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Washington State University National Center for Transportation Infrastructure Durability & Life-Extension (TriDurLE)

Webinar: Evaluating Sidewalk Infrastructure & Prioritizing Investment

Webinar Title

EVALUATING SIDEWALK INFRASTRUCTURE & PRIORITIZING INVESTMENT

Speaker(s)

Wes Marshall with Nick Coppola, University of Colorado Denver

Webinar Abstract

This project leverages advances in technology and increasing access to high-resolution remote sensing and spatial data to develop methods for inventorying sidewalk characteristics and static obstructions across an entire major city. In part 1 of this effort, we analyze city-scale sidewalk availability, width, and land coverage calculated from spatial data from aerial imagery (planimetrics). We then determine how much of a difference accounting for static obstructions makes when measuring the clear width of sidewalks in one city. Part 2 then combines planimetric sidewalk data with vehicle and pedestrian trip big data to develop a methodology to prioritize city areas in need of pedestrian infrastructure attention.

The results show an overall deficiency of sidewalks and indicate that deriving sidewalk availability, average width, and minimum clear width are feasible at the city scale. Moreover, the results suggest a significant decrease in the average clear width of sidewalks when accounting for static obstructions. Not accounting for static obstructions could lead to a gross overestimation of seemingly adequate sidewalks and an unrealistic assessment of sidewalk infrastructure and pedestrian accessibility. We then present a feasible and efficient method to prioritize pedestrian infrastructure in a city.

Primarily due to a lack of data, academic literature has scant research on sidewalks. In this project, we leveraged advances in remote sensing to bridge the data and research gap on pedestrian infrastructure in cities. These results will help cities that are lacking information rectify an unprecedented backlog of deteriorating pedestrian infrastructure.

About the Speaker

Wes Marshall is a Professor of Civil Engineering and affiliate faculty in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Colorado Denver, director of the CU Denver Transportation Research Center, and co-director of the Active Communities/Transportation (ACT) research group. He is a Professional Engineer and focuses on transportation teaching and research dedicated to creating a more sustainable and resilient built environment, particularly in terms of road safety, active transportation, and transit. Other related teaching and research topics include street networks, parking, health, travel behavior, and scofflaw bicycling.  His recent book, Elements of Access, provides planners with the fundamentals of transportation engineering and engineers with the fundamentals of transportation planning. Having spent time in the private sector with Sasaki Associates and Clough, Harbour and Associates, Wes has been working on all this for the last two decades. A native of  Massachusetts, he is a graduate of the University of Virginia, the University of Connecticut, a recipient of the Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship, the Endeavour Fellowship, winner of the Wootan Award for Outstanding TRB Paper in the field of Policy and Organization, and winner of the Campus-wide University of Colorado Denver Outstanding Faculty in Research Award.

Jialuo He, Ph.D., receives the Outstanding Dissertation Award

The WSU Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering recently selected Jialuo He as the recipient of John Roberson Outstanding Dissertation Award. The title of his PhD dissertation is, “Development, Characterization and Modeling of Self-Healing Cementitious Materials.” Self-healing technology holds great promise in benefiting the durability and resilience of concrete infrastructure. While various external self-healing systems can improve the post-cracking recovery of mechanical properties of cementitious materials, few studies have explored their implications on concrete durability. Dr. He’s research responds to this critical gap by developing and investigating two external self-healing systems.

Dr. He’s dissertation demonstrates the great potential of self-healing technology in enabling concrete infrastructure with extended service life, which serves the interest of this nation. For instance, his study revealed that the self-healing system consisting of urea-formaldehyde microcapsules (containing calcium nitrite as the healant) and PVA microfibers could effectively reduce about 20-25% of the total shrinkage, 15-20% of the chloride migration coefficient, and 40-65% of the gas permeability of cementitious composite. Such a self-healing concrete could survive over 700 rapid freeze-thaw cycles, whereas the regular concrete counterpart could barely survive 60 cycles.

Jialuo He began his PhD program at Washington State University in August 2015. He has published nine academic papers in top-tier, peer-reviewed journals. In addition to his PhD research, Jialuo completed a two-year project that evaluated the performance of discrete sacrificial anodes in protecting steel rebar in salt-contaminated concrete, for which he was awarded the Simpson Strong-Tie Corrosion Research Scholarship. He also received the Richard Perteet Graduate Fellowship in Civil Engineering in 2017 and 2018. Congratulations Dr. He!

Webinar: Advanced Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) Methods for Structural Concrete Assessment

Speaker: Larry Olson, PE
President and Chief Engineer
Olson Engineering, Inc.

