TY - RPRT AN - 01483637 AU - Rudy, Adam AU - Olek, Jan AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Optimization of Mixture Proportions for Concrete Pavements—Influence of Supplementary Cementitious Materials, Paste Content and Aggregate Gradation PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 69p AB - The main purpose of this research was to evaluate the influence of the type and the amount of supplementary cementitious materials, paste content and aggregate gradation on the results of statistical optimization of mixture proportions for concrete pavements. The research program was divided into three main PHASES. In PHASE I, the influence of the amount and type of supplementary cementitious materials (as well as the paste content) on selection of optimum proportions for concrete pavement mixtures was studied. The Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was utilized to design test matrices of concrete mixtures consisting of three binder systems: the fly ash system, the GGBFS system and the fly ash plus GGBFS system. For each binder system, the paste content varied from 21 to 25% by mixture volume. The optimum composition of concrete mixtures was found to be 29% of fly ash and 22% of paste for the fly ash system, 37% of GGBFS and 23% of paste for the GGBFS system, and 15% of fly ash, 27% of GGBFS and 22% of paste for the ternary system. In PHASE II, three concrete mixtures (each representing near optimum composition of variables studied in PHASE I) were selected and produced with six different aggregate gradations. These aggregate gradations varied with respect to coarseness (CF) and workability (WF) factors (as defined by Shilstone’s chart), packing density and maximum aggregate size. The results revealed that the best performance was obtained for mixtures with CF of about 67 and WF of about 40. In addition, the paste‐aggregate void saturation ratio (k”), which relates paste content to aggregate packing density, was found to be important in controlling scaling and drying shrinkage of concrete mixtures produced in PHASE II. The focus of PHASE III of the study was on numerical modeling to determine the optimum combination of (k”) and aggregate packing density (Φ) with respect to concrete performance. The results revealed that the most desirable concrete mixtures were produced with a (k”) value ranging from 0.925 to 1.000 and with packing density in the range from 0.755 to 0.786. Finally, selected concrete mixtures produced in Phase III were evaluated with respect to their cracking potential. The mixtures selected for the cracking potential study were those which showed elevated level of drying shrinkage and were characterized by relatively high k” values and poor aggregate packing density. The cracking potential of these mixtures was evaluated using the modified AASHTO ring test procedure, which involved demolding of specimens immediately after the concrete reached the final setting time. The final setting time was determined using the time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) method. KW - Admixtures KW - Aggregate gradation KW - Cement paste KW - Cementitious materials KW - Concrete pavements KW - Mix design KW - Optimization KW - Proportioning UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284315038 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1252321 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01482299 AU - Heaslip, Kevin AU - Boggs, Wesley AU - Squire, Devin AU - Evans, Travis AU - Lindheimer, Tomas AU - Gardiner, Kevin AU - Langford, Mike AU - Utah State University, Logan AU - Utah Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development of Sign Management Plan & System for UDOT PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 106p AB - The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is concerned with maintaining a minimum level of retro-reflectivity on traffic signs under both federal and state jurisdictions. New retro-reflectivity standards have been enacted by the FHWA that mandate all transportation agencies “must establish and implement a sign management or management method to maintain minimum levels of sign retroreflectivity”. In addition, full compliance with the new retro-reflectivity standards is mandated by January 2015. Non-compliance with these new retro-reflectivity requirements will leave transportation agencies vulnerable to lawsuits. Many agencies are now realizing the challenges of establishing and maintaining a sign management program. The purpose of this research was to assess the current performance of traffic signs under the jurisdiction of the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) and develop an assessment or management method that is tailored to UDOT’s specific traffic sign needs. From 2011-12 1,716 traffic signs were measured across all four of UDOT’s maintenance regions in order to develop a snapshot of current retroreflectivity compliance. At the conclusion of the collection effort it was determined that UDOT’s sign population was 93 percent compliant with the minimum maintained retroreflectivity levels. Additional issues specific to UDOT’s sign population were identified and documented. From the collection effort it was determined that 28 percent of UDOT’s traffic signs had severe enough damage that it detracted from the legibility of the traffic signs' intended message. Analysis was conducted to determine factors that contributed to areas of high damage rates. By determining that UDOT signs had a damage issue it is recommended that a visual nighttime assessment method be utilized since it can simultaneously assess the legibility and visibility of a traffic sign. By implementing a visual nighttime inspection procedure UDOT will maintain compliance with the minimum levels and ensure the legibility of the traffic signs' message, thereby increasing motorist safety. KW - Compliance KW - Legibility KW - Maintenance management KW - Montana KW - Night visibility KW - Retroreflectivity KW - Traffic signs KW - Visibility UR - http://www.udot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=3402118688589588 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1251060 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01481384 AU - Ecola, Liisa AU - Wachs, Martin AU - RAND Corporation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Exploring the Relationship between Travel Demand and Economic Growth PY - 2012/12 SP - 43p AB - As the interest in sustainable transportation increases, there is a push to reduce vehicle miles of travel (VMT). This report explores VMT and the impact it has on economic growth. In addition, this study examined research to identify successful "decoupling" of VMT and economic growth. Can VMT decrease while economic growth increases? Examples from the literature of United States metropolitan planning organizations and other countries, specifically Lund, Sweden and Singapore, are included. KW - Economic analysis KW - Economic growth KW - Gross domestic product KW - Literature reviews KW - Lund (Sweden) KW - Metropolitan planning organizations KW - Singapore KW - Travel demand KW - United States KW - Urban areas KW - Vehicle miles of travel UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/otps/pubs/vmt_gdp/vmt_gdp.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1250307 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01480994 AU - Wang, Ming-Heng AU - Schrock, Steven D AU - Vander Broek, Nate AU - Mulinazzi, Thomas AU - Mid-America Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - The Use of Cell Phone Network Data in Traffic Data Collection and Long-Haul Truckshed (Geographic Extent) Tracking PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 37p AB - This study analyzed the potential of cell phone positioning techniques in freight truck data collection and long-haul truckshed (geographic extent) tracking. Freight truck identification and tracking algorithms were developed by means of cell phone network data and the established freight truck analysis geographic information system (GIS), to recognize freight trucks and determine their truckshed. A case study was conducted to illustrate the truckshed tracking process and verify the tracking results from the cell phone network. Cell phones leaving from the test logistics distribution center were tracked and classified based on the developed tracking algorithms. The case study also demonstrated the processes of determining the geographic extent and traffic impact on the transportation network from the test logistics distribution center. The results showed that the proposed tracking algorithms can identify a similar percentage of freight truck data from the test facility compared with manual counts. The analysis of geographic extent indicated that 60% of freight traffic stayed within 30 miles of the facility, and approximately 20% of the traffic was considered long-haul freight traffic traveling more than 80 miles away. The long-haul tracking results found that most of the long-haul trucks returned to the original test facility during the same day. It is recommended that the tracking algorithms and data analysis process could also be applied to any other freight trucking terminal or intermodal transportation facility, as long as the cell phone network data are available. A complete freight GIS analysis network around the study area is also recommended to understand the likely destinations. KW - Algorithms KW - Cellular telephones KW - Data collection KW - Detection and identification KW - Freight terminals KW - Freight traffic KW - Geographic information systems KW - Haul distance KW - Traffic data UR - http://files.library.northwestern.edu/transportation/online/unrestricted/2012/MATC-KU-361.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1249596 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01480992 AU - Noble, Alexandria M AU - Martinelli, David R AU - Unnikrishnan, Avinash AU - Martinelli, Diana AU - West Virginia University, Morgantown AU - Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center AU - West Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Analysis of West Virginia’s Graduated Driver Licensing Program PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 70p AB - Motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death for individuals between the ages of 15-20 years old in the United States. Top safety concerns involving teen drivers include; safety belt use, impaired driving, and distracted driving. Rules that address these safety concerns have been implemented into multifaceted graduated driver licensing (GDL) programs in the United States as well as in state legislation. There are a limited number of studies focusing on the perspective, knowledge and opinion of GDL policy. The effectiveness of the GDL program in West Virginia is being measured through the administration of surveys. The surveys have been designed to assess awareness among high school students, parents of high school students, and police officers. GDL limits teenage driver exposure to high risk situations but its potential to reduce fatalities is limited by people's willingness to comply with the laws and the enforcement of the program restrictions by parents and law enforcement officers. Using the insights provided by these surveys, ways to improve GDL policy and awareness to increase program effectiveness will be identified. KW - Analysis KW - Awareness KW - Graduated licensing KW - Surveys KW - Teenage drivers KW - West Virginia UR - http://www.mautc.psu.edu/docs/WVU-2010-03.pdf UR - http://www.mautc.psu.edu/docs/WVU-2011-01.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1249409 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01480988 AU - Schrock, Steven D AU - Fitzsimmons, Eric J AU - Mid-America Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Evaluation of Large-Truck Fixed-Object Crashes at Bridge Structures in Kansas PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 30p AB - The aim of this study was to investigate any possible relationships between roadway geometry, pavement conditions, and large-truck, fixed object crashes at bridge sites. Data on single-vehicle and multiple-vehicle large-truck crashes were extracted from the Kansas Department of Transportation’s crash and roadway database for a five year study period (2006-2010). This analysis was limited to bridge sites located on state and federal roadways in both rural and urban environments. A total of 77 crashes were extracted, in which 73 were single-vehicle run-off-the-road crashes where a large-truck struck a fixed object at or very close to the bridge site. Due to the limited sample size, a simple odds ratio analysis was used to evaluate the crash data. Because no fatalities were reported, the likelihood of an injury crash or a property damage only crash were tested. The results of the simple odds ratio analysis showed that the odds of an injury resulting from a fixed-object crash were 4.93 times higher on a limited access facility. This finding was statistically significant at the 95% level of confidence, while all other tested variables were found to be non-significant. KW - Base course (Pavements) KW - Bridges KW - Crash data KW - Expressways KW - Geometric configurations and shapes KW - Heavy duty trucks KW - Kansas KW - Ran off road crashes KW - Single vehicle crashes KW - Truck crashes UR - http://files.library.northwestern.edu/transportation/online/unrestricted/2012/MATC-KU-466.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1249597 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01480984 AU - Leonhardt, A AU - Medina, A AU - Higgs, B AU - McGhee, C AU - Ova, K AU - Chong, L AU - Kautzsch, L AU - Abbas, M AU - Fontaine, M AU - Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Driver Behavior In Traffic, Final Report, December 2012 PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 229p AB - Existing traffic analysis and management tools do not model the ability of drivers to recognize their environment and respond to it with behaviors that vary according to the encountered driving situation. The small body of literature on characterizing drivers behavior is typically limited to specific locations (i.e., by collecting data on specific intersections or freeway sections) and is very narrow in scope. This report documented the research performed to model driver behavior in traffic under naturalistic driving data. The research resulted in the development of hybrid car-following model. In addition, a neuro-fuzzy reinforcement learning, an agent-based artificial intelligence machine-learning technique, was used to model driving behavior. The naturalistic driving database was used to train and validate driver agents. The proposed methodology simulated events from different drivers and proved behavior heterogeneities. Robust agent activation techniques were also developed using discriminant analysis. The developed agents were implemented in VISSIM simulation platform and were evaluated by comparing the behavior of vehicles with and without agent activation. The results showed very close resemblance of the behavior of agents and driver data. Prototype agents prototype (spreadsheets and codes) were developed. Future research recommendations include training agents using more data to cover a wider region in the Wiedemann regime space, and sensitivity analysis of agent training parameters. KW - Artificial intelligence KW - Automatic data collection systems KW - Behavior KW - Car following KW - Drivers KW - Freeways KW - Microscopic traffic flow KW - Simulation KW - Traffic models KW - Traffic safety KW - VISSIM (Computer model) UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1249777 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01480521 AU - Titi, Hani H AU - Tabatabai, Habib AU - Faheem, Ahmed AU - Bautista, Emil AU - Tutumluer, Erol AU - Druckrey, Andrew AU - University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee AU - Wisconsin Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Base Compaction Specification Feasibility Analysis PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 222p AB - The objective of this research is to establish the technical engineering and cost analysis concepts that will enable Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) management to objectively evaluate the feasibility of switching construction specification philosophies for aggregate base. In order to accomplish this goal, field and laboratory testing programs were conducted on existing Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) pavements and on base layers under construction as well as comprehensive survey was conducted on highway agencies practices pertaining to base layer construction in the U.S. and Canada. This research proposed construction specifications for aggregate base course layers. The existing HMA pavements that showed early distresses exhibited high levels of spatial variability and non-uniformity in aggregate base course layers, as demonstrated by Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) testing and backcalculated base layer modulus. The existing HMA pavements that performed well exhibited low levels of spatial variability and high uniformity in aggregate base course layers, as shown by the FWD test results and the backcalculated base layer modulus. High spatial variability in field density and moisture content exists in base course layers under construction, as demonstrated by the relative compaction test results. In addition, spatial variability and non-uniformity were also demonstrated by the results of the Light Weight Deflectometer (LWD) and GeoGauge, in which the layer modulus varies within a large range of values. KW - Aggregates KW - Base course (Pavements) KW - Falling weight deflectometers KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Pavement distress KW - Pavement layers KW - Specifications KW - Wisconsin UR - http://wisdotresearch.wi.gov/wp-content/uploads/WisDOT-WHRP-project-0092-11-02-final-report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1249190 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01479008 AU - Shi, Xianming AU - Li, Yongxin AU - Jungwirth, Scott AU - Fang, Yida AU - Seeley, Nicholas AU - Jackson, Emily AU - Western Transportation Institute AU - Alaska University Transportation Center AU - Washington State Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Identification and Laboratory Assessment of Best Practices to Protect DOT Equipment from the Corrosive Effect of Chemical Deicers PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 216p AB - The objective of this project is to identify, evaluate and synthesize best practices that can be implemented to minimize the effects of deicer corrosion on department of transportation (DOT) winter vehicles and equipment, such as design improvements, maintenance practices, and the use of coatings and corrosion inhibitors. The research in Part I will include a comprehensive literature review coupled with a survey of current practice and the state of the art from DOTs; airlines; automobile/trucking, waterborne transportation, defense and other industries. This will be followed by phone interviews and laboratory evaluation of select products and practices, culminating in the cost benefit analysis of select practices and products and the development of implementation recommendations. Part II of this project will include the development of best practice guidelines and their periodical updates along with laboratory and field research to validate best practices if deemed necessary. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Best practices KW - Corrosion KW - Corrosion protection KW - Deicing chemicals KW - State departments of transportation KW - Vehicles and equipment KW - Winter maintenance UR - http://ine.uaf.edu/autc/files/2013/04/AUTC-410005FinalReport-ver1.51.pdf UR - http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/796.1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1248009 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01478794 AU - Hallmark, Shauna AU - McDonald, Tom AU - Sperry, Bob AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of the Safety Edge in Iowa: Phase II PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 41p AB - Roadway departure crashes are a serious traffic safety concern. These crashes account for about 53 percent of US highway fatalities and one million injuries annually. The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) estimates approximately 52 percent of roadway-related fatal crashes in Iowa are lane departures. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) estimated in 2010 that 160 fatalities and more than 11,000 injuries related to unsafe pavement edges occur annually. The Safety Edge is a design feature that creates a 30 degree fillet along the outside edge of a roadway during paving operations. The FHWA developed the Safety Edge based on research that indicated vehicles attempting to remount the pavement after leaving the paved roadway surface could traverse a sloped pavement edge surface more easily. In this Phase II study, researchers observed and documented advances in design and utilization of Safety Edge equipment, sampled, tested, and assessed consolidation of the Safety Edge, inspected field conditions on previously-installed Safety Edge projects, evaluated changes in shoulder settlement/erosion, and assessed any deterioration of sloped HMA pavement edges. Based on observations and measurements, the research team concluded that, even considering that not all results were consistent and didn’t meet the “ideal” 30 degree slope angle, almost all Safety Edge slopes included in this evaluation project resulted in more durable and passable slopes than what would be expected with conventional pavement edges. This Phase II report documents the evaluation of Safety Edge projects and results in Iowa and includes an array of conclusions and practical recommendations. KW - Dropoffs (Pavements) KW - Equipment KW - Highway design KW - Highway safety KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Pavement design KW - Ran off road crashes KW - Road shoulders KW - Safety edge (Pavement safety feature) UR - http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/research/documents/research-reports/safety_edge_eval_ii_w_cvr.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247476 ER - TY - SER AN - 01478578 JO - Traffic Volume Trends PB - Federal Highway Administration TI - Traffic Volume Trends, December 2012 PY - 2012/12 SP - 10p AB - Traffic Volume Trends is a monthly report based on hourly traffic count data. These data, collected at approximately 4,000 continuous traffic counting locations nationwide, are used to determine the percent change in traffic for the current month compared to the same month in the previous year. This percent change is applied to the travel for the same month of the previous year to obtain an estimate of travel for the current month. Travel on all roads and streets changed by -2.9% (-7.0 billion vehicle miles) for December 2012 as compared with December 2011. Travel for the month is estimated to be 236.3 billion vehicle miles. Cumulative Travel for 2012 changed by +0.3% (9.1 billion vehicle miles). The Cumulative estimate for the year is 2,938.5 billion vehicle miles of travel. KW - Highway travel KW - Traffic counting KW - Traffic data KW - Traffic volume KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - Vehicle miles of travel UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/travel_monitoring/12dectvt/12dectvt.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247546 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01478285 AU - Anderson, Neil AU - Center for Transportation Infrastructure and Safety AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) for Pavement Evaluation PY - 2012/12 SP - 8p AB - In the near future the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department Pavement Management System (PMS) will utilize a Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) to collect network level pavement structural data to aid in predicting performance of pavement sections. One of the drawbacks to running the FWD is that pavement thickness is required for the tested pavement section. The standard method for obtaining pavement thickness information is coring. Coring for a network level survey would be cost prohibitive. Coring costs can run between $3,000 and $3,600 per day with a typical collection distance of 20 miles per day. The Department manages over 16,000 centerline miles of highways. Previous research has shown Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is a proven and reliable technology that can be used as a feasible alternative to provide pavement thickness data. GPR data collection can be costly as well; contract services for pavement thickness can cost between $50 and $100 per mile from a reputable service provider. GPR equipment has become less cumbersome, more user-friendly and more affordable in the last few years. There are GPR technologies that employ multiple antennas to provide pavement layer thickness for network level surveys. These newer technologies could provide the pavement layer thicknesses required for network level FWD data collection in a timely and cost-effective manner. KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Arkansas KW - Costs KW - Falling weight deflectometers KW - Ground penetrating radar KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Pavement management systems KW - Pavement performance KW - Structural analysis KW - Technological innovations KW - Thickness UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247239 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01478006 AU - Shahabi, Mehrdad AU - Hlaing, Aung AU - Martinelli, David R AU - Unnikrishnan, Avinash AU - West Virginia University, Morgantown AU - West Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Fog Detection for Interstate and State Highways PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 71p AB - Fog is a common and recurrent phenomenon in West Virginia and the cause of nearly 1.3% of all fatal crashes occurring across the state. All three types of fog--upslope, radiation, and advection--are common in the state, resulting in lack of visibility, limited contrast, distorted perception, judgment errors, and reduction in headway and speed of the vehicle traveling in foggy conditions. The state of West Virginia is suffering from lack of suitable fog detection and warning systems along many of its arterials where fog is a major issue. The purpose of this project is to determine favorable fog conditions in terms of different meteorological components and to introduce various forecasting tools utilized by different agencies in fog forecasting processes. In addition, efforts are made to identify the critical fog-prone areas across the state. These places might serve as potential locations for implementation of fog detection and warning systems. Also, a complete description of the available detection and warning systems that are currently active across the country is presented in this report to provide useful insight regarding these systems' capabilities and effectiveness. Finally, through a simple benefit-cost analysis, justification of the efficiency of fog detection and warning systems is demonstrated. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Crashes KW - Driving conditions KW - Fog KW - Fog detection KW - Interstate highways KW - State highways KW - Traffic safety KW - Visibility KW - Warning systems KW - Weather forecasting KW - West Virginia UR - http://www.mautc.psu.edu/docs/WVU-2010-01.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247325 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477152 AU - Qi, Yi AU - Chen, Xiaoming AU - Li, Da AU - Texas Southern University, Houston AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Evaluating Safety Performance and Developing Guidelines for the Use of Right Turn on Red (RTOR) PY - 2012/12 SP - 59p AB - This research project investigates the safety performance of Right Turn on Red (RTOR) at intersections. Also, new design alternatives, such as dual right-turn lanes and guidelines incorporating the use of RTOR at intersections are evaluated. To this end, the following tasks were performed: (1) review literature on safety performance of RTOR; (2) review literature on driver behavior under RTOR operation; (3) synthesize best practices and existing guidelines on RTOR; (4) conduct field study to investigate driver behavior under RTOR operation at dual right-turn lanes; and (5) develop guidelines for the use of RTOR. The results of this study showed that RTOR operations contributed to only a small portion of the total crashes at the intersections, and RTOR operations did not increase the crash rates after the implementation at the intersections. In this study, according to the existing guidelines and the field observation, a set of comprehensive guidelines were developed to support decision-making on the use of RTOR. KW - Before and after studies KW - Behavior KW - Best practices KW - Crash rates KW - Dual right turn lanes KW - Guidelines KW - Literature reviews KW - Right turn on red KW - Traffic safety UR - http://swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/161242-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1246731 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01476341 AU - Department of Transportation TI - Motorcoach Safety Action Plan: 2012 Update PY - 2012/12 SP - 68p AB - Motorcoaches complete approximately 750 million passenger trips each year. Over the 10-year period of 2001 through 2010, motorcoach crashes resulted in an average of 17 motorcoach occupant fatalities per year. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) original Motorcoach Safety Action Plan, issued in 2009, reflected integrated activities involving five of the Department’s operating administrations to improve safety in this sector of the industry. The original plan may be found at www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety-security/pcs/index.aspx. This 2012 update was developed to document DOT accomplishments since 2009 as well as provide information on in-process activities and new commitments made by the Agencies to improve the safety of motorcoach passengers. KW - Bus crashes KW - Countermeasures KW - Crash causes KW - Fatalities KW - Motor carriers KW - Passenger transportation UR - http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/docs/Motorcoach-Safety-Action-Plan-2012.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1244694 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01476289 AU - Abbas, Ala R AU - Frankhouser, Andrew AU - University of Akron AU - Ohio Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Improved Characterization of Truck Traffic Volumes and Axle Loads for Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 243p AB - The recently developed mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide (MEPDG) requires a multitude of traffic inputs to be defined for the design of pavement structures, including the initial two-way annual average daily truck traffic (AADTT), directional and lane distribution factors, vehicle class distribution, monthly adjustment factors, hourly truck distribution factors, traffic growth rate, axle load spectra by truck class (Class 4 to Class 13) and axle type (single, tandem, tridem, and quad), and number of axles per truck. Since it is not always practical to obtain sitespecific traffic data, the MEPDG assimilates a hierarchal level concept that allows pavements to be designed using statewide averages and MEPDG default values without compromising the accuracy of the pavement design. In this study, a Visual Basic for Application (VBA) code was developed to analyze continuous traffic monitoring data and generate site-specific and statewide traffic inputs. The traffic monitoring data was collected by 143 permanent traffic monitoring sites (93 automated vehicle classifier (AVC) and 50 weigh-in-motion (WIM) sites) distributed throughout the State of Ohio from 2006 to 2011. The sensitivity of the MEPDG to the various traffic inputs was evaluated using two baseline pavement designs, one for a new flexible pavement and one for a new rigid pavement. Key performance parameters for the flexible pavement included longitudinal (top-down) fatigue cracking, alligator (bottom-up) fatigue cracking, transverse (low-temperature) cracking, rutting, and smoothness (expressed using IRI), while key performance parameters for the rigid pavement included transverse cracking (% slabs cracked), joint faulting, and smoothness. The sensitivity analysis results revealed that flexible pavements are moderately sensitive to AADTT, growth rate, vehicle class distribution, and axle load spectra; and not sensitive to hourly distribution factors, monthly adjustment factors, and number of axles per truck. Furthermore, it was found that rigid pavements are moderately sensitive to AADTT, growth rate, hourly distribution factors, vehicle class distribution, and axle load spectra; and not sensitive to monthly adjustment factors and number of axles per truck. Therefore, it is recommended to estimate the AADTT and the vehicle class distribution from site-specific short-term or continuous counts and obtain the truck growth rate from ODOT Modeling and Forecasting Section (Certified Traffic). As for the other traffic inputs, statewide averages can be used for the hourly distribution factors, axle load spectra, and number of axles per truck; and MEPDG defaults can be used for the monthly adjustment factors. KW - Axle loads KW - Flexible pavements KW - Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide KW - Ohio KW - Pavement design KW - Pavement performance KW - Rigid pavements KW - Traffic surveillance KW - Traffic volume KW - Truck traffic UR - http://worldcat.org/oclc/838587771/viewonline UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1245232 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01476052 AU - Darrow, Margaret M AU - Daanen, Ronald P AU - Simpson, Jocelyn M AU - Alaska University Transportation Center AU - Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Monitoring and Analysis of Frozen Debris Lobes, Phase I PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 73p AB - A slow-moving landslide (termed Frozen Debris Lobe-A (FDL-A)) is approaching the Dalton Highway near MP 219, at a distance of 195 ft from the northbound shoulder as of November 2012. Previous analysis of images from 1955 through 2008 indicated an average movement rate of 0.4 in. per day. To better understand the movement of FDL-A, including its soil properties, the direction and rate of movement, and the nature of the shear zone, we initiated a drilling/sampling and monitoring program in 2012. Based on the drilling results, FDL-A consists of silty sand with gravel, overlying white mica schist bedrock at a depth of 86.5 ft (where drilled). Measurements indicate that temperatures within FDL -A average 30ºF, which is 2ºF warmer than the surrounding permafrost. Water pressure exists within this feature, demonstrating a potentiometric surface 35 ft above the lobe surface. FDL-A demonstrated at least two modes of movement, with a shear zone between 66 ft and 74 ft below ground surface, and slow to moderate flow above this depth; combining these, FDL-A was moving at an average rate of 1.0 in. per day between September and November 2012. Recommendations for future work are included in the report KW - Alaska KW - Dalton Highway KW - Drilling KW - Frozen soils KW - Landslides KW - Permafrost KW - Silty sands KW - Soil mechanics UR - http://ine.uaf.edu/autc/files/2013/03/02-FDL-final-draft_12_7_12-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1245879 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01476034 AU - Brecher, Aviva AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - Transit Bus Applications of Lithium Ion Batteries: Progress and Prospects PY - 2012/12//2007-2012 SP - 42p AB - This report provides an overview of diverse transit bus applications of advanced Lithium Ion Batteries (LIBs). The report highlights and illustrates several FTA programs that fostered the successful development, demonstration, and deployment of fuel-efficient hybrid-electric and electric drive transit buses in operational urban fleets over the last decade. The focus is on recent progress in the rechargeable energy storage systems (RESS) that successfully integrated the lighter, more compact LIBs with higher energy density and capacity in a broad range of power and propulsion configurations for urban transit bus fleets. Improvements in fuel efficiency and environmental performance of succeeding generations as well as LIB-related safety, cost, reliability, availability, and maintainability challenges are discussed in context, including recent recalls due to LIB safety issues. Progress in and prospects for future LIB improvements and remaining bus application challenges are also discussed. KW - Electric buses KW - Energy storage devices KW - Fuel cell vehicles KW - Hybrid vehicles KW - Lithium batteries KW - Rechargeable batteries KW - Transit buses KW - Urban transit UR - http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/FTA_Report_No._0024.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/47000/47000/47077/FTA_Report_No._0024.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1245585 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01475806 AU - Huseth, Andrea AU - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Alcohol-Impaired Driving: Common Practices and Performance PY - 2012/12 SP - 70p AB - This report gives a summary of the current state of alcohol-impaired driving and countermeasures in the United States and individual states, including North Dakota. Characteristics in alcohol-impaired driving, such as, gender, age, and rural/urban environment are examined. KW - Age groups KW - Countermeasures KW - Drunk driving KW - Gender KW - North Dakota KW - Rural areas KW - State of the practice KW - United States KW - Urban areas UR - http://www.ugpti.org/pubs/pdf/SP177.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1244465 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01475468 AU - Pol, James AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - An Open Dialogue on the Draft Focus and Themes for the Next ITS Strategic Research Plan – Engaging Stakeholders in Their Discussion and Development PY - 2012/12 SP - 15p AB - The purpose of this document is to identify the focus and themes for the next installment of the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Strategic Research Plan and to invite stakeholders to participate in their discussion. The goal of presenting themes is to enable continuity of the current research programs while establishing new or redefined goals and objectives to meet emerging research needs. The themes fall into three broad categories: (1) Maturing Connected Vehicle Systems – Focuses on what is needed to accelerate the maturity of vehicle based communications with surrounding systems. (2) Piloting and Deployment Readiness – Focuses on the security, policy, business opportunities, capabilities, pilots, and incentives needed to support vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) implementation. (3) Integrating with the Broader Environment – Focuses on the integration and decision support capabilities to enable V2V and V2I interaction with other governmental services and public utilities. KW - Deployment KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - Stakeholders KW - Strategic planning KW - Vehicle to infrastructure communications KW - Vehicle to vehicle communications UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46762/FHWA-JPO-13-032_FINAL_PKG.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1245596 ER - TY - SER AN - 01473720 JO - Traffic Safety Facts - Crash Stats PB - National Center for Statistics and Analysis TI - Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities for the First Nine Months (January–September) of 2012 PY - 2012/12 SP - 2p AB - A statistical projection of traffic fatalities for the first nine months of 2012 shows that an estimated 25,580 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes. This represents an increase of about 7.1% as compared to the 23,884 fatalities that occurred in the first nine months of 2011. Preliminary data reported by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) shows that vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the first nine months of 2012 increased by about 14.2 billion miles, or about a 0.6% increase. The fatality rate for the first nine months of 2012 is estimated to increase to 1.16 fatalities per 100 million VMT as compared to 1.09 fatalities per 100 million VMT during the first nine months of 2011. KW - Fatalities KW - Forecasting KW - Statistics KW - Traffic crashes KW - Vehicle miles of travel UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811706.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1244178 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01473711 AU - Ripplinger, David AU - Ndembe, Elvis AU - Hough, Jill AU - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - 2011 Transit and Community Livability Report PY - 2012/12 SP - 31p AB - This study is an attempt to empirically measure livability to emphasize its role in community livability. Establishing these measures would enhance the practice and implementation of livability principles by various practitioners in the transit industry. This is in view of the difficulties faced in the past and presently by various transit authorities in incorporating the concept into their planning processes to better serve their communities. KW - Accessibility KW - Public transit KW - Quality of life KW - Statistics KW - Transit operating agencies UR - http://www.ugpti.org/pubs/pdf/DP262.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1244110 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01473294 AU - Kos, Richard M AU - Carvalho, Brent AU - Javier, Maria-Louise AU - Agrawal, Asha Weinstein AU - Mineta Transportation Institute AU - California Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - 2012 Census of California Water Transit Services PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 86p AB - The United States (US) Bureau of Transportation Statistics conducts a nationwide census of ferry boat operators for the US Department of Transportation and the collected information is used for statistical purposes. The Caltrans Division of Local Assistance has been asked by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to gather data regarding ferry operations under MAP-21, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act. MAP-21 includes a new formula program for ferry boats and ferry terminal facilities eligible under 23 USC 129(c) which authorizes federal participation in toll roads, bridges, tunnels, and ferries. FHWA has asked that Caltrans assure the ferry boat data is current for MAP-21. The Mineta Transportation Institute was contacted by Caltrans to conduct this research. The research team compiled a spreadsheet and accompanying maps that include ferry boats, routes, and operators along with a number of related characteristics including ownership (public or private), daily trip counts, regulation of fares, terminal locations (street address and coordinates), boarding statistics, and route segment lengths. The spreadsheet contains fields that will allow it to be linked in a Geographic Information System to Caltrans Earth software for further analysis. Additionally, where relevant, the report includes a brief description of expansion plans for certain ferry service providers. KW - California KW - Fares KW - Ferries KW - Ferry service KW - Ferry terminals KW - Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act KW - Ownership KW - Ridership KW - Routes KW - Water transportation UR - http://transweb.sjsu.edu/PDFs/research/1133-california-water-transit-services-census-2012.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46900/46999/1133-california-water-transit-services-census-2012.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1243803 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472590 AU - Steiner, Ruth L AU - Chung, Hyungchul AU - Kim, Jeongseob AU - Blanco, Andres G AU - Center for Multimodal Solutions for Congestion Mitigation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Modeling the effect of accessibility and congestion in location choice PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 101p AB - This study explores the relationship between accessibility and congestion, and their impacts on property values. Three research questions are addressed: (1) What is the relation between accessibility and congestion both regional and neighborhood level? (2) Is there a tradeoff between accessibility and congestion? (3) What is the effect of accessibility and congestion on property value? To answer these questions, spatial analysis and econometrics are applied to four metropolitan areas in Florida: Miami, Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville. The spatial patterns of accessibility and congestion, and the possibility of trade-offs are analyzed using the Hot Spot analysis and correlation analysis. The hypotheses that accessibility has a positive effect and congestion has a negative effect on property value are tested using econometric models. The results show that the effects of accessibility and congestion vary by metropolitan statistical area (MSA) because each MSA has different degrees of coordination between land use and transportation systems. Only neighborhood park accessibility and neighborhood congestion show a consistent result with the hypothesis regardless of metropolitan areas. Several possibilities of trade-off between accessibility and congestion are shown in the Miami and Tampa MSA. For instance, residents who reside in neighborhoods with low congestion might experience low regional job accessibility. In this case, residents should consider trade-off between neighborhood congestion and regional job accessibility in their residential choice. KW - Accessibility KW - Correlation analysis KW - Econometric models KW - Florida KW - Land use KW - Metropolitan areas KW - Property values KW - Spatial analysis KW - Traffic congestion UR - http://cms.ce.ufl.edu/research/steiner_CMS-2011-019-FINAL.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46800/46875/steiner_CMS-2011-019-FINAL.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1239483 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472582 AU - Lau, Michael C AU - Roof, Christopher J AU - Fleming, Gregg G AU - Rapoza, Amanda S AU - Boeker, Eric R AU - McCurdy, David A AU - Shepherd, Kevin P AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - National Aeronautics and Space Administration TI - Behind Start of Take-off Roll Aircraft Sound Level Directivity Study PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 89p AB - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Langley Research Center (LaRC) and the Environmental Measurement and Modeling Division of the United States Department of Transportation’s John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe) conducted a noise measurement study to examine the sound level directivity pattern behind aircraft start-of-takeoff roll. This report discusses the procedures and methodologies used to measure and quantify data acquired from the Study. KW - Aircraft noise KW - Airport noise KW - Airport runways KW - Aviation Environmental Design Tool KW - Computer models KW - Directivity pattern KW - INM (Integrated Noise Model) KW - Mathematical prediction KW - Sound level KW - Takeoff UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46600/46667/DOT-VNTSC-NASA-12-01.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1239016 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472565 AU - Kaufman, Sarah M AU - New York University, New York AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - How Social Media Moves New York: Part 2: Recommended Social Media Policy for Transportation Providers PY - 2012/12 SP - 16p AB - Social media networks allow transportation providers to reach large numbers of people simultaneously and without a fee, essential factors for the millions of commuters and leisure travelers moving through the New York region every day. This report, based on earlier findings (from Part 1) which analyzed local transportation providers’ use of social media, and a seminar on the subject in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, recommends social media policies for transportation providers seeking to inform, engage and motivate their customers. The goals of social media in transportation are to inform (alert riders of a situation), motivate (to opt for an alternate route), and engage (amplify the message to their friends and neighbors). To accomplish these goals, transportation providers should be: accessible, informative, engaging, and responsive. KW - Best practices KW - New York (New York) KW - Social media KW - Transportation departments KW - Urban areas UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46737/Final-Report-Social-Media-NYC.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1243280 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472515 AU - Boeker, Eric R AU - Schulz, Noah E AU - Lee, Cynthia S Y AU - Roof, Christopher J AU - Fleming, Gregg G AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Analysis of Modeling Cumulative Noise from Simultaneous Flights; Volume 2: Supplemental Analysis PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 46p AB - This is the second of two volumes of the report on modeling cumulative noise from simultaneous flights. This volume examines the effect of several modeling input cases on Percent Time Audible results calculated by the Integrated Noise Model. The cases presented in this volume include changes to ambient noise input type as well as changes to sampling duration for ambient inputs. The results are compared with those presented in the Volume 1 report. KW - Aircraft KW - Aircraft noise KW - Aviation Environmental Design Tool KW - INM (Integrated Noise Model) KW - Mathematical prediction KW - Sound transmission UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46500/46552/DOT-VNTSC-FAA-12-08.II.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1239019 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472491 AU - Schrank, David AU - Eisele, Bill AU - Lomax, Tim AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education (CFIRE) AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - 2012 Urban Mobility Report PY - 2012/12 SP - 67p AB - Congestion levels in large and small urban areas were buffeted by several trends in 2011. Some caused congestion increases and others decreased stop-and-go traffic. The 2011 data are consistent with one past trend, congestion will not go away by itself – action is needed! The problem is very large. In 2011, congestion caused urban Americans to travel 5.5 billion hours more and to purchase an extra 2.9 billion gallons of fuel for a congestion cost of $121 billion. In order to arrive on time for important trips, travelers had to allow for 60 minutes to make a trip that takes 20 minutes in light traffic. While congestion is below its peak in 2005, there is only a short-term cause for celebration. Prior to the economy slowing, just 5 years ago, congestion levels were much higher than a decade ago; these conditions will return as the economy improves. The data show that congestion solutions are not being pursued aggressively enough. The most effective congestion reduction strategy, however, is one where agency actions are complemented by efforts of businesses, manufacturers, commuters and travelers. There is no rigid prescription for the “best way”—each region must identify the projects, programs and policies that achieve goals, solve problems and capitalize on opportunities. KW - Air quality KW - Fuel consumption KW - Mobility KW - Traffic congestion KW - Traffic delays KW - Travel time KW - United States KW - Urban areas UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/mobility-report-2012-wappx.pdf UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/mobility-report-2012.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1243151 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472485 AU - Anderson, Neil AU - Center for Transportation Infrastructure and Safety AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Determination of Optimum “Multi-Channel Surface Wave Method” Field Parameters PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 7p AB - Multi-channel surface wave methods (especially the multi-channel analyses of surface wave method; MASW) are routinely used to determine the shear-wave velocity of the subsurface to depths of 100 feet for site classification purposes. Users are aware that the output shear-wave velocity function at a specific site will vary if acquisition parameters (including array orientation, geophone spacing, shot-to-receiver offset) are varied. However, these variations have never been statistically analyzed (quantitatively or qualitatively). As part of this investigation, the researchers will acquire MASW data at multiple study areas in karst terrain with a view to statistically analyzing the extent to which variations in field parameters can affect data quality, data utility, the output shearwave velocity function and the output site classification. KW - Field tests KW - Karst KW - Multi-channel analysis of surface waves KW - Rayleigh waves KW - S waves KW - Statistical analysis KW - Subsoil UR - http://transportation.mst.edu/media/research/transportation/documents/R292%20Final%20Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1243482 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472472 AU - Boeker, Eric R AU - Ahearn, Meghan J AU - Schulz, Noah E AU - Lee, Cynthia S Y AU - Roof, Christopher J AU - Fleming, Gregg G AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Analysis of Modeling Cumulative Noise from Simultaneous Flights; Volume 1: Analysis at Four National Parks PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 71p AB - This is the first of two volumes of the report on modeling cumulative noise from simultaneous flights. This volume includes: an overview of the time compression algorithms used to model simultaneous aircraft; revised summary of a preliminary study (which includes updated measured data); an expanded analysis of cumulative noise from simultaneous flights for several additional National Parks; and a discussion of the remaining issues and tasks that are recommended be addressed. KW - Aircraft KW - Aircraft noise KW - Aviation Environmental Design Tool KW - INM (Integrated Noise Model) KW - Mathematical prediction KW - National parks KW - Sound transmission KW - Time compression UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46500/46551/DOT-VNTSC-FAA-12-08.I.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1239018 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472446 AU - Musete, Marian AU - Ho, Hao-Che AU - University of Iowa, Iowa City AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Determination of entrance loss coefficients for pre-cast reinforced Concrete Box Culverts PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 69p AB - There is an increased interest in constructing Pre-Cast (PC) Twin and Triple Reinforced Concrete Box (RCB) culverts in Iowa due to the efficiency associated with their production in controlled environment and decrease of the construction time at the culvert sites. The design of the multi-barrel PC culverts is, however, based on guidelines for single-barrel cast-in-place (CIP) culverts despite that the PC and CIP culverts have different geometry. There is scarce information for multiplebarrel RCB culverts in general and even fewer on culverts with straight wingwalls as those designed by Iowa DOT. Overall, the transition from CIP to PC culverts requires additional information for improving the design specifications currently in use. Motivated by the need to fill these gaps, an experimental study was undertaken by IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering. The goals of the study are to document flow performance curves and head losses at the culvert entrance for a various culvert geometry, flow conditions, and settings. The tests included single-, double- and triple-barrel PC and CIP culverts with two span-to-rise ratios set on mild and steep slopes. The tests also included optimization of the culvert geometry entrance by considering various configurations for the top bevel. The overall conclusion of the study is that by and large the current Iowa DOT design specifications for CIP culverts can be used for multi-barrel PC culvert design. For unsubmerged flow conditions the difference in the hydraulic performance curves and headloss coefficients for PC and CIP culverts are within the experimental uncertainty. Larger differences (specified by the study) are found for submerged conditions when the flow is increasingly constricted at the entrance in the culvert. The observed differentiation is less important for multi-barrel culverts as the influence of the wingwalls decreases with the increase of the number of barrels. KW - Box culverts KW - Cast in place structures KW - Coefficients KW - Design KW - Hydraulic structures KW - Iowa KW - Precast concrete UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46800/46893/Musete_Ho_Entrance_Loss_Concrete_Culverts_2012.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1240236 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472079 AU - Grandmaison, David D AU - Schweinsburg, Raymond E AU - Ingraldi, Michael F AU - Arizona Game and Fish Department AU - Arizona Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Assessment of Desert Tortoise Movement, Permeability, and Habitat Along the Proposed State Route 95 Realignment PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 152p AB - The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of highway mitigation for reducing road mortality of Morafka’s desert tortoise (Gopherus morafkai; formerly, G. agassizii) and maintaining permeability in an effort to guide future mitigation within the range of the desert tortoise in Arizona. The research team examined existing wildlife-linkage mitigation measures along an 11-mi (17.7 km) stretch of U.S. Route 93 (US 93) and desert tortoise habitat relationships in the Black Mountains ecosystem to guide mitigation recommendations for the proposed realignment of State Route (SR) 95 between Interstate 40 (I-40) and SR 68. The work was performed in 2008 and 2009. The team identified 561 breaches along the US 93 tortoise exclusion fencing due to erosion, undercutting, and siltation. Of the 25 culverts on US 93, 9 were nonfunctional due to their inaccessibility to desert tortoises. Camera systems deployed on 8 of the functional culverts detected no tortoise use. Five tortoise mortalities were documented during weekly road mortality surveys. Researchers identified a 0.22-mi road-effect zone on either side of the highway. The research team documented tortoises, tortoise sign, or both on 52 of the 660 plots surveyed within the Black Mountains ecosystem. The proportion of area occupied (PAO) by desert tortoises varied among soil subgroups, with Aridisol soil subgroups having the highest PAO estimates. This report presents recommendations for improvements to the existing mitigation on US 93 and the proposed mitigation strategy for the planned realignment route of SR 95. These recommendations include maintenance and modification to fencing and culverts along US 93 and the placement of mitigation on the SR 95 realignment route. KW - Arizona KW - Culverts KW - Environmental monitoring KW - Environmental protection KW - Fatalities KW - Habitat (Ecology) KW - Traffic mitigation KW - Wildlife KW - Wildlife crossings UR - http://apps.azdot.gov/ADOTLibrary/publications/project_reports/PDF/AZ650.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1243419 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470768 AU - Mereddy, Venkatram R AU - University of Minnesota, Duluth AU - Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Development of Novel Hydrogen-Based Power Systems for ITS Applications: Phase-I PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 24p AB - There are many remote traffic signals on the road that don’t have access to a regular power supply, so they use batteries that need to be changed quite often. A hydrogen fuel cell is an electrochemical device that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity. It offers a clean and high-efficiency energy source to circumvent the problems associated with conventional batteries. However, one major drawback that limits its utility is the use of compressed metal cylinders as a source of hydrogen. Chemical-based hydrogen production can provide a very compact and low-pressure storage option for the controlled release of hydrogen gas in large amounts. The hydrogen-based fuel cells can also be used as a backup power source at critical traffic signals to prevent accidents during power outages. Other possible applications include: alternating-traffic signs, directional signals, speed-limit signs, blinkers in series, and warning blinkers, etc. This project deals with the development of novel chemical-based hydrogen storage materials, efficient generation of hydrogen, and recycling of spent materials. The authors have explored several boron-based chemical hydrides as hydrogen storage materials. These hydrides offer an attractive solution in the quest to find materials that are safe, compact, and readily provide large quantities of hydrogen on demand. In this work, the authors have carried out generation of hydrogen from several boron hydrides, such as sodium borohydride (SBH) and ammonia-borane (AB), etc., utilizing solvents such as water and alcohols under catalytic and non-catalytic conditions. KW - Boron KW - Energy resources KW - Fuel cells KW - Hydrides KW - Hydrogen production KW - Hydrogen storage KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - Sodium borohydride KW - Traffic signal control systems UR - http://www.cts.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/reportdetail.html?id=2214 UR - http://www.its.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/reportdetail.html?id=2214 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238458 ER - TY - SER AN - 01470636 JO - PATH Research Report PB - University of California, Berkeley AU - Shladover, Steven E AU - University of California, Berkeley AU - Cambridge Systematics, Inc. AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Recent International Activity in Cooperative Vehicle–Highway Automation Systems PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 95p AB - This report summarizes the current state of the art in cooperative vehicle–highway automation systems in Europe and Asia based on a series of meetings, demonstrations, and site visits, combined with the results of literature review. This review covers systems that provide drivers with a range of automation capabilities, from driver assistance to fully automated driving, with an emphasis on cooperative systems that involve active exchanges of information between the vehicles and the roadside and among separate vehicles. The trends in development and deployment of these systems are examined by country, and the similarities and differences relative to the U.S. situation are noted, leading toward recommendations for future U.S. action. The Literature Review on Recent International Activity in Cooperative Vehicle-Highway Automation Systems is published separately as FHWA-HRT-13-025. KW - Advanced vehicle control systems KW - Asia KW - Deployment KW - Development KW - Driver support systems KW - Europe KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - Intelligent vehicles KW - Vehicle to infrastructure communications KW - Vehicle to vehicle communications UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/advancedresearch/pubs/12033/12033.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46786/12033.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238491 ER - TY - SER AN - 01470626 JO - PATH Research Report PB - University of California, Berkeley AU - Shladover, Steven E AU - University of California, Berkeley AU - Cambridge Systematics, Inc. AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Literature Review on Recent International Activity in Cooperative Vehicle–Highway Automation Systems PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 32p AB - This literature review supports the report, Recent International Activity in Cooperative Vehicle–Highway Automation Systems. It reviews the published literature in English dating from 2007 or later about non-U.S.-based work on cooperative vehicle– highway automation systems. This review covers work performed in Europe and Japan, with application to transit buses, heavy trucks, and passenger cars. In addition to fully automated driving of the vehicles (without human intervention), it also covers partial automation systems, which automate subsets of the total driving process. Recent International Activity in Cooperative Vehicle–Highway Automation Systems is published separately as FHWA-HRT-12-033. KW - Advanced vehicle control systems KW - Automobiles KW - Europe KW - Heavy duty trucks KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - Intelligent vehicles KW - Japan KW - Literature reviews KW - Transit buses KW - Vehicle to infrastructure communications KW - Vehicle to vehicle communications UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/advancedresearch/pubs/13025/13025.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46788/13025.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238490 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470624 AU - Morton, Tom AU - Woodward Communications AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Automated Video Feature Extraction Workshop Summary Report PY - 2012/12//Summary Report SP - 42p AB - This report summarizes a 2-day workshop on automated video feature extraction. Discussion focused on the Naturalistic Driving Study, funded by the second Strategic Highway Research Program, and also involved the companion roadway inventory dataset. The specific objectives of the workshop were to begin a discussion on how Government, academia, and the private sector can cooperate to advance the state of the practice in the automated analysis of video data from naturalistic driving studies. A panel of expert speakers presented the state of knowledge in video feature extraction and demonstrated and described a range of analytical capabilities that could be automated. Following the presentations, the participants discussed what could be learned from the data, identified naturalistic data challenges, examined near- and long-term technical approaches, and reviewed organizational approaches for advancing the practice of automated feature extraction. KW - Automatic data collection systems KW - Behavior KW - Cooperation KW - Distraction KW - Drivers KW - Feature extraction KW - Highway safety KW - Videotape recorders UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/advancedresearch/pubs/13037/13037.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46789/13037.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238489 ER - TY - SER AN - 01470623 JO - TechBrief PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Tanesi, Jussara AU - Ardani, Ahmad TI - Surface Resistivity Test Evaluation as an Indicator of the Chloride Permeability of Concrete PY - 2012/12 SP - 6p AB - Many agencies have adopted the standard tests for electrical indication of concrete’s ability to resist chloride ion penetration (AASHTO T 277 and ASTM C1202), commonly known as the rapid chloride permeability test (RCPT), in their specifications for qualification and acceptance and as a means of indirectly assessing the permeability of concrete mixtures. Nevertheless, the RCPT is labor-intensive and costly and presents high variability. Research studies have shown that the surface resistivity (SR) test (AASHTO TP 95) is a promising alternative to the RCPT. Recently, some agencies have shown interest in replacing the RCPT with the SR test and have started implementation efforts. However, none of the studies have included high-volume fly ash (HVFA) mixtures or mixtures containing fly ash and fine limestone powder. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation of the SR test with the widely used RCPT in evaluating concretes' ability to resist chloride penetration, including HVFA mixtures. KW - Chlorides KW - Concrete KW - Concrete tests KW - Electrical resistivity KW - Fly ash KW - Permeability UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/13024/13024.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46787/13024.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238488 ER - TY - SER AN - 01470574 JO - Research Results PB - Federal Railroad Administration AU - Sundaram, Narayana AU - Sperry, Brian AU - Federal Railroad Administration AU - ENSCO, Inc. TI - Portable Track Loading Fixture Improvement PY - 2012/12 SP - 4p AB - The portable track loading fixture (PTLF) has been used in the field as a nondestructive means of testing track strength, as per the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Track Safety Standards (TSS) 49 CFR §213.110 (m). The PTLF operates by placing a 4,000-pound-force (lbf) lateral load as close to the shear center of the rails as possible, while the deflection at the gage point is measured. Gage is measured as the lateral distance between the 5/8” points on the two rails below a plane formed by the top of the rails. If measurement is conducted at the web of the rails, it is known as web gage. Although it is widely accepted that rail deflection caused by the PTLF loading has a strong correlation with track strength, repeatability of measurements has been a concern. It has been observed that some locations, which exceed the displacement criteria on initial loadings, are within the limits on subsequent loadings. As a result of these variations, the reliability of the PTLF test has been questioned in the past. Through repeated testing, it has been determined that variability in rail deflection is largely because of “set of the rail” or the difference between the initial unloaded gage and the unloaded gage following a load application and release. Upon unloading, as a result of friction in the ties and tie plates, the rail does not return to its initial position. During testing, the rail set was observed to lead to significant cycle-to-cycle variability in head gage deflection. It has been found that recent track excitation can have a significant impact on the rail set during a PTLF test. These excitations can be caused by external loadings such as trains or hi-rail vehicles passing the location or internal forces caused by factors such as temperature. It is believed that continued vibrations after a train passes a given location, allow the rails to overcome the friction, leaving them in a position of optimal set, whereas other forms of excitation result in more set. This means that recent excitation of the track can change the initial conditions for the PTLF test. With the exact initial conditions for the PTLF test unknown, variability is introduced into the measurements. KW - Gage (Rails) KW - Load tests KW - Maintenance of way KW - Measurement KW - Portable equipment KW - Railroad tracks KW - Reliability KW - Strength of materials KW - Variability UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/2709 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238507 ER - TY - SER AN - 01470572 JO - Research Results PB - Federal Railroad Administration AU - Al-Nazer, Leith AU - Sivathanu, Yudaya TI - In-Motion, Non-Contact Rail Temperature Measurement Sensor PY - 2012/12 SP - 4p AB - Preventing track buckling incidents (Figure 1) is important to the railroad industry. Track materials, rail steel, for example, experience thermal expansion, which refers to the increase in a material’s volume as its temperature rises. Thermal expansion can affect the stability of the railroad track structure by causing a longitudinal force to develop along the rail. If this force becomes too great, and lateral restraint from the rail fasteners and ballast is weak, a track buckle can occur. It is common practice for railroads to impose localized or territory-specific slow orders on days with high ambient temperatures since the risk of track buckling is potentially greater on those days. Numerous factors affect track buckling, but the instantaneous rail temperature (the rail temperature at any given time) and stress-free rail temperature (the temperature at which the rail has no stress, also known as the neutral rail temperature) are two of the most important. Unfortunately, neither of these two temperatures is easily obtainable. Therefore, decisions to impose slow orders are often based on a relatively arbitrary, ambient temperature limit. To help solve the problem of measuring instantaneous rail temperature, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Office of Research and Development, through the Small Business and Innovative Research (SBIR) program, has funded the development of a Non-Contact Rail Temperature Measurement sensor (herein referred to as the NCRTM sensor) for installation on a moving railcar. Research and development of the NCRTM sensor occurred between 2009 and 2012 under Phase 1 and Phase 2 SBIR contracts. The first field test of the NCRTM sensor was performed in the summer of 2011. A second field test was conducted in the summer of 2012 using FRA’s R-4 hi-rail research platform. During this field test, data was also collected from thermocouples to serve as a “ground truth” check, as well as from two commercial non-contact sensors that provided a minimum baseline performance standard for the NCRTM sensor. Initial results from the field test showed good correlation between the thermocouple and NCRTM data. Installation and in-service testing on a full-size railcar are currently being planned. KW - Buckling KW - Field tests KW - Inspection cars KW - Non-contact measurement systems KW - Rail (Railroads) KW - Railroad tracks KW - Temperature measurement KW - Temperature sensors UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/2713 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238506 ER - TY - SER AN - 01470570 JO - Research Results PB - Federal Railroad Administration AU - Withers, Jared AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Rail-CR: Railroad Cognitive Radio PY - 2012/12 SP - 4p AB - Robust, reliable, and interoperable wireless communication devices or technologies are vital to the success of positive train control (PTC) systems. Accordingly, the railway industry has started adopting software-defined radios (SDRs) for packet-data transmission. SDR systems realize previously fixed components as reconfigurable software. Recognizing the potential uses of SDRs for PTC systems, this project developed a railway cognitive radio (Rail-CR) that implements artificial intelligence decision making capability in concert with an SDR to adapt to changing wireless conditions and learn from past experience. Objectives of the project included: developing a concept of operations for wireless data communication link adaptation based on use-case scenarios for packet radio systems; designing and implementing decision making architecture on an SDR; designing strategies for radio environment observations; defining operational objectives and performance metrics; and designing and exercising a test plan to demonstrate performance under varying conditions. The decision making architecture of the Rail-CR begins with observations of the wireless operating environment and performance metrics. An event, such as an increase in ambient noise or a jamming signal that degrades performance, defines when the cognitive engines (CEs) engage. The architecture enables adaptation to new situations and the capability to learn from past decisions. The Rail-CR was tested under a variety of interference conditions designed to simulate real-world experiences. Each test case compared the SDR with no cognition to cognitive operations. Results show that a radio operating with no cognition was unable to mitigate interference conditions causing either significantly high errors or a loss of connectivity. By changing SDR parameters, the CE was able to successfully address these issues. KW - Artificial intelligence KW - Cognitive radio networks KW - Decision making KW - Positive train control KW - Radio KW - Railroads KW - Software KW - Software defined radio technology KW - Transceivers KW - Wireless communication systems UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/2708 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238508 ER - TY - SER AN - 01470569 JO - Research Results PB - Federal Railroad Administration AU - Al-Nazer, Leith AU - Borgovini, Robert J AU - Federal Railroad Administration AU - dFuzion, Inc. TI - Development of an Ultra-Portable Ride Quality Meter PY - 2012/12 SP - 4p AB - The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)’s Office of Research and Development has funded the development of an ultra-portable ride quality meter (UPRQM) under the Small Business and Innovative Research (SBIR) program. Track inspectors can use the UPRQM to locate segments of track that may have safety defects such as irregular track geometry or poor vertical support. In addition, the UPRQM can be used by researchers studying rail vehicle dynamics and vehicle-track interaction issues. The UPRQM runs on a standard laptop or tablet and has an intuitive user interface that consists of vertical, lateral, and longitudinal acceleration strip charts, a list of exception locations, and a Geographic Information System (GIS) display. These features allow the user to pinpoint his/her location on the track, as well as the location of nearby grade crossings, bridges, and track distance markers. Additional software features include data analysis tools that can be used by researchers investigating rail vehicle dynamics. Ride comfort and health exposure analyses based on the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 2631, “Mechanical vibration and shock – Evaluation of human exposure to whole-body vibration,” can also be performed. The hardware is ultra-portable and consists of a compact GPS unit, as well as a compact tri-axis accelerometer unit, both of which are connected to the user’s laptop via a USB or wireless connection. The UPRQM has been beta-tested by FRA inspectors in the field, as well as by researchers at the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center. Feedback from these end users has helped shape the features and functionality of the UPRQM. KW - Acceleration (Mechanics) KW - Global Positioning System KW - Inspection KW - Maintenance of way KW - Measuring instruments KW - Passenger comfort KW - Portable equipment KW - Railroad safety KW - Railroad tracks KW - Ride quality UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/2714 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238505 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470566 AU - Ngamdung, Tashi AU - daSilva, Marco AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Driver Behavior Analysis at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings using Field Operational Test Data – Heavy Trucks PY - 2012/12 SP - 51p AB - The United States Department of Transportation’s (U.S. DOT) Research and Innovative Technology Administration’s (RITA) John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), under the direction of the U.S. DOT Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Office of Research and Development (R&D), conducted a research study focused on collecting and analyzing data related to driver characteristics at or on approach to highway-rail grade crossings. Volpe Center reviewed and coded 3,171 grade crossing events involving heavy vehicle drivers collected during a recent field operational test of vehicle safety systems. The data collected for each grade crossing included data about drivers’ activities, driver and vehicle performance, driving environment, and vehicle location at or on approach to highway-rail grade crossings. One of the findings of the data analysis was that, on average, drivers were likely to engage in secondary tasks, an indicator of distraction, about 21 percent of the time while traversing a highway-rail grade crossing. Additionally, results showed that drivers failed to look either left or right on approach to passive grade crossings about 41 percent of the time. The ultimate objective of the research is to provide the basic driver behavior research needed to identify potential driver education/awareness strategies that would best mitigate risky driver behavior at grade crossings. KW - Behavior KW - Distraction KW - Driver education KW - Drivers KW - Field studies KW - Heavy vehicles KW - Railroad crashes KW - Railroad grade crossings KW - Railroad safety KW - Risk taking KW - Video data KW - Videotapes UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/2721 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46600/46647/DOT-VNTSC-FRA-12-01.