February 16, 2017
California generates more than 40 million scrap tires every year. While nearly 75 percent of used tires are recycled, the rest still end up in landfills or illegal dumps. Ground tire rubber can be blended with asphalt to beneficially modify the properties of the asphalt in highway construction. Through the department’s Green Roads program, CalRecycle......
February 16, 2017
The Federal Highway Administration and Rutgers University created the RABIT bridge deck assessment tool, a fully automated device that gathers data to generate a comprehensive assessment of concrete bridge deck conditions. It has completed scans on bridges in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New Jersey. RABIT’s ultimate value is its ability to help bridge owners make......
Robotic inspections are more accurate, less costly
February 16, 2017
The Georgia Department of Transportation partnered with the Georgia Tech Research Institute to create robotic technology that will automatically detect and repair damaged roads. The “Roadbot” is fully automated and requires only a single operator. The Roadbot has the potential to save states significant amounts of money by taking a preemptive approach toward road maintenance.......
Managing Construction Electronically
February 16, 2017
The Michigan Department of Transportation estimates that the agency has saved approximately $12 million annually due to better efficiency, along with six million pieces of paper – that’s a lot of trees! It has reduced its average contract modification processing time from 30 days to three days. The agency used technology on a $150 million......
February 16, 2017
Uber is helping change the way the world moves – expanding into new markets every month with their technology platform connecting riders with drivers through their apps. When users request a ride, riders are matched with the nearest available driver and the GPS-enabled map provides the driver’s location and trip details in real-time. By sharing......
February 16, 2017
The City of Holland, Michigan was facing high demand for power coupled with aging existing facilities. In lieu of a planned and permitted coal-fired project, the Board of Public Works worked with the community to develop a forward-looking energy plan that included significant investment in renewable energy. In 2015, construction began on a $200 million......
February 16, 2017
San Diego Gas & Electric was the first electric utility to get approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to test drones. The utility is testing one pound devices to see how well they monitor transmission lines in four sparsely populated areas of the county. There is the potential for these drones to help locate the......
February 16, 2017
Duke Energy has employed LiDAR technology to fly thousands of miles to map the topography of transmission routes and potential obstacles, capture weather data and electrical loading conditions. The utility is also exploring the idea of using drone technology to investigate power fluctuation at a test site near Charlotte, North Carolina. The site is ideal......
Connected and Autonomous Vehicles
February 16, 2017
Stop-and-go traffic is a reality for most commuters in urban areas, and over 40 percent of America’s major roads are congested. What if we could get more use out of the existing highway capacity we have with driverless vehicles? There is a lot of talk about the convenience for drivers with this new technology, but......
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