<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"><channel><title>TRB Publications Index</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/</link><atom:link href="http://pubsindex.trb.org/common/TRIS Suite/feeds/rss.aspx?s=PHNlYXJjaD48cGFyYW1zPjxwYXJhbSBuYW1lPSJzdWJqZWN0aWQiIHZhbHVlPSIxNzcxIiAvPjxwYXJhbSBuYW1lPSJsb2NhdGlvbiIgdmFsdWU9IjIiIC8%2BPHBhcmFtIG5hbWU9InN1YmplY3Rsb2dpYyIgdmFsdWU9Im9yIiAvPjxwYXJhbSBuYW1lPSJ0ZXJtc2xvZ2ljIiB2YWx1ZT0ib3IiIC8%2BPC9wYXJhbXM%2BPGZpbHRlcnMgLz48cmFuZ2VzIC8%2BPHNvcnRzPjxzb3J0IGZpZWxkPSJwdWJsaXNoZWQiIG9yZGVyPSJkZXNjIiAvPjwvc29ydHM%2BPHBlcnNpc3RzPjxwZXJzaXN0IG5hbWU9InJhbmdldHlwZSIgdmFsdWU9InB1Ymxpc2hlZGRhdGUiIC8%2BPC9wZXJzaXN0cz48L3NlYXJjaD4%3D" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /><description></description><language>en-us</language><copyright>Copyright © 2015. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright><docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs><managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor><webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster><image><title>TRB Publications Index</title><url>http://pubsindex.trb.org/Images/PageHeader-wTitle.png</url><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/</link></image><item><title>Development of a Permanent Deformation Model to Predict Rutting Performance in Substandard Airfield Pavements</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2724784</link><description><![CDATA[This paper discusses a permanent deformation model (PD model) developed with data collected from previous full-scale pavement testing experiments to improve the prediction of rutting development on airfield asphalt pavements. The data, including rut depths, pavement stiffness, and instrumentation, were collected from 34 different test items trafficked with a heavy vehicle simulator and deployable load-cart. The loading conditions of the test traffic corresponded to heavy aircraft including the C-17 (single wheel load of 45,000 lb), C-130 (single wheel load of 35,000 lb), and P-8 (total gear load of 89,000 lb). Pavement-Transportation Computer Assisted Structural Engineering (PCASE) version 7.0 was used to determine the predicted passes to failure based on measured pavement layer thickness and material properties and compare the predicted and measured passes to failure. It was observed that approximately 75% of the data fell below the line of equality, indicating that the current design methodology underpredicts passes to failure. A PD model was developed that computes a mechanistic response at predefined points within a theoretical unsaturated poroelastic multilayered structure caused by an aircraft load and then relates these responses to progressive rutting performance through an incremental-recursive rutting model. The performance of the PD model was verified with the data collected from full-scale test experiments. Results showed that the PD model consistently performed well over a range of different passes to failure.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 08:47:46 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2724784</guid></item><item><title>Collecting and Utilizing ADS–B Data at Airports</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2724647</link><description><![CDATA[Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) is a surveillance technology that relies on aircraft broadcasting their precise positions, speeds, altitudes, and other information to ground stations and other aircraft. ADS-B data enable airports to enhance operations, safety, and efficiency by providing information on aircraft arriving at and departing from their facilities. In addition, airports may utilize ADS-B data in a variety of ways, including tower and runway justification, legislative funding support for infrastructure investments, airport layout plan forecasting, and support for revenue-generating initiatives. This report, Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Synthesis 145, explores the application of ADS-B data for operational decision-making at airports, as well as the technical limitations of ADS-B data. Topics covered include data collection, flight trajectory applications, and airport noise applications. The report also addresses security vulnerabilities, such as missing or corrupted messages, the exclusion of explicit time information, and altitude reporting. Six case examples illustrate the application of ADS-B at selected airports.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 06 Jul 2026 16:28:58 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2724647</guid></item><item><title>Understanding the Transition to Unleaded Aviation Gasoline: A Primer</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2723658</link><description><![CDATA[Small gasoline-powered aircraft are the single largest source of lead emissions in the United States, as other major sources—such as automobile gasoline—have already been addressed. Lead, a highly toxic substance that can cause a range of adverse health effects in humans, is added to aviation gasoline to meet the performance and safety requirements of a sizable portion of the nation’s gasoline-powered aircraft fleet.  Understanding the Transition to Unleaded Aviation Gasoline: A Primer, produced by TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program, is intended to provide airports with concise information about the transition to unleaded aviation gasoline, based on the latest information available at the time of its preparation in January 2025.  