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238498 ER - TY - SER AN - 01470565 JO - Research Results PB - Federal Railroad Administration AU - Al-Nazer, Leith AU - Welander, Lucas AU - Federal Railroad Administration AU - Association of American Railroads TI - Rail Flaw Sizing Using Conventional and Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing PY - 2012/12 SP - 4p AB - An approach to detecting and characterizing internal defects in rail through the use of phased array ultrasonic testing has shown the potential to reduce the risk of missed defects and improve transverse defect characterization. Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) conducted research and data collection on rail flaw sizing and master gauge development using conventional and phased array ultrasonic testing techniques. This Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) research effort addresses both safety and reliability through the development of the Rail Flaw Library of Associated Defects (RF-LOAD) (Figure 1), which provides a test bed for performing probability of detection (POD) studies on commercially available nondestructive evaluation (NDE) systems, as well as NDE systems that are under development. The continued development of the RF-LOAD has also provided the means to quantify the performance of NDE inspection methods and techniques for rail flaw detection and characterization. Faced with the challenge of improving rail inspection methods and techniques, TTCI invited railroads, rail inspection suppliers, and phased array manufacturers to participate in ultrasonic defect detection and sizing evaluations. The evaluations used both conventional and phased array ultrasonic testing techniques. The RF-LOAD consists of known defects and flaw orientation that can be used for ultrasonic characterization. Phased array applications allow for multiple phase angles to be implemented during a single scan using one transducer, thereby providing the inspector with more information regarding size and orientation of defects. This research focused on the development of rail segments with manufactured, artificial defects (herein referred to as master gauges), collecting field defects, and baseline quantification of rail flaw sizing using conventional and phased array ultrasonic testing approaches. Future phases will involve expansion of the RF-LOAD to include different orientation of defects and data analysis utilizing new developments in ultrasonic testing techniques. The performance of improved rail inspection techniques, such as the phased array method, can be quantified and documented using the information gathered thus far through RF-LOAD master gauge development. Over time, implementation of these improved field inspection techniques will increase safety and decrease rail flaw service failures by reducing missed defects and limiting the number of false alarms. KW - Defects KW - Flaw detection KW - Inspection KW - Maintenance of way KW - Rail (Railroads) KW - Railroad safety KW - Sizing apparatus KW - Ultrasonic tests UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/2715 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238504 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470564 AU - Peck, Steven M AU - Bousquet, Paul E AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Highway-Rail Intersection Intelligent Transportation Systems Global Positioning Systems- Literature Review and Recommendations PY - 2012/12 SP - 33p AB - In 2008, there were 2,395 incidents at highway-rail intersections (level crossings) in the United States, resulting in 939 injuries and 287 fatalities. Crossing elimination, grade separation, and the implementation of traditional warning devices are not always economically feasible. The development of new intelligent transportation systems and the advancement of such technologies could potentially provide a solution to enhance safety at these intersections. The concept of in-vehicle warning systems for level crossings is not new. Multiple systems have been developed and tested using proprietary equipment and technology in the 1990s as evidenced by the former Federal Highway Administration Joint Program Office (JPO). The Réseau Ferré de France (French Rail Network) and the Valtion Teknillinen Tutkimuskeskus (VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland) have independently initiated in-vehicle level crossing warning system development programs. The system architectures vary from previously U.S.-developed systems and use advanced and cost-effective technologies. At varying stages of development, the two in-vehicle warning system designs address many of the shortcomings of previous generation systems and show great promise at meeting the design goals of being a cost-effective, reliable warning system. They also have the potential for additional capabilities and easy integration into other roadway vehicle intelligent transportation safety systems being developed in both the United States and internationally. The advancement of commercially available technology and equipment create the environment for the development and deployment of a viable global-positioning system-based in-vehicle warning system for highway-rail intersections. KW - Audible warning devices in vehicles KW - Automobile navigation systems KW - Finland KW - France KW - Global Positioning System KW - Integrated systems KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - Literature reviews KW - Railroad grade crossings KW - Railroad safety KW - System architecture UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/2784 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46718/DOT-VNTSC-FRA-10-06.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238497 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470562 AU - Hilleary, Thomas N AU - Omar, Tarek AU - ByStep, LLC AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - A Radar Vehicle Detection System for Four-Quadrant Gate Warning Systems and Blocked Crossing Detection PY - 2012/12 SP - 68p AB - The Wavetronix Matrix Radar was adapted for use at four-quadrant gate railroad crossings for the purpose of influencing exit gate behavior upon the detection of vehicles, as an alternative to buried inductive loops. Two radar devices were utilized, operating collaboratively, in order to realize a fully redundant system. Performance variables including vehicle size and location, vehicle occlusion, and radar positioning were evaluated, along with sensitivity to rain, snow, and other environmental conditions. Recommendations for utilization of the radars in conjunction with popular crossing warning system controllers are provided. Also included is a means for detecting vehicles that are stopped, stored, or deliberately placed in the crossing island, and rapidly communicating that information across cellular, positive train control (PTC), incremental train control system (ITCS), and advanced civil speed enforcement system (ACSES), and other data networks. KW - Four quadrant gates KW - Gates KW - Grade crossing protection systems KW - Microwave detectors KW - Proximity detectors KW - Radar devices KW - Railroad grade crossings KW - Vehicle detectors UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/2799 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238495 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470326 AU - Morris, Roselyn E AU - Montondon, Lucille AU - Moffitt, Kathleen AU - Texas State University, San Marcos AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Examining Engineering Costs for Development of Highway Projects PY - 2012/12//Technical Report SP - 58p AB - The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) commissioned a research team at Texas State University,San Marcos, Department of Accounting to analyze the cost of projects by determining the cost of a preliminary engineering hour necessary to develop highway projects. The current study determined the cost of engineering design on an hourly basis using comparable direct and indirect cost definitions and allocations as used by external consulting engineering firms. The analysis consisted of three tasks: Task 1: Determine average TxDOT cost per engineering hour. Task 2: Determine the typical cost of design engineering team members. Task 3: Determine the challenges of comparing costs to the private sector, which included analysis and comparison of the various overhead rates. KW - Cost allocation KW - Costs KW - Direct costs KW - Highway engineering KW - Indirect costs KW - Overhead costs KW - Project management KW - Texas KW - Texas Department of Transportation UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6730-1.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46776/0-6730-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238020 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470323 AU - Lin, Pei-Sung AU - Kourtellis, Achilleas AU - Wills, Matthew AU - University of South Florida, Tampa AU - Florida Department of Transportation AU - National Center for Transit Research AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Evaluation of Camera-Based Systems to Reduce Transit Bus Side Collisions-Phase II PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 59p AB - The sideview camera system has been shown to eliminate blind zones by providing a view to the driver in real time. In order to provide the best integration of these systems, an integrated camera-mirror system (hybrid system) was developed and tested. Traditional aftermarket systems utilize wide-angle cameras, which provide up to 100-degree horizontal field of view. The developed camera system had 65-degree horizontal view, which was adequate to cover the side blind zones. The initial system was tested in a controlled driving test with 29 drivers. The drivers used the system to drive the bus and identify objects placed around the bus. Comparison was performed with the mirrors only versus the hybrid system. Statistical analysis showed that with the camera system, drivers had a 96-98% correct identification of the location of the object vs. 70-78% with the mirrors only. Also surprisingly, drivers were faster in identifying the objects using the camera system, even though two additional search locations were present with the camera system. Driver feedback also showed that the majority of drivers agreed that the system can eliminate blind zones, and thus help drivers reduce side collisions by providing better side views. The recommendations of the drivers were taken into account when finalizing the system to be used for a longer field deployment that occurred in the second part of this project. For the type A bus, the most common transit vehicle, a weatherproof housing was developed for the cameras, to protect them from water, dust, and other environmental factors. For the cutaway bus, a smaller bus used for paratransit services, a system obtained from a company that specializes in mirror-camera integration was used. With the deployment of the systems for a longer period, drivers had positive feedback for the system and thought it helped them cover the blind zones thus reducing side collisions. Both the driving test and field deployment helped identify major factors to aid in the development of specifications for such systems. Using the results from the testing and literature review, recommendations for specifications were compiled to help practitioners, industry professionals, and operating managers when choosing such systems for their fleets. KW - Blind spots KW - Bus crashes KW - Cameras KW - Crash avoidance systems KW - Field tests KW - Mirrors KW - Side crashes KW - Transit buses UR - http://www.fdot.gov/research/Completed_Proj/Summary_PTO/FDOT-BDK85-977-35-rpt.pdf UR - http://www.nctr.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/77940.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46800/46800/FDOT-BDK85-977-35-rpt.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238010 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470318 AU - Dessouky, Samer AU - Papagiannakis, A T AU - University of Texas, San Antonio AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Best Practices for Level-Up Patching Operation PY - 2012/12//Technical Report SP - 44p AB - Level-up patching is a common corrective maintenance activity in Texas performed by most districts. It involves laying down a thin asphalt mix layer over an existing pavement in areas of sagging or rutting to improve the ride score and reduce pavement roughness. Level-up patching is used as a surface preparation step prior to another surface treatment operation or as a final exposed surface. This handbook describes in-detail the best practices of level-up patching, as established from a thorough literature review and information collected from various Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) districts through survey questionnaires and site visits. This handbook is intended for use by TxDOT field personnel as well as contractors that perform this work for TxDOT. KW - Asphalt mixtures KW - Best practices KW - Literature reviews KW - Patching KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Surveys KW - Texas UR - http://d2dtl5nnlpfr0r.cloudfront.net/tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6667-P1.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46775/0-6667-P1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238021 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470194 AU - Olson, Michael J AU - Chin, Abby AU - Oregon State University, Corvallis AU - Oregon Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Inertial and Inclinometer Based Profiler Repeatability and Accuracy Using the IRI Model PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 117p AB - Oregon DOT is transitioning to use the International Roughness Index (IRI) for an incentive\disincentive program for pavement smoothness evaluation for newly paved roads. The IRI will typically be determined by contractors using inertial profilers. This research evaluated the procedures, site, and equipment used for establishing a reference profile for a certification process for inertial profilers. In a comparison of several profiling devices, the inclinometer-based profiler used by Oregon DOT for the reference profile showed sufficient results in repeatability and accuracy in profile measurement and calculation of IRI. However, the certification site shows significant variability in IRI across the site, which can lead to lower accuracy scores when the exact path is not followed. Further, significant differences in IRI were observed during repeat visits throughout the course of the study period. This study also evaluated the use of a new technology, terrestrial laser scanning, for pavement analyses. At larger extents, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) was compared to several current techniques to measure road profiles including digital levels, inclinometers, and inertial profilers. TLS is able to collect a large, dense set of data relatively quickly for the entire roadway and surrounding areas; hence, the data can not only be used for evaluating the pavement roughness but also can be used for other design parameters such as transverse and longitudinal slope. The results show that profiles derived from TLS data determined accurate IRI values and cross-correlation with the reference profile. At a finer scale, micron resolution 3D laser scanners can be utilized to determine the influence of predominant aggregate size on the texture of the pavement. KW - Inclinometers KW - Instruments for measuring roughness KW - International Roughness Index KW - Oregon KW - Pavement performance KW - Profilometers KW - Roughness KW - Surface course (Pavements) KW - Terrestrial laser scanning UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46748/SPR744_final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1237189 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470025 AU - Bertola, Mary Anne AU - Balk, Stacy A AU - Shurbutt, Jim AU - SAIC AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluating Driver Performance on Rural Two-Lane Horizontal Curved Roadways Using a Driving Simulator PY - 2012/12 SP - 37p AB - Between 2005 and 2009, single-vehicle run-off-road (ROR) crashes on two-lane rural-roadway horizontal curves have resulted in an average of 4,748 fatalities per year. Driving while familiar with the roadway, inattentive, and in a hurry have been identified as factors that increase the likelihood of these crashes. The goal of the present study was to evaluate methods that elicit familiarity with the roadway, inattention, and driving in a hurry. Fourteen participants drove a simulated two-lane rural roadway. Familiarity was elicited by having participants drive the test route seven times. Two methods to elicit inattention were used: mental mathematics problems and noun classification. Two methods to elicit being in a hurry were used: with visual travel time feedback and without. The method to elicit familiarity with the roadway resulted in significant changes in behavior when compared to driving while unfamiliar. Results suggested that solving mental mathematics problems was more effective in producing driving behaviors associated with inattention than noun classification. Both methods to elicit being in a hurry were effective in producing noticeable changes in behavior when compared to driving while not under time pressure. The promise of using these elicitation methods in driving simulators to evaluate engineering countermeasures to ROR crashes on two-lane rural-roadway horizontal curves is discussed. KW - Attention lapses KW - Driver familiarity KW - Driving simulators KW - Highway curves KW - Highway safety KW - Human factors in crashes KW - Rural highways KW - Two lane highways UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/12073/12073.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236764 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470023 AU - Gordon, Robert AU - Dunn Engineering Associates AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Methodologies to Measure and Quantify Transportation Management Center Benefits: Final Synthesis Report PY - 2012/12 SP - 117p AB - This project provides a useable means to identify and quantify Transportation Management Center (TMC) benefits. It presents direction, guidance, methodologies, and procedures to agencies associated with monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on the values and benefits of TMC operations. The measures and methodologies developed focus on outcomes, although a number of output measures that emphasize key operations are also included. This report highlights measures used for benefit-cost analysis, including those that may be employed for freeway TMCs, traffic signal system TMCs, and corridor TMCs. This document describes the algorithms and processes used to compute many of the measures. In the case of system measures, measures required for benefit-cost analysis, such as system-wide vehicle delay, require measurements of both volume and speed or travel time for each travel link. Other measures, such as motorist travel time and travel time reliability, require measured speed or travel time. KW - Algorithms KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Evaluation KW - Methodology KW - Performance measurement KW - Traffic control centers UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/operations/12054/12054.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236765 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470021 AU - Park, Chung-Kyu AU - Kan, Cing-Dao (Steve) AU - Hollowell, William Thomas AU - Hill, Susan I AU - George Washington University, Ashburn AU - WTH Consulting LLC AU - University of Dayton AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Investigation of Opportunities for Lightweight Vehicles Using Advanced Plastics and Composites PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 416p AB - As part of implementing the Plastics and Composite Intensive Vehicle (PCIV) safety roadmap, the National Crash Center of the George Washington University undertook this research project to investigate opportunities for light-weight vehicles using advanced plastics and composites. The primary goal of this research project was to identify and evaluate the safety benefits of structural plastics and composites applications in future lighter, more fuel efficient and environmentally sustainable vehicles. The research objectives of this project were (1) to evaluate the current state of modeling and simulation tools for predicting impact response of composite materials in automotive structures, (2) to investigate weight reduction opportunities in a current vehicle, and (3) to evaluate the impact of weight reduction on crashworthiness. This report includes a comprehensive literature review focused on the characteristics and mechanics of plastics and composites, the applicability of advanced plastics and composites to automotive components, and the capabilities and limitations of simulations to composite analysis. Also, the report describes the development of a light-weight vehicle numerical model (i.e., finite element model) that was used to investigate the weight reduction opportunities in a current vehicle. This involved conducting material tests of carbon fiber braided composites under various conditions, incorporating material substitutions of steel components into the 2007 Chevrolet Silverado FE model to composite components, and simulating frontal New Car Assessment Program tests of the developed light-weight vehicle to evaluate its crashworthiness. In conclusion, the original vehicle weight, 2,307 kg, was reduced to 1,874 kg, which is about a 19% decrease. As a result, the light-weight vehicle represented by a FE model contains about 442 kg of plastic and composites, which represents about 23.6% of the total weight of the lightweight vehicle. KW - Composite materials KW - Crashworthiness KW - Impact tests KW - Light vehicles KW - Literature reviews KW - Materials tests KW - Plastics KW - Simulation KW - Vehicle components KW - Vehicle safety UR - http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CDEQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nhtsa.gov%2FDOT%2FNHTSA%2FNVS%2FCrashworthiness%2FPlastics%2F811692.pdf&ei=T1vkUKfTBKPm0gGHgIGQBA&usg=AFQjCNG4ryLGAgy68upubpZyDSQ9N1gnVg&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.dmQ UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1226276 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470020 AU - Pan, Ernian AU - Sangghaleh, Ali AU - Molavi, Amirhossein AU - Zhao, Yanfei AU - Yi, Ping AU - University of Akron AU - Ohio Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - An Efficient and Accurate Genetic Algorithm for Backcalculation of Flexible Pavement Layer Moduli PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 123p AB - The importance of a backcalculation method in the analysis of elastic modulus in pavement engineering has been known for decades. Despite many backcalculation programs employing different backcalculation procedures and algorithms, accurate inverse of the pavement layer moduli is still very challenging. In this work, a detailed study on the backcalculation of pavement layer elastic modulus and thickness using genetic algorithm (GA) is presented. Falling weight deflectometer (FWD) data is generated by applying a load to the pavement and measuring pavement deflection at various fixed distances from the load center. The measurement errors in FWD data are simulated by perturbing the theoretical deflections. Based on these data, backcalculation technique is performed using an improved GA. Besides root mean square (RMS), another objective function called area value with correction factor (AVCF) is proposed for accurate backcalculation of pavement modulus and thickness. The proposed backcalculation method utilizes the efficient and accurate program MultiSmart3D for the forward calculation and it can backcalculate the modulus and thickness simultaneously for any number of pavement layers. A simple, user-friendly, and comprehensive program called BackGenetic3D is developed using this new backcalculation method which can be utilized for any layered structures in science and engineering. KW - Backcalculation KW - Falling weight deflectometers KW - Flexible pavements KW - Genetic algorithms KW - Layer coefficient (Pavements) KW - Modulus of elasticity KW - Pavement layers KW - Thickness UR - http://worldcat.org/oclc/826020242/viewonline UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46707/134481_FR.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1234050 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470017 AU - Karamihas, Steven M AU - Senn, Kevin AU - Nichols Consulting Engineers AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Curl and Warp Analysis of the LTPP SPS-2 Site in Arizona PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 110p AB - This study examined the roughness and roughness progression of 21 test sections on the e Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Specific Pavement Studies (SPS)-2 site in Arizona over the first 16 years of the experiment. The site included 12 test sections from the standard experiment and 9 supplemental test sections selected by the Arizona Department of Transportation. Traditional profile analyses revealed roughness caused by transverse and longitudinal cracking on some test sections and some localized roughness caused by built-in defects. However, the analyses showed that curl and warp contributed to, and in some cases dominated, the roughness on many of the test sections. In addition, roughness did not increase steadily with time because of diurnal and seasonal changes in slab curl and warp. This study applied objective profile analyses to quantify the level of curl and warp on each section. These automated algorithms estimated the gross strain gradient needed to deform each slab into the shape present in the measured profile and produced a pseudo strain gradient (PSG) value. The levels of curl and warp within each profile are summarized by the average PSG value. For the jointed concrete test sections, variations in average PSG over time explained many of the changes in roughness over time. This included diurnal variations in slab curl, which often caused the overall progression in roughness to appear disorderly throughout the experiment. PSG analysis also revealed that the overall level of curl and warp increased throughout the life of the experiment, with commensurate increases in the roughness. This limited study demonstrated the potential value of applying the methods herein to other jointed portland cement concrete pavements, including other SPS-2 sites. KW - Arizona KW - Concrete pavements KW - Curling KW - Daily KW - Long-Term Pavement Performance Program KW - Pavement cracking KW - Pavement joints KW - Roughness KW - Seasons KW - Specific Pavement Studies (LTPP) KW - Strain measurement KW - Warpage UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/ltpp/12068/12068.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236762 ER - TY - SER AN - 01470005 JO - Traffic Safety Facts - Research Note PB - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - 2011 Motor Vehicle Crashes: Overview PY - 2012/12 SP - 5p AB - In 2011, 32,367 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in the United States—the lowest number of fatalities since 1949, when there were 30,246 fatalities. This was a 1.9% decline in the number of people killed, from 32,999 in 2010, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA’s) 2011 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). In 2011, an estimated 2.22 million people were injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes, compared to 2.24 million in 2010 according to NHTSA’s National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) General Estimates System (GES). This decrease (1%) in the estimated number of people injured is not statistically significant from the number of people injured in crashes in 2010. KW - Crash data KW - Crash injuries KW - Fatalities KW - Fatality Analysis Reporting System KW - General Estimates System KW - National Automotive Sampling System KW - Traffic crashes KW - Traffic safety KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811701.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225597 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469996 AU - Gedafa, Daba AU - Hossain, Mustaque AU - Ingram, Lon AU - Kansas State University Transportation Center AU - Kansas Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Review of Data in Construction Management System (CMS) and Quality Control and Quality Assurance (QC/QA) Databases to Improve Current Specifications for Superpave and Concrete Pavements in Kansas: Part 1 PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 132p AB - Statistical specifications for highway construction are usually part of a statistical quality control process. These specifications provide the means to measure the important quality control attributes and ensure their compliance. The pay adjustments, part of these specifications, reflect the amount of deduction or bonus and the optimized risk distributed between the owner and the contractor. The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has built a comprehensive database of as-constructed properties of materials for Superpave pavements from the tests required as part of the Quality Control/Quality Assurance (QC/QA) program. Currently, KDOT pays incentives/disincentives for air voids and in-place density for Superpave pavements and thickness and strength for Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) pavements. A practical performance model and a composite index that include air voids, in-place density, asphalt content, and voids in mineral aggregate for Superpave pavements and thickness and strength for PCC pavements, respectively are needed to reflect the factors that affect their performance. The main objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of levels of significance and lot size, and to develop practical performance models and composite index for Superpave and PCC pavements in Kansas. Thirty-five Superpave pavements and 13 PCC projects from six administrative districts of KDOT were selected for this study. Lot-wise comparison showed that QC/QA means are significantly different in most cases. The number of cases with a significant difference in means increases with an increase in significance level. Practical performance models and composite index values from multiple quality characteristics have been proposed as integral parts of performance-related specifications (PRS) for Superpave and PCC pavements in Kansas. KW - Construction management KW - Kansas KW - Performance based specifications KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Properties of materials KW - Quality assurance KW - Quality control KW - Significance (Statistics) KW - Superpave UR - http://idmweb.ksdot.org/PublicLib/publicDoc.asp?ID=003825011 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1231145 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469984 AU - Hawkins, Neal AU - Hallmark, Shauna AU - Chrysler, Susan AU - O’Neal, Elizabeth AU - Hoover, Roderick AU - McGehee, Dan AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - School Bus Safety Study – Kadyn’s Law PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 56p AB - In 2012, the Iowa legislature passed a bill for an act relating to school bus safety, including providing penalties for failure to obey school bus warning lamps and stop signal arms, providing for a school bus safety study and administrative remedies, and making an appropriation. The bill, referred to as Iowa Senate File 2218 or “Kadyn’s Law” became effective March 16, 2012. A multiagency committee addressed three specific safety study elements of Kadyn’s Law as follows: (1) use of cameras mounted on school buses to enhance the safety of children riding the buses and aid in enforcement of motor vehicle laws pertaining to stop-arm violations; (2) feasibility of requiring school children to be picked up and dropped off on the side of the road on which their home is located; and (3) inclusion of school bus safety as a priority in driver training curriculum. This report summarizes the findings for each of these topics. KW - Boarding and alighting KW - Driver training KW - Highway safety KW - Iowa KW - Kadyn's Law KW - School bus drivers KW - School bus passengers KW - School buses KW - State laws KW - Traffic violations KW - Video cameras UR - http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/research/documents/research-reports/kadyn's_law_w_cvr1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236954 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469982 AU - Carvalho, R AU - Stubstad, R AU - Briggs, R AU - Selezneva, O AU - Mustafa, E AU - Ramachandran, A AU - Applied Research Associates, Inc. AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Simplified Techniques for Evaluation and Interpretation of Pavement Deflections for Network-Level Analysis PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 198p AB - The objective of this study was to develop an approach for incorporating techniques used to interpret and evaluate deflection data for network-level pavement management system (PMS) applications. The first part of this research focused on identifying and evaluating existing techniques by seeking out those that were simple, reliable, and easy to incorporate into current PMS practices, as well as those that produced consistent results. The second part of the research detailed the development of guidelines for the application of recommended techniques, along with procedures for determining optimum falling weight deflectometer (FWD) test spacing and data collection frequency. While there are many viable techniques available for evaluating the structural capacity of pavements that use FWD for project-level analysis, many of these techniques are time consuming and require an experienced analyst. As a result, using pavement deflection testing for network-level analysis has been limited to date. The findings presented in this report suggest that it is possible and, in fact, advantageous to define simplified techniques for the evaluation and interpretation of pavement deflections for network-level analysis. KW - Deflection tests KW - Falling weight deflectometers KW - Flexible pavements KW - Pavement design KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Pavement management systems KW - Pavement performance KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) KW - Rigid pavements UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/ltpp/12023/12023.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236768 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469978 AU - Uppu, Kiran Kumar AU - Hossain, Mustaque AU - Ingram, Lon AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Kansas State University Transportation Center AU - Kansas Department of Transportation TI - Review of Data in Construction Management System (CMS) and Quality Control and Quality Assurance (QC/QA) Databases to Improve Current Specifications for Superpave and Concrete Pavements in Kansas: Part 2 PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 164p AB - A recent study at Kansas State University has shown that asphalt producers in Kansas are producing hot-mix asphalt (HMA) mixtures with lower asphalt contents than those in the job-mix formula. These drier mixtures are thought to be susceptible to moisture. This project evaluated the effect of asphalt content on rutting and moisture resistance of HMA. Two different mixtures and four varying asphalt contents, optimum and lower, were selected. Another large-size mixture with four varying asphalt contents was also studied. The Hamburg Wheel Tracking Device (HWTD) test (TEX-242-F) and the Kansas Standard Test-56 (KT-56), or modified Lottman test, were used to predict moisture damage and rutting potential of these mixes. All specimens tested were prepared with the Superpave gyratory compacter. Results of this study showed the drier mixtures performed better in rutting and were less susceptible to moisture. Asphalt content significantly affects the number of wheel passes in the HWTD test. The study also revealed a weak correlation between asphalt film thickness and performance test results. Thus, the effect of varying asphalt content is somewhat nonconclusive from a durability point of view. However, performance simulations using a theoretical model show that very dry mixes in asphalt pavements are likely to have shorter performance lives. KW - Asphalt content KW - Dry mixes KW - Hamburg Wheel Tracking Device KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Kansas KW - Moisture content KW - Performance tests KW - Rutting KW - Superpave UR - http://idmweb.ksdot.org/PublicLib/publicDoc.asp?ID=003825015 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1231074 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469952 AU - Sarles, Robbie AU - Garrity, Richard AU - Rodman, Will AU - RLS & Associates, Incorporated AU - Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates AU - Ohio Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Ohio Mobility Improvement Study PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 242p AB - Health and human services transportation (HHST) describes a series of services, administered by a multitude of different organizations, directed at various populations – including the elderly, people with low incomes, and individuals with disabilities – that is extensively provided throughout Ohio. All levels of government are actively involved in the provision of HHST programs, and more importantly, with public transportation, in the design and regulations that govern these activities. There is no Federal mandate to coordinate these resources to promote more efficiency in these common services. Despite Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) longstanding efforts to coordinate HHST in Ohio, many obstacles and challenges still exist to effectively coordinating health and human services transportation and public transportation in the state. This Ohio Mobility Improvement study is designed to determine whether Ohio can embrace a statewide approach that integrates HHST services so that individuals served by these agencies, including the elderly, people with low incomes, and individuals with disabilities, can meet basic mobility needs in an efficient and effective manner. KW - Aged KW - Coordination KW - Low income groups KW - Mobility KW - Ohio KW - Persons with disabilities KW - Public transit KW - Transportation disadvantaged persons UR - http://worldcat.org/oclc/825555641/viewonline UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46766/134571_FR.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1237305 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469949 AU - Parr, Alfred David AU - Young, C Bryan AU - Gonzalez, Pablo AU - University of Kansas, Lawrence AU - Kansas State University Transportation Center AU - Kansas Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Unsteady Flow Analysis of Relief Bridges PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 125p AB - This study was performed to investigate the hydraulics of multiple opening bridges that include a main channel bridge and one or more relief bridges. A relief bridge is installed in an overbank to reduce the return flow to the main channel bridge by conveying some of the total flow. Since significant erosion/scour has been observed at some relief bridges in Kansas, it has been hypothesized that there may be a lag in the rise of the tailwater elevation relative to the rise in headwater as a flood wave passes through a bridge system. As a flood wave passes through a bridge system, significant ponding could occur on the upstream side of the bridge particularly if the main channel bridge were undersized relative to the flood. This could, in turn, “meter” the flow through the opening causing a delayed rise in the tail water elevation downstream from the bridge relative to the rise in the headwater elevation. If this were to happen, very high velocities would be observed through the relief bridge, resulting in significant local scour. The initial objective of this project was to use the HEC-RAS Unsteady Flow model Version 4.1.0 to study the condition hypothesized above by using the Multiple Opening Analysis option. Three bridge sites with relief bridges were selected for analysis. The HEC-RAS water surface profiles throughout the flood simulations showed little if any tailwater lag for any of the studies. The Flo2D model produced depth versus time plots for individual grid cells. This enables users to look more carefully at local variations in flow parameters. No significant tailwater time lags were observed in Flo2D for the three sites studied. In conclusion, it seems that for the large floods considered in this study, the tailwater time lag condition was not observed in either unsteady HEC-RAS or Flo2D modeling. However, this does not mean that such a condition does not exist. The assumption used by Kansas Department of Transportation for the relief bridge is to assume critical depth and velocity at relief bridges for scour calculations. This assumes that the minimum depth (regardless of tailwater) is critical when the approach flow is subcritical. Subcritical approach flow is nearly always the case for major rivers in Kansas. While HEC-RAS and its predecessor HEC-2 were the dominant flood modeling software for three decades, two-dimensional modeling is now increasing in popularity due to improvement in programs, availability of detailed terrain data, the widespread use of Geographic Information Systems and faster computers. Still, execution times for large basins like those studied herein are at least an order of magnitude longer than analogous HEC-RAS unsteady flow models. KW - Bridges KW - Floods KW - Headwater depth KW - HEC-RAS (Computer model) KW - Hydraulics KW - Kansas KW - Ponding KW - Scour KW - Tailwater KW - Unsteady flow UR - http://idmweb.ksdot.org/PublicLib/publicDoc.asp?ID=003824828 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1230969 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469946 AU - Anderson, Michael D AU - Sisiopiku, Virginia P AU - Lou, Yingyan AU - University of Alabama, Huntsville AU - University Transportation Center for Alabama AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Seminar and TRB Conference Attendance: Year 9 PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 11p AB - Students from the three campuses of the University of Alabama System are engaged in a variety of transportation related research activities. This project intended to provide a forum for transportation students to present their research results to faculty and students from their home campuses as well as transportation professionals in a professional setting. The students selected to make presentations, by faculty representatives from the three campuses, were rewarded with travel money to cover the cost of attending the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in Washington D.C. KW - College students KW - Research KW - Transportation careers UR - http://utca.eng.ua.edu/files/2012/12/11306-Final-Report.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46763/11306_Final_Report_pdf.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1237306 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469934 AU - Mattson, Jeremy AU - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - Travel Behavior and Mobility of Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations: Evidence from the National Household Travel Survey PY - 2012/12 SP - 49p AB - Older adults, people with disabilities, individuals in low-income households, and those living in rural areas can face significant mobility challenges. This study examines travel behavior and mobility of these transportation-disadvantaged groups by analyzing data from the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS). NHTS data on driving, trip frequency, staying in the same place all day or week, miles driven per year, mode choice, use of public transportation, trip purpose, trip distance, and issues and concerns regarding transportation are highlighted. Differences are shown by age group, gender, household income, whether a person has a disability or condition affecting ability to travel, and whether the individual lives in a rural or urban area. Differences between 2001 and 2009 are documented to identify trends in travel behavior. A binary logit model is used to estimate whether an individual took a trip during the day or week. For those who have not taken a trip for more than a day, a negative binomial logit model is used to estimate the number of days since the last trip. For those who have not taken a trip in more than a week, a binary logit model is used to identify the characteristics of those who would like to get out more often. Lastly, cluster analysis was used to identify transportation disadvantaged groups. NHTS survey respondents were clustered into 12 groups based on household income, age, gender, household size, and if they had a medical condition affecting their ability to travel, and the travel behavior of each cluster was analyzed. KW - Age groups KW - Diseases and medical conditions KW - Gender KW - Logits KW - Mobility KW - Mode choice KW - National Household Travel Survey KW - Public transit KW - Transportation disadvantaged persons KW - Travel behavior KW - Trip length KW - Trip purpose UR - http://www.ugpti.org/pubs/pdf/DP258.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225801 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469931 AU - Dean, Michelle AU - Broach, Dana AU - San Diego State University AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Development, Validation, and Fairness of a Biographical Data Questionnaire for the Air Traffic Control Specialist (ATCS) Occupation PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 16p AB - Development and validation of a biographical data (“biodata”) instrument for selection into the Air Traffic Control Specialist (ATCS) occupation is described. Bootstrapping was used to estimate correlations between item responses to the Applicant Background Assessment (ABA; 142 items; n=266), Biographical Questionnaire (BQ; 145 items; n=482), and average supervisory job performance ratings. Scoring keys were developed for the most predictive 80, 100, and 120 items from the instruments. Reliabilities for the proposed scales ranged from .74 to .78. Criterion-related validities were .59, .62, and .63 for the 80-, 100-, and 120-item versions, respectively. Each version of the biodata scale had significant incremental validity over the AT-SAT composite score, accounting for 29% to 32% additional variance in average job performance ratings. Score distributions and cut-scores by race and sex were investigated. Differences (d) in mean scores by gender and ethnicity were generally low (ranging from -.08 to .37). Finally, cut score analyses were performed to examine pass rates of demographic subgroups using banding and percentiles. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that the 80-item biodata scale, renamed the Controller Background Assessment Survey (CBAS), be further developed as a potential ATCS selection procedure. KW - Air traffic controllers KW - Biographical factors KW - Bootstrap analysis KW - Gender KW - Performance prediction KW - Persons by race and ethnicity KW - Quality of work KW - Selection and appointment UR - http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2010s/media/201219.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46721/201219.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236953 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469926 AU - Hoit, Marc AU - Turner, Loren AU - Ponti, Daniel AU - University of Florida, Gainesville AU - Ohio Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development of Geotechnical Data Schema in Transportation PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 31p AB - The objective of this report was to develop an international standard interchange format for geotechnical data. This standard will include a data dictionary and extensible markup language (XML) schema which are geographic markup language (GML) compliant. The dictionary and schema will include a structure for geotechnical data, foundation data, and geophysical data as well as a method for adding new features and guidelines for adding to the schema. This standard will be submitted to international bodies for acceptance. KW - Data dictionaries KW - Data sharing KW - Electronic data interchange KW - Geophysics KW - Geotechnical engineering KW - Schema KW - XML (Document markup language) UR - http://worldcat.org/oclc/825121147/viewonline UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46732/134254_FR.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236956 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469924 AU - Molino, John A AU - Kennedy, Jason F AU - Inge, Patches J AU - Bertola, Mary Anne AU - Beuse, Pascal A AU - Fowler, Nicole L AU - Emo, Amanda K AU - Do, Ann AU - Science Applications International Corporation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - A Distance-Based Method to Estimate Annual Pedestrian and Bicyclist Exposure in an Urban Environment PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 83p AB - Currently, there is no commonly accepted or adopted measure of pedestrian and bicyclist exposure. This report presents a methodology for measuring a region’s pedestrian and bicyclist exposure, which is defined as 100 million pedestrian/bicyclist mi (161 million pedestrian/bicyclist km) of roadway (or other motor vehicle shared facility) traveled. A method for implementing the exposure measure is described for various shared facility types that are characteristic to the urban environment of Washington, DC. These facilities include three types of intersections (signalized, stop-controlled (all-way), and partially stop-controlled) as well as midblock road segments, driveways, alleys, parking lots, parking garages, school areas, and areas with playing/dashing/working in the roadway. A pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of the method at seven sites in Washington, DC, in 2006. In 2007, the methodology was implemented on a larger scale to estimate the annual pedestrian and bicyclist exposure in Washington, DC, which was 0.80 hundred million mi (1.29 hundred million km) for pedestrian exposure and 0.37 hundred million mi (0.59 hundred million km) for bicyclist exposure. As a result of simplifications in the present data aggregation technique, these particular exposure values are overestimated. However, procedural changes are suggested to correct this issue. Within the constraints of this study, both the feasibility and scalability of the methodology were successfully demonstrated for a relatively large urban environment. The results indicate that the methodology has the potential to be used to collect exposure data that are not currently readily available to the pedestrian and bicycle safety community. Although further refinement and validation are still needed, the methodology provides a possible initial foundation to develop a national unit of exposure for pedestrians and bicyclists. KW - Bicycle safety KW - Cyclists KW - Exposure KW - Highway safety KW - Intersections KW - Methodology KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Pedestrians KW - Trip length KW - Urban areas KW - Washington (District of Columbia) UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/pedbike/11043/11043.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/55000/55700/55767/FHWA-HRT-11-043.PDF UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236767 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469923 AU - Phanomchoeng, Gridsada AU - Rajamani, Rajesh AU - University of Minnesota, Twin Cities AU - Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Prediction and Prevention of Tripped Rollovers PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 95p AB - Vehicle rollovers account for a significant fraction of highway traffic fatalities, causing more than 10,000 deaths in the United States each year. While active rollover prevention systems have been developed by several automotive manufacturers, the currently available systems address only un-tripped rollovers. This project focuses on the development of a new real-time rollover index that can detect both tripped and un-tripped rollovers. A new methodology is developed for estimation of unknown inputs in a class of nonlinear dynamic systems. The methodology is based on nonlinear observer design and dynamic model inversion to compute the unknown inputs from output measurements. The developed approach can enable observer design for a large class of differentiable nonlinear systems with a globally (or locally) bounded Jacobian. The developed nonlinear observer is then applied for rollover index estimation. The rollover index estimation algorithm is evaluated through simulations with an industry standard software, CARSIM, and with experimental tests on a 1/8th scaled vehicle. The simulation and experimental results show that the developed nonlinear observer can reliably estimate vehicle states, unknown normal tire forces, and rollover index for predicting both un-tripped and tripped rollovers. The final chapter of this report evaluates the feasibility of rollover prevention for tripped rollovers using currently available actuation systems on passenger sedans. KW - Estimation theory KW - Nonlinear systems KW - Prevention KW - Rolling KW - Rollover crashes KW - Traffic crashes KW - Traffic safety UR - http://www.its.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/pdfdownload.pl?id=2206 UR - http://www.its.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/reportdetail.html?id=2212 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1226267 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469909 AU - Cheng, Pi-Meng AU - Shankwitz, Craig AU - Arpin, Eddie AU - University of Minnesota, Twin Cities AU - Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Inexpensive 2D Optical Sensor for GPS Augmentation PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 79p AB - Differential Global Positioning Systems (DGPS) are susceptible to outages due to blocked or missing satellite signals and/or blocked or missing DGPS correction messages. Outages arise primarily due to environmental reasons: passing under bridges, passing under overhead highway signs, adjacent foliage, etc. Generally, these outages are spatially deterministic, and can be accurately predicted. These outages distract drivers using DGPS-based driver assistive systems, and limit the system robustness. Inertial measurements have been proposed as an augmentation for DGPS. Tests have shown that error rates for even emerging technologies are still too high; a vehicle can maintain lane position for less than three to four seconds. Ring laser gyros can do the job, but $100K per axis is still too expensive for road-going vehicles. To provide robust vehicle positioning in the face of DGPS outages, the IV Lab has developed a technique by which a non-contact, 2D true ground velocity sensor is used to guide the vehicle. Although far from fully developed, the system can maintain vehicle position within a lane for GPS outages of up to 20 seconds. New dual frequency, carrier phase DGPS systems generally require less than 20 seconds to acquire a "fix" solution after a GPS outage, so the performance of this system should be adequate for augmentation. Proposed herein is basic research which may lead to the development of an inexpensive, 2D, non-contact velocity sensor optimized for vehicle guidance during periods of DGPS outages. KW - Augmentation systems KW - Differential Global Positioning System KW - Global Positioning System KW - Sensors KW - Signal outages KW - Vehicle position UR - http://www.its.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/reportdetail.html?id=2210 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1226264 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469481 AU - Wujcik, Evan K AU - Heskett, David AU - Bose, Arijit AU - University of Rhode Island, Kingston AU - University of Rhode Island Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Co-Electrospun Lead Selenide/Titania-Core/Sheath Nanowires for Photovoltaic Applications PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 10p AB - This study presents a novel, low-cost, all-inorganic lead selenide-titania (PbSe/TiO2) nanowire heterostructure material synthesis for photovoltaic applications. PbSe nanorods (NRs) have been coelectrospun within a TiO2 nanotube with high connectivity for highly efficient charge carrier flow and electron-hole pair separation. This material has been characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), and Photovoltaic testing. KW - Electric vehicles KW - Nanostructured materials KW - Photovoltaic effect KW - Renewable energy sources KW - Solar cells KW - Sustainable transportation UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46600/46633/001891.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225808 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469422 AU - National Center for Statistics and Analysis TI - Traffic Safety Facts 2011 Data: Alcohol-Impaired Driving PY - 2012/12 SP - 6p AB - Drivers are considered to be alcohol-impaired when their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is .08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher. Thus, any fatal crash involving a driver with a BAC of .08 or higher is considered to be an alcohol- impaired-driving crash, and fatalities occurring in those crashes are considered to be alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities. The term “driver” refers to the operator of any motor vehicle, including a motorcycle. Estimates of alcohol-impaired driving are generated using BAC values reported to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and imputed BAC values when they are not reported. The term “alcohol-impaired” does not indicate that a crash or a fatality was caused by alcohol impairment. In 2011, 9,878 people were killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. These alcoho-limpaired- driving fatalities accounted for 31 percent of the total motor vehicle traffic fatalities in the United States. Traffic fatalities in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes decreased by 2.5 percent from 10,136 in 2010 to 9,878 in 2011. The alcohol-impaired-driving fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) remained at 0.34 in 2011 (same as in 2010). An average of one alcohol-impaired-driving fatality occurred every 53 minutes in 2011. In 2011, all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico had by law created a threshold making it illegal per se to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher. Of the 9,878 people who died in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes in 2011, 6,507 (66%) were drivers with a BAC of .08 or higher. The remaining fatalities consisted of 2,661 (27%) motor vehicle occupants and 710 (7%) nonoccupants. Alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities in the past 10 years have declined by 27 percent from 13,472 in 2002 to 9,878 in 2011. The national rate of alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities in motor vehicle crashes in 2011 was 0.34 per 100 million VMT. The alcoholimpaired- driving fatality rate in the past 10 years has declined by 28 percent from 0.47 in 2002 to 0.34 in 2011. KW - Blood alcohol levels KW - Drunk drivers KW - Drunk driving KW - Fatalities KW - Impaired drivers KW - Traffic crashes KW - Traffic safety UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811700.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236822 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469404 AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - National Automotive Sampling System (NASS), General Estimates System (GES) Analytical Users Manual, 1988-2011 PY - 2012/12 SP - 505p AB - One of the primary objectives of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is to reduce the staggering human toll and property damage that motor vehicle traffic crashes impose on our society. Crashes each year result in thousands of lives lost, hundreds of thousands of injured victims, and billions of dollars in property damage. Accurate data are required to support the development, implementation, and assessment of highway safety programs aimed at reducing this toll. NHTSA uses data from many sources, including the National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) General Estimates System (GES) which began operation in 1988. Providing data about all types of crashes involving all types of vehicles, the NASS GES is used to identify highway safety problem areas, provide a basis for regulatory and consumer information initiatives, and form the basis for cost and benefit analyses of highway safety initiatives. The NASS GES obtains its data from a nationally representative probability sample selected from the more than 5 million police-reported crashes which occur annually. These crashes include those that result in a fatality or injury and those involving major property damage. Although various sources suggest that there are many more crashes that are not reported to the police, the majority of these unreported crashes involve only minor property damage and no significant personal injury. By restricting attention to police-reported crashes, the NASS GES concentrates on those crashes of greatest concern to the highway safety community and the general public. This multi-year analytical user’s manual provides documentation on data elements that are contained in the NASS GES and other useful information that will enable the users to become familiar the data system. NASS GES Coding and Editing Manuals provide more detailed definitions for each data element and attribute for a given year. KW - Computer program documentation KW - Data dictionaries KW - Data elements (Databases) KW - Databases KW - General Estimates System KW - Highway safety KW - National Automotive Sampling System KW - Traffic crashes UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811704.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236825 ER - TY - SER AN - 01469403 JO - Traffic Safety Facts - Crash Stats PB - National Center for Statistics and Analysis TI - Lives Saved in 2011 by Restraint Use and Minimum Drinking Age Laws PY - 2012/12 SP - 2p AB - In 2011, the use of seat belts in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 11,949 lives. Seat belts have saved nearly 66,000 lives during the 5-year period from 2007 to 2011. These annual estimates of lives saved have been produced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA’s) National Center for Statistics and Analysis since 1975. The estimates are calculated using the effectiveness of each device or law that is mentioned. More information on the methodology of lives-saved estimates is available in two NHTSA publications, Lives Saved FAQs (NHTSA, 2009, DOT HS 811 105), which answers 30 common questions about lives saved and includes references to many other reports on lives saved; and Lives Saved Calculations for Seat Belts and Frontal Air Bags (2009, DOT HS 811 206, NHTSA), which describes in detail the methodology of estimating lives saved by seat belts and frontal air bags. In addition to the 11,949 lives saved in 2011 by seat belts (occupants 5 and older), 2,204 lives were saved by frontal air bags (occupants 13 and older), 1,617 lives were saved by motorcycle helmets, 533 lives were saved by 21-yearold- minimum-drinking-age laws, and 263 lives (4 and younger) were saved by child restraints (child safety seats and lap/shoulder belts). An additional 3,384 lives would have been saved in 2011 if all unrestrained passenger vehicle occupants 5 and older involved in fatal crashes had worn their seat belts; and if all motorcyclists had been helmeted, then an additional 703 lives would have been saved. KW - Air bags KW - Child restraint systems KW - Fatalities KW - Helmets KW - Legal drinking age KW - Seat belt usage KW - Seat belts KW - Traffic crashes KW - Traffic safety UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811702.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236824 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469396 AU - Bartelt-Hunt, Shannon AU - Jones, Elizabeth AU - Swadener, Lauren AU - Haverian, Mohammad Jaft AU - University of Nebraska, Lincoln AU - Mid-America Transportation Center AU - Nebraska Department of Roads AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Evaluation of the Environmental Impacts of Bridge Deck Runoff — Preliminary Draft PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 122p AB - Bridges are located in very close proximity to receiving waters, and regulatory agencies often require specific stormwater control measures for bridge deck runoff. While there is some information available on roadway runoff, few studies have focused on bridge deck runoff. Currently, there is no information available regarding the impacts of bridge deck runoff on receiving waters in Nebraska. Due to the cost, maintenance, and design issues associated with implementing structural controls for bridge deck runoff, it is important to develop a better understanding of the relationship between bridge deck runoff and potential impacts to receiving streams. The objectives of this research were to evaluate the quality of bridge deck runoff; to determine the effects of bridge deck runoff on surface water bodies in Nebraska by evaluating water and sediment chemistry; and to evaluate the effects of bridge deck runoff on aquatic life. The goal was to identify the potential environmental impacts of bridge deck runoff on receiving streams, and to determine design criteria that could be used by NDOR or regulatory agencies to identify when structural controls for bridge deck runoff may be necessary to protect instream water quality and aquatic life. Throughout the course of the project, the authors conducted in-stream dry weather sampling, sediment sampling, wet weather bridge runoff sampling, and preliminary toxicity testing. Statistical analysis of upstream and downstream in-stream samples showed that bridges did not impact the quality of the water body. Sediment sampling did not show an increase in streambed sediment concentrations from downstream to upstream. The concentrations of bridge runoff samples were higher than literature event mean concentration (EMC) values. This was mainly due to the fact that the summer of 2012 had only two rain events of significant size and there was a large antecedent dry period (ADP) between storms, making the samples much more concentrated. Two runoff events were also used in a 48-hour 5 dilution series toxicity test with fat head minnows, and no negative effects were found. These preliminary results show that there were no apparent effects of bridges on water quality and aquatic life. KW - Aquatic life KW - Bridge decks KW - Environmental impacts KW - Nebraska KW - Runoff KW - Streams KW - Water quality UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46900/46960/Evaluation_of_the_Environmental_Impact_of_Bridge_Deck_Runoff.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1237154 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469392 AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - 2011 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and National Automotive Sampling System (NASS), General Estimates System (GES) Coding and Validation Manual PY - 2012/12 SP - 959p AB - This manual provides a data dictionary for the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) General Estimates System (GES) databases. Providing data about fatal and all other types of crashes involving all types of vehicles, both FARS and the NASS GES are used to identify highway safety problem areas, provide a basis for regulatory and consumer information initiatives, and form the basis for cost and benefit analyses of highway safety initiatives. The manual lists the codes used for the data elements in FARS and the NASS GES. It presents the coding forms and instructions on how to code the data elements at the crash level, vehicle level, driver level and person level. It also provides the changes to the 2011 manual, and a list of data elements and database location codes. KW - Coding systems KW - Computer program documentation KW - Data dictionaries KW - Data elements KW - Databases KW - Fatalities KW - Fatality Analysis Reporting System KW - General Estimates System KW - Highway safety KW - National Automotive Sampling System KW - Traffic crashes KW - Validation UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811694.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236828 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469381 AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS): Analytical Users Manual, 1975-2011 PY - 2012/12 SP - 600p AB - One of the primary objectives of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is to reduce the staggering human toll and property damage that motor vehicle traffic crashes impose on our society. Crashes each year result in thousands of lives lost, hundreds of thousands of injured victims, and billions of dollars in property damage. Accurate data are required to support the development, implementation, and assessment of highway safety programs aimed at reducing this toll. NHTSA uses data from many sources, including the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) which began operation in 1975. Providing data about fatal crashes involving all types of vehicles, the FARS is used to identify highway safety problem areas, provide a basis for regulatory and consumer information initiatives, and form the basis for cost and benefit analyses of highway safety initiatives. FARS is a census of fatal motor vehicle crashes with a set of data files documenting all qualifying fatalities that occurred within the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico since 1975. To qualify as a FARS case, the crash had to involve a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public, and must have resulted in the death of a motorist or a non-motorist within 30 days of the crash. The purpose of this analytical guide is to introduce the historical coding practices of the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) from 1975 to 2011. In other words, this guide presents the evolution of FARS coding from inception through 2011. FARS data are obtained from various States’ documents, such as: Police Accident Reports; Death Certificates; State Vehicle Registration Files; Coroner/Medical Examiner Reports; State Driver Licensing Files; Hospital Medical Reports; State Highway Department Data; Emergency Medical Service Reports; Vital Statistics; Other State Records. From these documents, the analysts code more than 100 FARS data elements. The specific data elements may be modified slightly each year to conform to changing user needs, vehicle characteristics, and highway safety emphasis areas. This analytical manual describes the 18 data files that are available in 2011. These data files are: Accident, Vehicle, Parkwork, Person, Cevent, Vevent, Vsoe, Pbtype, Distract, Factor, Drimpair, Nmimpair, Maneuver, Nmprior, Nmcrash, Safetyeq, Violatn and the Vision data files. The following data files: Distract, Factor, Drimpair, Nmimpair, Maneuver, Nmprior, Nmcrash, Safetyeq, Violatn and Vision contain data elements in which the analyst could code multiple responses. Hence, if you review the 2011 Coding and Editing Manual these same data elements are select all that apply. These 18 data files are presented with their data elements. For each of the data elements, a brief definition is provided along with any additional information which could assist analyses. KW - Computer program documentation KW - Data dictionaries KW - Data elements (Databases) KW - Data files KW - Databases KW - Fatalities KW - Fatality Analysis Reporting System KW - Highway safety KW - Traffic crashes UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811693.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236826 ER - TY - SER AN - 01469378 JO - Traffic Safety Facts - Crash Stats PB - National Center for Statistics and Analysis TI - State Motor Vehicle Fatalities and State Alcohol-Impaired Motor Vehicle Fatalities, 2011 PY - 2012/12 SP - 2p AB - In 2011, 32,367 people lost their lives on America’s roadways in motor vehicle crashes. This figure is 1.9 percent lower than the 32,999 people who died in crashes in 2010 (632 fewer fatalities in 2011). Alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities declined by 2.5 percent in 2011. An alcoholimpaired- driving fatality is defined as a person killed in a crash involving a driver or motorcycle rider (operator) with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 grams per deciliter or greater. This percentage decrease was greater than the percentage decrease in overall motor vehicle crash fatalities from 2010 to 2011. The 9,878 alcohol- impaired-driving fatalities in 2011 accounted for 31 percent of overall fatalities, the same percentage of overall fatalities as in 2010. The table included in this Crash Stat compares the total number of fatalities, as well as the number and percentage of alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities for 2010 and 2011, the change in the number of total and alcohol-impaired- driving fatalities, and the percentage change for each State, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. KW - Blood alcohol levels KW - Crash data KW - Drunk driving KW - Fatalities KW - States KW - Statistics KW - Traffic crashes KW - Traffic safety UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811699.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236823 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458078 AU - Gan, Albert AU - Saha, Dibakar AU - Haleem, Kirolos AU - Alluri, Priyanka AU - McCarthy, Dennis AU - Florida International University, Miami AU - Florida Department of Transportation TI - Best Practices in the Use of Hybrid Static-Dynamic Signs PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 247p AB - Static signs are traditionally used to convey messages to the road users. The need to quickly communicate up-to-date messages to the road users has given rise to the increasing use of dynamic message signs (DMS). An alternative to DMS is hybrid signs, which display both static and dynamic messages on a single sign. A hybrid sign consists of a conventional retroreflective static sign that is embedded with one or more relatively small, dynamic, usually light emitting diode (LED) message panels. Potential advantages of hybrid signs over DMS include better legibility, shorter reading time, smaller size, and lower installation, operation, and maintenance costs. This report first provides a comprehensive state-of-the-practice review of existing hybrid sign applications in both the U.S. and around the world. The review focused on several application areas, including speed control, parking guidance, travel time and travel distance information, dynamic rerouting information, and graphical route information. Further, it also identifies the companies that manufacture and market hybrid signs in the U.S. It was found that only a small number of sign manufactures have hybrid sign products for applications other than variable speed limit signs. This report then describes an effort to identify potential hybrid sign applications on both freeways and arterials and evaluate them through a focus group study. A total of ten hybrid sign applications were selected and evaluated in terms of their usefulness, understandability, and preference for different sign designs. In total, ten focus groups involving 150 participants of different age, gender, and ethnic groups were conducted. For each application, the participants’ responses were analyzed by age group, gender, and education level, and when applicable, by frequency of using toll roads and public transit service. The participants found parking availability information, arrival time information at bus/train stops, comparative travel times for express lane facilities, drawbridge opening, and travel times on distance signs to be particularly useful. However, bus/train arrival time information and drawbridge opening applications, along with other similar countdown applications, were found to have the following two main limitations: their deployment might create confusion when the dynamic information is not present and the signs could potentially encourage speeding. KW - Arterial highways KW - Best practices KW - Focus groups KW - Freeways KW - State of the practice KW - Traffic signs KW - Variable message signs UR - http://www.fdot.gov/research/Completed_Proj/Summary_TE/FDOT-BDK80-977-15-rpt.