Each year, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) honors the best transportation research projects from each of its four regions with a prestigious High Value Research (HVR) award.
As a member of Region 3, Iowa competes with eight other Midwestern states – Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. After winning 13 HVR awards, (including supplemental HVR awards) in the last 11 years, Iowa is looking to do it again in 2024.
The projects Iowa has submitted for consideration this year are:
Advanced Testing and Characterization of Iowa Soils and Geomaterials. The strength and durability of a pavement’s foundational layers are critical to a road's long-term performance. However, the standard tests that have traditionally been used to assess the characteristics of subgrade materials are not always sufficient for Iowa’s aggregates and soils. This study applied advanced testing methods to produce results that more accurately reflect field conditions.
Modernizing Utility Infrastructure Management: Early Identification and Location of Utility Facilities. As communities grow and become more connected, an increasing amount of utility infrastructure is placed below ground in the public right of way. To better manage these public spaces and improve safety and connectivity for everyone, Iowa DOT collaborated with a variety of public and private stakeholders to develop a database of these unseen pipes and cables and guidance for sharing and maintaining location information.
Actionable Flood Warnings based on Ground-truth Data to Support Iowa DOT BridgeWatch Platform Functionality. With an accurate flood warning, Iowa DOT can take steps to protect the state’s bridges and minimize travel disruptions. However, many of the state’s flood-prone bridges are located outside of the current forecasting network. This research assessed Iowa’s current floodplain maps and developed a long-term plan for extending the forecasting technology to include all of the state’s at-risk bridges.
After reviewing all of the projects submitted by the Region 3 states, AASHTO’s Research Advisory Committee will recognize the winners at the committee’s summer meeting in July. The winning states will also participate in a poster session dedicated to high-value research projects at the annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board in Washington, DC in January 2025.
Learn more about the HVR Awards Iowa has won over the years.
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