TY - RPRT AN - 01454107 AU - Höfs, Wolfgang AU - Lappin, Jane AU - Schagrin, Mike AU - Cronin, Brian AU - Resendes, Ray AU - Hess, Søren AU - Pincus, Marcia AU - Schade, Hans-Joachim AU - Sill, Steve AU - Harding, John AU - Benz, Thomas AU - Monk, Chris AU - Engström, Johan AU - Bishop, Richard AU - Bossom, Richard AU - Schulz, Matthias AU - Easton, Andrea Vann AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - International Deployment of Cooperative Intelligent Transportation Systems − Bilateral Efforts of the European Commission and United States Department of Transportation PY - 2012/10 SP - 32p AB - The United States and European Union (EU) share many of the same transportation research issues, challenges, and goals. They also share a belief that cooperative vehicle (also termed connected vehicle) systems, based on vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications, can deliver significant societal benefits for all road users in terms of safer, more energy-efficient, less congested, and environmentally friendly transportation. Thus, in January 2009, the U.S. Department of Transportation Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) and the European Commission Directorate General for Communication Networks, Content and Technology (CONNECT; formerly Information Society and Media) signed an Implementing Arrangement to develop coordinated research programs, specifically focusing on cooperative vehicle systems. Both recognized that coordinated research can preclude the development and adoption of redundant standards, provide significant cost savings, and support and accelerate the deployment and adoption of cooperative vehicle systems. An EU-U.S. Steering Group, Technical Task Force, and Working Groups, co-led and staffed by representatives of RITA, CONNECT, and appointed industry experts, are conducting the work for the EU and U.S. bilateral activities. Representatives from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism participate in these groups as official observers. KW - Connected vehicle technologies KW - Cooperation KW - Cooperative Vehicle Infrastructure Systems KW - European Commission KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - Research management KW - Standards KW - U.S. Department of Transportation KW - Vehicle to vehicle communications UR - http://www.its.dot.gov/connected_vehicle/pdf/Joint_EU-US_Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1218389 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454097 AU - Stuart, Thomas AU - Phillips, Jeffrey AU - University of Toledo AU - Ohio Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Veteran’s Glass City Skyway Solar Array Field Demonstration PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 223p AB - The Veteran’s Glass City Skyway (VGCS) Solar Array Field Demonstration is a large array of solar panels that was installed north of the VGCS bridge next to Interstate I-280 in Toledo, Ohio. The array consists of solar modules from two separate manufacturers, First Solar, Inc. and Xunlight Corporation. The function of the solar array is to generate electricity to offset the bridge’s lighting consumption, and to promote solar energy development in Ohio. A data acquisition system was installed to monitor and collect data to study the feasibility of operating a large solar array near a freeway. The purpose of this research is to provide information to estimate the cost effectiveness for future installations of this type and what equipment they should include. KW - Cost effectiveness KW - Data collection KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Freeways KW - Solar energy KW - Solar panels KW - Toledo (Ohio) KW - Veteran's Glass City Skyway Bridge UR - http://worldcat.org/oclc/870532733/viewonline UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222614 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454096 AU - Bower, Nathan AU - Wen, Haifang AU - Willoughby, Kim AU - Weston, Jim AU - DeVol, Joe AU - Washington State University, Pullman AU - Washington State Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of the Performance of Warm Mix Asphalt in Washington State PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 103p AB - Warm mix asphalt (WMA) is a relatively new and emerging technology for the asphalt industry. It offers potential construction and environmental advantages over traditional hot mix asphalt (HMA). However, WMA must perform at least as well as HMA before it can be used to replace HMA. This study evaluates the performance of HMA and WMA mixes obtained from various field sites in the state of Washington. Different WMA technologies are examined in four separate projects; these technologies include Sasobit® and three water foaming technologies, Gencor® Green Machine Ultrafoam GX®, Aquablack™ and water injection. Performance tests are conducted on the cores and extracted binders to evaluate the resistance of HMA and WMA samples to fatigue and thermal cracking, rutting and moisture susceptibility. Additionally, the early-age field performance of WMA and HMA control pavements is compared. KW - Asphalt mixtures KW - Asphalt pavements KW - Cracking of asphalt concrete pavements KW - Fatigue tests KW - Foamed asphalt KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Moisture susceptibility KW - Pavement performance KW - Rutting KW - Warm mix paving mixtures KW - Washington (State) KW - Water injection UR - http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/789.1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222752 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454013 AU - Perkins, Judy Annette AU - Carson, Jodi L AU - Mwakalong, Judith AU - Obeng-Boampong, Kwaku Oduro AU - Jasek, Debbie AU - Pesti, Geza AU - Prairie View A&M University AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute, College Station AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Winter Weather Response Guide PY - 2012/10 SP - 256p AB - The purpose of this guide is to develop consistent practices that focus on a proactive approach to snow and ice control across the state. In addition to responding in a timely manner to a snow and ice event, best management practices highlighted in this guide will aid maintenance personnel in developing the best snow and ice control strategies. The Winter Weather Response Guide includes general guidance related to effective winter weather response and provides an opportunity for TxDOT personnel to supplement with District-specific information. KW - Best practices KW - Snow and ice control KW - Texas KW - Weather conditions KW - Weather forecasting KW - Winter KW - Winter maintenance UR - http://d2dtl5nnlpfr0r.cloudfront.net/tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6669-P1.