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46600/46631/FDOT-BDK80-977-15-rpt.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225681 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458066 AU - Arega, Zelalem AU - Bhasin, Amit AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Final Report: Binder Rheology and Performance in Warm Mix Asphalt PY - 2012/12//Technical Report SP - 52p AB - Since the introduction of warm mix asphalt (WMA) in the United States, a variety of different technologies and processes have been developed and used to achieve proper mixing and compaction at reduced temperatures compared to conventional hot mix asphalt (HMA). A better understanding of the effect of WMA additives and reduced aging on the rheology of asphalt binders is a crucial step towards the successful implementation of WMA. This report presents the findings from a study conducted to investigate the influence of chemical WMA additives and reduced short-term aging on the properties of asphalt binders, mortars, and mixtures. A detailed description of the findings relevant to asphalt binders modified using warm mix additives is presented in the Interim Report. This report presents the details of the test methods and findings relevant to mortars and mixtures prepared using warm mix additives. Findings from this study indicate that certain WMA additives tend to exacerbate the reduced stiffness and early age rutting resistance in warm mix binders. The long-term aged WMA binders had similar or slightly reduced resistance to low-temperature cracking compared to conventional binders. Also, WMA with reclaimed asphalt had similar low temperature cracking resistance as compared to a similar HMA with reclaimed asphalt. Tests on asphalt mortars indicated that the WMA additives significantly affected the fatigue cracking resistance of one of the two binders. Tests on full asphalt mixtures indicate that in most cases the rutting and moisture damage resistance of WMA mixtures was similar to or less than the corresponding control HMA. Findings based on the tests conducted using asphalt mortars and asphalt mixtures were qualitatively consistent with the findings based on the tests conducted using asphalt binders. KW - Asphalt mixtures KW - Bituminous binders KW - Cracking KW - Low temperature KW - Patching mortar KW - Reclaimed asphalt pavements KW - Rheology KW - Rutting KW - Stiffness KW - Warm mix paving mixtures UR - http://www.utexas.edu/research/ctr/pdf_reports/0_6591_1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225677 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458052 AU - Dodd, Norris L AU - Gagnon, Jeffrey W AU - Boe, Susan AU - Ogren, Kari AU - Schweinsburg, Raymond E AU - Arizona Game and Fish Department AU - Arizona Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Wildlife-Vehicle Collision Mitigation for Safer Wildlife Movement across Highways: State Route 260 PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 134p AB - Researchers investigated wildlife-highway relationships in central Arizona from 2002 to 2008 along a 17-mile stretch of State Route (SR) 260, which is being reconstructed in 5 phases and will have 11 wildlife underpasses and 6 bridges. Phased reconstruction allowed researchers to use a before-after-control experimental approach to their research. The objectives of the project were to: assess and compare wildlife use of underpasses (UPs); evaluate highway permeability and wildlife movements among reconstruction classes; characterize wildlife-vehicle collision (WVC) patterns and changes with reconstruction; assess relationships among traffic volume and WVCs, wildlife crossing patterns, and UP use; and assess the role of ungulate-proof fencing with WVCs, wildlife UP use, and wildlife permeability. Researchers used video surveillance to assess and compare wildlife use of 6 UPs, at which 15,134 animals and 11 species were recorded; 67.5% crossed through UPs. Modeling found that UP structure type and placement was the most important factor influencing the probability of successful crossings by elk (Cervus elaphus) and Coues whitetailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Researchers used Global Positioning System (GPS) telemetry tracking of 100 elk and 13 white-tailed deer to assess and compare permeability. Elk permeability on reconstructed sections was 39% lower than controls, while deer permeability was 433% higher on reconstructed sections. The elk-vehicle collision (EVC) rate on fenced reconstructed sections was the same as before-reconstruction levels, but on unfenced sections the EVC rate was nearly 4 times higher. In addition to a safer and more environmentally friendly highway, the economic benefit from reduced EVCs on SR 260 averaged $2 million/year since the completion of 3 reconstructed highway sections. KW - Arizona KW - Arizona State Route 260 KW - Before and after studies KW - Crashes KW - Deer KW - Elk KW - Fences KW - Underpasses KW - Wildlife KW - Wildlife crossings UR - http://apps.azdot.gov/ADOTLibrary/publications/project_reports/PDF/AZ603.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46600/46644/AZ603.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46708/134481_ES.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225684 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456895 AU - Gonzalez, Epigmenio AU - Liu, Wenxing AU - Zhang, Zhanmin AU - Murphy, Michael R AU - O’Conner, James AU - Bhat, Chandra AU - Yildirim, Yetkin AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Optimizing Resource Allocations for Routine Highway Maintenance : Workshop Summary PY - 2012/12 SP - 21p AB - This document is an overview of a workshop held November 8, 2010. The workshop focused on the Texas Department of Transportation's maintenance needs and budgeting. It includes the meeting's agenda; an introduction to the Texas Condition Assessment Program; average routine maintenance expenditures; ranked maintenance activities; and the methods used to establish the rankings. KW - Budgeting KW - Expenditures KW - Highway maintenance KW - Resource allocation KW - Texas KW - Workshops UR - http://www.utexas.edu/research/ctr/pdf_reports/0_6623_p2.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225278 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456886 AU - Prozzi, Jolanda AU - Murphy, M AU - Loftus-Otway, L AU - Banerjee, A AU - Kim, M AU - Wu, Han AU - Prozzi, J P AU - Hutchison, R AU - Harrison, R AU - Walton, C M AU - Weismann, J AU - Weismann, A AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - University of Texas, San Antonio AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Oversize/Overweight Vehicle Permit Fee Study PY - 2012/12//Technical Report SP - 392p AB - In Rider 36, the Texas Legislature in the 2012–2013 General Appropriations Act directed the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to conduct a study on road damage caused by oversized and overweight (OS/OW) vehicles and to provide recommendations for permit fee and fee structure adjustments, which are to be submitted to the Legislative Budget Board and the Governor. TxDOT commissioned Center for Transportation Research and the University of Texas at San Antonio to evaluate the damage that OS/OW vehicles (including exempt vehicles) cause to the transportation infrastructure (including pavements and bridges) along with direct costs imposed by OS/OW vehicles on highway appurtenances (such as signs, traffic signals, and light poles) and other direct costs that other state agencies and local jurisdictions accrue from OS/OW enforcement or management. The project developed methodologies to quantify pavement and bridge consumption rates per mile. The consumption rates were calculated for multiple axle loads and axle configuration and are independent of the commodity being transported. Per mile fees for bridges were also calculated for non-routed loads. In addition to the consumption rates for bridges and pavements due to the effect of axle loads, the researchers developed a new fee schedule that considers costs associated with oversize vehicles that exceed legal width, height, or length for 34 rate categories. These new fees were also calculated based on vehicle miles traveled. Based on the new permit fee structure the research team conducted a revenue analysis by comparing it to FY 2011 permit sales numbers and associated revenue. In FY 2011, the Motor Carrier Division sold 574,578 OS/OW permits that generated just over $111.4 million in permit fee revenue. The revenue based on the new pavement and bridge consumption and operational and safety impact fees is an estimated $521.4. This figure represents an increase of $410 million over actual permit fee revenue reported in FY 2011. The new permit fee structure includes a $10 administrative fee for each permit sold, and a new TxDOT Base Fee of $40 for all permits sold to help fund costs identified that are not currently recovered by existing permit fee revenues. Using the new permit fee structure, the revenue for currently exempt vehicles was estimated to be approximately $150 million. Using the new permit structure, revenue estimates based on FY 2011 permit sales for currently permitted vehicles and proposed new permits for exempt vehicles would be $671.4 million. KW - Direct costs KW - Fees KW - Financial analysis KW - Indirect costs KW - Motor carriers KW - Oversize loads KW - Overweight loads KW - Permits KW - Texas UR - http://www.utexas.edu/research/ctr/pdf_reports/0_6736_2.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225271 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01366313 AU - Tang, Fujian AU - Chen, Genda AU - Volz, Jeffery S AU - Brow, Richard K AU - Koenigstein, Michael AU - Center for Transportation Infrastructure and Safety AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Mechanical Characterization of Enamel Coated Steel Bars PY - 2012/12//Final Report SP - 14p AB - In this study, the corrosion process of enamel-coated deformed rebar completely immersed in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution was evaluated over a period of 84 days by EIS testing. Three types of enamel coating were investigated: pure enamel, 50/50 enamel coating, and double enamel. Surface condition of the enamel coatings that were intentionally damaged prior to corrosion tests was visually examined at different immersion times. After 84 days of testing, the damaged coating areas were characterized by SEM, and the corrosion products on and adjacent to the damaged areas were collected and analyzed by XRD. Corrosion initiated at the damaged locations with no undercutting observed. The 50/50 enamel coating had the least corrosion resistance, due to its interconnected pore structure, and prior damage drastically reduce the corrosion resistance of pure and double enamel coated rebar. KW - Anticorrosion coatings KW - Corrosion resistance KW - Enamels KW - Mechanical properties KW - Reinforcing bars KW - Reinforcing steel UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1134965 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01488499 AU - Cohen, James K AU - John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Financing Rail Capital Projects: Historical Lessons; Contemporary Cases PY - 2012/11/30/Final Report SP - 39p AB - Two large questions informed the research for this article: first, how and why did the mid-20th century shift from private to public ownership, financing and operation of passenger railways affect the subsequent financing and development of high speed rail? Second, does high speed rail create opportunities for the return of the private sector to a significant role in passenger rail transport, such as financing and operating new lines? To answer these questions, the author adopted an historical, cross-national approach, which is relatively unusual in the field of public policy. While a number of articles have been written about general lessons that can be learned from foreign experience with high speed rail, the author's approach analyzes the specific reasons why the U.S. has lagged behind other countries. France was selected as a comparison case because, first, its history of moving from private to public provision of passenger rail services closely paralleled American rail history up to the Great Depression; and, second, because the divergence between the two countries at the end of the Great Depression provides powerful evidence for analyzing the causes of the decline of U.S. passenger railways in the post-World War 2 period. Scholars can build upon this work by carrying out other cross-national and historical comparisons that further elucidate the reasons why high speed rail has succeeded so well in other parts of the world, but not in the U.S. KW - Financing KW - France KW - Governments KW - High speed rail KW - History KW - Passenger rail KW - Passenger trains KW - Private enterprise KW - Railroads KW - United States UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/pubs/Financing-High-Speed-Rail-in-US-and-France-Final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1257342 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458074 AU - Inglis-Smith, Chandra AU - Rahall Appalachian Transportation Institute AU - West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - eCDL and CSTIMS Integration Project PY - 2012/11/30/Final Report SP - 8p AB - In coordination with the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles, the Rahall Transportation Institute integrated the eCDL program with the Commercial Skills Testing Information Management System (CSTIMS), a software program owned by the American Motor Vehicles Administrators Association. eCDL is a multi-phase approach in the development and implementation of an electronic version of the commercial driver license skills testing program which includes real-time testing validation through global positioning system (GPS), imagery, audio, and wireless tests with auditing functions. CSTIMS was built to reduce fraud and automate the administrative processes at the beginning and at the end of the commercial driver license skills testing procedure including scheduling, test site direction, reporting, and fraud alerts. The project integrated the two software programs allowing a schedule test inserted into CSTIMS to be displayed in the eCDL interface in the field. When the CDL test is completed the results are then transmitted back through both organizations’ servers for display in CSTIMS allowing for a full circle of display, analysis, and tracking. KW - Commercial drivers KW - Commercial Skills Testing Information Management System (CSTIMS) KW - Driver licenses KW - Driving tests KW - Global Positioning System KW - Information management KW - Software KW - West Virginia Department of Transportation UR - http://www.mticutc.org/assets/pdf/212143_eCDL_to_CSTIMS.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225600 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01475465 AU - Toumazis, Iakovos AU - Kwon, Changhyun AU - State University of New York, Buffalo AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Robust Routing for Hazardous Materials Transportation with Conditional Value-at-Risk on Time-Dependent Networks PY - 2012/11/29/Final Report SP - 32p AB - New methods are proposed for mitigating risk in hazardous materials (hazmat) transportation, based on Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) measure, on time-dependent vehicular networks. While the CVaR risk measure has been popularly used in financial portfolio optimization problems, its application in hazmat transportation has been very recently proposed. The CVaR models are shown to be flexible and general routing models for hazmat transportation, and be solved efficiently. This research project will extend the previous research by considering CVaR for hazmat transportation on time-dependent networks KW - Hazardous materials KW - Optimization KW - Risk management KW - Routing KW - Shortest path algorithms KW - Time dependence UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46734/Final_Report-Robust-Routing.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1245601 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469400 AU - Kampschneider, Leah R AU - Homan, Daniel M AU - Lechtenberg, Karla A AU - Faller, Ronald K AU - Bielenberg, Robert W AU - Sicking, Dean L AU - Reid, John D AU - Rosenbaugh, Scott K AU - Midwest Roadside Safety Facility AU - University of Nebraska, Lincoln AU - Nebraska Department of Roads AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of a Non-Proprietary, High-Tension, Four-Cable Median Barrier on Level Terrain PY - 2012/11/29/Final Report SP - 159p AB - During the last decade, the use of cable median barriers has risen dramatically. Cable barriers are often utilized in depressed medians with widths ranging from 30 to 50 ft (9.1 to 15.2 m) and with fill slopes as steep as 4H:1V. A careful review of accident records has indicated that passenger vehicles occasionally penetrate through the standard three-cable median barrier and enter opposing traffic lanes. As a result, the Midwest States Regional Pooled Fund Program sponsored a research and development project to improve the safety performance of existing, non-proprietary, cable median barriers. These safety improvements included increased cable spacing, increased cable height, the use of four cables, increased cable tension, and optimized keyway bolts. For this study, one Test Level 3 (TL-3) full-scale crash test was performed on the improved high-tension, four-cable median barrier according to the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH). The cable barrier system was configured with cable heights of 13½ in. (343 mm), 24 in. (610 mm), 34½ in. (876 mm), and 45 in. (1,143 mm) above the ground surface The improved barrier system was intended to satisfy impact safety standards when placed on either a 4H:1V slope or on level terrain. Because barrier penetration was a prime concern, the crash test utilized a 1500A full-sized passenger sedan to impact the barrier in order to investigate the significance of the 10½-in. (267-mm) cable spacing. The vehicle was contained by the barrier, but significant damage occurred to the occupant compartment. As such, the results from the crash test did not meet the MASH impact safety standards. KW - AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware KW - Cables KW - Highway safety KW - Impact tests KW - Median barriers KW - Spacing UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46900/46958/Evaluation_of_a_non-proprietary_high-tension_four-cable_median_barrier.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1237153 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01495887 TI - Institute for Trade and Transportation Studies - ITTS AB - The purpose of Institute for Trade and Transportation Studies (ITTS) is to estimate trade volumes with Latin America and other international trade, evaluate infrastructure investments needed to support growth in international trade, and develop strategies to guide infrastructure investments. The overall goal was to help the Southeastern Transportation Alliance states develop their competitive advantages to capture trade opportunities and the associated economic benefits. KW - Competition KW - Economic benefits KW - International trade KW - Investments KW - Latin America KW - Southeast Transportation Alliance KW - Southeastern United States UR - http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/512 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1265828 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01491314 AU - Sriraj, P S AU - Li, Zongzhi AU - National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education (CFIRE) AU - University of Illinois, Chicago AU - Illinois Institute of Technology AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Rapid Replacement/Construction of Bridges PY - 2012/11/19/Final Report SP - 97p AB - Bridges are a key element of the transportation system because they control system capacity and are normally built at the highest cost to the system. Once a bridge reaches its useful design service life, it needs to be replaced or reconstructed in order to safely accommodate traffic and efficiently utilize the system. While highways can be repaired relatively quickly, bridges require special planning, engineering, materials procurement, and longer periods of construction time. This study synthesized current state-of-practices of rapid bridge construction methods, developed a decision-making framework for determining the feasibility of adopting rapid bridge replacement/construction, that considers issues of criticality of the bridge, contractor’s prefabrication ability, contractor’s construction management, and agency and user costs of bridge construction. The findings provide highway agencies with a framework to determine whether it is appropriate to utilize rapid bridge replacement/construction techniques for specific bridges. Based on these findings, a decision support framework using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) is presented to allow for agencies to rank order priorities amongst those assets (bridges) that are determined to be candidates for rapid replacement/construction. Finally, a preliminary analysis was performed to explore a conceptually new bridge design and construction system that may be considered as a candidate for rapid replacement/construction of bridges with similar geometric design standards governed by comparable traffic conditions and site characteristics. Major technical issues addressed in this study include: 1) identifying existing literature on rapid bridge replacement/construction techniques developed worldwide; 2) finding current state-of-practices of rapid bridge replacement/construction in the United States; 3) developing a decision-making procedure for justifying the use of rapid bridge replacement/construction techniques over the conventional bridge construction methods; and 4) exploring a new conceptual bridge design and construction system that supports rapid construction. This report provides both technical and non-technical information. Some readers may wish to skip over the analysis details and focus on broader concepts of the analysis strategy. KW - Best practices KW - Bridge construction KW - Bridge design KW - Decision making KW - Literature reviews KW - State of the practice KW - United States UR - http://www.wistrans.org/cfire/documents/CFIRE_RRCB_final-report_UIC_IIT_revnov-2012-revised.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1257324 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469940 AU - Reynolds, Tom AU - Alexander Horrey, Amy L AU - Ishutkina, Mariya AU - Joachim, Dale AU - Jordan, Richard AU - Nakahara, Alex AU - Weaver, Alison AU - Massachusetts Institute of Technology AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Tower Flight Data Manager Benefits Assessment: Initial Investment Decision Interim Report. PY - 2012/11/19 SP - 120p AB - The Tower Flight Data Manager (TFDM) is an advanced tower automation system being developed to meet the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) objectives. The TFDM system provides controllers with advanced surveillance and flight data management display systems that will allow them to maintain an integrated picture of the current situation. Controllers and supervisors will also be provided with a suite of Decision Support Tools (DSTs) that provide critical information for assistance in tactical and strategic decision-making. In addition, TFDM will facilitate data exchange between controllers within a tower facility, between Air Traffic Control facilities, and between stakeholders. The capabilities provided by the TFDM system should enable multiple system benefits, such as reduced surface delay, taxi time, and fuel burn (with associated improved operational and environmental performance); better performance during severe weather and other off-nominal conditions; improved usability and situational awareness; and enhanced safety. This document summarizes the analysis efforts undertaken by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory to estimate the benefits from the key TFDM capabilities over the 2015-2035 timeframe in support of the Initial Investment Decision (IID) benefits assessment process. KW - Advanced automation system (Air traffic control) KW - Air traffic control KW - Approach control KW - Aviation safety KW - Benefits KW - Data communications KW - Decision support systems KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Guidance systems (Aircraft) UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236843 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610826 AU - Amekudzi-Kennedy, Adjo AU - Fischer, Jamie M AU - Brodie, Stefanie AU - Ingles, Amy AU - Georgia Transportation Institute University Transportation Center (GTI-UTC) AU - Georgia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Transportation Asset Management: Organizational Performance and Risk Review PY - 2012/11/15/Final Report SP - 207p AB - The 2012 Federal reauthorization of surface transportation programs, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) formally introduced performance-based decision making for investments in surface transportation programs. This report reviews best practices in organizational performance management in state Departments of Transportation, with a focus on how performance management can used to achieve agency strategic goals and address agency risks. The study develops a maturity model of performance management, and diagnostic tools for evaluating the status of a performance management program within an agency, and making recommendations to address gaps for program advancement. In addition, the study reviews tradeoff analysis applications in the literature, surveys state departments of transportation to determine their applications of tradeoff analysis approaches at the program level, and recommends a methodology for harnessing existing asset management tools to conduct program-level tradeoff analysis. KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Asset management KW - Best practices KW - Case studies KW - Literature reviews KW - Methodology KW - Performance measurement KW - Recommendations KW - Risk assessment KW - Risk management KW - State departments of transportation KW - Surveys UR - http://g92018.eos-intl.net/eLibSQL14_G92018_Documents/11-08.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422681 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469426 AU - Department of Transportation TI - Top Management Challenges for Fiscal Year 2013 PY - 2012/11/15 SP - 47p AB - As required by law, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General (OIG) has identified the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) top management challenges for fiscal year 2013. A safe and well-managed transportation system is key for the U.S. economy and the quality of life for the traveling public. To maintain and modernize all modes of transportation, the Department spends over $70 billion annually on a wide range of programs. Consequently, it is critical for the Department to carry out its mission within a framework of rigorous stewardship of taxpayer funds, and OIG continues to support the Department’s efforts through its audits and investigations. Global and domestic travel are projected to significantly increase the demand on our transportation system, and the Department faces considerable challenges in improving the Nation’s surface infrastructure and airspace. A key issue is the Next Generation Air Transportation System—a multibillion-dollar effort to modernize the U.S. air traffic control system. It is also critical that the Department take every opportunity to make efficient use of funds through improved acquisition and grant management—an ongoing challenge with multi-modal impact. This past year, OIG's work also highlighted the need for the Department to better safeguard its investments in key assets to support or expand transportation. Improving air and surface safety continues to be the Department’s overarching priority. This past year, the Department has made important progress toward meeting new airline safety regulations to advance voluntary safety programs at air carriers and improve pilot rest requirements. In terms of surface safety, fatalities on the Nation’s highways have generally declined over the last several years; however, the safety of the Nation’s highways, railroads, and pipelines remains an ongoing concern. OIG considered several criteria in identifying the following nine challenges, including their impact on safety, documented vulnerabilities, large dollar implications, and the ability of the Department to effect change in these areas: (1) Ensuring the Next Generation Air Transportation System Advances Safety and Air Travel; (2) Enhancing FAA’s Oversight and Use of Data To Identify and Mitigate Safety Risks; (3) Overseeing Administration of Key Transportation Assets To Ensure Their Success and Sustainability; (4) Strengthening Existing Surface Safety Programs and Effectively Implementing New Safety Requirements; (5) Maximizing Surface Infrastructure Investments With Effective Program Oversight and Execution of New Legislative Requirements; (6) Adequately Overseeing Administration of High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Funds; (7) Strengthening Financial Management Over Grants To Better Use Funds, Create Jobs, and Improve Infrastructure; (8) Ensuring Effective Management of DOT’s Acquisitions To Maximize Value and Program Performance; and (9) Managing and Securing Information Systems To Efficiently Modernize Technology Infrastructure and Protect Sensitive Data From Compromise. KW - Asset management KW - Aviation safety KW - Financial responsibility KW - Grant aid KW - Ground transportation KW - High speed rail KW - Information systems KW - Investments KW - Management KW - Next Generation Air Transportation System KW - Oversight KW - Transportation safety KW - U.S. Department of Transportation KW - U.S. Federal Aviation Administration UR - http://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/dot/files/DOTs%20FY%202013%20TMC.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236760 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01473707 AU - Lewis, Kristin AU - Mitra, Shuchi AU - Xu, Sheila AU - Tripp, Lyle AU - Lau, Michael AU - Epstein, Alexander AU - Fleming, Gregg AU - Roof, Chris AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Alternative jet fuel scenario analysis report PY - 2012/11/14/Final Report SP - 77p AB - This analysis presents a “bottom up” projection of the potential production of alternative aviation (jet) fuels in North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico) and the European Union in the next decade. The analysis is based on available plans from individual companies and considers existing and emerging fuel production technologies. The analysis also forecasts how alternative fuels might contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) goals. Based on a review of fuel production companies’ stated plans to produce jet fuel, the study incorporated company-specific data into seven scenarios varying alternative jet fuel production and expansion assumptions. This study supports the use of advanced alternative fuels as one important component of achieving emissions and environmental targets, although other additional measures and/or new technologies may also be required. The analysis suggests that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) goal of 1 billion gallons of alternative jet fuel use by U.S. aviation in 2018 is achievable. A combination of the most optimistic demand forecasts and the “product switch” production scenarios leads to North American aviation greenhouse gas emissions leveling off or decreasing between years by 2020. For the limited scenarios considered, additional measures would be needed to return to 2005 emissions levels in North America in 2020. In the European analysis, leveling of GHG emissions by 2020 only occurs in cases where ethanol and/or biodiesel producers switch to producing some jet fuel. As this “bottom up” projection could not account for all potential alternative fuel producers (either because public data were not available or because these companies were unknown to the authors), the results presented should be viewed as one possible range of future production levels that could occur in North America and Europe. It does not consider the amount of alternative fuels that could be produced from all potentially available feedstocks (i.e., technical potential) which would be much greater. Further, production outside of North America and Europe was not included in the analysis so actual demand for alternative jet fuels in North America and Europe could be met with alternative fuels produced outside the region. Finally, the development of new technologies, new market conditions, new participants, and improved processes for known technologies could all lead to production levels higher than shown in this analysis. In fact the technical potential of biofuels production greatly exceeds projected demand. Likewise, policies and economic conditions could lead to lower, or nonexistent production levels. KW - Alternate fuels KW - Aviation fuels KW - Biodiesel fuels KW - European Union countries KW - Greenhouse gases KW - North America KW - Pollutants UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46500/46597/DOT-VNTSC-FAA-12-01.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1244179 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01493227 AU - Biton, Anna AU - Burger, Charlotte AU - Cotton, Benjamin AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - National Park Service TI - Petersburg National Battlefield Alternative Transportation Feasibility Study PY - 2012/11/13/Final Report SP - 106p AB - This report studies the feasibility of alternative solutions to several transportation problems affecting Petersburg National Battlefield in Petersburg, Virginia. Current transportation problems include site-specific access issues, wayfinding and navigational challenges, and inefficient transportation-based interpretive programs. The report evaluates opportunities for a new shuttle program that will replace an existing caravan tour, a comprehensive signage program for managing all directional signs, non-motorized access and connectivity, and technology-based wayfinding and interpretation. With a proposal in Congress to expand the boundaries of the Battlefield, the document also illustrates potential transportation implications as new land holdings are acquired, including signage, parking, wayfinding, and shuttle routes. KW - Accessibility KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Guide signs KW - Historic sites KW - National parks KW - Petersburg (Virginia) KW - Shuttle buses KW - Tourists KW - Traveler information and communication systems KW - Wayfinding UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/48000/48000/48022/DOT-VNTSC-NPS-13-21.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1261172 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01486737 AU - Hicks, R Gary AU - Cheng, DingXin AU - Zubeck, Hannele AU - Liu, Jenny AU - Mullins, Tony AU - Alaska University Transportation Center AU - Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Develop Guidelines for Pavement Preservation Treatments and for Building a Pavement Preservation Program Platform for Alaska PY - 2012/11/12/Final Report SP - 158p AB - This reports summarizes the project findings including the following: An evaluation of the current pavement preservation program used in Alaska and a roadmap to grow the program; A summary of the best practices in terms of pavement preservation for cold regions and for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (AKDOT&PF); The development of a pavement preservation database which contains information on pavement preservation projects placed in Alaska, along with the development of a strategy selection program for determining the best treatments to use under Alaska conditions; and Conclusions and recommendations resulting from the study including the collection of pavement data to support pavement preservation and the modification of the pavement management system to include pavement preservation treatments. Finally, an implementation plan is included to help Alaska grow the pavement preservation program using workshops and other planned efforts. KW - Alaska KW - Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities KW - Best practices KW - Data collection KW - Databases KW - Frigid regions KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Pavement management systems KW - Pavement preservation UR - http://ine.uaf.edu/autc/files/2013/05/AUTC_Combined_report-12-11-12-final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1256381 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470841 AU - Gunaratne, M AU - Lu, Q AU - Yang, Jinsheng AU - Metz, J AU - Jayasooriya, W AU - Yassin, M AU - Amarasiri, S AU - University of South Florida, Tampa AU - Florida Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Hydroplaning on Multi Lane Facilities PY - 2012/11/08/Final Report SP - 130p AB - Models that provide estimates of wet weather speed reduction, as well as analytical and empirical methods for the prediction of hydroplaning speeds of trailers and heavy trucks, were gathered and verified in a field study. Pavement properties needed to estimate the water film thickness produced during sheet flow were obtained from the literature and field studies. The investigators have been able to formulate analytical equations for predicting the critical water film thickness with respect to hydroplaning under different road geometric conditions, such as, straight runs, super-elevations, and transition sections. A wet weather crash analysis was performed using crash statistics, geometrical data, pavement condition data, and other relevant information available in numerous Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) databases. The results of this effort indicate that 1) wider sections are more likely to produce hydroplaning crashes; 2) dense-graded pavements are more likely to induce conditions conducive to hydroplaning than open-graded ones; 3) National Cooperative Highway Research Program's PAVDRN software would have predicted, to a significant degree of accuracy, most of the documented hydroplaning incidents; and 4) the PAVDRN program is relatively unreliable for predicting hydroplaning in the inner lanes. KW - Crash data KW - Field studies KW - Geometric configurations and shapes KW - Heavy duty trucks KW - Hydroplaning KW - Literature reviews KW - Mathematical prediction KW - Multilane highways KW - Speed KW - Surface course (Pavements) KW - Trailers KW - Water film thickness KW - Wet weather UR - http://www.fdot.gov/research/Completed_Proj/Summary_RD/FDOT-BDK84-977-14-rpt.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46798/FDOT-BDK84-977-14-rpt.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238517 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01457539 AU - Department of Transportation AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Contract Towers Continue to Provide Cost-Effective and Safe Air Traffic Services, but Improved Oversight of the Program Is Needed PY - 2012/11/05 SP - 25p AB - The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA’s) Federal Contract Tower (FCT) Program (the Program) comprises 250 contract towers in 46 States and 4 U.S. Territories and provides services to a wide range of users, including general aviation, commercial, cargo, and military operators. Since its inception 30 years ago, the Program has been successful in providing low-cost air traffic control services at airports that otherwise would not have received these services, increasing the level of safety at these airports for pilots and the surrounding local communities. Between 1998 and 2003, The U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted four reviews evaluating various aspects of the FCT Program. Overall, OIG found that the Program successfully provided air traffic services to low-activity airports at lower costs than the Agency could otherwise provide. OIG also found little difference in safety or the quality of services provided at low activity towers whether they were operated by FAA or by contractors. Finally, it found that users were supportive of the Program and believed the services they received at contract towers were comparable to FAA towers. The House Committee on Appropriations, in its report accompanying the Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies bill, requested that OIG provide an update to our previous reviews. Accordingly, the audit objectives were to evaluate the FCT Program’s (1) cost-effectiveness and (2) safety benefits and overall user satisfaction. briefly, contract towers continue to provide air traffic control services at a lower cost than similar FAA towers. Based on OIG's review of 30 randomly selected contract and 30 FAA towers with a comparable level of operations, a contract tower cost, on average, about $1.5 million less to operate than a similar FAA tower. Also, contract towers had a significantly lower number and rate of safety incidents compared to similar FAA towers. For example, the 240 contract towers in OIG's review had 197 safety incidents in FY 2010, compared to 362 at 92 similar FAA towers. OIG is making recommendations to improve FAA’s internal controls and oversight of contractual and safety aspects of the FCT Program. KW - Air traffic control KW - Aviation safety KW - Contracting KW - Cost effectiveness KW - Customer satisfaction KW - Federal Contract Tower Program KW - Oversight KW - U.S. Federal Aviation Administration UR - http://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/dot/files/FAA%20Federal%20Contract%20Tower%20Program%20Report%5E11-5-12.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225417 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01603621 AU - Lane, Leigh B AU - Bert, Steven A AU - Heller, Adrienne E AU - North Carolina State University, Raleigh AU - University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill AU - North Carolina Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Defining Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations PY - 2012/11/01/Final Report SP - 23p AB - This study details the research team’s approach and findings for mapping transportation-disadvantaged populations and holding interviews with local practitioners and vulnerable groups The study provides a straightforward and practice-ready outreach process that can be used by transportation practitioners to better address the needs of populations facing significant mobility challenges. Underserved groups in six North Carolina counties (Beaufort, Chatham, Graham, Wake, Warren, Wilson) are identified and mapped with geographic information system (GIS) applications. Most often those protected under Title VI requirements – low-income and minority populations – but also the elderly, disabled, children, and those with language barriers have mobility needs that are often unmet. Interview findings demonstrated that policy provisions, such as restrictive eligibility requirements for paratransit, prohibitive monetary and time costs, and insufficient public transportation offerings, among other reasons, pointed to why certain groups suffer transportation disadvantage. This study also provides transportation practitioners with a step-by-step process to identify and map transportation-disadvantage populations in a user-friendly Practitioner Guide. The guide serves as a companion to the research and is included in the appendix of this report. KW - Counties KW - Geographic information systems KW - Literature reviews KW - Mapping KW - Maps KW - Mobility KW - North Carolina KW - Outreach KW - Transportation disadvantaged persons UR - https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/RNAProjDocs/2013-12%20Final%20Report.pdf UR - https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/RNAProjDocs/2013-12_Appendix_Part_1.pdf UR - https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/RNAProjDocs/2013-12_Appendix_Part_2.pdf UR - https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/RNAProjDocs/TDI%20Practitioner%20Guide%20Outline.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1409556 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01538183 AU - Jackson, Eric AU - Mahoney, James AU - University of Connecticut, Storrs AU - Connecticut Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluating the Impacts of Reducing the Number of Hot Mix Asphalt Plant Testing Acceptance Criteria on Mix Variability PY - 2012/11/01/Project Final Report SP - 81p AB - The acceptance testing of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) conducted at the HMA production facility is an important portion of the overall acceptance process used by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) for paving projects. In 2004, ConnDOT made the decision to implement a Quality Assurance (QA) approach to improve the quality of the construction of transportation facilities in the state. Until the 2009 paving season, ConnDOT had over 26 different Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) criteria that HMA producers must meet (within limits) or face penalties, rejection of material or plant shutdown. In 2009, ConnDOT reduced the number of quality assurance metrics from 26 to 8 for the 2009 construction season. These eight metrics are: Va (Voids); VMA (Voids Mineral Agg); Gmm (Max Theoretical Gravity); Pb (Binder); and, four gradation control points (each mix has four control points that define the mix). The objective of this study was to statistically analyze HMA quality assurance data collected by ConnDOT from the 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 construction seasons to determine what impact the change in specifications had on the variability and overall quality of the mixes being produced. The results of this study indicate there is no overall statistically significant decrease in variability due to the 2009 specification changes. However, there is also no significant increase in variability due to the reduced testing. According to ConnDOT, these changes in specifications have eliminated costly plant shutdowns, a monetary savings to producers that will hopefully be passed down to ConnDOT in reduced pavement costs. Furthermore, the elimination of plant shutdowns will save ConnDOT and the traveling public costly project delays due to material not passing stringent quality assurance metrics, while not impacting the quality of pavement being placed. KW - Acceptance tests KW - Asphalt plants KW - Connecticut Department of Transportation KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Performance based specifications KW - Quality assurance KW - Quality control KW - Statistical analysis UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51900/51986/ct-2263-f-11-9.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1323640 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01482134 AU - Nelson, Stacy A C AU - Hartis, Brett M AU - North Carolina State University, Raleigh AU - North Carolina Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Satellite Remote Sensing of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Distribution and Status in the Currituck Sound, NC PY - 2012/11/01/Final Report SP - 78p AB - Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) is an important component in any estuarine ecosystem. As such, it is regulated by federal and state agencies as a jurisdictional resource, where impacts to SAV are compensated through mitigation. Historically, traditional detection methodologies have been proven to be ineffective or inappropriate for SAV mitigation over very large areas. These tasks are further complicated in that the location and density of SAV can change from year to year depending on variances in weather and water quality. Satellite remote sensing holds great promise for providing a labor and cost-effective means of monitoring and quantifying SAV distribution. For this analysis, sensor specific models based on multinomial logit procedures proved to be the best approach for predicting SAV presence or absence. No models could be developed for low distribution occurrence categories due to a low ratio of events to non-events. Statistical automated selection methods were developed to produce the final models we selected for each sensor. The use of the automated best-subsets method allowed for exploration of a number of potential candidate models based on the number of variables input in the model. The automated stepwise selection method led to the final, most reasonable model as decided upon in the best-subset procedure. For a variable to enter into or remain in the model, a p-value of <0.01 was necessary. A model was considered fit if the Hosmer and Lemeshow test yielded an insignificant difference in groups (p>0.05). Sensor specific models were developed for both the Quickbird and Worldview-II sensors, however LANDSAT 5 specific models were inconclusive largely due to quality of the data. KW - Aquatic life KW - Currituck Sound (North Carolina) KW - Detection and identification technologies KW - Logits KW - Remote sensing KW - Satellite imagery KW - Vegetation UR - http://www.ncdot.gov/doh/preconstruct/tpb/research/download/2010-14FinalReport.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1251063 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01455264 AU - Department of Transportation AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - FRA's Requirements for High Speed Rail Stakeholder Agreements Mitigated Risk, But Delayed Some Projects' Benefits PY - 2012/11/01 SP - 18p AB - The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA) directed the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to establish a grant program to fund various types of intercity passenger rail improvements. Four months after PRIIA’s enactment, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) appropriated $8 billion to FRA to develop and implement a high-speed intercity passenger rail (HSIPR) grant program. FRA awarded the majority of the $8 billion in ARRA funds to two types of HSIPR projects: short-term, “ready-to-go” projects—almost ready for construction—and long-term, corridor development projects. ARRA established aggressive timelines for FRA’s obligations and grantees’ expenditures for both types of projects. Pursuant to PRIIA and ARRA, FRA issued interim guidance (Guidance) that details HSIPR project application requirements and communicates deadlines by which FRA must obligate and disburse ARRA funds to HSIPR projects. Based on PRIIA’s requirements, the Guidance specifies terms upon which stakeholders must reach written agreement before FRA will disburse funds. These terms are related to three primary areas—service outcomes, maintenance, and construction. The U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (OIG) is reviewing FRA’s overall administration of the HSIPR Program. In this audit, OIG assessed (1) FRA’s development of stakeholder agreement requirements for long-term, corridor projects, and (2) the effects that the requirements’ development had on short-term, ready-to-go projects. FRA took an important step to mitigate risk by requiring Stakeholder service outcome agreements (SOA) for long-term HSIPR projects before fund obligation. However, the lack of clear FRA guidance on structuring the agreements has required the Agency to be more involved in negotiating them, resulting in a more challenging and time consuming process. FRA’s focus on assisting in negotiations for long-term projects delayed the economic recovery benefits that short-term projects were intended to stimulate. Despite its own deadline of September 30, 2010 to complete short-term project obligations, FRA did not actually begin these obligations until September 2010, and by the end of March 2011, had completed few of its planned obligations. This delay in obligations in turn deferred the short-term projects’ economic benefits. KW - Administration KW - Agreements KW - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 KW - High speed rail KW - Intercity transportation KW - Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 KW - Passenger transportation KW - Railroad transportation KW - Risk management KW - Scheduling KW - Stakeholders UR - http://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/dot/files/HSIPR%20Access%20Agreements%5E11-1-12.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223570 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01569146 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Establishing A Public-Private Partnership Program: A Primer PY - 2012/11 SP - 41p AB - Establishing a Public-Private Partnership (P3) program within a public agency involves issues from enabling legislation through identification, evaluation, negotiation and management of P3 projects. Public agencies will need: (1) A legal framework to establish and enforce long term P3 agreements; (2) Policies, processes, and tools to guide policy decisions; (3) Technical skills to identify, develop and evaluate P3 projects and to negotiate agreements; and (4) Skilled staff to manage and oversee projects over the long-term. This primer explores key issues involved in establishing a P3 program at a public agency with a focus on P3s for new capacity for highway infrastructure. Building the organizational capacity needed to develop P3s while protecting the public interest presents a major challenge to transportation agencies. Transportation agencies will need capabilities they have not traditionally possessed in order to identify and develop projects and negotiate and manage agreements with private partners. Agencies will need to acquire or develop new policy, legal, technical, financial and managerial skills and establish processes and structures, such as specialized P3 units, that allow them to apply those skills in a multidisciplinary way. KW - Evaluation KW - Highways KW - Policy, legislation and regulation KW - Public private partnerships KW - Transportation departments KW - Transportation planning UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/pdfs/p3/p3_establishing_a_p3_program_112312.PDF UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/55000/55200/55256/p3_establishing_a_p3_program_112312.PDF UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1359491 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01551266 AU - Bagdade, Jeffrey AU - Nabors, Dan AU - McGee, Hugh AU - Miller, Richard AU - Retting, Richard AU - Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Speed Management: A Manual for Local Rural Road Owners PY - 2012/11 SP - 40p AB - In 2010, 35 percent of the 30,196 fatal crashes on U.S. roadways occurred on local rural roads, with nearly one-third (3,427) of these involving speeding. This document is intended to provide local road practitioners with information on how to address speeding-related crashes through the implementation of a comprehensive Speed Management Program. An effective program addresses all factors that influence speeding through engineering, enforcement, education, and emergency services—known as the four E’s of safety. KW - Countermeasures KW - Highway safety KW - Rural highways KW - Speed control KW - Speeding KW - Traffic law enforcement KW - Traffic safety education UR - http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/local_rural/training/fhwasa010413spmgmt/speedmanagementguide.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1341297 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01548560 AU - Crowson, Ginny AU - Jackels, Jon AU - Athey Creek Consultants AU - Michigan Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Concept of Operations for Intersection Conflict Warning Systems (ICWS) PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 20p AB - In a previous ICWS ENTERPRISE effort, preliminary design guidance and an evaluation framework for intersection conflict warning system (ICWS) deployments were developed. The project engaged several national standards groups and industry associations including the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Subcommittee on Traffic Engineering, and the Traffic Control Devices and Evaluation of Low Cost Safety Improvements pooled funds. This project further supported the standardization of ICWS by developing a model concept of operations and model system requirements for ICWS. KW - Crash avoidance systems KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - Intersections KW - Real time information KW - System design KW - Traffic conflicts UR - http://enterprise.prog.org/Projects/2010_Present/icwssyseng/ICWS%20Concept%20of%20Operations%20FINAL%20110812.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1333225 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01542999 AU - Jarossi, Linda AU - Hershberger, Daniel AU - Woodrooffe, John AU - University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Trucks Involved in Fatal Accidents Codebook 2010 (Version October 22, 2012) PY - 2012/11 SP - 151p AB - This report provides documentation for the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute's (UMTRI’s) file of Trucks Involved in Fatal Accidents (TIFA), 2010, including distributions of the code values for each variable in the file. The 2010 TIFA file is a census of all medium and heavy trucks involved in a fatal accident in the United States. The TIFA database provides coverage of all medium and heavy trucks recorded in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) file. TIFA combines vehicle, accident, and occupant records from FARS with information about the physical configuration and operating authority of the truck from the TIFA survey. KW - Crash data KW - Fatalities KW - Fatality Analysis Reporting System KW - Heavy duty trucks KW - Medium trucks KW - Trucks Involved in Fatal Accidents KW - United States UR - http://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/107389 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1329071 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01538331 AU - Ahmed, Anwaar AU - Agbelie, Bismark R D K AU - Lavrenz, Steven AU - Keefer, Michael AU - Labi, Samuel AU - Sinha, Kumares C AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Costs and Revenues Associated With Overweight Trucks in Indiana PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 252p AB - This study estimated highway pavement and bridge damage costs, and analyzed the adequacy of permit revenues to cover these costs. The study began with an extensive review of the literature on the subject, thus facilitating identification of the gaps in the existing practice and research. The developed framework includes the establishment of asset families, realistic types and timings of reconstruction, rehabilitation, and maintenance, traffic volumes and growth projections. The cost of damage was estimated for each asset family and age group, and the sensitivity of asset damage cost with respect to key policy and analysis variables was explored. Finally, the study examined cost and operational issues associated with the enforcement of overweight truck policies. In addressing the gaps in existing research, this study showed that the damage cost of highway assets due to overweight trucks is influenced significantly by the asset type and age. For pavement assets, the pavement damage cost estimates were found to range from $0.006 per Equivalent Single Axle Load (ESAL)‐mile on Interstates to $0.218 per ESAL‐mile on non‐national highways. The study also showed that non‐consideration of reconstruction or maintenance cost can result in underestimation of the actual pavement damage cost by 79% and 83%, respectively. The analysis also showed that the unrealistic approach of considering only rehabilitation treatments applied at fixed intervals can lead to as much as 86% underestimation of the actual pavement damage cost. The results also suggest that pavement damage cost is highly sensitive to the pavement life‐cycle length, interest rate, rest period, and the costs and service lives of rehabilitation treatments. For the bridge assets (classified on the basis of their superstructure material type), the incremental methodology was found to be suitable to estimate the cost of bridge damage due to overweight vehicles. This methodology determines and assigns bridge damage cost to all vehicle classes on the basis of vehicle axle configurations and usage frequency (vehicle‐miles travelled). Incremental designs were carried out and cost functions were developed using Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) design vehicles. Each Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) vehicle weight group was classified into an equivalent AASHTO loading regime using the modified equivalent vehicle (MEV) model which is based on gross vehicle weight, axle loading and axle spacing. The results were used to incrementally assign bridge cost to each vehicle class. For each class of overweight vehicles, the bridge damage cost was computed as the ratio of the cost responsibility and the volume of these vehicles. The bridge damage cost was estimated under two permit fee options and three user charging scenarios. The results suggest that approximately 22% of total bridge cost can be considered attributable to overweight vehicles. Also, it was observed that the bridge damage cost is not just a factor of gross vehicle weight but a function of all the three vehicle‐related variables: gross vehicle weight, axle spacing and axle loads.  It was concluded that the adoption of a permit structure on the basis of gross vehicle weight only, will result in certain vehicle classes underpaying by as much as 92% of their actual contribution to bridge damage. Finally, the study examined cost and operational issues associated with the enforcement of overweight truck policies and identified a number of locations that could be considered for establishing new weigh stations and other enforcement facilities. KW - Bridges KW - Costs KW - Indiana KW - Literature reviews KW - Maintenance KW - Overweight loads KW - Pavement distress KW - Permits KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) KW - Revenues KW - Trucks UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284314987 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1321437 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01537418 AU - Sneed, Lesley H AU - Center for Transportation Infrastructure and Safety/NUTC program AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Rapid Repair of Severely Damaged Reinforced Concrete Columns PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 4p AB - Research on rapid repair of reinforced concrete (RC) columns has been limited to columns with slight or moderate damage. Moreover, few studies have been conducted on repair of severely damaged columns, particularly with buckled or fractured reinforcing bars. In those studies, however, the techniques used involve considerable time and effort and are not considered “rapid”. The goal of this study was to develop an effective technique to rapidly repair severely damaged RC columns for temporary service use with externally bonded carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP). This paper describes the repair and retest of three half-scale severely damaged square RC bridge columns within four or five days. Damage to each column included buckled longitudinal bars, and one column had fractured bars near the column base. The repairs were designed to restore the column strength using longitudinal and transverse CFRP. A novel anchorage system was designed to anchor the longitudinal CFRP to the column footing. This study illustrates the effectiveness and limitations of this repair technique. The technique was found to be successful in restoring the strength of the columns without fractured bars, but only partially successful for the column with fractured bars located near the base because of CFRP anchorage limitations. KW - Bridge superstructures KW - Carbon fibers KW - Columns KW - Damage (Bridges) KW - Fiber reinforced polymers KW - Rapid repair KW - Reinforced concrete KW - Repairing UR - http://transportation.mst.edu/media/research/transportation/documents/R289%20Final%20Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1322141 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01535750 AU - Hymel, Kent AU - Lee, Douglass B AU - Pearlman, Jonathan AU - Pritchard, Robert AU - Rainville, Lydia AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Financial Responsibility Requirements for Commercial Motor Vehicles PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 120p AB - Minimum liability insurance levels and related requirements for motor carriers to demonstrate financial responsibility in case of damages from crashes were established in the 1980s by Congressional legislation. These levels have not been changed since then. The question is whether these levels should be raised, weighing the benefits of improved compensation of injured third parties, internalization of freight and passenger transportation costs, reduction of truck- and bus-involved crashes, costs imposed on commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operators, and other relevant considerations. Affected motor carriers are for-hire general freight and passenger carriers in interstate commerce and hazardous materials carriers. KW - Commercial vehicles KW - Crash rates KW - Financial responsibility KW - For hire carriers KW - Insurance rates KW - Liability insurance KW - Motor vehicles KW - United States UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51700/51745/12-045-Financial_Responsibility_Requirements_for_CMVs.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1317668 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01531912 AU - Dolcek, Tolga AU - Warren, Benjamin AU - Edil, Tuncer AU - Tinjum, James AU - National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education (CFIRE) AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Mechanical Behavior of Fouled Polyurethane Stabilized Ballast (PSB) PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 100p AB - The United State (US) Department of Transportation (DOT) estimates that the demand for rail freight transportation (tonnage) will increase 88% by 2035. North American railroads spend about $3.4 billion every year on track substructure maintenance and renewal due to track-component degradation. With increases in traffic density and weight will come more deformation and consequently more maintenance of the ballast layer. It is necessary to develop an alternative method in order to decrease maintenance cost. One such method is injection of polyurethane resin at critical locations in the ballast. It has been demonstrated that this method is effective on clean ballast as a preventive measure. This study is aimed at evaluating its effectiveness in remediating already fouled ballast. Thus, clean ballast was mixed with various types of fouling at different amounts, water contents, and sealed in rectangular (76 mm x 76 mm x 290 mm) and cylindrical (254 mm x 508 mm) molds. The polyurethane was injected into the molds and the specimens were allowed to cure for 24 hours. This testing protocol was developed to quantify plastic deformation, flexural strength and unconfined compressive strength of the fouling ballast stabilized by polyurethane. The results show that the injection of polyurethane into fouled ballast significantly reduces plastic strain, increases strength, and minimizes fines intrusion. Increasing the amount of fouling material and water content reduces strength and increases plastic strain. Results of this study are also compared with a previous study conducted on clean ballast induced by polyurethane. It is found that a use of polyurethane injection into the ballast can be a fast and cost effective solution for maintenance of the railway systems. KW - Ballast (Railroads) KW - Compressive strength KW - Flexural strength KW - Maintenance of way KW - Mechanical properties KW - Polyurethane resins KW - Preventive maintenance KW - Railroad tracks UR - http://www.wistrans.org/cfire/documents/FR_0701.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1316828 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01531097 AU - Doig, William AU - Allen, William AU - Gallagher, Donald W AU - SRA International, Incorporated AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Ground Vehicle Runway Incursion Prevention Alerting System Literature Review PY - 2012/11//Technical Note SP - 25p AB - The Federal Aviation Administration Airport Technology Research and Development Branch conducted a literature review of technology and technological solutions that could be used to prevent runway incursions and surface accidents involving vehicles with authorized access to the aircraft movement area. The objective was to identify a technology that would be optimal for this purpose and would warrant further evaluation. The optimal technology was defined as a complete system that provides an alert to ground vehicle operators when approaching a sensitive or restricted area, while having minimal equipment installation requirements that could impact the airport infrastructure. The components needed for an alerting system are (1) reliable ground vehicle position information as to where it is on an airport, (2) a device is needed to provide the visible and audible alerts to the vehicle operator, and (3) the most critical, the logic necessary to take and send the alert directly to the device in the ground vehicle. A literature search was conducted to identify technologies and systems that have the potential to provide a visible and audible alert to ground vehicle operators when approaching a restricted area, such as runways, runway safety areas, etc. A number of technologies have components that could be used in an alerting system; however, only three were identified that constituted a complete system. They were (1) the Incursion Collision Avoidance System (ICAS), (2) The Runway Incursion Monitoring Detection Alerting System (RIMDAS), and (3) The Asset Tracking and Incursion Management System (ATIMS). The analysis of the literature search showed that the RIMDAS did not provide an alert when approaching a sensitive or restricted area. The lack of this feature is a disadvantage compared to the ICAS and ATIMS systems, which provide this capability. Both the ICAS and RIMDAS systems required equipment to be installed on the airport in addition to the equipment needed in the ground vehicle. For these reasons, the ICAS and RIMDAS were not recommended for further evaluation. The analysis of the literature search showed that the ATIMS met the optimal criteria, and a version of the ATIMS is already being used on airports. The only equipment needed is in the ground vehicle. Because of these advantages, the ATIMS is recommended for further evaluation. KW - Airport surface traffic control KW - Crash avoidance systems KW - Ground vehicles KW - Literature reviews KW - Runway incursions KW - Technology assessment KW - Warning systems UR - http://www.airtech.tc.faa.gov/safety/downloads/TC-TN12-46__Final__Vehicle_Runway_Incursion_Lit_Review_112112.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1313492 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01526400 AU - Lee, Cynthia AU - MacDonald, John AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - National Park Service TI - Baseline Ambient Sound Levels in Everglades National Park PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 113p AB - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Park Service (NPS), with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Transportation, John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) are developing Air Tour Management Plans (ATMPs) for all national parks with commercial air tours, with the exception of the Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP), tribal lands within or abutting the GCNP, air tour operations flying over or near the Lake Mead National Recreation Area solely as a transportation route to conduct an air tour over GCNP, Rocky Mountain National Park, and national park units located in Alaska. An important area of technical support is the determination of representative baseline ambient sound levels for the study parks. During the summer (August - September 2008) and winter (February – April 2009), the National Park Service conducted baseline ambient sound level measurements in Everglades National Park. Up to one month of acoustical and meteorological data were measured at five sites throughout the park. This document summarizes the results of the noise measurement study. KW - Aircraft noise KW - Ambient noise KW - Everglades National Park KW - National parks KW - Noise sources KW - Sound level UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51600/51622/EVER_AmbientReport_Nov2012LoRes.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1310484 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01526340 AU - Lee, Cynthia AU - MacDonald, John AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - National Park Service TI - Baseline Ambient Sound Levels in Dry Tortugas National Park PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 77p AB - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Park Service (NPS), with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Transportation, John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) are developing Air Tour Management Plans (ATMPs) for all national parks with commercial air tours, with the exception of the Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP), tribal lands within or abutting the GCNP, air tour operations flying over or near the Lake Mead National Recreation Area solely as a transportation route to conduct an air tour over GCNP, Rocky Mountain National Park, and national park units located in Alaska. An important area of technical support is the determination of representative baseline ambient sound levels for the study parks. During the summer (August - September 2008) and winter (February – April 2009), the National Park Service conducted baseline ambient sound level measurements in Dry Tortugas National Park. Up to one month of acoustical and meteorological data were measured at one site within the park. This document summarizes the results of the noise measurement study. KW - Aircraft noise KW - Ambient noise KW - Dry Tortugas National Park KW - National parks KW - Noise sources KW - Sound level UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51600/51623/DRTO_AmbientReport_Nov2012.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1310483 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516615 AU - Rein, Jonathan R AU - Masalonis, Anthony J AU - Messina, James AU - Willems, Ben AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Separation Management: Automation Reliability Meta-Analysis and Conflict Probe Reliability Analysis PY - 2012/11//Technical Note SP - 30p AB - The purpose of this study is to establish whether a valid performance criterion exists to determine the acceptability of the En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) Conflict Probe’s conflict-detection accuracy and to evaluate observed accuracy against this criterion. The Conflict Probe can exhibit very high or very low accuracy depending on the analysis technique. It is necessary to establish both an empirically backed criterion for accuracy and the appropriate accuracy analyses and metrics. A meta-analysis was conducted on Human Factors automation reliability literature; an additional analysis was done on the results of probe reliability studies by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Concept Analysis branch to derive various accuracy metrics. The results were compared to determine the acceptability of the conflict probe accuracy. The meta-analysis produced an estimated criterion of 65% correct responses for automation to improve performance, but this estimate is subject to a broad confidence interval due to variability in the source data from the literature. The probe performance exceeded the 65% value when giving credit for all correct rejections, but it fell short when not giving credit for correct rejections. Another metric, Positive Predictive Value (PPV, the percent of alerts that are valid), is operationally meaningful and its values demonstrated large accuracy improvements over baseline with the FAA Concept Analysis’ parametric adjustments, but a PPV cutoff criterion could not be established from the meta-analysis. The present results provide insight on several fronts, but operational input is essential to determine (1) a more justifiable air traffic control-specific accuracy criterion and (2) which aircraft encounters are appropriate to include in a test set for accuracy assessment. Automation responses should only increase the value of an accuracy metric to the extent that the responses add informational value for the controller. The present results will be used in the design of an evaluation to derive a set of operationally meaningful aircraft encounters. Different measures of accuracy, such as PPV, also merit further exploration. KW - Accuracy KW - Air traffic control KW - Aircraft separation KW - Automation KW - En Route Automation Modernization KW - Human factors KW - Reliability UR - http://hf.tc.faa.gov/publications/2012-11-separation-management/full_text.