The pavement engineering group recently completed a project that has developed decision trees for patching potholes. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) printed these decision trees on laminated flashcards which are currently being used by different MnDOT districts, and counties and cities of Minnesota.
With these flashcards, the pavement maintenance crew can quickly select the most effective pothole patching method as a function of the location and dimension of the pothole and the season of repair. This project has got media attention and covered by TV and radio channels, along with some news articles.
In another study, this group has been analyzing the performance of various crack sealants used on the cracked asphalt pavements. Many roads from different parts of the state have been included in this study; the team periodically visits selected roads to quantitatively evaluate the performance of various crack sealants. This project will determine the performance- and cost-effectiveness of various crack sealing methods and eventually develop a best practices manual for crack sealing.
The research group’s contribution towards the application of structural fibers in concrete pavements and overlays has drawn national attention. The group is involved with two externally funded projects in this area, one is MnDOT funded and the other one is funded by the National Road Research Alliance (NRRA).
These two projects aim at developing the specification for using fiber reinforced concrete (FRC), and accounting the mechanistic contribution of fibers in concrete pavements and overlays. These two ongoing projects were successful to promote UMD’s resources on the fiber reinforced concrete based research, nationally, and because of this Dr. Barman, the Principal Investigator, was included as a member of the technical advisory committees of two national level FRC projects housed at Iowa.
Research Group
Principal Investigator/Assistant Professor: Manik Barman, Department of Civil Engineering
Post-Doctoral Associate: Uma Arepalli
Graduate Student Researchers: Bryce Hanson, Jared Munch
Under-graduate student researchers: Sam Butler, Lucas Kaari, Corey Crick, Mathew Brettingen, Taylor Brennecke, Morgen Moeen
Visit the Department of Civil Engineering website.