NEWSLETTER: October 2023

Transconomy, a stand-alone division of iENGINEERING, is excited to share their recent participation in the APWA PWX 2023 conference in San Diego. The company’s representatives, Jonathan Groeger, Vice President of Engineering and Technology, and Alex Vuotto, Infrastructure Business Analyst, successfully showcased Transconomy’s capabilities within the Transportation Asset Management (TAM) industry.

Transconomy takes pride in delivering scalable AI solutions that empower agencies to efficiently identify, locate, and assess the condition of assets within their inventories. The conference provided an opportunity to network with existing clients, past colleagues, and prospective customers and engage in one-to-one discussions with potential partners for upcoming projects of mutual interest. Attendees at the event showed a keen interest in understanding how Transconomy seamlessly gathers roadway images and employs artificial intelligence (AI) to extract and construct GIS-based inventories. They were particularly impressed by the company’s ability to assess pavement conditions, which contributes to more informed decision-making regarding safety and asset performance.

Stay tuned for more updates from Transconomy as they continue to advance innovation in the TAM industry.

Transconomy recently participated in the National Road Research Alliance (NRRA) Pavement Distress Rodeo at the MnROAD site in Albertville, Minnesota. This exciting event was centered around advancing traditional manual distress surveys by employing modern technologies. The Transconomy team conducted multiple runs on the MnROAD test track, utilizing various capture methods, including still photo capture using the Collector app and off-the-shelf video setups. These efforts underscore Transconomy’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of innovation in pavement assessment.

Moving forward, the team will engage in manual ratings and harness the power of their proprietary AI models to analyze the captured images. This analysis will facilitate the generation of MnROAD-specific pavement distress indices using the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) methodology. To ensure comprehensive and accurate results, a comparative assessment will be conducted with other technologies such as LiDAR, drones, video, imagery, 3D laser systems, and additional AI models.

iENGINEERING is delighted to announce the public accessibility of the MnROAD Data Portal 2023. The portal has undergone a significant transformation, featuring a sleek wide-screen design that not only enhances aesthetics but also greatly improves the user experience. Navigating the portal is now smoother and more user-centric.

As part of the MnROAD Data update for 2023, three new roadways have been introduced to the database. Additionally, 153 new sections have been added, broadening the range of available data. iENGINEERING has taken measures to ensure that users have access to the most accurate information by diligently updating data for all existing sections.

These enhancements represent iENGINEERING’s commitment to delivering relevant and up-to-date data to support researchers, policymakers, and anyone interested in the state of roadway infrastructure. Whether conducting research, planning projects, or simply seeking insights into the condition of roads, users will find a wealth of valuable information at the MnROAD Data Portal 2023.

In a significant stride towards advancing infrastructure research and development, iENGINEERING has successfully expanded the database to include new datasets for FHWA InfoMaterials™ for the year 2023. These improvements encompass three new datasets and an augmentation to an existing one, each contributing valuable insights to materials testing and evaluation.

Notably, the Mobile Asphalt Technology Center (MATC) Dataset has been expanded to include data from FHWA MATC Materials Testing Projects for 2022 in Washington, Arizona, and Mississippi. The Dynamic Modulus Test and Cyclic Fatigue Test Refinements (DMCF) Dataset now provides experimental results from small-scale studies. The Erosion Function Apparatus (EFA) Dataset includes subsets covering a variety of erosion-related studies. Lastly, the Large-Scale Direct Shear (LSDS) Dataset incorporates results from tests conducted in 2022, 2018, and 2015, focusing on open-graded aggregates (OGAs) as structural backfill materials. These enhancements promise to significantly enrich the resources available to engineers and researchers, improving the understanding of materials behavior and advancing infrastructure development.

iENGINEERING is pleased to announce the latest release of LTPP InfoPave, featuring a host of new and upgraded features aimed at enhancing user experience on the platform. The commitment to provide valuable pavement performance, traffic, construction, and other data under the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) LTPP program continues with Standard Data Release (SDR) 37.

In addition to the SDR 37, users will find Ancillary Information Management System data available across various segments of the website, including ancillary data selection and download, inspection videos, and manual distress survey options. Furthermore, the website now also boasts a wide-screen user interface (UI), ensuring a seamless and visually appealing experience for all users.

A significant focus has been placed on Analysis Ready Datasets (ARDs), introducing the Analysis Ready Material Datasets (ARMAD) with an incorporated chart feature for enhanced visualization and interpretation. While currently specific to ARMAD, this enhancement lays the groundwork for potential future inclusions such as Analysis Ready Performance Dataset (ARPED), Analysis Ready Climate Dataset (ARCLD), and Analysis Ready Traffic Dataset (ARTRD).

Additionally, six new tables have been integrated to facilitate access to comprehensive pavement condition data within the ARPED. Data augmentation has been conducted for both the ARCLD and the ARTRD. Users can now gain insights into pavement performance events through a dedicated table across all data categories, and a special studies filter streamlines the data search process.

The Multi Variate Trends tab in the trend analysis feature now includes additional data attributes, enabling users to compare two or three variables seamlessly. Hourly climate database (HCD) files, organized by country and state, are now available for bulk download as convenient zip files. Furthermore, the website has been linked to the Transportation Pooled Fund (TPF) website under the library section, serving as a comprehensive repository for LTPP-related TPF studies.

To further facilitate research and analysis, data citations have been integrated, ensuring that all downloaded data can be properly referenced. Moreover, updates have been made to the LTPP directives and library metadata.

These enhancements mark a significant step forward, providing users with even more data-driven insights and a user-friendly experience. Discover the latest features and data offerings on LTPP InfoPave today, and stay tuned for further exciting developments on the horizon!