THE VIRGINIA SMART ROAD - ORBA

Center for Sustainable

Transportation Infrastructure

THE VIRGINIASMART ROAD

Gerardo W. FlintschDirector, Center for Sustainable Transportation InfrastructureProfessor, The Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering


Transportation Infrastructure Content

1. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute

2. The Virginia Smart Road

3. Examples of supported research

4. Looking at the Future

2

Advancing Transportation

Through Innovation



THE VIRGINIA TECH TRANSPORTATIONINSTITUTE


Through Innovation


Transportation Infrastructure Virginia Tech Facts

32,000 students 4th largest College of Engineering in the U.S. 140 new engineering faculty in the next 10 years

(more than 500 total) Top-10 Civil and Environmental Department


Transportation Infrastructure The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute

Advancing Transportation through Innovation#2 largest

transportation institute in the U.S.

#1 in federal grants and contracts

Research Centers/Initiatives/Groups Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure Infrastructure-based Safety Sustainable Mobility Public Policy, Partnerships, and Outreach Advanced Automotive Research Automated Vehicle Systems Injury Biomechanics Global Center for Automotive Performance Simulation Technology Development Technology Implementation Data Reduction and Analysis Support Truck and Bus Safety Vulnerable Road User Safety Motorcycle Research Group


Through Innovation



Center for Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure

Partnership between the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) and the Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Transportation Infrastructure and Systems Engineering (TISE) Program

Looking for solutions to our most pressing infrastructure challenges


Through Innovation




CSTI Vision A worldwide leader in transportation infrastructure

research and education – Conduct high-impact research for accelerating the

renewal, increasing safety, reducing life-cycle costs, and enhancing the sustainability and resiliency of our transportation infrastructure

– Provide excellent environment, resources, and instruction for students to learn fundamental concepts, acquire advanced knowledge and skills, and gain practical experience A paradigm of collaboration among governments,

academia, and industryAdvancing

Transportation Through Innovation




Main Research Objectives Design and construct pavements with minimum life cycle

cost Build safe, smooth-riding, silent, and durable pavements Provide more accurate assessment of the infrastructure

structural health Improve investment decisions by providing better asset

data & decision-support tools Foster more sustainable, multi-functional, automated,

and resilient transportation (SMART) materials, systems and programs


Through Innovation


Transportation Infrastructure VTTI Unique Infrastructure

Virginia Smart Road– An active, connected, automated

test bed for ~16 years– Pavement instrumentation– All-weather area

Virginia Connected Corridors – Smart Road Connected-vehicle Test

Bed (Blacksburg, Va.)– Northern Virginia Pilot Deployment

Area Virginia Smart Villages

(planned)– Urban– Rural

Automated Vehicle Systems

Global Center for Automotive Performance Simulation– National Ture Research Center– SoVA Motion– Virtual Design and Integration Lab

Naturalistic Driving Studies– Instrumented Vehicles– Vehicle instrumentation– SHRP 2 NDS

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Through Innovation



The Virginia Smart Road


Through Innovation





On March 23, 2000, VTTI officially opened the Smart Road in co-sponsorship with VDOT.

To date, approximately 22,000 hours of groundbreaking research have been logged on this 2.2-mile test bed.

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Transportation Infrastructure The Virginia Smart Road

VTTI

Bridge

Road


Through Innovation



Wireless roadside units that provide ubiquitous connected-vehicle communications (including 2 mobile RSEs)

Optical fiber communication system: sensor/data acquisition access every 60 meters

Connected-vehicle-compatible intersection controller model

14 pavement sections, including an open-grade friction course

Differential GPS base station Built-in road features to facilitate

crash avoidance research (e.g., wide clear zones)

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Transportation Infrastructure Inclement weather

testing (snow, fog, rain)

75 custom towers – Supported by a

500,000-gallon water tank

– ½ mile of roadway

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Variable lighting section– 60 light towers – ~95% of lighting

configurations found on U.S. highways

– Differential spacing– Height adjustable– Intelligent

Transportation Systems (ITS) equipment

– 3 luminaires/poles– Varying intensities

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Transportation Infrastructure The Smart Road Bridge

Construction began in August 1998, completed in 2001

175 ft tall above Wilson Creek 2000 ft long, 40 ft wide Three 472 ft spans and two 283

ft spans Inset with “Hokie” stone The tallest bridge in Virginia Being instrumented



Smart Road Connected-vehicle Test Bed


Transportation Infrastructure Testing Facility FAA Approved for Flight

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Transportation Infrastructure Urban Planning

Built EnvironmentEnvironmentalEnergy and WaterTransportationInfrastructure Internet of ThingsSocial and HealthEducationArt and DesignSecurityPublic SafetyPolicy

adapted from:

Virginia Tech Destination Area on Intelligent Infrastructure and Human-

Centered Communities (IIHCC) A world-class groups of faculty that transcend our

disciplinary strengths and lead the world in addressing and solving focused problems in a ‘big area’


Through Innovation


Transportation Infrastructure IIHCC DESTINATION AREA

Areas

Smart Design and Construction

Autonomous vehicle systems

Ubiquitous mobility

Energy

New Facilities Automation Park / Smart Villa Rural Smart Road and

Infrastructure Intelligent Infrastructure

Complex Intelligent Infrastructure Corridor Smart Design and Construction

Complex Etc.

