Rutgers CAIT: Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation

10/26/2026

Rutgers CAIT has published a new engineering manual that will help guide New Jersey in protecting its beaches and coastlines!

In partnership with the New Jersey Department of Transportation Office of Maritime Resources, Rutgers CAIT has released a new engineering manual providing practical guidance for the beneficial use of dredged material throughout coastal New Jersey.

Drawing on more than a decade of New Jersey projects and lessons learned, the manual provides engineers, agencies, and coastal practitioners with guidance for using clean dredged sediment in shoreline stabilization, marsh enhancement, habitat restoration, beach nourishment, and other coastal protection applications.

The effort was led by Dr. Daniel Barone, PhD and Dr. Robert Miskewitz as part of CAIT’s Maritime Resource Program.

Learn more and read the manual here: https://cait.rutgers.edu/rutgers-cait-releases-new-engineering-manual-on-the-beneficial-use-of-dredged-material-in-coastal-nj/

CAIT Manual guides NJDOT in Protecting New Jersey’s shorelines. The Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT), through its Maritime Resource Program and in partnership with the New Jersey

06/18/2026

During the 2026 CUTC Summer Meeting at Auburn University, CAIT Associate Director Dr. Patrick Szary shared how UTC research can serve as seed projects and innovation accelerators to build enduring R&D programs.

For nearly 30 years, CAIT has worked to translate research into practice through technology deployments, living labs, and close collaboration with our regional transportation stakeholders.

Today, that work ranges from digital manufacturing supporting transit service reliability to the evaluation of connected and automated vehicle technologies at the DataCity Smart Mobility Testing Ground.

Thank you to the Council of University Transportation Centers (CUTC) and Auburn University for hosting another successful meeting!

06/09/2026

CAIT's BEAST Lab for accelerated bridge testing was showcased during the 2026 Engineering Mechanics Institute (EMI) Conference in Boulder, Colorado last week!

Rutgers University CAIT researcher Dr. Maurizio Morgese presented on the BEAST and chaired a mini-symposium on Advances in Digital Twins for Civil Infrastructure alongside Dr. Adriana Trias from Rowan University and Dr. Amirali Najafi from Texas A&M University.

This session brought together industry and academia to share the latest digital twin research, learn from real-world case studies and innovative applications, and advance the implementation of emerging digital twin technologies.

Check out some photos below!

04/30/2026

New Jersey is on pace to build 45% more houses in the 2020s than were built in the 2010s, an emerging shift in long-term construction trends identified in the April 2026 Rutgers Regional Report published by CAIT.

From 2020 to 2024, the state produced nearly 180,000 housing units and experienced its strongest five-year production level since the 1980s. The study also examines where construction is concentrated in NJ, trends that can impact transportation and travel patterns across the nation’s most densely populated state.

The report was authored by James W. Hughes, a university professor and dean emeritus of Rutgers’ Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, and Connie O. Hughes, former chief of management and policy in the New Jersey Office of the Governor.

Read more at the link below!

New Jersey is on pace to build about 45% more houses in the 2020s than were built in the 2010s, an emerging shift in long-term construction trends identified in the latest Rutgers Regional Report published this month.

04/10/2026

The 2026 Annual NJ Work Zone Safety Conference brought together 200+ transportation professionals on Wednesday to promote safety across New Jersey's roadways!

From Flagging 101 to using Artificial Intelligence to make work zones safer, leaders from across the state came together to discuss work zone safety needs, trends, and best practices in New Jersey.

The annual conference is hosted by Rutgers CAIT and the New Jersey Work Zone Safety Partnership, with support from the New Jersey DHTS, New Jersey Department of Transportation, and Federal Highway Administration.

01/21/2026

Submit an abstract today to participate in our mini-symposium on Advances in Digital Twins for Civil Infrastructure!

Rutgers CAIT will be co-hosting this session during the 2026 Engineering Mechanics Institute Conference this June in Boulder, Colorado. It will be lead by CAIT researcher Dr. Maurizio Morgese, in collaboration with Dr. Adriana Trias at Rowan University and Dr. Amirali Najafi at Texas A&M University.

The deadline for abstracts is January 31, 2026.

Learn more and apply below:
https://www.emi-conference.org/call-abstracts

12/09/2025

Rutgers CAIT has been awarded $13 million by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to lead a pilot project deploying six hydrogen-powered, heavy-duty trucks for drayage operations at Port Newark.

In partnership with PSEG, the Center for Transportation and the Environment, Hyundai Motor Company, The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, Rutgers School of Engineering, and the Rutgers Office for Research, this initiative will test real-world performance of hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks and establish key benchmarks to guide future technology implementation.

Truck deployment will begin in early 2026.

This pilot project has the potential to enhance supply chain efficiency, invest in American infrastructure and jobs, and position New Jersey as a hub for advanced transportation technologies.

Learn more below!

Rutgers will deploy six green hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks at Port Newark for drayage operations. The Rutgers University Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) in the School of Engineering is

08/15/2025

CAIT researcher Dr. Maurizio Morgese recently published a paper in Transportation Research Record that integrates predictive analytics, risk modeling, and multi-objective optimization into a scalable and data-driven framework for transportation Asset Investment Planning (AIP).

The paper stems from a pilot project with The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey that applied AIP framework to a set of 44 bridges considering a 20+ year planning horizon. Using historical inspection data and deterioration modeling, researchers developed performance forecasts for deck and joint elements incorporating risk indices and treatment strategies.

Learn more below!

Rutgers research provides a practical roadmap for modernizing transportation asset management and capital planning practices. Researchers at Rutgers CAIT led a pilot project with The Port Authority of New York

05/19/2025

CAIT's BEAST Lab was highlighted in this News 12 NJ story on innovative research happening at Rutgers University!

The Bridge Evaluation and Accelerated Structural Testing Lab (BEAST) is the world’s first accelerated testing facility for full-scale bridges. The BEAST subjects a 50 ft. bridge deck to extreme traffic loading and weather conditions to simulate decades of real-world deterioration in months instead of years.

This performance data gives asset managers the information needed to identify optimal preservation and rehabilitation techniques, materials, and management strategies much faster than traditional field monitoring, and can help transportation agencies save money on maintenance and repair costs.

Rutgers is home to over 300 research centers and institutes.

04/10/2025

Approximately 200 transportation and construction professionals convened at Rutgers yesterday for the annual NJ Work Zone Safety Conference!

Leaders from across the state came together to discuss work zone safety needs and best practices in New Jersey including the latest technology to prevent distracted driving, NJDOT's permit process, and safety on county and municipal roads. The 2025 Work Zone Safety Excellence Awards recognized the inspiring efforts of those that have demonstrated effective temporary traffic control in planned work zones in NJ.

The annual conference is hosted by Rutgers CAIT and the New Jersey Work Zone Safety Partnership, with support from the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, New Jersey Department of Transportation, and Federal Highway Administration.