TREC research addresses complex transportation problems by drawing on multiple disciplines, including engineering, planning, economics and design, from across the Portland State University campus. Use the search box at right to search for a specific project.

Research Highlights

Bridge Pile Foundations Subjected to Liquefaction-Induced Lateral Spreading

Arash Khosravifar
The overall goal of this research is to improve the seismic safety and resiliency of highway bridges in the Pacific Northwest during earthquakes. Past earthquakes have shown that liquefaction-induced lateral spreading can be a major cause of collapse for pile foundations. Bridge engineers generally agree that pile foundations must be designed for: (a) lateral spreading loads caused by liquefaction of soils adjacent to piles, and (b) inertial loads during shaking resulting from the… Read More

Assessing State Efforts to Integrate Transportation, Land Use and Climate Change

Rebecca Lewis Rob Zako
Climate change is increasingly recognized as a threat to life on earth. “Continued emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) will cause further warming and changes in all components of the climate system. Limiting climate change will require substantial and sustained reductions of GHG emissions.” (IPCC WGI, 2013.) The transportation sector accounts for almost one-third of all GHG emissions in the United States. Growing Cooler describes GHG emissions from transportation as comprised of a three… Read More