Sustainability in Transportation Infrastructure: Perspective of CREATEs, Rowan University

Abstract

This study presents an approach for improving sustainability in transportation infrastructure developed by the Center of Research and Education in Advanced Transportation Engineering Systems (CREATEs) of Rowan University. This approach consists of two major research components: (a) transportation safety and management and (b) pavement construction materials and practices. First, the effectiveness of the Street-Smart New Jersey pedestrian safety campaign—a behavioral change awareness and a public education campaign were assessed so as to improve compliance with pedestrian and motorist laws. Video data were obtained in eight communities across the state of New Jersey in 2018–2019. The efficiency of the campaign was evaluated by comparing the rates of non-compliant pedestrian and driver behaviors before and after the campaign. The second research component focused on improving the performance of cold in-place recycling (CIR) mixtures using a balanced mix design (BMD) approach. Eight mixtures were prepared at different asphalt contents, compaction efforts, and curing processes. Laboratory testing was conducted to assess the resistance of CIR mixtures to pavement distresses (rutting and cracking) and to select optimum contents of asphalt binders at which the performance of these mixtures is optimal. Three mixtures were then selected to construct full-scale CIR sections using foamed asphalt in varied contents: 2, 3, and 4% by total mix weight, at a constant water content of 3%. All the sections were instrumented with asphalt strain gages, pressure cells, and thermocouples to evaluate the mechanistic responses of each section. A heavy vehicle simulator (HVS) was utilized to apply loading on the pavement sections using: (a) a truck tire with a 40 kN load and (b) an aircraft tire with a 100 kN load. Multiple field tests and visual inspections were carried out to determine: (1) rut accumulation using a surface profiler (2) the structural integrity using a heavy weight deflectometer before and after APT testing, and (3) cracking potential by assessing sensors’ responses. Based on the outcomes of both research components, following the safety campaign can warrant considerable improvements in pedestrian and driver behaviors. In addition, the BMD approach can be used successfully to improve the resistance of CIR pavements to rutting and cracking.