Facilities

The Larson Institute is the locus for transportation-related research conducted by Penn State faculty from more than 14 colleges and research centers. The Institute's extensive laboratory facilities and full-scale test track facilities enable researchers to address problems in three major areas of transportation research: transportation infrastructure; transportation operations; and vehicle systems and safety. Test track facilities allow for advanced research on buses, trucks, trains and locomotives, and automobiles, including hybrid, electric, and other alternative-fuel vehicles; in-situ field durability testing of pavement materials; tire/pavement phenomena; traffic operations and human factors; the effects of crashes and impacts on barriers and vehicles; and bridge loadings, design, construction, monitoring and evaluation.

If you have questions concerning Larson Institute facilities, please contact our Facilities and Safety Manager, Denny Kovolick, at (814) 863-9664 or djk186@psu.edu.

About

The Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute is Penn State’s transportation research center. Since its founding in 1968, the Larson Institute has maintained a threefold mission of research, education, and service. The Institute brings together top faculty, world-class facilities and enterprising students from across the University in partnership with public and private stakeholders to address critical transportation-related problems.