research proposal on transportation engineering

Transportation Engineering

From mobility to safety, UW CEE transportation engineering researchers develop solutions to pressing challenges in the transportation field. Research in this area is booming, driving rapid improvements in transportation systems worldwide. Recent developments include $14 million in research funding from the United States Department of Transportation to support the PacTrans Center’s research on urban and rural mobility. UW CEE’s transportation engineering program is internationally recognized for its quality in research and education. The program has well-established connections with universities and transportation research institutes in China, Japan and many European countries.

Research covers a variety of topics, including transportation planning, traffic system operations, logistics and freight transportation, transportation network system analysis, intelligent transportation systems, transit system planning, travel behavior and demand modeling, resilient infrastructure systems, traffic safety, human factors analysis and sustainable transportation infrastructure design. CEE’s transportation program works closely with industry and government to ensure that relevant transportation topics are covered in both research agendas and the curriculum. 

Research topics

• Traffic operations and intelligent transportation systems Faculty involved: Yinhai Wang , Jeff Ban , and Ed McCormack
• Sustainable transportation infrastructures Faculty involved: Don MacKenzie , Cynthia Chen , Ed McCormack , Anne Goodchild and Yinhai Wang
• Transportation safety Faculty involved: Yinhai Wang , Cynthia Chen and Anne Goodchild
• Freight and logistics Faculty involved: Anne Goodchild , Ed McCormack ,  Jeff Ban  and  Amelia Regan
• Transit and shared mobility Faculty involved: Cynthia Chen ,  Don MacKenzie ,  Yinhai Wang  and  Amelia Regan
• Transportation data science Faculty involved: Yinhai Wang , Cynthia Chen , Don MacKenzie , Jeff Ban ,  Linda Ng Boyle  and  Amelia Regan
• Transportation network analysis Faculty involved: Jeff Ban , Cynthia Chen ,  Anne Goodchild  and  Amelia Regan

Student research

Improving safety at highway-rail-trail crossings.

The U.S. relies on an expansive rail network, which often crosses highways at-grade along the way. In recent years, placing trails next to railroads has increased bicycle infrastructure, but complicates crossings. To better understand the intersections, particularly how their safety can be improved, a team of researchers from the SCTL Center, including graduate students Anna Alligood and Polina Butrina, worked with the Oregon Department of Transportation. The researchers visited sites across the state to collect data and observations. The project produced a guidebook for use by public agencies to increase safety at highway-rail-trail crossings.

Using Mobile Sensing to Improve Bus Service

It has historically been difficult and expensive to collect passenger travel data in order to improve transit service. However, thanks to new technology developed by UW CEE researchers, it is now easier and less expensive to learn about travel patterns. The technology detects the unique Media Access Control address of mobile devices and gathers data such as where bus riders board and disembark and how much time passes before they catch another bus. The research team includes Ph.D. student Kristian Henrickson, alumni Yegor Malinovskiy and Matthew Dunlap, research associate Zhibin Li and professor Yinhai Wang.

Labs & research groups

CEE faculty oversee labs and research groups, where they investigate a variety of critical problems related to transportation engineering. Undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to participate in research.

• Human Factors & Statistical Modeling Lab
• Intelligent Urban Transportation Systems Lab
• Sustainable Transportation Lab
• Transportation-Human Interaction and Network Knowledge (THINK) Lab
• Urban Freight Lab

UW CEE hosts several centers, funded by industry and government. The centers headquarter research on specific themes and act as hubs connecting faculty and students with resources to support research, education and outreach activities.

• Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium (PacTrans)
• Washington State Transportation Center (TRAC)
• Supply Chain Transportation and Logistics (SCTL) Center
• Four USDOT-funded Tier 1 University Transportation Centers

Professional societies

ASCE Transportation & Development Institute Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) Institute of Transportation Engineers Transportation Research Board American Planning Association Transportation Club of Seattle Transportation Club of Tacoma Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals  (CSCMP)

Degree programs

• Transportation Engineering Master’s Program
• Transportation Engineering Ph.D. Program 
• Master of Supply Chain Transportation and Logistics Online Master's Program
• Master of Sustainable Transportation Online Master's Program

Latest news

Advancing electric vehicle technology.

How UW engineers are helping Washington lead the way in electric vehicle technology and the infrastructure required to advance it.

Electric cargo bikes' future

A new paper by the Urban Freight Lab highlights the transformative potential of electric cargo bikes in reshaping urban logistics.

Amazon's delivery impact

New research by CEE team shows that Seattle metro residents near Amazon delivery stations face more pollution but order fewer packages.

TRAC Director Mark Hallenbeck retires

The director of the Washington State Transportation Center influenced roadway systems and transportation engineering locally and nationally.

• Tools & Services
• Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering
• Civil and Construction Engineering
• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
• Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering
• Nuclear Science and Engineering
• Biological & Ecological Engineering
• Alumni & Partners

Transportation Research

Transportation research at Oregon State University can be divided into two broad interest areas: 1) traditional transportation engineering (e.g., transportation planning, operations, design, and safety) and, 2) pavement design and pavement materials. There are overlapping interests, but faculty members Salvador Hernandez, David Hurwitz, Hisham Jashami, and Haizhong Wang principally lead research in the traditional transportation area, and faculty members Erdem Coleri, and Jason Weiss work in the pavements area. 

Faculty and Research

Transportation engineering faculty maintain active research programs, examples of our funding agencies include the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, Idaho Transportation Department, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, National Cooperative Highway Research Program, National Science Foundation, Oregon Department of Transportation, Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium, the Portland Bureau of Transportation, Washington County, and private industry.

