webinars

Speaker – Bibek Parajuli, M.S., E.I.T. 
July 22, 2026 | 12-1 PM EDT

Reduced-temperature warm mix asphalt (WMA) technologies are increasingly being explored as practical solutions for reducing energy consumption and emissions during asphalt paving operations. This webinar presents findings from a full-scale field study conducted in Oklahoma comparing reduced-temperature chemical WMA and conventional hot mix asphalt (HMA) under real-world construction conditions. The study evaluated temperature trends, heat loss behavior, thermal segregation, in-place compaction, fuel consumption, particulate matter emissions, and environmental impacts during plant production and paving operations.

Results from the study demonstrated that reduced-temperature WMA achieved comparable in-place density while reducing plant fuel consumption, thermal segregation, particulate matter emissions, and cradle-to-laid environmental impacts relative to conventional HMA. Practical lessons learned from field implementation, instrumentation, and life cycle assessment (LCA) will be discussed, with emphasis on how sustainability-focused asphalt technologies can be evaluated using both construction and environmental performance metrics.

Key learning objectives from the presentation include the following:

• Understand how reduced-temperature WMA compares to conventional HMA in terms of temperature trends, heat loss behavior, and in-place compaction.
• Learn how field instrumentation and thermal profiling technologies can be used to monitor asphalt production and paving operations.
• Understand the effects of reduced production temperatures on plant fuel consumption, particulate matter emissions, and environmental impacts.
• Learn how thermal segregation analyses can be incorporated into field evaluations of asphalt paving operations.
• Understand how life cycle assessment (LCA) can be integrated with field data to evaluate the sustainability impacts of asphalt paving technologies.

Speaker – Joseph Dib, P.E.
June 24, 2026 | 12-1 PM EDT

Generative AI in transportation infrastructure is no longer a speculative topic. State agencies are running pilots, federal research programs are actively developing guidance, and professionals across the industry are finding practical applications in their day-to-day work.

This webinar takes stock of where the technology stands, grounded in recent agency experience and published research, and traces its progression from today’s conversational and document-based applications toward the emerging agentic capabilities that will define the next phase of infrastructure decision-making. This session maps generative AI capabilities directly onto the Transportation Asset Management pipeline, identifying where in the workflow these tools are ready to deploy today, where they require human validation, and where professional judgment and accountability must remain in the loop. It covers the four-stage progression from conversational AI through retrieval-augmented generation, tool-augmented workflows, and autonomous agentic systems, with transportation-specific examples at each stage.

Attendees will leave with a practical framework for evaluating generative AI applications in their own agency context, an understanding of where the federal research community is heading and what it means to operate ahead of formal guidance, and a clear picture of the entry points available today regardless of agency size, technical capacity, or existing AI policy. The session is designed for transportation professionals at all levels of AI familiarity.

What Participants Will Learn:

1. How generative AI extends the capabilities transportation agencies already use and where it fits within established asset management and performance management frameworks
2. The four-stage progression from conversational AI to agentic systems, with transportation-specific examples and honest performance benchmarks at each stage
3. Which steps in the Transportation Asset Management pipeline are ready for AI-assisted workflows today, which require human validation, and which require human judgment and accountability without exception
4. Practical entry points for generative AI in transportation work, including document summarization, network-level data analysis, condition reporting, and grant development
5. What the current federal and cooperative research landscape says about trustworthy AI deployment in infrastructure contexts, and what it means for agencies operating ahead of the formal guidance.

Speakers – Alvaro Ulloa, Ph.D., P.E. and Jesse Mastine
May 27, 2026 | 12-1 PM EDT

The Cone Penetrometer Test (CPT) is globally recognized as a premier in-situ testing method for high-resolution geotechnical characterization. It provides continuous, repeatable, and reliable measurements that enable precise delineation of subsurface stratigraphy and soil behavior.

CPT has demonstrated exceptional efficiency and accuracy across a wide range of applications, including foundation design, evaluation of soil liquefaction potential, slope stability analysis, and broader geotechnical assessments essential to civil infrastructure development. Its ability to generate continuous profiles of cone resistance, sleeve friction, and pore water pressure makes it a cornerstone of modern, data-driven site investigation practices.

Optimal implementation of CPT requires a thorough understanding of soil behavior, appropriate interpretation methodologies, and the selection of suitable pushing systems and sensor configurations. When effectively integrated, these elements empower geotechnical engineers to make informed, data-centric decisions, reducing uncertainty and enhancing the reliability of design and analysis.

Speaker – Michael Prohaska, P.E.
April 22, 2026 | 12-1 PM EDT

This webinar will explore a practical, scalable roadmap for building a modern geotechnical asset management program that starts with the fundamentals and grows in sophistication over time. It highlights the essential building blocks, such as defining geotechnical asset types, establishing a baseline inventory, standardizing inspection methods, and understanding why consistent data collection is the backbone of successful systems.

Participants will learn how these foundational steps support later advancements like GIS integration, risk based prioritization, and decision support tools that help agencies allocate resources more effectively. The session emphasizes that agencies don’t need to begin with a fully mature system; instead, they can progress through achievable stages that match their staffing, budget, and technical capacity. The webinar also explains how staged development strengthens coordination across maintenance, structures, and IT groups, enabling geotechnical asset management to be integrated into broader asset management frameworks. Attendees will gain insight into how a maturity model guides long term planning and supports continuous improvement, one deliberate stage at a time.

Speaker – Bill Vavrik, Ph.D.
March 4, 2026 | 12-1 PM EDT

In this presentation you will learn the history of data collection for infrastructure, safety, and operations; the evolution of improved sensors; the current state of the practice; and the potential future where nearly every vehicle on the road is giving information.

Speaker – Louis William Rogowski
December 10, 2025 | 12-1 PM EDT

This presentation discusses on-going research thrusts for microbotics technology, ARA’s efforts to productize the technology, and where we envision the future of the technology is going.