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1290616 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516598 AU - Minge, Erik AU - Petersen, Scott AU - Weinblatt, Herbert AU - Coifman, Benjamin AU - Hoekman, Earl AU - SRF Consulting Group, Incorporated AU - Minnesota Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Loop- and Length-Based Vehicle Classification, Federal Highway Administration – Pooled Fund Program [TPF-5(192)] PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 106p AB - While most vehicle classification currently conducted in the United States is axle-based, some applications could be supplemented or replaced by length-based data. Common length-based methods are more widespread and can be less expensive, including loop detectors and several types of non-loop sensors (both sidefire and in-road sensors). Loop detectors are the most frequently deployed detection system and most dual-loop installations have the capability of reporting vehicle lengths. This report analyzes various length-based vehicle classification schemes using geographically diverse data sets. This report also conducted field and laboratory tests of loop and non-loop sensors for their performance in determining vehicle length and vehicle speed. The study recommends a four bin length scheme with a fifth bin to be considered in areas with significant numbers of long combination vehicles. The field and laboratory testing found that across a variety of detection technologies, the sensors generally reported comparable length and speed data. KW - Detection and identification technologies KW - Field tests KW - Laboratory tests KW - Loop detectors KW - Sensors KW - Speed KW - United States KW - Vehicle classification KW - Vehicle length UR - http://www.dot.state.mn.us/research/TS/2012/2012-33.pdf UR - http://www.lrrb.org/media/reports/201233.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1298660 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502080 AU - Ede, William Moore AU - Brosseau, Joseph AU - Otter, Duane AU - Transportation Technology Center, Incorporated AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - Rail Capacity Improvement Study for Commuter Operations PY - 2012/11//8/2009-1/2013 SP - 78p AB - This report describes principles and concepts related to capacity for commuter rail operations. It offers a combination of considerations and evaluation tools pertaining to relevant means of capacity improvements (technology, operations, route, and vehicle upgrades), both conventional and emerging. Guidance regarding minimizing cost of achieving the level of capacity improvement required is provided. Report topics include track and station configuration, rolling stock, train operations, and signal issues. Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) identifies promising potential improvements and additions to infrastructure to increase capacity (emphasizing cost-effective technology solutions). Discussion is provided on investment planning to increase commuter rail system capacity by making the various improvements noted. The study also discusses the benefits, effectiveness, and life cycle costs of the various solutions. To illustrate these principles, TTCI has evaluated various aspects of the present capacity limitations versus ridership for a large commuter rail system in the United States to determine capacity constraints and to identify areas where improved capacity might be needed. Two sections present an overview and selected case studies of the Metrolink system operating in the Los Angeles regional area with analysis of various capacity issues. In each case study, different aspects of commuter rail capacity are examined. In some cases, suggestions are offered where improvements could be made that would increase system reliability. KW - Case studies KW - Investments KW - Life cycle costing KW - Los Angeles (California) KW - Rail transit KW - Railroad commuter service KW - Ridership KW - Strategic planning KW - Train operations KW - United States UR - http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/FTA_Report_No._0037.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1279638 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01501999 AU - Krechmer, Daniel AU - Perry, Noel AU - Destro, Lisa AU - Gallaher, Sarahjoy AU - Cambridge Systematics, Incorporated AU - FTR Associates AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Weather Delay Costs to Trucking PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 72p AB - Estimates of the nation’s freight sector of transportation range to upwards of $600 billion of total gross domestic product with 70 percent of total value and 60 percent of total weight moving by truck. Weather-related delays can add significantly to shipping costs, resulting in negative impacts on the overall economy. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) funded this project in order to estimate the impact of adverse weather on United States roadway freight operations. The findings of the study were that weather phenomena impact freight traffic between 3 percent and 6 percent of the time, depending on location, with a national average of 4.6 percent. The cost of weather-related delay to the freight industry was estimated at $8.659 billion or 1.6 percent of the total estimated freight market of $574 billion. While this appears on the surface to be a small percentage the dollar value is significant and it is important to note that improvements to road weather management programs, which are generally relatively inexpensive, can have major payoffs from a benefit/cost standpoint. Specific research required to refine this estimate is recommended in the report KW - Costs KW - Delays KW - Economic impacts KW - Freight traffic KW - Trucking KW - United States KW - Weather conditions UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/48000/48200/48291/2019837E.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1279464 ER - TY - SER AN - 01500372 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Rohter, Laurence AU - Fain, Jeffrey AU - Lohman, Hollie AU - Beltemacchi, Peter AU - Illinois Institute of Technology AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Guidelines, Site Selection, and Design for Implementing Truck Parking/Rest Facilities in Chicago's South Suburbs PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 111p AB - This study proposes a network of overnight truck parking facilities in south suburban Chicago intended to accomplish a wide range of federal, state, and local policy objectives. At the federal and state levels, this report’s policy objectives seek to increase traffic safety, reduce traffic congestion, address public safety and environmental concerns, and encourage economic security and satisfactory working conditions for the nation’s truck drivers. At the local level, this report’s policy objectives seek to implement brownfield containment and use strategies, support economic revitalization, reduce nuisance parking, and encourage industrial park owners and developers to create shared parking arrangements between trucks and automobiles. To achieve these objectives, the research team has identified key policy and design issues that are usually involved in planning and building overnight truck parking facilities. These issues include traffic safety, highway access, proximity to other freight facilities and industries, brownfield containment and utilization, neighborhood character, environmental issues, use of shared facilities, traffic flow, traffic/parking information systems, fencing/secured entry and exits, surveillance, lot size, pavement, drainage, striping, signage, lighting, and amenities. These issues are highlighted in case studies that will help municipalities and prospective investors interested in implementing overnight truck parking facilities. The research team has also provided a list of material improvements and their approximate costs to give a clearer picture of the capital needed to implement overnight truck parking facilities. KW - Case studies KW - Chicago (Illinois) KW - Costs KW - Design KW - Guidelines KW - Location KW - Parking KW - Parking facilities KW - Policy KW - Roadside rest areas KW - Truck facilities UR - http://hdl.handle.net/2142/45788 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278487 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01496738 AU - Koopmann, Jonathan AU - Ahearn, Meghan AU - Boeker, Eric AU - Hansen, Andrew AU - Hwang, Sunje AU - Malwitz, Andrew AU - Senzig, David AU - Solman, Gina Barberio AU - Dinges, Eric AU - Yaworski, Michael AU - Soucacos, Philip AU - Moore, Jim AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT): Technical Manual, Version 2a PY - 2012/11 SP - 203p AB - The Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Environment and Energy (FAA-AEE) has developed the Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) version 2a software system with the support of the following development team: FAA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States Department of Transportation Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), ATAC Corporation, Metron Aviation, Wyle Laboratories, CSSI, Inc., Foliage, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Georgia Tech. AEDT2a is designed to dynamically model aircraft performance in space and time to compute aircraft noise, emissions, and fuel burn. In the U.S., the model is used to evaluate aircraft noise, emissions, and fuel burn of proposed air traffic airspace actions under the current version of FAA Order 1050.1E. This Technical Manual describes the technical methodology in AEDT2a. KW - Aircraft noise KW - Aviation Environmental Design Tool KW - Computer program documentation KW - Fuel consumption KW - Methodology KW - Pollutants KW - Software UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/47000/47700/47752/AEDT2a_TechManual.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1264950 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01496720 AU - Moore, Jim AU - Lautman, Mark AU - Pepper, Jeremiah AU - DiFelici, John AU - Augustine, Stephen AU - Koopmann, Jonathan AU - Solman, Gina Barberio AU - Ahearn, Meghan AU - Hwang, Sunje AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT): AEDT Standard Input File (ASIF) Reference Guide, Version 2a PY - 2012/11 SP - 146p AB - The Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Environment and Energy (FAA-AEE) has developed the Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) version 2a software system with the support of the following development team: FAA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States Department of Transportation Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), ATAC Corporation, Metron Aviation, Wyle Laboratories, CSSI, Inc., Foliage, Massachusetts Institute o Technology, and Georgia Tech. AEDT2a is designed to dynamically model aircraft performance in space and time to compute aircraft noise, emissions, and fuel burn. In the U.S., the model is used to evaluate aircraft noise, emissions, and fuel burn of proposed air traffic airspace actions under the current version of FAA Order 1050.1E. This document provides detailed information on the AEDT Standard Input File format and requirements. KW - Aircraft noise KW - Aviation Environmental Design Tool KW - Computer program documentation KW - Fuel consumption KW - Pollutants KW - Software UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/47000/47700/47753/AEDT_2aSP1_ASIFRefGuide.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1264949 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01496719 AU - Koopmann, Jonathan AU - Solman, Gina Barberio AU - Ahearn, Meghan AU - Hwang, Sunje AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT): User Guide, Version 2a PY - 2012/11 SP - 177p AB - The Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Environment and Energy (FAA-AEE) has developed the Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) version 2a software system with the support of the following development team: FAA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States Department of Transportation Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), ATAC Corporation, Metron Aviation, Wyle Laboratories, CSSI, Inc., Foliage, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Georgia Tech. AEDT 2a is designed to dynamically model aircraft performance in space and time to compute aircraft noise, emissions, and fuel burn. AEDT 2a software runs on PCs using a minimum hardware configuration of a Microsoft Windows XP or 7 operating systems, Dual-core w/ 1.6 GHz FSB and 512KB L2 Cache processor, 4 GB RAM, and 500 GB hard disk storage. In the U.S., the model is used to evaluate aircraft noise, emissions, and fuel burn of proposed air traffic airspace actions under the current version of FAA Order 1050.1E. This document is the User Guide to setup and run analyses with AEDT 2a. KW - Aircraft noise KW - Aviation Environmental Design Tool KW - Computer program documentation KW - Fuel consumption KW - Pollutants KW - Software UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/47000/47700/47726/AEDT2a_UserGuide.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1264951 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01496632 AU - Sloboden, Jaimison AU - Lewis, John AU - Alexiadis, Vassili AU - Chiu, Yi-Chang AU - Nava, Eric AU - Cambridge Systematics, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Traffic Analysis Toolbox Volume XIV: Guidebook on the Utilization of Dynamic Traffic Assignment in Modeling PY - 2012/11 SP - 120p AB - This document provides guidance to practitioners, managers and software developers on methods for applying Dynamic Traffic Assignment (DTA) in transportation modeling. This guidance will inform Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) of the potential benefits and applications that are possible from utilization of DTA modeling tools. This Guidebook provides recommended processes and implementations for using DTA tools in transportation analyses. This document provides transportation practitioners with guidance on the appropriate application of DTA tools for transportation decision making. The Guide is intended to assist practitioners in developing and implementing DTA for regional planning, project planning, and other transportation analysis. KW - Decision making KW - Dynamic traffic assignment KW - Handbooks KW - Metropolitan planning organizations KW - Programming (Planning) KW - Regional planning KW - State departments of transportation KW - Traffic models UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop13015/fhwahop13015.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1265993 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01493493 AU - Edara, Praveen AU - Sun, Carlos AU - Zhu, Zhongyuan AU - University of Missouri, Columbia AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of Temporary Ramp Metering for Work Zones PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 50p AB - Ramp metering has been successfully implemented in many states to improve traffic operations on freeways. Studies have documented the positive mobility and safety benefits of ramp metering. However, there have been no studies on the use of ramp metering for work zones. This report documents the results from the first deployment of temporary ramp meters in work zones in the United States. Temporary ramp meters were deployed at seven urban short-term work zones in Missouri. Safety measures such as driver compliance, merging behavior, and speed differentials were extracted from video-based field data. Mobility analysis was conducted using a calibrated simulation model and the total delays were obtained for under capacity, at capacity, and over capacity conditions. This evaluation suggests that temporary ramp meters should only be deployed at work zone locations where there is potential for congestion and turned on only during above-capacity conditions. The compliance analysis showed that non-compliance could be a major safety issue in the deployment of temporary ramp meters for under-capacity conditions. The use of a three-section instead of a traditional two-section signal head used for permanent ramp metering produced significantly higher compliance rates. Ramp metering decreased ramp platoons by increasing the percentage of single-vehicle merges to over 70% from under 50%. The accepted-merge-headway results were not statistically significant even though a slight shift towards longer headways was found with the use of ramp meters. Mobility analysis revealed that ramp metering produced delay savings for both mainline and ramp vehicles for work zones operating above capacity. On average a 24% decrease in total delay (mainline plus ramp) at low truck percentage and a 19% decrease in delay at high truck percentage conditions resulted from ramp metering. KW - Highway traffic control KW - Mobility KW - Ramp metering KW - Temporary barriers KW - Work zone safety KW - Work zone traffic control UR - http://publications.iowa.gov/14900/1/IA_DOT_MIZZOU_ramp_metering_4_work_zones_w_cvr.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1261325 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01492860 AU - Sun, Carlos AU - Edara, Praveen AU - Mackley, Andrew AU - University of Missouri, Columbia AU - Smart Work Zone Deployment Initiative AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Use of Incentive/Disincentive Contracting to Mitigate Work Zone Traffic Impacts PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 74p AB - Incentive/disincentive clauses (I/D) are designed to award payments to contractors if they complete work ahead of schedule and to deduct payments if they exceed the completion time. A previously unanswered question is, “Did the costs of the actual work zone impacts that were avoided justify the incentives paid?” This report answers that question affirmatively based on an evaluation of 20 I/D projects in Missouri from 2008 to 2011. Road user costs (RUC) were used to quantify work zone impacts and included travel delays, vehicle operating costs, and crash costs. These were computed using work zone traffic conditions for partial-closure projects and detour volumes and routes for full-closure projects. Conditions during construction were compared to after construction. Crash costs were computed using Highway Safety Manual methodology. Safety Performance Functions produced annual crash frequencies that were translated into crash cost savings. In considering an average project, the percentage of RUC savings was around 13% of the total contract amount, or $444,389 of $3,464,620. The net RUC savings produced was around $7.2 million after subtracting the approximately $1.7 million paid in incentives. In other words, for every dollar paid in incentives, approximately 5.3 dollars of RUC savings resulted. I/D provisions were very successful in saving RUC for projects with full-closure, projects in urban areas, and emergency projects. Rural, non-emergency projects successfully saved RUC but not at the same level as other projects. The I/D contracts were also compared to all Missouri Department of Transportation contracts for the same time period. The results show that I/D projects had a higher on-time completion percentage and a higher number of bids per call than average projects. But I/D projects resulted in 4.52% higher deviation from programmed costs and possibly more changes made after the award. A survey of state transportation departments and contractors showed that both agreed to the same issues that affect the success of I/D contracts. Legal analysis suggests that liquidated damages is preferred to disincentives, since enforceability of disincentives may be an issue. Overall, in terms of work zone impact mitigation, I/D contracts are very effective at a relatively low cost. KW - Case studies KW - Construction projects KW - Contract administration KW - Cost effectiveness KW - Disincentives KW - Incentives KW - Missouri KW - State departments of transportation KW - Work zones UR - http://publications.iowa.gov/14901/1/IA_DOT_MIZZOU_incentive_disincentive_contracting_w_cvr.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1261178 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01488699 AU - Keene, Andrew AU - Edil, Tuncer B AU - Tinjum, James M AU - National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education (CFIRE) AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Mitigating Ballast Fouling and Enhancing Rail Freight Capacity PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 254p AB - In this report, an application using polyurethane void filling and particle bonding technology for stabilizing ballast is evaluated. Application of rigid-polyurethane foam (RPF) as an in situ stabilization method does not require premixing with aggregates, soil, or with water, would not require track shutdown, and reaches 90% full strength in 15 minutes after application. Polyurethane-stabilized ballast (PSB) is found to have suitable mechanical properties for use as a material in track-substructure. Ease of injection and negligible curing period for PSB makes it an attractive option for railway maintenance, especially for time-sensitive maintenance activities, such as intersections and bridge approaches. Use of PSB stemming from the research presented in this report can serve as an economically feasible/favorable maintenance approach compared with traditional methods, such as undercutting, track raising and ballast addition, tamping, etc.; especially for preserving uninterrupted track operations during track stabilization/enhancement. KW - Ballast (Railroads) KW - Polyurethane foams KW - Railroad tracks KW - Stabilized materials KW - Substructures UR - http://www.wistrans.org/cfire/documents/FR_CFIRE0407.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1257310 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01488312 AU - Flynn, Jennifer AU - Yassin, Menna AU - University of South Florida, Tampa AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - Community-Oriented BRT: Urban Design, Amenities, and Placemaking PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 144p AB - The purpose of this report is to provide a useful resource for communities that wish to learn how others have successfully used bus rapid transit (BRT) as a tool for enhancing the public realm. Information for this effort was gathered through a literature review, in-depth profiles of three BRT systems, and a detailed questionnaire that was administered to transit agencies in the United States, Canada, and Australia. While the literature review provides historical background on the relationship between transit projects and the public realm, the questionnaire focuses specifically on the interaction between BRT and public space. The system profiles provide a detailed account of the Los Angeles Orange Line, Cleveland’s HealthLine, and the EmX in Eugene, Oregon, along with recommendations and lessons learned. It should be noted that this report does not attempt to offer detailed instructions of the type that would be found in design manuals or other highly technical literature. Rather, the focus is on sharing the experiences of agencies that have been successful in designing and building community value into BRT projects. KW - Bus and high occupancy vehicle facilities KW - Bus rapid transit KW - Cleveland (Ohio) KW - Eugene (Oregon) KW - Literature reviews KW - Los Angeles (California) KW - Questionnaires KW - Transit operating agencies KW - Urban design UR - http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/FTA_Report_No._0034.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1257250 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01487614 AU - Cox, Brady R AU - Ellis, Trenton B AU - Griffiths, Shawn C AU - Mack Blackwell National Rural Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Site-Specific Seismic Ground Motion Analyses for Transportation Infrastructure in the New Madrid Seismic Zone PY - 2012/11//Technical Report SP - 87p AB - Generic, code-based design procedures cannot account for the anticipated short-period attenuation and long-period amplification of earthquake ground motions in the deep, soft sediments of the Mississippi Embayment within the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ). As a result, generic, code-based seismic designs may lead to short-period structures being over-designed at a significant cost, and long-period structures being under-designed at a significant risk. For these reasons, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) explicitly recommends site-specific ground motion response analyses for this part of the country. Most bridges constructed by the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) within the NMSZ are in the short-period range (i.e., 0.1-0.5 seconds), where site specific analyses can potentially allow engineers to reduce seismic design forces by up to 33% according to AASHTO guidelines. Site-specific ground motion response analyses have been conducted for an example bridge site in Blytheville, AR. Results from the site-specific analyses clearly show that the generic seismic design forces could have been reduced by the AASHTO- allowed 33% if these site-specific analyses had been performed prior to design. Similar results are expected for short-period bridges throughout Northeast Arkansas, where probabilistic seismic hazards are generally dominated by a single earthquake scenario and subsurface conditions are relatively homogenous. KW - Arkansas KW - Attenuation (Engineering) KW - Bridge design KW - Earthquake resistant design KW - New Madrid Seismic Zone KW - Sediments KW - Seismicity UR - http://www.arkansastrc.com/MBTC%20REPORTS/MBTC%203032.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/47000/47700/47794/MBTC-3032FinalReport.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1253850 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01486911 AU - Dojutrek, Michelle S AU - Makwana, Parth A AU - Labi, Samuel AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - A Methodology for Highway Asset Valuation in Indiana PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 80p AB - The Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) requires transportation agencies to report the values of their tangible assets. Numerous valuation methods exist which use different underlying concepts and data items. These traditional methods have a number of shortcomings, such as their implicit assumption that assets are monolithic and their inability to simultaneously consider a satisfactory range of value‐related asset attributes. In a bid to address these limitations, this report proposes a number of valuation methods. The elemental decomposition and multi‐criteria (EDMC) method carries out asset valuation on the basis of cost, remaining service life, and the condition of the individual components of an asset. The proposed replacement‐downtime‐salvage (RDS) method considers only the life‐cycle costs, including user cost during work zones and recycling benefits or disposal costs. The third proposed method, decommission‐and‐reuse (D&R), is based on the real‐estate value of the land occupied by the asset. The total value of Indiana’s state highway assets was determined in this study using the traditional and proposed methods; using the EDMC, this was estimated as approximately $68 billion. The value of pavements and bridges were $47.1B and $7.83B, respectively; together, these “large assets” constituted approximately 81.34% of total asset value. The total value of smaller assets was approximately $0.6B, constituting approximately 0.83% of the total value of assets; the breakdown was as follows: guardrails, $0.318B; underdrains, $0.005B; culverts, $0.214B; and road signs, $0.019B. The total value of the right‐of‐way was estimated at $12.04B. Using the straight line depreciation (SLD) method (the most common method used by other agencies), INDOT’s pavement and bridge values were determined as $12.4B and $9.59B, respectively. It was observed that the EDMC yields values that are significantly different from those from the traditional method, which could be due to the former explicitly considering the asset as an assemblage of components and thus carries out valuation for each component rather than considering the structure as a monolithic entity. On the basis of the unit asset values derived for Indiana, the existing asset inventory of other states, and the state‐specific cost factors, the total estimated value of state‐owned highway bridge and pavement assets in the United States was estimated at $1.4T or $4.4T using the traditional SLD and the EDMC methods respectively. For all highways in the United States, the estimated values were found to be $6.54T and $20.8T for the SLD and the EDMC methods, respectively. The study also explored ways by which asset value could be incorporated in investment evaluation. KW - Asset management KW - Bridges KW - Highways KW - Indiana KW - Pavements KW - Valuation UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284315035 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1254235 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01486734 AU - Zubeck, Hannele AU - Liu, Juanyu AU - Mullin, Anthony AU - Alaska University Transportation Center AU - Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Pavement Preservation Practices in Cold Regions PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 84p AB - The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (AKDOT&PF) has recognized the value of pavement preservation and is in process of incorporating the concept in its road upkeep strategy. A research project was initiated to aid in the development of a pavement preservation program for Alaska. Part of the effort was to collect information on pavement preservation treatments used in cold regions. More specifically, the object was to identify the performance of pavement preservation techniques used in other similar climatic conditions (when compared to Alaska). The purpose of this report is to describe the state-of-the-art and best practices of pavement preservation in cold regions. The information was collected by a comprehensive literature review and by conducting a survey on pavement preservation issues. All surveyed pavement preservation treatments (Crack Sealing, Patching, Fog Seals, Chip Seals, Slurry Seals, Asphalt Surface Treatment/Bituminous Surface Treatment, Microsurfacing, Thin Overlays, Bonded Wearing Courses, Interlayers and In-place Recycling) have been used in cold regions for over 30 years. Crack sealing and patching are the most extensively used pavement preservation techniques. Recommendations for research and implementation are included. KW - Alaska KW - Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities KW - Best practices KW - Frigid regions KW - Literature reviews KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Pavement preservation KW - State of the art KW - Surveys UR - http://ine.uaf.edu/autc/files/2013/05/Pavement-Preservation-Practices-in-Cold-Regions-12-05-12.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1256380 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01482448 AU - Lewis, Russell J AU - Angier, Mike K AU - Williamson, Kelly S AU - Johnson, Robert D AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Analysis of Sertraline in Postmortem Fluids and Tissues in 11 Aviation Accident Victims PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 18p AB - Sertraline (Zoloft®) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor that is a commonly prescribed drug for the treatment of depression, as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. While the use of sertraline is relatively safe, certain side effects could negatively affect a pilot’s performance and become a factor in an aviation accident. The adverse side effects associated with this medication include: sleepiness, nervousness, insomnia, headaches, tremors, and dizziness. The nature of aviation accidents often precludes the availability of blood from accident victims; therefore, tissues must be relied upon for analysis. Understanding the distribution of a drug throughout postmortem fluids and tissues is important when trying to interpret drug impairment and/or intoxication. Laboratory tests investigated the distribution of sertraline and its primary metabolite, desmethylsertraline, in various postmortem tissues and fluids obtained from 11 fatal aviation accident cases between 2001-2004. The gender of the pilots was male and their ages ranged from 31 – 66. When available, 11 specimen types were analyzed for each case, including blood, urine, vitreous humor, liver, lung, kidney, spleen, muscle, brain, heart, and bile. Human specimens were processed utilizing solid-phase extraction, followed by characterization and quantitation employing GC/MS. Whole blood sertraline concentrations obtained from these 11 cases ranged from 0.005 to 0.392 µg/mL. The distribution of sertraline, expressed as specimen/blood ratio, was as follows: urine 0.47 ± 0.39 (n=6), vitreous humor 0.02 ± 0.01 (n=4), liver 74 ± 59 (n=11), lung 67 ± 45 (n=11), kidney 7.4 ± 5 (n=11), spleen 46 ± 45 (n=10), muscle 2.1 ± 1.3 (n=8), brain 22 ± 14 (n=10), heart 9 ± 7 (n=11), and bile 36 ± 26 (n=8). Postmortem distribution coefficients obtained for sertraline had coefficient of variations (CV) ranging from 47 – 99%. With such large CV’s, the distribution coefficients have very little use in aiding in the interpretation of sertraline-positive tissue specimens. Furthermore, no consistent desmethylsertraline/sertraline ratio was identified within any specimen group. This study suggests that sertraline likely undergoes significant postmortem redistribution. KW - Air pilots KW - Air transportation crashes KW - Aircraft crash victims KW - Antidepressants KW - Crash investigation KW - Drug effects KW - Fatalities KW - Males KW - Medical treatment KW - Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors KW - Toxicology UR - http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2010s/media/201217.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1251115 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01481346 AU - Daniel, Jo Sias AU - Chehab, Ghassan R AU - Ayyala, Dinesh AU - Nogaj, Ireneusz M AU - University of New Hampshire, Durham AU - New England Transportation Consortium AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - New England Verification of National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) 1-37A Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 361p AB - In 1996, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) launched Project 1-37A to develop a new design guide for pavement structures. The design guide recommended by the project team in 2004 is based on mechanistic-empirical (M-E) principles and is accompanied by software that handles the execution of the design and performance prediction. The mechanistic empirical pavement design guide (MEPDG) software has gone through various version upgrades and improvements to the incorporated models and user interface, the latest being DarwinME. The design inputs needed for the MEPDG software are classified according to a hierarchy system where the designer can select the level of data accuracy and sophistication based on the economic impact of the project. The selection is also a function of the state-of-knowledge and availability of the data. The levels vary from Level 1, for which design inputs are generally site specific and are determined from material testing and/or in-situ measurement to Level 2 and 3, where default or user-selected values obtained from national and regional experiences such as LTTP sites are used. The performance prediction models incorporated in the MEPDG were validated and calibrated using field performance of selected pavement sections throughout the United States. Coefficients incorporated in the models can thus be regarded as national averages derived from the performance measured from the sites selected for the calibration. While the State Highway Agencies (SHAs) can use those models with the “default” coefficients, a higher level of reliability can be achieved in predicting the distresses if the agencies adjust the coefficients to better suit the conditions prevalent in their states. It is widely recognized that local calibration of the models should thus be performed to take full advantage of the MEPDG. The main goal of this research was to offer the New England and New York state highway agencies guidelines for the implementation of the MEPDG for designing flexible pavements and AC overlays. This report documents the current design practices of the six New England States and New York as well as progress of MEPDG implementation initiatives undertaken by other states. A comprehensive sensitivity analysis of the MEPDG Level 2 and 3 inputs for each of the seven states involved in this study was conducted. The extensive software runs conducted allow for an evaluation of the MEPDG functionality and accuracy for the level of inputs used by comparing predicted distresses with field-measured distresses, and provide individual states with an idea on adequacy of their input database and accuracy that the embedded distress models with nationally calibrated coefficients provide. The findings can be used by the state agencies in their decision on whether to start implementing the MEPDG with current models and coefficients and for what level of analysis, and in prioritizing implementation activities. KW - Asphalt concrete pavements KW - Design practices KW - Flexible pavements KW - Guidelines KW - Implementation KW - Mechanistic-empirical pavement design KW - Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide KW - National Cooperative Highway Research Program KW - New England KW - New York (State) KW - State departments of transportation KW - Validation UR - http://www.uvm.edu/~transctr/pdf/netc/netcr87_06-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1250120 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01481178 AU - Kear, Thomas P AU - Wilson, James H AU - Corbett, James J AU - Cambridge Systematics, Incorporated AU - Energy and Environmental Research Associates, LLC AU - TranSystems AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - United States-Mexico Land Ports of Entry Emissions and Border Wait-Time White Paper and Analysis Template PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 85p AB - This report summarizes background research and presents an analysis template for analyzing the emissions from vehicle delay at land ports of entry along the United States-Mexico border. The analyses template is presented along with two case studies. Results from the case studies identify candidate best practices and performance measures for use as an input during the initial phases of development for projects that alter the border infrastructure or the operational characteristics of the ports of entry. A set of operating mode distributions and average speed data for use with emission factor modes such as MOVES, EMFAC, or MOBILE is developed based on a detailed microsimulation analysis of the Bridge of the Americas and the Ysleta-Zaragoza port of entry. Vehicle activity is assigned to either uncongested movements or queues, with queues further broken down to stop-and-go queues or creeping queues. This breakout of the emissions and vehicle activity is then used to analyze specific case studies to add users in extending the analysis template to their own analysis needs. Background research is available separately. KW - Best practices KW - Bridge of the Americas KW - International borders KW - Microsimulation KW - Performance measurement KW - Pollutants KW - Ports of entry KW - Queuing KW - Traffic delays KW - United States-Mexico Border KW - Waiting time KW - Ysleta–Zaragoza International Bridge UR - http://www.borderplanning.fhwa.dot.gov/WaitTime/emsbrdr.pdf UR - http://www.borderplanning.fhwa.dot.gov/WaitTime/foreword.asp UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1250038 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01479059 AU - Hoopengardner, Roger AU - Thompson, Marc AU - Science Applications International Corporation AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - FTA Low-Speed Urban Maglev Research Program: Updated Lessons Learned PY - 2012/11 SP - 85p AB - In 1999, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) initiated the Low-Speed Urban Magnetic Levitation (Urban Maglev) Program to develop magnetic levitation technology that offers a cost-effective, reliable, and environmentally-sound transit option for urban mass transportation in the United States. Maglev is an innovative approach for transportation in which trains are supported by magnetic forces without any wheels contacting the rail surfaces. Maglev promises several attractive benefits, including the ability to operate in challenging terrain with steep grades, tight turns, all-weather operation, low maintenance, rapid acceleration, quiet operation, and superior ride quality, among others. This Urban Maglev program is essentially completed, and government program executives and managers desire a program review with an emphasis on lessons learned. The lessons learned in this report have been captured through a multifaceted assessment of general project impressions, project execution, project conclusions and deliverables, project team performance, stakeholder participation, risk management, and project communications. The assessments are drawn from project documentation, discussions with the performing teams, and direct experience with the five Urban Maglev projects. This updated report provides lessons learned from the two projects that continued through 2011–2012. KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Lessons learned KW - Magnetic levitation KW - Magnetic levitation vehicles KW - Public transit KW - Research KW - Technological innovations KW - United States KW - Urban areas UR - http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/FTA_Research_Report_No._0026.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/55000/55500/55511/FTA_Research_Report_No._0026.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1248080 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01479012 AU - Washburn, Scott AU - Li, Jing AU - Hammontree, Heather AU - University of Florida, Gainesville AU - Center for Multimodal Solutions for Congestion Mitigation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Development of an Analytical Methodology for Two-Lane Highway Facility Analysis PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 97p AB - Florida is experiencing rapid growth and development. This applies not only to urban areas, but to rural areas as well. This growth is now resulting in congestion on facilities that previously did not have any. One area that is becoming a concern, particularly in Florida, is rural areas transitioning into a more developed area. Access to these areas is usually by two-lane highways, but within these areas, there may be an occasional traffic signal, and possibly segments of multilane highway as well. The Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) contains an analysis procedure for basic two-lane highway segments that serves as the de facto standard in the United States. However, this procedure does not provide for the capability of performing an integrated analysis of an extended length of two-lane highway that also contains occasional signalized intersections. In this project, based upon the new two-lane highway simulation capability in CORSIM, the previous methodology for two-lane highway facility analysis developed by Yu and Washburn (2009) was updated. The new methodology retains the concept of facility segmentation from the previous methodology, but was developed in a different way. First, the testing facility, which included both two-lane highway segments and a signalized intersection, was established integrally in CORSIM, while the previous methodology used a hybrid simulation approach. Second, the algorithms used to determine upstream and downstream intersection influence areas were developed based upon individual vehicle trajectories, instead of aggregate link performance that was used in developing the previous methodology. KW - Algorithms KW - CORSIM (Traffic simulation model) KW - Florida KW - Highway capacity KW - Methodology KW - Rural areas KW - Signalized intersections KW - Traffic congestion KW - Two lane highways KW - Vehicle trajectories UR - http://cms.ce.ufl.edu/research/washburn_s_cms_final_report_2010-007.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1248018 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01478785 AU - Nabors, Dan AU - Goughnour, Elissa AU - Sawyer, Mike AU - Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Non-Motorized User Safety: A Manual for Local Rural Road Owners PY - 2012/11 SP - 90p AB - Many of the roads in the U.S. are non-Interstate, local and rural roads that are maintained and operated by local agencies, such as towns, counties, and Tribal governments. Non-motorized modes of travel, such as biking, walking, and riding horses or horse-drawn carriages can be expected along these roads and may face safety concerns when utilizing the same roadway as motorized travelers. This Non-Motorized User Safety Manual focuses on low-volume local rural roadways and rural villages and describes a process that can be used to address the safety of non-motorized users. It provides a concise “toolbox” of resources and information for addressing non-motorized safety concerns, and provides evaluation methods for locally-implemented initiatives to address the safety of non-motorized users. KW - Bicycle safety KW - Highway safety KW - Local roads KW - Low volume roads KW - Nonmotorized transportation KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Rural highways UR - http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/local_rural/training/fhwasa010413/nonmotorize.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247479 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01478374 AU - McDaniel, Rebecca S AU - Kowalski, Karol J AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Investigating the Feasibility of Integrating Pavement Friction and Texture Depth Data in Modeling for INDOT PMS PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 29p AB - Under Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) current friction testing program, friction is measured annually on interstates but only once every three years on non-interstate roadways. The state’s Pavement Management System, however, would require current data if friction were to be included in the PMS. During routine pavement condition monitoring for the PMS, texture data is collected annually. This study explored the feasibility of using this pavement texture data to estimate the friction during those years when friction is not measured directly. After multiple approaches and a wide variety of ways of examining the currently available data and texture measuring technologies, it was determined that it is not currently feasible to use the texture data as a surrogate for friction testing. This is likely because the lasers used at this time are not capable of capturing the small-scale pavement microtexture. This situation may change, however, with advances in laser or photo interpretation technologies and improved access to materials data throughout the INDOT pavement network. KW - Condition surveys KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Friction KW - Microtexture KW - Pavement management systems KW - Texture UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284315037 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247583 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01478365 AU - Bai, Qiang AU - Labi, Samuel AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Updating, Upgrading, Refining, Calibration and Implementation of Trade-Off Analysis Methodology Developed for INDOT PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 45p AB - As part of the ongoing evolution towards integrated highway asset management, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), through SPR studies in 2004 and 2010, sponsored research that developed an overall framework for asset management. This was intended to foster decision support for alternative investments across the program areas on the basis of a broad range of performance measures and against the background of the various alternative actions or spending amounts that could be applied to the several different asset types in the different program areas. The 2010 study also developed theoretical constructs for scaling and amalgamating the different performance measures, and for analyzing the different kinds of trade‐offs. The research products from the present study include this technical report which shows how theoretical underpinnings of the methodology developed for INDOT in 2010 have been updated, upgraded, and refined. The report also includes a case study that shows how the trade‐off analysis framework has been calibrated using available data. Supplemental to the report is Trade‐IN Version 1.0, a set of flexible and easy‐to‐use spreadsheets that implement the trade-off framework. With this framework and using data at the current time or in the future, INDOT’s asset managers are placed in a better position to quantify and comprehend the relationships between budget levels and system‐wide performance, the relationships between different pairs of conflicting or non‐conflicting performance measures under a given budget limit, and the consequences, in terms of system‐wide performance, of funding shifts across the management systems or program areas. KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Asset management KW - Budgeting KW - Calibration KW - Case studies KW - Decision support systems KW - Implementation KW - Indiana Department of Transportation KW - Methodology KW - Performance measurement UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284315036 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247581 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01478350 AU - Keskin, Burcu B AU - Li, Shirley Rong AU - University Transportation Center for Alabama AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Bi-Criteria Dynamic Location-Routing Problem for Patrol Coverage PY - 2012/11 SP - 37p AB - This paper addresses the problem of dynamic patrol routing for state troopers for effective coverage of highways. Specifically, the authors model a fixed number of state troopers, starting their routes at patrolling critical locations with high crash frequencies and ending their shift at other (or the same) temporary stations so the starting points for the next period are also optimized. The temporary stations are selected from a given set of potential locations. The problem, therefore, is a multi-period dynamic location-routing problem in the context of public service. The objective is to maximize the critical location coverage benefit while minimizing the costs of temporary station selections, vehicle utilizations, and routing/travel. The problem is formulated as a mixed integer linear programming model and solved using both off-the-shelf optimization software and custom-built on the decomposition of location and routing problems. By allowing starting from multiple locations, the models improve the coverage as much as 10% compared to the coverage models forced to start from a single depot. KW - High risk locations KW - Highway safety KW - Highways KW - Mathematical models KW - Resource allocation KW - Routes and routing KW - Traffic crashes KW - Traffic law enforcement KW - Traffic patrol UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1246874 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477797 AU - Barth, Karl AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook Design Example 2B: Two-Span Continuous Straight Composite Steel Wide-Flange Beam Bridge PY - 2012/11//Volume 22 SP - 96p AB - This design example presents an alternative design for that presented in the Steel Bridge Design Handbook Design Example 2A. Specifically, the design of a continuous steel wide-flange beam bridge is presented using a standard shape rolled I-beam, as an alternative to the plate girder design. The AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications are the governing specifications and all aspects of the provisions applicable to wide-flange beam bridge design (cross-section proportion limits, constructibility, serviceability, fatigue, and strength requirements) are considered. Furthermore, the optional moment redistribution specifications will be invoked. In addition to the beam design, the design of the concrete deck is also included. A basic wind analysis of the structure is also presented. KW - Bridge design KW - Composite construction KW - Continuous bridges KW - Flanges KW - I beams KW - Load and resistance factor design KW - Steel bridges UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/designexample03.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247115 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477796 AU - Gatti, Walter AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook: Structural Steel Bridge Shop Drawings PY - 2012/11//Volume 3 SP - 47p AB - The preparation of shop drawings is a very specialized process with its own language and methods. The drawings and data for fabrication are developed from information presented on the contract drawings. These drawings contain the basic bridge geometry, pier and sub-structure locations and design, as well as the sizes of all material, weld and bolt sizes and the basic connection information. Fabrication, thus the shop drawings, must adhere to all the applicable specifications and the information on the contract plans. With this in mind, the detailers, shop drawing producers, must have experience, knowledge and ability to translate contract information into shop drawings. Steel bridge fabrication is a field unlike any others such as building construction, therefore most detailers who prepare steel bridge shop drawings specialize in bridges, and very few of them detail buildings or other steel structures. This document contains the history, present practices, and illustrations of the fundamentals of shop detail drawings for steel bridges, and is not intended to cover every type of bridge structure. The purpose is to familiarize engineers, detailers and other individuals involved with steel bridge fabrication on the preparation and use of shop detail drawings. KW - Bridge design KW - Detailing (Steel) KW - Fabrication KW - Steel bridges KW - Structural steel KW - Technical drawings UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/volume03.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247095 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477795 AU - White, Don AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook: Structural Behavior of Steel PY - 2012/11//Volume 4 SP - 286p AB - The behavior of steel structures is an intricate and fascinating topic. This module is intended to serve as a guide to the AASHTO Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) Specifications and their representation of the behavior of steel bridge systems and members. The module focuses on the structural form and function of bridge systems and members, with emphasis on strength limit states. Where relevant, recent advances in the AISC Specification for Structural Steel Buildings as well as findings from research developments are discussed in addition to the AASHTO LRFD Specifications. There are numerous areas where a broad understanding of the fundamental behavior of structures is key to the proper interpretation, application, and where necessary, extension of the AASHTO LRFD Specifications. This module aims to aid the Engineer in reviewing and understanding the essential principles of steel system and member strength behavior and design. KW - Bridge design KW - Bridge members KW - Load and resistance factor design KW - Steel bridges KW - Strength of materials KW - Structural analysis KW - Structural behavior UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/volume04.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247096 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477794 AU - Mertz, Dennis AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook: Load Rating of Steel Bridges PY - 2012/11//Volume 18 SP - 30p AB - Load rating is defined as the determination of the live load carrying capacity of a bridge using as-built bridge plans and supplemented by information gathered from the latest field inspection. Load ratings are expressed as a rating factor or as a tonnage for a particular vehicle. Emphasis in load rating is on the live-load capacity and dictates the approach of determining rating factors instead of the design approach of satisfying limit states. Existing highway bridges are rated to prioritize a bridge owner’s needs, assure the traveling public’s safety, and facilitate the passage of goods. Bridges that cannot safely carry statutory loads, based on a load-rating evaluation, should be load posted, rehabilitated or replaced. This module informs designers of load ratings, and discusses the LRFR methodology used for load rating evaluation. KW - Bearing capacity KW - Bridge design KW - Highway bridges KW - Live loads KW - Load and resistance factor design KW - Load factor KW - Steel bridges UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/volume18.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247111 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477791 AU - Chavel, Brandon AU - Rivera, Julie AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook Design Example 5: Three-Span Continuous Horizontally Curved Composite Steel Tub-Girder Bridge PY - 2012/11//Volume 25 SP - 187p AB - Tub girders, as closed-section structures, provide a more efficient cross section for resisting torsion than I-girders, which is especially important in horizontally curved highway bridges. The increased torsional resistance of a closed composite steel tub girder also results in an improved lateral distribution of live loads. For curved bridges, warping, or flange lateral bending, stresses are lower in tub girders, when compared to I-girders, since tub girders carry torsion primarily by means of St. Venant torsional shear flow around the perimeter of their closed sections, whereas I-girders have very low St. Venant torsional stiffness and carry torsion primarily by means of warping. This design example illustrates the design calculations for a curved steel tub girder bridge, considering the Strength, Service, fatigue and Constructibility Limits States in accordance with the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Designs specifications. Calculations are provided for design checks at particular girder locations, a bolted field splice design, an internal pier diaphragm design, and a top flange lateral bracing member design. KW - Bridge design KW - Composite structures KW - Continuous girder bridges KW - Curved bridges KW - Highway bridges KW - Load and resistance factor design KW - Steel bridges KW - Tub girders UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/designexample06.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247119 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477789 AU - Chavel, Brandon AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook: Bridge Deck Design PY - 2012/11//Volume 17 SP - 52p AB - The primary function of a bridge deck is to support the vehicular vertical loads and distribute these loads to the steel superstructure. This module provides practical information regarding the decking options and design considerations for steel bridges, presenting deck types such as concrete deck slabs, metal grid decks, orthotropic steel decks, wood decks, and several others. The choice of the particular deck type to use can depend on several factors, which may include the specific application, initial cost, life cycle cost, durability, weight, or owner requirements. For the deck types discussed herein, a brief description of the particular deck type is given, in addition to general design and detail considerations. KW - Bridge decks KW - Bridge design KW - Grid decks KW - Orthotropic KW - Precast concrete KW - Steel bridges KW - Wood UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/volume17.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247110 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477788 AU - Bunner, Matthew AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook: Splice Design PY - 2012/11//Volume 14 SP - 91p AB - Typically it is not possible to fabricate, handle, ship or erect the entire length of a girder in one piece. In these cases, provisions must be made to splice multiple pieces of the girder together in the field to provide the required length. These splices must be capable of transmitting the shear and moment in the girder at the point of the splice. This module focuses on the factors which influence and the principles of the design of bolted field splices. Factors that influence field splice design and layout are presented, including span layout, curvature, and girder properties. General design provisions are also addressed in this module, including flexural resistance provided by a bolted field splice at the Strength and Service limit states, as well as detailing considerations. Lastly, a thorough design example of a bolted field splice for a steel I-girder is provided, illustrating calculations for flange and web stress, splice plate design, and bolt design. Strength, Service, and Fatigue limit states are considered, and design checks are provide for tension, compression, and shear resistance of splice plates, fracture and bearing resistance of splice plates, and strength and slip resistances of the bolted connections. KW - Bolted splices KW - Bolts KW - Bridge construction KW - Bridge design KW - Girders KW - Splice plates KW - Steel bridges KW - Welding UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/volume14.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247107 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477787 AU - Mertz, Dennis AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook: Design for Fatigue PY - 2012/11//Volume 12 SP - 40p AB - Fatigue in metals is the process of initiation and growth of cracks under the action of repetitive tensile loads. If crack growth is allowed to go on long enough, failure of the member can result when the uncracked cross-section is sufficiently reduced such that the member can no longer carry the internal forces for the crack extends in an unstable mode. The fatigue process can take place at stress levels that are substantially less than those associated with failure under static loading conditions. The usual condition that produces fatigue cracking is the application of a large number of load cycles. Consequently, the types of civil engineering applications that are susceptible to fatigue cracking include structures such as bridges. This document provides the practicing engineer with the background required to understand and use the design rules for fatigue resistance that are currently a standard part of design codes for fabricated steel structures. KW - Bridge design KW - Fabrication KW - Failure KW - Fatigue (Mechanics) KW - Fatigue cracking KW - Steel bridges UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/volume12.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247104 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477786 AU - Barth, Karl AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook Design Example 2A: Two-Span Continuous Straight Composite Steel I-Girder Bridge PY - 2012/11//Volume 21 SP - 130p AB - The purpose of this example is to illustrate the use of the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design for the design of a continuous two span steel I-girder bridge. The design process and corresponding calculations for steel I-girders are the focus of this example, with particular emphasis placed on illustration of the optional moment redistribution procedures. All aspects of the girder design are presented, including evaluation of the following: cross-section proportion limits, constructibility, serviceability, fatigue, and strength requirements. Additionally, the weld design for the web-to-flange joint of the plate girders is demonstrated along with all applicable components of the stiffener design and cross frame member design. KW - Bridge design KW - Composite construction KW - Continuous girder bridges KW - Cross frames KW - I-girders KW - Load and resistance factor design KW - Moment distribution KW - Steel bridges UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/designexample02.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247114 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477785 AU - Coletti, Domenic AU - Sheahan, James AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook: Substructure Design PY - 2012/11//Volume 16 SP - 92p AB - While the main focus of the Steel Bridge Design Handbook is the design of steel girder superstructures, the overall design process associated with the design of substructures is equally important. This module provides an overview of many issues associated with substructure and foundation design. Many factors influence the selection of substructure and foundation materials, types, configurations, positions, and orientations. Often, existing constraints will limit the range of options and intrinsically lead the designer to only one or a few feasible solutions. This module provides designers with an overview of several foundation types including shallow foundations such as spread footings, and deep foundations that utilize piles or drilled shafts. The module also discusses conventional, integral, and semi-integral abutments, and provides considerations for the design and detailing of these substructure components. Several considerations for pier selection are also presented, including multi-column piers, single column piers, pile bents, straddle bents, and integral pier caps. Lastly, this module provides designers with information regarding substructure software availability, seismic design, precast substructures, and superstructure and substructure interaction. KW - Bridge abutments KW - Bridge design KW - Bridge piers KW - Bridge substructures KW - Pile foundations KW - Steel bridges UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/volume16.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247109 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477783 AU - Mertz, Dennis AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook: Limit States PY - 2012/11//Volume 10 SP - 24p AB - In the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, a limit state is defined as “a condition beyond which the bridge or component ceases to satisfy the provisions for which it was designed.” Bridges designed using the limit-states philosophy of the LRFD Specifications must satisfy “specified limit states to achieve the objectives of constructability, safety and serviceability.” These objectives are met through the strength, service, fatigue-and-fracture and extreme-event limit states. This module provides bridge engineers with the background regarding the development and use of the various limit states contained in the LRFD Specifications. KW - Bridge design KW - Fatigue (Mechanics) KW - Fracture mechanics KW - Limit state design KW - Steel bridges KW - Strength of materials KW - Ultimate load design UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/volume10.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247102 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477781 AU - Mertz, Dennis AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook: Loads and Load Combinations PY - 2012/11//Volume 7 SP - 27p AB - Sections 1 and 3 of the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, 5th Edition discuss various aspects of loads. The load factors are tabulated in Table 3.4.1-1 of the AASHTO LRFD and are associated with various limit states and further various load combinations within the limit states. This module discusses the various components of load and provides information beyond that contained in the AASHTO LRFD that will be useful to the designer. It also discusses and reviews the various limit-state load combinations to assist the designer in avoiding non-governing load combinations. KW - Bridge design KW - Limit state design KW - Load and resistance factor design KW - Load factor KW - Steel bridges UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/volume07.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247099 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477780 AU - Helwig, Todd AU - Yura, Joseph AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook: Bracing System Design PY - 2012/11//Volume 13 SP - 96p AB - This module discusses the design of bracing systems for the superstructures of straight and curved girder systems. I-girder and box shaped members are covered. Bracing for other types of bridges, such as truss, arch or towers is not specifically addressed; however much of the information included in this module may be applicable. Bracing systems serve a number of important roles in both straight and horizontally curved bridges. The braces provide stability to the primary girders as well as improving the lateral or torsional stiffness and strength of the bridge system both during construction and in service. Depending on the geometry of the bridge, braces may be designated as either primary or secondary members. The engineer needs to recognize the importance of the bracing systems and bracing member design for appropriate construction and in-service stages. This module provides an overview of the design requirements of the braces so that engineers can properly size the members to ensure adequate strength and stiffness. The module provides: a) an overview of bracing utilized for I-girders is covered, b) a discussion of the bracing systems for tub girders, c) design requirements for the members and connections of bracing systems. KW - Box girders KW - Bracing KW - Bridge design KW - Bridge superstructures KW - I girders KW - Steel bridges KW - Tub girders UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/volume13.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247105 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477779 AU - Wright, Ken AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook: Selecting the Right Bridge Type PY - 2012/11//Volume 5 SP - 32p AB - One of the initial choices to be made by the bridge designer is to select the most appropriate bridge type for the site. While this choice is not always straightforward, selecting the right structure type is probably the important aspect of designing a cost-effective bridge. This particular module provides bridge designers with the tools to select the right bridge type for the given site. Bridge types discussed included rolled steel beam, steel plate girder, trusses, arches, cable-stayed, and suspension bridges. KW - Arch bridges KW - Bridge design KW - Cable stayed bridges KW - Girder bridges KW - Steel beams KW - Steel bridges KW - Steel plates KW - Suspension bridges KW - Truss bridges UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/volume05.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247120 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477778 AU - Wright, Ken AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook: Stringer Bridges and Making the Right Choices PY - 2012/11//Volume 6 SP - 38p AB - Once a bridge type is selected, the designer then advances to the detailed design of the bridge. Since the vast majority of steel bridges designed today are steel girders made composite with concrete bridge decks, this module covers many detail issues that are encountered when designing a composite deck girder system. This module addresses the design of welded plate girders. However, many of the principles presented are also applicable to the design of rolled beam bridges. KW - Bridge decks KW - Bridge design KW - Composite construction KW - Concrete KW - Detailing (Steel) KW - Girders KW - Steel bridges KW - Stringers UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/volume06.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247097 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477777 AU - Mertz, Dennis AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook: Redundancy PY - 2012/11//Volume 9 SP - 25p AB - In the context of steel bridge members, nonredundancy or fracture criticality relates to resistance of the entire bridge superstructure to brittle fracture. The question becomes, can a flaw or crack grow in an unstable manner as a brittle fracture resulting in the loss of the member and subsequently the loss of the superstructure? The issue of redundancy affects the design, fabrication and in-service inspection of steel bridge members when they are classified as fracture-critical members. Of all bridge construction materials, only steel bridge members are considered as candidates for the fracture-critical designation. This module provided engineers with the background concerning redundancy in steel girder bridges. KW - Bridge design KW - Bridge members KW - Fracture properties KW - Redundancy KW - Steel bridges UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/volume09.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247101 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477776 AU - Coletti, Domenic AU - Puckett, Jay AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook: Structural Analysis PY - 2012/11//Volume 8 SP - 58p AB - An important aspect of the structural analysis process is the selection of the mathematical model and associated analysis method. Few absolute guidelines are available for the selection of an analysis method. The number of permutations resulting from various combinations of complicating physical features and mathematical models is virtually boundless. This decision should be based on an evaluation of the nature and complexity of the structure, a thorough understanding of the expected behavior, and knowledge of the capabilities and limitations of the various analysis options. Therefore, this module provides an overview for the structural analysis of steel girder bridges. Discussions include the applicable loads, descriptions of the various tools and techniques available, and considerations for selecting the appropriate application or technique for a given bridge. KW - Bridge design KW - Finite element method KW - Live loads KW - Mathematical models KW - Steel bridges KW - Structural analysis UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/volume08.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247100 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477775 AU - Kaczinski, Mark AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook: Bearing Design PY - 2012/11//Volume 15 SP - 33p AB - Steel bridge bearings may be divided into three general types: elastomeric bearings, high-load multi-rotational bearings, and mechanical bearings. The designer must determine which bearing type is best suited to cost effectively accommodate the design requirements. This module provides practical information for efficient bearing design and detailing. The information contained in this module is drawn largely from the following two sources - NSBA’s “Steel Bridge Bearing and Selection and Design Guide,” Highway Structures Design Guide, Volume II, Chapter 4 (HSDH Volume II, Chapter 4)) and AASHTO/NSBA Steel Bridge Collaboration, G9.1-2004 “Steel Bridge Bearing Design and Detailing Guidelines.” KW - Bridge bearings KW - Bridge design KW - Detailing KW - Highway bridges KW - Steel bridges UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/volume15.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247108 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477774 AU - Wright, William J AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook: Bridge Steels and Their Mechanical Properties PY - 2012/11//Volume 1 SP - 59p AB - This module presents an overview of structural steel products that are used for steel bridge construction. It is intended to serve as a reference and educational tool for structural engineers involved with bridge design and evaluation. The primary focus is on steel plate and rolled shape products that are available under the ASTM A709 Specification. This includes both a general introduction to steel making practices and a detailed discussion of mechanical properties. It also includes a brief introduction to other steel products such as bolts, castings, cables, and stainless steels that are often used for steel bridge connections and components. References are provided to the relevant AASHTO and ASTM standards for additional information. The mechanical properties of bridge steels are presented based on the A 709 specification. The stress-strain behavior of the various steel grades is presented to provide an understanding of strength and ductility. Fracture toughness is discussed to relate how the Charpy vee-notch test relates to fracture resistance in structures. Finally, the methodology for determining atmospheric corrosion resistance is presented along with the requirements for classification as "weathering steels" for use in un-coated applications. KW - Bridge design KW - Fabrication KW - Manufacturing KW - Mechanical properties KW - Steel bridges KW - Steel plates KW - Welding UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/volume01.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247092 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477771 AU - Kogler, Robert AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook: Corrosion Protection of Steel Bridges PY - 2012/11//Volume 19 SP - 41p AB - Corrosion is a serious threat to the long-term function and integrity of a steel bridge. Structural steel will corrode if left unprotected or inadequately protected from the natural environment. This corrosion can take the form of general uniform thickness loss or concentrated pitting depending on exposure to the environment and the steel design detail in question. Bridge designers should view corrosion as a long term threat to the integrity of the bridge structure, and is a critical consideration that must be addressed in a rational manner during the design process. While there are several proven strategies for corrosion protection of steel bridges, there is no universal solution. The proper system must be chosen to accommodate cost, fabrication and productivity, and long term performance and maintenance. Additionally, each corrosion protection system must be selected based on the anticipated exposure of the structure to corrosive elements over its lifetime. This module highlights the most common issues confronting bridge designers regarding corrosion protection and provides guidance in this area. KW - Bridge design KW - Corrosion KW - Corrosion protection KW - Steel bridges UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/volume19.