Category: Seminars

“Some thoughts on the current state and future of pavement”

ABSTRACT: This talk will prevent a summary of the current state of pavement and pavement practice (local, state, private), and the likely impacts of changes in transportation that will affect how, where and what kind of pavement we produce in the future.  The talk will conclude with some ideas for how to respond to the current state, the expected changes and the challenges of reducing the financial and environmental impacts of pavement with a particular emphasis on pavement as urban hardscape.

BIO: John Harvey is Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of the UC Pavement Research Center (UCPRC) at the University of California, Davis, with additional laboratories at UC Berkeley.  He is Principal Investigator for projects for research, development and implementation for a wide range of pavement technology, management, cost and environmental topics for Caltrans, FHWA, FAA, CalRecycle, the California Air Resources Board, California local government and industry.  His BSCE is from Oregon State University and his graduate degrees are from UC Berkeley.  He is a registered civil engineer in California.

To see the video from the transportation seminar click on the links below

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9xCZZn4lHE

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoag76ed438

Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhyD1s97eCU

Date and time: 

Thursday, April 19, 2018 – 10:45 to 11:45

Location of Event: 

MASON BLDG 1133

Event Type: 

Seminars

“Travel Behavior Implication of Automated Vehicles”

ABSTRACT: The introduction of fully automated vehicles will catalyze changes in travel behavior and activity participation.  Automated vehicles may affect the value of travel time, the amount of travel time, and the quantity and type of vehicle purchases. Additionally, automated vehicles may make travelers willing to commute and travel longer distances, increasing the accessibility of activities that are further away, and impact long term life decisions such as where to live and work, thereby impacting land-use, necessitating additional planning.

Traditional approaches that are currently being employed are limited, because they either focus on safety and human factors rather than travel behavior (driving simulators; controlled test beds), assume travel behavior implications (micro-simulators; network analysis), or ask about hypothetical scenarios that are too unfamiliar to the subjects (stated preference studies). New methods and creative techniques for behavioral experiments are necessary, for example creative applications of stated preferences, focus groups, simulators, analogous modes, gaming, and virtual reality.

This presentation will discuss the travel behavior implications of fully automated vehicles, the methods to model them, and some initial results and recommendations.  The presentation is based on three workshops co-organized by the author on this topic, the 2015 International Association of Travel Behavior (IATBR) conference, and the 2016 and 2017 Automated Vehicle Symposium.

BIO: Yoram Shiftan is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the Technion, and the head of Technion Transportation Research Institute, currently an Israel Institute Visiting Faculty at Northwestern University.   Prof. Shiftan teaches and conducts research in travel behavior with a focus on activity-based modeling and response to policies, the complex relationships between transport, the environment and land use, transport economics and project evaluation.  Prof. Shiftan was the editor of Transport Policy and the chair of the International Association of Travel Behavior Research (IATBR).  Prof. Shiftan received his Ph.D. from MIT and since then has published dozens of papers and co-edited four books: “Transportation Planning” in the series of Classics in Planning; “Transition Towards Sustainable Mobility, The Role of Instruments, Individuals and Institutions”; ”Sustainable Urban Transport”; and “Securing Transportation Systems.”

To see the video from the transporation seminar click on the links below:

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWzdk6xwEi0

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37CpBb2dZiY

Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBlQVVOdZWU

Date and time: 

Thursday, April 12, 2018 – 10:45 to 11:45

Location of Event: 

MASON BLDG 1133

Event Type: 

Seminars

“Sustainability, Resilience and Equity Relationships in Capital Asset Management: Implications for Creating Smart Cities and Regions”

ABSTRACT: In the transportation and other built environment literature and practice, sustainable development planning and analytical frameworks have focused heavily on the triple bottom line (the economy, natural environment and social equity), with relatively less attention paid to social equity. There are outstanding questions as to whether and when simultaneous economic advancement and social equity development is possible, when they are mutually reinforcing or exclusive, and how their integrated or independent treatment in decision making affects regional prosperity and resilience. In particular, with the growing frequency and intensity of natural disasters, it is increasingly important and urgent to investigate the relationship between resilience and sustained regional prosperity.  This talk elaborates on a capital assets conceptual and analytical framework toward characterizing these relationships.  It discusses preliminary findings from portfolio capital studies on transportation systems, institutional arrangements and socioeconomic conditions in selected countries, and identifies directions in research, practice and education to create sustainable, resilient and prosperous cities and regions.

