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July 2006
Research Conference Coverage
Road research and partnerships for MnROAD
The three speakers in this session discussed the past, present, and future of road research and partnerships in Minnesota related to MnROAD, the cold-regions research lab on I-94 near Albertville, Minnesota.
First, Derek Tompkins, a graduate research assistant under Associate Professor Lev Khazanovich of the Department of Civil Engineering, gave a preview of the “MnROAD Lessons Learned” project, which is slated to conclude in fall 2006. The comprehensive review is a research initiative between Mn/DOT and the University of Minnesota.
Fred Corrigan reviewed the background and recent activities of the Transportation Engineering and Road Research Alliance (TERRA). TERRA is the governance structure created in 2004 to attract additional research partners and chart the future of MnROAD.
The new structure, with its emphasis on including stakeholders from different segments of the transportation world, allows TERRA to take a more entrepreneurial approach to research at MnROAD than was feasible under the previous system, said Corrigan, cochair of TERRA. The TERRA structure also encourages collaboration among stakeholder groups that would otherwise have a difficult time coming together to solve problems.
A TERRA Web site is being created by CTS, and other tools will be developed to make sure research is accessible. “Communications are key to everything we do,” Corrigan concluded.
The last speaker was Ben Worel, MnROAD operations engineer. Priorities for future research were identified by TERRA members over the last year, he said. These projects, with both national and regional interest, will define the 2007 construction season. Several high-priority ideas were posted for pooled funds on topics such as low-temperature cracking, materials properties, and environmental effects.