The following are examples of such projects. A simulation of a crash-test vehicle demonstrated how engineers might modify and redesign test vehicles to reduce repetitive laboratory tests and costs. A simulation of a sewage spill off the coast of San Diego demonstrated how city engineers might use computer models to predict, prevent, and mitigate similar accidents in the future. Advanced analytic and visualization techniques are helping engineers investigate different road-building materials and the effects of various tire designs and loadings on them.
Much engineering goes into the signs and lightposts that line California's roads and highways.
One safety consideration is the amount of damage a support structure will cause to a vehicle that collides with it. By creating an enhanced crash-test vehicle, CalTrans can emulate the same impact characteristics of a compact car under various conditions. This model is expected to minimize time-consuming developmental tests in the laboratory. The lab began improving this model in the mid-1980s in collaboration with UC Davis' mechanical engineering department. The vehicle's increased flexibility allowed researchers to change its weight distribution, rotational moment of inertia, and wheel position and size.