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46337/0-6669-P1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1218676 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454005 AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Digest of Impaired Driving and Selected Beverage Control Laws, Twenty-Sixth Edition, Current as of June 1, 2011 PY - 2012/10//26th Edition SP - 579p AB - This digest reports the status of State laws that are concerned with impaired driving offenses and alcoholic beverage control, current as of June 1, 2011. It is extensively footnoted and contains comprehensive information on critical impaired-driving laws for all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. It is designed to be an easily accessible reference to all States’ current laws on alcohol and other issues of impaired driving. The digest contains a selection of the most important laws pertaining to impaired driving for each State, compiled in a consistent format to make research simpler. Each State entry includes: Basis for a DWI Offense; Chemical Breath Tests for Alcohol Concentration; Adjudication of Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) Charges; Sanctions; Administrative Licensing Actions; Ignition Interlock; Sobriety Checkpoints; Other Criminal Actions Related to DWI; DWI Offenses and Commercial Motor Vehicles; Driving While License Suspended or Revoked Where the Basis Was a DWI Offense; Minimum Age Alcohol Laws; Dram Shop Laws and Related Actions; Open Container Laws; and others. KW - Adjudication KW - Alcohol breath tests KW - Alcohol ignition interlock devices KW - Alcoholic beverages KW - Drunk drivers KW - Drunk driving KW - Impaired drivers KW - Legal drinking age KW - Revocation KW - Sanctions KW - Sobriety checkpoints KW - State laws KW - Suspensions UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811673.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1220598 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01453997 AU - Grace, Nathan AU - Oxley, Cassandra AU - Sloan, Suzanne AU - Tallon, Anne AU - Thornton, Philip AU - Black, Tammy AU - Easton, Andrea Vann AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Transforming Transportation through Connectivity: ITS Strategic Research Plan, 2010–2014 (Progress Update, 2012) PY - 2012/10//Strategic Plan SP - 195p AB - This document updates the Intelligent Transportation Systems Strategic Research Plan, 2010–2014, a focused research agenda whose goal is to deliver the foundational systems, technologies, and applications that provide transportation connectivity to the nation. This document builds on former/earlier ITS research initiatives to continue the most promising research for achieving a Connected Vehicle Environment and to deliver the next generation of ITS technologies to the marketplace. It satisfies the two-year reporting requirement to Congress by including updated materials — Snapshots of Progress — for each research program, to present research results, lessons learned, and next steps. KW - Connectivity KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - ITS program applications KW - ITS program technologies KW - Research KW - Strategic planning KW - Transportation planning UR - http://www.its.dot.gov/strategicplan/pdf/ITS%20Strategic%20Plan%20Update%202012.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46400/46498/ITS_Strategic_Plan_Update_2012.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1218083 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01453991 AU - National Association of Regional Councils AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Livability Literature Review: A Synthesis of Current Practice PY - 2012/10 SP - 28p AB - The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (U.S. HUD) created the Partnership for Sustainable Communities (the Partnership) in 2009 “to help improve access to affordable housing, more transportation options, and lower transportation costs while protecting the environment in communities nationwide” (U.S. EPA, 2009, para. 6). Guided by these goals, the federal government has committed significant resources and attention to implementing livability in state and local governments. While high-level, strategic federal investment in livability is relatively recent, states, regions, and localities have planned and implemented livable communities for more than a decade. The multitude of local, state and federal livability initiatives and the lack of widespread local and regional implementation tools led the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) to ask how practitioners and policy officials implement and integrate livability on local and regional levels. NARC reviewed literature covering transportation, local and regional comprehensive and master plans, livability reports, and policy documents. Using the Partnership’s six livability principles as a framework, NARC identified the tactics and mechanisms local governments and their regional planning organizations used to support these principles. NARC sorted over 130 documents and identified reoccurring livability mechanisms and tactics. This literature review first examined the difficulty in creating livability consensus concepts, decoupled livability from sustainability and expanded on reoccurring themes. This review will assist practitioners and policymakers in understanding how states and localities define, plan and implement livability. KW - Context sensitive design KW - Land use planning KW - Literature reviews KW - Quality of life KW - Smart growth KW - State of the practice KW - Sustainable development KW - Sustainable transportation KW - Transit oriented development UR - http://narc.org/wp-content/uploads/Livability-Report-FINAL.