• Associate Professor  Salvador Hernandez's  methodological research interests and expertise are in the areas of statistical, econometric, and mathematical modeling, including discrete choice analysis. Dr. Hernandez’s research derives knowledge from social and computational sciences to create meaningful solutions for problems in Transportation Safety, Freight Logistics, and Transportation Systems Modeling. His current areas of research interest are: Transportation safety modeling of all modes encompassing crash countermeasures, crash and safety analysis, and statistical modeling; Use of large scale disaggregate data sets for developing strategic, tactical, and operational models and solution methods for problems that arise in the multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary areas of transportation systems. Dr. Hernandez is also interested in the understanding and modeling of natural disasters related to forest fires and earthquakes.
• Professor  David Hurwitz  conducts research in the areas of transportation human factors, transportation safety, traffic control devices, and engineering education. In particular, Dr. Hurwitz is interested in the consideration of user behavior in the design, evaluation, and innovation of surface transportation systems. Additionally, his research program contributes to advancing the state of the practice in transportation engineering education through the development of research based curricula, assessment tools, and learning theories. Dr. Hurwitz leverages the OSU Driving and Bicycling Simulator Laboratory and a significant array of traffic data collection tools to provide a more detailed understanding of how and why transportation systems perform the way they do.
• Assistant Professor, Senior Research Hisham Jashami’s research emphasizes traffic operations and safety, experimental design, and advanced statistical modeling. He works to develop more robust design standards using big data, machine learning, naturalistic driving, and micro/macro simulation, crash data, and field data to improve the understanding of how road user behavior changes in response to roadway and traffic characteristics. He is also interested in the development of Python coding, JavaScript, and C++ to deliver more efficient research outcomes and to enhance the capabilities of human-in-the-loop simulator environments.
• Professor  Haizhong Wang's  research interests are in the areas of (1) stochastic traffic flow models, traffic system planning and analysis in particular the impacts of emerging technologies such as connected and automated vehicles on traffic operations and future travel behavior; (2) an agent-based modeling and simulation (ABMS) to model behavioral heterogeneity (i.e., when, how, where to evacuate) for life safety and post-disaster mobility in multi-hazard emergency evacuation and disaster response; (3) a network of network (NON) approach to model interdependency for resilient lifeline infrastructure systems; (4) Complex adaptive system (CAS) for large-scale system modeling and simulation; (5) Mileage-based road user charge for alternative financing; and (6) Dada driven smart city and big data applications for urban mobility. In addition, Dr. Wang also conducts research on bicycle safety through GIS—based mapping and visualization of bicycle level of traffic stress and bicycle crashes to identify risk factors to facilitate the development of bicycle safety performance functions. Dr. Wang’s goal is to better transportation systems through innovative and interdisciplinary research. 
• Associate Professor Erdem Coleri's  research interests are in the areas of sustainable pavement materials and structures, energy efficient pavement design strategies, and infrastructure health monitoring using wireless sensor networks. His research focuses on modeling and testing in several areas of pavement technology including asphalt binder and mixture characterization, aggregate characterization, asphalt mix and structural design, concrete materials testing, and concrete pavement design. The ultimate goal of his research is to encourage the use of more sustainable pavement materials, such as permeable pavements, rubber asphalt, warm-mix asphalt technologies, recycled asphalt pavements, recycled concrete, and alternative cement binders.
• Professor  Jason Weiss'  research and teaching focus is on the development of mixture design procedures to reduce shrinkage, curling and cracking as well as test methods to evaluate the performance of these mixtures. Specifically, his research group is well known for work in the area of shrinkage reducing admixtures and internal curing. His research group has performed substantial research on the freeze-thaw performance of concrete and the durability of concrete exposed to deicing salts. This work has substantial impact on the durability of concrete pavements and the development of performance specifications for concrete pavements. His research group is well known for their use of a variety of test methods to assess transport properties in concrete and the use of these material properties in models that can predict the service live of concrete elements.

The OSU Driving and Bicycling Simulator Laboratory is focused on studying transportation operations and safety issues from a multimodal perspective. The lab hosts a desktop driving simulator, a passenger car driving simulator, a bicycling simulator, and a heavy vehicle driving simulator. The lab is unique as an experimental subject in any of the simulators can interact in the same virtual world simultaneously with an experimental subject in any of the other simulators. The passenger car and heavy vehicle driving simulators can simulate different advanced driver assistance systems.

Another significant research facility is the Transportation Operations Laboratory. The lab hosts 6 high powered computers for use with a wide variety of transportation engineering software including but not limited to Synchro, VISSIM, TransModler, Sidra, HCS, NOGIT, and QGIS. Additionally, a wide variety of temporary data acquisition systems and their associated software are available including but not limited to CountCam 4, CountCam 3, CountCam 2, CountPRO + countPAD2, Jamar Count Boards, DJI Mavic 2 Pro, DJI Osmo Action, Spyder 4 Channel Analyzer, Triaxial accelerometer, and ProLaser 4 handheld LIDAR.

Podcasts 

By air and by land

In part one, we’ll uncover the extreme challenges of air travel for people with disabilities, the risky measures they take in order to fly, and the serious harm they face every time they board an aircraft...

Safer solutions for the national truck parking crisis

Ever wonder why so many truckers park their rigs on highway off-ramps, in retail store parking lots and at other odd locations? It’s not their first choice, and it’s not the safest choice either, but sometimes it’s their only choice.

Graduate Student Spotlights

• Kamilah Buker
• Dylan Anderson 

Examples of Research Papers and Projects

• “A Time of Day Analysis of Crashes Involving Large Trucks in Urban Areas,” Pahukula, J., Hernandez, S., and Unnikrishnan, A., Accident Analysis and Prevention , V 75, pp. 155-163, 2014.
• “Three- or Four-Section Displays for Permissive Left-Turns? Some Evidence from Simulator-Based Analysis of Driver Performance,” Hurwitz, D., Monsere, C., Marnell, P., Paulsen, K., Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board , Issue 2463, pp. 1-9, 2014.
• “Potential Changes to Travel Behaviors & Patterns: A Fuzzy Cognitive Map Modeling Approach,” Vogt, R., Wang, H., Gregor, B., and Bettinardi, A., Transportation, V 42, pp. 1-18, October 2015. 
• “Clogging Evaluation of Open Graded Friction Course Pavements Tested under Rainfall and Heavy Vehicle Simulators,” Coleri E., Kayhanian M., Harvey, J.T., Yang, K., Boone, J.M., Journal of Environmental Management , V 129, pp. 164-172, November 2013.
• “Electrical Response of Mortar with Different Degrees of Saturation and Deicing Salt Solutions During Freezing and Thawing,” Farnam, Y., Todak, H., Spragg, R., Weiss, J., Cement and Concrete Composites , V 59, pp. 49-59, May 2015.

