Current Research Projects

ACTIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS

TO BE COMPLETED IN 2023:

RS05221 - Managing Pavement Friction of Wyoming's Roads Considering Safety

Principal Investigators:

Marwan Hafez, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Associagte

Khaled Ksaibati, Ph.D., Director, Wyoming Technology Transfer Center

Ahmed Farid, Postdoctoral Research Associate

University of Wyoming

Laramie, WY

Project Champions

Ethan Crockett, Pavement Management Engineer

Matt Carlson, State Highway Safety Engineer

Wyoming Department of Transportation

Project Objective: The main goal of this study is to enhance road safety in Wyoming by integrating a crash risk mitigation approach into the pavement friction management program.

Project Benefits: The findings of this study will aid WYDOT and other transportation agencies in the state to enhance their pavement maintenance programs. Those programs account for the risks of encountering friction-related crashes under various traffic, geometric and environmental conditions. The primary benefits include:

Restore safe levels of pavement friction on roads at locations requiring higher friction demands.
Enhance driving conditions of vehicles, especially heavy trucks, on Wyoming’s highways during high precipitation rates.
Reduce fatalities and injuries of skid-related roadway departure and rear-end crashes in Wyoming.
Support WYDOT and other agencies in the state with a skid resistance policy that maximizes the benefits of friction surface treatments within defined budgets and resources.

Completion Date: October 5, 2023

Cost Estimate: $154,025

Data Management Plan

RS04219 (TPF-5(393)- Pooled Fund for the Design, Development, and Testing of a Box Beam Approach Guardrail Transition and an MGS Approach Guardrail Transition to a MASH TL-4 Three Steel Tube Bridge Rail.

Principal Investigator:

Roger Bligh Ph.D, P.E., Senior Research Engineer, and Program Manager

Texas A&M Transportation Institute

College Station TX

Project Champion:

Bill Wilson, P.E. Standards Engineer

Wyoming Department of Transportation

Study Objective: The Objective of this study is to develop two non-proprietary approach guardrail transition systems from box beam and MGS guardrail that are MASH Test Level 3 (TL-3) compliant.

Study Benefit: This research will develop safe connections from both guardrail systems smoothly transitioning the stiffness of the approach guardrails to the stiffness of the bridge rail and limits vehicle snagging when impacted.

Completion Date: Extended to December 14, 2023.
Cost Estimate: $695,576

Data Management Plan

RS07221 - Integrating Human Behavior Toward the Development of Safer Cooperative Automated Transportation: Implementation of SHRP2 Naturalistic Driving Study

Principal Investigators:

Mohamed Ahmed, P.E., MASCE, Associate Professor, University of Wyoming

MD Nasim Khan, Ph.D. Candidate

Anik Das, Ph.D. Candidate

University of Wyoming

Laramie WY

Project Champion

Vince Garcia, WYDOT GIS/ITS Program Manager

Wyoming Department of Transportation

Cooperative Automated Transportation (CAT) implementation on the roadways is generating new challenges for transportation practitioners and policymakers. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the impacts of CAT on highways is extremely essential to the DOTs, including WYDOT, especially at the early stage of CAT implementation where human-driven vehicles (HV) will interact with CAT. This interaction might increase crash risks and create unsafe scenarios, which may potentially surpass the safety benefits of CAT due to the fact that driving pattern and performance of CAT-equipped vehicles are not similar to HV. The proposed research will concentrate on utilizing the SHRP2 NDS data to understand the complex nature of human behavior, incorporate the behavior for the development of Cooperative Automated Transportation (CAT) and investigate the CAT capacity at different levels of Market Penetration Rates (MPR).

