NJ Transportation Research Ideas Capital Improvement & Infrastructure

When I was traveling last year, I saw something new that I did not even see here in The US bright lighted curb around the roundabouts. It looked so beautiful especially at night time making circulation even easier.

 

http://brit-lite.com/shop/500mm-long-led-kerb-stone/

https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/led-light-curbs.html

Can 3D printing have enough quality control to make safe, fatigue-resistant Overhead and Cantilever signs?

Hydraulic failure of bridges because of scour has been considered to be the leading cause of failure of bridges all across the country. Although NJDOT has been managing scour through inspections and countermeasures, accurate assessment of bridge foundation for scour and scour countermeasures is still a major challenge. Recent advances in autonomous robotic technology can be utilized to develop a smart and innovative... more »

This is an extension of Nicole Einthoven's idea involving overhead and cantilever signs. Can 3D printing have enough quality control for objects other than signs, such as controls (pavement markings), barriers, and other features? Would it be feasible or a better/more efficient/more workable approach than traditional methods?

With both the health of the roadways and the need for recycling constantly in our minds, I think that both can be helped by designing a mass producible custom aggregate for use in asphalt and concrete, that can be made with recycled materials. We could design a shape that would aid in the transfer of stress within the material while minimizing the movement of the aggregate after curing of that material. This would... more »

Current industry standard for design and fabrication of small format trusses (less than 8 feet across any flat dimension) typically consists of individual members which are separately cut and then welded or bolted into a truss structure. This type of structure, while popular in the industry for use as sign support structures, tolling gantries, and rail signal / catenary support structures, is also costly to produce and... more »

In service fatigue fracture of highway signs and signal support structures due to wind induced oscillations is the primary concern for cost-effective life cycle performance of these structures. Recognizing the impact of potential life and property damage from structural failures and economic burden of inspecting, maintaining and replacing the sheer volume of these structures in the inventory, the American Association... more »

Of the 50 states New Jersey ranks third for the number of movable bridges. With an average age of approximately 40 years, more than 50 percent of these bridges are structurally deficient, mainly due to their bridge decks. Many of these bridges, whether state or locally owned, are subjected to significant average daily truck traffic (ADTT). Because of their condition and their location on significant commercial routes... more »