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Through Innovation



Examples of Projects

Pavement instrumentation, modeling and testing

Enhancing vehicle-road interaction

Enhanced vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure technologies


Through Innovation


Transportation Infrastructure Research Areas

Pavements

Bridges

Winter maintenance

Night visibility / lighting

Vehicle instrumentation

Safety

Human factors

Vehicle-infrastructure & vehicle-vehicle communication

Autonomous vehicles

Unmanned aerial systems

...



Pavement Response To Truck Loading

Sponsored By:

Virginia Department of Transportation

Virginia Transportation Research Council

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SM-12.5D SM-9.5D SM-9.5E SM-9.5A SM-9.5D SM-9.5D SM-9.5D SM-9.5D SM-9.5A SM-9.5D OGFC SM-9.5D SMA-12.5

Base Base Base Base Base Base Base BM-25.0 BM-25.0 BM-25.0 BM-25.0 Base Base BM-25.0 BM-25.0 BM-25.0 Base Base Base (150mm) (150mm) (150mm) (150mm) BM-25.0 BM-25.0 (100mm) (100mm) (100mm) BM-25.0 BM-25.0 BM-25.0

(s25mm) (150mm) SM-9.5A SM-9.5A SM-9.5A (s25mm) (s25mm) (150mm)(50mm) (50mm) (50mm)

OGDL OGDL OGDL OGDL OGDL OGDL OGDL(75mm) (75mm) (75mm) (75mm) 21-A 21-A (75mm) (75mm) (75mm)

(CTA) (CTA)(150mm) (150mm) OGDL OGDL

21-A 21-A 21-A 21-A 21-A 21-A 21-A (75mm) (75mm) 21-A(CTA) (CTA) (CTA) (CTA) (CTA) (CTA) (CTA) (CTA)

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Subbase Subbase Subbase Subbase Subbase Subbase Subbase Subbase21-B Sub (150mm) (150mm) 21-B Sub 21-B Sub (150mm) (150mm) 21-B Sub

21-B 21-B 21-B 21-B (75mm) (75mm) (75mm) (75mm)Subbase Subbase Subbase Subbase(180mm) (180mm) (180mm) (180mm)

BRIDGE

Evaluation of new pavement design concepts



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Virginia Smart Road

SectionsLoop-A-B-C-D

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CRCP, JRCP, and bridges

VTTI labs


Transportation Infrastructure Virginia Smart Road

CRCP section

RR BridgeJRCP section

Smart Road Bridge

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Resistivity Probe

Pressure Cell H-Type Strain Gage

ThermocoupleTDR: CS615 & 610

Aggregate Strain Gage

Smart Road Instrumentation





ME Pavement Design - Stress Measurements


Transportation Infrastructure Strain Measurement


Transportation Infrastructure Material Characterization

Material Sampling– Aggregate– Binder– Un-aged cores– HMA

M-E Testing– Resilient Modulus– IDT Creep – Fatigue– Dynamic Modulus– Uniaxial Creep



σ = 28.3e0.0565T

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Fundamental understanding: Effect of Speed on Measured Stresses and Strains Under HMA

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Example of Findings: Effectiveness of Fine Mix under HMA Base in Flexible Pavements

Incorporation of a fine mix at the bottom of a base HMA layer would increase the fatigue life of flexible pavements (Al-Qadi et al. 2002).

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Transportation Infrastructure Enhancing Vehicle-Road Interaction

Pavement Surface Properties Consortium

FHWA: Splash and Spray development program

FHWA: Pavement Friction Management Program

NCHRP 15-55: Guidance to Predict and Mitigate Dynamic Hydroplaning on Roadways

NCHRP 10-98: Protocols for Network-Level Macrotexture Measurement

NSF: Estimating Tire-Road Friction from Probe Vehicles & Smart Tires

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Through Innovation



SURFACE PROPERTIES CONSORTIUMA Research Program at the Virginia Smart Road

Objective: enhancing the level of service and safety provided by the roadway transportation system through optimized pavement surface texture characteristics

http://www.dot.state.pa.us/internet/web.nsf/PennDOTHomepage?OpenFrameSet

http://www.dot.state.sc.us/



Pavement Surface Properties Consortium Main Projects

Organize annual equipment “rodeos”– Calibration & Certification

Seasonal monitoring Evaluation of new survey technologies Evaluation of pavement technologies

(high-friction systems) International Friction Index Implementation Continuous Friction Measurements

Technology Deployment Development of new technologies



Splash–Spray Assessment Tool Development Program FHWA DTFH61-08-R-00029

1. Splash and Spray Assessment Tool Development Program Final Report

2. TechBrief: Assessing Pavement Surface Splash and Spray Impact on Road Users, FHWA-HRT-15-062 www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/pub_details.cfm?id=964

3. Splash and Spray Assessment Tool

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Development and Demonstration of Pavement Friction Management Programs

Objective: Determine criteria and develop methods, for establishing

investigatory (desirable) levels for friction and macro-texturefor different friction demand categories or classes of highway facilities for at least four states.

