NCDOT research project earns national ‘Sweet 16’ award

February 22, 2016
Categories: Research Tags: Lee College of Engineering, Research

Work on prediction models to reduce fieldwork for wetlands management, conducted as part of a N.C. Department of Transportation project, was recognized by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and the Research Advisory Council as one of 2015’s “Sweet 16” high-value research projects.

Sheng-Guo Wang, a professor of electrical and computer engineering technology, was principal investigator for the award-winning project “Improvements to NCDOT’s Wetland Prediction Model.”

“We are honored that our research has been recognized as a high-value research project for 2015 by the AASHTO and the RAC across the nation, and we thank the NCDOT for its support,” said Wang.

He added the state is benefiting from automation that provides faster wetlands assessment by already “saving $350,000 on wetland and stream delineations on just one project. NCDOT anticipates added savings and further refinements in the future. Moreover, beyond the cost efficiencies, the automated tool provides early awareness of potential wetlands impact areas during project planning. This helps both state and federal agencies take follow-up measures in a timely manner.”

Environmental protection laws require wetlands studies to be performed to determine environmental impacts for all large construction projects, including roads. In the past, processes for completing such complex studies were time-consuming and expensive. The purpose of the Wang’s “Wetland Prediction Model” project was to develop procedural automation and mathematical modeling to streamline workflow and automate the process.

The “Sweet 16” state research projects comprise four high-value research projects from the four American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials regions, funded primarily through the State Planning and Research Program.

Wang was invited to present his award-winning research at the annual meeting of the National Academies of Sciences-Engineering-Medicine in Washington, D.C., earlier this year.