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247112 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477767 AU - Rivera, Julie AU - Chavel, Brandon AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook Design Example 3: Three-Span Continuous Horizontally Curved Composite Steel I-Girder Bridge PY - 2012/11//Volume 23 SP - 167p AB - Horizontally curved steel bridges present many unique challenges. Despite their challenges, curved girder bridges have become widespread and are commonly used at locations that require complex geometries and have limited right-of-way, such as urban interchanges. Some of the important issues that differentiate curved steel girders from their straight counterparts include the effects of torsion, flange lateral bending, their inherent lack of stability, and special constructibility concerns. Also, the complex behavior of horizontally curved bridges necessitates the consideration of system behavior in the analysis. This design example illustrates the design calculations for a curved steel I-girder bridge, considering the Strength, Service, fatigue and Constructibility Limits States in accordance with the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Designs specifications. Calculations are provided for design checks at particular girder locations, a bolted field splice design, a cross frame member design, shear connector design, and a bearing stiffener design. KW - Bridge design KW - Composite construction KW - Continuous girder bridges KW - Curved bridges KW - I-girders KW - Load and resistance factor design KW - Steel bridges UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/designexample05.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247116 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477766 AU - Grubb, Michael A AU - Schmidt, Robert E AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook Design Example 1: Three-Span Continuous Straight Composite Steel I-Girder Bridge PY - 2012/11//Volume 20 SP - 171p AB - The basic application of the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications to the design of straight steel I-section flexural members is illustrated through this design example. The example illustrates the design of a typical three-span continuous straight steel I-girder bridge with spans of 140.0 feet – 175.0 feet – 140.0 feet. Specifically, the example illustrates the design of selected critical sections from an exterior girder at the strength, service and fatigue limit states. Constructibility checks, stiffener and shear connector designs are also presented. KW - Bridge design KW - Bridge members KW - Composite construction KW - Continuous girder bridges KW - I-girders KW - Load and resistance factor design KW - Steel bridges UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/designexample01.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247113 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477765 AU - Chavel, Brandon AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook Design Example 4: Three-Span Continuous Straight Composite Steel Tub Girder Bridge PY - 2012/11//Volume 24 SP - 108p AB - Tub girders are often selected over I-girders because of their pleasing appearance offering a smooth, uninterrupted, cross section. Bracing, web stiffeners, utilities, and other structural and nonstructural components are typically hidden from view within the steel tub girder, resulting in the tub girders clean appearance. Additionally, steel tub girder bridges offer advantages over other superstructure types in terms of span range, stiffness, durability, and future maintenance. This design example demonstrates the design of a tangent three-span continuous composite tub girder bridge with a span arrangement of 187.5 ft - 275.0 ft - 187.5 ft. This example illustrates the flexural design of a section in positive flexure, the flexural design of a section in negative flexure, the shear design of the web, the evaluation of using a stiffened versus an unstiffened bottom flange in the negative flexure region, as well as discussions related to top flange lateral bracing and bearing design. KW - Bearing capacity KW - Bracing KW - Bridge design KW - Composite construction KW - Continuous girder bridges KW - Steel bridges KW - Tub girders UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/designexample04.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247117 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477763 AU - Krause, Scott AU - HDR Engineering Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Steel Bridge Design Handbook: Steel Bridge Fabrication PY - 2012/11//Volume 2 SP - 38p AB - The purpose of this module is to explain the basic concepts of fabricating steel bridge structures. It is intended to serve as a resource for the engineer while preparing the design of the structure and as a reference throughout the life cycle of the bridge. The methods employed in the fabrication of a bridge structure are as variable as the structure itself. Each fabricator has its own way of solving the problems associated with each structure. This module is to serve as a reference document to facilitate fabricator/engineer communication. KW - Bridge design KW - Fabrication KW - Plate girders KW - Quality assurance KW - Quality control KW - Steel bridges KW - Welding UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/pubs/if12052/volume02.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247094 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01476338 AU - Keenan, Carol AU - Sprung, Michael AU - Strocko, Ed AU - Schmitt, Rolf AU - Rick, Christopher AU - Sedor, Joanne AU - MacroSys, LLC AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Freight Facts and Figures 2012 PY - 2012/11 SP - 85p AB - This report provides an overview of freight transportation, focusing on the volume and value of freight shipments, the extent of the freight network, industry employment and productivity patterns, and related safety, energy use, and environmental effects. Economic and social characteristics of the United States also are provided as background information. Metric data are available for several tables as well. KW - Economic factors KW - Employment KW - Energy consumption KW - Environmental impacts KW - Freight transportation KW - Networks KW - Productivity KW - Safety KW - Shipments KW - Tables (Data) KW - Trade KW - United States UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/freight_analysis/nat_freight_stats/docs/12factsfigures/pdfs/fff2012_highres.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1244636 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01476284 AU - Munnich, Lee W AU - Douma, Frank AU - Qin, Xiao AU - Thorpe, J David AU - University of Minnesota, Twin Cities AU - South Dakota State University, Brookings AU - University of Minnesota, Twin Cities AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluating the Effectiveness of State Toward Zero Deaths Program PY - 2012/11//Technical Report SP - 20p AB - Since 2001 approximately 30 U.S. states have adopted programs to reduce traffic fatalities to zero with names such as Vision Zero, Target Zero, or Toward Zero Deaths (TZD). TZD is now being promoted as a national strategy by a coalition of transportation and safety groups. Successful TZD programs have five characteristics: 1) an ambitious goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries; 2) high levels of inter-agency cooperation in pursuit of the TZD goal among state departments of transportation, public safety, health, and other relevant agencies; 3) a comprehensive strategy addressing all 4 E’s – engineering, enforcement, education, and emergency medical services (EMS) elements of traffic safety; 4) a performance-based, data-driven system of targeting resources and strategies where they will have the greatest impact in reducing traffic fatalities; and 5) policy leadership from relevant entities, including the Governor, the state legislature, and the heads of state agencies. While many of the state TZD programs are relatively new and emerging, four state programs have been around long enough to have enough years of crash data to evaluate the impacts of the programs – Minnesota, Idaho, Utah and Washington. Statistical tests on these four programs support the conclusion that implementing TZD programs accelerates the reduction of fatality rates. The acceleration rate varies from state to state, taking time for a new program to gain its full effect. Although each state has different degrees of temporal effect of its TZD program, the average effect is more and more apparent over time. KW - Countermeasures KW - Crash data KW - Fatalities KW - Idaho KW - Minnesota KW - Toward Zero Deaths KW - Utah KW - Washington (State) UR - http://www.ruralsafety.umn.edu/research/documents/12-39t.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1246174 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01474185 AU - Choo, Ching Chiaw AU - Peiris, Abheetha AU - Harik, Issam AU - University of Kentucky, Lexington AU - Kentucky Transportation Cabinet AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development and Deployment of Aluminum Bridge Decks PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 54p AB - This report contains the analysis and retrofit of a steel truss bridge on KY 974 over Howard Creek in Clark County, Kentucky. The bridge had major corrosion and damage to the steel stringers, along with cracking and leaching occurring in the concrete bridge deck. The retrofit involves the replacement of the corroded steel stringers and the damaged concrete bridge deck. The original concrete deck was removed and replaced by light-weight high-strength aluminum deck panels. The aluminum deck panels, each 2-m wide, were assembled at the site and connected to each other and to the bottom steel stringers using special clamps and connectors. Following the new deck installation, the top surface was waterproofed and a new asphalt overlay was placed. The new bridge deck constructed of aluminum material significantly reduces the deck weight, while it also allows rapid construction due to prefabricated components. In addition, the new deck can now carry a HS20-44 truck weight, which the old concrete deck was not designed to carry. KW - Aluminum KW - Bridge decks KW - Kentucky KW - Retrofitting KW - Stringers KW - Structural analysis UR - http://www.ktc.uky.edu/files/2012/11/KTC_12_09_FRT_125_03_1F-Aluminum-Bridge-Decks.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1244476 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01474024 AU - Donaldson, Bridget M AU - Whelton, Andrew J AU - Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research AU - Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Water Quality Implications of Culvert Repair Options: Cementitious and Polyurea Spray-on Liners PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 24p AB - Many commonly used culvert rehabilitation technologies entail the use of a resin or coating that cures to form a rigid liner within the damaged culvert. However, the potential environmental impacts of leaching or release of contaminants during normal installation practices have not been well studied. Evaluations of previous culvert repair operations by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) were conducted for conventional (styrene-based) cured-in-place pipe and fold and form repair technologies. The study reported herein included an evaluation of two additional technologies available for use by VDOT: a polymer-enhanced cement mortar (or cementitious) spray-on liner and a polyurea spray-on liner. To evaluate the potential for these lining technologies to impact water quality, installations were monitored up to 49 days. Three water quality tests were conducted for each installation, and water samples were analyzed for water quality indicators and constituents listed in material safety data sheets. Tests included a water flow simulation with low dilution potential; an immersion test to simulate a standing water scenario; and a laboratory leaching test. Results were then compared against established regulatory standards and published toxicity criteria for aquatic species. For the cementitious spray-on liner evaluated, pH and alkalinity exceeded specified Virginia water standards in laboratory tests but pH and other evaluated compounds were within the acceptable range in water flow and immersion tests. For the polyurea spray-on liner evaluated, elevated water quality indicators (i.e., biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, and total nitrogen) in laboratory tests suggested that contaminants were released from the polyurea liner, particularly during its initial contact with water, but water quality impacts were not detected in the other tests. Water flow, dilution, and volatilization appear to play an important role in reducing water quality impacts from contaminant leaching. The study recommends that VDOT specifications include protective controls for spray-on liners to prevent exceeding water quality standards or toxicity thresholds for aquatic species in receiving waters with low flows and little dilution potential. KW - Aquatic life KW - Contaminants KW - Culverts KW - Environmental impacts KW - Leaching KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) KW - Sprays (Materials) KW - Water quality UR - http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/13-r3.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1243674 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472520 AU - McDonald, Thomas J AU - Vortherms, Jeremey AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Road Safety Audit for IA 28 from the South Corporate Limits of Norwalk in Warren County through the IA 5 Interchange in Polk County, Iowa PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 134p AB - In response to local concerns, the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) requested a road safety audit (RSA) for the IA Highway 28 corridor through the City of Norwalk in Warren County, Iowa, from the south corporate limits of Norwalk through the IA 5 interchange in Polk County, Iowa. The audit included meeting with City staff to discuss concerns, review crash history and operational issues, observe the route under daylight and nighttime conditions, and analyze available data. This report outlines the findings and recommendations of the audit team for addressing the safety concerns and operational matters along this corridor. KW - Countermeasures KW - Crash data KW - Crash locations KW - Intersections KW - Iowa KW - Recommendations KW - Safety audits UR - http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/research/documents/research-reports/IA_28_RSA_w_cvr.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46900/46941/IA_28_RSA_w_cvr_reduced.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1243267 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472513 AU - White, George AU - Pavia Systems, Incorporated AU - Washington State Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - WSDOT Pavement Preservation Guide for Local Agencies PY - 2012/11 SP - 105p AB - This report was intended to address two key objectives: 1) identify usage and implementation gaps found in local agency asset management practices due to decreased resources and develop guidance for local agencies on recommended practices and tools to effectively manage their roadway assets, and 2) identify knowledge gaps across Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and local agencies with respect to pavement preservation and pavement maintenance practices and provide WSDOT a recommendation on how to address training and outreach needs for increased pavement preservation and maintenance demands statewide. KW - Asset management KW - Guidelines KW - Local government agencies KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Training KW - Washington State Department of Transportation UR - http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/800.1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1243316 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472486 AU - Rickley, Edward J AU - Rosenbaum, Joyce E AU - Fleming, Gregg G AU - Roof, Christopher J AU - Boeker, Eric R AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Development of Simplified Procedure for Computing the Absorption of Sound by the Atmosphere and Applicability to Aircraft Noise Certification: Proposed SAE Method PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 47p AB - This report presents the results of the study to extend the useful attenuation range of the Approximate Method outlined in the American National Standard, “Method for Calculation of the Absorption of Sound by the Atmosphere” (ANSI S1.26-1995), and provide a basis for replacing the current Society of Automotive Engineers Aerospace Recommended Practice 866A, “Standard Values of Atmospheric Absorption as a Function of Temperature and Humidity” (SAE ARP 866A). The report describes the implementation of the one-third octave-band adaptations of the ISO/ANSI pure-tone equations, and the development and testing of the proposed SAE Method. KW - Aircraft noise KW - Atmosphere KW - Aviation Environmental Design Tool KW - Certification KW - INM (Integrated Noise Model) KW - Mathematical prediction KW - Sound absorption KW - Sound transmission UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46400/46441/DOT-VNTSC-FAA-12-14.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1239152 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01471132 AU - Avers, Katrina AU - Johnson, Bill AU - Banks, Joy AU - Wenzel, Brenda AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Technical Documentation Challenges in Aviation Maintenance: A Proceedings Report PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 32p AB - The 2012 Technical Documentation workshop addressed both problems and solutions associated with technical documentation for maintenance. These issues are known to cause errors, rework, maintenance delays, other safety hazards, and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) administrative actions against individuals and organizations. This report describes the group processes and data collection technique used to identify the top ten industry action items for addressing documentation issues: 1. Quantify financial loss related to documentation issues. 2. Develop/apply methods for evaluating quality of technical documentation. 3. Leverage voluntary reporting to identify specific problems with documentation. 4. Improve/create guidance for FAA personnel working documentation issues, especially Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA). 5. Expand incident investigation to identify details associated with documentation issues. 6. Improve integration and linkage of content across maintenance documents – maintenance manuals, task cards, and illustrated parts catalogs. 7. Delegate approval from FAA to industry using established Organization Designation Authorization (ODA). 8. Improve usability of manual format, accessibility of manual, and training on manual use. 9. Initiate industry mandate requiring users to address known documentation issues. 10. Improve coordination of document professionals from industry segments and government. KW - Aviation KW - Documents KW - Errors KW - Maintenance KW - Manuals KW - Vehicle maintenance KW - Workshops UR - http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2010s/media/201216.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238904 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470635 AU - Sun, Dazhi AU - Dodoo, Leslie AU - Rubio, Andres AU - Penumala, Harsha Kalyan AU - Pratt, Michael AU - Sunkari, Srinivasa AU - Texas A&M University, Kingsville AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Synthesis Study of Texas Signal Control Systems: Technical Report PY - 2012/11//Technical Report SP - 93p AB - In recent years, several versions of traffic control systems have been established across the United States and within the state of Texas. There is a growing need to identify the various versions of these systems that exist, including the system hardware components and communications. Such an effort will also help identify operational successes, deficiencies, cost effectiveness, and other attributes of the various traffic signal system components. The research objective was to develop a synthesis of traffic control system practices that can be utilized by various Texas Department of Transportation districts in pursuance of improved traffic signal operations and reduction in traffic signal system inefficiency and related costs. The study showed that while most operating agencies are utilizing newer and more technologically adaptive systems to control traffic, some agencies still have outdated traffic control systems. The lack of personnel and training to effectively use these advancements is one of the main reasons that the advanced systems are not fully being utilized. An average of 23 percent of all Texas agencies interviewed was equipped to transmit video from the field to their traffic management center. Increasing this percentage could facilitate the implementation of more advanced and effective traffic signal control, but would require the deployment of updated communications mediums. Inter-agency coordination was found to be lacking in most cases due to reasons such as non-uniform communications and controller equipment and communication between agency officials. Recommendations were made on how to achieve better inter-agency coordination and more effective use of signal systems across Texas. KW - Coordination KW - Highway traffic control KW - Interagency relations KW - Operations KW - Texas KW - Traffic signal control systems KW - Traffic signal controllers UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6670-1.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46900/46996/0-6670-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238485 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470571 AU - daSilva, Marco P AU - Baron, William AU - Carroll, Anya A AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Highway Rail-Grade Crossing Safety Research: Railroad Infrastructure Trespassing Detection Systems Research in Pittsford, New York PY - 2012/11 SP - 43p AB - The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, under the direction of the Federal Railroad Administration, conducted a 3-year demonstration of an automated prototype railroad infrastructure security system on a railroad bridge. Specifically, this commercial-off-the-shelf technology system was installed at a bridge in Pittsford, New York, where trespassing is commonplace and fatalities have occurred. This video-based trespass monitoring and deterrent system had the capability of detecting trespass events when an intrusion on the railroad right-of-way (ROW) occurred. The interactive system comprised video cameras, motion detectors, infrared illuminators, speakers, and central processing units. Once a trespass event occurred, the in-situ system sent audible and visual signals to the monitoring workstation at the local security company where an attendant validated the alarm by viewing the live images from the scene. The attendant then issued a real-time warning to the trespasser(s) via pole-mounted speakers near the bridge, called the local police, and then the railroad police, if necessary. All alarm images were stored on a wayside computer for evaluation. The system was installed in August 2001 and evaluated over a 3-year period ending in August 2004. This paper describes the results of this research endeavor. Topics addressed include the project location, system technology and operation, system costs, results, potential benefits, and lessons learned. The results indicate this interactive system can serve as a model for railroad infrastructure security system for other railroad ROW or bridges deemed prone to intrusion. KW - Central processing units (Computers) KW - Detection and identification systems KW - Deterrents KW - Erie Canal KW - Field studies KW - Infrared detectors KW - Monitoring KW - Motion detectors KW - Off-the-shelf KW - Pittsford (New York) KW - Railroad bridges KW - Railroad grade crossings KW - Railroad safety KW - Trespassers KW - Video cameras UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/2551 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238509 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470489 AU - Mander, John B AU - Bracci, Joseph M AU - Hurlebaus, Stefan AU - Grasley, Zachary AU - Karthik, Madhu M AU - Liu, Shih-Hsiang AU - Scott, Reece M AU - Texas A&M University, College Station AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Structural Assessment of "D" Regions Affected by Premature Concrete Deterioration: Technical Report PY - 2012/11 SP - 304p AB - The effects of alkali silica reaction/delayed ettringite formation (ASR/DEF) on the D-regions of structures are investigated by means of a dual experimental and analytical modeling program. Four near full scale specimens that represent cantilever and straddle pier bents, that are representative of typical bridges in Texas, are constructed, conditioned over time, and tested to failure. The undamaged first specimen serves as the control specimen, while the next two are tested after eight months and two years of field conditioning through the Texas heat along with supplemental water aimed at promoting ASR/DEF. The fourth remains to be tested within the next three years. In the two specimens subjected to deterioration, early formation of ASR gel is observed, and with time load-induced cracks along with other additional cracks are observed. These additional cracks are a result of the continued formation of ASR gel, which causes the concrete to swell, and in turn puts the reinforcing steel into a state of active prestress. It is observed that the failure mechanism in all the specimens is a brittle shear failure through the beam-column joint. Specimens with ASR/DEF deterioration show greater stiffness and strength, and slightly greater ductility. A Compatibility Strut-and-Tie (C-STM) technique is developed as a suitable minimalist analysis technique to model the force-deformation behavior of reinforced concrete bridge piers with significant D-regions that may be deteriorated through ASR/DEF effects. The C-STM simulates the overall and the internal behavior of the structure very well. In spite of the disturbing appearances of the ASR/DEF damage arising from concrete swelling and cracking, the performance and strength of the specimens are not impaired. Damage that appears in the cover concrete region is offset by the mild level of confinement to the core concrete induced by the reinforcing steel. KW - Alkali silica reactions KW - Bents KW - Bridge piers KW - Concrete bridges KW - Cracking KW - Delayed ettringite formation KW - Deterioration KW - Failure analysis KW - Reinforced concrete KW - Structural analysis KW - Strut and tie method UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-5997-1.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46769/0-5997-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238019 ER - TY - SER AN - 01470007 JO - Traffic Safety Facts - Research Note PB - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Seat Belt Use in 2012—Overall Results PY - 2012/11 SP - 4p AB - Seat belt use in 2012 reached 86%, a significant increase from 84% in 2011. This result is from the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS), which is the only survey that provides nationwide probability-based observed data on seat belt use in the United States. The NOPUS is conducted annually by the National Center for Statistics and Analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Seat belt use has shown an increasing trend since 1994, accompanied by a steady decline in the percentage of unrestrained passenger vehicle (PV) occupant fatalities during daytime. The 2012 survey also found the following: (1) Seat belt use for occupants in the South increased significantly from 80% in 2011 to 85% in 2012. (2) Seat belt use continued to be higher in the States in which vehicle occupants can be pulled over solely for not using seat belts (“primary law States”) as compared with the States with weaker enforcement laws (“secondary law States”) or without seat belt laws. (3) Seat belt use increased significantly in 2012 as compared to 2011 among drivers, right-front passengers, occupants in primary law States as well as in secondary law States, occupants traveling during weekdays, and across occupants of all vehicle types. KW - Fatalities KW - Primary seat belt laws KW - Seat belt usage KW - Seat belts KW - Secondary seat belt laws KW - Southern States KW - Trend (Statistics) UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/communications/pdf/811691.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1226255 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470004 AU - DeWeese, Richard AU - Moorcroft, David AU - Abramowitz, Allan AU - Pellettiere, Joseph AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Civil Aircraft Side-Facing Seat Research Summary PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 21p AB - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has standards and regulations that are intended to protect aircraft occupants in the event of a crash. However, side-facing seats were not specifically addressed when aircraft seat dynamic test standards were developed in the late 1980s. Since then, considerable research has been conducted to increase knowledge about injury risks and mitigation technologies for automotive and aviation applications. Some injury risks such as those to the head, chest, and pelvis are common to both automotive and aviation side-impact scenarios. FAA research has determined that typical side-facing seat configurations could pose additional neck and flailing injury risks. To address these identified risks, the FAA sponsored research to develop neck injury criteria applicable during lateral impacts. This research also evaluated the overall injury risks of the seat configurations identified as having the greatest injury potential. The research included impact tests using postmortem human subjects and the ES-2 test dummy. In this report, the latest advancements in side-facing seat impact testing technology and biomechanical knowledge are used to identify new testing and injury assessment methods intended to ensure fully side-facing aircraft seat designs provide the same level of safety afforded occupants of forward- and aft-facing seats. The methods identified include: use of the ES-2re test dummy and the injury criteria cited in the automotive safety standards to assess injury, adapting test procedures related to test dummy seating, clothing and instrumentation, applying injury criteria originally applicable to forward-facing seats, reducing flailing injuries by limiting occupant excursion and contact, and applying the new neck injury criteria developed by the FAA-sponsored research. To determine the effect that implementation of the new criteria could have on approval of typical side-facing seats, the results of research tests with those seat configurations were evaluated using the pass/fail criteria outlined in this report. This evaluation showed that configurations permitting excessive lateral flailing do not pass, and those that limit it by combining effective restraint system geometry with a barrier or inflatable restraint, pass readily. This result indicates that the criteria described in this report can be met by applying current technology. KW - Aviation safety KW - Crash injuries KW - Impact tests KW - Injury characteristics KW - Restraint systems KW - Seats KW - Side-facing seats KW - Types of seats UR - http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2010s/media/201218.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46720/201218.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236952 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469993 AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - 2011 Crashworthiness Data System Coding and Editing Manual PY - 2012/11 SP - 1261p AB - This technical manual is used by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s field research teams assigned to the Crashworthiness Data System (CDS) to perform detail crash investigations. CDS has detailed data on a representative, random sample of thousands of minor, serious, and fatal crashes. Field research teams located at Primary Sampling Units (PSU's) across the country study crashes involving passenger cars, light trucks, vans, and utility vehicles. Trained crash investigators obtain data from crash sites, studying evidence such as skid marks, fluid spills, broken glass, and bent guard rails. They locate the vehicles involved, photograph them, measure the crash damage, and identify interior locations that were struck by the occupants. These researchers follow up on their on-site investigations by interviewing crash victims and reviewing medical records to determine the nature and severity of injuries. KW - Coding systems KW - Crash injuries KW - Crash investigation KW - Crashworthiness KW - Crashworthiness Data System KW - Data collection KW - Highway safety KW - Sampling KW - Traffic crashes UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811676.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236757 ER - TY - SER AN - 01469987 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Caiza, Pablo AU - Shin, Moochul AU - Andrawes, Bassem AU - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Load Rating and Retrofit Testing of Bridge Timber Piles Subjected to Eccentric Loading PY - 2012/11 IS - 12-014 SP - 57p AB - This report first evaluated the load rating procedure currently in use by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for rating timber piles supporting multiple-span, simply supported bridges. For simplicity, these piles are often rated under concentric loads, and the effect of bending in the piles is neglected. Recent studies have shown, however, that under highly eccentric live loads, the effect of bending moments in the piles is of great importance and could have an impact on the piles’ load rating. The report proposed an alternative structural load rating method for timber piles based on the National Design Specification for Wood Construction (NDS), which took into consideration the effect of combined compression-flexure behavior of piles. This method was used to conduct a parametric study to investigate the effect of several geometric and structural parameters on the load rating of bridge timber piles using 3-D finite element models of concrete deck bridges supported on groups of timber piles. The results showed that the proposed load rating method produced significantly lower ratings for piles with moderate to high levels of deterioration, as compared to the ratings obtained using the conventional approach. Among the studied parameters, the length of piles was found to have the most significant impact on the load rating of the piles. The report also presents a study on examining a fiber reinforced polymer (FRP)-based retrofitting method for timber piles subjected to combined axial and bending loading. A total of twenty pile specimens were tested in the study, four under compression-only load and sixteen under compression-flexure load. Each specimen was tested twice, before and after retrofitting with glass FRP (GFRP) or carbon FRP (CFRP) sheets. To assess the impact of realistic field conditions, different details of the FRP retrofit technique were investigated, including using mortar shell, introducing a mortar-filled wedge in the tested specimen to mimic the effect of decayed wood, and “posting” the piles with nails instead of steel drift pins. The test results showed that the strength of the tested specimens using the proposed GFRP retrofit technique was fully recovered or even enhanced compared to that of the unretrofitted specimens, regardless of the retrofit details adopted in the tests. On average, specimens retrofitted with GFRPs showed strength 10% greater than that of unretrofitted specimens. The behavior of CFRP sheets, however, was less satisfactory due to the small thickness of the CFRP shell used as a result of the high strength of CFRP compared to GFRP. It was also found from the study that using mortar shell along with FRP sheets helped enhance the stiffness of the retrofitted pile. Finally, linear regression analysis was conducted on the test data to develop a formula that could be used for the design of FRP retrofit for bridge timber piles subjected to axial-bending loading. KW - Bending moments KW - Bridge design KW - Bridge piers KW - Fiber reinforced polymers KW - Finite element method KW - Highway bridges KW - Live loads KW - Load factor KW - Piles (Supports) KW - Retrofitting KW - Timber UR - https://apps.ict.illinois.edu/projects/getfile.asp?id=3071 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236960 ER - TY - SER AN - 01469976 JO - Traffic Safety Facts - Research Note PB - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Estimating Lives Saved by Electronic Stability Control, 2008-2010 PY - 2012/11 SP - 4p AB - In 2010, electronic stability control (ESC) saved an estimated 497 lives among passenger car (PC) occupants, and 366 lives among light truck and van (LTV) occupants, for a total of 863 lives saved among passenger vehicle (PV) occupants. This lives-saved estimate is a substantial increase over the 705 lives saved in 2009 and the 634 lives-saved estimate for 2008. In recent years, the percentage of passenger vehicles equipped with ESC systems has increased significantly. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 126 was required to be in place and in force by September 1, 2011. As such, all new passenger cars, light trucks, SUVs, and vans must be equipped with ESC and comply with this standard. It is important to note that as the overall passenger vehicle fleet becomes more equipped with ESC, then the lives-saved estimate will continue to rise. KW - Crash data KW - Electronic stability control KW - Fatalities KW - Fatality Analysis Reporting System KW - Occupant protection devices KW - Passenger vehicles KW - Rollover crashes KW - Stability (Mechanics) KW - Traffic crashes KW - Traffic safety UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811634.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1226250 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469971 AU - Rada, G R AU - Perera, R AU - Prabhakar, V AU - Fugro Consultants LP AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Relating Ride Quality and Structural Adequacy for Pavement Rehabilitation/Design Decisions PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 179p AB - Ride quality and structural adequacy are key pavement performance indicators. The relationship between these two indicators has been a topic of frequent and continuing discussion in the pavement community, but an accepted and widely used relationship has not been identified to date. The objective of this project was to identify and verify the relationship between these two performance indicators, if any, using the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program and other pavement performance data sources. This was done in an effort to improve the evaluation and use of pavement condition data in pavement rehabilitation and design decisions. More specifically, the project was intended to develop and document a mechanism to include both ride quality and structural adequacy values within the context of current network-level pavement management system practices for highway agency implementation to ensure smooth pavements that are also structurally adequate. Toward the accomplishment of the project objective, two major activities were carried out: (1) a literature search to gather, review, and synthesize available information on relating ride quality and structural adequacy and (2) a review and assessment of data from the LTPP program to determine if such a relationship exists. This report details those two activities as well as their major findings, observations, and conclusions. A viable relationship could not be identified. KW - Long-Term Pavement Performance Program KW - Literature reviews KW - Pavement design KW - Pavement management systems KW - Pavement performance KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) KW - Ride quality KW - Structural adequacy UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/ltpp/12035/12035.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/55000/55700/55768/FHWA-HRT-12-035.PDF UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236766 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469936 AU - Sivinski, Robert AU - National Center for Statistics and Analysis TI - Evaluation of the Effectiveness of TPMS in Proper Tire Pressure Maintenance PY - 2012/11 SP - 58p AB - This report is an analysis of the data collected through the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)‐Special Study as it pertains to the effectiveness of TPMS in promoting proper tire inflation.  The study was conducted in 2011, using a nationally representative sampling structure, based on the primary sampling units (PSUs) of the National Automotive Sampling System (NASS).  NASS personnel collected 6,103 complete vehicle observations including tire pressure of all four tires.  This survey found that 23.1% of the model year (MY) 2004‐2007 vehicles without TPMS had at least one severely underinflated tire as defined by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) No. 138 (25% or more below the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended cold tire pressure), but only 11.8% of the MY 2004‐2007 vehicles equipped with TPMS had a severely underinflated tire.  Based on these results, the presence of TPMS on a vehicle of model years 2004 to 2007 is estimated to result in a 55.6% reduction in the likelihood that the vehicle will have one or more severely underinflated tires as defined by FMVSS No. 138.  It is also estimated to result in a 30.7% reduction in the likelihood that the vehicle will have one or more tires that are overinflated by 25% or more above the manufacturer’s recommended cold tire pressure.  During the first eight years of operation TPMS is estimated to save a typical passenger car 9.32 gallons of fuel and a typical light truck/van 27.89 gallons of fuel.  During 2011 TPMS is estimated to have saved $511 million across the vehicle fleet through reduced fuel consumption.  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration plans to conduct further research to determine the effect of TPMS on the incidence of tire‐related crashes and injuries. KW - Light trucks KW - National Automotive Sampling System KW - Passenger vehicles KW - Tire pressure KW - Tire pressure monitoring systems KW - Tires KW - Vans UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811681.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1226251 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469908 AU - Turnbull, Katherine F AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Report from the Panama Canal Stakeholder Working Group PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 76p AB - This project assists the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) in assessing the potential impacts of the Panama Canal expansion on Texas ports and the landside transportation system. TxDOT formed a Panama Canal Stakeholder Working Group (PCSWG) to help examine these impacts and possible opportunities for expanding global trade. The PCSWG held a series of meetings to obtain input from shippers and carriers, ports, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), regional mobility authorities (RMAs), industry groups, and other organizations. In addition to the Panama Canal expansion, the PCSWG discussed opportunities to expand global trade related to the growth of the state’s population and developments in the energy sector. This report summarizes the results of these meetings, along with an examination of current and planned roadway, port, and rail projects. Short-, mid-, and long-term TxDOT transportation improvements, other projects and policies that will better position the state of Texas to take advantage of the Panama Canal expansion, and other opportunities to enhance Texas’ role in global trade are presented. KW - Freight traffic KW - Intermodal transportation KW - International trade KW - Landside operations (Ports) KW - Panama Canal KW - Port capacity KW - Ports KW - Texas UR - http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/panama/final_report.pdf UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6800-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225799 ER - TY - SER AN - 01469478 JO - TechBrief PB - Federal Highway Administration TI - Federal Highway Administration 100-Year Coating Study PY - 2012/11 SP - 4p AB - This document is a technical summary of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) report, "Federal Highway Administration 100-Year Coating Study" (FHWA-HRT-12-044). The in-house study was initiated in August 2009 under the Congressionally mandated high-performance steel program. The objective was to identify and evaluate coating materials that can provide 100 years of virtually maintenance-free service life for steel bridge structures at comparable costs to existing coatings. This TechBrief presents performance evaluation results and major findings for the eight selected coating systems based on experimental data from accelerated laboratory testing (ALT) and outdoor exposure testing. KW - Accelerated tests KW - Coatings KW - Corrosion protection KW - Performance tests KW - Service life KW - Steel bridges KW - Weathering UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/bridge/12045/12045.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46753/FHWA-HRT-12-044_Federal_Highway_Administration_100-Year_Coating_Study.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236821 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458063 AU - Tia, Mang AU - Verdugo, David AU - Kwon, Ohhoon AU - University of Florida, Gainesville AU - Florida Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of Long-Life Concrete Pavement Practices for Use in Florida PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 241p AB - The Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) Version 1.1 model was used to analyze the performance of three typical concrete pavement designs in Florida to evaluate their suitability for use as long-life concrete pavements and the effects of various design parameters on their performance. Concrete slab thickness, concrete flexural strength, and the aggregate used in the concrete were found to be the three most significant factors affecting the predicted performance of the pavement evaluated. The type of base material and the stiffness of the base material appear to have no significant effect on the predicted performance. The Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTTP) database was used to evaluate the effects of various factors on the performance of Jointed Plain Concrete Pavements (JPCP). Critical stress analysis was also performed on the selected LTPP JPCP selections to determine the maximum stress in the concrete slab under a critical load and temperature condition. The computed critical stress-to-strength ratio was found to be the most significant parameter which can be related to the performance of the LTPP pavements. A lower stress-to-strength ratio is related to better observed pavement performance. Results from the critical stress analysis show that the most significant factors affecting the stress-to-strength ratios are the concrete slab thickness and the concrete elastic modulus, modulus of rupture, and coefficient of thermal expansion. Variations in the base and subbase properties were found to have minimal effects on the stress-to-strength ratios for concrete slab thickness of 11 in. or higher. From the results of this study, the three typical Florida concrete pavement designs are shown to be suitable for use as long-life pavements if the slab thickness was adequate and the concrete had low elastic modulus, low coefficient of thermal expansion, and adequate flexural strength. A concrete slab thickness of 13 or 14 in. is recommended. In addition to meeting the present Florida Department of Transportation specification requirements for these three designs, the concrete mixture must be designed and evaluated according to the procedure recommended in the project report. KW - Aggregates KW - Concrete pavements KW - Flexural strength KW - Florida KW - Long-Term Pavement Performance Program KW - Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide KW - Pavement design KW - Pavement performance KW - Perpetual pavements KW - Service life KW - Thickness UR - http://www.fdot.gov/research/Completed_Proj/Summary_SMO/FDOT-BDK75-977-48-rpt.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46600/46654/FDOT-BDK75-977-48-rpt.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225797 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458061 AU - Allen, Shawn AU - He, Yefei AU - Horosewski, Vince AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Visualization Resources for Iowa State University and the Iowa DOT: An Automated Design Model to Simulator Converter PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 44p AB - This project developed an automatic conversion software tool that takes input from an Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) MicroStation three-dimensional (3D) design file and converts it into a form that can be used by the University of Iowa’s National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) MiniSim. Once imported into the simulator, the new roadway has the identical geometric design features as in the Iowa DOT design file. The base roadway appears as a wireframe in the simulator software. Through additional software tools, textures and shading can be applied to the roadway surface and surrounding terrain to produce the visual appearance of an actual road. This tool enables Iowa DOT engineers to work with the universities to create drivable versions of prospective roadway designs. By driving the designs in the simulator, problems can be identified early in the design process. The simulated drives can also be used for public outreach and human factors driving research. KW - Driving simulators KW - Geometric design KW - Highway design KW - Iowa Department of Transportation KW - National Advanced Driving Simulator KW - Software UR - http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/research/documents/research-reports/nads_minisim_converter_w_cvr.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46800/46890/Allen_etal_Visualization_resources_ISU_IDOT_2012_TTS.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225678 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458050 AU - Gharaibeh, Nasir AU - Wimsatt, Andrew AU - Saliminejad, Siamak AU - Menendez, Jose Rafael AU - Weissmann, Angela Jannini AU - Weissmann, Jose AU - Chang-Albitres, Carlos AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Implementation of New Pavement Performance Prediction Models in PMIS: Report PY - 2012/11//Technical Report SP - 86p AB - Pavement performance prediction models and maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) optimization processes enable managers and engineers to plan and prioritize pavement M&R activities in a cost-effective manner. This report describes Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) efforts to implement and improve these capabilities in the Pavement Management Information System (PMIS). Specifically, this report describes the processes and results of (a) introducing the new performance prediction models (developed in Project 0-6386) to TxDOT engineers and managers through a webinar workshop; (b) assessing the reasonableness of these models through an online survey and follow-up interviews with TxDOT engineers and managers; and (c) evaluating the PMIS optimization procedure. In most cases, the new pavement performance prediction models were found reasonable by TxDOT pavement practitioners. No major errors were found in the code of the PMIS optimization process. Minor discrepancies were found between the output of PMIS and the output of a replicate of the PMIS optimization process (developed by the researchers); suggesting that the needs analysis and the Ride Score models in PMIS may require further evaluation and improvement. KW - Mathematical models KW - Mathematical prediction KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Pavement Management Information System KW - Pavement management systems KW - Pavement performance KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) KW - Surveys KW - Texas Department of Transportation KW - Workshops UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/5-6386-01-1.pdf UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/5-6386-01-P1.zip UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46600/46638/5-6386-01-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225685 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458047 AU - Donaldson, Bridget M AU - Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research AU - Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Water Quality Implications of Culvert Repair Options: Vinyl Ester Based and Ultraviolet Cured-in-Place Pipe Liners PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 24p AB - Specifications of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) allow for the use of several “trenchless” pipe or culvert repair technologies whereby existing underground culverts are repaired in place rather than by the use of the conventional method of unearthing and replacing damaged sections. However, water quality implications of these trenchless alternatives are not completely understood. A previous evaluation found water quality impacts from installations of conventional cured-in-place pipe (CIPP). This trenchless rehabilitation technology includes saturating a flexible liner with a styrene-based resin and curing the liner onsite with steam or hot water. VDOT subsequently implemented new specifications for styrene-based CIPP to prevent water quality impacts from its installation or use. The current study included an environmental evaluation of two unconventional CIPP technologies available for use by VDOT: vinyl ester based (styrene-free) CIPP and styrene-based ultraviolet (UV) CIPP. To evaluate the potential for vinyl ester based and UV CIPP technologies to impact water quality, water samples were collected from field installations and simulations for up to 120 days. Samples were analyzed for product constituents listed in material safety data sheets. Results were then compared with established regulatory standards and published toxicity criteria for aquatic species. For the vinyl ester based CIPP liner evaluated, concentrations of the primary resin constituent exceeded toxicity thresholds for aquatic species in six subsequent water sampling events. Adherence to VDOT’s CIPP specifications for styrenebased liners is expected to minimize contaminant leaching from the installation and use of this product. Following UV CIPP installations, no water quality impacts were documented from culvert outlets with water flow but styrene concentrations following one of the installations exceeded toxicity thresholds for aquatic species in standing water. The study recommends that VDOT consider revising its current CIPP specifications such that styrene-based CIPP requirements also apply to non–styrene-based CIPP installations. Because the water quality evaluations conducted in this study could not capture the range of potential field scenarios and installation variables, the VDOT specification that requires the collection and analyses of water and soil samples following CIPP installations would provide VDOT with additional sampling results from liners installed in varying field conditions and help ensure that VDOT is using this lining technology with appropriate environmental safeguards. KW - Aquatic life KW - Culverts KW - Cured in place pipe KW - Environmental impacts KW - Repairing KW - Styrenes KW - Toxicity KW - Trenchless technology KW - Water quality UR - http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/13-r2.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46781/13-r3.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225679 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01457386 AU - Gebre-Egziabher, Demoz AU - Lie, Fidelis Adhika Pradipta AU - University of Minnesota, Twin Cities AU - Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Analysis of GPS-based Real Time Attitude Determination System for ITS Application PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 29p AB - This work describes the development and testing of Global Positioning System (GPS)-based attitude and heading determination system (AHRS) using single-frequency (L1) carrier phase differential GPS (CPDGPS). Vehicle's attitude can be uniquely determined from two non-collinear relative position vectors, known as the baseline vectors. The accuracy of the resulting attitude estimate depends on the accuracy of the baseline vector estimates and their respective magnitudes (length). The shorter the baseline, the higher the vector accuracy required to give the same attitude accuracy that can be obtained through longer baseline system. Issues such as ambiguity resolution and phase center variations are discussed. Test result shows that single-frequency CPDGPS is still a challenge, mainly caused by the integer ambiguity problem inherent to CPDGPS problem. A more feasible but less accurate method using a short baseline is also discussed. Phase center calibration remains a challenge for this attitude determination system. KW - Attitude (Flight dynamics) KW - Global Positioning System KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - Real time information KW - Vector analysis UR - http://www.its.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/pdfdownload.pl?id=2196 UR - http://www.its.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/reportdetail.html?id=2206 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225455 ER - TY - SER AN - 01457385 JO - Traffic Safety Facts - Research Note PB - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration AU - Cicchino, Jessica TI - Washington’s Target Zero Teams Project: Reduction in Fatalities During Year One PY - 2012/11 SP - 5p AB - In November 2006, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) sponsored the Nighttime Emphasis Enforcement Team (NEET) pilot project in Snohomish County. The goal of the NEET pilot project was to reduce serious injuries and fatalities due to impaired driving through the deployment of a fully dedicated team of Washington State Patrol (WSP) troopers concentrating on nighttime enforcement of impaired driving. NEET troopers were not responsible for responding to calls for service. Rather, they were assigned exclusively to NEET teams. On July 1, 2010, the Target Zero Teams Project (TZTP) began, as a collaboration among WTSC, WSP and local law enforcement agencies, with the goal of deploying the NEET concept in the three largest counties in Washington State: King County, Pierce County, and Snohomish County (which had participated in the NEET project). The project was supported with approximately $4.5 million of carry-forward funds that were available to the State to address its impaired driving problem. In 2010, 51.2% of Washington State’s population lived in one of these three counties, and they accounted for 63.8% of the traffic fatalities in Washington State (NHTSA, 2012; U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). The label “Target Zero Teams” originates from Washington’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan, which is entitled “Target Zero” to reflect Washington’s goal of reducing traffic fatalities to zero by the year 2030, and which names impaired driving a top priority. The purpose of this research note is to describe the first year of the project and report the reduction in fatalities in the TZTP counties after its first 10 months of operation. KW - Drunk driving KW - Fatalities KW - Highway safety KW - Impaired drivers KW - Law enforcement personnel KW - Nighttime crashes KW - Washington (State) KW - Zero tolerance UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811687.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225499 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01457383 AU - Yang, Zhaohui Joey AU - Yang, Ting AU - Song, Gangbing AU - Singla, Mithun AU - University of Alaska, Anchorage AU - Alaska University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Experimental Study on an Electrical Deicing Technology Utilizing Carbon Fiber Tape PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 59p AB - In cold regions, snow and ice cause serious safety problems to transportation systems. South central Alaska, particularly Anchorage, is susceptible to a number of icing events due to frequent freeze/thaw cycles in the winter season. Traditionally, deicing has been accomplished by mechanical, chemical, and thermal means. However, these methods suffer from one or more the following shortcomings: labor intense, damage to pavement, pollution in the environment, corrosion to vehicles and reinforcing steel in concrete, and high cost. A new type of deicing system that uses commercially available carbon fiber tape is proposed. This report presents the design of a deicing heating panel, the layout and construction of a test sidewalk, experimental results and analyses, and a cost comparison with other deicing technologies. Sixteen deicing and three anti-icing experiments were conducted in the winter of 2010–2011 to examine the performance and energy consumption of the proposed system. Experimental results reported include system performance, deicing time, energy consumption, deicing cost, and temperature variation with time and location. The sensitivity of the deicing unit to ambient air temperature, wind chill, and snow density is analyzed. Finally, this system is compared with other deicing systems in terms of annual operating cost, unit energy cost, and power density. The cost comparison shows that the proposed deicing system demonstrates higher energy efficiency than its competitors and has great potential for applications in cold regions. A provisional patent application has been filed on this new deicing technology. KW - Alaska KW - Anti-icing KW - Carbon fibers KW - Costs KW - Deicing KW - Energy consumption KW - Field tests KW - Frigid regions UR - http://ine.uaf.edu/autc/files/2012/12/410014.Yang_.Deicing.2012.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46600/46657/410014.Yang.Deicing.2012.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225584 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456884 AU - Higgins, Christopher AU - Hafner, Anthony AU - Dusicka, Peter AU - Kay, Thomas AU - Oregon Department of Transportation AU - Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Experimental Tests and Numerical Analyses of Steel Truss Bridge Gusset Connections PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 144p AB - Gusset plates connect individual steel truss bridge members together at a node. In 10% of the 200,000 steel bridges in the United States in 2008, failure of a single truss or connection could lead to collapse. Regular inspection and load rating are essential for the safe operation and maintenance of these bridges. The Minneapolis I-35 Bridge collapse was the first gusset failure where a design flaw was implicated. Load rating gusset plates is a significant challenge given the number of connections and the complexity of accurately evaluating each one. The majority of research on gusset plate strength is from small-scale connections. More refined techniques are needed to conduct high-fidelity capacity evaluations. Finite element analysis (FEA) is widely used in structural engineering. Using FEA in gusset plate evaluation presents challenges due to the connections’ large-scale, high degree of geometric variability and complex load paths. KW - Bearing capacity KW - Finite element method KW - Gusset plates KW - Load tests KW - Maintenance KW - Performance tests KW - Steel bridges KW - Structural connection KW - Trusses UR - http://otrec.us/main/document.php?doc_id=1218 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1224392 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456866 AU - Quiroga, Cesar AU - Kraus, Edgar AU - Li, Yingfeng (Eric) AU - Le, Jerry AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute, College Station AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Strategies to Encourage and Facilitate Utility Owner Participation in Transportation Projects: Guidebook and Training Materials PY - 2012/11 SP - v.p. AB - A 2002 survey of state departments of transportation (DOTs), highway contractors, design consultants, and others identified utility adjustments as the most frequent reason for delays in highway construction. Management of utility conflicts through effective communication, cooperation, and coordination among stakeholders is a critical mechanism to keep transportation projects on schedule. Delays and inefficiencies in utility-related activities have a tendency to proliferate into project letting and even construction, frequently resulting in higher bids, change orders and/or damage or delay claims, litigation by utility owners or agencies, safety concerns at the job site, frustration of the traveling public, and negative public perception about the project. Report 0-6624-1 documents the process to assemble a list of 64 potential strategies to improve utility owner participation in the project development process. The researchers also held meetings with Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) districts and divisions, project advisors, utility owners, and other relevant agencies in the state. The result of the meetings was a consolidation and ranking of potential strategies. The following strategies reflect the highest priorities identified through this process: modernization of the utility process at TxDOT; use of utility conflict matrices and associated procedures; streamlining and standardization of utility cost data submissions and reimbursement process, including utility agreements and master utility agreements; and core skill training on utility topics. The guidebook chapters describe each of these strategies in more detail. The discussion includes an implementation plan. Companion materials complement information provided in the guidebook and include training materials to assist in disseminating the strategies described. The training materials include one Microsoft® PowerPoint® file per strategy, along with presenter and participant handout materials. KW - Communication KW - Conflict management KW - Construction projects KW - Coordination KW - Manuals KW - Project management KW - Public utilities KW - Road construction KW - Texas KW - Underground utility lines UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6624-P1.zip UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46800/46842/0-6624-P1_Guidebook.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46800/46843/0-6624-P1_Training_Materials.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46800/46864/Utility_Area_Core_Skill_Training_Matrix.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46800/46865/Utility_Conflict_Matrix.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46800/46866/Utility_Coordination_Process.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46800/46868/Utility_Cost_Estimate_Template.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46800/46894/0-6624-P1_Training_Materials_-_Presentation.pptx UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225277 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456863 AU - American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Center for Environmental Excellence AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Leaner and Greener: Sustainability at Work in Transportation SN - 9781560515258 PY - 2012/11 SP - 49p AB - This report showcases the efforts transportation agencies, including Departments of Transportation (DOTs), Metropolitan Planning Organizations, and transit providers, are undertaking to speed up project delivery and cut costs while protecting and even improving environmental resources. Through programmatic environmental solutions, DOTs are moving away from “reinventing the wheel” for project-level environmental considerations. They are using systematic approaches to meet sustainability goals, not just in project development, but during everyday maintenance of their systems as well. They are showing that such an approach results in improved environmental outcomes and less cost to the taxpayer. The programs shown here are just a few of the many innovative and cost-saving strategies being deployed by transportation agencies across the nation to benefit society and the environment. KW - Best practices KW - Case studies KW - Cost control KW - Environmental policy KW - Project management KW - Sustainable development KW - Sustainable transportation KW - Transportation departments UR - http://environment.transportation.org/pdf/LeanerGreener.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1224395 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456857 AU - Sebesta, Stephen AU - Shon, Chang Seon AU - Scullion, Tom AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Alternative Methods of Flexible Base Compaction Acceptance PY - 2012/11//Technical Report SP - 64p AB - This report presents the results from the second year of research work investigating issues with flexible base acceptance testing within the Texas Department of Transportation. This second year of work focused on shadow testing non-density-based acceptance methods in parallel with the nuclear density gauge. The research team investigated methods of setting target values and then performed parallel testing of the new devices with the density gauge on three construction projects. In addition to using the nuclear density gauge as the default test device, the research team employed a portable falling weight deflectometer, dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP), and portable seismic pavement analyzer. The field testing showed the DCP to be the most preferred device to use in lieu of the nuclear density gauge. Based on the findings, this report presents a modified construction specification for flexible base and a draft test procedure for using the DCP for compaction acceptance. KW - Acceptance tests KW - Base course (Pavements) KW - Compaction KW - Dynamic Cone Penetrometer KW - Flexible pavements KW - Nuclear density gages KW - Road construction KW - Texas UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6587-2.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225273 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456854 AU - Figliozzi, Miguel AU - Portland State University AU - Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Analysis of Travel Time Reliability for Freight Corridors Connecting the Pacific Northwest PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 104p AB - A new methodology and algorithms were developed to combine diverse data sources and to estimate the impacts of recurrent and non-recurrent congestion on freight movements’ reliability and delays, costs, and emissions. The results suggest that traditional traffic sensor data tend to underestimate the impacts of congestion on commercial vehicles travel times and variability. This research also shows that congestion is not only detrimental for carriers and shippers costs but also for the planet due to major increases in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and for the local community due to large increases in harmful pollutants. The methodologies developed throughout this work have the potential to provide useful freight operation and performance data for transportation decision makers to incorporate freight performance measures into the planning process. This first part of this report focuses on performance measures on the Portland metropolitan region and the second part on longer freeway segments for the more than 300 miles of Interstate Highway 5 (I-5) in Oregon. In the Portland Metropolitan Area, this research focused on the development of multi-criteria tools for measuring and analyzing the impacts of recurring and non-recurring congestion on freight corridors. Unlike previous studies, this work employs several distinct data sources to analyze the impacts of congestion on I-5 in the Portland Metropolitan Area: global positioning system (GPS) data from commercial trucks and Oregon Department of Transportation corridor travel-time loop data and incident data. In addition to studying a pre-defined urban corridor, this research was expanded to investigate longer corridors, using programming logic and available GPS data from commercial trucks to segment the roadway into manageable, coherent study areas. Long freight corridors are comprised of segments with potentially different reliability characteristics. This research has developed a programming logic that uses available truck GPS data to: (a) identify corridor natural segments or regions (urban centers, interstate junctions, rural areas), and (b) estimate corridor wide impacts of travel time unreliability. The case study presented within this report investigates the I-5 corridor in Oregon. After identifying corridor segments, this research applies statistical techniques to compute vehicle travel time and reliability for freight movements within each segment. The proposed methodology has been successful in identifying distinct segments and characteristics of travel time reliability in freight corridors. This travel time information was then used to compute cost impacts within rural and urban areas along the I-5 corridor. KW - Algorithms KW - Commercial vehicles KW - Freight traffic KW - Global Positioning System KW - Highway corridors KW - Pacific Northwest KW - Performance measurement KW - Portland (Oregon) KW - Reliability KW - Traffic congestion KW - Traffic data KW - Traffic flow KW - Travel time UR - http://otrec.us/main/document.php?doc_id=1213 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1224393 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456852 AU - Vachal, Kimberly AU - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute AU - North Dakota Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Regional Elevator Transportation: Market Decisions and Rail Service PY - 2012/11 SP - 32p AB - Agriculture is a leading source of demand for transport resources. It accounted for nearly 1 in 5 ton-miles of highway freight and 1 in 10 ton-miles of rail and barge freight transported in the nation during 2010, and demand is expected to grow. Thus, understanding industry practices and trends related to transportation is essential in business, resource, and policy decisions. The goal here is to gain insight into transportation in the north-central plains region, defined here to include North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas. Responses from 208 elevators surveyed in the region were studied to understand industry composition, decision processes, marketing trends, and transport practices. Results show a strong need for sound local road infrastructure, which is essential in grain procurement and in serving growing local processor demand. Large elevators dominate the industry in terms of volume handled but smaller facilities remain active, especially in serving local demand. For this region, reliable and competitive rail service and sound rail service and investment decisions by elevators are important in long-term industry strength, especially in the light of current opportunities for export market growth. KW - Agricultural products KW - Exports KW - Freight trains KW - Freight transportation KW - Grain elevators KW - Investments KW - Kansas KW - Market assessment KW - Minnesota KW - Nebraska KW - North Dakota KW - Regional analysis KW - Regional transportation KW - South Dakota KW - Surveys UR - http://www.ugpti.org/pubs/pdf/DP259.