Category Archives: Research

General research posts.

Freight and Railroads, Policy and Planning, Research

CTS Symposium Speakers Offered Ideas for Building Supply Chain Resilience

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Article originally published in Catalyst, February 6, 2023.

Supply chains aren’t normally at the top of the news, but pandemic-related disruptions and empty shelves have put them there. What does the future hold for freight and supply chain resilience? Speakers at the 25th Annual Freight and Logistics Symposium reviewed recent challenges and discussed how to make supply chains more cooperative, connected, and resilient.

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Research, Traffic and Safety

Study of Alcohol Overservice Finds Lack of Enforcement

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Originally published as Study of alcohol overservice finds a lack of enforcement—and opportunities to improve in Catalyst, February 2023.

Overservice—the act of serving alcohol to an obviously intoxicated person—contributes to motor vehicle crashes and violence, and it’s illegal in 48 out of 50 states. Still, U of M researchers say overservice tends to be understudied and underenforced.

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Policy and Planning, Public Transit, Research

Findings Lay Groundwork for Shared Mobility Transit in Rural Minnesota

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Originally published in Catalyst, February 13, 2023.

Public transit services are vital for community health and connectivity, yet the transit solutions found in urban areas—such as frequent bus service and light rail—don’t exist in rural areas. As a result, mobility may be limited in rural communities because of the high costs and low availability of affordable, reliable transportation options.

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Materials and Construction, Research

Research Pays Off: April Webinar on IC Soil Compaction Measurements

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The National Road Research Alliance (NRRA) is hosting a virtual webinar, Evaluation of Levels 3-4 Intelligent Compaction Measurement Values (ICMV) for Soils Subgrade and Aggregate Subbase Compaction, on April 18 at 10 a.m. CST, presented by Ceren Aydin, Michigan State University, and Raul Velasquez, MnDOT.

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Research, Traffic and Safety

Wearable technology for highway worker’s safety

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This article was originally posted on Catalyst, January 2023.

Wearable technology could improve work-zone safety, but are highway workers on board?

Despite ongoing safety efforts, highway maintenance and operations workers have dangerous jobs. According to the Federal Highway Administration, an average of 135 highway workers loses their lives each year because of traffic incursions and limited space for maneuvering. Wearable technology embedded in work gear offers the promise of preventing injuries and deaths—and is already being used successfully in other construction fields. The big question: Would highway workers accept this technology?

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Research

Scholars reflect on critical transportation topics in new Future of Mobility series

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What’s next in transportation? CTS’s new Future of Mobility series collects the perspectives of top University of Minnesota researchers and other national experts.

In 17 articles, the authors scan the horizon and reflect on critical transportation topics ranging from rural transportation to automated vehicles to equity for users. The future of transportation will be a complex, interconnected set of practices and technologies, and this series brings bold thinking together in one place.

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Environment, Research

New Project: Sustainable Application of Tire Derived Aggregate in Stormwater Infiltration/Treatment

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The reuse of old tires that often end up in landfills has a significant environmental benefit. Tire derived aggregate (TDA), a waste product from automobile tires, can be used in stormwater treatment systems and has shown to be effective at retaining phosphate. However, TDA does not prevent the leaching of metals including zinc and copper.  

TO RECEIVE EMAIL UPDATES ABOUT THIS PROJECT, VISIT THE LOCAL ROAD RESEARCH BOARD.

Developing media for stormwater infiltration/filtration that uses TDA in combination with materials that can capture metals has several advantages. It would prevent more pollutants from being released into Minnesota’s lakes and streams, save on landfill space and reduce stormwater management costs.

“The use of TDA has been proposed in the past for use in stormwater treatment.  However, local agencies aren’t very familiar with the product being used for this application and have concerns about its potential to contaminate groundwater resources,” said Mark Hansen, city engineer, City of Coon Rapids. “Initial research is showing positive benefits for the use of TDA as a component of the stormwater treatment process, while minimizing its impacts to groundwater.  Using TDA for this application provides a great opportunity to redirect old car tires from landfills and beneficially reuse them to assist in providing stormwater treatment.”

Objectives

  • Select blend materials identified in literature review and mix them in different ratios with TDA.
  • Measure the pollutant removal performance from runoff, leaching of zinc and copper from TDA, and infiltration capacity of each mix.
  • Analyze the observed values to choose the suitable blend material/ratio.
  • Perform lab batch tests to evaluate the potential leaching or removal of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs) by TDA and the blends.
  • Determine impact of biofilms on the leaching of zinc and copper from the mix (Biofilms will be grown on an already defined mix of TDA with blend material).
  • Conduct outreach on project results and implications to management to key stakeholder groups.

Project Details

  • Estimated Start Date: 06/03/2022
  • Estimated Completion Date: 06/30/2025
  • Funding: Local Road Research Board
  • Principal Investigator: John Gulliver
  • Co-Principal Investigator: Meijun Cai
  • Technical Liaison:  Mark Hansen

Details of the research study work plan and timeline are subject to change.

To receive email updates about this project, visit the Local Road Research Board website to subscribe.