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222588 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01453914 AU - Eledath, Jayan AU - Matei, Bogdan AU - Bansal, Mayank AU - Jung, Sang-Hack AU - Sawhney, Harpreet AU - Sarnoff Corporation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Layered Object Recognition System for Pedestrian Sensing PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 116p AB - There is a significant need to develop innovative technologies to detect pedestrians or other vulnerable road users at designated crossing locations and midblock/unexpected areas and to determine potential collisions with pedestrians. An in-vehicle pedestrian sensing system was developed to address this specific problem. The research team used stereo vision cameras and developed three key innovations, namely, the detection and recognition of multiple roadway objects; the use of multiple cues (depth, motion, shape, and appearance) to detect, track, and classify pedestrians; and the use of contextual information to reject a majority of the typical false positives that plague vision-based pedestrian detection systems. This report describes the approach and tabulates representative results of experiments conducted on multiple video sequences captured over the course of the project. The conclusion derived from these results is that the developed system is state of the art when compared to the best approaches published in literature. The false positive rates are still higher than desired for the system to be ready for commercialization. This report also provides steps that can be taken to improve the performance in this regard. A real-time system was developed and demonstrated in a test vehicle. KW - Detection and identification systems KW - Pedestrian movement KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Pedestrian vehicle interface KW - Real time information KW - State of the art KW - Stereo vision KW - Test vehicles UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/11056/11056.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222604 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01453787 AU - Rupnow, Tyson D AU - Icenogle, Patrick AU - Louisiana Transportation Research Center AU - Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of Surface Resistivity Measurements as an Alternative to the Rapid Chloride Permeability Test for Quality Assurance and Acceptance - Implementation Report PY - 2012/10//Implementation Report SP - 50p AB - Many contracting agencies currently use permeability specifications in portland cement concrete (PCC) pavements and structures. This project followed the implementation of the surface resistivity test (TR 233) on a field project in Louisiana. Additionally, a precision statement was developed for TR 233, and a ruggedness study was conducted to determine influencing factors on the results of TR 233 testing. The single operator coefficient of variation of a single test result has been found to be 2.2 percent. Therefore, the results of two properly conducted tests by the same operator on concrete samples from the same batch and of the same diameter should not differ by more than 6.2 percent. The multilaboratory coefficient of variation of a single test result has been found to be 3.9 percent. Therefore the results of two properly conducted tests in different laboratories on the same material should not differ by more than 11 percent. The collected data only covered the moderate, low, and very low permeability classes; because of this, the precision statement should only be used for values within these ranges. Further testing is recommended to investigate values in the high and negligible permeability classes. The surface resistivity test shows lower variability than rapid chloride permeability test. The ruggedness study showed age and aggregate type as significant factors for surface resistivity. An additional factorial was used to compare individual factors against a control sample. The additional factorial suggested age, calcium nitrite, aggregate size, and aggregate type as significant factors for surface resistivity. However, comparative rapid chloride permeability testing on the same sample sets concluded that all significant factors determined will either affect the permeability of the sample in general or influence rapid chloride permeability as well. The project specific cost benefit analysis showed that the Department saved a total of about $10,000 over three months, $40,000 for a full year, or $160,000 for the life of the construction project, for the Caminada Bay Bridge project after implementing the surface resistivity meter. Using a conservative savings of about $20,000 per year per project and an average of 50 projects per year, the Department is projected to save about $1,000,000 in operational costs when the surface resistivity test is implemented statewide. The savings for contractor quality control (QC) are expected to equal or exceed DOTD operational cost savings when the surface resistivity test is fully implemented due to the specifications requiring that the contractor conduct QC testing at a frequency equal to or greater than the frequency of quality assurance (QA) testing by the Department. KW - Acceptance tests KW - Chloride ion penetration KW - Permeability KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Quality assurance KW - Quality control KW - Surface resistivity UR - http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/pdf/2012/fr_496.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1218659 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01450877 AU - Damrongwiriyanupap, Nattapong AU - Liang, Yu-chang AU - Xi, Yunping AU - University of Colorado, Boulder AU - Colorado Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Application of Roller Compacted Concrete in Colorado's Roadways PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 60p AB - Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) is a no-slump concrete mixture that is transported, placed, and compacted with the same construction equipment as asphalt pavement. RCCs were used to construct three sections of pavement in Weld County Road 28 (WCR 28), eastbound of State Highway (EB 66), and westbound of State Highway (WB 66). Three sets of field inspections were conducted: 1) during construction; 2) nine months after construction; and 3) two years after construction. Strength and durability behaviors of the RCCs were tested right after construction, and some of the material properties of the RCCs were further tested nine