Ted Sussmann

American Society of Civil Engineers

• Transportation and Development Institute, Rail Transportation Committee
• Western Mass Branch of the Boston Society of Civil Engineers
  • President 2011-2012 (Boston Section Board of Government)
  • Vice President 2010-2013 (Boston Section Executive Committee)

Transportation Research Board

• AR060 Committee on Railway Maintenance, member 2003-2011, 2014-present
• AFP30 Committee on Soil and Rock Properties, member 2009-2012
• AR050 Track Structure System Design Committee –member 1997-2009
• American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association Member
• American Society for Testing and Materials Committee D18 on Soil and Rock

Graduate Student Advisement

• University of Pretoria, South Africa.  Jaco Vorster, "The Use of Ground Penetrating Radar for Track Substructure Characterization," Masters Thesis Outside Reviewed, April 2013.
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Eng Sew Aw, “Instrumentation and Diagnosis Methodology at a Problematic Mud Pumping Railway Site,” Ph.D. Committee Member with Andrew Whittle, J. Germaine, and Carl Martland, May 2007.

My research is focused on sustainable transportation infrastructure including rail, highway, and pipeline. The target of this research is characterization of material properties and evaluation of the influence of the materials on safety, life-cycle cost, and maintenance requirements to help improve sustainability of infrastructure investments.In graduate school I focused on infrastructure structural characterization and transportation materials assessment. As an undergraduate, I completed a research project on railway structural design that provided insight to the decisions that affect infrastructure sustainability through understanding of design tradeoffs that influence future maintenance requirements I continue to pursue research in transportation materials and have conducted research on:

• Material properties including elastic, dynamic, and electromagnetic properties of construction materials;
• Soil improvement including grouting and physicochemical soil behavior modification;
• Infrastructure management including inspection technologies and instrumentation to provide needed data to support and improve management decisions.

The deteriorating health of the nation’s infrastructure has been the centerpiece of articles from 60 minutes, to investigative reports about the cause of the I-35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis. While the concept that innovations will be required to upgrade and maintain existing transportation infrastructure is well understood, the development of these innovations has not met demand. This research applies interdisciplinary expertise between mechanics, materials, and civil engineering structural design to help transfer new technologies to infrastructure problems.  

Additional research topics:

• Railroad Engineering
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Transportation Infrastructure Management and Condition Assessment
• Geophysics and Ground Penetrating Radar
• Material properties including elastic, dynamic, and electromagnetic properties of construction materials
• Soil improvement including grouting and physicochemical soil behavior modification
• Soil structure interaction related to transportation infrastructure

Honors, Awards, and Activities

• Volunteer Service Award: Lunch Buddies Reading, Kennedy Elementary, Cambridge
• Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society Member
• Chi Epsilon Civil Engineering Honor Society
• Phi Kappa Phi
• American Railway Engineering Association - Student Interest Award 1997
• UMass Graduate School Travel Grant to Cape Town, South Africa, 1997
• Mathematics Tutor, UMass Residential Academic Programs, 1992 – 1994

