Research Highlights

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.

On April 16, 2013, INDOT geotechnical engineers (see photos above) participated in a training program on the application of pile dynamics to quality assurance in deep foundations hosted by Purdue University. Professors Monica Prezzi and Rodrigo Salgado organized the program, which featured two presentations given by Dr. Frank Rausche from GRL Engineers, Inc. and Pile Dynamics, Inc. The presentations included Wave Equation Analysis and Dynamic Pile Load Testing.

Local polish-susceptible aggregates can be used to replace a portion of high-quality friction aggregates in HMA and SMA surface mixtures without detrimental effects on friction.