About the Topic: NDE is being increasingly used to assess conditions of aging structures and infrastructure such as bridges, buildings and dams as well as forensic evaluation of such concrete problems as honeycomb, void and cracking in new structures.  Specific NDE methods to be discussed for these applications include ultrasonic pulse velocity, tomography, radar scanning, impact echo scanning,  and surface waves.  Also to be discussed is data fusion with photogrammetry to overlay NDE results on surface images.  Specific learning objectives include understanding NDE methods for condition assessment of corrosion induced delamination of bridge and parking decks, how to map out rebar with 3-D scanning and analyses with radar, and imaging of internal void/honeycomb in concrete with velocity tomography.

About the Speaker: Larry D. Olson, P.E., is internationally known for his expertise in nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of civil infrastructure including dams, bridges, buildings, foundations, pavements, tunnels, etc. He has 40 years of consulting experience in structural condition assessment and monitoring, materials, pavement, geotechnical, geophysical, and vibration engineering. He holds BS Civil and MS (Geotechnical) Engineering degrees from the University of Texas at Austin which honored him as a distinguished alumnus in 2006. He is a member of ACI Committees 228 Nondestructive Testing, 342 Bridge Evaluation and 309 Consolidation.

Using Deep Learning for Accurate Detection of Bridge Performance Anomalies


Project Title

Using Deep Learning for Accurate Detection of Bridge Performance Anomalies

Researcher(s)

Dr. Farnoush Banei-Kashani, PI, University of Colorado Denver
Dr. Jimmy Kim, Co-PI, University of Colorado Denver
Dr. Chris Pantelides, Co-PI, University of Utah

Project Description

With this project, building on our prior work, our main goal is to introduce improved deep learning based anomaly detection methods for timely and accurate management and monitoring of bridge performance. Such methods can be used to perform predictive analysis of the bridge performance by accurate prediction of quantitative descriptors for the structure deterioration state (e.g., condition ratings) as well as any possible anomalies in the deterioration pattern of the bridge structure. Accurate prediction of these descriptors and anomalies are not only crucial in establishing maintenance priorities and performing proactive bridge monitoring with optimized resource allocation, but also more importantly essential for failure prevention.

Project Details

Project Visuals

Dr. Farnoush Banei-Kashani PI
Yail Jimmy Kim.
Dr. Yail Jimmy Kim
Chris P. Pantelides.
Dr. Chris Pantelides

 

CEE Awards

Zhipeng Li has received the 2021 Outstanding Research Assistant Award within Civil & Environmental Engineering Department at Washington State University. Congratulations Zhipeng

Ph.D. Candidate Mehdi Honarvarnazari has received the 2021 Best Dissertation Award from both the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department and the Voiland College of Engineering & Architecture at Washington State University. Congratulations Mehdi!

Waheed Uddin Faculty/Staff Travel Grant Application


Waheed Uddin Faculty/Staff Travel Grant Application

  • You must be employed at one of these universities to qualify for this grant.
  • Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, Max. file size: 195 MB.
  • Drop files here or
    Accepted file types: jpg, png, pdf, doc, docx, Max. file size: 195 MB, Max. files: 3.

    Waheed Uddin Faculty/Staff Diversity Award


    Waheed Uddin Faculty/Staff Diversity Travel Grants 

     

    In memory of Mississippi TriDurLE Site Director Waheed Uddin who passed away from COVID in 2020, TriDurLE will provide funding up to $1500 per award each year to four TriDurLE consortium university faculty or staff (postdoctoral researcher, engineer, coordinator, etc) who have participated in presentations/activities to enhance diversity. Grants are awarded post-travel (or virtual presentation) and receipts are required for reimbursement. Applicants will be required to explain how this travel helps the recruitment or retention of diverse students or professionals to the transportation infrastructure field and provide the number of people in attendance at the event.

    Applications are open

    • These funding opportunities are available for faculty or staff from TriDurLE consortium universities only
    • All reimbursements will be allocated by TriDurLE and all faculty or staff who apply are not guaranteed funding
    • These grants are for reimbursement for registration and travel associated with academic or professional work related to promoting diversity, recruitment, and retention of students.
    • These are post-travel grants processed as reimbursements after you return from your trip (or virtual activity).

    TRAVEL/CONFERENCE TYPES

    • Conference presentations
    • Workshops
    • Professional/Career development

    ELIGIBILITY

    • All TriDurLE consortium university faculty or staff are eligible to apply for a TriDurLE travel grant.
    • Each faculty or staff can submit more than one application per travel period or academic year until the applicant reaches the maximum funding cap per travel period or academic year.
    • Faculty or staff are permitted to apply for more than one grant in the same cycle if they attended two events (conferences, workshops, etc.). They may be awarded partially based on available funding per travel period.

