The Grainger College of Engineering
Illinois Center for Transportation

New ICT-IDOT projects

10/22/2023 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.

R27-264: Development of a Pavement Friction Management Program
Yanfeng Ouyang, Ramez Hajj and Erwin Kohler, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Priscilla Tobias, Arora and Associates, PC
John Senger, Illinois Department of Transportation

Pavement friction is critical for helping drivers maintain control of their vehicles and is a critical part of highway safety.

Friction between pavement and vehicles is a key part to highway safety, allowing drivers to change directions safely as well as reducing skidding or hydroplaning.

The aim of this project is to help IDOT develop a statewide pavement friction management program. Researchers will help the agency develop a tool to track areas where friction treatments are needed as well as identify effective treatments.

Better addressing and tracking roadway friction will help IDOT effectively identify areas of concern, determine the best treatment and execute long-term plans to maintain and replace friction treatments statewide, contributing to safe travel for road users.

The project will end February 2026.

R27-262: Developing a Framework for Establishing a Risk-Based Geotechnical Asset Management Program in Illinois
Ahmad Alhasan and Jerry DiMaggio, Applied Research Associates
Heather Shoup and Laura Heckel, Illinois Department of Transportation

Geotechnical assets include elements such as retaining walls, embankments, slopes and foundations, which serve as the foundation for transportation infrastructure.
Geotechnical assets include elements such as retaining walls, embankments, slopes and foundations, which serve as the foundation for transportation infrastructure.

Geotechnical assets serve as a foundation for various components of our transportation system such as pavements and bridges.

This project will establish a framework for a risk-based geotechnical asset management program to be implemented by IDOT. Researchers will establish procedures for data collection, perform condition assessments as well as create a database platform and data management process for geotechnical assets.

Actively managing geotechnical assets will reduce the risk of failures and their resulting impact on the performance of the transportation system, helping to avoid disruptions in service as well as costly and time-consuming repairs.

The project will conclude August 2026.

R27-260: Characterization of the Long-term Behavior of Textured Epoxy-Coated Rebars in Bridge Decks
Bassem Andrawes and John Popovics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Dan Tobias and Mark Shaffer, Illinois Department of Transportation

Photo courtesy of Bassem Andrawes. Epoxy-coated steel reinforcing bars with a smooth surface, left, have been successfully used to reduce the amount of corrosion in bridge decks across the U.S. Epoxy-coated steel reinforcing bars with a roughened or textured surface, right, may further increase the resiliency and durability of bridge decks.
Photo courtesy of Bassem Andrawes. Epoxy-coated steel reinforcing bars with a smooth surface, left, have been successfully used to reduce the amount of corrosion in bridge decks across the U.S. Epoxy-coated steel reinforcing bars with a roughened or textured surface, right, may further increase the resiliency and durability of bridge decks.

Steel reinforcing bars are placed in concrete to strengthen bridges. Placing a textured epoxy coating on rebars not only prevents corrosive materials from damaging them, but also improves the composite behavior between steel and concrete.

The aim of this project is to evaluate the bond between steel, coating and concrete in textured epoxy-coated rebars and verify that the corrosion protection is equal to coated rebars without texture.

If testing is successful, the use of textured epoxy-coated rebars will lead to longer-lasting bridge decks.

The project will conclude December 2026.