months after construction. Field inspections showed that the diamond ground surface texture of EB 66 and WB 66 is better and smoother than the surface of WCR 28 where large cracks and chipping occurred along both longitudinal and transverse directions. The relatively poor quality of RCC samples at WCR 28C location may be due to the different quality of concrete mix, the degree of compaction used during construction, and the absence of saw cut joints. The concrete specimens were tested for rapid chloride permeability, drying shrinkage, freeze-thaw resistance, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and flexural strength. The test results obtained after the construction indicated that the chloride permeabilities are in the low to very low ranges, the drying shrinkages are in the normal range, and freeze-thaw resistance is fine. The compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and flexural strength are also in the normal range similar to that of conventional concrete. The test results obtained nine months after the construction indicated that deteriorations occurred in the RCC concretes. After only nine months of service, the RCCs already showed noticeable changes in all of the selected properties tested. More tests and field inspections should be conducted in the future after a longer monitoring period to verify and validate the initial findings observed in the material properties and surface conditions of the RCC pavements. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Colorado KW - Concrete pavements KW - Deterioration KW - Durability tests KW - Pavement cracking KW - Pavement distress KW - Roller compacted concrete pavements KW - Strength of materials UR - http://www.coloradodot.info/programs/research/pdfs/2012/rcc.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46100/46176/rcc.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1218126 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01450875 AU - Rasmussen, Robert Otto AU - Sohaney, Richard C AU - Transtec Group, Incorporated AU - Colorado Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Assessment of Concrete Pavement Texturing Methodologies in Colorado PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 45p AB - This report presents information and data produced by the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT’s) long-term study of Portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP) textures used within the state. The information includes vehicle accident, friction, and texture data. This information was used as the basis for a review of proposed revisions to the CDOT texture measurement method, CP-77, and a specification for PCCP texturing found in Sections 106 and 412 of the Standard Specifications. The report presents specific recommendations for PCCP texture specifications including a recommended average texture depth greater than 0.05 inches. It further concludes that artificial turf drag is an adequate PCCP surface texture. KW - Colorado KW - Concrete pavements KW - Crash rates KW - Friction KW - Pavement grooving KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Skid resistance KW - Texture UR - http://www.coloradodot.info/programs/research/pdfs/2012/texturing.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46100/46177/texturing.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1218128 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01450082 AU - Chen, Erdong AU - Brown, Jennifer AU - Tarko, Andrew AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Use of Barriers in Rural Open Road Conditions—A Synthesis Study PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 63p AB - The use of wide medians and clear zones that do not require median and roadside barriers is the current design practice for new and reconstructed rural highway facilities. Constructing or reconstructing roads with full-width medians and clear zones is much more expensive today compared to when the design standards were developed. Considerable costs can be accrued in additional overhead bridge length, earthwork and ROW in new construction projects, and widening of existing right–of-way and bridge structures in reconstruction projects. This synthesis study focuses on the use of median barriers and roadside barriers and it identifies: (a) the current design practice and the existing body of knowledge, (b) design conditions where adding extra traffic lanes without widening the ROW is acceptable from the point of view of safety and costs if barriers and guardrails are installed, and (c) future research needs. One of the practical outcomes of the project is a set of Crash Cost Modification Factors (concept found in the German design guidelines) estimated based on the past research for Indiana and simulation experiments executed with the Roadside Safety Analysis Program. These factors can be used to evaluate the safety benefit produced by a modified cross-section of a rural freeway. KW - Barriers (Roads) KW - Clear zones KW - Highway design KW - Highway safety KW - Median barriers KW - Rural highways UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284314670 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46100/46112/Technical_Summary.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46100/46144/fulltext.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216996 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449550 AU - Givechi, Mehrdad AU - Sarkodee, George AU - University of Kansas, Lawrence AU - Kansas Department of Transportation AU - Kansas State University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Establishment of Local Trip Generation Rates or Equations for Mixed-Use Developments in Kansas PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 259p AB - Currently, the trip generation rates and equations contained in the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Manual, 8th Edition are based on the information collected at single-use, free-standing sites and cannot be directly applied to multi-use developments. Application of this data for multi-use development sites requires use of an adjustment factor called “internal capture rate”, which is expressed as a percent reduction to the trips generated by individual land uses. These reductions are applied externally to the site at the entrances, adjacent intersections and