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1224025 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456851 AU - Clifton, Kelly J AU - Currans, Kristina M AU - Muhs, Christopher D AU - Portland State University AU - Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Contextual Influences on Trip Generation PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 102p AB - This study examines the ways in which urban context affects vehicle trip-generation rates across a variety of land uses. An establishment-intercept travel survey was administered at 78 establishments in the Portland, Oregon region during the summer of 2011. Data were collected from high-turnover (sit-down) restaurants (Mexican and pizza), 24-hour convenience markets, and drinking establishments. Combined with person-trip counts, vehicle-trip counts and built-environment data, a method to adjust Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) vehicle-trip rates to reflect a local community’s context has been developed. Results from this study reveal a trend: for all land uses tested here, vehicle-trip rates decrease as neighborhood types become more urban. Comparisons between ITE trip-generation rates and vehicle-trip rates from this study indicate a need for a local adjustment for both convenience markets (open 24-hours) and drinking establishments. High-turnover (sit-down) restaurants are consistently predicted by the ITE methodology, but based on our findings we recommend a vehicle-trip rate adjustment to better match locally observed travel patterns. A model to adjust ITE’s trip-generation rate for urban contexts was developed in this study. The key measure representing urban context is the average Urban Living Infrastructure (ULI) score from the Metro Context Tool within a half-mile buffer around establishments. ULI is a measure representing the density of retail and service establishments serving daily needs, and is highly correlated with other built-environment measures such as lot coverage, density and accessibility to transit. The model developed here has a good statistical fit and ease of use in an evaluation of new development. The approach is also useful in guiding plans as we have related the ULI measure to other planning-relevant, built-environment measures. The study findings are limited in a number of ways. The three land uses examined and the relatively small sample size limit the number of factors that could be accounted for in the statistical analysis. In addition, data collection was limited to the weekday, evening peak hour of the facility for each of the three land uses. The findings are localized and may not have broad applicability beyond the Portland region. Work planned for the immediate future includes validation of the method using data collected from additional sites in Portland and elsewhere, and analysis of site-level attributes that include parking, building orientation, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and other design features. KW - Convenience stores KW - Drinking establishments KW - Institute of Transportation Engineers KW - Land use KW - Neighborhoods KW - Portland (Oregon) KW - Regional planning KW - Regional transportation KW - Restaurants KW - Travel demand KW - Trip generation KW - Urban areas UR - http://otrec.us/main/document.php?doc_id=1214 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1224394 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456681 AU - Kodumuri, Pradeep AU - Lee, Seung-Kyoung AU - SES Group and Associates AU - Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Federal Highway Administration 100-Year Coating Study PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 62p AB - The Federal Highway Administration 100-Year Coating Study was initiated in August 2009 to search for durable coating systems at a reasonable cost. The objective of the study was to identify and evaluate coating materials that can provide 100 years of virtually maintenance-free service life for steel bridges. Selected coating systems included three three-coat systems, four two-coat systems, and a single-coat system of high-ratio calcium sulfonate alkyd. All coating systems were evaluated under accelerated laboratory testing and three outdoor exposure conditions, namely natural weathering and natural weathering with salt spray in McLean, VA, and outdoor testing at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, CA. One design innovation was the employment of 18- by 18-inch large test panels that contained welding joints and angle attachments using bolts and nuts to closely simulate realistic conditions that are encountered in bridges in the field. This report presents results of performance evaluation of the eight coating systems. KW - Accelerated tests KW - Coatings KW - Corrosion protection KW - Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco, California) KW - Performance tests KW - Service life KW - Steel bridges KW - Weathering UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/bridge/12044/12044.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46753/FHWA-HRT-12-044_Federal_Highway_Administration_100-Year_Coating_Study.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1224262 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456673 AU - Russell, Eugene R AU - Landman, E Dean AU - Godavarthy, Ranjit AU - Kansas State University Transportation Center AU - Kansas Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - A Study of the Impact of Roundabouts on Traffic Flows and Business PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 112p AB - For a number of years there has been a controversy regarding whether installing roundabouts in a business area are good for business in the area, or whether they have negative impacts on business in the area. This study attempts to answer this question with emphasis on Kansas cities, particularly Topeka, Kansas; however, it does use examples and data from other cities and studies that are relevant to this study. This study reviewed the literature and all sources where national data or reliable case studies addressed the issue of the impact of roundabouts on business to serve as a basis for Kansas studies. Some data that was initially thought to be available; namely, business profits, before and after economic data like sales taxes, property values, building permits and so forth, were not generally available and/or beyond the scope of the project. The study concentrated on the literature, surveys to businesses, and case studies that showed roundabouts’ ability to move traffic more efficiently. Conclusions were based on the widely accepted assumption that businesses and business areas that have good vehicle and pedestrian access and traffic flow should prosper and grow and, conversely, businesses that do not have good access and good traffic flow will not. Case studies that were found in the literature, and from personal contacts, are reported in the study report. Surveys were conducted and sent to several Kansas cities as well as Carmel, Indiana, which is known to have a great number of roundabouts in the city. Personal contact was also made with a number of business managers and/or owners in Topeka. Since no reliable before and after corridor data could be found that would lead to definite conclusions, a task was added to do a simulation study of a business corridor in Topeka, Kansas. The study used VISSIM software to simulate a hypothetical before and after study of converting several traditional intersections in the corridor to roundabouts. The most relevant study found in the literature was a study of South Goldman Road in Golden, Colorado, where four roundabouts were built in a business corridor with many positive results which led to the conclusions that “yes, roundabouts are good for business.” Survey results, reported in detail in the full report, were generally positive albeit mixed. For example, the survey results from businesses in Topeka indicated that 76.9% of businesses answered that the impact of the addition of roundabouts was fair, good or very good, and only a combined 15.2% indicated they were bad or very bad. Personal contact with business managers and owners in Topeka found that they were of the opinion that roundabouts in their area were good for business. The simulation study of the Topeka business area, assuming several intersections were replaced with roundabouts, showed significant reductions in delay and queuing for most all significant traffic movements. Based on the authors’ assumption that better traffic flow and access are good for business, it was concluded that the addition of roundabouts in this corridor would have been good for business. The overall conclusion of the study was that roundabouts have a positive impact on traffic flows and business. KW - Business districts KW - Carmel (Indiana) KW - Case studies KW - Economic impacts KW - Golden (Colorado) KW - Highway design KW - Roundabouts KW - Topeka (Kansas) KW - Traffic flow UR - http://idmweb.ksdot.org/PublicLib/publicDoc.asp?ID=003824540 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1224265 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456664 AU - Burris, Mark AU - Christopher, Ed AU - DeCorla-Souza, Patrick AU - Greenberg, Allen AU - Heinrich, Susan AU - Morris, Jim AU - Oliphant, Marc AU - Schreffler, Eric AU - Valk, Peter AU - Winters, Phil AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Casual Carpooling Scan Report PY - 2012/11//Scan Report SP - 35p AB - During November and December 2010, the Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program supported a team that consisted of transportation professionals, academic faculty, and business entrepreneurs who visited informal carpool lines (also called slug lines or casual carpool lines) in Washington, DC; Houston, TX; and San Francisco, CA, to observe “slugs” and to compare practices among locations. The team also met with private ride–match providers, regional planners, carpool participants, and transportation planners and engineers with the overall goal of studying these ridesharing systems. The foundational knowledge gained on this scan will serve as a jumping-off point for future projects, collaborations, and system expansion. The full report is published as FHWA-HRT-12-053, "Casual Carpooling Scan Report". Appendix B to this report is published as FHWA-HRT-13-023, "Appendix B to the Casual Carpooling Report". The appendix provides the personal observations of the scan members at each of the three slug line locations. KW - Carpools KW - Casual carpooling KW - Commuting KW - Exploratory Advanced Research Program KW - Houston (Texas) KW - Lessons learned KW - Ridesharing KW - San Francisco (California) KW - State of the practice KW - Washington (District of Columbia) UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/advancedresearch/pubs/12053/12053.pdf UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/advancedresearch/pubs/13023/13023.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1224271 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456657 AU - Gibson, Nelson AU - Qi, Xicheng AU - Shenoy, Aroon AU - Al-Khateeb, Ghazi AU - Kutay, M Emin AU - Andriescu, Adrian AU - Stuart, Kevin AU - Youtcheff, Jack AU - Harman, Thomas AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Performance Testing for Superpave and Structural Validation PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 276p AB - The primary objective of this full-scale accelerated pavement testing was to evaluate the performance of unmodified and polymer modified asphalt binders and to recommend improved specification tests over existing SUperior PERforming Asphalt PAVEment (Superpave®) binder performance grading methodologies. Candidate replacement tests were evaluated via their ability to discern fatigue cracking resistance and rutting. Two fatigue cracking specification tests were identified as more capable in capturing performance than others: binder yield energy and critical tip opening displacement. Two rutting specification tests that quantify irrecoverable deformations exhibited the best strength to capture rutting: multiple stress creep and recovery and oscillatory-based nonrecoverable stiffness. Based on the full-scale performance and laboratory tests, crumb rubber (recycled tires) modified asphalt (Arizona wet process) was shown to significantly slow or stop the growth of fatigue cracks in a composite asphalt pavement structure. A hybrid technique to modify asphalt with a combination of crumb rubber and conventional polymers (terminally blended) exhibited good fatigue cracking resistance relative to the control binder. Also, a simple addition of polyester fibers to asphalt mix was shown to have high resistance to fatigue cracking without the use of polymer modification. The research study also quantified the capabilities of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program’s mechanistic-empirical pavement design and analysis methodologies to predict rutting and fatigue cracking of modified asphalts that were not captured in the calibration data from the Long-Term Pavement Performance program. Falling weight deflectometer, multidepth deflectometer, and strain gauge instrumentation were used to measure pavement response. The results illustrated that the nationally calibrated mechanistic-empirical performance models could differentiate between structural asphalt thickness but had difficulty differentiating modified from unmodified asphalt binder performance. Nonetheless, the mechanistic-empirical performance ranking and predictions were enhanced and improved using mixture-specific performance tests currently being implemented using the asphalt mixture performance tester. KW - Accelerated tests KW - Asphalt mixtures KW - Bituminous binders KW - Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide KW - Pavement design KW - Pavement performance KW - Performance based specifications KW - Performance tests KW - Superpave UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/11045/11045.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46755/FHWA-HRT-11-045_Performance_testing_for_superpave_and_structural_validation.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1224268 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456654 AU - Elkins, Gary E AU - Ostrom, Barbara AU - Visintine, Beth AU - Groeger, Jonathan AU - AMEC Engineering and Infrastructure, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Long-Term Pavement Performance Ancillary Information Management System (AIMS) Reference Guide PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 48p AB - This document provides information on the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program ancillary information. Ancillary information includes data, images, reference materials, resource documents, and other information that support and extend the data stored in the Pavement Performance Database related to understanding the performance of pavement test sections included in the LTPP program. The primary purpose of this report is to explain the types and nature of the available information. Technical details on electronic formats and storage conventions are also presented KW - Data files KW - Data storage KW - Databases KW - Guides to information KW - Information systems KW - Long-Term Pavement Performance Program KW - National Pavement Performance Database KW - Pavement performance UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/ltpp/12058/12058.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46754/FHWA-HRT-12-058_Long_term_pavement_performance_ancillary_information_management_system.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1224269 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456641 AU - Eccles, Kimberly AU - Gross, Frank AU - Liu, Mindy AU - Council, Forrest AU - Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Incorporated AU - University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Crash Data Analyses for Vehicle-To-Infrastructure Communications for Safety Applications PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 88p AB - This report presents the potential safety benefits of wireless communication between the roadway infrastructure and vehicles, (i.e., vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) safety). Specifically, it identifies the magnitude, characteristics, and cost of crashes that would be targeted with currently proposed V2I for safety application areas including intersections, speed management, vulnerable road users, and other safety applications areas. It also identifies the magnitude, characteristics, and cost of the remaining crashes that are not targeted by currently proposed V2I safety applications. The results of this study indicate that the applications are well conceived and can potentially treat large portions of U.S. crashes and crash costs. The characteristics of unaddressed crashes provide a starting point for identifying either new applications or modifications to current applications. KW - Crash analysis KW - Crash data KW - Highway safety KW - Highway Safety Information System KW - Safety programs KW - Vehicle safety KW - Vehicle to infrastructure communications UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/connectedvehicles/11040/11040.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46752/FHWA-HRT-11-040_Crash_data_analyses_for_vehicle-to-infrastructure_communications.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1224270 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456632 AU - Smaglik, Edward J AU - Roberts, Craig A AU - Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff AU - Arizona Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development of Intersection Performance Measures for Timing Plan Maintenance Using an Actuated Controller: Phase 1 PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 62p AB - This proof-of-concept study is to develop an automated data collection module for collection and management of traffic data at signalized intersections controlled by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). The objective of this proof-of-concept phase of the work was to determine the feasibility and cost of modifying an existing ADOT traffic control cabinet to collect operational data using the video equipment installed for presence detection to capture vehicle flow rate information. The goal was to use this data to develop event-based performance measures, leveraging existing infrastructure to its fullest extent. An intersection in Flagstaff, Arizona, was chosen as the test location. Researchers used the intersection’s existing video detection cameras, installing additional video detector interface cards to produce contact-closure vehicle flow rate information. Researchers calculated performance measures (volume-to-capacity [V/C] ratio, equivalent hourly volume [EHV], and cumulative counts) from the video-generated data and compared them with measures generated from concurrent manually counted data over a 24-hour analysis period. The V/C values generated from the video data were shown to be statistically different than those calculated with manual-count data; however, on all but one phase, the difference was not operationally significant. An analysis of cumulative count data did show operationally significant differences. While the data had some inaccuracies, the proof of concept was successful in that the research team was able to generate traffic volume performance measures using existing video detection equipment. During the next phase of the project, the data inaccuracies can be investigated and possibly addressed with measures such as camera placement, choice of technology, etc. A cost analysis determined that the cost of equipping a similar intersection for this type of vehicle count capability is approximately $16,700 using the equipment specified for this project if the installation is performed as part of the initial construction or rehabilitation of the intersection. The researchers recommend that Phase 2 of this project be undertaken. Ultimately, assuming successful completion of all phased milestones, the investigators recommend that ADOT consider equipping future intersections as described in this report to improve the quality of future signal-timing plans while reducing costs over the long term. KW - Actuated traffic signal controllers KW - Automatic data collection systems KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Flagstaff (Arizona) KW - Performance measurement KW - Signalized intersections KW - Traffic data KW - Traffic flow rate KW - Traffic signal timing UR - http://apps.azdot.gov/ADOTLibrary/publications/project_reports/PDF/AZ663.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1224257 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456630 AU - Dodd, Norris L AU - Gagnon, Jeffrey W AU - Sprague, Scott C AU - Boe, Susan AU - Schweinsburg, Raymond E AU - Arizona Game and Fish Department AU - Arizona Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Wildlife Accident Reduction Study and Monitoring: Arizona State Route 64 PY - 2012/11//Final Report SP - 118p AB - The research team assessed elk (Cervus elaphus), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) movements and vehicle collision patterns from 2007 through 2009 along a 57 mi stretch of State Route (SR) 64 to develop strategies to improve highway safety and wildlife permeability. This study followed the SR 64 2006 Final Wildlife Accident Reduction Study that recommended nine wildlife passage structures and further monitoring to determine the best locations for passage structures and fencing. Research objectives were to: assess wildlife movements, highway crossing patterns, and permeability across SR 64; assess relationships of wildlife crossings and distribution to vehicular traffic volume; investigate wildlife-vehicle collision spatial and temporal incidence and patterns; determine use of Cataract Canyon Bridge by wildlife for below-grade passage; develop recommendations to enhance highway safety and wildlife permeability. The team tracked 23 elk, 11 deer, and 15 pronghorn with Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver collars, yielding mean passage rates of 0.44, 0.54, and 0.004 crossings/approach, respectively. In total, 167 wildlife-vehicle collisions were analyzed. Traffic volume influenced permeability and wildlife-vehicle collision patterns. The team recommended 11 passage structures, including Cataract Canyon Bridge, which had modest current wildlife use, along with wildlife fencing to reduce collisions and promote permeability for elk, deer, and pronghorn. KW - Animal behavior KW - Animal vehicle collisions KW - Arizona KW - Crashes KW - Hazard mitigation KW - High risk locations KW - Highway safety KW - Roadside fauna KW - Ungulates KW - Wildlife KW - Wildlife crossings UR - http://apps.azdot.gov/ADOTLibrary/publications/project_reports/PDF/AZ626.pdf ; UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1224258 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456621 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Literature Review of Chloride Threshold Values for Grouted Post-Tensioned Tendons PY - 2012/11//Summary Report SP - 16p AB - This document describes the outcomes of a literature review conducted by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to support an ongoing laboratory study on corrosion of grouted post-tensioned (PT) bridges that are affected by chloride-contaminated grouts. The research was conducted as part of the Federal Highway Administration’s Long-Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) Program. KW - Chloride content KW - Corrosion KW - Grout KW - Literature reviews KW - Long-Term Bridge Performance Program KW - Posttensioning KW - Prestressed concrete bridges KW - Tendons (Materials) UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1224266 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454441 AU - Duthie, Jennifer AU - Juri, Natalia Ruiz AU - Melson, Christopher L AU - Pool, C Matt AU - Boyles, Steve AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Guidebook on DTA Data Needs and Interface Options for Integration into the Planning Process PY - 2012/11 SP - 27p AB - Simulation-based dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) software programs model route choice behavior at a fine time scale across a large spatial area. This mesoscopic level of traffic detail makes DTA a powerful and versatile tool to transportation planners. Unfortunately, there has been limited research and exploration of integrating DTA into the transportation planning process. This guidebook provides information to practitioners regarding the input data required for dynamic traffic assignment, methods and benefits of linking together macroscopic, mesoscopic, and microscopic models, and potential ways of integrating DTA into the traditional four-step planning model. KW - Dynamic traffic assignment KW - Input data KW - Macroscopic models KW - Mesoscopic traffic flow KW - Microscopic models KW - Planning methods KW - Route choice KW - Traffic models UR - http://www.utexas.edu/research/ctr/pdf_reports/0_6657_p1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222939 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01494503 AU - Cheng, Qi AU - Chandler, Damon AU - Sheng, Weihua AU - Oklahoma State University, Stillwater AU - Oklahoma Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - OKCARS: Oklahoma Collision Analysis and Response System PY - 2012/10/31/Final Report SP - 106p AB - By continuously monitoring traffic intersections to automatically detect that a collision or near-collision has occurred, automatically call for assistance, and automatically forewarn oncoming traffic, the Oklahoma Collision Analysis and Response System.(OKCARS) has the capability to effectively reduce emergency response time, and in turn potentially save thousands of lives and millions of dollars each year. The authors have designed and developed an affordable hardware platform consisting of four smart audio visual (SAV) nodes and a cellular modem. For networking of multiple nodes, they have also developed a software platform. To meet the critical and challenging system requirements, they have developed a near realtime vehicle detection and tracking algorithm requiring modest computing power. As an alternative and complement detection system, they have developed modules for efficient collision sound recognition and localization. The authors have shown that fusion of data from multiple microphone arrays and/or fusion of results from audio-video subsystems can significantly improve detection accuracy. They have developed a small-scale testbed for validating and verifying OKCARS and associated algorithms. OKCARS is non-intrusive, does not require specialized in-car equipment, operates using existing 3G communication technologies, and is relatively low-cost. It is a significant improvement from traffic monitoring systems currently available, where a human analyst has to make decisions by constantly monitoring several video stream inputs. Through improvement of service monitoring and emergency response preparedness, OKCARS has the potential to enhance roadway traffic safety and security. KW - Algorithms KW - Automatic crash notification KW - Data fusion KW - Emergency response time KW - Intersections KW - Multiple sensors KW - Oklahoma KW - Real time data processing KW - Traffic safety KW - Traffic surveillance KW - Validation KW - Warning systems UR - http://www.oktc.org/otc/files/finalReports/OTCREOS9.1-15-F.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1262828 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01475471 AU - Meegoda, J N AU - Juliano, T AU - Tang, Chunyan AU - Liu, Shenghua AU - Potts, L AU - Bell, C AU - Marhaba, T AU - Borgaonkar, A AU - Guo, Q AU - New Jersey Institute of Technology AU - New Jersey Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Drainage Information Analysis and Mapping. PY - 2012/10/31/Final Report SP - 36p AB - The primary objective of this research is to develop a Drainage Information Analysis and Mapping System (DIAMS), with online inspection data submission, which will comply with the necessary requirements, mandated by both the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB-34) and the federal storm water regulations. The DIAMS project will serve as a vehicle for evaluating underground drainage infrastructure assets which includes locating and cataloging pipes, storm-water devices (e.g., manufactured treatment devices), outfalls, and other structures, (e.g., manholes and catch basins), as well as, collecting inspection and rehabilitation/replacement/repair data. The DIAMS has an electronic documentation system that performs quality checks on the submitted inspection data and stores the approved data in a comprehensive information management system for updating, analysis, classification and mapping. The DIAMS utilizes a two layer front and back end management tool comprised of MS Access for data submission and SQL database for data storage that is accessed through a graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI is structured into four modules: Data Uploading, Asset Identification, System Administration, and Financial Analysis. The Data Uploading module includes the conversion of user input field data into comprehensive information format, review of input data, quality assurance and quality control checking, and appending the data to the system database. Users can locate assets needing immediate repair by road/milepost based upon their condition state. The Asset Identification module stores all the receiving storm water data such as the quality/quantity of water and discharge to watersheds, while also being able to develop general property reports. The module also gives users an assessed condition state, which allows the m to select the best treatment technique. The System Administration module allows individual flexibility through editing keywords. The Financial Analysis module analyzes the selected data and provides optimal recommendations to inspect, rehabilitate, replace, repair or do nothing at both project and network levels. Financial analyses are derived from a sequential process including defining networks, confirming input data sets, and optimizing for budget allocation preferences. At the project level this is achieved by comparing inspection and/or rehabilitation/replacement/repair costs via an updatable user cost, currently based on the 2011 NJDOT Engineer’s Estimate – Maintenance Drainage Repair Contract, with risks and costs associated with failure. At the network level, the associated costs are optimized to meet annual maintenance budget allocations by prioritizing assets needing inspection and rehabilitation/replacement/repair. When all input data have been appended into the module, DIAMS can generate financial summaries and work orders. KW - Condition surveys KW - Drainage KW - Financial analysis KW - Graphical user interfaces KW - Inspection KW - Pipe KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) KW - Repairing UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46771/Drainage_information_analysis_and_mapping_system.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1245598 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01471721 AU - Volz, Jeffery S AU - Myers, John J AU - Richardson, David N AU - Arezoumandi, Mahdi AU - Beckemeier, Karl AU - Davis, Drew AU - Holman, Kyle AU - Looney, Trevor AU - Tucker, Brian AU - Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla AU - Missouri Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Design and Evaluation of High-Volume Fly Ash (HVFA) Concrete Mixes PY - 2012/10/31/Final Report SP - 46p AB - Concrete is the world’s most consumed man-made material. Unfortunately, the production of portland cement, the active ingredient in concrete, generates a significant amount of carbon dioxide. For each pound of cement produced, approximately one pound of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. With cement production reaching nearly 6 billion tons per year worldwide, the sustainability of concrete is a very real concern. Since the 1930’s, fly ash – a pozzolanic material – has been used as a partial replacement of portland cement in concrete to improve the material’s strength and durability, while also limiting the amount of early heat generation. From an environmental perspective, replacing cement with fly ash reduces concrete’s overall carbon footprint and diverts an industrial by-product from the solid waste stream (currently, about 40 percent of fly ash is reclaimed for beneficial reuse and 60 percent is disposed of in landfills). Traditional specifications limit the amount of fly ash to 25 or 30 percent cement replacement. Recent studies, including those by the investigators, have shown that higher cement replacement percentages – even up to 75 percent – can result in excellent concrete in terms of both strength and durability. Referred to as high-volume fly ash (HVFA) concrete, this material offers a viable alternative to traditional portland cement concrete and is significantly more sustainable. By nearly doubling the use of reclaimed fly ash in concrete, HVFA concrete aligns well with Missouri Department of Transportation's (MoDOT’s) green initiative on recycling. However, HVFA concrete is not without its problems. At all replacement rates, fly ash generally slows down the setting time and hardening rates of concrete at early ages, especially under cold weather conditions, and when less reactive fly ashes are used. Furthermore, with industrial by-products, some variability in physical and chemical characteristics will normally occur, not only between power plants but also within the same plant. Consequently, to achieve the benefits of HVFA concrete, guidelines are needed for its proper application in bridges, roadways, culverts, retaining walls, and other transportation-related infrastructure components. The objective of this research was to design, test, and evaluate HVFA concrete mixtures. The study focused on the hardened properties of HVFA concrete containing aggregates and fly ash indigenous to the state of Missouri and developed guidelines on its use in infrastructure elements for MoDOT. KW - Concrete construction KW - Environmental impacts KW - Fly ash KW - High volume fly ash concrete KW - Mix design KW - Portland cement KW - Properties of materials KW - Recycled materials KW - Reinforced concrete UR - http://library.modot.mo.gov/RDT/reports/TRyy1110/cmr13-008.pdf UR - http://library.modot.mo.gov/RDT/reports/TRyy1110/cmr13-008_A.pdf UR - http://library.modot.mo.gov/RDT/reports/TRyy1110/cmr13-008_B.pdf UR - http://library.modot.mo.gov/RDT/reports/TRyy1110/cmr13-008_C.pdf UR - http://library.modot.mo.gov/RDT/reports/TRyy1110/cmr13-008_D.pdf UR - http://library.modot.mo.gov/RDT/reports/TRyy1110/cmr13-008_E.pdf UR - http://transportation.mst.edu/media/research/transportation/documents/R268%20Final%20Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1239288 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469964 AU - Rajabipour, Farshad AU - Wright, Jared AU - Laman, Jeff AU - Radlinska, Aleksandra AU - Morian, Dennis AU - Jahangirnejad, Shervin AU - Cartwright, Chris AU - Pennsylvania State University, University Park AU - Pennsylvania Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Longitudinal Cracking in Concrete at Bridge Deck Dams on Structural Rehabilitation Projects PY - 2012/10/31/Final Report SP - 220p AB - The main objective of this project was to identify the causes of longitudinal cracking in newly placed concrete deck segments adjacent to bridge deck expansion dam rehabilitations within District 3-0 of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). This objective was accomplished through three tasks. (1) A literature review of the potential causes of early-age cracking in restrained concrete elements, including bridge deck dams and concrete repair sections, was conducted. This task also included a survey of bridge engineers in other PennDOT districts and several other state departments of transportation and municipalities with regard to concrete bridge deck rehabilitation operations and occurrence of concrete early-age cracking. (2) A review of current PennDOT specifications related to bridge deck construction and rehabilitation was undertaken. This task compared current PennDOT requirements regarding concrete materials, structural/reinforcement design, and construction operations with the recommendations from the literature review and survey of other transportation agencies and, when needed, suggested modifications to the current PennDOT specifications. In addition, three past and two active bridge deck rehabilitation projects within PennDOT Districts 2-0 and 3-0 were reviewed and inspected to evaluate their compliance with existing PennDOT specifications and literature recommendations to eliminate early-age cracking. (3) A comprehensive experimental evaluation of the material properties of three concrete mixtures commonly used for PennDOT bridge deck projects was performed to evaluate the early- and long-term performance and the risk of cracking of these mixtures. The three mixtures included AAA, HPC, and AAA-P. The following main conclusions were drawn from Tasks 1, 2, and 3 of the project. (a) The most likely causes of early cracking observed in deck rehabilitation projects are inadequate moist curing and failure to properly eliminate plastic shrinkage cracking during construction. In several occasions, it was found that the existing PennDOT specifications for proper water curing of concrete and monitoring of ambient conditions to minimize the evaporation rate from the surface of fresh concrete were not correctly followed. (b) The review of the three past deck rehabilitation projects show that the design of shrinkage and temperature steel reinforcement had been adequate and should not result in early-age cracking. (c) The existing PennDOT concrete mixtures AAA, HPC, and AAA-P can yield adequate performance in the field, provided that they are placed, consolidated, and cured properly. (d) A number of suggested modifications to the current PennDOT specifications are included in this report to minimize the risk of early-age cracking in concrete bridge deck construction and rehabilitation projects. KW - Admixtures KW - Bridge decks KW - Concrete bridges KW - Concrete curing KW - Literature reviews KW - Longitudinal cracking KW - Pennsylvania KW - Properties of materials KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) KW - Specifications UR - ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/BPR_PDF_FILES/Documents/Research/Complete%20Projects/Improving%20Pennsylvania%20Bridges/Longitudinal_Cracking_Final_Report.pdf UR - http://www.mautc.psu.edu/docs/PSU-2011-01.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1237200 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454112 AU - Myers, James R AU - Ruberto, Gregory S AU - Paccella, Robert A AU - Ventura, Jose A AU - Boehman, Andre L AU - Briggs, R J AU - Stager, Paul A AU - Pietrucha, Martin T AU - Bloser, Steve AU - Anstrom, Joel R AU - Penn State Facilities Engineering Institute AU - Pennsylvania State University, University Park AU - Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission AU - Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Feasibility Study for Liquefied Natural Gas Utilization for Commercial Vehicles on the Pennsylvania Turnpike PY - 2012/10/31/Final Report SP - 234p AB - Recent advances in horizontal drilling and fracturing technology in gas shale formations have increased natural gas supply such that its price has decoupled from petroleum and is likely to remain significantly lower for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, gasoline and diesel fuel prices in the United States have peaked above 4 dollars per gallon several times, creating renewed interest in natural gas as an economical, alternative fuel for long-haul commercial vehicles. Liquified natural gas (LNG) has become particularly attractive for commercial long-haul trucks due to its price and ability to provide a safe traveling distance of approximately 600 miles between stops for refueling if the truck is equipped with dual fuel tanks. Owners of commercial trucking fleets are beginning to recognize the competitive advantages that LNG fuel may bring to their business but remain cautious with new truck purchases or engine conversions. This cautious approach to LNG fuel is a result of the increased price for equipment (as compared to the conventional, diesel-fueled truck) and lack of infrastructure for LNG fueling stations. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission recognized the increased spotlight on alternative fuels for vehicles as well and released a white paper in February 2012 titled Feasibility of Utilizing Natural Gas Vehicles Traveling/Maintaining the Pennsylvania Turnpike, from which recommendations to conduct a feasibility study on the topic were recommended. The recommendations from the white paper were further refined for the purposes of this study to focus on the use of LNG as an alternative fuel for the commercial trucking industry along the Turnpike highway system. This study provides detailed information on these issues, including a mathematical model that shows the optimal locations, specific site considerations, and costs for construction of fueling stations at the site of existing service plazas; technical and economic information on LNG engines; and numerous other issues such as safety and benchmarking with other states. KW - Alternate fuels KW - Commercial vehicles KW - Construction costs KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Fueling stations KW - Liquefied natural gas KW - Location KW - Mathematical models KW - Natural gas KW - Pennsylvania Turnpike KW - Trucking UR - http://www.mautc.psu.edu/docs/PSU_2011_03.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222616 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454359 AU - Pierce, C E AU - Huynh, N N AU - Guimaraes, P AU - University of South Carolina, Columbia AU - South Carolina Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Cost Indexing and Unit Price Adjustments for Construction Materials PY - 2012/10/30/Final Report SP - 136p AB - This project was focused on the assimilation of information regarding unit price adjustment clauses, or PACs, that are offered for construction materials at the state Departments of Transportation (DOTs). It is intended to provide the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) with the current state of the practice and a better understanding of the financial and procedural benefits and risks associated with PACs. Asphalt and fuel are the most common and traditional materials for which PACs are accepted. This report evaluates the performance of SCDOT PACs for asphalt and fuel relative to its peers. This report also includes a PAC feasibility assessment for ten materials, other than asphalt and fuel, which are consumed in construction and maintenance operations. Steel was the singular material identified as a feasible option for PAC development; there are steel PACs available at 15 other state DOTs. Recommendations are developed for a PAC that covers reinforcing steel, but not structural steel. KW - Asphalt KW - Bids KW - Building materials KW - Cost indexes KW - Fuels KW - Price adjustment KW - Reinforcing steel KW - State of the practice UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46374/SPR_683_Cost_Indexing_and_Unit_Price_Adjustments_for_Construction_Materials.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222895 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472577 AU - Finno, Richard AU - Sarabia, Fernando AU - Kern, Kristi Sue AU - Infrastructure Technology Institute (ITI) AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Condition Monitoring of Urban Infrastructure : Effects of Ground Movement on Adjacent Structures PY - 2012/10/26/Final Report SP - v.p. AB - This document consists of two thesis papers: "Hypoplastic Constitutive Law Adapted to Simulate Excavations in Chicago Glacial Clays" by Fernando Sarabia submitted June 2012; and "Analysis of Top‐Down Construction at the Block 37 Project in Chicago, Illinois" written by Kristi Sue Kern, 6/6/2011. Economic considerations drive the more effective use of space in urban areas, promoting the construction of taller buildings with deeper basement structure. The crowded nature of urban environments imposes strict restrictions to the tolerable performance of these new constructions. These restrictions are translated in the need for the development of more precise tools that can be used by engineering practitioners to predict construction induced deformations. Geotechnical finite element simulations are a common technique to estimate construction performance. This methodology can be enhanced by the use of optimization routines to calibrate the constitutive model parameters with existing data. Specifically the finite element simulation strategy adopted in this research incorporated the use of an advanced soil model that is conceptually capable of capturing the nonlinear nature of soil stiffness from the very small to large strain levels. In the second paper, the Block 37 Project in Chicago, Illinois presented a good case study to evaluate the performance of an excavation support system during top-down construction. Top-down construction is an increasingly popular form of construction being employed by contractors in urban environments because of its apparent ability to minimize adjacent ground movements. The ground movements observed during the Block 37 excavation were evaluated and compared to previous case studies. A finite element simulation was produced to recreate the excavation activities to more closely see the effect of specific construction activities on adjacent ground movements. The creep and shrinkage of the lateral support elements were calculated as a possible explanation for the discrepancy between the observed movements and the calculated movements from the finite element simulation. KW - Chicago (Illinois) KW - Clay KW - Construction KW - Excavation KW - Finite element model KW - Foundations KW - Geotechnical engineering KW - Ground settlement KW - Seismicity KW - Soil models KW - Structural analysis KW - Structures KW - Top down construction KW - Urban areas UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46200/46227/FR-5-Finno2CM.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1239147 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472530 AU - Finno, Richard AU - Knai, Hilde B AU - Posada, Carlos Alberto Vega AU - Infrastructure Technology Institute (ITI) AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Design and Verification of Blast Densification for Highway Embankments of Liquefiable Sands PY - 2012/10/26/Final Report SP - v.p. AB - This document consists of 2 dissertations: "Measuring the effect of occluded gas bubbles on stress-strain response of a loose to medium sand" written by Hilde B. Knai; and "Evaluation of Liquefaction Susceptibility of Clean Sands after Blast Densification" by Carlos Alberto Vega Posada, August 2012. As part of a larger effort to investigate the effects of blast densification on the properties and behavior of compacted sand deposits, the first paper presents a procedure for replicating in the laboratory the occluded gas bubbles believed to exist in the ground after blasting, and a preliminary evaluation of the effect of these bubbles on the stress-strain response of loose to medium samples of a fine sand. In the second paper, a controlled blasting approach to minimize the effect of liquefaction during earthquakes is described. In this work, a blast densification program was implemented at the Oakridge Landfill located in Dorchester County, South Carolina, to gain information regarding the condition of a loose sand deposit during and after each blast event. In addition, an extensive laboratory testing program was conducted on reconstituted sand specimens to evaluate the mechanical behavior of saturated and gassy, medium dense sands during monotonic and cyclic loading. The results from the field and laboratory program indicate that gas released during blasting can remain trapped in the soil mass for several years, and this gas greatly affects the mechanical behavior of the sand. Gas greatly increases the liquefaction resistance of the soil. If the gas remains in the sand over the life of a project, then it will maintain this increased resistance to liquefaction, whether or not the penetration resistance increases with time. As part of this work, a methodology based on the critical state concepts was described to quantify the amount of densification needed at a certain project to make the soil more resistant to liquefaction and flow. KW - Densification KW - Earthquake resistant design KW - Embankments KW - Gases KW - Geotechnical engineering KW - Liquefaction KW - Sand KW - Seismicity KW - Soil stabilization UR - http://iti.northwestern.edu/publications/utc/safetea-lu/FR-5-Finno1BD.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46200/46229/FR-5-Finno1BD.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1239148 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472562 AU - Dowding, Charles H AU - Ozer, Hasan AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Infrastructure Technology Institute (ITI) TI - Commercialization of Measurement Technologies PY - 2012/10/20 SP - 40p AB - This document consists of a thesis titled "Wireless Sensor Networks for Crack Displacement Measurement" written by Hasan Ozer submitted in July 2005. This thesis, which describes the development of the Level-I, Autonomous Crack Monitoring (ACM) wireless sensor network, is divided into two major chapters. Chapter 2 begins with a description of wireless communication basics and introduces the components of the wireless system as well as some operational details of the system. The main thrust of the chapter is evaluation of two field installations of two versions of the system. Finally the chapter compares the wired and wireless system in terms of robustness, accuracy of the results and physical appearance. Chapter 3 presents the studies necessary to qualify the low power consumption potentiometer displacement transducer. Two different laboratory test mechanisms were designed to determine the accuracy and robustness of the potentiometer when subjected to long term cyclically changing temperatures and impact loadings similar to those induced by vibratory crack response. The response of the potentiometer was also compared to the benchmark sensors such as linear variable differential transformers (LVDT) and eddy current sensors, which are the sensors that have been traditionally employed with ACM systems. KW - Autonomous crack monitoring systems KW - Cracking KW - Data collection KW - Potentiometers KW - Sensors KW - Structural health monitoring KW - Wireless communication systems UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46200/46224/FR-5-Dowding.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1239146 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516349 AU - Lee, Ming AU - McHattie, Bob AU - Liu, Juanyu AU - Alaska University Transportation Center AU - Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Inclusion of LCCA in Alaska Flexible Pavement Design Software PY - 2012/10/19/Final Report SP - 58p AB - Life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) is a key part for selecting materials and techniques that optimize the service life of a pavement in terms of cost and performance. While the Alaska Flexible Pavement Design (AKFPD) software has been in use since 2004, there is no computerized analysis tool available to assist pavement engineers in developing this cost analysis for a given project. Including LCCA in the AKFPD software would be of immense benefit to pavement designers, allowing them to routinely improve infrastructure performance while making more cost-effective use of the design effort. This study seeks to update the current AKFPD program and create a single software package capable of executing the economic cost analysis and structural analysis functions. Upon completion, the project will provide the updated software, a modified AKFPD manual, and case studies with complete analysis processes to help the new user navigate the software. In the past year, the project team developed a new layout for the program. It also added new modules, including “equivalent single axle loads calculation” and “LCCA analysis,” and designed more user-friendly interfaces for two other modules, “Mechanistic Pavement Design” and “Excess Fines Design.” KW - Alaska KW - Flexible pavements KW - Life cycle analysis KW - Life cycle costing KW - Pavement design KW - Software UR - http://ine.uaf.edu/autc/files/2013/10/Addendum-to-Alaska-Flexible-Pavement-Design-Manual-Final-Revision.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1290648 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472474 AU - Krishnaswamy, Sridhar AU - Achenbach, Jan AU - Balogun, Oluwaseyi AU - Kim, Jae Hong AU - Kuehling, Kirk AU - Kulkarni, Salil S AU - Naik, Gautam AU - Regez, Brad AU - Strom, Brandon AU - Thomas, Jeffrey J AU - Yang, Ningli AU - Zheng, Shijie AU - Zhu, Yinian AU - Infrastructure Technology Institute (ITI) AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Intelligent Structural Health Management of Civil Infrastructure PY - 2012/10/19/Final Technical Report SP - 81p AB - The collapse of the Interstate-35W Mississippi River Bridge in Minneapolis has spawned a growing interest in the development of reliable techniques for evaluating the structural integrity of civil infrastructure. Current inspection techniques tailored to vehicular bridges in particular are widely based on short-term or intermittent monitoring schedules. While these techniques have had reasonable success in assessing the structural integrity of bridges, there are unanswered questions about their effectiveness for monitoring sudden adverse structural changes that can lead to catastrophic bridge failure. Structural health monitoring (SHM) is an alternative inspection paradigm that provides the potential for long-term monitoring of integrity of large-scale structures. The goal of this work is to develop an intelligent structural health monitoring (ISHM) scheme for the long-term assessment of the damage state of in-service vehicular bridges. The presented ISHM scheme builds upon an existing SHM scheme developed at the Center for Quality Engineering and Failure Prevention (CQEFP) at Northwestern University for the evaluation of the structural integrity of safety critical infrastructures. The ISHM scheme consists of diagnostic optical fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors for acoustic emission monitoring, signal processing techniques for source localization of acoustic emission events, and model based prediction of structural damage using the measured sensor information. Acoustic emissions consist of dynamic elastic stress waves produced by the sudden release of mechanical energy in a material, and their generation is well correlated with the growth of cracks in a structure produced by stress corrosion or mechanical fatigue from cyclic loading. As such, acoustic emission events serve as warning signs for the initiation of the process of structural failure. KW - Acoustic emission KW - Acoustic signal processing KW - Bridges KW - Failure KW - Fiber Bragg grating sensors KW - Infrastructure KW - Mathematical prediction KW - Sensors KW - Structural analysis KW - Structural health monitoring UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46200/46228/FR-5-Krishnaswamy.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1239157 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01495433 AU - Mahmassani, Hani AU - Mudge, Richard AU - Hou, Tian AU - Kim, Jiwon AU - Science Applications International Corporation AU - Delcan AU - Northwestern University, Evanston AU - Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Use of Mobile Data for Weather- Responsive Traffic Management Models PY - 2012/10/18/Final Report SP - 92p AB - The evolution of telecommunications and wireless technologies has brought in new sources of traffic data (particularly mobile data generated by vehicle probes), which could offer a breakthrough in the quality and extent of traffic data. This study reviews the Weather-Responsive Traffic Management (WRTM) models which were developed in previous Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) funded weather-related projects and identifies the components within WRTM framework where mobile data could be incorporated, mainly, (i) supply-side model calibration; (ii) demand-side calibration; (iii) model validation; and (iv) on-line implementation. This report summarizes the unique properties of mobile data in contrast to traditional traffic data, particularly regarding its much wider geographic coverage and travel time information. The different types of mobile data which could be offered from major vendors are also discussed. The study finds that vehicle trajectory data serves best for the purpose of improving WRTM models, from calibration of supply and demand side relations and model validation to the case of the on-line Traffic Estimation and Prediction System (TrEPS) implementation. A framework for how to implement the integration of mobile data and WRTM models was also developed. In this project the process of following the framework and incorporating mobile data into WRTM models is demonstrated by a case study. DYNASMART (DYnamic Network Assignment-Simulation Model for Advanced Road Telematics), a dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) simulation-based TrEPS, is selected for this study. Vehicle trajectory data, collected by vehicles equipped with TomTom Global Positioning System (GPS) devices circulating in New York City area during a two-week period, are also used. KW - Calibration KW - Case studies KW - Dynamic traffic assignment KW - DYNASMART (Computer program) KW - Global Positioning System KW - New York (New York) KW - Probe vehicles KW - Telecommunications KW - Traffic data KW - Traffic Estimation and Prediction System (TrEPS) KW - Validation KW - Vehicle trajectories KW - Weather-responsive traffic management models KW - Wireless communication systems UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/47000/47300/47329/FHWA-JPO-13-003-Final_Pkg_V1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1265064 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01484409 AU - Ivan, John N AU - Ravishanker, Nalini AU - Islam, Md Saidul AU - University of Connecticut, Storrs AU - Center for Transportation and Livable Systems AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Evaluation of Surrogate Measures for Pedestrian Safety in Various Road and Roadside Environments PY - 2012/10/18/Final Report SP - 52p AB - This report presents an investigation of pedestrian conflicts and crash count models to learn which exposure measures and roadway or roadside characteristics significantly influence pedestrian safety at road crossings. Negative binomial models were estimated for pedestrian conflicts and crash counts except for fatal and incapacitating crashes for which binary logistic models were estimated. Also models for predicting highest severity at a location were estimated using an ordered proportional odds (PO) technique. Pedestrian counts and conflicts data were collected using a variation of the Swedish Traffic Conflict Technique (TCT) at 100 locations throughout Connecticut. Pedestrian crash data for the latest available three years (2009, 2008, and 2007) were collected from the Connecticut Crash Data Repository (CTCDR). The results show that minor and serious conflicts are marginally significant in predicting total pedestrian crashes together with crossing distance and building setback. This suggests that these conflicts, when observed over a longer period of time, may be a good surrogate for crashes in analyzing pedestrian safety. Greater crossing distance and small building setbacks are both found to be associated with larger numbers of pedestrian-vehicle crashes. This latter effect is not expected, since vehicle speeds are expected to be lower in areas where the building setback is small. This factor may account for the greater pedestrian activity and more complex interactions in such areas. Further research aimed at identifying a minimum length of time for accurate estimation of pedestrian volume and conflicts to relate to crashes is the subject of continuing investigation by the authors. KW - Connecticut KW - Crash data KW - Crash severity KW - Crosswalks KW - Negative binomial models KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Pedestrian-vehicle crashes KW - Roadside structures KW - Structures KW - Traffic conflicts UR - http://www.ctls.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/11-04Final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1252657 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01587397 AU - Peters, R J AU - Sanders, S AU - Li, M AU - Denton, K P AU - Celedonia, M T AU - Tabor, R A AU - Pess, G R AU - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service AU - Northwest Fisheries Science Center AU - Washington State Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Fish Abundance, Habitat, and Habitat Use at Two Stabilized Banks in the Hoh River, Washington: Preliminary Data to Evaluate the Influence of Engineered Logjams PY - 2012/10/16/Research Report SP - 82p AB - Engineered logjams (ELJs) have become popular as an alternative to riprap (RR) for bank stabilization due to their perceived ecological benefits, which could potentially limit mitigation requirements for project proponents. This, along with the fact that many RR bank stabilization projects have failed, led the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to use ELJs to stabilize chronically eroding banks of the Hoh River near milepost 174.4 of Highway 101 (ELJ site). WSDOT also proposes to use ELJs to stabilize Hoh River banks near milepost 175.9 (RR site), where RR has chronically failed. Although ELJs are expected to provide ecological benefits, they have not been thoroughly evaluated. The Hoh River sites offer an opportunity to use a before-after-control-impact design to evaluate the ecological benefits of ELJs. The study objectives were to 1) collect baseline data that would allow future comparisons of habitat diversity, fish species diversity, fish abundance, growth, and survival in areas stabilized using RR and ELJs, and 2) to evaluate fish habitat use and movement at the ELJ site. The authors collected pre-project data for fish habitat and fish abundance at both sites during the summer of 2009 and 2010, and fish abundance data during the winter of 2011. There were more channels (i.e., main, braid, side) and primary (i.e., pools, glides) habitats at the RR site than the ELJ site; however, these differences were likely related to larger scale geomorphic factors than the bank stabilization. In contrast, there were more secondary habitats, which are smaller distinct units within primary habitat, at the ELJ site, which contained much more eddy habitat. Species diversity at the RR and ELJ site was variable. Chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead, mountain whitefish, and sculpin were the most common species or genus collected at both sites. Differences in fish abundance, size or growth at the two sites were quite variable. Apparent survival of PIT-tagged coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) was greater at the ELJ site than the RR site; however, the results could not be compared statistically since only one ELJ and RR site were sampled. Acoustic tracking data showed that steelhead parr (O. mykiss) and juvenile Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) used a large portion of the study area, often within a 24-hr period. The acoustic tracking system provided quality tracking data for just over 50 percent of the time the fish were expected to be present in the array. Steelhead parr selected primary pools and secondary eddy habitats. They generally selected areas that were intermediate in depth (~0.6 to 3.5 m) and distances (~4-8 m) from the river bank. They generally did not use areas directly under the ELJs, which the authors hypothesize was related to the turbidity of the Hoh River. Turbidity likely provides cover thereby reducing the reliance on instream structures for protection from potential predators. The habitat and fish data collected will be useful for completing a before-after-control-impact assessment of the benefits of ELJs in the Hoh River. The movement data suggest that the reach scale may be the most appropriate spatial scale for monitoring ELJ projects, which is larger than the primary unit scale the authors used during this study. The habitat use results suggest that the ELJs will provide better habitat for juvenile steelhead, which preferred eddy habitats which were more abundant at the ELJ site than the RR site. KW - Bank protection KW - Banks (Waterways) KW - Before and after studies KW - Engineered logjams KW - Fishes KW - Habitat (Ecology) KW - Hoh River (Washington) KW - Riprap KW - Turbidity UR - http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/786.1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1395634 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01584277 AU - Anderson, Mark AU - Black, Chuck AU - Bridgelall, Raj AU - Cassady, Jim AU - Lantz, Brenda AU - Newton, Diane AU - Schaefer, Ron AU - Veile, Al AU - Leidos AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - System Requirements Specifications (SyRS) for Smart Roadside Initiative PY - 2012/10/16/Final Report SP - 86p AB - This document describes the system requirements specifications (SyRS) for the Smart Roadside Initiative (SRI) Prototype for the delivery of capabilities related to wireless roadside inspections, electronic screening/virtual weigh stations, universal electronic commercial vehicle identification, and truck parking. The SRI program is a multi-faceted US Department of Transportation (USDOT) initiative aimed at improving the efficiency and safety of the Nation’s roadways by providing for the exchange of important safety and operational information among the users and caretakers of the system. KW - Commercial truck parking KW - Commercial vehicles KW - Electronic screening KW - Motor carriers KW - Real time information KW - Smart Roadside Initiative KW - Specifications KW - System requirements KW - Universal electronic commercial vehicle identification KW - Vehicle to infrastructure communications KW - Virtual weigh stations KW - Wireless roadside inspections UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/56000/56200/56203/FHWA-JPO-16-260.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1377221 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472552 AU - Fine, Morris E AU - Vaynman, Semyon AU - Chung, Yip-Wah AU - Infrastructure Technology Institute (ITI) AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Development and Marketing of Low-Cost, High-Performance Steels for Infrastructure Applications PY - 2012/10/15/Final Report SP - 14p AB - This project addressed the goal of National Strategy for Surface Transportation Research to improve highway structures by enhanced materials, in particular by design and implementation of new, drastically improved steels with respect to strength, low-temperature-fracture toughness, weldability, and weatherability. The goal of the project was to develop, standardize and commercialize a family of low-cost, high-performance steels for infrastructure applications. As a result we developed steels with yield strength of 50 to 80 ksi, with Charpy absorbed fracture energy significantly exceeding requirements of bridge construction codes at temperatures down to -100°F, steels that are easy to weld without pre-heat or post-heat, steels that exhibit best weathering performance among other commercially available steels. In addition these steels are easy to produce; production does not involve any heat treatment or thermo-mechanically controlled processing which is available only to several United States Steel companies. The steels developed in this project were commercially produced in the form of plate and wide-flange I-beams. The steels were used for seismic retrofitting of one bridge (in 2000) and for construction of two new bridges (in 2006 and 2010). KW - Bridge construction KW - Costs KW - Design KW - Fracture properties KW - High strength steel KW - Marketing KW - Steel KW - Weathering steel KW - Weld strength KW - Yield strength UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46200/46226/FR-5-Fine.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1239151 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505573 AU - Chen, Zhaofu AU - Soyak, Eren AU - Tsaftaris, Sotirios A AU - Katsaggelos, Aggelos K AU - Center for the Commercialization of Innovative Transportation Technology AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Application Aware Approach to Compression and Transmission of H.264 Encoded Video for Automated and Centralized Transportation Surveillance PY - 2012/10/12/Final Report SP - 24p AB - This report presents a transportation video coding and wireless transmission system specifically tailored to automated vehicle tracking applications. By taking into account the video characteristics and the lossy nature of the wireless channels, the authors propose video preprocessing and error control approaches to enhance tracking performance while conserving bandwidth resources and computational power at the transmitter. Compared with the current state-of-the-art H.264-based implementations this system is shown to yield over 80% bitrate savings for comparable tracking accuracy. KW - Data communications KW - Data compression KW - Traffic surveillance KW - Transmission KW - Video KW - Video imaging detectors KW - Wireless communication systems UR - http://www.ccitt.northwestern.edu/documents/CCITT_Final_Report_Y5-02.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285657 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613755 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Local Road Safety Peer Exchange - Region 1 PY - 2012/10/10 SP - 11p AB - This report provides a summary of the proceedings of the Local Road Safety Peer Exchange held in Piscataway, New Jersey October 10th and 11th, 2012. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) sponsored the Peer Exchange in coordination with Region 1 Local Technical Assistance Program. The purpose of the Peer Exchange was to facilitate the exchange of information on local road safety and explore opportunities for greater coordination and communication between FHWA, State Departments of Transportation (DOTs), Local Technical Assistance Program Centers (LTAPs) and local officials/practitioners within the States in the region. The Peer Exchange covered four key topics: (1) Improving local road safety data collection and analysis; (2) Increasing local agencies participation in the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP); (3) Encouraging local involvement in the development and implementation of the State’s Strategic Highway Safety Plans (SHSPs); and (4) Improving interagency collaboration. Representatives from Region 1 States participated in the event including: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The format of the Peer Exchange consisted of expert and peer presentations on state practices, breakout sessions and facilitated roundtable discussions. At the end of the second day, participants met with colleagues in their respective States to develop action plans covering the four key topics discussed. The action plans identified: Strategies for consideration/implementation; Resources needed for implementation; and Champions to lead implementation. A brief description of the peer exchange proceedings is provided in this report. KW - Coordination KW - Data analysis KW - Data collection KW - Highway safety KW - Highway Safety Improvement Program KW - Implementation KW - Peer exchange KW - State departments of transportation KW - Strategic planning UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59800/59829/peer_report_NJ_Oct2012.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425518 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01478335 AU - National Transportation Safety Board TI - Review of U.S. Civil Aviation Accidents, Calendar Year 2010 PY - 2012/10/10 SP - 73p AB - This document covers aircraft accidents regulated under United States Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 121 and 135 as well as general aviation accidents. In total, 1,500 accidents occurred in 2010, involving 1,520 U.S.-registered aircraft. Approximately 18% (275) of these accidents were fatal, resulting in 470 fatalities. General aviation accidents accounted for nearly 96% of total accidents and about 97% of fatal accidents in 2010. Data for the years 2001–2009 are included to provide historical context for the 2010 statistics. The details of the circumstances of the accidents are presented throughout this report. Readers may download a copy of the accident dataset at http://www.ntsb.gov/data/aviation_stats.html. KW - Air transportation crashes KW - Civil aviation KW - Crash rates KW - Fatalities KW - General aviation KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States UR - https://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/reports/2012/ARA1201.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1246771 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01573260 TI - Applying Automated Feature Extraction to Questions of Driver Behavior AB - Development of advanced tools for video feature extraction. KW - Automation KW - Behavior KW - Development KW - Drivers KW - Video imaging detectors UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1366339 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472522 AU - Lindly, Jay K AU - Lou, Yingyan AU - Walsh, Joseph AU - Addy, Samuel N AU - Ijaz, Ahmad AU - University Transportation Center for Alabama AU - Alabama Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Revenue Enhancement Alternatives for the Alabama Department of Transportation PY - 2012/10/01/Final Report SP - 63p AB - This report examines several potential revenue enhancement alternatives for Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT). To provide specific, useful information, it focuses on three areas: 1) A survey of Alabama citizens to determine their attitude toward several revenue enhancement alternatives, including gasoline tax, road use fees, taxing owners of hybrid vehicles, and taxing long interstate trips. 2) An evaluation of which of the alternatives are capable of producing significant revenue increases, most significantly, sales and excise taxes on fuel, tax on hybrid and electric vehicles, and road use tax. 3) Researchers ran two different models to estimate potential revenue from tolling Interstate highways in Alabama. Results from both models indicate that revenues of at least $240 million/year could be generated from implementing Interstate highway tolls. Results from the two models’ “Most likely” scenarios generated values of $249 million/year and $390 million/year. The estimates generated for this study are for a mature toll system. Implementing a toll system requires many one-time expenditures that may cost millions of dollars each, such as an investment-grade traffic-and-revenue study and software and equipment purchases for the Customer Service Center. Additionally, toll road use is depressed in the first years of operation while drivers become aware and accustomed to the toll and decide whether or not it is a good value. Estimates produced for this study do not include these one-time purchases, nor do they account for initial lower facility use after a toll has been implemented. KW - Alabama Department of Transportation KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Fees KW - Financing KW - Revenues KW - Surveys KW - Taxes KW - Tolls UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46900/46935/11403-Final-Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1243276 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01466691 TI - Optimal RWIS Sensor Density and Location AB - The primary goal of the project is to develop a methodology for determining the optimal road weather information system (RWIS) sensor density and location over a highway network. In particular, the research has the following specific objectives: (1) Conduct a thorough review on literature related to the characterization, estimation and forecasting of winter road weather and road surface condition (RSC), cost-benefit analysis of RWIS, and methodologies and models for solving location problems; (2) Synthesize the current best practice and guidelines for expanding RWIS network and locating RWIS as well as regular weather stations; (3) Develop a quantitative understanding of spatial and temporal variation of road weather and surface conditions based on both RWIS and local weather data. The key parameters of interest include air temperature, surface temperature, and snow cover; and (4) Develop guidelines and an optimization model for determining the optimal number and location of RWIS sensors for different climate types. The work will result in the development of: (a) Operational WRM applications; (b) A RWIS benefit model; and (c) RWIS density and location optimization model and solution algorithms. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Literature reviews KW - Optimization KW - Road weather information systems KW - Sensors KW - Snow cover KW - Surface condition KW - Surface temperature UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1234926 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454016 AU - Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Improvements to Stewardship and Oversight Agreements are Needed to Enhance Federal-Aid Highway Program Management PY - 2012/10/01 SP - 24p AB - The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) oversees billions of dollars in Federal-aid Highway Program (FAHP) funds provided annually to the States and local public agencies (LPAs) and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds for highway infrastructure investments. To oversee this substantial investment, FHWA relies greatly on the States to monitor the thousands of projects receiving Federal funds. Stewardship and Oversight Agreements (Agreements), which are required by law, formalize the roles and responsibilities of FHWA Division Offices and the States to ensure adequate oversight of Federal funds, project quality, and safety. FHWA formalized its process for developing Agreements in its April 2006 and August 2011 Stewardship and Oversight Agreement Guidance. As part of our ongoing ARRA oversight, the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted this audit to assess whether FHWA Stewardship and Oversight Agreements address Federal requirements and program risks, including those required by the Recovery Act. The objectives of this audit were to determine the extent to which FHWA (1) established Agreements that fully reflected Federal requirements and its own key program risks and priorities and (2) provided sufficient Headquarters guidance and oversight of the development and timely update of Agreements. While FHWA fulfilled the statutory mandate to enter into Agreements with each State, the Agreements do not consistently reflect Federal requirements, or program risks and priorities that FHWA has identified and communicated to its Division Offices. Specifically, Agreements did not consistently address risks related to ARRA implementation and LPAs’ management of FHWA funds, Federal highway safety priorities, and use of performance and compliance indicators to measure the impact of the FAHP. FHWA Headquarters has not provided sufficient guidance and oversight to Division Offices for the development and update of Agreements to ensure that inconsistencies reflect valid differences among the States and to ensure that legal issues are identified. KW - Agreements KW - Auditing KW - Federal aid KW - Oversight KW - Program management KW - Risk management KW - Stewardship KW - Strategic planning KW - U.S. Federal Highway Administration UR - http://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/dot/files/FHWA%20Stewardship%20and%20Oversight%20Agreements%20with%20States%20Report%5E10-1-12.