Understanding the Impacts of Natural Hazards on Electrified Roadways
Background
Electrified roadways, those capable of wirelessly charging electric vehicles while in motion, offer a promising approach to promoting electric vehicle adoption. In addition to traditional roadways components, these systems include charging pads embedded in the pavement, power electronics located above or below ground, and a connection to the power grid. These additional elements may introduce new vulnerabilities, particularly in the face of natural hazards. Understanding these risks is essential to guide mitigation strategies and inform cost-effective infrastructure investment.Ìý
Research Objectives
This study seeks to understand the mechanism of damage that natural hazards may have on electrified roadways and quantify the additional impacts that natural hazards may have on electrified roadways, when compared to traditional roadways.
Research Methods
This study examines six natural hazards—flooding, wildfires, earthquakes, tornadoes, high temperatures, and snow—using a mixed-methods convergent design in which quantitative and qualitative data are collected and analyzed simultaneously. Quantitative measures support risk comparison and prioritization, while qualitative data inform the development of mitigation strategies, reflecting the dual data needs of transportation asset managers. A qualitative descriptive design is used to explore how these hazards may affect electrified roadways. Study participants include individuals with professional or academic experience in electrified roadways or related components such as power electronics and pavements, spanning graduate students, faculty, transportation agency professionals, and private technology providers.
Expected Contributions
The findings of this study will advance the understanding of how natural hazards impact electrified roadways — an emerging and understudied area of transportation infrastructure. Results will help transportation agencies deploy more resilient electrified roadway networks by identifying high-risk locations, minimizing asset exposure, and reducing overall system vulnerability. The risk assessment framework developed in this study can also guide the development of preventive and mitigation strategies, support informed decision-making by transportation asset managers, and identify priority areas for future research. Ultimately, this work will contribute to the safe and reliable expansion of electrified roadway infrastructure across diverse geographic and climatic conditions.
Funding
ASPIRE: Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center: 2023-2026.