Completion Date December 31, 2023

Cost Estimate $177,917

Data Management Plan

RS04221 - Rapid Safety Assessment Tool for Non-Conventional Roadway Design and Emerging Technologies: Innovative Artificial Intelligence Application

Principal Investigator:

Mohamed Ahmed, Associate Professor

Sherif Gaweesh, Postdoctoral Associate

University of Wyoming

Lsaramie WY

Project Champion

Keri Bohlman, State Highway Safety Engineer

Study Objective: This research proposes a proactive road safety assessment for non-conventional designs and emerging technologies in Wyoming utilizing traffic conflict analysis. Furthermore, the innovative assessment methodologies will provide detailed observation and analysis of driving behavior, trajectory interpretation, and conflict measures.

Study Benefits: This study proposes developing a new tool to assess the safety performance of intersections in Wyoming and suggesting potential countermeasures to improve their safety and operations.

Completion Date: December 31, 2023

Cost Estimate: $175,115

Data Management Plan

TO BE COMPLETED IN 2024

RS06221 - Developing Pavement Marking Management Plans for Accomodating Advanced Vehicle Technologies in Wyoming

Principal Investigator

Khaled Ksaibati, Ph.D., Director, Wyoming Technology Transfer Center

Ahmed Farid, Ph.D

University of Wyoming

Laramie WY

Project Champion

Jeffrey Mellor, Assistant State Traffic Engineer

Wyoming Department of Transportation

Study Objective: The objectives of this study are to develop strategic long-term pavement marking management plans for Wyoming. Specifically, five-and ten-year plans will be developed considering multiple scenarios having various budget levels. The plans will be developed considering road functional classifications, land uses and traffic volumes, which are all factors that influence the frequency of pavement marking maintenance activities.

Study Benefits: This study’s tasks involve developing viable pavement marking management plans, taking into consideration NCUTCD’s recommended pavement marking specifications that accommodate machine vision systems, for WYDOT. Essential preliminary steps will be carried out as well.

Completion Date March 12, 2024

Cost Estimate $115,582

Data Management Plan

TO BE COMPLETED IN 2025

RS03222. Wyoming Transportation Asset Management Plan (TAMP)

Principal Investigators

Muhammad Tahmidul Haq, Ph.D., P.E., Postdoctoral Research Associate

Omar Albatayneh, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Associate

University of Wyoming

Laramie WY

Project Champions

Greg Milburn, State Materials Engineer

Michael Menghini, State Bridge Engineer

Wyoming Department of Transportation

Project Objectives: The project will only consider pavement and bridge assets to investigate the supportive techniques of central funding allocation and district practices at the network level. To achieve this, the study is aimed to fulfill the following objectives:

Investigate the current experiences of TAMP among state DOTs in terms of best practices, strategies, goals, and decision making.
Propose supportive techniques to WYDOT’s asset management programs to identify the best project portfolios of pavement and bridge assets considering the overall economic and social impacts in addition to the federal requirements.
Define the utility of investing in both pavement and bridge assets to optimize the funding plans.
Evaluate the historical funding distributions among pavement and bridge assets.
Establish the tradeoff methodologies of funding allocation and funding transfer among the pavement and bridge assets when additional funding is available to invest.
Investigate the trade-off practices of pavement funding scenarios among the different roadway categories, including interstates, NHS, and non-NHS, to benefit both resident and out-of-state vehicular traffic.
Provide beneficial guidelines to Wyoming asset management systems considering best practices of district decision making.
Study how current practices can be enhanced to increase the value of spending decisions on the transportation assets.

Completion Date: March 14, 2025

Cost Estimate: $179,877

Data Management Plan

RS02222. Utilization of Transportation Structures by Bats in Wyoming

Principal Investigators

Dr. Riley Fehr Bernard

University of Wyoming

Laramie WY

Heather O'Brien

Lrura Beard

Wyoming Game and Fish Department

Cheyenne WY

Project Champions

R. Scott Gamo, Environmenal Serfices Manager

Marshall Newlin, Assistant State Bridge Engineer Design

Wyoming Department of Transportation

Project Objectives: The purpose of this study is to collect bat use data on bridges to aid WYDOT and agency partners in determining what bridge types are attractive to bats and to develop means of mitigation to minimize impacts to bridge maintenance and reconstruction timelines. Data collected during this study will be used to identify bridges and bridge types utilized by bats across Wyoming. This will provide highway engineers and wildlife managers with the information necessary to conduct bridge maintenance and reconstruction activities that minimize disturbance to bats as well as minimize the need to alter construction schedules. The study will also provide valuable information on the contribution bridge structure provide to maternity roosts for bats and general use by bats of bridges. Finally, this study will enable researchers to work closely with WYDOT engineers to identify and test mitigation measures that can be used to minimize take (i.e., acoustic deterrents, netting, eviction devices).

