Completed Projects
Funded by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (Award #IDEA 246), the project “Developing a Method for Selecting Low-Energy Mixing and Compaction Temperatures for Asphalt Mixtures Considering Asphalt Lubrication and Aggregate Characteristics” supported UW–SHRC researchers in developing a method for determining asphalt mixture mixing and compaction temperatures better than currently used methods. The method was based on asphalt binder lubricating properties and critical aggregate properties and involved developing a new tribological test to measure asphalt lubrication ability, along with an innovative method to more appropriately determine mixture mixing and compaction temperatures with desired aggregate coating and mixture workability based on advanced data analysis methods. The result from this research significantly lowers the asphalt mixture mixing temperature and compaction effort, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and saving energy. It also significantly improves the aggregates' packing, mixture density and binder film distribution and therefore, mixture mechanical performance.
Funded by the National Science Foundation (Award #1932452), the project “CPS: Small: Cyber-Physical Phases of Mixed Traffic with Modular & Autonomous Vehicles: Dynamics, Impacts and Management” supported UW–SHRC researchers in advancing the fundamental understanding of how modular and autonomous vehicles interact with traditional traffic systems. The research developed a cyber-physical framework to model the dynamic behaviors and phase transitions of mixed traffic, exploring their implications on traffic flow, safety, and infrastructure management. By integrating control theory, traffic dynamics, and computational tools, the project laid the groundwork for more adaptive and efficient traffic management strategies, contributing to SHRC’s vision for intelligent and sustainable transportation systems.
Funded by the National Science Foundation (Award #1453949), the project “CAREER: Pathway to a Driverless Highway Transportation System: A Behavior Analysis and Trajectory Control Approach” supported UW–SHRC researchers in advancing the fundamental understanding of how automated vehicles can coexist with human drivers in future highway systems. The project developed new methods to analyze driver behavior and design trajectory control strategies that improve not only the performance of automated vehicles, but also the overall safety, efficiency, and user experience in mixed traffic environments. A virtual highway experimentation platform was created by integrating high-fidelity driving and traffic simulators, enabling the collection and decomposition of detailed vehicle trajectory data for interaction pattern discovery. The outcomes laid the foundation for trajectory-based traffic control frameworks and informed future transitions toward fully automated highway systems. The project also featured a strong educational component, including an interactive virtual traffic lab to enhance engineering instruction and outreach to high school students and underrepresented groups.
The project “Vehicle-Based Sensing for Energy and Emission Reduction”, funded by the Center for Transportation, Environment, and Community Health (CTECH), supported UW–SHRC researchers in developing a physics-informed neural network to estimate tire–road friction using data from automated vehicle (AV) sensors such as cameras, radar, and lidar. Ground truth was established using a runway friction tester during field experiments, which collected over 15,000 GPS and vehicle dynamic data points. By incorporating the magic tire model and a slip-slope factor into the model’s loss function, the approach achieved fast convergence and high accuracy. The findings highlight the potential of AV-based sensing to improve transportation system awareness related to mobility, energy, and emissions, supporting SHRC’s mission to advance intelligent, sustainable highway infrastructure.
The project “Large-Network Multi-Level Control for CAV and Smart Infrastructure: AI-Based Fog-Cloud Collaboration” supported UW–SHRC researchers in developing a scalable, multi-level control framework for connected and automated vehicle (CAV) networks. As future smart infrastructure systems generate increasingly complex and voluminous data, centralized decision-making becomes infeasible. This research introduced a fog-cloud collaborative architecture that decomposes large transportation networks into smaller, manageable subsystems. Low-latency, region-specific decisions are assigned to the fog layer, while computationally intensive, system-wide optimizations are managed at the cloud layer. By using AI to filter relevant information and tailor decisions to task-specific needs, the framework improves system responsiveness, reduces redundancy, and supports real-time, distributed control.
The project “Using Virtual Reality Techniques to Investigate Interactions Between Fully Autonomous Vehicles and Vulnerable Road Users”, funded by the Center for Connected and Automated Transportation (CCAT), explored how communication between fully autonomous vehicles (FAVs) and vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and bicyclists, may be disrupted in the absence of human driver cues. In current traffic systems, pedestrians rely on informal signals like eye contact, gestures, and facial expressions to assess driver intent and make safe crossing decisions. With Level 5 automation, such cues are no longer present, potentially increasing misunderstanding and safety risk. This project used immersive virtual reality simulations to study how pedestrians perceive and react to FAVs, incorporating behavioral observations and socio-demographic data. By analyzing participants’ crossing decisions and trust levels in simulated environments, the study aimed to identify effective external interface designs for FAVs that can re-establish intuitive and safe communication with non-motorized road users.
The UW-MARC researchers are currently focused on critical research with FHWA about the Transportation Pooled Fund Program TPF-5(352) Project "Long-Term Performance of Asphalt Concrete Mixed with RAP and RAS". The objective of this research is to understand long-term performance of asphalt concrete mixed with high contents of rejuvenated RAP and RAS. The information from the results of this research is needed so that the engineers have the confidence in increasing RAP and RAS for the design and specification of recycled asphalt concrete for sustainable pavement construction. Please concat MARC If you would like to have more information about this project.
The UW-MARC has completed the WHRP 0092-17-06 (PDF, 1.94 MB) Project on "Investigation of Tack Coat Materials Tracking Performance". This research was funded through the Wisconsin Highway Research Program by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. The intent of this project is to perform a critical evaluation of the materials and application methods used in Wisconsin for tack coats in order to provide recommendations that make tack coat usage more efficient and effective.
The UW-MARC has completed the WHRP 0092-17-04 (PDF, 1.94 MB) Project on "Field Aging and Oil Modification Study". This research was funded through the Wisconsin Highway Research Program by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. The intent of this project is to select the laboratory aging method that best represents aging of mixtures produced in the field and to define the testing requirements for the Hamburg Wheel Tracking Test as they pertain to estimating performance of mixtures in Wisconsin
The UW-MARC has completed the WHRP (0092-14-20) TPF-5 (302) (PDF, 1.67 MB) Pooled Fund Project on "Modified Binder (PG+) Specifications and Quality Control Criteria". The state partners on this project were Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The intent of this project is to provide essential information to state and local agencies to support standardization of PG+ specifications by identifying PG+ test methods that are reproducible and show promise in simulating actual field performance.
The UW-MARC has completed the WHRP 0092-15-04 (PDF, 5.96 MB) Project on "Analysis and Feasibility of Asphalt Pavement Performance-Based Specifications for WISDOT". This research was funded through the Wisconsin Highway Research Program by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration.
North Carolina State University in partnership with UW-MARC has completed the NCHRP 9-50 Study on "Performance-Related Specifications for Asphaltic Binders Used in Preservation Surface Treatments".
The UW-MARC in partnership with Western Research Institue, Texas A&M University, University of Nevada-Reno, Advanced Asphalt Technologies, and National Center for Asphalt Technology has completed the 7-year project Asphalt Research Consortium under a cooperative agreement with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), bringing an extraordinary depth and range of asphalt experience to bear on significant needs of the asphalt community.
The University of Minnesota in partnership with UW-MARC, University of Illinois, and Iowa State University, has completed the Pooled Fund Study on Low Temperature Cracking of Asphalt Pavements - Phase II
MARC has completed the research for NCHRP Project 09-45 to develop tests for characterizing fillers for hot mix asphalt, working in partnership with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Mathy Technology and Engineering.