roadways. They are distinct and separate from “pass-by” and “diverted-link” trips and are applied before “pass-by” and “diverted-link” trip reductions are applied. While the trip generation rates for individual uses on a multi-use development site may be the same or similar to what they are for free-standing sites, there is potential for interaction among those uses within the site, particularly where the trip can be made by walking. As a result, the total generation of vehicle trips entering and exiting the multi-use site may be reduced from simply a sum of the individual, discrete trips generated by each land use. Because the development of mixed-use or multi-use sites is increasingly popular, ITE wishes to increase the database on multi-use developments in order to provide internal capture data for a broader range of land uses. ITE would appreciate additional data from analyses of such developments. The goal of this research project is to establish a local trip generation rate model for multi-use developments in the state of Kansas, which can potentially be submitted to the ITE headquarter for inclusion in the national database as well. The primary objectives were to identify several appropriate multi-use development sites in the state and document vehicular trip data generated by each site in order to develop a trip generation model that can be used to better estimate trip numbers generated by such sites. A total of three sites were selected and studied for this project including “Mission Farms” and “Park Place” developments, both in Leawood, Kansas; and “Metcalf95 Complex” in Overland Park, Kansas. KW - Data collection KW - Internal capture of trips KW - Internal trips KW - Kansas KW - Land use KW - Mixed use development KW - Trip generation KW - Trip purpose UR - http://idmweb.ksdot.org/PublicLib/publicDoc.asp?ID=003823096 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46100/46126/KU117_Final.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46100/46127/KU117_Summary.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1217112 ER - TY - CONF AN - 01449513 AU - Tittsworth, Jeffrey A AU - Lang, Steven R AU - Johnson, Edward J AU - Barnes, Stephen AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - National Aeronautics and Space Administration TI - Federal Aviation Administration Wake Turbulence Program - Recent Highlights PY - 2012/10 SP - 8p AB - Aircraft-generated wake turbulence has for years been a major factor in the air-traffic-control-imposed separations between aircraft during departure, transit and arrival operations conducted at airports and air corridors of high volume. A brief account of the current wake turbulence program activity is presented herein. A suite of wake mitigation solutions to improve both capacity and safety are being developed, and more importantly, are being implemented. This paper highlights four specific examples from the current wake turbulence program portfolio, which are Federal Aviation Administration Order 7110.308, Wake Turbulence Mitigation for Departure, Wake Turbulence Mitigation for Arrival and Wake Turbulence Recategorization. All of these solutions directly support the Next Generation Air Transpiration System's objective for capacity enhancement goals. The program acknowledges all of the past research and development in the field leading to the current successes, and continues to seek constructive feedbacks from the stakeholders. U1 - Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) Annual Conference & ExpositionNational Harbor,MD,United States StartDate:20121001 EndDate:20121003 KW - Air traffic KW - Aircraft separation KW - Airport runways KW - Arrivals and departures KW - Aviation safety KW - Turbulence KW - Vehicle spacing KW - Wakes UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45900/45912/Lang__Wake_Turbulence_Program.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216249 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449134 AU - Gharaibeh, Nasir AU - Freeman, Tom AU - Saliminejad, Siamak AU - Wimsatt, Andrew AU - Chang-Albitres, Carlos AU - Nazarian, Soheil AU - Abdallah, Imad AU - Weissmann, Jose AU - Weissmann, Angela Jannini AU - Papagiannakis, Athanassios T AU - Gurganus, Charles AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation and Development of Pavement Scores, Performance Models and Needs Estimates for the TxDOT Pavement Management Information System - Final Report PY - 2012/10//Technical Report SP - 302p AB - This project conducted a thorough review of the existing Pavement Management Information System (PMIS) database, performance models, needs estimates, utility curves, and scores calculations, as well as a review of District practices concerning the three broad pavement types, asphalt concrete pavement, jointed concrete pavement, and continuously reinforced concrete pavement. The proposed updates to the performance models, utility curves, and decisions trees are intended to improve PMIS scores and needs estimates so that they more accurately reflect District opinions and practices, and reduce performance prediction errors. Researchers hope that implementation of these PMIS modifications will improve its effectiveness as a decision-aid tool for the Districts. Appendices H, J, and K contain calibrated PMIS performance model coefficients for asphalt concrete pavement (ACP), continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP), and jointed concrete pavement (JCP), respectively; they are recommended for use in the existing PMIS performance models (summarized in Chapter 4). Appendices M and N contain new revised utility curves and coefficients for ACP, CRCP, and JCP pavement distresses. Appendices T, U, and V contain revised ACP, CRCP, and JCP decision trees for needs estimates determination. Appendix Z contains a recommended priority index that can be used for programming projects for preservation, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. KW - Asphalt concrete pavements KW - Continuously reinforced concrete pavements KW - Decision trees KW - Jointed plain concrete pavements KW - Mathematical models KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Pavement Management Information System KW - Pavement management systems KW - Pavement performance KW - Programming (Planning) KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) KW - Texas UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6386-3.