Christopher Bell

[email protected]

1-541-737-3794

Robert Bertini

[email protected]

1-541-737-5682

Shane Brown

[email protected]

1-541-737-1759

Erdem Coleri

[email protected]

541-737-0944

Salvador Hernandez

[email protected]

541-737-4740

Katharine M. Hunter-Zaworski, P.E. (OR)

[email protected]

541-737-4982

David Hurwitz

[email protected]

541-737-9242

Hisham Jashami

[email protected]

(541) 602-6736

Haizhong Wang

[email protected]

1-541-737- 8538

Jason Weiss

[email protected]

1-541-737-1885

• Accreditations
• Facts and Figures
• Faculty Positions
• Maps and Directions
• Student Mentoring Program
• Current Students
• Engineering Honors
• Global Programs
• Admissions and Aid
• Prospective Students
• Entry to a Major Process
• Graduate Admissions
• Scholarships and Financial Aid
• Facilities and Equipment
• Faculty Research Specialty Areas
• Undergraduate Research
• Affiliated Faculty
• Emeritus Faculty

Ph.D. Transportation Engineering

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree is a research-oriented degree requiring a minimum of 64 semester credit hours of approved courses and research beyond the Master of Science (M.S.) degree [96 credit hours beyond the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree]. The university places limitations on these credit hours in addition to the requirements of the Department of Civil Engineering listed below.

A complete discussion of all university requirements is found in the current Texas A&M University Graduate Catalog .

Transportation Engineering Faculty Members

• Dr. Mark Burris
• Dr. Gene Hawkins
• Dr. Dominique Lord
• Dr. Luca Quadrifoglio
• Dr. Xiubin "Bruce" Wang
• Dr. Yunlong Zhang

Departmental Requirements

In addition to fulfilling the University requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree, a student enrolled in the Civil Engineering graduate program in the area of Transportation Engineering must satisfy the following department requirements.

• A minimum of 32 credit hours of graduate level coursework taken through Texas A&M University [a minimum of 24 credit hours if the student already has taken at least another 24 credit hours of graduate course work for the Master of Science (M.S.) or Master of Engineering (M.E.) degree].
• Remaining coursework requirement can be met by 32 hours of CVEN 691 (research)

Transportation Engineering Requirements

The student must also satisfy the following area requirements and/or recommendations described below:

• Qualifying Exam : A Qualifying Examination will be scheduled with members of the Transportation Engineering The exam will include both written and oral components. The exam should be taken after the first semester (Fall or Spring) of study. The qualifying exam covers three major areas of Transportation Engineering: operations, planning, and design. English writing will be a separate part. The oral exam is generally scheduled within two weeks of the written exam. The students need to pass both the oral and written parts. If a student fails the qualifying exam, he or she has to take it again at the end of the following semester. If the student fails again, he or she will have to leave the program.
• Degree Plan: An advisory committee must be formed and a Degree Plan must be submitted and approved by the advisory committee after passing the Qualifying The proposed degree plan must be typed on the official form as it appears on the Internet at http://ogs.tamu.edu/ with endorsements by the student’s advisory committee.
• Written Preliminary Exam: After completion of the coursework listed on the Degree Plan (with the exception of CVEN 691 Research), but no later than the end of the fifth semester (Fall or Spring) of study, a Written Preliminary Examination will be scheduled with members of the advisory This exam consists of written questions from the advisory committee. The exam in total should be given over a period of one week. The individual committee member decides whether a written exam will be given and whether it will be take-home or in-class, open-book or close-book if an exam is given.
• Research Proposal: As soon as the research project can be outlined in reasonable detail, but no later than the end of the fifth semester (Fall or Spring) of study, the dissertation research proposal should be.
• Oral Preliminary Exam: After passing the Written Preliminary Exam, but no later than the end of the fifth semester (Fall or Spring) of study, an Oral Preliminary Examination will be scheduled with members of the advisory At this examination, the student will give a presentation of the Research Proposal. The questions in this exam will cover the Written Preliminary Exam, the Oral Preliminary Exam presentation and any relevant coursework.
• Completion of Dissertation: Upon approval of the Dissertation by the advisory committee chair, the Dissertation will be submitted to the other members of the advisory committee at least 2 weeks (10 working days) prior to the Final Defense.
• Final Defense: A Final Defense consisting of an oral examination will be scheduled with all of the advisory committee At this examination, the student will give a presentation of the research work completed for the degree and documented in the Dissertation.

Transportation Economics in the 21st Century - Research Projects

The initiative supports projects focused on four distinct topic areas: (1) Transportation and the Economy; (2) New Transportation Technologies and Initiatives; (3) Transportation and the Human Experience; and (4) Transportation Data and Research Infrastructure. A call for research proposals was broadly disseminated in 2019 resulting in the receipt of more than 50 submissions. On the basis of this strong set of proposals, the investigators along selected six projects for funding in the 2019-20 academic year. The review focused on the intrinsic quality and interest of the research proposals, and was carried out in consultation with staff members at the Department of Transportation. The projects that were selected relate to the Department’s current research needs and are suitable for economic analysis. The projects selected include:

The initiative supports projects focused on four distinct topic areas: (1) Transportation and the Economy; (2) New Transportation Technologies and Initiatives; (3) Transportation and the Human Experience; and (4) Transportation Data and Research Infrastructure.

An initial call for research proposals was broadly disseminated in October 2019.  It resulted in more than 50 submissions, from which the investigators selected six projects for funding in the 2019-20 academic year. The selection process focused on the intrinsic quality and interest of the projects, and was carried out in consultation with staff members at the Department of Transportation. The funded projects, all of which relate to the Department’s current research needs, are:

Traffic in the City: The Impact of Infrastructure Improvements in the Presence of Endogenous Traffic Congestion Investigators: Treb Allen, Dartmouth and NBER and Costas Arkolakis, Yale and NBER

Mobility and Congestion in US Cities: Evidence from Google Maps Investigators: Gilles Duranton, U. Pennsylvania and NBER, Adam Storeygard, Tufts and NBER; Victor Couture, University of California, Berkeley

How is Ride-Hailing Affecting Public Transportation? Investigators: Marco Gonzalez-Navarro, University of California, Berkeley, and Jonathan Hall, University of Toronto

Effects of Pavement Maintenance on Traffic Outcomes: Evidence from California Investigator: Bradley Humphreys, West Virginia University

Dynamic Transportation Markets in the Digital Economy: Matching Efficiency and the Value of Time Investigators: Jakub Kastl, Princeton University and NBER; Nicholas Buchholz, Princeton University; Tobias Salz, MIT and NBER, Laura Doval, California Institute of Technology

Does the US Have an Infrastructure Cost Problem? Evidence from the Interstate Highway System Investigators: Neil Mehrota, Brown University, and Matthew Turner, Brown University and NBER