The project that produced Understanding the Transition to Unleaded Aviation Gasoline: A Primer also released ACRP Research Report 284: Transitioning to Unleaded Aviation Gasoline: A Guide and Tools, which summarizes the general steps and best practices that airports can follow when seeking to supply unleaded aviation gasoline. The report also highlights important sources of information to assist with planning and implementing an airport’s transition to unleaded aviation fuel.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 06 Jul 2026 15:58:56 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2723658</guid></item><item><title>Transitioning to Unleaded Aviation Gasoline: A Guide and Tools</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2723645</link><description><![CDATA[Small gasoline-powered aircraft are the single largest source of lead emissions in the United States, as other major sources—such as automobile gasoline—have already been addressed. Lead, a highly toxic substance that can cause a range of adverse health effects in humans, is added to aviation gasoline to meet the performance and safety requirements of a sizable portion of the nation’s gasoline-powered aircraft fleet.  ACRP Research Report 284: Transitioning to Unleaded Aviation Gasoline: A Guide and Tools, produced by TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program, summarizes the general steps and best practices that airports can follow when seeking to supply unleaded aviation gasoline. The report also highlights important sources of information to assist with planning and implementing an airport’s transition to unleaded aviation fuel.  The project that produced ACRP Research Report 284 also released Understanding the Transition to Unleaded Aviation Gasoline: A Primer, which is intended to provide airports with concise information about the transition to unleaded aviation gasoline, based on the latest information available at the time of its preparation in January 2025. It is suggested that those interested in transitioning to unleaded aviation gasoline read the Primer first.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 06 Jul 2026 15:58:56 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2723645</guid></item><item><title>ACRP Research Report 243 and ACRP Research Report 261: Preparing Airports and Communities for Advanced Air Mobility</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2709543</link><description><![CDATA[Advanced air mobility (AAM) is the collective term for next-generation aircraft that typically are highly automated, electrically powered, and capable of taking off and landing vertically. This emerging aviation sector offers new, cost-effective ways to move people and products, with potential applications ranging from air taxis to logistics and goods delivery, emergency response, and private and recreational use. As currently envisioned, the AAM ecosystem initially will rely on existing airports, heliports, and routes, but dedicated facilities and new routes are likely to be developed in the future. To help airports and communities thoughtfully and strategically prepare for AAM, the Transportation Research Board's (TRB’s) Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) undertook two research studies aimed at providing an overview of the technologies and potential societal changes, along with practical guidelines and tools to assess and improve readiness. This article summarizes ACRP Research Report 243: Urban Air Mobility: An Airport Perspective and ACRP Research Report 261: Advanced Air Mobility and Community Outreach: A Primer for Successful Stakeholder Engagement.]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2026 15:07:13 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2709543</guid></item><item><title>Ramp Safety Practices: Update</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2717378</link><description><![CDATA[This report presents the state of practice for airport ramp safety programs. Airport ramps are active areas that can be dangerous to employees working on the ramp, and safety concerns stem from aircraft, ground equipment, and employees that are active in the area. The synthesis provides information on training programs and technologies in place to address ramp safety, the role of the airport operator and tenants in safety practices, and how airports engage in ramp safety culture. The report follows up on ACRP Synthesis 29: Ramp Safety Practices. Under ACRP Project 11-03/Topic S04-27, “Airport Apron and Ramp Safety Practices,” Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University was asked to synthesize the information on airport ramp safety programs. Information used in this study was gained through a literature review; a survey of airports, ground service handlers, and an airline; and interviews to develop in-depth case examples. Chapter 4 provides eight case examples that highlight how airports have implemented ramp safety practices and created a culture of safety at their airports. This synthesis is an immediately useful document for airport operators who oversee or work on the ramp. The synthesis also notes gaps in knowledge and practice which could be addressed by future researchers.]