Articles

• Mishra, D., Tutumluer, E., Boler, H., Hyslip, J., and T. Sussmann (2014).  "Railroad Track Transitions with Multidepth Deflectometers and Strain Gages", Transportation Research Record, Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Vol. 2448, Washington, DC, pp. 105-114.
• Sussmann, T. R., Read, D., Choros, J., and S. Farritor (2013).  "Gaining Track Support to Improve Track Safety, Efficiency, and the Competitiveness of the Rail Industry", TR News, Issue 286, Railroads and Research. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC., pp. 22-27.
• Sussmann, T. R., Ruel, M., and S. Chrismer (2012).  “Sources of Ballast Fouling and Influence Considerations for Condition Assessment Criteria,” Transportation Research Record, Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Vol. 2289, Railways 2012, Washington, DC., pp. 87-94.
• Sussmann, T. R., Ebersohn, W., Tomas, M., and E. Selig (2004).  “Trackbed Deflection under Combined Freight and High Speed Passenger Service,”  ASCE, Geotechnical Special Publication No. 126, Geotechnical Engineering for Transportation Projects, pp. 1602-1609.
• Sussmann, T. R., Kish, A., and M. J. Trosino (2003).  “Investigation of the Influence of Track Maintenance on the Lateral Resistance of Concrete Tie Track,” Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Transportation Research Record 1825, Railroad Research: Intercity Passenger Transportation, Track Design and Maintenance, and Hazardous Materials Transport, Washington, DC, pp. 56-63.
• Sussmann, T. R., Selig, E. T., and J. P. Hyslip (2003).  “Railway Track Condition Indicators from Ground Penetrating Radar,” NDT&E International, Vol. 36, No. 3, April, pp. 157-168.
• Sluz, A., Sussmann, T. R., and G. Samavedam (2003).  “Railroad Embankment Stabilization Demonstration for High Speed Rail Corridors,”  ASCE, Geotechnical Special Publication 120 Grouting and Ground Treatment, Vol. 2, pp. 803-812.
• Sussmann, T. R., O’Hara, K. R., and E. T. Selig (2002).  “Development of Material Properties for Railway Application of Ground Penetrating Radar,”  Ninth International Conference on Ground Penetrating Radar, Steven Koppenjan and Hua Lee, Editors, Proceedings of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) Vol. 4758.
• Sussmann, T. R., Ebersohn, W. E, and E. T. Selig (2001).  “Fundamental Non-Linear Track Load-Deflection Behavior for Condition Evaluation,”  Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Transportation Research Record 1742, Intercity Passenger Rail; Freight Rail; and Track Design and Maintenance, Washington, DC, pp. 61-67.
• Sussmann, T. R. and E. T. Selig (2000).  “Resilient Modulus Backcalculation Techniques for Track,” ASCE, Geotechnical Special Publication No. 94 Performance Confirmation of Constructed Geotechnical Facilities, pp. 401-410.
• Sussmann, T. R., Heyns, F. J., and E. T. Selig (1999).  “Characterization of Track Substructure Performance,”  ASCE, Geotechnical Special Publication No. 89 Recent Advances in the Characterization of Pavement Geomaterials, pp. 37-48.