BIO: Adjo Amekudzi-Kennedy is Professor and Associate Chair of Global Engineering Leadership & Research Development at the School of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  Her research and teaching interests are in Transportation/ Infrastructure Asset Management, Transportation Planning, Sustainability Modeling and Engineering Leadership Development. Kennedy is co-author of the textbook: Systems Engineering with Economics, Probability, and Statistics (2012), with authored peer-reviewed publications contributing predominantly to advancing infrastructure/asset management for sustainable development.  She is the Founding Chair of the Committee on Sustainability and the Environment (American Society of Civil Engineers), Founding Co-Director of the Global Engineering Leadership Minor (Georgia Institute of Technology), and serves on the Board on Infrastructure and the Constructed Environment (U.S. National Research Council).

To see the video from the transportation seminar click on the links below:

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ2QZK0XiYc

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Gg8s0CZX-k

Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZKihHrAjqg

Date and time: 

Thursday, April 5, 2018 – 10:45 to 11:45

Location of Event: 

MASON BLDG 1133

Event Type: 

Seminars

“How to Explain Changing Travel Behavior? A Decomposition Approach”

ABSTRACT: The past decades have revealed surprising instability in individual travel patterns. Annual mileage driven has fluctuated by thousands of miles per person and these patterns have been apparent in Europe and North America. This presentation:

• explores how transport researchers have sought to understand the causes of these recent changes and their implications for the future,

• presents a decomposition approach, specifically the Oaxaca-Blinder method, using a case study of English travel patterns between 1995 and 2014, and

• considers the implications for long-range travel forecasting.

BIO: Professor McDonald’s work focuses on how infrastructure investments and technology change influence travel and the downstream impacts on road safety, public health, and planning practice. She is an internationally-recognized expert on the travel behavior of youth and young adults. Her current work explores how shared mobility and autonomous vehicles can impact pedestrian safety, access to healthcare, and goods movement. Prof. McDonald holds a PhD in City & Regional Planning from UC Berkeley and is currently the chair of the City and Regional Planning program at UNC Chapel Hill.

To see the video from the transporation seminar click on the links below: 

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyyg2Xvr1FA

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kPt83p5aAU

Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUzE50C3tKs

Date and time: 

Thursday, February 8, 2018 – 10:45 to 11:45

Location of Event: 

Mason BLDG 1133

Event Type: 

Seminars

“Transportation in Context – In Time and Space”

ABSTRACT: Transportation is key to the economic prosperity and quality of life of a nation.  As the times and circumstances change, transportation and the professions that deliver transportation infrastructure and mobility services have evolved to meet specific requirements.  And always will.  The question is how far will such professional change lag?  Or can it lead?  With a mostly completed and aging surface transportation network, the country is also facing enormous transformational technologies in the transportation field; e.g., electric vehicles, self-driving cars and shared mobility (TNC’s).  Universities are critical to preparing the workforce of tomorrow for the realities of transportation in the future.

BIO:  Mr. King W. Gee is the Director of Engineering and Technical Services for the American Association of State Highway And Transportation Officials (AASHTO), a non-profit, non-partisan association which advocates transportation-related policies and provides technical services to support states in their efforts to efficiently and safely move people and goods. He oversees the development of technical publications and standards for roads and bridges; the development and management of technical services and products (like AASHTOWare and the AASHTO Accreditation Program); the implementation of products from the second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2); and the development of transportation policy and legislative proposals.  Mr. Gee oversees AASHTO’s engagement on connected and autonomous vehicles and transformational technologies from a technical and policy perspective.  Previously, Mr. Gee had a 35 year career with the Federal Highway Administration.

