ICT recently posted requests for proposals (RFPs) soliciting competitive proposals for six new research projects approved by the ICT Executive Committee last February. READ MORE.

How exactly does IDOT define "implementation"? Implementation is the use, adoption, dissemination, or standardization of research findings to modify, create, or support new or current policy, standards, and products for IDOT. Through implementation, research findings help IDOT improve its state of practice. READ MORE.

It’s clear that there is a strong need for structurally sound and well-maintained bridges within the transportation system. IDOT maintains thousands of bridges throughout the state, but the concrete used in these bridges presents maintenance challenges. Bridge decks—the surface that vehicles travel over when crossing a bridge—have a high surface-to-volume ratio, which makes them vulnerable to cracking as a result of shrinkage during the concrete drying process. READ MORE.

Road construction projects affect more than just the flow of traffic—they also alter the flow of stormwater and the amount of sediment transported by this water, leading to pollution of our streams, lakes, wetlands, and reservoirs. READ MORE.

A critical question is how to minimize risks to workers in work zones and to the traveling public. Other important issues are finding ways to use flaggers and spotters more effectively in maintaining work zone safety and mobility and to identify additional methods to manage and direct traffic through a work zone. READ MORE.

Although the ICT research sponsored by IDOT provides numerous benefits to the agency and the citizens of Illinois, a less obvious advantage of these projects is the opportunity they give to students who assist in the research. Students can gain experience preparing literature reviews, conducting experiments, gathering and analyzing data, and writing research reports. They also get to work closely with top researchers in their field of study. READ MORE.

At its February 5, 2014, meeting, the ICT Executive Committee approved funding for 12 new research projects. The project proposals had first been evaluated and prioritized by one of eight technical advisory groups that provided recommendations to the Executive Committee. READ MORE.

Two new reports from research sponsored by the Illinois Department of Transportation have recently been added to the ICT website. READ MORE.

When the first Transportation and Highway Engineering (THE) conference was held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1914, there really wasn’t much of a highway system in Illinois. To celebrate the conference's 100th anniversary, organizers reflected on its history and on transportation studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. READ MORE.

Dr. Tom Scarpas, head of pavement engineering at Delft University of Technology, Netherlands, was this year’s Kent Distinguished Lecture presenter. In his presentation, "Rejuvenation of Asphalt Mixes: Turning Back the Clock," Scarpas discussed research he and his colleagues in the Netherlands are pursuing to reverse stiffening that occurs in bituminous paving as it ages. READ MORE.

The Illinois Center for Transportation has opened registration for its erosion and sediment control workshops. The three modules offered in the workshop series are intended for Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) contractors, inspectors, designers, and others interested in erosion and sediment control and stormwater management best management practices (BMPs) for a sustainable environment. READ MORE.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate students can often be found at all hours of the day at the Advanced Transportation Research and Engineering Lab (ATREL). But this spring, they’ve taken their research on the road to share their enthusiasm about transportation and encourage younger students to consider careers in the field. READ MORE.

ICT recently added a new employee to its staff. Joshua Allen, program specialist, will be assisting with a wide range of ICT activities, including technology transfer, training initiatives and technical conferences, project management, and various publications. READ MORE.

The achievements of several ICT investigators and students have recently been recognized. READ MORE.

James Krstulovich, Concrete Research Engineer with the Illinois Department of Transportation’s (IDOT) Bureau of Materials and Physical Research, has served as a technical review panel (TRP) chair for three ICT/IDOT projects. READ MORE.

Paramita Mondal, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Riyadh Hindi, director of graduate programs and interim chair of civil engineering in Parks College of Engineering, Aviation, and Technology at Saint Louis University, are currently serving as principal and co-principal investigators, respectively, for ICT research project R27-139, Bridge Decks: Mitigation of Shrinkage Cracking (Phase II). READ MORE.

Lori Carpenter, assistant to ICT director Imad Al-Qadi, began working at the Illinois Center for Transportation in April 2009. She is responsible for providing office management and support to the director and for maintaining the daily administrative needs of ICT. READ MORE.

Rebekah Yang, a master’s student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, was recently awarded the Helene M. Overly Graduate Scholarship from the Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS), Greater Chicago Chapter. She plans to continue on toward her doctorate at Illinois next fall. READ MORE.