A second call for proposals was disseminated in October 2020.  From the 39 proposals that were received, the investigators selected five projects for funding, once again in consultation with DOT staff and focusing on topics related to the Department's research objectives.  The funded projects for the 2020-21 academic year are: The Potential of Public Transit: Evidence from Mobile Phone Data Investigators: Milena Almagro, University of Chicago; Juan Camilo Castillo, University of Pennsylvania; Tobias Salz, MIT and NBER The Last Mile Problem: A Grand Transportation Challenge Investigators: Peter Christensen, Lewis Lehe, and Adam Osman, University of Illinois Regulating Untaxable Externalities: Evidence from Vehicle Air Pollution and Exhaust Standards Investigators: Mark Jacobsen, University of California, San Diego and NBER; James Sallee and Joseph Shapiro, University of California, Berkeley and NBER; Arthur van Benthem, University of Pennsylvania and NBER

Procurement and Infrastructure Costs Investigators: Zachary Liscow, Yale University and Cailin Slattery, Columbia University Detour Ahead: Market Frictions and Path Dependence in Transportation Networks Investigators:  Marta Santamaria, University of Warwick and Diana Van Patten, Princeton University

A third call for proposals was disseminated in August 2021. From the 26 proposals that were received, the investigators selected nine projects for funding, once again in consultation with DOT staff and focusing on topics related to the Department's research objectives. The funded projects for the 2021-22 academic year are:

Optimal Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles Investigators: Panle Jia Barwick, Cornell and NBER; Christopher Knittel, MIT and NBER; Shanjun Li, Cornell and NBER; James Stock, Harvard University and NBER Port Competition and World Trade Investigators: Giulia Brancaccio, NYU and NBER; Myrto Kalouptsidi, Harvard University and NBER; Theodore Papageorgiou, Boston College Using New Transportation Options to Drive Low-Income Citizens to Greater Success Investigators: Lee Branstetter, Carnegie Mellon and NBER; Beibei Li, Carnegie Mellon Household Vehicle Portfolios and EV Demand Investigators: Fiona Burlig, University of Chicago and NBER; James Bushnell, UC Davis and NBER; David Rapson, UC Davis Political Economy of Transport Investments: Evidence from the California High-Speed Rail Investigators: Pablo Fajgelbaum, Princeton University and NBER; Cecile Gaubert, UC Berkeley and NBER; Nicole Gorton, UCLA; Eduardo Morales, Princeton and NBER; Edouard Schaal, Universitat Pompeu Fabra Eliminating Fares to Expand Opportunities: Experimental Evidence on the Impacts of Free Public Transportation on Economic Disparities Investigators: Matthew Freedman, UC Irvine; David Phillips, Notre Dame Multimodal Transportation Networks Investigators: Simon Fuchs, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta; Woan Foong Wong, Oregon Uncharted Waters: Effects of Maritime Emission Regulation Investigators: Michelle Marcus, Vanderbilt and NBER; Jamie Hansen-Lewis, UC Davis Transportation as a Barrier to Education Access: Evidence from Chicago Public Schools Investigators: Cecilia Moreira, Stanford; Steven Puller, Texas A&M and NBER; Ini Umosen, UC Berkeley

A fourth call for proposals was posted in January 2023. From a set of 28 submissions, the investigators, in consultation with DOT staff, selected five projects for funding. The funded projects, which will be carried out over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years, are:

Can New Transportation Options Alleviate Spatial Mismatch? Investigators: Lee G. Branstetter, Carnegie Mellon University and NBER; Beibei Li, Carnegie Mellon University

Role of Public Charging Infrastructure on Electric Vehicle Market Development Investigators: Joshua Linn, University of Maryland; Cinzia Cirillo, University of Maryland

Zero Emissions Freight Trucking and Infrastructure Provision Investigators: Sarah C. Armitage, Boston University; Ron Yang, University of British Columbia

Remote Work and Urban Transportation in the United States Investigators: Prottoy A. Akbar, Aalto University; Victor Couture, University of British Columbia; Gilles Duranton, University of Pennsylvania and NBER; Adam Storeygard, Tufts University and NBER; Shreya Dutt, Boston University

How Do Driver Assistance Technologies Impact Transportation Safety? Investigators: Jonathan Hall, University of Alabama; Conor Lennon, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Joshua Madsen, University of Minnesota

Subscribe to the ITS-Irvine Mailing List

Transportation Systems Engineering

1. Introduction

Among leading centers for transportation research, the UCI Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers a graduate program which is distinguished by its interdisciplinary approach to the study of contemporary urban transportation issues, and by its unique relationship with the UC Irvine Institute of Transportation Studies.Our program focuses on the planning, design, operation, and management of modern transportation and logistics systems.Emphasis is on the development of fundamental skills and knowledge in engineering, systems analysis, modeling, and planning, combined with advanced computational techniques, to address transportation problems affecting urban travel and goods movement.

The program affords a variety of outstanding opportunities for well-qualified and motivated students to contribute to important research as well as gain valuable experience as professional transportation engineers and planners.Financial support through research or teaching assistantships and a variety of fellowships and scholarships is available to qualified students.

2. Transportation Engineering Faculty

The following constitute the faculty in the graduate program in Transportation Systems Engineering:

The following UCI Faculty from other departments are active in transportation research and teaching:

3. The Institute of Transportation Studies

The Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS), a University of California Organized Research Unit , was established to foster research, education, and training in the field of transportation.A fundamental goal of the Institute is the stimulation of interdisciplinary research on contemporary transportation issues.ITS research at UCI involves faculty and students from the School of Engineering , the School of Social Sciences , the Graduate School of Management, the School of Social Ecology , and the Department of Information and Computer Science.The Institute also hosts visiting scholars from the U.S. and abroad to facilitate collaborative research and information exchange, and sponsors conferences and colloquia to disseminate research results.

Research at ITS covers a broad spectrum of transportation issues.ááRecent funded research projects at ITS Irvine focus upon:

• Intelligent transportation systems (ITS)
• Planning and analysis of transportation systems
• Transportation systems operation and control
• Traffic flow modeling and network simulation
• Network operations research
• Public and private transit systems analysis
• Artificial intelligence applications
• Travel behavior analysis
• Transportation engineering and safety
• Transport economics, particularly congestion pricing and toll roads
• Applications of information technologies in public, private, personal and freight transportation
• Dynamic and stochastic freight and fleet management
• Design and operation of logistics systems
• Intermodal freight transportation
• Third party logistics

The Institute is part of the University of California Transportation Center, one of ten federally designated centers for transportation research, the ITS Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) Laboratories provide facilities for the teaching, research, and development of ATMS strategies, and includes dedicated workstations tied directly to the City of AnaheimÆs Traffic Management Center (TMC), the Irvine Traffic Research and Analysis Center (ITRAC) and the CALTRANS District 12 Traffic Operations Center (TOC).The labs feature state of the art computer systems, a video teleconferencing center, and large screen displays of real-time traffic conditions throughout Southern California .áThe ATMS Lab also contains hardware and software dedicated to research projects in the area of Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems in Transportation Engineering and Control.áThe ATMS Lab also provides video cameras, recorders, monitors, and accessories for research in traffic detection, monitoring, and analysis, in addition to traffic signal controllers and a variety of traffic data collection devices.