To see the video from the transportation seminar click on the links below: 

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4dUfEZZfE0

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx5U24cw2xE

Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQWEmlqzTDQ

Date and time: 

Thursday, February 1, 2018 – 10:45 to 11:45

Location of Event: 

Mason BLDG 1133

Event Type: 

Seminars

“The Changing Logistics Ecosystem: Technology, Trade, Talent”

ABSTRACT: Logistics is one of the world’s largest, most complex of industries.  It is a foundation for all businesses, a true common-denominator for our global economy and impacts companies of all types and sizes to everyday consumers, whether we see it in action or not. In fact, logistics is not just an industry, it is an Ecosystem where all sectors and participants rely on one another to simply move freight from Point-A to Point-B.

The explosion of multi-channel delivery and the use of “online platforms” including e-commerce, smart-phone based sales (m-commerce), and the emergence of s-commerce tools leveraging Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets are just a few of the factors changing the way we need to look at logistics.  These logistics “change agents” can be thought of in three main categories:  Technology, Trade, and Talent.

BIO: Mr. Siplon is an active industry participant, recognized by DC Velocity Magazine as a “2012 Logistics Rainmaker” which annually identifies the top-ten logistics professionals in the Nation; and named a “Pro to Know” by Supply & Demand Executive Magazine in 2014. Siplon was also selected by Georgia Trend Magazine as one of the “Top 100 Most Influential Georgians” for 2013, 2014 and 2015. He also serves various industry leadership roles at both the State and Federal level. Governor Nathan Deal nominated Siplon to represent Georgia on a National Supply Chain Competitiveness Advisory Committee, where he was appointed to a two-year term by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and was then appointed to serve as its vice-chairman. At the State level, he was selected by then Governor Sonny Perdue to serve as lead consultant on the Commission for New Georgia’s Freight and Logistics Task Force. In this effort, Siplon led a Private Sector Advisory Committee with invited executives from a range of private sector stakeholders including UPS, Coca-Cola, The Home Depot, Delta Airlines, Georgia Pacific, CSX, and Norfolk Southern.

To see the video from the transportation seminar click on the links below:

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-IX2kyymYI&t=3s

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33glvLRosrE

Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWa6DHieh8w

Date and time: 

Thursday, November 30, 2017 – 10:45 to 11:45

Location of Event: 

MASON BLDG 1133

Event Type: 

Seminars

“The Colorado Department of Transportation – Defining the Future of Mobility”

ABSTRACT: The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) knows that next generation mobility (Connected Vehicles (CVs), Automated Vehicles (AVs) and Transportation Network Companies (TNCs)) will save lives and make people’s lives better.  CDOT is being very proactive in this space and is a national leader in building new relationships that will bring these vehicles and services to our roadways sooner then later.  CDOT’s RoadX Program has the sole focus of deploying next generation technologies on our roads today – examples include “Smart 70″, Smart 25 and Smart Pavement”. 

Come hear about what the RoadX Program has done to date and is doing on your behalf – the future of mobility is being defined in Colorado.

BIO: Dr Kozinski is the Director of the RoadX Program at the Colorado Department of Transportation.  In that position, he is responsible for the integration of technology into the transportation system including planning, engineering design and construction.  Peter was appointed to this position in September 2015 after serving 2-years in CDOT’s Office of Major Project Development where he was responsible for developing and delivering Major Projects via innovative delivery methods including Public-Private-Partnerships.

Dr. Kozinski has a diverse background of experience – ranging from Major Projects like I-70 Central ($1.1 billion) and The I-70 Mtn. Corridor ($13 billion solution) to the development of Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) guidance and Colorado’s first proposed vegetated wildlife overpass.

To see the video from the transportation seminar click on the links below: 

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u19QmF8_mgA

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAbKKXJm2yw

Part 3:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgdFuwhruhM

Date and time: 

Thursday, November 9, 2017 – 10:45 to 11:45

Location of Event: 

Mason BLDG 1133

Event Type: 

Seminars

“An Overview of TRANSNET-ATLANTA”

ABSTRACT: The Georgia Tech TRANSNET research team is developing a system model designed to minimize surface transportation energy use via centralized and distributed simulation modeling, data analytics, and participant interaction.  The research includes monitoring of real-time, system-wide, traffic conditions; creating a transportation network space-time memory; implementing pattern recognition to predict traffic responses to system perturbations; developing algorithms to predict in-flight travel times as congestion is evolving; delivering messages to participants to support pre-travel planning and demand-responsive decision making; and estimating energy consumption, travel time, and cost tradeoffs associated with observed changes in departure times, modes, routes, and ecodriving.

