Environmentally Responsible Transportation Center for Communities of Concern
The Environmentally Responsible Transportation Center for Communities of Concern (ERTC 3) is a Tier 1 University Transportation Center to address the US DOT’s statutory research priority area of preserving the environment.
ERTC3 will perform research to develop innovative approaches that will improve the sustainability, resilience, and equity of transportation infrastructure.
Find out more about ERTC 3Projects
Request For Proposal
2024 – 2025 Request for Proposals The Environmentally Responsible Transportation Center for Communities of Concern (ERTC3) is soliciting proposals for projects to be funded in the 2024 – 2025 funding cycle between 6/1/2024 and 5/31/2025. ERTC3 is a Tier 1 University Transpor...
View projectTraffic Congestion and Asthma-related Hospital Visits in Central TX
Project Description: As one of the most common health diseases that are susceptible to environmental changes in urban neighborhoods, asthma is a major health concern among the disadvantaged populations living in urban neighborhoods with a higher proportion of poverty and racial/ethnic minorities (Co...
View projectIn-pavement Charging for Electric Vehicles to Reduce Air Pollution
Project Description: This proposal aims to develop an in-pavement charging system for electric vehicles that can offset the shortage of charging stations. The newly developed system will not only promote the usages of electric vehicles to reduce gas emission, but also provides a solution to public t...
View projectWater Quality Monitoring Network To Assess Downstream Efficacy Of Green Infrastructure And Provenance Of Non-Point Source Pollutants.
Project Description: We propose to establish a water quantity and water quality monitoring network that can be leveraged to evaluate the efficacy of green infrastructure to reduce runoff volumes and identify the provenance of non- point source pollutants in downstream water bodies. In urban settings...
View projectA Sustainable Snow-Free Pavement to Mitigate the Negative Effect of Road Salts on Soil and Water Environment
Project Description: Extreme weather in winter, characterized by prolonged and severe conditions, is anticipated soon due to climate change. Consequently, the utilization of deicing chemicals such as salts (including Chloride-based, Formate-based, and Acetate solutions) is inevitable. These chemica...
View projectSubsurface Contamination Modeling and Remediation Techniques
Project Description: More than half of the US population consumes groundwater for drinking. Thus, introducing any type of contaminants into the groundwater table can risk the lives of more than half of the population. Contaminants from multiple sources can impact the drinking water wells and other r...
View projectEvaluation of Green Infrastructure as a Means to Mitigate Increased Stormwater Volumes in Disadvantaged Communities
Project Description: Flooding in the United States, exacerbated by factors like increased urbanization and inadequate stormwater management systems, has grown in frequency and intensity, impacting both social and economic aspects. Extreme events, not limited to hurricanes and superstorms, have cause...
View projectEvaluation of Bio-Inspired Water Treatment Plant Sludge Materials Through Mycelium
Project Description: Researchers are focusing on developing innovative, sustainable materials characterized by low energy consumption and versatility. Mycelium-based materials, an emerging topic in sustainable construction, offer promise due to mycelium's renewable properties and its ability to brea...
View projectAn AI Powered Remote Sensing Framework for Monitoring and Predicting Roadside Water Quality
Project Description: While air pollution is the most visible environmental impact of transportation systems, water pollution and quality issues are also of great importance in the transportation and environment nexus. Specifically, transportation systems can affect water quality directly in many wa...
View projectDeveloping Sustainable Waste Plastics Asphalt Roadway Construction
Project Description: This proposed topic is in line with the ERTC3 thrust area of “Environmental Justice – assessment and mitigation of harmful environmental effects on vulnerable communities”. The results will lead to effective utilization of waste plastics in hot/warm mix a...
View projectNanotechnology-enabled sustainable and cement-free pervious concrete pavement
Project Description: The project will take the advantage of two WSU-patented technologies (US Patent 10647612 on geopolymer binder and a provisional patent on nano-engineered penetrating sealer) to develop a sustainable pervious concrete technology. Different from conventional pervious concrete, th...
View projectDevelop an Agent-based Modeling Tool to Promote Electrical Vehicle (EV) Deployment and Reduce Lung Cancer Risks
Project Description: The goal of this project is to develop a modeling tool capable of simulating Electrical Vehicle (EV) infrastructure design and user adoption scenarios to facilitate the planning and design of EV infrastructure systems and reduce transportation-related lung cancer risks. US DO...
View projectTransport and Mitigation of Tire and Road Wear Microparticles in Stormwater Runoff from Highways
Project Description: The overall goal of this project is to identify transport and mitigation of tire and road wear microparticles in stormwater runoff from highways. Emission of microplastics (MP), metals, and other organic contaminants occurs in heavy traffic areas. These contaminants then enter i...
View projectRemediation of Oil Products Spillage During Transportation
Project Description: This proposal aims to mitigate the oil spill from the road and water surface using commercial and sustainable dispersants. Frequent spillage of crude oils and refined products during transportation pollutes the transportation lines, sewages, and surface waters, which can have s...
View projectRetrofit, Self-Contained, and Smart Solar Ice Control System for Resilient Infrastructure
Project Description: The proposed project herein will implement a micro-radiant heating system (MRHS) as a retrofit layer on the surface of existing concrete pavement. The technology will utilize a combination solar photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) system and novel thermally active materials to keep sur...
View projectBiomechanics-Informed Pavement Guidelines for Safe Walking Surfaces
Project Description: The goal of this project is to develop data-driven pavement design parameters for optimum walking safety using human-centered biomechanical modeling and analyses. While this work will benefit all stakeholders of walkable communities, it has relevance for older adults with eleva...
View projectSorption, Leachability, and Transport of AFFF Impacted Concrete Materials
Project Description: The mobility and subsequent release of PFAS within concrete structures has been identified as an immediate concern by air and maritime transportation industrial entities, however, very little is known about the rates of ingress and egress of PFAS. Identifying the rates of sorpt...
View projectNeighborhood Walkability and Cardiometabolic Disease in Central TX
Project Description: The term walkability refers to a measure of how conducive the built environment is to walking and can be used to predict levels of human physical activity and active travel (Frank et al., 2006) Walkability is increasingly valued for two major reasons. Firstly, walking substanti...
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