    ELIGIBLE EXPENSES

    Applicants must submit all original receipts (registration costs, travel receipts, etc.) and relevant information regarding travel; however for 2020-21 exceptions are allowed for this rule in the application process.

    • Registration fees
    • Transportation including airfare, shuttle costs, ground transportation, rental car, or personal cars per mileage
    • Airport parking
    • Lodging

    INELIGIBLE EXPENSES

    • Any expenses for travel companions will not be reimbursed by TriDurLE
    • Meal costs will not be reimbursed

    APPLICATION CRITERIA

    The amount awarded is based on:

    • The quality and completeness of the application
    • The benefits of the activity to the recruitment and/or retention of diverse students
    • The quality of resume or personal profile

    Application Materials

    Application is considered complete if the submitted application form includes the following fields

    • Attachment of travel receipts (exceptions are allowed for this for 2020-21 in the application process)
    • Strength of the event’s and/or presentation’s focus on diversity, recruitment, and retention

    TIPS FOR APPLYING

    • When traveling, keep all original receipts and relevant information regarding your travel for reimbursement (This rule is applicable for 2021-22. If receipts are not available for 2020-21, exceptions are allowed)
    • Faculty or staff may submit as many applications per application period as they wish.
    • Pay attention to the funding cap of $1500 when completing more than one application.

    APPLICATION FORM

    Student Travel Grants


    Waheed Uddin Student Diversity Travel Grants

    In memory of Dr. Waheed Uddin, Mississippi TriDurLE site director who passed away in 2020 from COVID, TriDurLE will provide funding up to $750 per award, eight awards per year to undergraduate, graduate or professional students to enhance professional and/or academic goals and benefit diversity through attending in-person or virtual/ online activities and events. Students will be selected based on the quality and completion of the application and resume and how the travel helped to benefit or enhance diversity. Students may apply for funding approval prior to travel, or submit receipts for post-travel reimbursement.

    Applications for Travel June 16, 2022 through June 15, 2023

    • These funding opportunities are available for undergraduate, graduate and professional students from TriDurLE consortium universities only who are members of a minority group (stated in the application) or who have attended a conference/workshop that benefits diversity.
    • All reimbursements will be allocated by TriDurLE and all students who apply are not guaranteed funding
    • These travel grants are for reimbursement for registration and travel associated with academic or professional work that benefits diversity.
    • Any presentations made by grantees during travel must attribute TriDurLE during their presentation. Download the TriDurLE logo
    • Grants can be disbursed to eligible student applicants post-travel, or students can apply for pre-travel authorization for funding

    Travel/Conference Types

    • Conference presentations
    • Workshops
    • Professional/Career development

    Eligibility

    • All TriDurLE consortium university fee-paying undergraduate, graduate and professional students at the time of application are eligible to apply for a TriDurLE travel grant. Students must be a member of a minority group OR attended a conference that benefits diversity.
    • Students are permitted to apply for more than one grant in the same cycle if they attended two events (conferences, workshops, etc.). They may be awarded partially based on available funding per travel period.

    Eligible Expenses

    Applicants must provide all original receipts (registration costs, travel receipts, etc.) and relevant information regarding travel for post-travel reimbursement

    • Registration fees
    • Transportation including airfare, shuttle costs, ground transportation, rental car, or personal cars per mileage
    • Airport parking
    • Lodging

    Ineligible Expenses

    • Any expenses for travel companions will not be reimbursed by TriDurLE
    • Meal costs will not be reimbursed

    Application Criteria

    The amount awarded is based on:

    • The quality and completeness of the application
    • The diversity benefits of the activity
    • Resume

    Application Materials for Post-travel Reimbursement

    An application is considered complete if the submitted application form includes:

    • Stated benefits of the travel for academic/professional development
    • Advisor’s confirmation for pre-travel authorization
    • Consortium university site director’s confirmation of applicant eligibility
    • Attachment of travel receipts.
    • Resume

    Tips for applying

    • When traveling, keep all original receipts and relevant information regarding your travel (This rule is applicable for 2021-22 travel)
    • You will need to scan and upload your receipts in one or two documents to attach to the application; however if you no longer have receipts for travel in 2020-21, TriDurLE allows for an exception of this rule in the application process.
    • Students may submit as many applications per application period as they wish.
    • Pay attention to the funding cap of $750 per travel event or award.

    Application for Pre-travel Approval

    Application Form for Post-travel Reimbursement