The Grainger College of Engineering
Illinois Center for Transportation

New ICT-IDOT projects

5/16/2024 McCall Macomber

Illinois Center for Transportation is pleased to announce the start of new Illinois Department of Transportation-sponsored projects, from most recent start date.

R27-267: Illinois Flexible Pavement Design and Monitoring
Ramez Hajj and Marshall Thompson, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Charles Wienrank and Brian Hill, Illinois Department of Transportation

Flexible, or asphalt, pavements provide smooth, quiet and skid-resistant roads for the traveling public.

Design procedures and policies for flexible (asphalt) pavements are continually evolving.

This project, building off R27-233, will evaluate IDOT’s current design method and policy documents in terms of dynamic modulus and fatigue endurance limit assumptions. Researchers will evaluate the performance of IDOT’s extended life pavement design projects over the past 20+ years as well as examine the impact of climate change, truck platoons and increased axle loads.

Updated pavement designs have the potential to result in cost savings and improved long-term pavement performance.

The project will end June 2027.

R27-266: Pavement Electromagnetic Energy Harvesting System from Highway-Speed Vehicles
Imad Al-Qadi and Arijit Banerjef, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
John Senger, Illinois Department of Transportation

Energy harvesting technologies in pavement span two main categories: environmental and traffic related. Environment-related technologies include solar, thermoelectric or wind, while traffic-related technologies include electromagnetic, piezoelectric or sound.
Energy harvesting technologies in pavement span two main categories: environmental and traffic related. Environment-related technologies include solar, thermoelectric or wind, while traffic-related technologies include electromagnetic, piezoelectric or sound.

Energy harvesting technologies from pavements generate carbon-neutral power to help meet the transportation sector’s electricity demands.

Researchers will explore energy harvesting technologies in pavements as well as assess potential uses for the harvested energy. They will examine potential challenges in implementing this technology and determine if implementation is feasible.

Harvesting energy from moving traffic could provide energy to various items within the transportation network in remote areas that do not have readily available access to the power grid.

The project will conclude May 2026.