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1221492 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01598781 AU - Hu, Jiong AU - Kim, Yoo Jae AU - Lee, Soon-Jae AU - Texas State University, San Marcos AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Synthesis on Cost-Effectiveness of Extradosed Bridges: Technical Report PY - 2012/10//Technical Report SP - 192p AB - An extradosed bridge is a unique bridge type that utilizes both prestressed girder bridge and cable-stayed bridge concepts. Since the concept of an extradosed bridge is still relatively new, there is no clear definition and specification of the type of bridge. Also, due to the unique characteristics of an extradosed bridge, it is likely to initially cost more than a conventional girder bridge but less expensive compared to a cable-stayed bridge. This synthesis study identified and collected information on 120 extradosed bridges from Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Africa through a comprehensive literature review of over 350 technical papers, reports, and websites. Cost information on 58 extradosed bridges and bridge selection reasons for 47 extradosed bridges were collected and summarized. Over 100 individuals with experience in the design and/or construction of extradosed bridges were contacted. Telephone and email interviews of eight experts in extradosed bridges (three from Asia, three from Europe, and two from North America) were conducted. A statistical analysis was conducted to summarize general configurations, bridge selections, constructions, and costs of extradosed bridges. Four case studies regarding extradosed bridge selection were also included in the report. In addition, this study summarized the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing extradosed bridges, best practices, and existing methodologies. While there is a variety of advantages and disadvantages comparing extradosed bridges to girder bridges and cable-stayed bridges, the team identified aesthetic (signature bridge and landmark structure), underneath (navigation/vehicular) clearance and higher restriction, and construction and structure considerations as top reasons for selecting extradosed bridges over other alternatives. A bridge selection process specifying considerations for determining how and when an extradosed bridge is cost-effective and in the best interest of the public was also recommended. KW - Best practices KW - Cable stayed bridges KW - Case studies KW - Cost data KW - Cost effectiveness KW - Experts KW - Extradosed bridges KW - Girder bridges KW - Interviewing KW - Literature reviews KW - Statistical analysis UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6729-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1404685 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01536060 AU - AASHTO Center for Environmental Excellence TI - Connecting the DOTs through Collaboration in Stormwater Management PY - 2012/10 SP - 48p AB - This document provides information presented and discussed at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) National Stormwater Practioners Meeting held in June 2012, in Raleigh, North Carolina. The theme of the meeting was “Connecting the DOTs” and provided state departments of transportation (DOTs) from across the country an opportunity to learn and discuss the latest information on stormwater regulations and on how DOTs are dealing with the challenges of being a unique municipal stormwater conveyance and discharger. This white paper discusses U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stormwater updates, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting trends and new permit activities, information about DOT audits conducted by the states or EPA, stormwater asset management programs, contemporary post-construction stormwater controls, effectively focused construction stormwater management, and using a watershed approach to stormwater management. Presentations provided during the national meeting and a recorded webinar are available for on-demand viewing at AASHTO's Center for Environmental Excellence (Center) website: http://environment.transportation.org. This White Paper contains definitions, discussion on importance to DOTs, case studies from DOTs, future implications, considerations for moving forward, and key contacts and references for each of the key topics presented at the meeting. This document highlights information for practitioners across multiple functional areas within a DOT organizational structure. KW - Asset management KW - Case studies KW - National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) KW - Permits KW - Regulations KW - Runoff KW - State departments of transportation KW - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency KW - Water quality management UR - http://environment.transportation.org/pdf/water_wetlands/aashtoswwhitepaperoct2012.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1320923 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01531101 AU - Bocchieri, R T AU - MacNeill, R M AU - Northrup, C N AU - Dierdorf, D S AU - Applied Research Associates, Incorporated AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Crash Simulation of Transport Aircraft for Predicting Fuel Release: First Phase—Simulation of the Lockheed Constellation Model L-1649 Full-Scale Crash Test PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 97p AB - For nearly 40 years, the National Fire Protection Association, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the International Civil Aviation Organization have used mathematical models, such as the Theoretical Critical Area and Practical Critical Area (TCA/PCA) method, to determine Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) requirements at commercial airports throughout the world. These models used the length and width of the aircraft fuselage to determine a rectangular area in which extinguishing the fire was critical to safely evacuate passengers. They do not consider the plausible amount of fuel that could be released in survivable crash events. There has been growing concern that the ARFF requirements may not be sufficient for modern aircraft designs that include larger fuel capacities and varied crashworthiness. This research program is being conducted to establish an alternative methodology for evaluating the quantity of fuel dispersed during various types of survivable aircraft accidents and ultimately to contribute to the development of an alternative to the TCA/PCA method. The approach is to simulate survivable crashes using high-fidelity nonlinear dynamic finite element analysis of these events with fuel explicitly modeled in the wing tanks. The simulated, time-dependent fuel distribution will serve as input to fire modeling efforts for determining ARFF requirements. This research is being conducted in multiple phases. The first phase is a methodology validation phase in which a full-scale crash test of a Lockheed Constellation Model L-1649 is simulated. The objective of this phase was to demonstrate that this modeling approach can produce accurate results. Subsequent phases will implement the validated methodology for assessing fuel dispersal from two different transport aircraft. This report describes the analysis methodologies and results of the first phase of the research program. The analyses successfully demonstrated that accurate predictions for fuel release in survivable accidents can be achieved by using high-fidelity nonlinear dynamic finite element analysis of these events. Overall, simulated and test results for the liquid released are in good agreement. Refinements of modeling methods to more accurately simulate full-scale crashes of modern transport aircraft for predicting fuel release were also determined. KW - Air transportation crashes KW - Aircraft fuels KW - Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting KW - Finite element method KW - Fire fighting KW - Hazard analysis KW - Passenger aircraft KW - Simulation KW - Vehicle fires KW - Vehicle occupant rescue UR - http://www.airporttech.tc.faa.gov/DesktopModules/FlexNews/DownloadHandler.ashx?id=2a2121e8-3588-4600-a145-de54b0d62f7c&f=TC-12-43_Final_Crash_Simulation_of_Transport_Aircraft_for_Predicting_Fuel%20%20_Release_101012.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1313493 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516319 AU - Zingale, Carolina M AU - Willems, Ben AU - Schulz, Kenneth AU - Higgins, J Stephen AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Separation Management (SepMan 2): Human Factors Evaluations of Conflict Probe Location and Format and Workstation Display Alternatives PY - 2012/10//Technical Report SP - 81p AB - The En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) system will continue to integrate new capabilities and features to assist controllers in managing increasingly high levels of traffic in the National Airspace System (NAS). The Federal Aviation Administration Human Factors Branch conducted a study to examine potential modifications to the system. The study included an evaluation of (a) the location and format of conflict probe notifications, (b) the use of 30-inch displays, and (c) the use of different pointing devices at en route controller workstations. This report summarizes the evaluations of the conflict probe and display alternatives. This is the second Separation Management simulation. The first simulation investigated the automation requirements needed to assist controllers in working en route sectors capable of accommodating 3-nmi (5.56 km) and 5-nmi (9.26 km) separation standards. Eighteen (12 retired, 6 current) en route air traffic controllers participated in the study. All participants managed high-traffic level scenarios under test conditions that varied the location and format of the conflict probe notifications on controller displays and that compared controller management of traffic using current displays and 30-inch displays. The authors collected system and participant performance measures and ratings of workload and performance. The authors did not find significant differences across test conditions for measures of performance, efficiency, and safety. The authors did find that radar (R)-side participants viewed a higher proportion of notifications when only the most imminent notifications were presented on their displays. When notifications were available on the R-side display, the participants tended to select them more often from the data block than from the Conflict Alert List. In the Display Evaluation, the 30-inch displays were rated more favorably by the data (D)-side participants than by the R-side participants. Providing conflict probe notifications for imminent notifications on the R-side display and providing a 30-inch display on the D-side appear useful. KW - Air traffic control KW - Air traffic controllers KW - Aircraft separation KW - En Route Automation Modernization KW - Human factors KW - Information display systems KW - Performance measurement KW - Simulation KW - Workload UR - http://hf.tc.faa.gov/publications/2012-10-separation-management-sepman-2/full_text.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1290618 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502050 AU - Ede, William Moore AU - Vieira, Paulo AU - Otter, Duane AU - Matthews, Joshua AU - Transportation Technology Center, Incorporated AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - Rail Capacity Improvement Study for Heavy Rail Transit Operations PY - 2012/10 SP - 78p AB - This report describes principles and concepts related to capacity for heavy rail transit operations. It offers a combination of considerations and evaluation tools pertaining to relevant means of capacity improvements (technology, operations, route, and vehicle upgrades), both conventional and emerging. Guidance regarding minimizing cost of achieving the level of capacity improvement required is provided. Topics include track and station configuration, rolling stock, train operations, and signal and train control issues. Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) identifies promising potential improvements and additions to infrastructure to increase capacity (emphasizing cost-effective technology solutions). Discussion is provided on investment planning to increase transit system capacity by making the various improvements noted. The study also discusses the benefits, effectiveness, and life cycle costs of the various solutions. A sequence for implementation of the various recommended changes is suggested. To illustrate these principles, TTCI evaluated various aspects of the present capacity limitations vs. ridership for two large rail transit systems in the United States to determine capacity constraints and to identify areas where improved capacity might be needed. One section presents a limited case study of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) system. A second case study presents an overview of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, along with a more in-depth analysis of BART operations and suggestions for capacity improvements. In each case study, analysis of delays shows areas where improvements could be made that would increase system reliability. Reduction in variability and unplanned events can provide not only increased capacity but a better passenger experience. Increased reliability and reduced delays and variability are keys to getting the most capacity out of existing systems. Analysis of train operations and model simulations for congested areas on one system point to the root causes of congestion. Changes and upgrades to train operations and train control systems are then simulated to determine effectiveness of measures to improve system capacity. KW - Case studies KW - Investments KW - Life cycle costing KW - Rail transit KW - Railroad commuter service KW - Ridership KW - San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District KW - Simulation KW - Strategic planning KW - Train operations KW - United States KW - Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority UR - http://www.fta.dot.gov/images/FTA_Report_No._0035.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1279634 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499664 AU - Palle, Sudhir AU - Hopwood, Theodore AU - Meade, Bobby W AU - University of Kentucky, Lexington AU - Kentucky Transportation Cabinet AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - New Coatings for Bridges (Over-Coat Systems) PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 23p AB - Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) sought to identify new coatings technologies consistent with overcoating that offer enhancements in terms of ease of application and performance. KYTC contacted paint manufacturers to obtain sample coating systems for characterization by the KYTC Division of Materials and accelerated performance testing by Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC). A total of 14 coating systems from five manufacturers underwent performance testing according to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D5894. KW - Accelerated tests KW - Coatings KW - Highway bridges KW - Kentucky KW - Maintenance KW - Performance tests UR - http://www.ktc.uky.edu/files/2013/10/KTC_12_16_SPR_425_11_1F.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1267306 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01497272 AU - Meade, Bobby W AU - Hopwood, Theodore AU - Palle, Sudhir AU - University of Kentucky, Lexington AU - Kentucky Transportation Cabinet AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Fluorescing Coatings for Improved Inspection during Bridge Maintenance Painting PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 33p AB - Optically active pigments (OAPs) fluoresce under light exposure with wavelengths (<200 to 400 nm) producing emissions in the visible spectra (380 to 740 nm). They are used as paint pigments to aid visual inspection of applied coatings for defects such as pin-holing and incomplete coverage. OAP coatings are widely used in various industries outside of bridge maintenance painting. This study addressed the laboratory evaluation and field trial of an OAP coating for Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) bridges. OAP coatings were evaluated for inspectability and accelerated weathering performance in a laboratory test program. After successful laboratory performance, OAP coatings were specified for a KYTC bridge painting project incorporating two deck-girder bridges. One bridge was coated with an OAP zinc urethane primer/non-OAP epoxy mid-coat/OAP urethane top-coat system. The second bridge was coated with a non-OAP zinc urethane primer/OAP epoxy mid-coat/non-OAP urethane top-coat. Field observations revealed that OAP coatings improved inspectability by making uncoated and thinly coated areas more readily identifiable. KW - Bridges KW - Coatings KW - Field studies KW - Fluorescence KW - Inspection KW - Kentucky KW - Laboratory tests KW - Maintenance practices KW - Paint KW - Pigments KW - Weathering UR - http://www.ktc.uky.edu/files/2013/10/KTC_12_15_SPR_377_09_1F.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1266310 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01493483 AU - Huang, Yonggang AU - Northwestern University, Evanston AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Sustainable Piezoresistive Strain Sensors and Multiplexed Arrays for Transportation Infrastructures in Extreme Environments PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 10p AB - Piezoresistive strain sensors and multiplexed arrays cover a finite area of the surface of transportation infrastructures, and provide the spatial distribution of strain. These sensors and multiplexed arrays are particularly suitable for curvilinear surfaces with sharp corners, which usually have stress or strain concentrations and require accurate sensing. In addition, the gauge factor of piezoresistive strain sensors is more than two orders of magnitude higher than conventional strain sensors. They can measure much more accurately the maximum strain in the critical components (e.g., sharp corners, complex shapes) of the transportation infrastructure experiences. The author has applied the stretchable and flexible electronic technology to sensors for structural health monitoring of transportation infrastructures. The large, flexible and high-sensitivity sensor arrays enable rapid, accurate and robust measurement of strain distribution on any surface. This may lead to accurate damage assessment of transportation infrastructures (e.g., bridges, highways) and prediction of service life, which is important to the highway structures portion of National Strategy of Surface Transportation Research identified by USDOT research goals. The author has developed materials, integration strategies, mechanical models and system demonstrations of distributed networks of piezoresistive strain sensors based on ultrathin single-crystalline silicon membranes on thin plastic substrates (i.e. polyimide). Such systems offer high sensitivity (i.e. piezoresistive coefficient or gauge factor) of single-crystalline silicon while providing lightweight construction and mechanical flexibility. By using Wheatstone bridge configurations for the sensors and coupling them to multiplexing diodes, this technology can be scaled to large-area, integrated monitors with spatial mapping capabilities that also naturally provide compensation for variations in temperature. They overcome the limitations of current sensors, and thereby open up new opportunities for structural health monitoring of transportation infrastructures KW - Deformation curve KW - Maintenance KW - Piezoresistivity KW - Sensors KW - Service life KW - Strain (Mechanics) KW - Structural health monitoring KW - Temperature KW - Transportation infrastructure UR - http://iti.northwestern.edu/publications/utc/safetea-lu/FR-4-5-Huang.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1261338 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01491318 AU - van Gelder, Boudewijn H W AU - Bethel, James S AU - Supunyachotsakul, Chisaphat AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Feasibilty of a New Indiana Coordinate Reference System (INCRS) PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 131p AB - Engineers, surveyors, and geographic information system (GIS) professionals spend an enormous amount of time correcting field surveys to the classical State Plane Coordinate System (SPCS). The current mapping corrections are in the order of 1:33,000, or 30 parts per million (ppm). Modern surveys (e.g., global positioning system/Indiana Continuously Operating Reference Station) have an accuracy of a few parts per million. Whenever original surveys made on the surface of the Earth need to be reduced to a mapping reference surface, surveyed distances and angles (azimuths) need to be corrected. Measured distances need to be corrected for two scale factors: 1) due to the mapping scale inherent in conformal mappings, and 2) due to terrain heights. Measured angles (azimuths) need to be corrected for so-called convergence angles. The application of these necessary corrections is time consuming and may add an estimated 15 to 20% to the cost of a survey. The omission of these corrections corrupts the reliability of survey results. A new Indiana Coordinate Reference System (INCRS) allows for so much smaller corrections that when omitted the errors committed are small, and may be even neglected for surveys less accurate than a few ppm. In a few areas of Indiana (e.g. Clark County), terrain heights corrections are still needed because these corrections due to the terrain roughness are at the 14 ppm level. The proposed INCRS not only reduces the scale factor from 30 ppm to a few ppm, but also the convergence angles are reduced by a factor of four (from about 0.5 degree to about 7‐8 arcminutes). The new much more accurate mapping system has been developed based on closed formula expressions and simple mathematical coordinate transformations. KW - Azimuth KW - Coordinates KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Indiana KW - Mapping KW - Referencing KW - Surveying UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284315023 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1258463 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01491294 AU - Jonsson, Jon A AU - Olek, Jan AU - Ramirez, Julio A AU - Scholer, Charles F AU - Peterman, Robert J AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - High Performance Concrete (HPC) Bridge Project for SR 43 PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 127p AB - The objective of this research was to develop and test high performance concrete mixtures, made of locally available materials, having durability characteristics that far exceed those of conventional concrete mixtures. Based on the results from the development of high performance concrete, guidelines for a high performance concrete bridge over Burnett Creek on SR 43, just north of I-65 near West Lafayette, Indiana, will be prepared. In addition, the effects of different curing conditions, with respect to temperature and moisture conditions, were evaluated. The use of 15.2 mm (0.6 in) prestressing strand in girders made of 69 MPa (10 ksi) concrete was also evaluated with respect to pullout resistance and transfer and development lengths. KW - Concrete bridges KW - Concrete curing KW - Corrosion resistant materials KW - Durability tests KW - High performance concrete KW - Indiana KW - Local materials KW - Prestressing KW - Structural tests UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284314979 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1259974 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01488704 AU - Burbidge, Shaunna K AU - Active Planning AU - Utah Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Identifying a Profile for Non-Traditional Cycle Commuters PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 53p AB - Cycling has frequently been advocated as an easy low cost form of physical activity that is accessible to most individuals, regardless of age or ability. Additionally, when used as a mode of transportation, cycling can lead to reductions in air pollution, carbon emissions, congestion, noise, and traffic dangers, not to mention saving users money in vehicle ownership and maintenance costs. A 2011 Dan Jones survey commissioned by UDOT revealed that 13% of Utahns commute by bicycle at least once per week. This was in stark contrast to recent census data that measured cycle commuting rates statewide at a mere 0.8%. This research analyzes self-reported data collected as a part of the 2012 Utah Household Travel Survey to identify who these non-traditional cyclists are, what are their motivations for cycling, what are the purposes of their cycling trips, and what barriers are keeping them from cycling more frequently. Additionally, this report creates a profile for these non-traditional cyclists. Key findings include: that non-traditional cyclists are most likely to bike for exercise and to escort their children, and they exhibit different motivations for choosing to cycle. For individuals who reported that they would “never bike” the major reasons included not owning a bike and being busy or viewing cycling as taking too long. This research concludes that while it is unrealistic to assume that individuals in the non-traditional cyclist group will give up their automobile and begin making a majority of their trips for all purposes via bicycle, this group could be persuaded to occasionally leave a vehicle at home and make purpose specific trips by bicycle where appropriate. KW - Behavior KW - Bicycle commuting KW - Bicycle travel KW - Bicycling KW - Cyclists KW - Demographics KW - Travel surveys KW - Utah UR - http://www.udot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=3431812201411562 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1257237 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01487566 AU - Coffman, Richard A AU - Garner, Cyrus D AU - Mack Blackwell National Rural Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Identification of Expansive Soils Using Remote Sensing and In-situ Field Measurements – Phase I PY - 2012/10//Technical Report SP - 168p AB - Researchers at the University of Arkansas have conducted research on the suitability of using remote sensing techniques (radar and LIDAR) to monitor the shrink-swell behavior of an expansive clay material in a field test site as part of the Mack Blackwell Rural Transportation Center Project 3031. The field test site consisted of two 5,000 square foot compacted clay pads installed at the University of Arkansas’ Cato Springs Research Center (CSRC). In Phase I-A of the project four LIDAR scans and 335 radar scans were captured over an eight month period. The pads were constructed of eight inches of compacted clay material sourced from a local supplier overlying a two inch sand blanket. One pad was amended by the addition of three percent sodium bentonite (by dry weight) to increase the expansive behavior of the material. Radar scans were conducted on a weekly basis or after significant precipitation events. Additionally in Phase I-B, an additional three percent bentonite was added to the expansive pad and both pads were reconstructed. Results generated by this research project indicate that the LIDAR was able to detect the presence of ground movement due to expansive material. However, processing limitations severely curtailed the accuracy of this method. There were several issues encountered with the installation of the in-situ monitoring equipment in the compacted clay. Further research is required to determine the optimum method of installing TDR probes in compacted clay. TDR probes and tensiometers were used to develop the soil water characteristic curve. However, the pads did not experience a large enough change in volumetric water content to develop a large portion of the curve. KW - Expansive clays KW - Laser radar KW - Moisture content KW - Remote sensing KW - Seismicity KW - Soil water KW - Swelling soils UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/47000/47700/47793/MBTC-3031_Final_Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1253849 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01485014 AU - Zhang, Lei AU - Lu, Yijing AU - University of Maryland, College Park AU - Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Innovative Data Collection and Modeling Methods for Long-Distance Passenger Travel Demand Analysis PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 26p AB - After the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act was established in 1991, an increasing number of state highway agencies and federal agencies have started to develop and implement statewide or national travel demand models to meet policy and legislative development needs, and to predict the future travel demand. To date, more than 35 states have conducted modeling developments at the statewide level (Cohen, Horowitz, & Pendyala, 2008; Giaimo & Schiffer, 2005; Horowitz, 2006, 2008; Souleyrette, Hans, & Pathak, 1996). However, a lack of up-to-date multimodal and inter-regional travel survey data hinders researchers’ or analysts’ ability to quantitatively conduct reliable and effective evaluation of long-distance travel infrastructure investment and management at the statewide level. Meanwhile, in Europe travel demand modeling at the national level has received more attention in the last two decades. From the perspective of geography and population size, the European national travel demand model, to an extent, can be taken to be a statewide model in the U.S. Among the efforts involved in long-distance passenger travel modeling, the travel data collection is found to play a critical role in the success of the travel demand modeling at both the statewide and national levels. In this report, the post-processing methods (machine learning methods) to automate the trip purpose estimation are developed for long-distance travel, and available datasets including travel survey data and other supplementary data are employed to test and validate the method. This research aims to provide the support tool for long-distance travel data collection and sound methodology for post-processing the Global Positioning System (GPS)-, smartphone-, and social media-based travel survey data in the future. Alternative trip purpose categorization schemes for long-distance travel have been developed. Furthermore, the model performance under different purpose categorization is tested in order to provide comprehensive information to assist the design of future long-distance travel surveys. KW - Data collection KW - Europe KW - Intermodal transportation KW - Long distance travel KW - Travel demand KW - Travel surveys KW - Trip purpose KW - United States UR - http://www.mautc.psu.edu/docs/UMD-2010-01.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1253554 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01484419 AU - Ley, M Tyler AU - Woestman, Spencer AU - Riding, Kyle AU - Nyberg, Wesley AU - Peric, Dunja AU - Momeni, Amir Farid AU - Oklahoma State University, Stillwater AU - Oklahoma Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Effect of Y-Cracking on CRCP Performance PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 250p AB - This report covers the investigation of the impact of Y-cracking on concrete pavements in Oklahoma. This study used field and analytical investigations to determine the impact of Y-cracking on the long term performance of continuous concrete pavements. The research found that Y-cracking in concrete pavements does lead to an increase in the number of punch outs. Of all the variables investigated, the base type and the shoulder type had the largest impact on the amount of Y-cracking that occurred in continuous concrete pavements. The analytical studies confirmed that these variables can lead to increases in pavement stresses and so, therefore, cracking. KW - Base course (Pavements) KW - Continuously reinforced concrete pavements KW - Cracking of concrete pavements KW - Oklahoma KW - Pavement distress KW - Pavement performance KW - Road shoulders KW - Stresses UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1251377 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01483903 AU - Arribas-Colon, Maria del Mar AU - Radlinski, Mateusz AU - Olek, Jan AU - Whiting, Nancy M AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Investigation of Premature Distress Around Joints in PCC Pavements: Parts I & II PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 83p AB - Some of the Indiana concrete pavements constructed within the last 10‐20 years have shown signs of premature deterioration, especially in the areas adjacent to the longitudinal and transverse joints. This deterioration typically manifested itself as cracking and spalling of concrete combined with the loss of material in the direct vicinity of the joint. In addition, in some cases “bulb‐shaped” damage zones were also observed under the sealed parts of the joints. The objective of this study was to investigate possible causes of this premature deterioration. To reach this objective, the characteristics of the concrete in and near the deteriorated joints were compared and contrasted to the concrete characteristics in the non‐deteriorated sections of pavement. The study was conducted in two different phases (Phase I and Phase II), and the findings are presented as a two‐part report. The investigation started with a detailed inventory of selected areas of affected pavements in order to identify and classify the existing types of distresses and select locations for collection of the cores. During the Phase I of the study a total of 36 concrete cores were extracted from 5 different pavements.. During Phase II of the study a total of 18 cores were retrieved from five different pavement sections and subject to examination. The cores were subjected to eight different tests: air‐void system determination, Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, sorptivity test, freeze‐thaw & resonance frequency test, resistance to chloride ion penetration (RCP) test and chloride profile (concentration) determination. The test results identified several cases of in‐filling of the air voids (especially smaller air bubbles) with secondary deposits. These deposits were most likely the result of the repetitive saturation of air voids with water and substantially reduced the effectiveness of the air voids system with respect to providing an adequate level of freeze‐thaw protection. Specifically, it was observed that the existing air void system in the concrete from panels near the deteriorated longitudinal joint had neither spacing factors nor specific surface values within the range recommended for freeze‐thaw durability. Contrary to this, nearly all the concrete in lanes without damage had an adequate air void system at the time of sampling. In addition, the affected concrete often displayed an extensive network of microcracks, had higher rates of absorption and reduced ability to resist chloride ions penetration. From the observation of the drains performed using the remote camera it was obvious that not all the drains were functioning properly and some were entirely blocked. However, more precise or direct correlations could not be made between the conditions of the drains and observed pavement performance. KW - Air voids KW - Chlorides KW - Cracking of concrete pavements KW - Freeze thaw durability KW - Indiana KW - Pavement distress KW - Pavement joints KW - Pavement performance KW - Portland cement concrete UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284315019 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1252546 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01482784 AU - West, Randy AU - Timm, David AU - Willis, James R AU - Powell, R Buzz AU - Tran, Nam AU - Watson, Don AU - Sakhaeifar, Maryam AU - Robbins, Mary AU - Brown, Ray AU - Vargas-Nordcbeck, Adriana AU - Villacorta, Fabricio Leiva AU - Guo, Xiaolong AU - Nelson, Jason AU - National Center for Asphalt Technology AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Alabama Department of Transportation AU - Florida Department of Transportation AU - Georgia Department of Transportation AU - Mississippi Department of Transportation AU - Missouri Department of Transportation AU - North Carolina Department of Transportation AU - Oklahoma Department of Transportation AU - South Carolina Department of Transportation AU - Tennessee Department of Transportation AU - Shell Oil Company AU - Kraton Performance Polymers, Incorporated AU - Trinidad Lake Asphalt AU - PolyCon Manufacturing AU - Oldcastle Materials TI - Phase IV NCAT Pavement Test Track Findings: Draft Report PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 188p AB - This report describes the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) Pavement Test Track and presents an overview of the experiments conducted there from 2009 to 2011 (fourth cycle). Information for experiments includes: background, objectives, methodology, test track performance, analysis, and conclusions. Chapters include: Surface layer performance experiments, Structural experiments, and Additional analyses. Synopses of major findings from previous cycles are included as well as the benefit/cost of test track studies. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Experiments KW - National Center for Asphalt Technology KW - Pavement performance KW - Pavements KW - Research KW - Structural analysis KW - Surface course (Pavements) UR - http://www.ncat.us/files/reports/2012/rep12-10.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1250363 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01480138 AU - Perez, Benjamin G AU - Fuhs, Charles AU - Gants, Colleen AU - Giordano, Reno AU - Ungemah, David H AU - Parsons Brinckerhoff AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Priced Managed Lane Guide PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 184p AB - This Guide is intended to be a comprehensive source of collective experience gained from priced managed lanes implemented in the United States through 2012. The Guide presents a wide range of information on priced managed lanes. The purpose of this Guide is to assist transportation professionals as they consider, plan, and implement priced managed lanes projects. The Priced Managed Lane Guide also updates the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) 2003 Guide for HOT Lane Development. At the time the earlier Guide was written, there were only four priced managed lane facilities operating in the United States and few transportation professionals had firsthand experience with implementing or operating these facilities. As of May 2012, there are 14 operating managed lane facilities nationwide, an additional 14 in construction, and approximately 25 others in planning. The Guide addresses a wide range of policy, outreach, and technical issues associated with the implementation of priced managed lanes, focusing on the knowledge and experience gained from the new projects that have advanced in the past decade. The Guide also provides detailed profiles of 21 priced managed lane projects that are either operational or nearing completion. These resources represent the most comprehensive compilation of data and information prepared by FHWA on priced managed lanes to date KW - Congestion pricing KW - Design of specific facilities KW - Handbooks KW - High occupancy toll lanes KW - Implementation KW - Managed lanes KW - Policy analysis KW - Traffic congestion UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop13007/fhwahop13007.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1248187 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01479060 AU - Rose, David AU - Isaac, Lauren AU - Shah, Keyur AU - Blake, Tagan AU - Parsons Brinckerhoff AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - Asset Management Guide: Focusing on the Management of Our Transit Investments PY - 2012/10 SP - 268p AB - To advance transit asset management, this guide provides a transit-specific asset management framework for managing assets individually and as a portfolio of assets that comprise an integrated system. The guide provides flexible, yet targeted guidance to advance the practice and implementation of transit asset management. Objectives include: (1) Explain what transit asset management is and what the business benefits to an agency are; (2) provide an enterprise asset management framework and business model that agencies can refer to as“best practice;" (3) describe the elements of transit asset management plan; (4) detail, for each major asset class, the major enabling components of asset management: inventory, condition assessment, performance analysis and modeling, risk management, and lifecycle cost management; and (5) guide organizations through the migration from their current baseline to high-performance asset management. KW - Asset management KW - Business practices KW - Guidelines KW - Implementation KW - Performance measurement KW - Public transit KW - Transit operating agencies UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/55000/55500/55512/FTA_Report_No._0027.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1248081 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01478959 AU - Osborne, Leon AU - University of North Dakota, Grand Forks AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development and Demonstration of a Freezing Drizzle Algorithm for Roadway Environmental Sensing Systems PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 23p AB - The primary goal of this project is to demonstrate the accuracy and utility of a freezing drizzle algorithm that can be implemented on roadway environmental sensing systems (ESSs). The types of problems related to the occurrence of freezing precipitation range from simple traffic delays to major accidents that involve fatalities. Freezing drizzle can also lead to economic impacts in communities with lost work hours, vehicular damage, and downed power lines. There are means for transportation agencies to perform preventive and reactive treatments to roadways, but freezing drizzle can be difficult to forecast accurately or even detect, as weather radar and surface observation networks poorly observe these conditions. The detection of freezing precipitation is problematic and requires special instrumentation and analysis. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) development of aircraft anti-icing and deicing technologies has led to the development of a freezing drizzle algorithm that utilizes air temperature data and a specialized sensor capable of detecting ice accretion. However, at present, roadway ESSs are not capable of reporting freezing drizzle. This study investigates the use of the methods developed for the FAA and the National Weather Service (NWS) within a roadway environment to detect the occurrence of freezing drizzle using a combination of icing detection equipment and available ESS sensors. The work performed in this study incorporated the algorithm developed initially and further modified for work with the FAA for aircraft icing. The freezing drizzle algorithm developed for the FAA was applied using data from standard roadway ESSs. The work performed in this study lays the foundation for addressing the central question of interest to winter maintenance professionals as to whether it is possible to use roadside freezing precipitation detection (e.g., icing detection) sensors to determine the occurrence of pavement icing during freezing precipitation events and the rates at which this occurs. KW - Algorithms KW - Freezing KW - Ice detection KW - Rain KW - Road weather information systems KW - Sensors KW - Weather conditions KW - Weather forecasting UR - http://www.aurora-program.org/pdf/200704Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247664 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01478787 AU - Moriarty, Kevin AU - Bendyk, Joshua AU - McGee, Hugh AU - Herr, Joseph AU - Byrne, Terry AU - Dixon, Matthew AU - Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Recording Devices for Interconnected Grade Crossing and Intersection Signal Systems: An Informational Report PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 133p AB - Over 15 years ago, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued 29 recommendations to improve safety at active controlled highway-rail grade crossings following the school bus-commuter train collision in Fox River Grove, Illinois. The objective of this task order was to develop technical information to assist highway agencies and railroads with integrating effective event recording devices within interconnected/preempted highway-rail grade crossing signal systems. This information is intended to be applicable to the installation of new systems as well as to retrofitting existing systems. The objective also included developing technical information that could be used to establish periodic inspection of traffic signals by State and local highway agencies as well as detailed joint annual inspections of interconnected highway-rail grade crossing signal systems. Specific emphasis was placed on highway agencies, as there are currently no national regulations to counterpart 49 CFR 234 and AREMA mandates for railroad agencies. The outcomes of this effort are focused to help the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) implement the two NTSB recommendations, supporting Safety Advisory 2010-02. KW - Event data recorders KW - Highway safety KW - Inspection KW - Intersections KW - Railroad grade crossings KW - Railroad safety KW - Traffic signal preemption UR - http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/xings/recording_device/ UR - http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/xings/recording_device/recording_devices.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247568 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01478275 AU - Boodlal, Leverson AU - Abraham, Tintu AU - KLS Engineering, LLC AU - Science Applications International Corporation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Training Course on Developing Transportation Management Plans for Work Zones: Participant Workbook PY - 2012/10 SP - 222p AB - This participant workbook is part of the web-based training course “Developing Transportation Management Plans for Work Zones." The training course is intended to assist transportation agencies in developing an effective and complete work zone Transportation Management Plan (TMP). The workbook contains information on the course objectives and general overview of the course. The workbook is designed for note taking and as an additional resource for future use. The primary intended audience for this training is transportation agency staff, including technical staff, (planners, designers, traffic engineers, highway/safety engineers, etc); management and executive level staff responsible for setting policy and program direction; field staff responsible for building projects and managing work zones; and staff responsible for assessing performance in these areas. KW - Highway operations KW - Mobility KW - Training KW - Work zone safety KW - Work zone traffic control KW - Work zones UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/final_rule/tmp_examples/tmp_training/tmp_workbook.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1246774 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477172 AU - Goodwin, Gwendolyn C AU - Schoby, Jamaal AU - Eversley, Shain AU - Texas Southern University, Houston AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - A Comparison of Crashes and Fatalities in Texas by Age Group: Selected Cities in Texas PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 48p AB - In recent decades, great strides have been made to lower the number of accidents that occur on Texas roadways through graduated drivers licensing programs, messages against texting and driving, and discouraging drunk driving. Statistics show that young, novice drivers between 16 and 24 years old account for the highest rate of crashes, and senior drivers (65 and older) have the highest rate of fatalities when involved in a crash. In 2008, in Texas, 571 teens died in car crashes. From 2003 to 2008 over 2,751 seniors lost their lives in automobile accidents. Building on work done on a previous study of senior fatalities, this study will examine crash data from 2006 and 2009 from the cities of Houston, Sugar Land, and Pearland, Texas to determine if the number of crashes per age group is increasing or decreasing. This study will also determine if fatalities are increasing or decreasing between these two age groups. KW - Age groups KW - Aged drivers KW - Crash rates KW - Fatalities KW - Houston (Texas) KW - Pearland (Texas) KW - Sugar Land (Texas) KW - Teenage drivers KW - Traffic crashes UR - http://swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/476660-00052-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1246730 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477144 AU - Kaufman, Sarah M AU - New York University, New York AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - How Social Media Moves New York: Twitter Use by Transportation Providers in the New York Region PY - 2012/10 SP - 25p AB - This report analyzes the use of social media tools by the New York region’s major transportation providers. It is focused on the effectiveness of their Twitter feeds, which were chosen for their immediacy and simplicity in messaging, and provided a common denominator for comparison between the various transportation providers considered, both public and private. Based on this analysis, recommendations are outlined for improving social media outreach. Key findings include: private sector transportation providers reach far more customers, proportionately, than those in the public sector; few transportation providers maximize Twitter’s potential; a focus on non-English speakers is lacking; and public transportation providers lag far behind private providers in terms of accountability. KW - New York (New York) KW - Social media KW - Transportation by ownership KW - Twitter UR - http://wagner.nyu.edu/files/faculty/publications/how_social_media_moves_new_york.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1246293 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01473904 AU - Chen, Yikai AU - Corr, David J AU - Durango-Cohen, Pablo L AU - Northwestern University, Evanston AU - Infrastructure Technology Institute (ITI) AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - A Data Processing and Control System to Support Remote Infrastructure Monitoring PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 11p AB - The Hurley Bridge (Wisconsin Structure B-26-7) carries westbound traffic on US Route 2 over the Montreal River from Ironwood, Michigan to Hurley, Wisconsin. The bridge is subject to heavy loads from daily truck traffic. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is concerned about that the observed traffic will cause premature degradation of the structure due to fatigue and overstress conditions. In cooperation with WisDOT, Northwestern University’s Infrastructure Technology Institute (ITI) has installed a continuous remote structure health monitoring system on the bridge consisting of strain gauges, thermocouples, accelerometers and displacement transducers at selected locations, in conjunction with a weigh-in-motion system installed by a third-party contractor. The main objectives of the system include: processing measurements related to structural health, traffic loads, and environmental conditions in an integrated fashion, thereby yielding comprehensive condition assessment and forecasting capabilities; providing real-time, reliable alerts when potential damage or risk of structural change in the facilities is detected; and determining the nature of the detected changes and identifying possible causes. The developed control system demonstrates its capability to: formulate statistical models to estimate and predict long-term performance conditions; construct control charts to detect, characterize, and quantify the effect of unusual changes and trigger reliable alerts when potential risks occur; identify plausible causes of the detected changes and provide valuable information for maintenance and repair. In terms of performance conditions on the bridge, the analysis shows that: (1) seasonal effects and a linear trend, included as a supplementary predictor, account for a large percentage of the overall variation in the response measurements; (2) small, but significant, linear trends indicate permanent displacement of the bridge; and (3) serial dependence appears to be a significant source of common-cause variation. Further implementation of control charts detected 43 special-cause events over the experiment period of April 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011. While unusual in occurrence, none of the detected changes represent an immediate threat to the safety or serviceability of the Hurley Bridge. Instead, they demonstrate the ability of the data processing system to efficiently and reliably detect out-of-the ordinary events as well as subtle long-term changes. Future work will enable similar data processing systems to provide alerts of structural performance changes in near-real time. KW - Case studies KW - Control systems KW - Highway bridges KW - Information processing KW - Remote sensing KW - Structural health monitoring KW - Wisconsin UR - http://iti.northwestern.edu/publications/utc/safetea-lu/FR-5-DurangoCohen.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46200/46225/FR-5-DurangoCohen.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223064 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01473627 AU - Hourdos, John AU - University of Minnesota, Twin Cities AU - Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Development of Next Generation Simulation Models for the Twin Cities Freeway Metro-Wide Simulation Model – Phase 1 PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 60p AB - The collapse of the Interstate 35W Highway Bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis resulted in unexpected loss of life and had serious consequences on mobility and accessibility in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. In response to the network disruption caused by the bridge collapse, a number of traffic restoration projects were proposed and implemented by the Minnesota Department of Transportation in a very short order. Selection and prioritization of these projects, however, was mainly based on engineering judgment and experience. The only decision-support tool available to traffic engineers was the regional transportation planning model, which is static in nature and decennial. Although such a model is suitable for the evaluation of long-term (in the order of 5 years or longer) transportation investments, it is not appropriate or adequate for short-term (within days or weeks) operational planning in response to a disaster or other emergencies. This was the driving force behind the creation of a comprehensive model of the Twin Cities freeway and major highway system that can support higher levels of traffic simulation resolution. Phase 1, described in this report, of the development of the Twin Cities metro-wide freeway microscopic model covered the importation of the roadway geometry into a microscopic simulator, generation of demand information for the entire model as well as for the calibration of as many as possible individual segments. In total, 1,199 directional kilometers of freeway mainline where included in the model. Including ramps and major highways, the number rises to 2,492 directional kilometers. The demand in the model is generated from 859 zones extracted from the regional planning model. KW - Freeways KW - Highway traffic KW - Microscopic traffic flow KW - Technological innovations KW - Traffic models KW - Traffic simulation KW - Twin Cities Metropolitan Area (Minnesota) UR - http://www.its.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/reportdetail.html?id=2200 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223060 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01473618 AU - Feng, Yiheng AU - Hourdos, John AU - Davis, Gary AU - Collins, Michael AU - University of Minnesota, Twin Cities AU - Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Vehicle Probe Based Real-Time Traffic Monitoring on Urban Roadway Networks PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 85p AB - Travel time is a crucial variable both in traffic demand modeling and for measuring network performance. The objectives of this study focused on developing a methodology to characterize arterial travel time patterns by travel time distributions, proposing methods for estimating such distributions from static information and refining them with the use of historical global positioning system (GPS) probe information, and given such time and location-based distribution, using real- time GPS probe information to produce accurate path travel times as well as monitor arterial traffic conditions. This project set the foundations for a realistic use of GPS probe travel time information and presented the proposed methodologies through two comprehensive case studies. The first study used the Next Generation SIMulation (NGSIM) Peachtree Street dataset, and the second utilized both real GPS and simulation data of Washington Avenue, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. KW - Arterial highways KW - Case studies KW - Minneapolis (Minnesota) KW - Probe vehicles KW - Real time information KW - Traffic surveillance KW - Traffic volume KW - Travel time KW - Urban highways UR - http://www.its.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/reportdetail.html?id=2202 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223045 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472541 AU - Ahearn, Meghan J AU - Boeker, Eric R AU - Rosenbaum, Joyce E AU - Gerbi, Paul J AU - Roof, Christopher J AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - The Analysis of Modeling Aircraft Noise with the Nord2000 Noise Model PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 115p AB - This report provides comparisons between Aviation Environmental Design Tool/Integrated Noise Model (AEDT/INM) and the Nord 2000 Noise Models for the following parameters: ground type, simple terrain (downward slope, upward slope, hill), temperature and humidity, temperature gradients (positive and negative), turbulence, mixed ground types, hill terrain with mixed ground types, hill terrain with mixed ground types and turbulence, and hill terrain with a positive temperature gradient. The purpose of these comparisons is to highlight portions of the Nord2000 noise propagation methodology that could be considered and adapted for inclusion in AEDT development. KW - Aircraft noise KW - Aviation Environmental Design Tool KW - INM (Integrated Noise Model) KW - Mathematical prediction KW - Sound transmission KW - Temperature gradients KW - Terrain KW - Weather UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46200/46271/DOT_VNTSC_FAA_12_07.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1239143 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472540 AU - Kockelman, Kara AU - Fagnant, Dan AU - Nichols, Brice AU - Boyles, Steve AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - A Project Evaluation Toolkit (PET) for Abstracted Networks PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 88p AB - This report summarizes research for Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Project No. 0-6487, which enhanced and expanded the open-source Project Evaluation Toolkit (PET) to evaluate operational strategies for transport project (and policy) impact evaluation. Such strategies include advanced traveler information systems, speed harmonization, shoulder use, incident management, and ramp metering. PET is a user-friendly, comprehensive sketch-level project evaluation planning tool, anticipating changes in travel demand, traffic patterns, crashes, emissions, traveler welfare, reliability, project net present values, benefit-cost ratios, and other performance metrics. PET also tracks project financing measures for a number of project types, including capacity expansion projects, tolling, and managed lane facilities. Beyond operational strategies, this project increased PET’s scope, usability, and accuracy in other ways. For example, new transit and fixed-cost features allow for deeper and more meaningful mode choice and network modeling, while a network visualization module dramatically facilitates user generation and editing of modeled networks. New features also allow users to bypass PET’s built-in travel demand model (TDM) to evaluate external TDM outputs directly. Such features allow more sophisticated modelers the chance to apply PET to their own TDM outputs, for a much wider variety of outputs than traditionally available to transportation planners and engineers. As noted, outputs include emissions, crash counts, reliability, toll revenues, and benefit-cost ratios, among others. PET capabilities include budget allocation tolls, multi-criteria assessment (of multi-faceted projects, using decision envelopment analysis), and sensitivity analysis (to produce distributions of project performance metrics, recognizing that many/most inputs have some uncertainty associated with them). Alongside these scope-enhancing changes are updates to crash and emissions estimation procedures, reflecting the latest Highway Safety Manual and Environmental Protection Agency emissions (MOVES) estimation routines. This project also developed a variety of professional supporting materials for PET users, including an extensive User’s Guide, presentation materials (for rapid training of new users), and four urban roadway networks (for Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio). All these, along with several relevant papers and reports, are available at http://www.ce.utexas.edu/prof/kockelman/PET_Website/homepage.htm KW - Economic impacts KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Network analysis (Planning) KW - Performance measurement KW - Programming (Planning) KW - Project management KW - Software KW - Texas UR - http://www.utexas.edu/research/ctr/pdf_reports/0_6487_1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1243218 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472514 AU - Huang, Yonggang AU - Infrastructure Technology Institute (ITI) AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Piezoresistive Strain Sensors and Multiplexed Arrays for Transportation Infrastructures PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 10p AB - During Year 5 of Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), Infrastructure Technology Institute researcher Professor Yonggang Huang collaborated with researchers at University of Illinois to engineer stretchable and flexible piezoresistive strain sensors and multiplexed arrays for advanced structure health monitoring of transportation infrastructures. The large, flexible and high-sensitivity sensor arrays enable rapid, accurate and robust measurement of strain distribution on any surface. This may lead to accurate damage assessment of transportation infrastructures (e.g., bridges, highways) and prediction of service life, which is important to the highway structures portion of National Strategy of Surface Transportation Research identified by United States Department of Transportation research goals. The authors have developed materials, integration strategies, mechanical models and system demonstrations of distributed networks of piezoresistive strain sensors based on ultrathin single-crystalline silicon membranes on thin plastic substrates (i.e. polyimide). Such systems offer high sensitivity (i.e. piezoresistive coefficient or gauge factor) of single-crystalline silicon while providing lightweight construction and mechanical flexibility. By using Wheatstone bridge configurations for the sensors and coupling them to multiplexing diodes, this technology can be scaled to large-area, integrated monitors with spatial mapping capabilities that also naturally provide compensation for variations in temperature. They overcome the limitations of current sensors, and thereby opening up new opportunities for structural health monitoring of transportation infrastructures. KW - Infrastructure KW - Multiplexers KW - Sensors KW - Service life KW - Strain (Mechanics) KW - Structural analysis KW - Structural health monitoring UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46200/46222/FR-5-Huang.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1239161 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472507 AU - Thomas, M D A AU - Fournier, B AU - Folliard, K J AU - Transtec Group, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Selecting Measures to Prevent Deleterious Alkali-Silica Reaction in Concrete: Rationale for the AASHTO PP65 Prescriptive Approach PY - 2012/10 SP - 52p AB - In 2011, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) published PP65-11 “Standard Practice for Determining the Reactivity of Concrete Aggregates and Selecting Appropriate Measures for Preventing Deleterious Expansion in New Concrete Construction.” PP65-11 provides two approaches for selecting preventive measures: 1) a performance approach based on laboratory testing, and 2) a prescriptive approach based on a consideration of the reactivity of the aggregate, type and size of structure, exposure conditions, and the composition of cementitious materials being used. The options for preventive measures included in the prescriptive approach of PP65-11 are to 1) control the alkali content of the concrete to a maximum allowable level; 2) use a minimum level of supplementary cementitious material (SCM) or combination of SCMs; or 3) use a combination of these two options .This document is intended to provide the background information that was used in the development of the prescriptive approach. KW - Alkali aggregate reactions KW - Alkali silica reactions KW - Concrete KW - Deleterious materials KW - Durability KW - Laboratory tests KW - Prevention KW - Reactive aggregates KW - Supplementary cementing materials UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/concrete/asr/hif13002/hif13002.pdf UR - http://www.tsp2.org/library-tsp2/uploads/1836/Rationale_for_PP65_Prescriptive_Approach.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46900/46946/Selecting_measures_to_prevent_deleterious_alkali-silica_reaction_in_concrete.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1243315 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472499 AU - Qu, Jianmin AU - Infrastructure Technology Institute (ITI) AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Accelerated Assessment of ASR Damage by Nonlinear Ultrasonic Method PY - 2012/10 SP - 19p AB - This document presents two techniques for measuring alkali-silica reaction (ASR) damage. The first section demonstrates the feasibility of using nonlinear ultrasonic techniques to track the progress of ASR damage in concrete. The abilities of the nonlinear ultrasonic methods to identify the different stages of ASR damage and to track the intrinsic characteristics of the ASR damage make such methods potentially useful tools for rapid screening of aggregates for ASR reactivity in the lab, and for field assessments of ASR damage in existing concrete structures. The second section presents a new model to predict acoustic nonlinearity change during alkali-silica reaction (ASR) damage. This new model includes a chemo-mechanical model, a micromechanical model and a fracture model. These models are tightly coupled. In the fracture model, a damage variable is introduced to simulate crack opening. The interface pressure and damage variable are then used to calculate the acoustic nonlinearity change. The results of numerical prediction and experimental measurements are in good agreement. Although more experiments on aggregates with different activities are needed to further validate this model, the present work has shown that the proposed method has a good potential to quantitatively predict the acoustic nonlinearity variation during ASR damage and can be used to guide experimental measurements in the future. KW - Accelerated tests KW - Alkali silica reactions KW - Concrete KW - Durability KW - Reactive aggregates KW - Test procedures KW - Ultrasonic tests UR - http://iti.northwestern.edu/publications/utc/safetea-lu/FR-5-Qu.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46200/46230/FR-5-Qu.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1239141 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472480 AU - Zhang, Lei AU - Askaroff, Dilya AU - Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center AU - University of Maryland, College Park AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Integrated Urban Systems Model with Multiple Transportation Supply Agents PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 26p AB - This project demonstrates the feasibility of developing quantitative models that can forecast future networks under current and alternative transportation planning processes. The current transportation planning process is modeled based on empirical information collected from interviews with key transportation agencies and planning documents published by these agencies. The investment decision-makings rules of and interaction/negotiations among state and local transportation authorities are explicitly considered in the proposed agent-based model. Results on a test network show the current transportation planning process can be improved in several different ways. Either a more centralized or more decentralized planning process can improve investment decision-making and enhance the performance of future transportation networks. KW - Decision making KW - Government agencies KW - Networks KW - Resource allocation KW - Transportation departments KW - Transportation planning UR - http://www.mautc.psu.edu/docs/UMD-2007-05.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46900/46987/UMD-2007-05.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1243634 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01471169 AU - Bullough, John D AU - Skinner, Nicholas P AU - Bierman, Andrew AU - Milburn, Nelda J AU - Taranta, Rachel T AU - Narendran, N AU - Gallagher, Donald W AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Nonincandescent Source Aviation Signal Light Colors PY - 2012/10//Technical Note SP - 95p AB - Aviation signal lighting systems are increasingly replacing filtered and unfiltered incandescent lamps with light-emitting diode (LED) sources to create various signal light colors. As LED sources produce spectral distributions that can differ in color appearance from incandescent signal lights, it is important to understand how the characteristics of LEDs influence color identification. The objective of this research was to provide chromaticity regions for aviation signal lights that maximize the likelihood of correct identification while minimizing the potential for confusion with other colors. Three color identification studies of aviation signal lights were conducted to produce white, yellow, red, blue, and green colors using filtered and unfiltered incandescent lamps and LEDs. The objectives of these studies were to (1) identify chromaticity regions resulting in a high probability of correctly identifying aviation signal lights as white; (2) compare the color identification performance of color-normal and color-deficient observers in response to incandescent and LED signal lights of each nominal color (white, yellow, red, blue, and green); and (3) identify chromaticity regions resulting in a high probability of correctly identifying aviation signal lights as yellow, red, or blue. Based on the results of these studies, recommendations for each of the nominal signal colors are provided in the Commission Internationale de l’Éclairage 1931 chromaticity space. KW - Aviation KW - Chromaticity KW - Color KW - Color vision KW - Incandescent lamps KW - Light emitting diodes KW - Signal lights KW - Visual perception UR - http://www.airporttech.tc.faa.gov/DesktopModules/FlexNews/DownloadHandler.ashx?id=b8145d4d-1b09-4574-9f11-3c0e18aefee1&f=TC-TN12-61.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1239276 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470567 AU - Zuschlag, Michael K AU - Ranney, Joyce M AU - Coplen, Michael K AU - Harnar, Michael A AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Transformation of Safety Culture on the San Antonio Service Unit of Union Pacific Railroad PY - 2012/10 SP - 211p AB - The Federal Railroad Administration conducted a pilot demonstration of Clear Signal for Action (CSA), a risk reduction process that combines peer-to-peer feedback, continuous improvement, and safety leadership development. An independent formative and summative evaluation of the pilot using qualitative and quantitative measures found that CSA can be implemented on the railroad despite the historical mistrust between labor and management. It is helpful if the site for CSA is open to change and local and external leadership support the process. Over two years, the site with the CSA process experienced improved labor-management relations and an approximately 80 percent decrease in at-risk behaviors. The CSA process was associated with a 79 percent decrease in engineer decertification rates, and an 81 percent decrease in the rate of derailments and other incidents. Comparison locations showed no decreases on these safety measures. Sustaining CSA at a site depends on ongoing cooperation between labor and management to effectively resolve sensitive issues related to the CSA implementation, both protecting the integrity of the worker’s process and addressing management concerns. The experience of demonstration suggests that CSA can be effective in promoting a transformation in the broader organization toward more proactive, nondisciplinary approaches to safety. KW - Labor relations KW - Leadership KW - Organizational effectiveness KW - Railroad safety KW - Risk management KW - Risk taking KW - Safety programs KW - San Antonio (Texas) KW - Union Pacific Railroad UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/2711 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46361/DOT-VNTSC-FRA-12-07.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238510 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470321 AU - Yohannes, Yohannes AU - Olek, Jan AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - PCC Properties to Support W/C Determination for Durability PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 186p AB - The fresh concrete water‐cement ratio (w/c) determination tool is urgently needed for use in the quality control/quality assurance (QC/QA) process at the job site.  Various techniques have been used in the past to determine this parameter. However, many of these techniques can be complicated and time consuming. Furthermore, extensive calibration is often needed to correlate the properties measured by these techniques with w/c. During the course of this study, the method for use of unit weight for the determination of w/c of fresh concrete has been developed and evaluated on both laboratory and field concretes.  Additionally, the accuracy of using microwave oven technique for w/c determination reported by previous research was confirmed. Finally, the accuracies of unit weight and microwave oven techniques for the determination of w/c were compared. The unit weights required for this method have been determined either by using a “zero‐air” procedure (ZAP) developed as a part of this study or by using conventional (following AASHTO specifications) methods.  The ZAP technique was used to verify the w/c of 58 different laboratory concrete mixes. These verification efforts revealed that the minimum, maximum, standard error, and 95th percentile of the differences (∆w/c) between batched and determined w/c were, respectively, 0.000, 0.042, 0.017, and 0.030.  The AASHTO determined unit weight (which also required measurements of the actual air content of concrete) was used to verify the w/c values of an additional set of 57 laboratory mixes.   When using the AASHTO unit weights (and air contents) the minimum, maximum, standard error, and 95th percentile of ∆w/c were, respectively, 0.000, 0.075, 0.030, and 0.054.  In addition, the AASHTO unit weight method was also used to verify the w/c values of 22 different field mixtures.  For this case, the differences (∆w/c) between the design and unit weight‐calculated values of w/c were in the range ±0.030 for all but one mixture.  Finally, direct comparison of the results from the proposed method with the results obtained from the microwave oven method revealed that the former is faster but slightly less accurate. Specifically, when used on five separate concrete samples, the accuracy of the microwave oven method was 0.010, much smaller than previously mentioned values of 0.030 (for the ZAP) and 0.054 (for the AASHTO) unit weight methods. KW - Durability KW - Laboratory tests KW - Microwave oven KW - Microwaves KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Quality assurance KW - Quality control KW - Test procedures KW - Water cement ratio UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284314986 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46761/viewcontent.cgi.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1237307 ER - TY - SER AN - 01470199 JO - TRAFFIC TECH PB - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Motivations for Speeding PY - 2012/10 SP - 2p AB - Speeding reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around curves or objects in the roadway, extends the distance necessary to stop a vehicle, and increases the distance a vehicle travels while the driver reacts to a dangerous situation. Speeding directly contributes to traffic injury severity and is estimated to be involved in about one-third of all U.S. traffic fatalities. While research has identified key factors connected with speeding or speed-related crashes, the relative importance of factors remains unclear. NHTSA conducted a naturalistic study to identify the reasons why drivers speed, classify speeders, and examine situational, demographic, and personality factors that may predict travel speed. Drivers from Seattle, Washington, and College Station, Texas, volunteered to have GPS units installed on their vehicles for 3 to 4 weeks. The GPS data compared drivers’ speeds to the posted speed limits on the roads they were driving at any given point in time. There were 164 participants, roughly divided equally into four groups – young males (18 to 25 years old), older males (35 to 55), young females (18 to 25) and older females (35 to 55). Participants completed personal inventories to measure demographic, personality, attitudinal, and risk-taking behaviors. KW - Attitudes KW - Automatic data collection systems KW - Behavior KW - Demographics KW - Drivers KW - Highway safety KW - Motivation KW - Speed limits KW - Speeding KW - Traffic crashes UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/traffic_tech/811672.