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46100/46132/0-6386-3.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216898 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01448615 AU - Gallagher, Susan AU - Western Transportation Institute AU - Montana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - 2012 Montana Summer Transportation Institute PY - 2012/10//Final Report SP - 31p AB - The Summer Transportation Institute (STI) hosted by the Western Transportation Institute (WTI) at Montana State University (MSU) aims to heighten student interest in transportation careers at the pre-college level. The program recruits high school students to participate in a two-week educational program on the MSU campus. The residential program introduces participants to all modes of transportation, seeks to build creative problem-solving skills, and supports college and career planning activities. The 2012 STI program was comprised of rising tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students from four states. Students lived on the MSU campus while participating in a multidisciplinary academic curriculum, which included guest speaker presentations, hands-on laboratories, and field trips. Students were exposed to an array of transportation careers and gained leadership skills while working on team design-build projects. During the evenings and weekend, STI students participated in educational, sports, and team-building activities. Sixteen secondary school students participated in the 2012 Summer Transportation Institute, which ran from June 10 to June 22, 2012. KW - Education and training KW - High school students KW - Montana KW - Summer Transportation Institute, Montana State University KW - Transportation careers UR - http://www.mdt.mt.gov/other/research/external/docs/research_proj/summer/final_report12.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46100/46142/FINAL_REPORT12.PDF UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1215924 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01479062 AU - Bailey, J Ronald AU - Hairr, Mark E AU - University of Tennessee, Chattanooga AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - Wayside Charging and Hydrogen Hybrid Bus: Extending the Range of Electric Shuttle Buses PY - 2012/09/30/Final Report SP - 159p AB - This report documents the results completed by the Center for Energy, Transportation and the Environment (CETE) at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) under Federal Transit Administration Cooperative Agreement TN-26-7034. This research has addressed the limited range of electric shuttle buses by two different methods: first, by wayside charging using inductive power transfer, and second, by adding a small (10 kW) on-board generator set powered by an internal combustion engine (ICE) fueled by hydrogen. Wayside charging reduced fuel costs to less than $0.10 per mile while eliminating tailpipe emissions that would have been produced by a similar diesel bus. The hydrogen hybrid bus eliminated emission of carbon dioxide, but the cost was found to be prohibitive because of the relatively poor thermodynamic efficiency of the ICE and the high cost of hydrogen. Better results were obtained when the ICE was fueled with compressed natural gas (CNG), which resulted in a range in excess of 170 miles at a lower fuel cost per mile than a comparable diesel-fueled hybrid bus. KW - Auxiliary power units KW - Battery chargers KW - Compressed natural gas KW - Costs KW - Electric buses KW - Exhaust gases KW - Hybrid vehicles KW - Hydrogen KW - Range (Vehicles) KW - Shuttle buses KW - Tennessee UR - http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/FTA_Report_No._0028.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/55000/55500/55513/FTA_Report_No._0028.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1248082 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469941 AU - Waldron, Christopher J AU - Yates, Denson AU - University of Alabama, Birmingham AU - University of Alabama at Birmingham University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Effect of Increasing Truck Weight on Bridges PY - 2012/09/30/Final Report SP - 60p AB - Legislation has been proposed that will allow a 17,000 lb increase in the maximum gross vehicle weight on the Interstate Highway System. This project’s main goal is quantify the effect of this increase on the internal forces to which typical slab-on-girder bridges are subjected. Both the shear and moment in the girders and then in the deck slab due to the truck loadings are investigated. To accomplish this, several configurations for these heavier trucks that have been proposed in the literature are evaluated. The HS20-44 loading with alternate military loading, the HL-93 design loading, and Alabama legal loads are used as baselines for comparison. The project focuses on short and medium span bridges with spans between 20 feet and 150 feet and girder spacings between 4 feet and 10 feet. By comparing the proposed truck configurations with the baseline configurations, the adequacy or deficiency of current design specifications and existing bridges are quantified. Recommendations for the implementation of a policy allowing specifically configured 97,000-lb, six-axle trucks are made. The results of this research will assist Alabama and other state departments of transportation in providing a path forward for the eventuality of heavier trucks. KW - Axle loads KW - Bearing capacity KW - Bridge decks KW - Girder bridges KW - Heavy vehicles KW - Load factor KW - Medium span bridges KW - Shear strength KW - Short span bridges UR - http://utca.eng.ua.edu/files/2013/01/UTCA-11202-Final-Report.