Completion Date: March 14, 2025

Cost Estimate: $34,539

Data Management Plan

RS02223 - Developing Tools to Mitigate the Impact to Design Errors and Omissions

Principal Investigator

Ahmed Abdelaty, Ph.D

University of Wyoming

Laramie WY

Daniel D'Angelo, P.E., NAC, PMP, PMI-RMP

Applied Research Associates

Champaign IL

Project Champion

Christina Spindler, P.E., MBA

Wyoming Department of Transportation

The project has three main objectives:

Evaluate the impact of design errors and omissions, and rework on schedule delays and project costs.
Develop implementable DQC tools to minimize the negative impacts of design errors and omissions and rework.
Develop or improve policy and procedures documents to handle deisn errors.

Completion Date: July 19, 2025

Cost Estimate: $167,251

Data Management Plan

RS03223 Construction Cost Inflation Model

Principal Investigator

Nick Colsch

Laramie County Community College

Cheyenne WY

Project Champtions

Wes Bybee, P.E., Assistant State Materials Engineer

Chris Pivik, P.E., Assistant State Contracts and Estimates Engineer

Wyoming Department of Transportation

Project Objective: This project is set up to gain a better understanding of construction cost inflation estimates; to gather PPI data for the nine areas used in HCCIs; to build and inflation model using the nine HCCI areas PPIs, and labor cost data; and to update information used in the model.

Completion Date: August 3, 2025

Cost Estimate: $26,595

Data Management:

RS02221 - Reducting Shrinkage in Concrete Bridge Decks using Single and Double Ring Test Methods

Principal Investigator

Jennifer Tanner, Ph.D., Associate Professor

University of Wyoming

Laramie WY

Project Champions

Greg Milburn, P.E., State Materials Engineer

Whitney Wise, P.E., Materials Engineer

Study Objective: This proposal evaluates critical factors relating to early age shrinkage and proposes combining multiple methods to reduce this factor that contributes to early degradation. While cost effective solutions exist, they are evaluated under laboratory conditions and do not consider the effects of temperature or humidity on curing environments. This project combines testing under laboratory conditions as well as conditions similar to the extremes that exist during field curing.

Study Benefits: The benefits of this proposal are as follows:

Evaluate the effects of single methods to mitigate shrinkage;
Quantify the beneficial effects of multiple methods to mitigate shrinkage;
Propose solutions for WYDOT using standard mix designs for two types of aggregates; and
Provide guidance on the use of internal curing for concrete mix designs.

Completion Date: August 31, 2025

Cost Estimate: $121,300

Data Management Plan

TO BE COMPLETED IN 2026:

RS08221. Develolping a Collision Warning and Collision Avoidance System for WYDOT Snowplows

Principal Investigators

Muhammad Tahmidul Hag, Ph.D, P.E., Postdoctoral Research Associate

Suresh Mukhahallipatna, Ph.D, Professor and Graduate Coordinator

Khaled Ksabati, Ph.D, P.E., Director, Wyoming Technology Transfer Center

University of Wyoming

Laramie WY

Project Champion

Kathy Ahlenius, WYDOT Winter Research Services

Wyoming Department of Transportation

Project Objectives: The main goal of this study is to develop a collision warning and collision avoidance system for WYDOT snowplow trucks and other maintenance vehicles, to maximize the capability of preventing crashes, and to minimize the severity of crashes. In support of these broader goals, the study is aimed to fulfill the following objectives:

