Clinton Wood, assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, was recently awarded a $329,000 research grant from the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) to be completed over the next two years. He works in the area of geotechnical engineering in the department and specializes in geotechnical earthquake engineering, soil dynamics, dynamic site characterization, and non-destructive testing techniques.

Wood was selected by ARDOT to improve the methods currently in place for characterizing subsurface soil and rock conditions. He will head the project as the principal investigator, and work closely with co-principal investigator Michelle Bernhardt-Barry, project coordinator Joseph Jabo, and subcommittee chairperson Jonathan Annable.

The proposal, titled "Mapping Subsurface Conditions for Transportation Applications," will aim to develop more accurate, and cost effective approaches for developing 2D and 3D maps of the subsurface with the goal of developing a more complete picture of complex soil and rock conditions. 

The results of the project will aid ARDOT with planning and design of roadways and potentially avoid costly change orders and cost overruns.

"I am excited to get the project started," said Wood. "I see it making an immediate and practical impact on transportation projects around the state of Arkansas and beyond."    

The money will be utilized to develop and evaluate methods to map the subsurface soil and rock condition for transportation projects. These methods are similar to concepts of non-invasive testing used in the medical industry (i.e., ultrasound or MRI) and will be used to develop a more complete picture of the subsurface soil and rock conditions for transportation projects. The use of these methods over traditional drilling and sampling methods can lead to better transportation designs and lower project cost when difficult soil and rock conditions are encountered.