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 10:54:44 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2717378</guid></item><item><title>Automated Bridge Deck Health Evaluation Aligned with National Bridge Inventory Ratings via Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Imaging and Label-Free Sparse Autoencoder-Based Anomaly Mapping</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2719391</link><description><![CDATA[Bridge deck deterioration poses a critical threat to structural safety and public transportation systems, necessitating scalable and objective inspection methods. This study presents a lightweight, unsupervised anomaly detection framework that leverages unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-acquired imagery and sparse autoencoders to evaluate bridge deck surface conditions without requiring labeled training data. High-resolution images captured using a UAV were divided into 64 × 64 patches and processed through a sparse autoencoder trained solely on healthy concrete patches to learn a compact representation of normal surface texture. During testing, reconstruction error was computed for each patch, with elevated errors indicating potential anomalies such as cracks, delamination, or staining. These error values were visualized through heatmaps and aggregated across all patches to derive three condition quantification metrics: average reconstruction error, anomalous area percentage, and normalized severity score. A novel classification scheme empirically mapped these metrics to National Bridge Inventory (NBI) deck condition ratings, offering an interpretable, standardized evaluation of bridge decks. To analyze the model’s robustness and threshold sensitivity, experiments were conducted on eight bridges, showing high agreement with NBI deck condition ratings, achieving up to 87.5% rating classification accuracy. Moreover, threshold sensitivity analysis revealed how rating transitions occur across scoring levels, further highlighting the model’s adaptability. Overall, the proposed approach enables efficient, interpretable, and defect-annotation-free bridge condition assessments, aligning with federal standards while significantly reducing the labor requirements, subjectivity, and data annotation burdens of traditional inspections. It represents a promising step toward scalable, automated infrastructure health monitoring using autonomous aerial systems.]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2026 08:40:59 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2719391</guid></item><item><title>Evaluation of FAA Airport Pavement Design Methods Using Long-Term Pavement Condition Data</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2717079</link><description><![CDATA[This study evaluated the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) pavement design methodology using empirical pavement condition data collected from 179 commercial service airports across the United States. Pavement condition index (PCI) and structural condition index (SCI) values were computed using FAA PAVEAIR software for over 10,000 runway and taxiway sections, including Portland cement concrete (PCC), asphalt concrete, asphalt over asphalt concrete, and asphalt over PCC surfaces. Pavement age was determined based on inspection, construction, and maintenance history. Filtered data were used to assess performance trends by surface type and validate theoretical deterioration models. Results showed that the bilinear SCI model for rigid pavements closely matched observed data, with an inflection point of nearly 24 years. However, measured SCI data before the inflection point indicated some deterioration, challenging the design assumption of no damage before the inflection point. Flexible pavements deteriorated faster than rigid pavements, with a majority of distresses being environment-related including longitudinal and transverse cracking, joint reflection cracking, weathering, and raveling. The average age at rehabilitation was 15–18 years for flexible pavements and 32 years for rigid pavements, with PCI values typically between 61 and 67 at the time of rehabilitation. The findings confirm the general validity of existing design models but also highlight embedded conservatism, particularly in rigid pavement design. The results suggest that the FAA’s initiative to extend airport pavement design life to 40 years must consider environmental-related distresses and include planning for rehabilitations over the service life.]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 24 Jun 2026 10:29:06 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2717079</guid></item><item><title>Exploring Cellular-Based Private Wireless Networks for the U.S. Aviation Industry</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2712235</link><description><![CDATA[Every industry, including aviation, is increasingly moving toward digital transformation, with promising solutions in areas such as automation and smart facilities. A private wireless network (PWN) provides wireless connectivity to people and devices, whether stationary or in motion within the network’s coverage area. Because a PWN is based on proven mobile technology, it can offer at least the same level of performance and security as public networks that have been trusted worldwide for years. As a private network, it enables airport operators to enhance performance and security. ACRP Research Report 282, produced by the Transportation Research Board's (TRB’s) Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP), addresses key considerations related to the conceptualization, planning, design, deployment, and management of PWNs. It is intended to educate and guide airport operators as they evaluate options for achieving ubiquitous and reliable connectivity. The report provides strategic insights into areas such as ownership, monetization, procurement, financing, innovation, and future expansion. In this guide, mobile technology refers to what has long been known as cellular technology.]