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1237161 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470006 AU - Radja, Gregory A AU - National Center for Statistics and Analysis AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - National Automotive Sampling System – Crashworthiness Data System, 2011 Analytical User’s Manual PY - 2012/10 SP - 171p AB - The National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) Crashworthiness Data System (CDS) provides an automated, comprehensive national traffic crash database. Data collection is accomplished at 24 geographic sites, called Primary Sampling Units (PSUs). These data are weighted to represent all police reported motor vehicle crashes occurring in the United States during the year involving passenger cars, light trucks and vans that were towed due to damage. This manual and the NASS 2011 CDS Data Collection, Coding and Editing Manual are the primary documentation supporting the automated 2011file. KW - Computer program documentation KW - Crash investigation KW - Crashworthiness KW - Data collection KW - National Automotive Sampling System - Crashworthiness Data System KW - Sampling KW - Traffic crashes UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811675.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236758 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469990 AU - Shane, Jennifer S AU - Strong, Kelly C AU - Mathes, Jay AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Smart Work Zone Deployment Initiative AU - Midwest Transportation Consortium AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Integrated Risk Management for Improving Internal Traffic Control, Work-Zone Safety, and Mobility during Major Construction PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 78p AB - Highway construction is among the most dangerous industries in the United States. Internal traffic control design, along with how construction equipment and vehicles interact with the traveling public, have a significant effect on how safe a highway construction work zone can be. An integrated approach was taken to research work-zone safety issues and mobility, including input from many personnel, ranging from roadway designers to construction laborers and equipment operators. The research team analyzed crash data from Iowa work-zone incident reports and Occupational Safety and Health Administration data for the industry in conjunction with the results of personal interviews, a targeted work-zone ingress and egress survey, and a work-zone pilot project. KW - Iowa KW - Mobility KW - Risk management KW - Road construction KW - Work zone safety KW - Work zone traffic control UR - http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/research/documents/research-reports/integrated_risk_mgmt_w_cvr.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1237201 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469986 AU - Rahman, AJ AU - Parsons, Robert AU - Han, Jie AU - Mid-America Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Properties of Fouled Railroad Ballast (Phase 1) PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 55p AB - Ballasted tracks are the most common tracks used in the railroad industry and are designed to provide a stable, safe, and efficient rail foundation. A ballasted track consists of superstructure (ties, fasteners, and rails) and substructure (ballast, sub-ballast, and subgrade layers). The main functions of ballast are to support the superstructure by distributing the loads from the moving train, and to provide lateral resistance to tie movement and drainage. However, ballast deterioration and fouling are major issues in the railroad industry, and can be caused by repeated loadings, which lead to crushing ballast that is in contact with ties. Upward migration of subgrade particles into the ballast layer can increase fouling in the ballast and decrease drainage through the ballast layer. There is a need for methods to easily and inexpensively identify areas that have fouled ballast. The objective of this preliminary study was to evaluate the potential for estimating the level of fouling in a ballast layer by soil resistivity and permeability tests to be followed by a second study. A test box was designed and fabricated at the lab at the University of Kansas to perform the constant head permeability test and soil resistivity tests. Constant head tests were conducted to determine the coefficient of permeability of fouled ballast for different fouling percentages. Soil resistivity tests were also conducted using the Wenner method (4 point method) to determine the resistivity of ballast for different percentages of fouling. The tests showed a relationship between the percentage of fouling and ballast resistivity. The resistance of the ballast layer decreased as the percentage of fouling increased due to the presence of water. Fouled material retained water and filled the voids between the ballast particles, and therefore decreased resistivity in the ballast layer. The permeability (hydraulic conductivity) also decreased as the percentage of fouling increased due to the presence of fine particles between the ballast particles; therefore, permeability and resistivity were also correlated. KW - Ballast (Railroads) KW - Ballast fouling (Railroads) KW - Deterioration KW - Drainage KW - Permeability KW - Railroad tracks KW - Resistivity method UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46600/46679/Parsons_465_Properties_of_Railroad_Ballast_FINAL_COMBINED.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225967 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469944 AU - Bazant, Zdenek P AU - Infrastructure Technology Institute (ITI) AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Rational and Safe Design of Concrete Transportation Structures for Size Effect and Multi-Decade Sustainability PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 26p AB - The overall goal of this project was to improve the safety and sustainability in the design of large prestressed concrete bridges and other transportation structures. The safety of large concrete structures, including bridges, has been insufficient. This is evidenced by the worldwide rate of failures of very large concrete structures which has historically been about 1 in a thousand per lifetime, although 1 in a million is the maximum tolerable. Improvement necessitates taking into account the size effect on quasibrittle failure loads, a phenomenon that has been mostly ignored by the American Concrete Institute (ACI) code committee until recently, but now is considered seriously, largely as a result of this project. The multi-decade durability has been rather poor for the segmentally erected prestressed concrete box girder bridges, many of which deflected within about 20 to 40 years several times more than expected in design. Significant improvements in multi-decade prediction of creep and shrinkage and their effects in bridges have been achieved under this funding. They aim at: design practice, computer programs for engineering practice, including commercial codes, design codes or standard design recommendations (ACI, AASHTO, RILEM, fib), interpretation of measurements on monitored structures, predictive material model formulation, material testing standards (ASTM, RILEM, fib), and design aids. KW - Bridge design KW - Brittleness KW - Computer aided design KW - Creep KW - Failure KW - Prestressed concrete bridges KW - Service life KW - Shrinkage KW - Size UR - http://iti.northwestern.edu/publications/utc/safetea-lu/FR-5-Bazant.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46200/46223/FR-5-Bazant.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236784 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469482 AU - Gallo, Anthony A AU - Dougald, Lance E AU - Demetsky, Michael J AU - Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research AU - Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development of Performance Assessment Guidelines for Virginia’s Work Zone Transportation Management Plans PY - 2012/10//Final Contract Report SP - 78p AB - As America’s roadways are becoming more congested and in need of maintenance and repair, management of traffic through work zones is a major issue for state departments of transportation. To assist states with this challenge, in 2004, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) published its Final Rule on Work Zone Safety and Mobility, which mandated that state DOTs develop transportation management plans (TMPs) for all federally funded roadway construction projects. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) now requires TMPs for all projects, regardless of funding source. Part of federal and Virginia TMP requirements are to monitor and assess traffic impacts, including a post-construction evaluation of the TMP. Currently, TMPs are not being assessed following individual construction projects, and VDOT does not yet have a formally established process to assess TMP performance throughout its districts and regions. The purpose of this project was to develop a set of guidelines to assist VDOT’s work zone personnel and contractors with evaluating TMP performance. The research methodology examines existing literature on work zone evaluation strategies. Thirty state DOTs, as well as personnel within VDOT, were surveyed to explore TMP assessment practices. Finally, two work zone case studies from within the Commonwealth of Virginia were examined. The results of this research effort were used to develop Guidelines for TMP Performance Assessment, with aid and review from a VDOT TMP Performance Assessment Task Group. While these new requirements may add up-front costs to project engineering, VDOT will benefit by having a methodology in place to identify and measure successful strategies to manage safety and mobility impacts from work zones. KW - Best practices KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Guidelines KW - Performance measurement KW - State departments of transportation KW - Surveys KW - Transportation management plans KW - Virginia Department of Transportation KW - Work zone safety KW - Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule KW - Work zone traffic control KW - Work zones UR - http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/13-r6.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225661 ER - TY - SER AN - 01469432 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Zhou, Huaguo AU - Zhao, Jiguang AU - Fries, Ryan AU - Gahrooei, Mostafa Reisi AU - Wang, Lin AU - Vaughn, Brent AU - Bahaaldin, Karzan AU - Ayyalasomayajula, Balasubrahmanyam AU - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Illinois Center for Transportation AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Investigation of Contributing Factors Regarding Wrong-Way Driving on Freeways PY - 2012/10 IS - 12-010 SP - 224p AB - In Illinois, there were 217 wrong-way crashes on freeways from 2004 to 2009, resulting in 44 killed and 248 injured. This research project sought to determine the contributing factors to wrong-way crashes on freeways and to develop promising, cost-conscious countermeasures to reduce these driving errors and their related crashes. A thorough literature review was conducted to summarize the best practices on design, safety, and operational issues related to wrong-way driving on freeways by different states in the United States and abroad. Six-year crash data from the Illinois Department of Transportation were then collected for identifying wrong-way crashes. Out of 632 possible wrong-way crashes identified from the crash database, the 217 actual wrong-way crashes were verified by reviewing hard copies of those crash reports. General statistical characteristics of wrong-way crashes were analyzed, and the findings suggested that a large proportion of wrong-way crashes occurred during the weekend from 12 midnight to 5 a.m. Approximately 60% of wrong-way drivers were DUI drivers. Of those, more than 50% were confirmed to be impaired by alcohol, 5% were impaired by drugs, and more than 3% had been drinking. Causal tables, Haddon matrices, and significance tests were used to identify factors that contribute to wrong-way crashes on Illinois freeways. Alcohol impairment, age, gender, physical condition, driver’s experience and knowledge, time of day, interchange type, and urban and rural areas were found to be significant factors. A new method was developed to rank the high-frequency crash locations based on the number of recorded or estimated wrong-way freeway entries. Twelve interchanges were identified for field reviews. Site-specific and general countermeasures were identified for future implementation. KW - Countermeasures KW - Crash analysis KW - Crash causes KW - Crash rates KW - Driver errors KW - Freeways KW - High risk locations KW - Illinois KW - Traffic safety KW - Wrong way driving UR - https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCoQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcetrans.isg.siue.edu%2Fwwd%2FFHWA-ICT-12-010.pdf&ei=JRnuU9T2Hqm_sQTP94CgBQ&usg=AFQjCNE7AKdf22FmGLG1OoXLZZYNvlP13w&sig2=3vttYets5UDKWEabE7qNjg UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225870 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458211 AU - Ouyang, Yanfeng AU - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - 2010 Highway Safety Manual Lead States Peer-to-Peer Workshop PY - 2012/10//Research Report SP - 135p AB - The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Illinois Center for Transportation (ICT) sponsored and hosted the 2010 Highway Safety Manual (HSM) Lead State Peer-to-Peer Workshop November 17–18, 2010, at the IDOT District 1 Office in Schaumburg, Illinois. The peer-exchange workshop involved representatives from 13 selected states and experts familiar with HSM development and implementation in order to facilitate the exchange of experiences and examples related to HSM implementation among the lead states. The workshop covered a wide range of topics regarding the institutionalization of new quantitative safety methods (policies, design, planning, leadership, etc.), challenges and barriers (data collection and integration, statistical methods, analysis tools, training needs), case studies, and successful applications of the HSM. This report summarizes attendee statistics, the conference program, main activities (including 24 presentation and discussion sessions), and attendee feedback. Prospects for future workshops and training opportunities are also discussed. KW - Case studies KW - Countermeasures KW - Data collection KW - Highway design KW - Highway safety KW - Highway Safety Manual KW - Peer groups KW - Workshops UR - http://hdl.handle.net/2142/45797 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225993 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458067 AU - Rowell, Maura AU - Gagliano, Andrea AU - Wang, Zun AU - Goodchild, Anne AU - Sage, Jeremy AU - Jessup, Eric AU - University of Washington, Seattle AU - Washington State Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Improving Statewide Freight Routing Capabilities for Sub-National Commodity Flows PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 77p AB - The ability to fully understand and accurately characterize freight vehicle route choices is important in helping to inform regional and state decisions. This project recommends improvements to Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Statewide Freight Geographic Information System (GIS) Network Model to more accurately characterize freight vehicle route choice. This capability, when combined with regional and sub-national commodity flow data, will be a key attribute of an effective statewide freight modeling system. To come to these recommendations, the report describes project activities undertaken, and their outcomes, including 1) a review of commercially available routing software; 2) an evaluation of the use of statewide global positioning system (GPS) data as an input for routing analysis; and 3) the design, implementation, and evaluation of a survey of shippers, carriers, and freight forwarders within the state. The software review found that routing software assumes least cost paths while meeting user specified constraints, and it identified criteria for evaluation in the subsequent survey. The GPS data evaluation showed that significant temporal shifting occurs rather than spatial route shifting, and it revealed significant limitations in the use of GPS data for evaluating routing choices, largely because of the read rate. Among the survey results was that the first priority of shippers, carriers, and freight forwarders is to not only meet customer requirements, but to do so in the most cost-efficient way. From a latent class analysis of routing priorities, the authors discovered that distance-based classification best clusters similar routing behavior. The report includes recommendations for implementing this within the Statewide Freight GIS Network Model. KW - Commodity flow KW - Freight transportation KW - Geographic information systems KW - Global Positioning System KW - Route choice KW - Software KW - Surveys KW - Traffic models KW - Washington State Department of Transportation UR - http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/792.1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225664 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458064 AU - Tia, Mang AU - Hossiney, Nabil AU - Su, Yu-Min AU - Chen, Yu AU - Do, Tu Anh AU - University of Florida, Gainesville AU - Florida Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Use of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement in Concrete Pavement Slabs PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 321p AB - This study evaluated the feasibility of using reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) as aggregate replacement in concrete for use in pavement. Four different RAPs from Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) approved RAP sources were used. Concrete mixtures with 0%, 20%, 40%, 70% and 100% aggregate replacement by RAP were produced and evaluated. The compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, splitting tensile strength and flexural strength of concrete were observed to decrease as the percentage of RAP increased in the concrete mix. The reduction in flexural strength was 10% to 20% lower than the corresponding reduction in compressive strength. The percent reduction in modulus of elasticity of the concrete was much higher than the corresponding reduction in compressive strength. The failure strain and toughness of concrete increased as the percentage of RAP increased in the mix. When a finite element analysis was performed to determine the maximum stresses in a typical concrete pavement in Florida under critical temperature and load conditions, the maximum computed stresses decreased as the RAP content of the mix increased, due to decrease in the elastic modulus of the concrete. Though the flexural strength of the concrete with RAP was lower than that of the conventional concrete, the computed stress to strength ratio for some of the RAP concrete was lower than that for the conventional concrete. The results of analysis of ultimate failure loads of concrete pavement slabs show that, on average, the pavement slabs using RAP concrete have higher failure load than that of the slab using the conventional concrete. The results of this study indicate that the use of RAP as aggregate replacement in pavement concrete appears to be not only feasible but also offers the possibility of improving the performance of concrete pavement. A recommended mix design procedure for concrete containing RAP is provided. It is recommended that a concrete pavement test section using RAP concrete be constructed within an existing highway to perform field validation. KW - Aggregate mixtures KW - Breaking loads KW - Compressive strength KW - Concrete pavements KW - Finite element method KW - Flexural strength KW - Florida KW - Mix design KW - Modulus of elasticity KW - Reclaimed asphalt pavements KW - Slabs UR - http://www.fdot.gov/research/Completed_Proj/Summary_SMO/FDOT-BDK75-977-34-rpt.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225598 ER - TY - SER AN - 01458025 JO - TechBrief PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Ocel, Justin AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Feasibility of Nondestructive Crack Detection and Monitoring for Steel Bridges PY - 2012/10 SP - 8p AB - The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has completed a multiyear study of systems and techniques to identify and characterize cracks in steel bridge structures. Steel bridges account for approximately one-third of the more than 600,000 bridges in the United States. While visual inspection has long been a major component in steel bridge inspection programs, it has limitations. A general objective of the study was to investigate technological options and improvements for steel bridge inspection approaches focused on crack detection and monitoring. KW - Cracking KW - Detection and identification KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Inspection KW - Nondestructive tests KW - Steel bridges KW - Structural health monitoring UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225130 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01457664 AU - Knecht, William R AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Predicting General Aviation Accident Frequency From Pilot Total Flight Hours PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 28p AB - Craig (2001) hypothesized a “killing zone”—a range of pilot total flight hours (TFH) from about 50-350, over which general aviation (GA) pilots are at greatest risk. The current work tested a number of candidate modeling functions on eight samples of National Transportation Safety Board GA accident data encompassing the years 1983-2011. The goal was largely atheoretical, being merely to show that such data can be modeled. While log-normal and Weibull probability density functions (pdf) appeared capable of fitting these data, there was some pragmatic advantage to using a gamma pdf. A gamma pdf allows estimation of confidence intervals around the fitting function itself. Log-transformation of TFH proved critical to the success of these data-fits. Untransformed TFH frequently led to catastrophic fit-failure. Due to the nature of the data, it may be advisable to place the greatest prediction confidence in a middle range of TFH, perhaps from 50-5,000. Fortunately, that is also the range that captures the vast majority of all GA pilots. With some care, GA accident frequencies appear predictable from TFH, given data parsed by a) pilot instrument rating and b) seriousness of accident. Goodness-of-fit (R2) tended to be excellent for non-instrument-rated pilot data and good for instrument-rated data. Estimates of median TFH were derived for each dataset, which will be useful to aviation policy makers. These data suggest that the “killing zone” proposed by Craig may be wider than originally believed. KW - Air transportation crashes KW - Aviation safety KW - Crash rates KW - Flight KW - General aviation aircraft KW - General aviation pilots KW - Hours of labor UR - http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2010s/media/201215.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46330/201215.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225868 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01457663 AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Traffic Safety Facts 2010 Data: Passenger Vehicles PY - 2012/10 SP - 12p AB - A passenger vehicle is a motor vehicle weighing less than 10,000 pounds and includes passenger cars and light trucks (pickup trucks, vans, SUVs, and other light trucks). Passenger vehicles make up over 90 percent of registered vehicles, and account for nearly 90 percent of total vehicle miles traveled (VMT). In 2010 there were an estimated 9,442,000 vehicles involved in police-reported crashes, 97 percent (9,125,000) of which were passenger vehicles. There were 44,712 vehicles involved in fatal crashes, of which 79 percent (35,146) were passenger vehicles. More than 22,000 passenger vehicle occupants lost their lives in traffic crashes in 2010, and an estimated 1.99 million were injured. From 2001 to 2010, passenger vehicle registrations increased 14 percent. Light trucks (LTVs) experienced a 30-percent increase in registrations, while passenger cars had an increase of about 5 percent. Among the light-truck categories, pickup truck registrations increased 15 percent and van registrations decreased 3 percent; however, SUV registrations increased by 84 percent. KW - Crash rates KW - Fatalities KW - Injuries KW - Passenger vehicles KW - Registrations KW - Traffic crashes KW - Traffic safety UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811638.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225379 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01457648 AU - Krechmer, Daniel AU - Samano, Albert AU - Beer, Pamela AU - Boyd, Nicholas AU - Boyce, Brenda AU - Cambridge Systematics, Incorporated AU - Fortress, Inc. AU - Mixon/Hill, Inc. AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Role of Transportation Management Centers in Emergency Operations Guidebook PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 95p AB - The purpose of this guidebook is to increase communication, collaboration, and cooperation among Transportation Management Centers (TMC) and emergency response agencies so they can effectively respond to a variety of situations ranging from a localized traffic incident to major regional events such as hurricane evacuations. The key is to remove the technical and institutional barriers that prevent TMCs from fully supporting emergency operations. The guidebook addresses those barriers and provides noteworthy practices on how TMCs can effectively implement emergency operations through a mutual understanding with emergency response agencies on the responsibilities, resources, and operational procedures that result in a beneficial relationship for all parties. Throughout the publication are photos showing actual emergency events and the role played by the TMC. The guidebook will increase a TMC’s understanding of emergency operations and identify specific activities to enhance coordination and cooperation with emergency response agencies. The guidebook will also allow emergency response agencies to understand the mission, resources, and operational procedures of TMCs. As demonstrated through the guidebook best practices, it is the trust and relationships built up through joint planning and training activities that result in better cooperation. Improved cooperation in turn leads to success in achieving the ultimate goal, which is more rapid and effective response in times of emergency with reduced loss of life and property. KW - Communication KW - Cooperation KW - Coordination KW - Disasters and emergency operations KW - Emergency response time KW - Incident management KW - Interagency relations KW - Traffic control centers UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop12050/fhwahop12050.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225865 ER - TY - SER AN - 01457565 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Avrenli, Kivanc A AU - Benekohal, Rahim F AU - Medina, Juan C AU - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Illinois Center for Transportation AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - LED Roadway Lighting, Volume 1: Background Information PY - 2012/10 IS - 12-012 SP - 100p AB - Roadway lighting is a fundamental public service that leads to a safer environment for both pedestrians and drivers. It is estimated that lighting alone accounts for around 3% of the total U.S. electricity consumption. Currently, street lighting applications mostly involve high-intensity discharge (HID) sources such as metal halide lamps and high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps. As the energy crisis spreads across the world, energy conservation is becoming an urgent priority. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are fourth-generation light sources that have recently appeared as an energy-efficient solution to street lighting. (LEDs are currently used and are gaining credibility in street lighting applications but are only beginning to become viable for roadway lighting applications.) This report presents a comprehensive literature review that covers the current state of technology in LED roadway lighting, detailed comparison of LED roadway luminaires with HID roadway luminaires, test procedures for photometric measurements of roadway lighting installations, and Indiana Department of Transportation (IDOT) roadway lighting requirements. LED luminaires provide the advantages of energy efficiency, longer lifetime, good color characteristics, improved mesopic vision conditions, lack of warm-up time, compact size, directional light, reduced light pollution, environment-friendly characteristics, dimming capabilities, breakage and vibration resistance, and more uniform light distribution. The Department of Energy (DOE) GATEWAY demonstration projects provide good information on the potential benefits of the replacement of HPS streetlights with LED streetlights. However, LEDs are currently not frequently utilized in street lighting applications due to their lower luminous efficacy, higher heat conversion rate, higher installation cost, and issues in obtaining white light. Trade-offs between color correlated temperature and lumen output, and between color shift of LED light sources over time, lumen maintenance (LED life expectancy), and thermal management are the critical issues of LEDs that should be properly addressed in street lighting applications. Because of the significant differences in HID and LED technology, there has been a gap in industry test standards and test procedures for product comparisons and ratings. Thus, ENERGY STAR® criteria, along with other important new standards and test procedures, have been released and continue to be developed. Some institutions also published their own specifications for LED roadway lighting. There is a significant push by the industry to research and develop LED luminaires for street lighting, and this is evidenced in the number and improved characteristics of new products being released by practically every major player in the street lighting sector. Given the clear trend toward the use of LED luminaires in the industry, it is expected that efficient LED luminaires for highway applications will be available in the near future for higher mounting heights and lumen output requirements. KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Energy conservation KW - High pressure sodium lighting KW - Light emitting diodes KW - Luminaires KW - Metal halide lamps KW - Product development KW - Street lighting KW - Technological innovations KW - Visibility UR - http://hdl.handle.net/2142/45791 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225532 ER - TY - SER AN - 01457564 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Avrenli, Kivanc A AU - Benekohal, Rahim F AU - Medina, Juan C AU - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Illinois Center for Transportation AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - LED Roadway Lighting, Volume 2: Field Evaluations and Software Comparisons PY - 2012/10 IS - 12-013 SP - 147p AB - The use of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for roadway lighting can potentially save energy costs and reduce the frequency of maintenance. The objective of this study is to explore the current state of the art in LED roadway lighting technology. Three sets of LED roadway luminaires, along with a set of high-pressure sodium (HPS) luminaires, were selected for field testing. The LED luminaires were manufactured by GE Lighting (Evolve Series, 454239), Relume Lighting (Vue Series, 320-HE), and Cooper Lighting (Ventus Series, VSTA 08). There was generally fair agreement between illuminance measured in the field and data obtained using the lighting analysis software AGi32, except for one of the LEDs. Results showed that the field data and software results for two of the three sets of LED luminaires satisfied the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) illuminance design criteria for the test site conditions for a major roadway with medium pedestrian conflict. On the other hand, one of the sets satisfied the average maintained illuminance criterion for low pedestrian conflicts but not for medium pedestrian conflicts. Likewise, the field data for the HPS luminaire did not meet one of the illuminance uniformity criteria (average/minimum) in the test site conditions. Regarding luminance, measurements were collected in the field using a meter that provided accurate average values but not point-by-point maximum and minimum readings, given the greater aperture angle compared to that suggested by LM-50-99. Results from the field showed that the HPS and all three models of LED luminaires met the average IDOT luminance design criteria for the test site conditions (except one luminaire that met only the requirements in the center span). Software results also showed that the LED luminaires mostly satisfied the average luminance criterion for the specified roadway. However, one of the uniformity requirements (maximum/minimum) was not met by two of the LED sets, exceeding the recommended ratios. Lastly, a generic cost-benefit analysis of an LED luminaire was conducted as an example to analyze LED luminaires. A second phase of this project is proposed, including conducting more detailed cycle-life cost analysis for LED roadway luminaires, determining appropriate light loss factors, providing further information for a new IDOT specification, and examining other technologies such as ceramic metal halide, plasma, and induction. KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Design standards KW - Energy conservation KW - Field tests KW - High pressure sodium lighting KW - Indiana Department of Transportation KW - Light emitting diodes KW - Luminaires KW - Luminance KW - Software KW - State of the art studies KW - Street lighting KW - Visibility UR - http://hdl.handle.net/2142/45792 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225531 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01457309 AU - Miller, John S AU - Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research AU - Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - An Interim Update to the 2035 Socioeconomic and Travel Demand Forecasts for Virginia PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 83p AB - In support of the update to Virginia’s 2035 Statewide Multimodal Plan, this report provides an update to select socioeconomic forecasts initially made in 2009 based on a review of data from national sources and the literature. Mobility needs exist for diverse Virginia subpopulations, such as persons without access to a vehicle (6.3% of statewide households or 8.8% of the state’s workforce); non-drivers (a group whose composition is changing, with recent decreases in the percentage of Virginians age 15-24 with a driver’s license contrasted with increases in the percentage of females age 65 or older [65+] with a driver’s license); persons age 65+ (e.g., in 2010, the number of Virginians age 65+ outnumbered those age 19 or younger in only 1 of Virginia’s 21 regions; by 2035, this will be the case in 8 of Virginia’s 21 regions); and persons protected by environmental justice regulations (e.g., the income of 17.3% of Virginians was below 150% of the poverty level for 2006-2010, and the minority population was 35.2% of Virginia’s population in 2010). Subpopulations may also be defined by geography. Although a projected increase in fuel prices between 2010 and 2035 of 48% for autos and 50% for trucks is expected to reduce highway travel more than would be the case without a price increase, the increase in population that is expected based on 2010-2035 levels may offset this decrease; with a variety of assumptions including elasticity of demand, an expected congestion cost in urban areas approaches $5.7 billion based on delay and costs associated with excess fuel consumption. In non-urbanized areas, a rough order of magnitude estimate of the cost of delays, derived in this report, is $285 million at present. Geographical differences are apparent; notably, the largest group of workers by income using public transportation in the Northern Virginia region and, just to its south, the George Washington Regional Commission comprised those with an income of $75,000 or more; by contrast, in the Richmond and Hampton Roads regions, the largest group comprised workers with an income below $10,000. Another geographical difference is that the percentage of those who speak English less than “very well” varies by region, from 0.6% to 13.4%. Implications of these forecasts are noted. For example, because more than one-third of the population age 65+ has a disability compared with about 7% of the population under age 65, the increase in persons age 65+ suggests that the percentage of Virginians with disabilities may also increase. As another example, despite the relatively large costs of congestion in Virginia’s urbanized areas, other sources suggest that crash costs may be approximately 2.4 times as large as these congestion costs. As a third example, ways to increase motorist and transit passenger comfort may merit exploration as a means to reduce the perceived cost of travel. Because these implications transcend regional boundaries, they may offer opportunities to garner consensus on some transportation improvements and thus are appropriate to consider in future planning efforts. KW - Demographics KW - Long range planning KW - Mobility KW - Multimodal transportation KW - Population forecasting KW - Socioeconomic development KW - Socioeconomic factors KW - Travel demand KW - Virginia UR - http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/13-r4.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46500/46554/13-r4.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46760/Interim_update_to_the_2035_socioeconomic_and_travel_demand_forecasts_for_Virginia.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225026 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01457308 AU - Dixon, Michael P AU - Abdel-Rahim, Ahmed AU - Elbassuoni, Sherief AU - University of Idaho, Moscow AU - Idaho Transportation Department AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of the Impacts of Differential Speed Limits on Interstate Highways in Idaho PY - 2012/10 SP - 44p AB - In this research, an evaluation of the impacts of differential speed limits (DSL) on rural interstate highways in Idaho was completed. The main purpose for this research was to determine if there have been any speed or safety effects after enacting the DSL, and also to study some of the geometric effects, like rumble-strips, on the safety of vehicles on rural Idaho interstates. Regarding the effects of DSL on speed, it was found that passenger car and truck speeds stabilized since the DSL policy implementation date. More specifically, the DSL reduced truck speeds, resulting in mean passenger vehicle and truck speeds of 74.7 and 65.6 mph, respectively. Regarding the DSL effect on speed compliance, passenger vehicle compliance slightly worsened, while truck compliance improved. Establishment of the DSL policy also contributed to a decrease in the crash rates on Idaho’s rural interstates. KW - Compliance KW - Crash rates KW - Highway safety KW - Idaho KW - Interstate highways KW - Rural areas KW - Speed control KW - Speed data KW - Variable speed limits UR - http://www.itd.idaho.gov/highways/research/archived/reports/DSL%20Final%20Report%2011-26-12.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46500/46555/DSL_Final_Report_11-26-12.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225027 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01457107 AU - Baer, Adriane AU - Grabill, Kyle AU - Kansas State University Transportation Center AU - Kansas Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Pilot Car Wait Time Notification System for Work Zones Preliminary Report PY - 2012/10//Preliminary Report SP - 49p AB - The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) does routine roadwork (rehabilitation) on two-lane rural highways that requires traffic to be narrowed to one lane. This involves using a flagger operation to stop traffic and then having motorists wait for a pilot car to lead them through the work zone. The construction contractor doing the particular work is responsible for providing the flagger and pilot car. KDOT standards dictate that the driver’s wait time should not exceed 15 minutes. The purpose of this study was to determine the need for, and recommend, a system that would notify the driver of the expected delay time until the pilot car arrives. The idea for this project began with the Midwest Safe Work Zone Initiative (MwSWZI). In November of 2001, MwSWZI asked vendors to submit products that would address this desire for notification. Two responses were received and nothing further was done on the project. Stan Young, on behalf of KDOT, approved research to be done to investigate notification and control methods for communicating to drivers the anticipated wait time until the arrival of the pilot car. This research has been performed to provide KDOT with the necessary information concerning the need for and feasibility of driver notification, and includes specifications concerning a recommended notification method. KW - Driver information systems KW - Flaggers KW - Midwest Safe Work Zone Initiative KW - Pilot cars KW - Traffic delays KW - Waiting time KW - Work zones UR - http://idmweb.ksdot.org/PublicLib/publicDoc.asp?ID=003823305 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1224264 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456900 AU - Qi, Yi AU - Chen, Xiaoming AU - Yu, Lei AU - Wang, Yubian AU - Zhang, Min AU - Yuan, Peina AU - Persad, Khali R AU - Texas Southern University, Houston AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Use of Flashing Yellow Operations to Improve Safety at Signals with Protected-Permissive Left Turn (PPLT) Operations PY - 2012/10//Technical Report SP - 160p AB - The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) 2009 Edition suggests the use of Flashing Yellow Arrow (FYA) indication in replacement of green ball indication for permissive left-turn (PPLT) signal in presence of separate signal heads. Currently, there is no clear guidance on how to implement flashing yellow operations with PPLT in Texas. The objective of this research project is to developed guidelines for FYA with PPLT operations. To fulfill this goal, the researchers (1) reviewed and synthesized national and peer state practices on FYA PPLT; (2) surveyed traffic engineers and drivers ; (3) deployed FYA PPLT operation at five selected intersections in Texas cities; (4) identified software and hardware issues associated with the deployment of FYA PPLT; and (5) evaluated the safety performance of FYA PPLT based on the historical crash data analysis and field traffic conflict studies. According to the findings of this research, it is recommended that FYA signal indication can be used at most of signals with PPLT operations to improve intersection safety and to comply with the requirements of the MUTCD. However, FYA PPLT operation is not recommended at busy intersections that have high left-turn volumes and opposing volumes, and it should be implemented with great caution at intersections where lead-lead left-turn phasing is used. KW - Best practices KW - Exclusive permissive phasing KW - Flashing traffic signals KW - Intersections KW - Left turn lanes KW - Texas KW - Traffic safety KW - Yellow interval (Traffic signal cycle) UR - http://itri.tsu.edu/Reports/TxDOT_0-6568-R1.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46500/46553/TxDOT_0-6568-R1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225280 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456897 AU - Perkins, Judy A AU - Mwakalonge, Judith AU - Jasek, Debbie AU - Carson, Jodi AU - Obeng-Boampong, Kwaku AU - Pesti, Geza AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Prairie View A&M University TI - Research on Best Practices for Winter Weather Operations PY - 2012/10//Technical Report SP - 218p AB - There is a growing need to identify actionable practices relative to winter weather operations. Because of the potential and inherent hazards during cold weather, it has become increasingly important to ensure that these practices can be effectively employed as well as protect the health and safety of employees working in extreme conditions. The research objective was to develop a winter weather operations manual for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) districts that are vulnerable to weather-related emergencies. A synthesis of the best practices related to winter weather operations and transferable best practices are documented in the operations manual to help maintenance crews better understand how to work in challenging weather-related events. In addition, a playbook for winter storms in Texas was developed to be used for general public awareness of winter storm operations. KW - Best practices KW - Disasters and emergency operations KW - Emergency management KW - Ice KW - Snow KW - Texas KW - Transportation operations KW - Weather conditions KW - Winter maintenance UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6669-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225272 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456874 AU - Turnbull, Katherine F AU - Lasley, Phil AU - Larson, Greg AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Synthesis of Port Related Freight Improvement Studies: Technical Report PY - 2012/10//Technical Report SP - 38p AB - This project was undertaken to assist in identifying landside transportation projects that will better position the state of Texas to benefit from the expansion of the Panama Canal through increases in exports and imports. Studies and plans over the past 10 years have examined different aspects of the freight system in the state, including ports, railroads, highways, and intermodal facilities. This project summarizes the key elements addressed in these previous studies, especially those related to landside access to ports. The results of this review were summarized and a searchable Excel spreadsheet was developed containing information on the identified landside access projects. The spreadsheet includes information on the project type, the issues addressed, estimated cost, funding sources, and other related characteristics. KW - Construction projects KW - Freight traffic KW - Improvements KW - Intermodal transportation KW - Landside operations (Ports) KW - Panama Canal KW - Planning by facility or land use KW - Texas UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6801-1.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46774/Synthesis_of_port_related_freight_improvement_studies_technical_report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225274 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456872 AU - Schneider, William H AU - Holik, William AU - Bakula, Casey AU - University of Akron AU - Ohio Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Application of Bluetooth Technology to Rural Freeway Speed Data Collection PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 146p AB - Bluetooth data collection devices are an innovative technique for measuring travel times and speeds on roadway segments. This project developed a system capable of recording Bluetooth Media Access Control (MAC) addresses with a timestamp and determining the space mean speed of vehicles between multiple nodes. Battery powered and solar powered nodes are developed for the project. Various deployments of the nodes are utilized to determine the ideal placements and distances. The nodes are utilized in determining capacity of work zones by using travel speeds and times as surrogate measures of congestion. Nodes are also used to detect incidents based on increased Bluetooth device hit counts. Recommendations for node spacing are made for rural and urban areas. KW - Bluetooth technology KW - Floating car data KW - Nodes (Networks) KW - Real time information KW - Rural highways KW - Sensors KW - Speed data KW - Traffic flow KW - Travel time UR - http://worldcat.org/oclc/825818203/viewonline UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1224030 ER - TY - SER AN - 01456871 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Medina, Juan C AU - Benekohal, Rahim F AU - Ramezani, Hani AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Field Evaluation of Smart Sensor Vehicle Detectors at Intersections­­--Volume 1: Normal Weather Conditions PY - 2012/10 IS - 12-016 SP - 32p AB - Microwave-based vehicle detection products from two manufacturers were selected for field testing and evaluation: Wavetronix and Intersector. The two systems were installed by the manufacturer/distributor at a signalized intersection. Initial evaluation was performed and the results were shared with the companies. They were given an opportunity to change or fine-tune the systems’ setup, if they wanted, resulting in a modified setup. Results are presented in this report in terms of four types of errors (false, missed, stuck-on, and dropped calls). At the stop bar, at least 94% of detections for Wavetronix and 96% for Intersector were correct. At stop bar zones, the overall occurrence of false calls for Wavetronix ranged from 0.56% to 1.62%. Missed calls were low for Zones 1 and 2 (0.13% and 0.43%) but significantly higher in Zone 3 (6.05%). Also, stuck-on calls were only observed in Zone 3 (0.58%), and a few dropped calls were found almost exclusively in Zone 3 (0.16%). For Intersector, false calls ranged from 1.4% to 3.56% and missed calls ranged between 0.05% and 0.27%. Stuck-on calls ranged from 0.92% for 2.83% and dropped calls were very low (0% and 0.19%). At the advance zones, at least 91% of detections for Wavetronix and 99% for Intersector were correct. For the advance zone, a direct comparison of the two systems was not performed because Wavetronix covered all three lanes combined, but Intersector had one zone covering only the center lane. Wavetronix did not have any stuck-on or dropped calls, missed calls were 1.07%, and false calls were 8.29% for the summer and fall datasets combined. Intersector had no dropped calls, 0.04% stuck-on calls (only one call), 0.8% missed calls, and 0.7% false calls. Additional testing is under way to evaluate the performance of the two systems under inclement weather conditions. KW - Data collection KW - Data quality KW - Microwave detectors KW - Remote sensing KW - Sensors KW - Signalized intersections KW - Vehicle detectors KW - Weather KW - Wireless communication systems UR - http://hdl.handle.net/2142/45794 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223701 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01455854 AU - Williams, William F AU - Bligh, Roger P AU - Menges, Wanda L AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute TI - MASH TL-3 Testing and Evaluation of a Steel Bridge Rail with Pickets PY - 2012/10//Test Report SP - 120p AB - Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has a need for a steel bridge rail that anchors to a concrete curb with an aesthetic appearance using steel pickets. Bridge railings that use pickets (concrete and steel) have exhibited undesirable safety performance characteristics. The purpose of this portion of the project was to design and evaluate a steel bridge rail with pickets that would meet the strength and safety performance criteria for Test Level 3 (TL-3) of MASH. The bridge rail tested for this project was similar to the Wyoming 2-tube bridge rail that was successfully crash tested under NCHRP Report 350 criteria (Texas Transportation Institute Project No. 472610-4, dated May 1996). Details from the Wyoming 2-Tube design were incorporated and used in the design of the new TxDOT Picket Rail. The TxDOT Picket Rail evaluated and presented herein met all the safety performance criteria for MASH TL-3 and is suitable for implementation on new bridge construction. KW - Bridge design KW - Bridge railings KW - Curbs KW - Evaluation KW - Pickets KW - Texas UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/9-1002-12-2.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46334/9-1002-12-2.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223367 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01455846 AU - Yu, Xun AU - University of Minnesota, Duluth AU - University of Minnesota, Duluth AU - Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Integrated Approach for Nonintrusive Detection of Driver Drowsiness PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 33p AB - This project is the extension of Northland Advanced Transportation System Research Laboratory (NATSRL) FY 2008 and FY2009 projects titled, “Real-time Nonintrusive Detection of Driver Drowsiness,” which aimed to develop a real-time, nonintrusive driver drowsiness detection system to reduce drowsiness-caused accidents. In the previous research, nonintrusive sensors for drivers’ heart beat measurement were developed and implemented on the vehicle steering wheel. Heart rate variability (HRV) was analyzed from the heart beat pulse signals for the detection of driver drowsiness. Promising results were obtained. However, one of the major issues with the previous system was using only one parameter, Low-Frequency (LF)/High-frequency (HF) ratio of HRV, to access the driver’s status, which has high variability and changing patterns for different drivers. In this project, multiple parameters for drowsiness detection were used, including the LF/HF ratio, steering wheel motion variability, and Electroencephalography (EEG) parameters. Correlations between these parameters are analyzed. KW - Drowsiness KW - Electroencephalography KW - Fatigue (Physiological condition) KW - Heart rate KW - Monitoring KW - Sensors KW - Traffic crashes UR - http://www.cts.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/pdfdownload.pl?id=2176 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223579 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01455834 AU - Heyliger, Paul R AU - Allen, Doug AU - Lebsack, Michael AU - Wilson, Thomas AU - Colorado State University, Fort Collins AU - Mountain-Plains Consortium AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Low-Impact, High Toughness Transportation Barriers PY - 2012/10 SP - 37p AB - Alternatives to existing transportation truck escape ramps and crash barriers are examined using arrays of wood, bamboo, and fiberglass structural elements that act as energy absorbers as they deform. The behaviors of each material type are analyzed to determine if they have the necessary potential for extensive use in such applications. Calculations based upon static and dynamic testing are made to predict the type of system required to bring vehicles to a stop. The findings are discussed and guidelines for future applications are suggested. KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Crash cushions KW - Dynamic tests KW - Energy absorption KW - Escape lanes KW - Highway safety KW - Static tests UR - http://www.mountain-plains.org/pubs/pdf/MPC12-249.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46728/MPC_12-249.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223445 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01455833 AU - Wolshon, Brian AU - Ishak, Sherif AU - Idewu, Wakeel AU - Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge AU - Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Design of Lane Merges at Rural Freeway Construction Work Zones PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 76p AB - Practices for the design and control of work zone traffic control configurations have evolved over time to reflect safer and more efficient management practices. However, they are also recognized as areas of frequent vehicle conflicts that can cause congestion and safety problems. In this research, a new design has been developed that could lessen some of these detrimental effects. This new concept, known as the “joint merge,” simultaneously merges two lanes into one. The key feature of the design is its two-sided taper in which the two adjacent lanes approaching a lane reduction are simultaneously tapered into a single lane with neither lane having a priority. This is theorized to influence drivers into merging in a smooth alternating pattern. To evaluate its operational effects, the joint merge was examined in a work zone in Louisiana and compared to an manual on uniform traffic control devices (MUTCD) conventional merge configuration at the same site. Lane-specific volume and vehicle speeds were collected in the field and the two designs were compared using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and T-test statistical procedures. Overall, the joint merge was found to increase the efficiency of the closed lane and encourage the use of both lanes into the work zone entrance. It was also found that the number of lane changes during low and high-volume periods decreased when the joint merge configuration was used. While no conclusive findings could be made relative to its specific effect on capacity, video recordings and lane usage data suggested that the joint merge strategy was understood and well received by most drivers. KW - Analysis of variance KW - Design KW - Louisiana KW - Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices KW - Merging traffic KW - Traffic congestion KW - Work zone safety KW - Work zone traffic control UR - http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/pdf/2012/fr_484.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46759/Design_of_lane_merges_at_rural_freeway_construction_work_zones.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1224027 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01455824 AU - Kim, Sung-Hee AU - Georgia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Determination of Coefficient of Thermal Expansion for Portland Cement Concrete Pavements for MEPDG Implementation PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 88p AB - The Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) is an important parameter in Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) pavement analysis and design as it is directly proportional to the magnitude of temperature-related pavement deformations throughout the pavement service life. Several studies in the past few years have classified the CTE as an extremely sensitive input in the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) for structural design of rigid pavements, because the CTE affects slab stresses due to initial temperature-induced movements, corner deflections, joint faulting, pavement smoothness, and sawcut timing. This study investigated the effect of aggregate and sand types, aggregate gradations, percentages of coarse aggregate and fine sand on the CTE of concrete mixtures. KW - Coefficient of thermal expansion KW - Concrete pavements KW - Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide KW - Mix design KW - Pavement design KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Rigid pavements KW - Thermal expansion UR - http://www.dot.ga.gov/BuildSmart/research/Documents/10-04.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46400/46472/10-04.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223586 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01455262 AU - Williams, William F AU - Bligh, Roger P AU - Menges, Wanda L AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute Proving Ground AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute, College Station AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - MASH Test 3-11 on the T131RC Bridge Rail PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 74p AB - Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) currently uses the TxDOT Type T101RC Bridge Rail, a steel post and beam bridge rail anchored to the top of concrete curbs. The T101RC Bridge Rail is 27 inches in height and can be anchored to the top of concrete curbs of varying heights. The heights of the posts and the number of bridge rail elements vary depending on the height of the concrete curb. The posts are anchored to the curb using four adhesive anchors. Based on crash testing of similar rail designs of the same height, the researchers believed that the TxDOT Type T101RC Bridge Rail would not meet the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) Test Level 3 (TL-3) criteria. The purpose of this portion of the project was to design and crash test a modified design of the TxDOT T101RC Bridge Rail that would meet the strength and safety performance criteria for TL-3 of MASH. A new bridge rail was developed and tested for this project. The TxDOT T131RC Bridge Rail met all the strength and safety performance criteria of MASH. This bridge rail is recommended for implementation on new or retrofit railing applications. KW - Bridge railings KW - Design KW - Highway safety KW - Impact tests KW - Texas UR - http://d2dtl5nnlpfr0r.cloudfront.net/tti.tamu.edu/documents/9-1002-12-1.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46335/9-1002-12-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222845 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01455258 AU - Smith, Forrest S AU - Ocumpaugh, William R AU - Fulbright, Timothy E AU - Texas A&M University, Kingsville AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - South Texas Native Plant Restoration Project Final Report PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 426p AB - The South Texas Native Plant Restoration Project was a resounding success in that the primary goal of developing commercial sources of native seed has been substantially met. By the conclusion of the project on August 31, 2011, 20 native seed sources had been developed or aided in being commercialized because of this project. Ecotypic native seeds are today commercially available for use by the Texas Department of Transportation, and the methods to plant, establish, and manage these native species along roads in Texas have been tested, reported on, and are available for vegetation managers reference and implementation. The authors graciously thank the Texas Department of Transportation and its Commissioners, employees, and contractors for their tremendous collaborative nature and unyielding support that made such successes possible. KW - Grasses KW - Native plants KW - Restoration ecology KW - Roadside flora KW - Seeds KW - Texas KW - Vegetation UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46353/0-4570-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222607 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454881 AU - Huang, Arthur AU - Levinson, David M AU - University of Minnesota, Twin Cities AU - Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Accessibility, Network Structure, and Consumers' Destination Choice: A GIS Analysis of GPS Travel Data and the CLUSTER Simulation Module for Retail Location Choice PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 46p AB - Anecdotal and empirical evidence has shown strong associations between the built environment and individuals’ travel decisions. Nevertheless, data about individuals’ travel behavior and the nature of the retail environment have not been linked at the fine-grained level for verifying such relationships. Global positioning systems (GPS) and geographic information systems (GIS) have revolutionized how we measure and monitor land use and individual travel behavior, and thus have provided opportunities for filling these research gaps. Compared with traditional travel survey methods, GPS technologies provide more accurate and detailed information about individuals’ trips. Based on the GPS travel data of 141 subjects in the Twin Cities, the authors analyze the impact of individuals’ interactions with road network structure and the destinations’ accessibility on individuals’ destination choice for home-based non-work shopping trips. The results reveal that higher accessibility and diversity of services make a destination more attractive. Further, accessibility and diversity of establishments in a walking zone are often highly correlated. In terms of network structure, a destination reached via a more circuitous or discontinuous route dampens its appeal. In addition, the authors build an agent-based simulation tool to study retail location choice on a supply chain network consisting of suppliers, retailers, and consumers. The simulation software illustrates that the clustering of retailers can emerge from the balance of distance to suppliers and the distance to consumers. This tool is further applied in the Transportation Geography and Networks course (CE 5180) at the University of Minnesota. Students’ feedback reveals that it is a useful active learning tool for transportation and urban planning education. In addition to planning education, the software also has the potential of being extended and calibrated as an integrated regional transportation-land use forecasting model. KW - Accessibility KW - Built environment KW - Cluster analysis KW - Consumers KW - Geographic information systems KW - Global Positioning System KW - Industrial location KW - Origin and destination KW - Shopping trips KW - Simulation KW - Travel behavior KW - Twin Cities, Minnesota KW - Walking UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223333 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454656 AU - Le, Minh AU - Turner, Shawn AU - Lomax, Tim AU - Wikander, John AU - Poe, Chris AU - University Transportation Center for Mobility AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Comparing Perceptions and Measures of Congestion PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 22p AB - People’s perception of congestion and the actual measured congestion do not always agree. Measured congestion relates to the delay resulting from field measurements of traffic volume, speed, and travel time. People’s perception of congestion can be influenced by relative year to year growth in congestion, improved or new transportation infrastructure, and societal attitudes on transportation. IBM publishes an annual study on the attitudes of commuters from across the world on their daily travel (known as the Commuter Pain Survey). The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) publishes an annual Urban Mobility Report that measures urban mobility based on public and private traffic data for highways, streets, and transit. This research attempts to connect the relationships between perceived congestion as determined by IBM’s Commuter Pain Survey results and measured congestion from the Urban Mobility Report (UMR) in 10 cities across the United States. The raw Pain Index values (the unadjusted index values based entirely on survey responses) had higher correlation with TTI-based measures than the published Pain Index. The Raw Pain Index was found to correspond to a composite model of two of the four core UMR measures examined—the Travel Time Index and the Roadway Congestion Index. This study also examines the correlation of measured congestion between the UMR and two measures of the INRIX National Traffic Scorecard. The Travel Time Tax and the Worst Hour were found to correspond to a model of the Travel Time Index of the UMR. The Travel Time Tax correlates especially well with the Travel Time Index. KW - Attitudes KW - Commuters KW - Mobility KW - Perception KW - Traffic congestion KW - Traffic measurement KW - Traffic speed KW - Traffic volume KW - Travel surveys KW - Travel time KW - Urban Mobility Study UR - http://utcm.tamu.edu/publications/final_reports/Le_11-00-72.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46378/Le_11-00-72.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223250 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454360 AU - Putman, B J AU - Xiao, F AU - Clemson University AU - South Carolina Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Investigation of Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) Technologies and Increased Percentages of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) in Asphalt Mixtures PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 133p AB - The objective of this research project was three-fold: (1) evaluate the performance of South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) mixtures made with warm mix asphalt (WMA) technologies, (2) evaluate the effect of increased reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) contents on SCDOT asphalt mixtures, and (3) evaluate the influence of WMA technologies on SCDOT asphalt mixtures made with RAP. To accomplish the research objectives, the research was divided in to three separate phases, each addressing one of the three specific objectives. Additionally, an extensive literature review was conducted to establish the state-of-the-practice related to the use of WMA and RAP in asphalt mixtures. The effects of WMA technologies and RAP content on asphalt mixtures were evaluated for binders and mixtures. Two different WMA technologies (Evotherm™ and foaming) and five RAP contents (0, 20, 30, 40, and 50%) were selected for this study. SCDOT Surface Type B mix designs were conducted for hot mix asphalt (HMA) and each WMA technology using two binders and two aggregates for a total of 60 mix designs. Once the mix designs were complete, the performance of each mixture was determined by testing the indirect tensile strength, tensile strength ratio, rutting resistance, resilient modulus, and fatigue life. In addition, the effect of the WMA technologies on the relative compactability of the mixtures was also quantified as the number of gyrations required to achieve the specified height of 95 mm for the intelligent transportation system (ITS) specimens. This research yielded several conclusions and recommendations for the implementation of WMA and higher RAP contents in SCDOT asphalt paving operations. KW - Asphalt mixtures KW - Binders KW - Mix design KW - Pavements KW - Paving KW - Reclaimed asphalt pavements KW - State of the practice KW - Tensile strength KW - Warm mix paving mixtures UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46375/SPR_680_Investigation_of_WMA_Technologies_and_Increased_RAP_in_Asphalt_Mixtures__Final_Report_.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222897 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454358 AU - Putman, B J AU - Clemson University AU - South Carolina Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of Open-Graded Friction Courses: Construction, Maintenance, and Performance PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 119p AB - The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) has been using open graded friction courses (OGFC) since the mid-1970s to reduce accidents on high volume routes. While the permeability of OGFC has several advantages, there are also concerns about the performance and maintenance of these pavement layers. The primary research objective of this study was to identify methods to improve the design, performance, construction, and maintenance of OGFCs in South Carolina. To accomplish this objective, several tasks including literature review, surveys, laboratory investigations, and field evaluations were completed. The results of this study led to several recommendations for SCDOT to consider in the future design, construction, and maintenance of OGFCs. These included adjustments to the mix design procedure for determining the optimum binder content, consideration of an alternative aggregate gradation to further a procedure for determining the necessary thickness of OGFC layers, best practices for construction of OGFCs, and potential maintenance solutions. KW - Aggregate gradation KW - Asphalt mixtures KW - Binder content KW - Friction course KW - Maintenance KW - Mix design KW - Pavement design KW - Pavement layers KW - Paving KW - South Carolina UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46376/SPR_687_Evaluation_of_OGFCs_-_Construction_Maintenance_and_Performance__Final_Report_.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222894 ER - TY - SER AN - 01454143 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Ozer, Hasan AU - Al-Qadi, Imad L AU - Kanaan, Ahmad AU - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Laboratory Evaluation of High Asphalt Binder Replacement with Recycled Asphalt Shingles (RAS) for a Low N-Design Asphalt Mixture PY - 2012/10 IS - 12-018 SP - 39p AB - This study investigated the effect of high asphalt binder replacement for a low N-design asphalt mixture including reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) on performance indicators such as permanent deformation, fracture, fatigue potentials, and stiffness, was studied. An experimental program included complex modulus, fracture, overlay reflective cracking resistance, wheel track permanent deformations, and push-pull fatigue tests. The asphalt binder replacement, combinations of RAS and RAP asphalt binder, levels in the mix were in a range of 43 to 64%. According to the results obtained from the experimental program, permanent deformation resistance of the mixtures was improved in the presence of RAS. Fracture tests at low temperature did not reveal any significant difference between the specimens prepared at varying percentages of asphalt binder replacement. Fatigue potential of mixtures increased with increasing RAS content and asphalt binder replacement. The specimens prepared with 2.5% RAS and PG 46-34 showed the best fatigue performance. The impact of asphalt binder bumping was highlighted by the results of all tests. The improvement in fatigue life and fracture energy was noticeable when the asphalt binder type was changed from PG 58-28 to PG 46-34 at the highest asphalt binder replacement level. The results showed that complex modulus test results can provide crucial information about the mix viscoelastic properties such as relaxation potential and long-term stiffness that can be used, along with fracture tests, to evaluate mix brittleness at relatively high asphalt binder replacement levels. KW - Asphalt mixtures KW - Asphalt pavements KW - Bituminous binders KW - Deformation KW - Fatigue tests KW - Fracture tests KW - Laboratory tests KW - Recycled materials KW - Shingles KW - Stiffness tests UR - http://hdl.handle.net/2142/45796 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222771 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454125 AU - Zhang, Zhanmin AU - Murphy, Michael R AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - A Web-based Pavement Performance and Maintenance Management and GIS Mapping System for Easy Access to Pavement Condition Information PY - 2012/10//Technical Report SP - 22p AB - State Departments of Transportation, including the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), have long been moving towards the development and implementation of pavement management systems that would enable monitoring of the performance of their roadways, as well as assist transportation officials with maintenance budget allocation and planning decisions. Various past attempts focused on using the available performance databases as well as state-of-the-art concepts for the development of such systems. The unique characteristics of the state of Texas, the most predominant of which is the vast size of the managed pavement network, 79,696 centerline miles of highways including 49,829 bridges, have made some of the decision support models and/or algorithms a challenge to implement. This report presents a new approach to the development of such a decision-support system with its focus on maintenance management for TxDOT. The new system is web-based and provides functional capabilities that allow transportation officials and engineers to make informed decisions regarding their budget planning and budget allocation for pavement maintenance management, fully utilizing available historical data. The developed system has successfully supported some of the TxDOT Districts in the development of their 4-year pavement management plans. In addition, pavement conditions in Texas were analyzed in terms of the effectiveness of the 4-year pavement management plans. KW - Budgeting KW - Decision support systems KW - Geographic information systems KW - Maintenance management KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Pavement management systems KW - Pavement performance KW - Texas KW - Web-based technology UR - http://www.utexas.edu/research/ctr/pdf_reports/5_9035_01_2.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222754 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454124 AU - Tayabji, Shiraz AU - Fick, Gary AU - Taylor, Peter AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Iowa Department of Transportation TI - Concrete Pavement Mixture Design and Analysis (MDA) Guide Specification for Highway Concrete Pavements: Commentary PY - 2012/10 SP - 84p AB - This guide specification and commentary for concrete pavements presents current state-of-the art thinking with respect to materials and mixture selection, proportioning, and acceptance. This document takes into account the different environments, practices, and materials in use across the United States and allows optional inputs for local application. The following concrete pavement types are considered: jointed plain concrete pavement, the most commonly used pavement type and may be doweled or non-doweled at transverse joints; and continuously reinforced concrete pavement, typically constructed without any transverse joints, typically used for locations with high truck traffic loads and/or poor support conditions. KW - Admixtures KW - Concrete pavements KW - Highways KW - Mix design KW - Pavement design KW - Specifications KW - United States UR - http://publications.iowa.gov/14949/1/IA_DOT_TPF-5%28205%29_InTrans_mda_guide_spec_commentary.pdf UR - http://publications.iowa.gov/14949/3/IA_DOT_TPD-5%28205%29_InTrans_mda_concrete_pvmts_guide_specs.pdf UR - http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/research/documents/research-reports/guide_spec_commentary_w_cvr.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222753 ER -