Advancing civil infrastructure through intelligent systems and safety research: The work of Dr. Joshua Q. Li
Friday, August 29, 2025
Media Contact: Kristi Wheeler | Manager, CEAT Marketing and Communications | 405-744-5831 | kristi.wheeler@okstate.edu
Civil infrastructure underpins every aspect of modern life — roads that carry families to school, bridges that support commerce and rail systems that connect rural communities to opportunity. Yet across the U.S., these systems face unprecedented challenges: aging assets, intensifying climate extremes and the growing demands of connected and autonomous mobility.
For Dr. Joshua Q. Li, professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Oklahoma State University, these challenges are not barriers but catalysts. He has built a nationally recognized research program that pairs advanced sensing with artificial intelligence to generate actionable insights for transportation agencies. His work blends field-driven innovation with scalable analytics, creating tools that improve safety, sustainability and resilience across infrastructure systems.
“We pair advanced sensing with AI so agencies can see risks earlier, act faster and keep people safer,” Li said.
From measurement to management
At the core of Li’s philosophy is a simple progression: measure precisely, predict confidently and manage wisely.
His research team deploys advanced sensing technologies, from 3D laser imaging, cameras, and LiDAR, to fiber-optic strain sensors to capture infrastructure conditions with unprecedented resolution. Once collected, these vast data streams are interpreted through machine learning, simulation and performance modeling to predict risks and inform management strategies.
This approach replaces reactive practices with proactive ones. Instead of closing lanes to investigate visible distresses or responding only after failures occur, agencies gain real-time, non-contact insights that minimize operational disruptions and improve worker and traveler safety.
His team’s research explores smart and connected infrastructure, such as digital twins, AI-driven predictive analytics and multi-sensor fusion to sustain and transform systems under real-world constraints.
“Our goal is to measure what matters, model what’s coming, and manage for the best outcomes,” Li said.
A broad portfolio with tangible impact
The breadth of Li’s research reflects both scientific ambition and a deep commitment to real-world impact. His work spans six interconnected areas:
Intelligent pavement performance and management
Roadway safety begins at the surface. Li’s team has pioneered 3D laser imaging, non-contact super-resolution texture analysis and automated condition evaluation to assess pavement health with speed and precision. His studies of friction and skid resistance have informed predictive safety systems that reduce crashes.
Through collaborations with the Federal Highway Administration and multiple state departments of transportation, Li’s work on Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design (DARWin-ME, Prep-ME) has been implemented across the country, which ensures pavement design tools reflect local materials, climates and traffic conditions. By advancing predictive models and material innovation — like high-friction surface treatment and balanced mix design, his work extends pavement life while promoting sustainability.
Bridge and structural health monitoring
Bridges are vital yet vulnerable links in transportation networks. Li has advanced AI-driven, sub-millimeter inspections and evaluation of bridge decks, joints, and approaches, using inertial, laser-imaging and fiber-optic sensing technologies. His integration of risk management into bridge management systems equips agencies to prioritize repairs before deterioration escalates.
Working with state DOT partners, Li has developed methods that are shaping practices to strengthen the long-term resilience of bridge infrastructure.
Highway-Rail grade crossing and railway safety
Rail crossings remain one of the nation’s most persistent safety challenges. Li has developed AI and computer vision systems to detect trespassing, evaluate hump crossings and assess safety treatments at highway-rail grade crossings. His team also applies multi-sensor and AI-based methods to detect rail tract defects, expanding the toolkit for rail system resilience.
Through collaborations with state agencies and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Li’s research informs strategies that directly reduce risks at highway-rail grade crossings and enhance rail safety at the national level.
Traffic safety and operations
Every crash carries human, social and economic costs. Li applies data-driven analytics of driver behavior, roadway conditions and geometry, and weather impacts to identify high-risk scenarios such as hydroplaning and slippery conditions.
His work with connected vehicles and infrastructure systems supports spatiotemporal hotspot detection and proactive safety interventions in real-time, enabling law enforcement and transportation agencies to deploy resources strategically.
These studies have supported state highway safety agencies and regional research centers in developing operational strategies that integrate safety analytics with enforcement and planning for proactive safety management.
Autonomous and intelligent transportation systems
As autonomous vehicles transition from concept to reality, Li emphasizes the role of smart and connected infrastructure. His group investigates multi-sensor fusion (LiDAR, radar, vision, inertial, IoT) to strengthen vehicle-infrastructure interactions. Research into vehicular ad-hoc networks and real-time monitoring from crowdsourced and on-board IoT data supports deployments in rural and tribal regions, ensuring reliability in AV integration.
Li’s leadership role as associate director of the Southern Plains Transportation Center, combined with his commitments to advancing AV deployment in underserved regions positions him at the nexus of federal, regional and tribal research collaborations — bridging technical innovation with community needs.
It’s not just about smarter cars. It’s about smarter infrastructure that can talk to those cars and support mobility and safety in rural and trial communities.
Asset management, big data and climate resilience
Li’s research also addresses the strategic layer of infrastructure management. He develops AI-enabled decision-making tools and visualization platforms that integrate risk, climate impacts and asset performance at state and national levels.
Collaborating with the Oklahoma DOT, regional climate resilience initiatives and national studies, his work provides transportation agencies with practical tools to prepare for flooding, heat and other climate-related extremes while stretching budgets and safeguarding communities.
Methods that bridge engineering and data science
Li’s methodologies are as innovative as his applications.
He combines physics-informed machine learning with computer vision, deep neural networks and spatiotemporal analytics to ensure predictions are not only accurate but grounded in engineering principles. His work with digital twins integrates sensor fusion, GNSS/IMU data and 3D imaging into real-time models that evolve with infrastructure systems.
Scalability and security are also central. By leveraging edge, cloud and federated analytics, Li’s systems can operate reliably even in rural areas with limited connectivity — ensuring that technology advances serve communities often overlooked in national infrastructure efforts.
Looking forward: Building infrastructure that lasts
Taken together, Li’s research portfolio represents a new paradigm for civil infrastructure — systems that not only endure but also sense, adapt and evolve.
As agencies grapple with the dual pressures of aging assets and emerging technologies, Li’s leadership at OSU demonstrates how advanced sensing and intelligent analytics can transform challenges into opportunities. His vision is one where infrastructure is not static but responsive.
A vision where roads, rails and bridges actively contribute to safety, efficiency and resilience in every community they serve.
Learn more about Dr. Li’s research
Dr. Joshua Q. LiHis work provides immediate benefits, including safer roads, longer-lasting pavements and more resilient bridges, while setting the stage for intelligent and connected infrastructure that can meet the demands of tomorrow.
