Research Highlights

Runway incursions are a significant safety concern, particularly at general aviation airports. In 2013, there were over 1200 runway incursions. In May 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded a project to Profs. Darcy Bullock and Sarah Hubbard to evaluate the feasibility of using rumble strips on taxiways to warn pilots of the upcoming runway with the objective of reducing runway incursions.

Purdue University researchers have produced a new site investigation torque tool, known as SPT-T that can better characterize the soil and provide valuable data on shear strength, particularly for clay soils and glacial till. It replaces the standard practice in such soils of recovering low-quality samples that are then tested in unconfined compression. Obtaining additional real-time data onsite at a lower cost and increased reliability will lead to more effective and economical design of geotechnical structures in these soils.

Since December 2009, JTRP's Trailer Cam has provided our researchers many advantages, including a mobile traffic observation point and education and data validation featuring self-contained power and communication.

An integral component of JTRP is providing electronic access to technical reports for INDOT, as well as colleagues around the world. In 2010, JTRP and the Purdue Libraries began digitizing technical reports dating to the 1950s. More than 1,500 technical reports now reside in the JTRP Technical Report Repository on e-Pubs with 787,695 total downloads as of April 17, 2014.

Steven Lavrenz (JTRP), Pulkit Parikh, and Vinay Varadarajan represented Purdue in the regional Traffic Bowl competition sponsored by Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) on April 14, 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

On October 24, 2012, a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of a segment of the new Hoosier Heartland was held near Delphi. Students from Prof. Bullock's CE 565 class were able to attend the event and had the opportunity to visit with INDOT Commissioner Mike Cline, INDOT Chief of Staff Troy Woodruff, and Deputy Commissioners Jay Wasson, Ryan Gallagher, and Kim Pearson after the event. This was a unique opportunity for students to see the completion of a major segment of highway construction and visit with INDOT executive staff who were instrumental in the planning and development of this Major Moves project.