Conferences

• Sussmann, T. R., Thompson, H. B., Stark, T. D., and S. T. Wilk (2015). “Use of Seismic Surface Wave Testing to Assess Track Substructure,” Railway Engineering 2015, Edinburgh, Scotland. 
• Thompson, H. B., Sussmann, T. R., Stark, T. D., and S. T. Wilk (2015). “Non-Invasive Monitoring of Track System Gaps,” Railway Engineering 2015, Edinburgh, Scotland. 
• Stark, T. D., Wilk, S. T., Thompson, H. B., and T. R. Sussmann (2015). “Effect of Unsupported Ties at Transition Zones,” Railway Engineering 2015, Edinburgh, Scotland. 
• Mishra, D., Tutumluer, E., Boler, H., Hyslip, J., and T. Sussmann (2014).  "Instrumentation and Performance Monitoring of Railroad Track Transitions using Multidepth Deflectometers and Strain Gages", Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board.
• Yu, H., Jeong, D., Choros, J. and T. Sussmann (2011).  "Finite Element Modeling of Prestressed Concrete Crossties with Ballast and Subgrade Support," American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Proceedings of the Joint Rail Conference, March, Pueblo, CO.
• Sussmann, T. R. and J. Hyslip (2010).  “Track Substructure Design Methodology and Data,” American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Proceedings of the Joint Rail Conference on High Speed and Intercity Rail, Urbana, IL, April.
• Li, D., Bilow, D., and T. R. Sussmann (2010).  “Slab Track for Shared Freight and High Speed Passenger Service,”  American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Proceedings of the Joint Rail Conference on High Speed and Intercity Rail, Urbana, IL, April.
• Greisen, C., Lu, S., Duan, H., Farritor, S., Arnold, R., Sussmann, T., GeMeiner, W., Clark, D., Toth, T., Hicks, K., Fateh, M., and G. Carr (2009).  “Estimation of Rail Stress from Real-Time Vertical Track Deflection Measurement,” American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Proceeding of the Joint Rail Conference, March, Pueblo, CO.
• Sussmann, T. R. (2007).  “Application of Track Load-Deflection Data to Safety Evaluation, Maintenance, and Rehabilitation”, Railroad Engineering 2007, London, UK.
• Sussmann, T. R. (2007).   “Track Geometry and Deflection from Unsprung Mass Acceleration Data”, Railroad Engineering 2007, London, UK.
• R. Roberts, I. Al-Qadi, E. Tutumluer, J. Boyle, and T. R. Sussmann (2006).  “Advances in Railroad Ballast Evaluation using 2 GHz Horn Antennas,”  Proceedings of the 11^th International Conference on Ground Penetrating Radar, June.
• Kish, A., Sussmann, T. R., and M. Trosino, (2003).  “Track Buckling Safety Evaluations Based on New Track Lateral Resistance Tests,” International Heavy Haul Association, Specialist Session on Implementation of Heavy Haul Technology for Network Efficiency, Dallas, TX.
• Selig, T., Sussmann, T. R., and E. T. Selig (2001).  “Enhanced Corridor Reliability Using a Track Information System and Special Condition Indicators,” In the Proceedings of The Seventh International Heavy Haul Railway Conference, Brisbane, Australia, June.
• Sussmann, T. R. and J. P. Hyslip (2001).  “Indications of Railway Track Performance Problems on Embankments from Ground Penetrating Radar,” Railway Engineering 2001, London, UK.
• Sussmann, T. R., Maser, K. R., Kutrubes, D., Heyns, F. J., and E. T. Selig (2001).  “Development of Ground Penetrating Radar for Railway Infrastructure Condition Detection,”  In the Proceedings of the 2001 Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems (SAGEEP), Denver, CO, March.
• Heyns, F. J. and T. R. Sussmann (1999).  “Laser and Video Based Spatial Data for Railway Track Engineering,”  In the Proceedings of the Conference on Innovations in the Design and Assessment of Railway Track, Technical University of Delft, Netherlands, December.
• Sussmann, T. R. and E. T. Selig (1997).  “Lime Stabilization of Railway Track Subgrade,” Sixth International Heavy Haul Railway Conference, Cape Town, South Africa, April.

Reports

• Sunderam, N. and T. R. Sussmann (2006).  "Development of Gage Widening Projection Parameter for the Deployable Gage Restraint Measurement System", U.S. DOT, Report Number DOT/FRD/ORD-06/13.
• Choros, J., Sussmann, T. R., and E. Curtis (2003).  “Gage Restraint Measurement System Comparison Tests: Railbound and Hi-Rail Vehicles,” U.S. DOT, Report Number DOT/FRA/ORD/03/29.
• Sussmann, T. R., Varley, C., Waters, J. M., and E. T. Selig (1997).  “Evaluation of Autograph for Track Monitoring on Central Artery/Tunnel Contract CO9A4,” Report to MassHighway, October.
• Li, D., Sussmann, T. R., and E. T. Selig (1996).  “Procedure for Railway Track Granular Layer Thickness Determination,”  Association of American Railroads, Report Number R-898.

Seminars

• Sussmann, T. R. (2013).  "Opportunities for Industry-Academic Solutions to Transportation Workforce Challenges,"  In Session 2: From the Classroom to the Workplace: Changing Roles for Colleges and Universities and their Partners in Industry and Government, New England Transportation Workforce Summit, Boston, MA, September.
• Sussmann, T. R. (2011).  "Construction Career Challenges and Opportunities,"  Scholarship Night Speaker, Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Western Mass, June.
• Sussmann, T. R. (2008).  “The Role of Education in Transportation Workforce Planning,”  UMass Transportation Center, Workforce Summit on Educating and Training the Transportation Workforce, May 28.
• Sussmann, T. R. (2002).  “Utilization of an Enhanced Track Information System to Improve Corridor Operations and Reliability,”  MIT, Engineering Mechanics Seminar, February 15.
• Sussmann, T. R. (2001).  “Heavy Axle Loading: What the 286 Kip Cars Mean to You,”  New England Railroad Club, Boston, MA.
• Sussmann, T. R. (1997).  “Railway Track Subgrade Improvement: Lime Stabilization,” University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa, April.