Develop a rear-end collision warning and collision avoidance system using multiple sensors based on the outcomes from an extensive safety analysis, simulation models, and the responses from surveys.
Evaluate the performance of color and type of warning lights in reducing crashes involving snowplows and other maintenance vehicles.
Test the performance and effectiveness of a prototype using WYDOT’s winter maintenance truck equipped with the technology and proposed warning lights.
Perform a benefit-cost analysis of the proposed collision warning and collision avoidance system before the full-blown implementation of the final products.
Develop a guideline on how the subset of multiple sensors with warning lights from the proposed warning system can be transferred and employed in other slow-moving WYDOT maintenance vehicles to reduce the potential risk of rear-end collisions.

Completion Date: February 6, 2026

Cost Estimate: $170,046

Data Management Plan

RS05225. Upcycling End of Life Wind Turbine Blades to Yield Recycling Agents to Successfully Incease Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) for Cheaper and Greener Pavements in Wyoming

Principal Investigator

Dr. Yogesh Kumbargeri

Dr. Jeramie Joseph Adams

Western Research Institute

Laramie WY

Project Champion:

Ethan Crockett

Wyoming Department of Transportation

Study Objectives: The proposed project has the following specific objectives:

• Evaluate at least three different WTB sources in the WRI process.
• Semi-optimization of the process to develop the techno economic analysis and cost for the WTB-RA. Compare the WTB-RA cost to other commercially available RA and the RA used by WYDOT.
• Verify that the WTB-RA has as good or better performance as the commercial RA used by WYDOT, not only at unaged and 20 hr PAV aging condition but also after extended aging conditions including 40 hr PAV and up to 60 hr PAV in a Wyoming binder.
• Benchmark WTB-RA effectiveness in at least two different Wyoming binders over extended aging conditions to other commercial RAs with at least 30 percent of RAP

Study Benefits: This project will help WYDOT increase the RAP usage in Wyoming up to 30% while using WTB-RA (made right here in Wyoming) and further help gain confidence to build high RAP pavements (upwards of 30% and 40% RAP) in the future.

Completion Date: April 28, 2026

Cost Estimate: $294,285

Data Management Plan

RS05224. Asphalt Binder Productiom from Powder River Basin Coal using Solvent Extraction

Principal Investigator:

Trina Igelsrud Pfeiffer

School of Energy Resources

University of Wyoming

Laramie WY

Project Champion:

Greg Milburn, P.E.

Wyoming Department of Transportation

Study Objective: The goals of this project are:

Prove operational system parameters to enable design of large-scale facility in Gillette (Phase 4).
Determine range of extract properties based on differing process conditions.
Produce extract for various stakeholders, particularly WYDOT.
Optimize operations of solvent recycle system to minimize solvent usage and costs.
Drive unit cost of extract down to commercially viable point.

Find commercialization partnerships to assist with bringing products to market.

Study Benefits: Using a coal-based binder for asphalt production will help sustain Wyoming’s coal mining industry, and tax-base therefrom, as well as provide a local, readily available source for asphalt binder required by WYDOT.

Completion Date: June 17, 2026

Cost Estimate: $150,000

Data Management Plan

RS06223 - Development and Evaluation of Box-Beam Barrier Configuration for Shielding Fixed Objects and Bridge Ends in Medians

Principle Investigator

Brandon Perry

Prem S. Paul Research Center at Whittier School

Lincoln, NE

Project Champion

Bill Wilson

Wyoming Department of Transportation

Study Objective: The objective of this research effort is to develop, crash test, and evaluate the WYDOT narrow-median box-beam guardrail system according to the TL-3 safety performance criteria found in MASH. The outcome of this study will be a flared, minimal-length, cost-effective, narrow-median box-beam guardrail system. Further, it will help encourage and support innovation. Research detailed herein will require the integration of four different roadside safety devices into a single, crashworthy system.