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 09 Jun 2026 10:56:02 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2712235</guid></item><item><title>DOT and FAA Airport Legal Determination and Opinion Letter Abstracts of 2024</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2709408</link><description><![CDATA[U.S. airports that receive assistance from the federal government are required to comply with a number of obligations imposed by federal law. The Transportation Research Board (TRB) Airport Cooperative Research Program’s ACRP Web-Only Document 68: DOT and FAA Airport Legal Determination and Opinion Letter Abstracts of 2024 covers case-specific guidance from U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) or Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on various federal airport compliance matters released since the previous update to ACRP Legal Research Digest 21. This document includes guidance on exclusive rights, fee and rental structures, and the standards for determining airport sponsor compliance with other federal obligations. This document is supplemental to ACRP Legal Research Digest 21: Compilation of DOT and FAA Airport Legal Determinations and Opinion Letters as of December 31, 2024, which contains agency determinations covering administrative cases brought against large and small airports throughout the United States, as well as DOT and FAA opinion letters, memoranda, and related documents. These documents cover legal matters that include reasonableness of contractual terms, leasing practices, airport rules and regulations, airport charges imposed on aeronautical users, including airlines, and the standards for determining airport sponsor compliance with other federal obligations.]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 09 Jun 2026 10:56:02 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2709408</guid></item><item><title>Exploring Cellular-Based Private Wireless Networks: Summary</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2712236</link><description><![CDATA[Every industry, including aviation, is increasingly moving toward digital transformation, with promising solutions in areas such as automation and smart facilities. A private wireless network (PWN) provides wireless connectivity to people and devices, whether stationary or in motion within the network’s coverage area. Because a PWN is based on proven mobile technology, it can offer at least the same level of performance and security as public networks that have been trusted worldwide for years. As a private network, it enables airport operators to enhance performance and security. ACRP Research Results Digest 29, produced by the Transportation Research Board's (TRB’s) Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP), is a shorter, condensed version of ACRP Research Report 282: Exploring Cellular-Based Private Wireless Networks for the U.S. Aviation Industry. Both publications address key considerations related to the conceptualization, planning, design, deployment, and management of PWNs. They are intended to educate and guide airport operators as they evaluate options for achieving ubiquitous and reliable connectivity. The reports provide strategic insights into areas such as ownership, monetization, procurement, financing, innovation, and future expansion. In these reports, mobile technology refers to what has long been known as cellular technology.]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 09 Jun 2026 10:56:01 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2712236</guid></item><item><title>Health and Safety Impacts of Aircraft Cabin Temperatures</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2709677</link><description><![CDATA[Commercial aircraft cabins expose passengers and flight attendants to a range of environmental conditions, including at times excessively hot or cold temperatures that may affect health, safety, and comfort. While aircraft systems are generally effective at maintaining acceptable cabin conditions, challenges are more likely to arise during ground operations, particularly in extreme outdoor temperatures or when equipment used for thermal control in aircraft cabins is unavailable or not functioning properly. Because passengers and flight attendants have limited ability to leave or substantially modify the cabin environment, understanding and managing temperature-related risks is an important component of safe air travel. This report examines the available evidence on how cabin temperatures and humidity conditions may influence physiological, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes for passengers and flight attendants. The report finds that serious health impacts are uncommon, but conditions causing thermal discomfort may occur more frequently and can affect factors critical to the conduct of flight attendant duties (e.g., concentration, decision-making) and passenger behavior in ways that create safety concerns. The report highlights differences in how passengers and flight attendants experience cabin temperatures because of variations in activity levels, clothing constraints, exposure frequency, age, and underlying health conditions. It also concludes that available data on cabin temperature and humidity conditions are fragmented and insufficient to reliably estimate the frequency of related health and safety events. The report provides recommendations to strengthen management of cabin temperature risks, including integrating temperature and humidity hazards into airline safety management systems, improving collection and use of aviation safety and health event data, strengthening operational practices for thermal control in aircraft cabins, supporting flight attendants in responding to unsafe conditions, and providing passengers with information about temperature-related risks. The report also recommends that the Federal Aviation Administration establish a research program to systematically collect representative data on cabin temperature and humidity conditions to better inform future mitigation strategies and safety oversight.]