Excellentia Eminentia Effectio

"In these pages you will learn about the fascinating research endeavors that each of our faculty members is undertaking. We have divided their research into the broad categories of health, sustainability, information, and systems. While we recognize the imperfect nature of categorizing research that, by its very nature may be interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary, we nonetheless believe it will be helpful as a way to see the depth and breadth of our research endeavors within each grouping. As you read the profiles on these pages, I know you will begin to appreciate that, taken as a whole, the research spectrum at Columbia Engineering is exceptional and that, as our professors go about their work, they are at the cusp of making breakthroughs that will have a major impact on the way we live our lives today and tomorrow.

Decarbonization Pathways for Paraguay’s Energy Sector

In light of the upcoming renegotiation of Annex C of the Treaty of Itaipú, the Ministry of Finance of Paraguay asked Professor Jeffrey Sachs and his team to revisit the 2013 report, with support from the Development Bank of Latin America (Banco de Desarrollo de América Latina [CAF]) and in partnership with the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). CCSI, the Quadracci Sustainable Engineering Lab at Columbia University, and the Centro de Recursos Naturales, Energía y Desarrollo (CRECE) authored the report Decarbonization Pathways for Paraguay’s Energy Sector, published by CCSI in November 2021. The report – available in English and Spanish – integrates the results of three energy models with findings from literature review and expert interviews to provide recommendations for Paraguay to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to meet its climate change commitments under the Paris Agreement by decarbonizing the country’s energy use sectors by 2050 through economy-wide zero-carbon electrification, massive energy efficiency gains, behavioral changes, and institutional reforms

Phase-tuned neuronal firing encodes human contextual representations for navigational goals

We previously demonstrated that the phase of oscillations modulates neural activity representing categorical information using human intracranial recordings and high-frequency activity from local field potentials (Watrous et al., 2015b). We extend these findings here using human single-neuron recordings during a virtual navigation task. We identify neurons in the medial temporal lobe with firing-rate modulations for specific navigational goals, as well as for navigational planning and goal arrival. Going beyond this work, using a novel oscillation detection algorithm, we identify phase-locked neural firing that encodes information about a person’s prospective navigational goal in the absence of firing rate changes. These results provide evidence for navigational planning and contextual accounts of human MTL function at the single-neuron level. More generally, our findings identify phase-coded neuronal firing as a component of the human neural code

Deep Learning Models and Tools for Disaster Evacuation and Routing

MoDOT project # TR202202Engineering managers and transportations planners need robust tools to communicate evacuation routing plans following disruptions from earthquake events. The project will use the New Madrid Seismic Zone in South-East Missouri as a testbed for modeling the response to an earthquake and aftershocks at Magnitude 8+. This area was chosen as it allows solutions to specific regions with inadequate road networks, limited communications protocols, and high likelihood of structural damage for the proposed scenario. Research tasks include identifying road structure damage based on the Mercalli Intensity Scale, running traffic simulations for post-earthquake evacuation to determine the desired routes out of the area. This research will then be able to display the warning of the earthquake event along with the desired route for the end user. Effectively providing the safest navigation routes are a vital part of these planning efforts

Field Demonstration of Post-Consumer Waste Plastics and Ground Tire Rubber in Columbia, Missouri

MoDOT Project #TR202125Research has shown that asphalt pavements can serve as a destination for some of the major streams of waste materials around the globe, such as scrap tires and plastics. Heightened restrictions imposed by China in terms of waste stream contamination in 2018has catalyzed research on incorporating post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics into asphalt pavements. On the other hand, Ground tire rubber (GTR) from scrap tires have been used in asphalt pavements since the 1960s, but has not achieved its full potential in terms of market adoption. A field demonstration project is underway in Columbia, MO, to evaluate the incorporation of modern recycled plastic and GTR in asphalt mixtures

AMR Leader-Follower System TMA Evaluation

MoDOT project # TR202119aTo reduce worker injuries in truck mounted attenuator (TMA) crashes, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is piloting a Leader-Follower TMA system, which allows the worker to be removed from the follower vehicle, in two districts. The objectives of this research study are to evaluate MoDOT\u2019s pilot program for Leader-Follower TMAs in two districts, to synthesize practices of other state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) regarding Leader-Follower TMAs, and to identify obstacles to implementation faced by other state DOTs. The research methodology to meet this objective includes a literature review, DOT survey and interviews, field study, interviews with MoDOT personnel, and economic analysis. Results from field evaluations conducted in this research study and other prior research studies generally show that the system performs as expected, with some challenges related to GPS-denied environment, tight turns, and path deviations. Based on the survey results, four agencies have implemented Leader-Follower TMA systems, 19 agencies are exploring or have previously explored them, and 20 agencies are not exploring their potential use. Overall, the study findings indicate that the Leader-Follower TMA has the potential to be an effective tool in improving safety for workers in mobile work zones. A benefit-cost-ratio (BCR) of 0.83 was calculated in this research study. There is potential for the BCR to increase in the future as costs will likely decrease due to economies of scale. Challenges to implementation are both technical (e.g., GPS signal loss, need for situational awareness of hills and curves, need for performance data, and need for procedures to reset the system when there is no driver in follower vehicle) and non-technical (e.g., legislation, procurement, competing priorities, and lack of awareness of the system and its capabilities). Potential enhancements to help address some of the technical challenges include a supplementary guidance system for loss of GPS signal, a remote reset feature, additional cameras, and a remote alarm trigger

Effectiveness of Speed Management Methods in Work Zones

MoDOT project # TR202115Management of speeds is a significant component of any strategy to reduce work zone crashes. The objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of speed management countermeasures, such as speed display trailer, speed display trailer with red and blue lights, work vehicle with red and blue lights, and active and passive law enforcement, in managing vehicle speeds in work zones. The research methodology includes a review of the existing literature, field study, simulator study, and driver survey. The field study was conducted at a work zone on I-270 in the St. Louis region. All speed countermeasures tested in the field study achieved speed reductions. Active law enforcement was the most effective speed countermeasure for both daytime and nighttime conditions. Thirteen scenarios were studied using a driving simulator. Combining a speed display trailer and active law enforcement was the most effective countermeasure for daytime conditions. Using a speed display trailer by itself was the most effective for nighttime conditions. While respondents to both the driver and post-simulator surveys generally preferred the speed display trailer, they also admitted that the presence of law enforcement would be the most effective in causing them to slow down. Overall, the results of the study indicate that any of the tested countermeasures would help reduce speeds in a work zone. In some instances, deploying multiple countermeasures at the same site was found to be the most effective speed reduction strategy