Study Benefits: The successful testing and evaluation of the WYDOT narrow-median box-beam guardrail would provide Wyoming and other state DOTs with a MASH-tested option for shielding hazards in narrow medians. Completion of research efforts detailed herein will provide a minimal-length, cost-effective, narrow-median box-beam guardrail system that will reduce frequency of impacts and increase occupant safety. Once all reports have been finalized and distributed, WYDOT can integrate system drawings into box-beam guardrail standards plans.

Completion Data: November 14, 2026

Cost Estimate: $799,998

Data Management Plan

RS04223 - Deterring Wildlife Use of Road Right-of-Ways in Wyoming

Principle Investigator:

Joshua J. Millspaugh

University of Montana

Missoula MT

Project Champion:

R. Scott Gamo, Ph. D., Environmental Services Manager

Tom Hart, Wildlife Specialist

Wyoming Department of Transportation

Study Objective: Our objectives are to evaluate the effectiveness of several ROW mitigation approaches to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve highway safety. These include vegetation management, fence-type, existing wildlife crossings, and features that could influence their efficacy such as road shoulder width, landscape conditions around sites, and other features.

Study Benefit: This study will provide WYDOT and its partners with an evaluation of potential wildlife-vehicle mitigations that can be applied to ROW management to improve highway safety and reduce wildlife mortalities. This study may also identify cost effective alternatives to mitigate wildlife-vehicle collision areas.

Completion Date: November 21, 2026

Cost Estimate: $301,514

TO BE COMPLETED IN 2027:

RS03224 Engineering Assessment of Drive Point Data for Improving the Prediction of Geomaterial Properties and Design & Construction of Pile Foundations

Principal Investigator:

Kam Ng, Ph.D., P.E.

Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management

University of Wyoming

Laramie WY

Project Champion

Taylor Ree, P.G.

Wyoming Department of Transportation

Study Objectives: The overall goal of the proposed research is to improve the performance of transportation infrastructures in Wyoming. Recognizing the advantages and some challenges with the DP method, this research project is proposed to accomplish three main objectives:

Improve the understanding of subsurface profiles and conditions.
Scientifically and statistically develop relationships between DP and geomaterial properties.
Improve the design and construction of driven piles using the DP method.

Study Benefits: The proposed research will have the following outcome measures:

SI performances: The proposed DP method will improve the overall performance and effectiveness of the SI. The proposed DP method will improve the understanding of subsurface conditions and allow for better decisions on subsequent geotechnical testing and geomaterial sampling.
Engineering performances: Equations will be developed to predict geomaterial properties, strength measures, and pile resistances based on DP data. These outcomes will improve the performance of geotechnical engineering design and construction.

Completion Date: April 22, 2027

Cost Estimate:$135,904

RS02224. Evaluation of Blow-Over Risk Reduction by Wind Fences Using Wind Profile Measurements.

Principal Investigator:

Noriaki Ohara, P.E., Ph.D

Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management

University of Wyoming

Laramie WY

Project Champions

Kevin Cox, P.E.

Vince Garcia, P.E.

Suzie Roseberry

Wyoming Department of Transportation

Study Objectives: This study aims to establish the fundamental understanding and technology for wind fence design based on field monitoring and the stochastic blow-over risk model. The objectives of this work are as follows:

Characterization of mean and gust wind profiles based on field monitoring around an existing snow fence (I-80 MP332, Wyoming).
Quantification of the local wind momentum loss due to the fence for both mean and gust winds at different downstream distances in response to various wind directions.
Quantification of the blow-over risk reduction by the fence using the existing UW blow-over risk model (Neupane et al., 2023; Ohara et al., 2023).
Development of recommendations for potential wind fence installation design and anticipated blow-over risk reduction.

Study Benefits: The key benefit of this study will be the provision of the information needed to design wind fences for blow-over risk mitigation for high-profile lightweight vehicles under different high wind conditions.

Completion Date: June 18, 2027

Cost Estimate:$164,138

RS07224. Developing a Prototype System for Measuring Intersection Sight Distances

Principal Investigator:

Ahmed Farid, Ph.D.

Khaled Ksaibati, Ph.D., P.E.

