According to the American Transportation Research Institute, roadway congestion cost the trucking industry almost $64 billion in 2015. There are many factors that contribute to trucking slowdowns, but the first step to reducing congestion is to know where problem spots are so transportation agencies can mitigate them. A persistent gap for these agencies involves truck … Continue reading Going the Last Mile
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) recently announced its annual “Sweet Sixteen” most high-value transportation research projects in the country, and FDOT was in the mix. The winning projects were chosen by the AASHTO Research Advisory Committee and comprise four high-value research projects from each of the four AASHTO regions. The … Continue reading FDOT Pedestrian Project Named to AASHTO’s Sweet 16 Most Valuable Research
Excessive nutrients, particularly nitrate and phosphorous, are a growing concern in groundwater aquifers and springs across Florida. This causes serious environmental issues like eutrophication and degradation of groundwater quality. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and researchers at the University of Central Florida (UCF) are experimenting with creative ways to remove excess nutrients from water … Continue reading Double Duty: Can Roadside Ditches Catch and Clean Water?
It is a nightmare scenario, a driver makes a right turn but ends up in the wrong place – on railroad tracks. Cars can easily become stuck on the tracks leading to serious injuries and sometimes death. That is why the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) teamed up with the Center for Urban Transportation Research … Continue reading Tricks to Avoid the Tracks
According to Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there were 1,490 wrong-way driving (WWD) crashes in the state in 2015, resulting in almost as many injuries and 96 fatalities. In the years 2013-2015, there were more than 4,300 total injuries due to WWD crashes on Florida roads. While WWD crashes are relatively few, … Continue reading The Right Way to Look at Wrong-Way Driving: Identifying Influential Variables
Central Florida is now home to a one-of-a-kind testing ground for deploying connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technologies. I-STREET (Implementing Solutions from Transportation Research and Evaluation of Emerging Technologies) is a smart, multimodal roadway network weaving through parts of the University of Florida (UF) campus, the City of Gainesville (CoG), and Interstate 75 that is … Continue reading Real-World Transportation Testbed Opens in Gainesville
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, sinkhole damages over the last 15 years cost at least $300 million per year in America, and Florida is a leading state for sinkhole susceptibility. Sinkholes and other underground anomalies are not only a major hazard to Florida’s commercial and residential property owners; they are also a serious concern … Continue reading What’s Really Down There? Researchers Develop New Methods for Sinkhole Detection
Corrosion is a constant concern for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Due to the aggressive environment in Florida – high humidity, high temperatures, high water tables, and high exposure to salt water – maintenance of the steel or steel-reinforced concrete parts of bridges can become very expensive. An FDOT study of 54 bridge projects … Continue reading Halls River Bridge Replacement Project Showcases New Technologies
Over the last few years, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Traffic Engineering and Operations Office worked with researchers to prevent wrong way driving and the serious crashes it can cause. The Wrong Way Driving Mitigation Initiative was recently awarded a 2017 National Roadway Safety Award from the Federal Highway Administration. This award annually recognizes … Continue reading FDOT Wrong Way Driving Initiative Receives National Roadway Safety Award
Prestressed or post-tensioned concrete is widely used in bridge construction. It is an efficient and cost-effective method that allows for lighter, stronger structures that can cross wider spans. Stressing is a method of adding strength to concrete by including steel cables under stress which run through plastic ducts in the concrete. Cementitious grout is then injected … Continue reading Flexible Fillers Bring Increased Corrosion Protection to Post-Tensioned Bridges
Florida Department of Transportation Research Showcase 