Two Jackson State University civil engineers, along with graduate students, from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering have been working on Mississippi highway slopes with notorious Yazoo clay.

Efforts are under way to simulate the behavior of slopes under different climatological conditions.

Dr. Sadik Khan  and Dr. Farshad Amini from the College of Science, Engineering and Technology have been leading a project funded by the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT). They’re studying six highway slopes made of Yazoo clay.

The study involves the use of advanced moisture sensors, water potential probes, rain gauge and temperature sensors. Each provides continuous monitoring of the impact of the rainfall and temperature changes that cause slopes to fail.

The JSU team is also simulating the behavior of the slopes under different climatological conditions of Mississippi. They are also evaluating the critical scenario that causes highway slopes to fail.

The study will help MDOT better manage slope failures and avoid costly repairs from landslides that range in the millions of dollars.

The outcome from the study have been shared with various professional sources. Also, results were expected to be forwarded to the 2020 Transportation Research Board Meeting and GeoCongress 2020.

As well, findings from the study were slated to be published in prestigious journals from ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) to Elsevier, a global information analytics company.