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46742/UTCA-11202-Final-Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236955 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01616418 TI - Medical Review Guidelines and Medical Advisory Board Practices AB - In many States, physicians, family members or others may report concerns regarding an older driver’s competency to the licensing agency. In other cases, law enforcement officers or licensing agency staff members may have concerns about a driver’s abilities, so refer the driver for evaluation. Many States rely on a Medical Review process to examine medical histories of individuals flagged as potentially risky drivers to identify medical conditions that could undermine driving performance. Medical Reviewers can generally recommend the State revoke a driver’s license, impose driving restrictions, or continue full, unrestricted licensure. This project explores different “typical” Medical Review structures to identify strengths and weaknesses of different types of structures rather than to identify a “best” type. A second focus is outcomes of evaluations for drivers referred by different sources (e.g., law enforcement, physicians, and licensing agency staff). This information will be useful in developing or updating training programs. KW - Aged drivers KW - Driver licenses KW - Driver performance KW - Guidelines KW - Law enforcement personnel KW - Medical services KW - Revocation KW - Risk assessment UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435104 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01576045 TI - Machine Learning for Automated Analysis of Large Volumes of Highway Video AB - Development of advanced tools for automated video feature extraction. KW - Automation KW - Data quality KW - Learning KW - Machine vision KW - Technological innovations KW - Video UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/tfhrc/projects/projectsdb/projectdetails.cfm?projectid=FHWA-PROJ-12-0070 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1369994 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472556 AU - Geunes, Joseph AU - Perez, Cinthia AU - Center for Multimodal Solutions for Congestion Management AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - The Impacts of Freight Mode Splitting on Congestion, Risk, and Delivery Reliability PY - 2012/09/26/Final Report SP - 37p AB - Although splitting shipments across multiple delivery or transportation modes typically increases total shipping costs as a result of diseconomies of scale, it may offer certain benefits that can more than offset these costs. These benefits include a reduction in the probability of stock-out and in the average inventory costs, as well as a concurrent reduction in transportation congestion. We consider a single-stage inventory replenishment model that includes two transportation modes: a cheaper, less reliable mode that is congested, and another, more expensive but perfectly reliable mode. The high-reliability mode is only utilized in replenishment intervals in which the lead time of the less-reliable mode exceeds a certain value. This permits substituting the high-reliability mode for safety stock, to some degree. We characterize optimal replenishment decisions with these two modes, as well as the potential benefits of simultaneously using two delivery modes. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Delivery service KW - Freight traffic KW - Inventory control KW - Modal split KW - Mode choice KW - Reliability KW - Shipments KW - Traffic congestion UR - http://cms.ce.ufl.edu/research/geunes_cms_final_report_2011-023.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46800/46874/geunes_cms_final_report_2011-023.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1239481 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01618697 TI - Evaluation of the 2013 Click It or Ticket Mobilization AB - This two-part research project is an evaluation of the annual Click It or Ticket (CIOT) high-visibility seat belt enforcement mobilization. The first part is an evaluation of the 2013 CIOT campaign. The evaluation includes conducting a nationally representative telephone survey before and after the mobilization to measure changes in public awareness, such as recognition of the CIOT slogan, awareness of special seat belt enforcement efforts, and perceived risk of getting a ticket for not wearing a seat belt. It also includes analyzing media and enforcement data to describe CIOT activities. The second part analyzes multi-year trends in awareness, enforcement, and media to explore long-term program changes and to address the apparent downward trend in reported CIOT seat belt citations. KW - Awareness KW - Click It or Ticket KW - Seat belt use KW - Seat belts KW - Surveys KW - Tickets UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436850 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01616415 TI - Evaluation of a Distracted Driving Enforcement Program: Enforcing Texting Laws AB - Distracted driving laws vary across the States in how they are written and how they can be enforced. Some laws specify particular behaviors, such as reading, writing, and sending a text message, but don’t include the many other actions that could be executed on a hand-held device, such as dialing a phone number, searching the internet, or emailing. Laws like this require enforcement to differentiate between particular actions, a requirement identified as challenging by States in the Governors Highway Safety Association's 2013 Distracted Driving Survey. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is working with Massachusetts and Connecticut to develop and test tactics for enforcing texting laws. This evaluation describes the tactics used by law enforcement in these States and summarizes first-hand experiences shared by the participating law enforcement on the strengths and weaknesses of the enforcement tactics tested. KW - Connecticut KW - Distraction KW - Evaluation KW - Massachusetts KW - States KW - Text messaging KW - Traffic law enforcement KW - U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1434988 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477339 AU - Ghosal, Vivek AU - Georgia Institute of Technology AU - Georgia Transportation Institute University Transportation Center (GTI-UTC) AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - High-Speed Rail Markets, Infrastructure Investments and Manufacturing Capabilities PY - 2012/09/21/Final Report SP - 217p AB - Driven by increasing demand for passenger transportation and congestion in key corridors in the U.S., such as in California, the Northeast, Florida and parts of the Midwest, the U.S. has embarked on various initiatives to examine alternative solutions to this important problem. One of the initiatives relates to the possibility of either introducing or considerably upgrading high-speed rail (HSR) services. In this report, the author focuses on this initiative