March 12, 2007
News View Article
Pitt Enters Into Agreement With PennDOT to Conduct Research and Education Projects
A solid, years-long working relationship between the University of
Pittsburgh and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT)
has led to the signing of a five-year Intergovernmental Agreement,
effective Jan. 1, 2007, wherein PennDOT will fund up to $5 million per
year in University research, education, or technology transfer projects
addressing transportation issues.
The contract is administered
by Pitt's civil and environmental engineering department (CEE), but
department chair Radisav D. Vidic hopes to pool faculty experts from an
array of Pitt schools and departments in order to tackle any project
PennDOT might propose, including land-use planning and the effects of
urban sprawl.
"PennDOT issues are not only in the area of
civil and environmental engineering, and we want other departments
involved so we can be prepared for whatever PennDOT might require,"
said Vidic.
"We are delighted to enter into this agreement
with Pitt," said Bill Pogash, PennDOT's research division manager. "We
also have a similar agreement with Pennsylvania State University. By
working with the talented faculty and students at both of these
institutions, we hope to strengthen our professional relationship."
In
2004, PennDOT worked with Pitt on a three-year, $2.1 million project to
examine the environmental impact of Interstate 99 construction
activities that will connect I-70 and I-80. Led by CEE professor
Raphael G. Quimpo, the project studies ways to preserve surrounding
wildlife during and after construction, divert road runoff from
spilling into nearby waterways, and minimize the environmental factors
that would cause the road to deteriorate.
In another project,
pavement engineer Julie M. Vandenbossche, a CEE associate professor and
head of Pitt's Pavement Mechanics and Materials Laboratory, is working
on "smart pavement." Sensors within the pavement monitor surrounding
environmental conditions as well as the deformation of the roadway over
time. Her research is being conducted to develop tools that will assist
PennDOT in the design and construction of more cost-effective
pavements. Vandenbossche published an initial report on smart pavement
in 2005 and a project update in 2006. PennDOT officials would like to
continue the project under this new agreement, said Michael Bonini,
PennDOT's program manager for the project.
"Over the last five
years, all of our projects conducted by Pitt faculty have been done on
time, on budget, and with all finished products delivered," Bonini
said.
Another major initiative of this agreement involves
letting students participate in project research and implementation
with the intent of providing real--world learning experiences to
encourage students to consider jobs in transportation-particularly with
PennDOT--later in their careers, Pogash said.
"We have high hopes that the overall project will be successful and benefit both of our organizations," Pogash added.
The
new contract is an intergovernmental agreement, which allows state
agencies such as PennDOT to enter into agreements with Pennsylvania's
state-related universities.