These laboratories form the backbone of the State of CaliforniaÆs research initiative in ATMS The Caltrans UCI Advanced ATMS Testbed, together with the associated detector and surveillance subsystem and the large network traffic simulation software suite, provide unparalleled opportunities for research and development of applications of advanced technology in the management of transportation systems.

The transportation research program at Irvine is supported by the UCI campus libraries and by the ITS Transportation Library at UC Berkeley.In addition to the resources available from the ITS Berkeley Library, ITS Irvine subscribes to all transpiration research journals, and offers a variety of computer-based information retrieval services.ITS maintains a regular publication series which documents research conducted within its programs.The Institute is also the editorial headquarter of four international journals:

Transportation Research, Part A: Policy and Practice Transportation Research, Part B: Methodological Transportation Research, Part C: Emerging Technologies Accident Analysis and Prevention

These journals are among the premier research journals in the field of transportation and are received by over 2,000 subscribes throughout the world.

4. Graduate Degree Programs

The Department of civil Engineering offers both the Master of Science (M.S) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) degrees with a concentration in Transportation Systems Engineering.

M.S. Program

The Master of Science in Civil Engineering degree reflects in advanced levels of competence for professional practice as demonstrated by the achievements of greater breadth than the bachelorÆs degree and by the development of some depth in a specific area of transportation and urban systems engineering.Students may select between two alternative courses of study:ááa Thesis or an All-course Option.

The Thesis Option requires completion of a Master research thesis, the purpose of which is to demonstrate critical judgment, intellectual synthesis, and skill in written communication.The program requires successful completion of minimum of 36 units (quarter system), comprising required and elective formal courses and thesis research.This total includes successful completion of 21 units of core graduate transportation courses (listed in Section 5), other graduate academic unites (selected from courses numbered 200 through 289 in the UCI general catalog), and a maximum of 8 units for the thesis.All graduate students must enroll in the Transportation Engineering Research Seminar each quarter.The MS candidate must meet with an assigned faculty advisor to prepare a plan of study and to select a thesis topic (a sample MS Plan of Study form is attached).Students can normally expect to complete the degree in from one to two academic years.

The All-course Option also requires 36 units, of which at least 30 units must be from graduate-level courses, including the MS Core.No research thesis or comprehensive examination is required.This option allows for the degree to be achieved on a part-time basis.All other requirements are the same as for the Thesis Option.

Ph.D Program

The Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering indicates attainment of a breadth of scholarship, the ability to communicate advanced concepts, and the capacity for independent, innovative research.The doctoral program is tailored to the individual needs of each student, with a detailed program of study (a sample Program of Study form is attached) being formulated in consultation with an advisory committee in consideration of the objectives and preparation of the candidate.The program of study must be approved by the faculty of the School of Engineering.There are several PhD program milestones to be passed:

Admission to the program by the faculty of the School;

Satisfactory completion within one year of entrance of a preliminary examination to assess the studentÆs background and potential for success in the program;

Advancement to candidacy through a formal qualifying examination;

Completion of a significant, independent research investigation and dissertation;

An oral defense of the dissertation.

It is expected that all PhD students satisfy the core course program of the MS Degree Program or its equivalent.Each student must also complete a sequence of three approved courses in mathematics and a minimum of three advanced Transportation courses.PhD degrees are typically earned within two to four year after the MS degree, and within a maximum of seven years. A detailed description of the formal requirements of the Civil Engineering PhD in Transportation systems Engineering is available.

UC Irvine also offers interdisciplinary graduate degrees in Transportation Science.This program is directed toward those individuals who do not have a formal background in either Civil Engineering or Economics but who desire to pursue advanced studies in transportation.

As part of their program of study, students enrolled in the Ph.D program must complete at least three advanced transportation courses (selected from CE 220b, CE221b, CE223b, CE224b, CE225b, CE226b, and CE229b) and three advanced mathematics and statistics courses selected from the following:

5. Transportation Systems Engineering Courses

The following courses are taught by transportation and other Civil Engineering faculty.All undergraduate transportation courses are offer each academic year.All MS Core transportation courses are taught annually; other courses typically are taught in alternating years.Courses are identified with the associate faculty and quarter offered.

Undergraduate Transportation Courses

Graduate Transportation Courses

MS Core courses ( shown in bold ) are typically taught annually; other courses typically are taught in alternating years.

Other Selected Graduate Courses

6. Further Information

For further information on the Transportation Systems Engineering program, contact:

Dr. Stephen G. Ritchie Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA 92697-2175 [email protected]

For further information on the program in Transportation Science, please contact:

Dr Jean-Daniel Saphores Institute of Transportation Studies University of California , Irvine Irvine, CA 92697-3600 [email protected]

ITS Homepage: http://www.its.uci.edu

CEE Homepage: http://www.eng.uci.edu/dept/cee/

For a graduate application and financial aid information, please contact:

April Heath Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of California , Irvine Irvine, CA 92697-2175 [email protected] 949-824-0584

Recent News

All Rights Reserved 2022

• Program Walkthrough
• International Students
• Tuition & Financial Aid
• Request Info
• Civil Engineering Articles
• What is Transportation Engineering?

October 25, 2021

Share this on social media:

Professionals in transportation engineering careers play a pivotal role in the implementation of transportation advancements by combining technical knowledge and creative thinking skills.

For example, Assistant Professor Mehrnaz Ghamami of Michigan State University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering developed a comprehensive framework for analyzing issues related to electric vehicles . The results and recommendations from the project are now being used to develop a statewide network of electric vehicle charging stations, which will change the outlook of sustainable transportation in Michigan for years to come.

Government agencies, industry companies, and engineering firms all need insights from professionals that can guide the development of transportation projects. A master’s in civil engineering with a focus in transportation engineering will prepare you to design and preserve the next generation of transportation infrastructure.

