NURail CoE Projects

Project ID	Project Manager	Principal Investigator	University	Department	Project Title
KSU-I1	Eric Fitzsimmons	Robert Peterman	Kansas State University	Civil Engineering	Development of a Hybrid Concrete Tie for Increased Rotational Capacity and Resilience
MTU-I1	Pasi Lautala	Quang Tran & Paul Sanders	Michigan Technological University	Materials Science and Engineering	Enhancing Accuracy of Ultrasound Imaging in Detecting Surface Cracks in Metal Using Microbubbles
MTU-I2	Pasi Lautala	Yousef Darestani	Michigan Technological University	Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering	Life-Cycle Cost Assessment of Coastal Rail Infrastructure
MTU-I3	Pasi Lautala	Sai Sandeep Chitta	Michigan Technological University	Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering	Micromechanics of Fresh and Fouled Railway Ballast
MTU-I4	Pasi Lautala	Yi Zhu	Michigan Technological University	Civil, Environmental, Geospatial Engineering	Modular Kirigami Truss for Temporary Railroad Bridge Systems
MTU-I5	Pasi Lautala	Colin Brooks	Michigan Technological University	Michigan Tech Research Institute	Integrating Long-Distance Drone Operations into Rail Inspections
MTU-S1	Pasi Lautala	Elizabeth S. Veinott	Michigan Technological University	Psychology and Human Factors	Improving Rail Safety: Effect of highway rail-grade crossing type (short storage) and cognitive load on driver decisions
RU-SC1	Xiang Liu	Xiang Liu	Rutgers University	Civil and Environmental Engineering	Data Integration and Informatics for Track Asset Management
TU-S1	Heshmat Aglan	Heshmat Aglan	Tuskegee University	Mechanical Engineering	Fracture and Fatigue Damage Tolerance of Arc Welded Railhead and Thermite Weld Repairs
UD-S1	Allan Zarembski	Allan Zarembski	University of Delaware	Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering	Risk Based Track Surfacing Model
UD-S2	Allan Zarembski	Joseph Palese	University of Delaware	Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering	Risk Based Walking Inspection Frequency Model
UIC-SC2	P.S. Sriraj	Jane Lin	University of Illinois Chicago	Civil, Materials and Environmental Engineering	AI-Enabled Autonomous Drayage–Rail Coordination for Efficient Intermodal Logistics
UIC-SC3	P.S. Sriraj	Kouros Mohammadian	University of Illinois Chicago	Civil, Materials and Environmental Engineering	A Data-Driven Framework for Prioritizing and Optimizing Rail Service Investments Using IPDI
UIC-SC4	P.S. Sriraj	Kouros Mohammadian	University of Illinois Chicago	Civil, Materials and Environmental Engineering	Rail as a Supply-Chain Stabilizer: Mapping Shock Propagation and Redundancy Gaps in U.S. Freight Rail
UIC-SC5	P.S. Sriraj	P.S. Sriraj	University of Illinois Chicago	Department of Urban Planning and Policy	Analysis of Variations in Service Quality and its Determinants across Commuter Rail Markets
UIC-SC6	P.S. Sriraj	P.S. Sriraj	University of Illinois Chicago	Department of Urban Planning and Policy	Financial Resilience for Rail in the Age of AI: Reducing Electricity Costs and Enhancing Corridor Revenue
UIUC-I1	Riley Edwards	Riley Edwards	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Civil and Environmental Engineering	Buckle Risk Modeling Leveraging Track Geometry and Condition Data
UIUC-I2	Riley Edwards	Ramez Hajj	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Civil and Environmental Engineering	Combined Grade Crossing Track/Highway Multiphysics Model
UIUC-I3	Riley Edwards	John Popovics	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Civil and Environmental Engineering	Quantifying Lateral Track Capacity Using Nondestructive Nonlinear Vibration Response
UIUC-I4	Riley Edwards	Erol Tutumluer	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Civil and Environmental Engineering	Field Ballast Condition Evaluation Using Machine Vision and Artificial Intelligence
UIUC-I5	Riley Edwards	Riley Edwards	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Civil and Environmental Engineering	Comparative Evaluation of Capital and Spot Tamping Effectiveness through Track Geometry Deterioration Rates
UIUC-I6	Riley Edwards	Marcus Dersch	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Civil and Environmental Engineering	Rail Anchor Slip Strength: Effect of Anchor Wear, Rail Wear, Load Rate, and Reaction Position
UIUC-I7	Riley Edwards	Marcus Dersch	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Civil and Environmental Engineering	UAV-Based Measurements with Optimization-Based Geometric Correction
UIUC-I8	Riley Edwards	Marcus Dersch	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Civil and Environmental Engineering	Advancement of 3D Dynamic Finite Element Model Framework
UIUC-S1	Chris Barkan	Chris Barkan	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Civil and Environmental Engineering	Efficacy of 4-Quad Grade Crossing Gates Compared to Other Warning Systems
UIUC-S2	Chris Barkan	Chris Barkan	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Civil and Environmental Engineering	Advanced Simulation Modeling of Tank Car Safety Performance in Derailments
UIUC-SC1	Chris Barkan	Kirill Levchenko	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Electrical and Computer Engineering	Positive Train Control with Asymmetric Authentication and Key Management
UT-I1	C. Tyler Dick	Yunlan (Emma) Zhang	University of Texas at Austin	Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering	Strengthening the Railway Track Lateral Resistance by Reinforcing Ballast with Architected Instability-based Metamaterials (AIMs)
UT-S1	C. Tyler Dick	Salvatore Salamone	University of Texas at Austin	Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering	Rail Defect Detection System Based on Non-contact Vibration Measurements
UT-SC1	C. Tyler Dick	C. Tyler Dick	University of Texas at Austin	Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering	Optimizing Efficiency and Cost of Innovative Strategies for Freight Rail Motive Power Energy Supply
UT-SC2	C. Tyler Dick	C. Tyler Dick	University of Texas at Austin	Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering	Comparing Freight Rail Propulsion Strategies for Efficient and Economical US Mainline Operations