This webinar explored research findings on innovative approaches to managing highway infrastructure. Participants learned about a cost-efficient method for assessing culvert conditions and prioritizing maintenance tasks when highway data is limited. The session also examined the role of condition prediction models in optimizing maintenance budgets for underrepresented assets such as culverts. Further discussion addressed the efficacy of federated learning as a means of data sharing among state departments of transportation, enabling improved prediction accuracy while safeguarding data privacy.
Research at North Dakota State University shows that strategic deployment of advance air mobility, an emerging transportation system that uses highly automated, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, could reduce wear and tear on roads and bridges, reduce congestion, improve safety, and improve delivery reliability for high-value and time-critical goods
Researchers developed five new crash modification factors, which are indicators of expected changes in crashes after implementing innovative intersection designs. Coupled with a traffic simulation procedure, those factors empower agencies to optimize infrastructure investments and save lives without implementing more costly interchanges.
Learn findings on: How Advanced Aircraft Mobility (AAM) can enhance rural freight logistics while preserving ground transportation infrastructure. When/where aerial freight can complement traditional trucking. Practical opportunities to shift specific freight movements to aircraft; and the value of AAM for certain types of goods, such as pharmaceuticals, hazardous materials, and specialized electronics.