Assist at least four states in developing PFM Programs. Demonstrate state-of-the-art friction (and macro-texture)

|measurement equipment. WA, FL, IN, TX





The Acceptance Testing and Demonstration of the Continuous Friction Measurement Equipment (CFME)(cont.)


Through Innovation

Safety Performance Functions

SPFi =

Empirical Bayes Estimation

Intervention

Allow to estimate B/CBenefits due to crash reduction

Costs of the intervention



NCHRP 15-55: Guidance to Predict and Mitigate Dynamic Hydroplaning on RoadwaysObjective: To develop a comprehensive hydroplaning risk assessment tool that can be used by transportation agencies to help reduce the potential of hydroplaning.

– Treating hydroplaning as a multidisciplinary and multi-scale problem– Solutions for areas with a high potential of hydroplaning based on a

fundamental and meaningful understanding of the problem. Final Product: Guidance and tools to predict

and mitigate hydroplaning on roadways– Applicable to all types of roadways– Site-specific factors such as geometric design, etc.– Appropriate for new construction, reconstruction, and

maintenance/ retrofit projects.Advancing

Transportation Through Innovation



NCHRP 15-55: Guidance to Predict and Mitigate Dynamic Hydroplaning on Roadways (cont.)


Through Innovation

Two-way coupledVT simulation



Estimating Tire-Road Friction from Probe Vehicles & Smart Tires

Objective: to fuse (smart) tire and vehicle response measures to develop models and algorithms that will evaluate tire-road friction levels. – Develop and implement a theory to describe

the tire/road contact mechanics processes and the resulting friction properties

– Conduct experimental testing to support the development and validation of the proposed model in the laboratory and on the trackCenter for

Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure



Probe Vehicles for Road Infrastructure Health Monitoring

Objective: To use data collected from probe vehicles to extract information that could be used to remotely and continuously determineroad infrastructure health


Transportation Infrastructure Smart Vehicles - Connectivity


Through Innovation

Connected Vehicles

Autonomous Vehicle

Highly Dependent On Infrastructure Health

Vehicle to Infrastructure - V2I



Testing of Smart Vehicles & Safety Technologies

–––

Autonomous carsAdvancing Transportation

Through Innovation

LogosL My Car Does what.org

Challenge Opportunity



Design & Test Deploy & Evaluate

Virginia Connected Corredors Deployment Process


Transportation Infrastructure Connected Vehicles

Facilitate communications between vehicles (V2V); infrastructure (V2I); and devices (V2X), including smartphones

Using a combination of dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) and cellular technology, connected-vehicle technology has the potential to increase mobility, mitigate negative environmental impacts and enhance safety

Estimated by NHTSA to help eliminate approximately 70% of crashes involving alert drivers

Considered by most to be a stepping stone to creating robust and reliable automated vehicles



Video is property of VTTI; may not be disseminated or replicated



Smart Road UAS Test Range

FAA-designated test range Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership Vehicle Research Surveillance Features

– Geotechnical hazards– Bridges– Rail– Pavement– Lighting– Quarry


Transportation Infrastructure Primary Applications

Transport– Goods, Weapons, Materials (e.g.,

pesticides) Deterrents

– e.g., clearing wildlife from runways) Aerial platforms

– Remote sensing, System host (e.g., cellular communication nodes)

…



http://www.wcpam2017.com/



Looking at the Future

Smart VehiclesSmart Infrastructure Smart Cities


Through Innovation

Science Digest, April 1958



Smart Infrastructure – Smart Cities


Through Innovation



Virginia Automation Park / Surface Street Expansion: VDOT, VTTI, VT

Full range of roadways/ driving environments (highway, two-lane, multi-lane flat, off-road)Residential/suburban layout using “portable” reconfigurable buildings and other elementsRoundabout/ stop-controlled intersectionsAutomation-compatible pavement markingsConnectivity to the Smart Road



Rural Roadway Expansion Envisioned to cover ~103 acres Rural testing capabilities:

– Hilly and flat winding roads– Small bridges and narrow sections– Off-road testing– Rural intersections– Roadways will be built to older standards

Advanced construction projects :– Experimental composite bridges – Advanced construction techniques



Concluding Remarks


Through Innovation



Concluding Remarks

The Virginia Smart Road facility:

Was constructed with state-of-the-art research infrastructure integrated at the time of construction

It has supported multidisciplinary research in a variety of areas

→ has helped save lives, money, and time.

Has been an engine of economic development

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Through Innovation



Concluding Remarks (cont.)

The Virginia Smart Road facility:

Has continually expanded, incorporating new technologies and testing tracks

→ Is helping invent the future of transportation

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Through Innovation



The Virginia Smart Road

[email protected]

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THE VIRGINIA SMART ROAD - ORBA