What Is Transportation Engineering?

Transportation engineering is a branch of civil engineering that involves the planning, design, operation, and maintenance of transportation systems to help build smart, safe, and livable communities.

Any system that moves people and goods from one place to another falls under the scope of transportation engineering, which includes:

• Highways and roadways
• Oil pipelines
• Public transport systems
• Traffic control systems
• Automated transport systems
• Space transport systems

What Does a Transportation Engineer Do?

In planning projects, transportation engineers gather relevant data on the population in the surrounding area, travel patterns, socioeconomic characteristics, laws and ordinances, and financial resources. They consolidate this information and use decision-support tools to develop, design, and deliver various types of transportation projects in consideration of various performance measures (e.g., operations, safety, environmental impacts).

While their professional duties vary based on job level and specialization, some of the most common responsibilities of a transportation engineer are:

• Draft design and construction plans for new transportation systems
• Investigate traffic problems and identify solutions
• Analyze engineering data and draw conclusions and recommendations
• Estimate project budgets for labor, materials, and equipment
• Discuss plans with contractors, local organizations, and the public
• Inspect completed projects to ensure safety and compliance to standards
• Model transportation systems to assess impact
• Oversee survey, staking, and layout of projects
• Present reports and proposals to stakeholders

What Skills Do Transportation Engineers Need?

To pursue transportation engineering as a career, it’s crucial to develop both technical skills and interpersonal skills. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, some of the most common skills requested in transportation engineering positions are :

• Technical knowledge in engineering and technology
• Project management skills
• Knowledge of design techniques and principles
• Ability to use analytical software
• Proficiency in computer-aided design software
• Problem-solving skills
• Written and oral communication skills

One option for building these skills while gaining experience on industry-standard software is to look for a master’s with a transportation engineering specialization . In Michigan State University’s M.S. in Civil Engineering , for instance, students learn to solve complicated infrastructure problems while working with industry-adopted programs such as computer aided design (CAD) software , Highway Capacity Software (HCS), traffic simulation software (e.g., Synchro/SimTraffic, VISSIM), statistical analysis software, and more.

What Jobs Are Available in the Field of Transportation Engineering?

There are many career paths you can pursue in the field of transportation engineering, including jobs in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The most common employers of transportation engineers are transportation corporations, construction companies, state and local governments, and engineering firms.

Transportation engineers typically spend their work days in an office environment, but some jobs require travel outside of the office for assessment and coordination of construction projects.

Based on education and experience, transportation engineers may choose to further specialize as highway engineers, traffic engineers, or safety engineers. Highway engineers, for example, are responsible for researching, planning, and constructing roads, bridges, and tunnels.

Regardless of potential specializations, transportation engineers who want to take on higher-level responsibilities such as independent decision-making and project oversight should consider graduate-level education and possibly licensure (see box). Nearly half of all senior engineer job postings in the transportation sector required an advanced degree, according to Burning Glass.

To advance your career prospects and earning potential as a transportation engineer, you can seek licensure as a professional engineer (PE). With a PE license, engineers become qualified to prepare, sign and seal, and submit engineering plans for clients. On average, transportation engineers with a PE license earn about $5,000 more per year than their counterparts without a license.

To qualify as a PE, you must:

• Graduate with a four-year degree from an ABET-accredited engineering program
• Pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam to become an engineer intern
• Gain requisite amount of professional experience under a PE’s supervision
• Pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in the next few years, the work of transportation engineers will primarily involve repairing and rebuilding deteriorating transportation infrastructure, such as bridges, roads, and airports. Aside from rebuilding existing infrastructure, transportation engineers will also play a key role in designing innovative, data-driven transportation systems that optimize sustainability, safety, and quality of life.

About Michigan State University’s Online M.S. in Civil Engineering

Students in Michigan State University’s online Master of Science in Civil Engineering develop the skills to design and maintain the next generation of infrastructure. Designed to fit into the schedules of busy professionals, this 100% online master’s program explores data-driven strategies to design pavements and transportation systems for optimal safety, durability and sustainability.

As a top-tier research university with its own vast transportation system on campus, MSU offers students exceptional access to industry resources and real-world data. Our faculty features top thinkers in transportation and pavement engineering who teach advanced quantitative methods and industry-standard software tools. Master’s students create customized program plans so they can graduate with the skills they need to solve real problems and excel in their careers.

Request Brochure

To learn more about Michigan State University’s online master’s programs in engineering and download a free brochure , fill out the fields below to request information. You can also call us toll-free at (888) 351-8360.

Michigan State University has engaged AllCampus to help support your educational journey. AllCampus will contact you shortly in response to your request for information. About AllCampus . Privacy Policy . You may opt out of receiving communications at any time.

* All Fields are Required. Your Privacy is Protected. Are you enrolling from outside the US? Click here.

Related Categories:

Connect with us.

[email protected] (888) 351-8360

Online Programs

• Civil Engineering Program
• Civil Engineering Curriculum
• Electrical and Computer Engineering Program
• Electrical and Computer Engineering Curriculum
• Mechanical Engineering Program
• Mechanical Engineering Curriculum
• Engineering Careers
• MSU Engineering Faculty
• Awards, Accreditation & Rankings

Get Started

• Chat With Us

If you're having accessibility issues, please let us know .

Request For Proposals

Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) has continuing funding from the State of California related to the seismic performance of transportation systems. To optimally use these funds, PEER Research Committee solicits proposals through the RFP process, usually issued in Fall.

PEER TSRP – Request for Proposals: Solicitation PEER-TSRP 22-01 and 22-02, December 2022 - Now Open

The deadline to submit technical proposals is 11:59pm (PT) February 28, 2023 Submit questions to [email protected] by January 31, 2023

• Download the blank proposal form (Word file, 45 KB)
• Main RFP on 6 Topics - Download the Solicitation TSRP-PEER 2022-01, December, 2022 Announcement  (PDF file, 66 KB)
• Testbed RFP - Download the Solicitation TSRP-PEER 2022-02, December, 2022 Announcement (PDF file, 53 KB)
• Submit Proposal Here
• TSRP Questions and Answers - To be updated as we receive questions

PEER TSRP – Request for Proposals: Solicitation PEER-TSRP 21-01 and 21-02, September 2021 - Now  Closed

The deadline to submit technical proposals is 11:59pm (PT) November 1, 2021 Submit questions to [email protected] by October 15, 2021

• Download the blank proposal form   (Word file, 41 KB)
• Single Topic RFP - Download the Solicitation TSRP-PEER 21-01, September, 2021 Announcement  (PDF file, 121 KB)
• Workshop RFP - Download the Solicitation TSRP-PEER 21-02, September, 2021 Announcement (PDF file, 139 KB)
• TSRP Questions and Answers  - (Updated 10/19/2021)

PEER TSRP – Request for Proposals: Solicitation PEER-TSRP 20-02, September 2020 - Now Closed!