BIO: Randall Guensler is a Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. After working for the California Air Resources Board for seven years, and completing his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at the University of California at Davis, Dr. Guensler joined Georgia Tech in 1994. Since arriving at Georgia Tech, Dr. Guensler’s main research focus has been the development of new monitoring and modeling tools to assess the air quality impacts of transportation policies. 

To see the video from the transporation seminar click on the links below:

Part 1 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bugaJl7JiI

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4uT98eqp9g

Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3ybLZiEFuw

Date and time: 

Thursday, October 26, 2017 – 10:45 to 11:45

Location of Event: 

Mason BLDG 1133

Event Type: 

Seminars

“FHWA’s Sustainable Pavements Program and Future Outlook”

ABSTRACT: The FHWA launched the Sustainable Pavements Program in 2010 to advance the knowledge and practice of sustainability related to pavements. The overall objective is to establish a program that considers asphalt, concrete, granular, and other materials in pavement systems including new and emerging materials. A critical outcome of the program is to increase the awareness, visibility, and the body of knowledge of sustainability considerations in all the life cycle phases of pavement systems through reference materials, technology transfer, and the Sustainable Pavements Technical Working Group (SP-TWG). 

BIO: Mr. Wagner is the Team Manager for the FHWA Pavement and Materials Technical Services Team.  His main areas of expertise include implementation of Asphalt Technologies and the Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide.  He has worked with all 50 State Highway Agencies in the development, deployment and adoption of these technologies. 

Ms. Jurado is the RC contact for the Sustainable Pavements Program and a member of the Sustainable Pavements Technical Working Group. Ms. Jurado has an extensive experience in the field of transportation and nondestructive testing; she served as the Resource Center lead for the SHRP2 R06 C Pave IR project. Ms. Jurado worked as a Research Engineer under the FHWA Professional Developmental Program (PDP), at Turner Fairbank Highway Research Center, where she worked with the Portable Seismic Property Analyzer (PSPA) and the Accelerated Load Facility (ALF). As an Area Engineer for the New Mexico Division, she served as the Local Public Agency (LPA) Coordinator for the NM State LPA Program and pavement and materials collateral duties.

To see the video from the transporation seminar click on the links below:

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAbxWFzRn5s

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu2WQkvsOXE

Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNjk30oQGbQ

Date and time: 

Thursday, October 19, 2017 – 10:45 to 11:45

Location of Event: 

Mason BLDG 1133

Event Type: 

Seminars

“Researching Highway Infrastructure Ideas for the Future”

ABSTRACT: In his talk, Dr. Carlson will cover two areas.  In the first area, he will review the possible safety benefits of ADAS features such Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keep Assist. Both of these innovations rely on consistent detection of road markings.  To understand how the markings need to perform, on-going research is currently underway at TTI. The preliminary findings of this research will also be described.  The second area of the presentation will cover a technology approach to asset management where vehicle sensors used for ADAS and AV are being repurposed with crowd sourcing strategies to provide almost real-time inventories and condition assessment information, all geo-coded and provided in a variety of formats for DOT purposes.

BIO: Dr. Carlson is a Research Engineer at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), a member of The Texas A&M University System. He is the Division Head of the Traffic Operations and Roadway Safety Division, where he is responsible for leading a research program broadly focused on safety, design, and operations. He coordinates the state traffic safety and design research, promotes national research initiatives, facilitates sponsor interaction, and manages a number of research projects.

To see the video from the transporation seminar click on the links below:

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aGI6QYAWvE

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYdvP6sy0c4

Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX7ZJIoc0fc

Date and time: 

Thursday, October 12, 2017 – 10:45 to 11:45

Location of Event: 

Mason BLDG 1133

Event Type: 

Seminars