A National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) project describing a new mechanical-based method for testing aged asphalt led to international recognition for two Texas A&M Transportation Institute employees: Postdoctoral Researcher Meng Ling and TTI Research Engineer Robert Lytton. “An Inverse Approach to Determine Complex Modulus Gradient of Field-aged Asphalt Mixtures” was named a 2017 Best […]
infrastructure
3M Investment at A&M, TTI Will Advance Connected and Automated Vehicle Technology
First major industry partnership at the RELLIS Campus On Tuesday, May 8, 3M Company announced a $1.6 million investment in The Texas A&M University System’s evolving RELLIS Campus. The funding will be used to build a simulated rain range to support research by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) and Texas A&M University in connected […]
CIR Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Highlights Expected Infrastructure Innovations for State, Nation
Credited with acquiring the legislative funding needed for The Texas A&M University System’s Center for Infrastructure Renewal (CIR), Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick was the special guest for the center’s ribbon-cutting ceremony held on the RELLIS Campus April 11. The 138,000-square-foot, multidisciplinary research center boasts state-of-the-art research facilities and laboratories aimed at making infrastructure smarter, […]
Texas A&M National Infrastructure Symposium Summaries Released
The need for efforts to relieve regulatory restrictions, prepare for automated and connected vehicles, and educate the public about how infrastructure is funded were a few of the key themes of the National Symposium on the Barriers and Opportunities for Infrastructure Renewal, held on the Texas A&M University campus at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center […]
Restoring Our Infrastructure: Resilient. Reliable. Sustainable.
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) has partnered with the Texas Department of Transportation for nearly 70 years to enhance the safety, mobility and reliability of the state’s transportation system. The trust and seamless interaction we’ve developed as partners were never more important than during Hurricane Harvey, when TTI personnel continuously updated Houston’s traffic management […]
TTI and 3M Expand Research Partnership at RELLIS Campus
The Texas A&M University System has signed a five-year master agreement with 3M that expands on a decades-long partnership between 3M and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) to develop roadway signage and pavement marking technologies. The master agreement, which came about as a result of the availability of transportation testing facilities and expertise located […]
Seeing the Road in a Different LIDAR
When we think of a roadway, most of us think of the asphalt or concrete that we are riding on. Little thought is given to the ditches that line our roads or how the water flows off our roadways. A Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) researcher has come up with an automated way of determining […]
Texas A&M’s Infrastructure Renewal Symposium Brings Together Industry Experts, Leaders to Discuss Critical Issues
Optimism about future transportation funding and new efforts to modify regulatory restrictions were prominent themes of Texas A&M University’s National Symposium on the Barriers and Opportunities for Infrastructure Renewal, held at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center Sept. 18. Members of the Trump Administration and other high-level state and federal officials, as well as private-sector stakeholders, […]
New Textbook, Workshop Focus on Improving Pavements by Combining Science and Computational Analysis
Researchers with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) have combined their expertise to author Modeling and Design of Flexible Pavements and Materials, a first-of-its-kind book with the potential to transform the way pavements are installed. The approach emphasizes the use of computational modeling to create longer-lasting, less-costly pavements. The authors will share their methodologies and […]
At a Glance: Highlights from ASCE’s 2017 Infrastructure Report Card
Our Aging Infrastructure The nation’s infrastructure is crumbling. The highways, railroads, pipelines, wastewater systems, bridges, ports and inland waterways essential to America’s economy are suffering from a combination of spiraling demand, benign neglect and advancing age. See related story. *Source: American Society of Civil Engineers, 2017. http://infrastructurereportcard.org
Accelerated Construction Can Cut Red Tape/Save Time Following Hurricane Harvey
Damaged roads and devastated homes. Chemical plant explosions in Crosby, Texas. The shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline, which supplies much of the East Coast with fuel. The shockwaves from extreme weather events like Hurricane Harvey can last for years. Getting damaged infrastructure back online is key to public safety, as well as the nation’s economy, […]
State, National Leaders to Explore Infrastructure Renewal Strategies
From ports and bridges to roads and power grids, the nation’s infrastructure is in critical need of upgrade and expansion. Yet the path forward to meeting these needs is far from certain. In September, national and state policy makers, industry leaders, infrastructure scholars and executives from the public and private infrastructure sectors will gather in […]
New Report on Shale Development Impacts Draws upon PRC Studies
A new, comprehensive review of the impacts of shale oil and gas development in Texas by a cross-disciplinary task force — organized by the Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (TAMEST) — finds a wide range of both benefits and consequences for the state’s infrastructure, environment and communities. These impacts are detailed in […]
Road Show: FHWA Demonstrates Concrete Benefits, Technologies to B/CS
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) […]
Spike in Pedestrian/Bicyclist Deaths Prompts Year-Long Study by TxDOT
A sharp increase in the number of pedestrian fatalities in Texas has prompted researchers with the Center for Transportation Safety at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) to examine what factors contributed to the 550 deaths in 2015 — nearly a 13 percent increase from the year before. In fact, since 2010, pedestrian fatalities have […]
TTI Awarded Major FHWA Safety R&D Contract
Recognized for its longstanding history of excellence in safety research, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) has been awarded a multiyear, multimillion-dollar contract by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Safety Research and Development. The contract, which could provide as much as $50 million in funding over the next five years, supports the FHWA […]
The Future of Freight: Troubleshooting Texas’ Shipping Strategies and Technologies
Growth is a good thing. In economic terms, it can mean increased opportunity for businesses and more choices for consumers. But economic growth also means more demands on — and often more congestion for — our transportation system. Sometimes, the rate of economic expansion can outpace the capacity of our transportation infrastructure. In its 2013 […]
The Many Modes of Transportation Economics
Building and maintaining Texas’ transportation infrastructure are costly endeavors. Research conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Infrastructure Investment Analysis Program (IIAP) helps inform policy makers how best to mitigate those costs and provide the greatest return to Texas taxpayers. “The importance of transportation to the economy is obviously significant,” says IIAP Manager David […]
The Infrastructure Magnet: How Essential Is Transportation to Pulling In and Retaining Businesses?
A system that supports the efficient movement of cars, trucks, aircraft, trains and ships — and the people and goods on board — is central to any economy. That’s a given. But what’s less clear is how (and to what degree) Texas’ transportation system is important to various industry sectors. A Transportation Policy Research Center […]
Texas A&M Invests $250M in New RELLIS Campus
Investment is at the core of a new venture to transform transportation The largest investment in the history of The Texas A&M University System’s Riverside Campus, now known as the RELLIS Campus, will dramatically expand engineering and educational resources at the 2,000-acre facility and will include key infrastructure for the development and testing of various […]