Research and Innovation at NCDOTNeil Mastin, PE – R&D Manager

2017 RAC Summer Meeting

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NCDOT Annual Research Program Goals

Improve NCDOT Planning, Engineering and Business Practices

Support NCDOT Operations and Maintenance Activities

Conduct research that can be implemented

Develop relationships with researchers so they understand the needs and operations of NCDOT to maximize research benefits

Research and Innovation at NCDOT

How to Innovate? Adapt and Communicate!

Facilitate, Facilitate, FacilitateR&D is an interface between agency

units, researchers and industry

Take external ideas: Your universities and business partners on top of, or the

source of, the latest and greatest

Engage industry

Be involved! You might have to ask.

R&D was not represented on NCDOT Transportation Innovation Council

Research and Innovation at NCDOT

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Innovation Example 1: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

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Gamechanger?

Research and Innovation at NCDOT

…Eventually.

First major project was a mixed bag but did have positive effects internally

Has led to a lot of agency interest but with eyes wide open to issues, both operational and regulatory

Research helps us understand risk of technology and prevent future, larger failures

Two new, but more focused projects in the pipeline

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Research and Innovation at NCDOT

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Chip Seal Research

• NCDOT manages 60,000 miles of secondary roads

• Critical treatment to manage a large portion of those roads

• Involved multiple stakeholders across the agency

• As of two years ago, chip seal operations become outsourced…but…

• …projects continue and results live on in specification and training

Example 2: Chip Seals

(That’s a lot of research)

Research and Innovation at NCDOT

What have we been looking at?

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Seal Improvement Research

Optimizing Gradations for Surface Treatments

Quantifying the Benefits of Improved Rolling of Chip Seals

Performance-Based Analysis of Polymer-Modified Emulsions in Bituminous Surface Treatments

Rolling Patterns

Research and Innovation at NCDOT

Encouraging Innovation

Research can only become an innovation if it’s put into practice

Streamline operations to give R&D staff more time to be

engaged in projects they are managing

Build the idea of implementation in from the very beginning of the process and keep following up as

the project progresses

Formalize the implementation process.

Encourage and support business units with real $$$

Implementation

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Research and Innovation at NCDOT

How are we encouraging implementation and therefore innovation?

Officially Soliciting and Encouraging Tech Transfer Projects

New T2 project to field test and validate the “Tack Lifter” developed during RP2014-03The Research Office helped push our materials office into further investigation

One project manager has been converted to an Implementation Manager to facilitate T2 activities and track deployment across the agency of other projects

Beginning an effort to rapidly move completed state and national research into practice with a focus on implementation and field deployment

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Research and Innovation at NCDOT

Is Risk Worth It?

R&D is a way to manage risk

Much lower exposure to evaluate and test properly than to “just try something new”

However, at some point, the rubber has to hit the road

DOT’s are often risk averse and need a little push – a well evaluated push

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Research and Innovation at NCDOT

We keep NCDOT Personnel informed of opportunities!

• The Research and Development Unit is available to assist• Forms are available on our website

Submit Research Needs Statements

• www.pooledfund.org• Are there any in which you think NCDOT should

participate?

Review Active AASHTO and FHWA Pooled Funds

• Projects that are large, national issues• The R&D can assist in formulating ideas in detailSubmit NCHRP Ideas

• These agreements are low overhead• Projects can be established quickly

Targeted research using Branch/Division/Unit funds and

Master Agreements with Universities

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Research and Innovation at NCDOT

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Thank You

Research and Innovation at NCDOT

jmastin@ncdot.gov919-508-1865