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InTrans

Institute for Transportation

InTrans|People

Başak Aldemir Bektaş

PHONE

515-294-4033

AFFILIATIONS

InTrans, CTRE, MTC

About Başak

Dr. Bektaş is an associate scientist at the Center for Transportation Research and Education. She serves InTrans as its resident statistical expert, applying statistical methods and data mining to a variety of transportation problems. With an interdisciplinary background and master’s degree in industrial engineering with a focus on systems management, her research experience covers infrastructure asset management with a focus on bridges, pavement and pavement markings, performance measurement, risk and reliability analysis, engineering economic analysis, and transportation safety.

Dr. Bektaş has served as the principal investigator on projects that address bridge management data and tools with the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, and Iowa and Minnesota DOTs. She chairs the Transportation Research Board’s AHD35 Bridge Management Committee and International Road Federation’s Asset Management Committee. She is a founding member of the AHD37 Bridge Preservation Committee and a member of the AASHTOWare Bridge Management Software Technical Review Team.

Education


  • PhD, Transportation Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 2011 
  • MS, Industrial Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Turkey, 2006 
  • BS, Civil Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Turkey, 2002 

Professional Experience


  • Associate Scientist, Center for Transportation Research and Education, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 2012–present 
  • Predoctoral/Postdoctoral Research Associate, Center for Transportation Research and Education, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 2010-2012 
  • Graduate Research Assistant, Center for Transportation Research and Education, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 2006-2010 

Selected Research Projects


  • Principal Investigator, Protocols for Concrete Bridge Deck Protections and Treatments, WisDOT, Started in October 2017 
  • Principal Investigator, NCHRP 20-07/Task 397 Characteristics of Decommissioned Bridges, February 2017–present 
  • Co-Principal Investigator, Assessing Bridge Characteristics for Use and Importance as Roosting Habitat for Bats, Iowa DOT, February 2015–present 
  • Principal Investigator AASHTOWare BrM Implementation and Operation, Iowa DOT, 2016–present, Co-Principal Investigator, 2011–2014 
  • Principal Investigator at ISU, Freight Commodity Efficiency Study Plan, Bi-State Regional Commission, Illinois DOT, subcontracted to Cambridge Systematics, June 2014–present 
  • Principal Investigator, Risk-Based Bridge Management: A Methodology to Assess and Incorporate Risk in Decision Making, USDOT (MTC), July 2014–present 
  • Co-Principal Investigator,Technical Analysis to Support the Bridge Condition Performance Measure, FHWA, September 2014-present 
  • Principal Investigator, Next Generation Bridge Management Tools and Inspection, MnDOT, July 2013–present 
  • SHRP 2 S04(A) Roadway Information Database Development and Technical Coordination and Quality Assurance of the Mobile Data Collection Project (S04B)
  • Asset Management and Safety: A Performance Perspective, Iowa DOT, Iowa Highway Research Board and MTC 
  • Developing a Laboratory Test for Determining the Initial Retroreflectivity Level of Glass Beads in Pavement, NCHRP 
  • Pavement Markings and Safety, Iowa Highway Research Board and Iowa Department of Transportation 
  • Wet Reflective Pavement Marking Demonstration, Iowa DOT and Iowa Highway Research Board 

Selected Publications


  • Aldemir-Bektas, B. 2017. Predicting NBI Condition Ratings from NBE Condition Data by Recursive Partitioning. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board. No. 2612, pp. 29–38. 
  • Aldemir-Bektas, B., K. Gkritza, and O. Smadi. 2016. Pavement Marking Retroreflectivity and Crash Frequency: An Investigation of Segmentation, Data Imputation and Line Type Effects. ASCE Journal of Transportation Engineering. Vol. 142, No. 8. 
  • Aldemir-Bektas, B. 2016. Next Generation Bridge Management Tools and Inspection. Minnesota Department of Transportation, St. Paul, MN. 
  • Smadi O., N. Hawkins, B. Aldemir-Bektas, P. Carlson, A. Pike, and C. Davies. 2014. Recommended Laboratory Test for Predicting the Initial Retroreflectivity of Pavement Markings from Glass Bead Quality. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board. No. 2440, pp. 94-102. 
  • F. Bektas, B. Aldemir-Bektas. 2014. Analyzing Mix Parameters in ASR Concrete using Response Surface Methodology. Construction and Building Materials. Vol. 66, pp. 299–305. 
  • Johnson M., B. Aldemir-Bektas. 2013. Defining Bridge Preservation by Action Type. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board. Vol. 2361. 
  • Hawkins, N., O. Smadi, B. Aldemir-Bektas. 2013. Measuring Salt Retention, Center for Transportation Research and Education, Iowa Transportation Center, Iowa State University, Ames, IA. 
  • Hawkins, N. O. Smadi, B. Aldemir-Bektas. 2012. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Temporary Work-Zone Pavement Marking Products, Smart Work Zone Deployment Initiative, Iowa Transportation Center, Iowa State University, Ames, IA. 
  • Smadi, O., N. Hawkins, B. Aldemir-Bektas, P. Carlson, A. Pike, and C. Davies. 2012. NCHRP Project No. 04-38: Recommended Laboratory Test for Predicting the Initial Retroreflectivity of Pavement Markings from Glass Bead Quality, National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Washington, DC. 
  • Gao, J., B. Aldemir-Bektas, K. Gkritza, O. Smadi, N. Hawkins, and I. Nlenanya. 2012. Asset Management and Safety: A Performance Perspective, Midwest Transportation Center, Iowa Transportation Center, Iowa State University, Ames, IA. 
  • Aldemir-Bektas, B., A. Carriquiry, O. Smadi. 2012. Using Classification Trees for Predicting National Bridge Inventory Condition Ratings. Journal of Infrastructure Systems. Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 425–433. 
  • Aldemir-Bektas, B. 2011. Bridge Management from Data to Policy. PhD dissertation. Iowa State University, Ames, IA. 
  • Smadi, O., N. R Hawkins, B. Aldemir-Bektas. 2011. Roadway Lighting and Safety: Monitoring Quality, Durability, and Efficiency. Center for Transportation Research and Education, Iowa Transportation Center, Iowa State University, Ames, IA. 
  • Hawkins, N., O. Smadi, B. Aldemir-Bektas. 2011. Wet-Reflective Pavement Marking Demonstration Project. Center for Transportation Research and Education, Iowa Transportation Center, Iowa State University, Ames, IA. 

Professional Affiliations, Honors and Service


  • Chair, TRB Committee on Bridge Management, AHD35 (since April 2017, member since 2009) 
  • Chair, IRF Asset Management Committee (since January 2017) 
  • Member and Communications Coordinator, TRB Committee on Bridge Preservation, AHD37, 2014-present 
  • Friend, TRB Committee on Asset Management, ABC40 
  • Friend, TRB Committee on Structures Maintenance, AHD 30, 2010-presen
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