The deadline to submit technical proposals is 11:59pm (PST) November 2, 2020 The deadline to submit questions to [email protected] is 5pm (PDT) September 30, 2020

• Download the blank proposal form   (Word file, 100 KB)
• Download the Solicitation TSRP-PEER 20-02, September, 2020 Announcement (PDF file, 143 KB)
• TSRP Questions and Answers - Posted 10/02/2020

PEER TSRP – Request for Proposals: Solicitation PEER-TSRP 19-01, September 2019 - Now Closed

The deadline to submit technical proposals is 11:59pm (PST), November 3, 2019 (posted October 30, 2019, supercedes date in Solicitation) The deadline to submit questions to [email protected] is 5pm (PDT), October 15, 2019.

Center for Transportation Research and Education

CTRE | News

InTrans / Mar 22, 2024

PROSPER’s Ceylan receives 2023 Robert Horonjeff Award from ASCE

Program for Sustainable Pavement Engineering and Research ( PROSPER ) Director Halil Ceylan will receive the American Society of Civil Engineers ( ASCE ) Robert Horonjeff Award , ASCE’s Board of Governors of the Transportation and Development Institute recently announced.

The award recognizes outstanding achievements in, and contributions to, the advancement of the field of air transportation engineering. Ceylan will be presented with the award at the ASCE International Conference on Transportation and Development to be held in June in Atlanta, Georgia.

“Receiving this prestigious award will be a significant moment for me, representing the collective effort of the PROSPER/PEGASAS research group and our collaborators,” Ceylan said.

In addition to his work on sustainable pavements through PROSPER, Ceylan is also the Iowa State University site director for the Federal Aviation Administration’s Center of Excellence for Partnership to Enhance General Aviation Safety, Accessibility, and Sustainability ( PEGASAS ).

Ceylan, a Pitt-Des Moines, Inc. endowed professor in Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering (CCEE) at Iowa State University, has received numerous awards and recognition from ASCE, most recently being named a Distinguished Member .

Ceylan offered his appreciation to PROSPER and PEGASAS team members for their work that led him to receive the recognition. He also thanked sponsors, collaborators, and colleagues for their support.

“This accolade is not merely a reflection of my endeavors but is emblematic of our shared dedication to excellence in engineering education and research,” Ceylan said.

Ceylan’s research through PEGASAS has focused on electrically conductive concrete heated pavement systems, with the first test site placed at the Des Moines International Airport.

“This research is profoundly impactful, addressing the problem of snow- and ice-covered airfields leading to flight delays and cancellations during winter weather events,” reads in part ASCE’s announcement on Ceylan’s award. “Dr. Ceylan’s groundbreaking research aims to keep airports, as well as other transportation infrastructure systems, safe, open, and accessible during such adverse weather conditions.”

Read more about Ceylan’s recognition from the ASCE announcement and learn about PROSPER’s heated pavement system research from the project page and a news article on a previous award the project received.

Latest News

InTrans / Mar 20, 2024

PROSPER project finds long-term benefits from Otta seal treatments

Smartphone app aids agencies in collecting road data.

InTrans / Mar 12, 2024

CP Tech Center publishes reduced carbon guide

Cookie Acknowledgement

This website uses cookies to collect information to improve your browsing experience. Please review our Privacy Statement for more information.

• College of Engineering
• News Center

Auburn's Highway Research Center makes Alabama’s transportation system better

Published: Mar 21, 2024 9:30 AM

By Dustin Duncan

If a transportation project is happening at Auburn University, it's probably coming through the Highway Research Center (HRC), which operates under the Auburn University Transportation Research Institute (AUTRI) umbrella.

The HRC — part of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering — is leading the charge in Alabama and the United States to ensure industry professionals have the latest technologies and guidelines for designing, constructing and maintaining highways and bridges.

The HRC covers the sustainability, resilience, safety, bridge engineering, geotechnical engineering, large-scale testing, materials, stormwater management, construction management, traffic operations, roadway design and workforce development associated with the transportation system.

Established in 1985, the HRC supports Alabama's highway industry through a coordinated research program. Many projects within the HRC partner with the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), but others extend to the U.S. Department of Transportation, other national transportation agencies and other universities.

Anton Schindler , director of the HRC and Mountain Spirit professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , said the HRC makes transportation more efficient, safe, resilient and durable in Alabama.

"Transportation is the fundamental reason we have so much development in the state," Schindler said. "We work to have better, safer and more efficient highways and bridges."

The HRC performs research to improve the safety, user-friendliness, sustainability, longevity and return on investment of Alabama's highway infrastructure. The HRC houses civil engineering sub-disciplines required for highway design, construction, maintenance, rehabilitation and operation. These sub-disciplines include:

• Construction
• Environmental
• Geotechnical
• Hydraulics and Hydrology
• Pavements and Materials
• Transportation

Civil and environmental engineering students collaborating with the HRC can work with accomplished faculty and the best facilities in the world, including the Advanced Structural Engineering Lab (ASEL) and the Stormwater Research Facility. 

"Students here are working in world-class facilities solving local and national transportation issues," Schindler said. "We prepare our students for life in the industry or their future academic careers."

The HRC also annually offers a graduate student scholarship in honor of Buddy Cox, a U.S. Air Force veteran, Auburn alumnus and 25-year ALDOT engineer. The center also supports students' attendance at the Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board in Washington, DC, each year, which allows students to present their work to a national audience.

"We want our students to do high-quality work here and then present it nationally," Schindler said. “That gives them exposure to a large audience, and by hearing others, they can bring back additional knowledge to enhance their own work."

Additionally, the HRC is responsible for organizing the technical program for the Alabama Transportation Conference , which was held for the 67th time this year and hosted about 1,000 transportation professionals.

The HRC is steered by an advisory committee that guides center policies and research initiatives. The committee, which comprises engineering faculty, ALDOT engineers and various transportation professionals throughout Alabama, is appointed by the dean of engineering.

