摘要: |
The Florida Legislature allocates nearly $30 million each year for highway landscape projects. Landscaping beautifies roadsides and helps to make Florida an attractive place to live, do business, and visit. However, landscaping accomplishes much more than just improving roadside aesthetics. This issue of Research Showcase highlights the value of roadside vegetation, from stabilizing soil, which protects infrastructure and provides safe clear zones for errant vehicles, to providing habitat for wildlife and crop pollinators. Recent FDOT-funded research demonstrates the economic value of roadside vegetation management and the extent to which FDOT???s investment in highway landscape projects impacts Florida???s economy. This issue also features three new technologies developed through research. First, a new hydroplane speed prediction software tool evaluates the potential for hydroplaning and predicts when hydroplaning could occur based on speed. This technology has been applied in the design of the I-4 Ultimate project. The Florida Sea Level Scenario Sketch Planning Tool helps planners identify areas of potential inundation and affected infrastructure. A non-destructive testing method, called phased array ultrasonic testing, gives engineers a more efficient and effective method to detect flaws in steel welds. Also in this issue is information about research on automated vehicles occurring at three Florida University Transportation Centers. |