<p dir="ltr">This thesis investigates the embedment of Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer (DWPT) components within two pavement test sections, aiming to evaluate their mechanical and thermal responses. The integration of DWPT components into the pavement structure, while enabling dynamic power delivery to EVs, alters the conventional geometric design of a typical pavement, potentially influencing their short-term and long-term durability and integrity. Hence, to ensure the integrity and efficiency of both the embedded system and the surrounding structure, it is essential to understand how integrating these components influence the pavement's performance.</p><p dir="ltr">Conducted at the Accelerated Pavement Testing (APT) facility of the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), the study evaluates over the course of 25,000 APT traffic passes, the mechanical and thermal responses of both, a flexible and rigid pavement test section. Each test section features a Charging Unit (CU), a concrete slab upon which the DWPT components are placed. The construction of the flexible pavement involved milling down 2 in. of the existing pavement surface, while the rigid pavement required complete demolition of the existing pavement. The flexible pavement’s CU is composed of Class A concrete and the rigid pavement's CU features magnetizable concrete, a type of concrete composed of ferrite particles embedded in a cement matrix. Among the two pavement sections, only the rigid pavement exhibited visible distress, identified as a mid-panel crack. Several factors contributed to the crack formation, including inadequate adhesion between concrete interfaces, concrete mix segregation, material variations, construction issues, and nonuniform load distribution. The manual construction procedures, which were employed to prevent disrupting the embedded DWPT components and sensor instrumentation, and the one-week gap between casting the CU and the surrounding slab might have further influenced the adhesion strength of the rigid pavement section.</p><p dir="ltr">By examining the construction techniques employed, challenges encountered, and resulting behavior of both pavement test sections, this study provides insights into the construction and performance implications of DWPT component integration into pavements, as evidenced by the responses observed in the test sections. This thesis thereby contributes to the ongoing research efforts on investigating the impact such integration has on the surrounding structure's integrity.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is run by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is presently under huge debt to the U.S. treasury. The debt is primarily caused by low flood insurance take-up rate, low willingness to pay for flood insurance, and large payouts after major disasters. Addressing this insolvency problem requires the NFIP to understand (1) what drives the demand for flood insurance so that it can be increased, (2) how risk factors contribute towards large flood insurance payouts so that effective risk reduction policies can be planned, and (3) how to predict the future flood insurance payouts so that the NFIP can be financially prepared. This research has answered these three fundamental questions by developing empirical models based on historical data. To answer the first question, this research has developed a propensity score-based causal model that analyzed one of the key components that influences the demand for flood insurance – the availability of post-disaster government assistance. It was found that the availability of the federal payout in a county in a year increased the number of flood insurance policies by 5.2% and the total insured value of the policies by 4.6% in the following year. Next, this research has developed Mixed Effects Regression model that quantified the causal relationships between the annual flood insurance payout in a county and flood related risk factors such as flood exposure, infrastructure vulnerability, social vulnerability, community resilience, and the number of mobile homes in the county. Based on the derived causal estimates, it was predicted that climate change, which is expected to increase flood exposure in coastal counties, will increase the annual NFIP payout in New Orleans, Louisiana by $2.04 billion in the next 30 years. Lastly, to make the NFIP financially prepared for future payouts, this research has developed a predictive model that can predict the annual NFIP payout in a county with adequate predictive accuracy. The predictive model was used to predict the NFIP payout for 2021 and it was able to predict that with a 9.8% prediction error. The outcomes of this research create new knowledge to inform policy decisions and strategies aimed at fortifying the NFIP. This includes strategies such as flood protection infrastructure, tailored disaster assistance, and other interventions that can bolster flood insurance uptake while mitigating the risk of substantial payouts. Ultimately, this research contributes to sustaining the NFIP's ability to provide vital flood insurance coverage to millions of Americans.</p>