Whether it’s faculty developing a wrong-way driving guide to be distributed nationwide, making recommendations on avoiding sinkholes, testing bridge components, keeping our construction stormwater clean, or working with community colleges to support workforce development by providing CDL licenses, the HRC is engaged in all things transportation.

“We're civil and environmental engineers by nature, and by being practical and applying sound engineering principles, we design our transportation system to make the world a better place," Schindler said. "That's what we do here at the Highway Research Center."

Pictured is the Bibb Graves Bridge over the Coosa River in Wetumpka, Alabama.

Featured Faculty

Civil Engineering

Recent Headlines

We want to offer you the best possible service on our website. For this purpose, we store information about your visit in cookies. For more details, or to find out how to change cookie settings please follow this link . By closing this message without changing the settings, you agree to the usage of cookies.

News Releases

Technology Others

Konica Minolta’s Research Proposal on Ultrasonic Nondestructive Inspection Selected for JAXA’s Request for Proposals (RFP) Aiming to Be Used for Defect Evaluation of Reusable Launch Vehicles

March 21, 2024

Tokyo (March 21, 2024) - Konica Minolta, Inc. (Konica Minolta) today announced that its R&D proposal has been selected for the third Request for Proposals (RFP) under the Innovative Space Transportation Programs* of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The Company will conduct joint research with JAXA on the selected research theme.

Selected Research

Research on efficient inspections and maintenance of CFRP vehicles using ultrasonic nondestructive inspections

Background of the Research Proposal

When reusable launch vehicles are launched frequently in the future, a technology will be required to efficiently inspect and restore recovered vehicles. At present, in the aircraft field and rockets, defects of vehicles made from carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs) are evaluated mainly by conducting nondestructive inspections based on hammering and ultrasonic waves. However, for large structures, including aircraft and rockets, the current ultrasonic nondestructive inspections alone are time-consuming and costly. Thus, an efficient system is expected to be required in the future by combining screening technology for abnormal parts based on appearance data gathered by cameras and other devices and AI technology with ultrasonic inspections to visualize the internal structure of parts in which abnormalities have been detected.

Under this proposal, research will be conducted with the aim of putting quantitative, efficient nondestructive inspection technology to practical application to ensure structural integrity using Konica Minolta’s ultrasonic inspection technology.

Konica Minolta’s Ultrasonic Inspection Technology

Konica Minolta’s ultrasonic inspection technology is based on diagnostic ultrasound systems of the Healthcare Business. High-definition images that clearly show the fiber structure of muscle fascicles and nerve fascicles, which are just several tens to hundreds of micrometers thick, were made possible by the development of an ultra-wideband, high-sensitivity linear probe and image improvement by Triad Tissue Harmonic Imaging, which won the 16th Technology Award of the Japan Society of Ultrasonics in Medicine, and have been highly evaluated particularly in the fields of orthopedics and anesthesiology. Diagnosis is assisted by various image processing solutions as well as a navigation function to perform automatic calibration required for measurement and an automatic detection assistance function.

Konica Minolta has been actively studying possibilities to apply this ultrasonic technology to solving social issues in the future. One possibility is to use ultrasonic nondestructive inspections for the reuse and recycling of CFRPs, which will be increasingly used going forward. Ultrasonic nondestructive inspections will be made more efficient by integrating automation technology into high-definition imaging technology, thus making products lighter and more compact.

* Innovative Space Transportation Programs https://www.kenkai.jaxa.jp/eng/research/kakushinyusou/kakushinyusou.html

For More Information

• Konica Minolta's Medical Ultrasound Imaging Technology

Back to Newsroom Top

An official website of the United States government

Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS. A lock ( Lock Locked padlock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Multimedia Gallery

Research Areas

Return Home

Researcher dives under diatom-coated sea ice in the Ross Sea

A researcher with the 2019 PolarTREC expedition dives under diatom-coated sea ice in the Ross Sea, Antarctica. The expedition studied the thermal sensitivity of embryos and larvae of Antarctic marine ectotherms. [Research supported by U.S. National Science Foundation grant OPP 1918637.] Read more about the 2019 PolarTREC expedition . (Date of image: 2019; date originally posted to NSF Multimedia Gallery: March 22, 2024)

Credit: Aaron Toh; courtesy of Amy Osborne (PolarTREC 2019); courtesy of ARCUS (available under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International )

Special Restrictions: This photo is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International .

General Restrictions: Images and other media in the National Science Foundation Multimedia Gallery are available for use in print and electronic material by NSF employees, members of the media, university staff, teachers and the general public. All media in the gallery are intended for personal, educational and nonprofit/non-commercial use only. Images credited to the National Science Foundation, a federal agency, are in the public domain. The images were created by employees of the United States Government as part of their official duties or prepared by contractors as "works for hire" for NSF. You may freely use NSF-credited images and, at your discretion, credit NSF with a "Courtesy: National Science Foundation" notation. Additional information about general usage can be found in Conditions .

Also Available: Download the high-resolution JPG version of the image. (11.5 MB) Use your mouse to right-click (Mac users may need to Ctrl-click) the link above and choose the option that will save the file or target to your computer.

Search form

You are here, a path toward low-carbon concrete.

A research team led by civil and environmental engineering associate professor John T. Fox , has secured a $2 million grant from the Department of Energy to tackle the environmental impact of traditional concrete production. Their innovative proposal aims to develop a low-carbon alternative binder using low-temperature calcined clays, potentially halving CO 2 emissions compared with existing methods of producing Portland cement. With collaboration from industry leader Buzzi Unicem USA, the project seeks to revolutionize the concrete industry, offering a promising pathway toward greater sustainabilty.

The team also includes CEE professors Clay Naito and Paolo Bocchini , as well as Carlos Romero , director and principal research scientist of Lehigh's Energy Research Center.

“This grant shows the opportunities of synergy between academia and industry and how it could lead into high level and impactful research," says Shamim Pakzad , professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. "I am particularly excited about the expansion of the research portfolio of CEE departments into this area of greener cement, which opens many opportunities for future research and implementation in industry.”

Read the full story on the Institute for Cyber Phyiscal Infrastructure and Energy (I-CPIE) website. 

John T. Fox, associate professor, civil and environmental engineering

Related News

Lehigh ise faculty larry snyder has been elected as a fellow of iise, a perfect storm: assessing the deadly impact of climate-driven flooding and cyber attacks, special journal issue honors glass researcher himanshu jain, lessons in sustainability: from uruguay to lehigh.