Research Section

Mission

We deliver knowledge solutions and innovations so that MoDOT can make informed decisions. Research staff administer contract research to outside organizations to solve organizational challenges.

Research projects are focused on how MoDOT can change processes, products or materials in order to do our jobs in the most efficient and economical manner.

The Research Section falls under the Construction and Materials Division within MoDOT and is located in the Central Laboratory building.

What We Do

We develop an annual research program, focusing on strategic areas such as Safety, Bridges, Pavements, Materials, Geotechnical Issues, Erosion Control, Maintenance, Multimodal Transportation, Best Practices and Customer Satisfaction.

The Research Section is also responsible for other activities:

AI-Enabled Vision System for Intersection Analytics

This project developed and demonstrated an AI-enabled vision system for intersection analytics capable of automatically generating Turning Movement Counts (TMCs) and integrating them with Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) data to evaluate traffic signal performance. Using existing Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) CCTV (Closed Circuit Tele...

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Traffic Disruption-free Bridge Inspection Initiative with Robotic Systems

The current practice of bridge inspection requires the use of snooper trucks and, when parked on bridges, the control of passing traffic, thus causing an operation safety concern for both passengers and inspectors. It also leads to inherently subjective and qualitative results. This pooled-fund study aims to develop case studies on the deployment a...

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GFRP Reinforced Bridge Barriers: Impact Experiment

The reported work includes the experiment testing of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) and steel reinforced concrete bridge barriers. A total of four reinforced concrete barriers were prepared, including three GFRP reinforced barriers and one mild steel reinforced barrier, and cast on two concrete slabs. Impact testing was conducted using a car...

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Shear Wave Velocity Measurements

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) commissioned SCI Engineering, Inc. to investigate cost-effective, non-intrusive geophysical methods for determining time-averaged shear wave velocity (Vs) profiles to a depth of 100 feet, based on anticipated updates to AASHTO seismic site classification specifications. Following a comprehensive lit...

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Testing Survey Methods for Detecting Bats Roosting in Bridges

Bats are a critical component of our natural world, and many species are at risk. Protecting roosting habitat is one way we can help conserve a variety of species. Although many bats use natural roosts, a growing number are adapting to anthropogenic structures due to habitat encroachment. In this study, we tested methods for detecting bats using br...

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Audible Alert and TMA Lighting

Truck Mounted Attenuators (TMAs) are designed to mitigate crash severity. Currently, TMA drivers rely on visual checks via driving mirrors to manually trigger warnings thus placing the duty on drivers. To address this limitation, the Automated TMA Warning System (AutoTMA) replaces or augments manual driver interventions with an AI-enabled, sensor-f...

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