highway makes us think about the air we’re breathing. When rainfall causes the road to be slick from tire residue and engine spills, we don’t often think of what happens when the pollutants wash off the road. But what the roadside does with the polluted water and how […]
The Sky’s the Limit
The Texas Transportation Institute’s (TTI‘s) new Environmental and Emissions Research Facility (EERF) is officially open for research. Joe Zietsman, director of the Center for Air Quality Studies, describes this facility as a “researcher’s dream come true.” The EERF was made possible by a competitive grant award from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Houston […]