# @txdot on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/B4FssEYAwXK
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/21931570-txdot-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/834beadac6.jpg
- **Posted:** 2019-10-26T17:01:01.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Texas Dept. of Transportation (@TxDOT) — https://gondola.cc/TxDOT

## Caption

It’s an epic battle that has spanned decades in Texas—engineers vs. sliding hills or slopes —until now. “Slope failures” as they are called, happen when pieces of the embankment along a highway break away and collapse and pose danger to drivers.

Thanks to TxDOT’s research that was recently honored for being one of the best research projects in the nation, the agency can now address these soil issues early on, either through prevention or repair, and help keep drivers safe. 
The researchers developed a unique system to track slopes, pavement, soil, underground pipelines, retaining walls and other structures to create an online management system that help TxDOT make repairs and keep tabs on slopes prone to failing. “The work done on this project will be vital to how we approach slope failures in the future,” said Darrin Jensen, TxDOT’s project manager on the study. “With this information now at our finger tips, those repairs will be far more permanent than they were in the past.” Slope breakdowns are common in Texas—especially North Texas—because of soil conditions and extreme weather patterns. The seasonal swelling and shrinking of expansive soil on a slope with the forces of gravity causes soil movement down the face of the slope. Each year, TxDOT spends millions of dollars repairing slope failures along highways. “We found that about half of those (slope failures) are recurring,” said Mohsen Shahandashti, a professor of civil engineering at UTA. “Now, we project significant cost savings, and identify slopes that are likely to fail, so that TxDOT can address issues before a failure occurs.” This new information will help engineers quickly determine the best approach for each specific hill that’s starting to crumble onto roadways. Knowing the conditions of the slope and which repair method to use will help produce more effective repairs and reduce recurring slope failures along Texas highways.
#TxDOTNews #tx #Texas #Texashighways

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## Tags

txdotnews, texashighways, texas, tx

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