Suresh Mukhalallipatna, Ph.D.

Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management

University of Wyoming

Project Champion:

Kori Cruz

Jeff Mellor, P.E.

Wyoming Department of Transportation

Study Objectives: The objective of this research is to develop a vehicle boardable prototype for WYDOT that measures ISDs in real-time. With the prototype, WYDOT will be able to perform the following:

Assess/reassess the sight distances of existing and new intersections irrespective of type.
Reduce the costs of assessing ISDs since most of the process’s tasks are now automated.
Reduce intersection related crashes, mainly those that are attributed to inadequate sight distances.
Protect itself from liability in cases of crashes, especially severe ones, that occurred as a result of inadequate ISDs.
Assist local jurisdictions in efficiently assessing sight distances of existing and new intersections.

Study Benefits: A cutting-edge ISD measurement prototype will be developed and tested for its application in the wide spectrum of cases.

Completion Date: July 16, 2027

Cost Estimate: $186,047

RS04225. Developing WYDOT Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS)-based Smart Tools for Black Ice Detection and Real-Time Warning Systems

Principal Investigator:

Suresh Mukhalallipatna, Ph.D.

Khaled Ksaibati, Ph.D., P.E.

Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management

University of Wyoming

Laramie WY

Project Champion:

Vince Garcia, P.E.

Study Objectives:

The study aims to fulfill the following objectives:
• Reduce crash severities and frequencies for black-ice-related crashes in Wyoming.
• Develop a smart decision-making system for managing vehicular traffic on slick roads.
• Utilize WYDOT RWIS and GIS database to predict the probability of black ice
formation.
• Utilize state-of-the-art black ice detectors using infrared and artificial intelligence
technologies.
• Find best practices for black ice data capture and sharing in Wyoming using ITS
applications.

Study Benefits:

The primary benefits of this study include:
• Promote the intelligent integration between vehicles and infrastructure systems using
real-time condition data.
• Reduce frequency and severity of black ice-related crashes in Wyoming.
• Enhance driving conditions of vehicles on Wyoming's roads during winter seasons.
• Make prompt effective decisions of warning, closure, and treatments to reduce the
number of crashes on slick roads.

Completion Date: November 27-2025

Cost Estimate: $262,741

TO BE COMPLETED IN 2028:

RS04224. Feasibility of Employing AI Computer Vision and Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing for Traffic and Weather Monitoring

Principal Investigator:

Milan Zlatkovic, Ph.D., P.E., PTOE

Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management

University of Wyoming

Laramie WY

Mohamed Ahmed, Ph.D., P.E.

College of Engineering and Applied Science

University of Cincinnati, Ohio

Project Champion:

Vince Garcia, P.E.

Wyoming Department of Transportation

Study Objectives: The proposed research is expected to benefit WYDOT’s mission and goals, by providing an automated tool to monitor and manage the transportation system. The primary goal of this study is to assess the feasibility and practical utility of implementing computer vision and DAS technologies for traffic monitoring and weather applications in Wyoming.

Study Benefits: This research is expected to bring significant benefits to WYDOT in data collection, assessment and decision making applications

Completion Data: March 25, 2028

Cost Estimates: $195,052

RS03225 Mitigating Employee Turnover and Enhancing Knowledge Retention at WYDOT: A Comprehensive Approach Using AI and Knowledge Management Systems

Principal Investigator:

Ahmed Abdelaty, Ph.D

Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management

University of Wyoming

Laramie WY

Project Champions:

Taylor Rossetti

Cristina Taylor

Wyoming Department of Transportation

Study Objectives: This project has three objectives.

Determine root causes of employee turnover across different WYDOT division/groups.
Develop recommendations to reduce the rate of employee turnover.
Develop a knowledge management and transfer plan to mitigate the impact of the departure of experienced personnel.

Study Benefits: WYDOT hopes to achieve the following benefits:

Improve employee retention.
Enhance knowledge retention and efficiency with a knowledge managment system and chatbot.

Completion Date: March 31, 2028

Cost Estimate: $268,279