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2026 10:58:21 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2709677</guid></item><item><title>Evaluation of Critical Pavement Responses from Accelerated Pavement Testing on Airfield Flexible Pavements Surfaced with Hot and Warm Mix Asphalt</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2709231</link><description><![CDATA[Highway agencies frequently use warm mix additives as compaction aids. Lower production temperature of the warm mixes simultaneously entails the benefit of widening the paving window. Airport authorities can ensure significant fiscal savings with reduced downtime through the adoption of similar technologies in airfield paving. However, limited scientific information exists concerning the performance of these materials in airside flexible pavements. Aircraft gross weights and tire pressures have also been routinely increasing over the last few decades with the advent of new-generation aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) procured a sixth-generation heavy vehicle simulator, airfields (HVS-A) to investigate the performances of resilient pavement materials under simulated aircraft loading. Accordingly, six full-scale test lanes were constructed during Test Cycle 1 (TC1) at FAA’s National Airport Pavement and Materials Research Center (NAPMRC) using four different asphalt concrete (AC) mixes with two different binder grades. Each test lane was divided into three test sections. Asphalt strain gauges and pressure cells were installed in the test sections to monitor the critical pavement responses over the duration of traffic tests. Corresponding test sections were trafficked under different combinations of high tire pressure and temperature. This paper examines the tensile strains at the bottom of AC and compressive stresses on top of the subgrade in reference to the observed rutting performances in four TC1 outdoor test lanes. The respective hot and warm mixes exhibited comparable rutting performances, and the sensor observations corroborated the related findings.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 16:52:46 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2709231</guid></item><item><title>Mechanisms to Address Off-Airport Obstructions</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2701283</link><description><![CDATA[This report presents the state of practice of airport methods to address obstructions located off airport property. The synthesis includes information on activities airports take to address obstructions, including outreach with landowners and other stakeholders, time and costs to resolve issues, and support and coordination from local, state, and federal authorities. Under ACRP Project 11-03/Topic S09-11, “Survey of Mechanisms to Address Off Airport Obstructions,” Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University was asked to synthesize and document the various mechanisms airports use to address obstructions, with a focus on obstructions that are outside of the airport boundary. Information used in this study was obtained through a literature review, a survey of airports, and interviews to develop in-depth case examples. This synthesis is an immediately useful document that records the practices that were acceptable within the limitations of the knowledge available at the time of its preparation. As progress in research and practices continues, new knowledge will be added to that now at hand. The audience for this synthesis is airport sponsors, local permitting authorities, state aviation officials, and non-airport stakeholders that are involved in addressing off-airport obstructions.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 16 May 2026 12:15:37 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2701283</guid></item><item><title>Enhancing Expressway Crash Rescue with Vertical Takeoff and Landing Vehicles: Insights from an Evolutionary Game Study</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2701227</link><description><![CDATA[Expressway traffic crashes often result in higher fatalities and more severe congestion compared with incidents on regular roads, creating significant challenges for timely emergency response. Vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicles offer a potential solution to bypass surface-level bottlenecks and efficiently deliver emergency personnel and supplies. This study develops a tripartite evolutionary game model to analyze the strategic interactions among crash participants, VTOL operators, and road authorities in the context of expressway rescue. The analysis identifies the most favorable equilibrium as one where point-to-point rescue is adopted, VTOL services are actively provided, and road conditions are effectively managed. This setup encourages coordination among stakeholders and enhances overall rescue efficiency. The evolutionary path is affected by factors such as road regulation costs, subsidy coefficients, and stakeholders’ initial willingness to cooperate. Notably, higher initial cooperation from crash victims and VTOL operators accelerates convergence toward stable outcomes. These findings improve understanding of the feasibility conditions for VTOL deployment in emergency scenarios and guide cost-sharing mechanisms, stakeholder alignment, and policy design to support the practical implementation of VTOL-based rescue strategies.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2026 12:24:46 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2701227</guid></item></channel></rss>