and conducts a detailed study of the HSR industry to provide guidance for policy. The objective here is to gain a deeper understanding of the HSR industry which is dominated by prominent global players, and one where the U.S. currently has little or no comparative advantage due to the lack of this industry in the past. To understand the core issues and potentially provide an answer to the overall HSR investment feasibility question, it is necessary to study the international trainset suppliers; examine the components’ supply-chain, the nature of contracts that have been observed in the recent past, and the types of partnerships that have formed; do case studies of the economic and business development that have occurred in other countries; and then make an assessment of potential benefits that may accrue to the U.S. As noted above, the costs are somewhat clearer. Since the benefits picture is more uncertain and complex, the author focuses primarily on making an attempt to clarify some of the complexities that lie at the heart of the potential benefits question. This deeper understanding of the HSR industry may help formulation of appropriate HSR investment policies. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - High speed rail KW - Infrastructure KW - Investments KW - Manufacturing KW - Markets KW - Passenger trains KW - Supply chain management KW - Transportation policy KW - United States UR - http://www.utc.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/projects/reports/ghosal_high_speed_rail_project_final_report_september_21_2012_1_0.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1246699 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01624545 TI - Matching Countermeasures to Driver Types and Speeding Behaviors AB - Speeding related crashes continue to be a serious problem. For over a decade, there has been little change in the proportion of speed-related fatal crashes. Recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sponsored research is providing important new insights into speeding behavior as it reveals some of the complexity of this pervasive and multi-faceted traffic safety problem. Given this complexity, it is evident that different countermeasures may be better suited to address different speeding types/patterns. For this project, the research team will conduct a survey of licensed drivers in a State (State to be determined) to further explore typologies of driver speeding types developed in the team's recent Motivations for Speeding project and their 2011 National Survey of Speeding Attitudes and Behavior with a focus on finding appropriate countermeasures for various speeder types. This project will collect information on the attitudes and experiences of the drivers surveyed with regard to speeding countermeasures, as well as actual driving records, and match countermeasures with driver types. This information will then be used to design countermeasure approaches for future evaluation. KW - Attitudes KW - Behavior KW - Crash causes KW - Drivers KW - Fatalities KW - Speed control KW - Speeding KW - Surveys KW - Traffic safety UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1448589 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01620668 TI - Older Drivers' Pedal Behaviors AB - This project collected data on driver pedal behaviors that may contribute to pedal errors. Participants included four groups of drivers: those diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment; with peripheral neuropathy; orthopedic patients who had injuries or surgery involving lower extremities; and a control group whose members did not have any of these conditions. Participants drove a vehicle instrumented with cameras focused on the drivers’ feet, as well as sensors in the brake and accelerator pedals to provide detailed information about how drivers use the pedals during real-world driving. A driving rehabilitation specialist accompanied participants as they complete a course that incorporated situations that the earlier study showed to be associated with pedal errors. Analyses of the data explored relationships between factors related to the driver and specific driving tasks and drivers’ foot movements (e.g., moving the right foot back and forth above the brake and accelerator) that could increase the likelihood of a pedal error. Findings from this study will be useful in developing countermeasures to reduce pedal application error crashes. KW - Aged drivers KW - Brakes KW - Cameras KW - Cognitive impairment KW - Countermeasures KW - Crashes KW - Drivers KW - Injuries KW - Pedals UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442031 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01476045 AU - Fang, Howie AU - Weggel, David AU - Li, Ning AU - DiSogra, Matt AU - Gutowski, Matt AU - University of North Carolina, Charlotte AU - North Carolina Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Recommendations for Placement of Cable Median Barriers on 6:1 and 4:1 Sloped Medians with Horizontal Curvatures PY - 2012/09/15/Final Report SP - 108p AB - This report summarizes the research efforts of using finite element modeling and simulations to evaluate the performance of generic low-tension cable median barriers (CMBs) on four-lane and six-lane freeways with a 46-foot median, horizontal curvature, and 6:1 and 4:1 median slopes. A literature review is included on the performance evaluation of CMBs and applications of finite element modeling and simulations in roadside safety research. The modeling and simulation work is presented on a CMB with vehicular impacts of a 1996 Dodge Neon and a 2006 Ford F250 at 62.1 mph (100 km/hr). The placement of CMB at 4, 6, and 8 ft (1.22, 1.83, and 2.44 m) from the median centerline was evaluated under vehicular impacts at three departure angles (20°, 25°, and 30°). The simulation results show that the current North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) CMB meets the Test Level 3 (TL-3) requirements of MASH when placed at 4 ft (1.22 m) from the median centerline on the 6:1 slope of a four-lane freeway. The backside impacts to the CMB placed at 8 ft (2.44 m) from the median centerline on the 6:1 slope of a four-lane freeway only partially engages the vehicle, which allows the vehicle to enter the opposing travel lane before being redirected or stopped. Compared to the CMB on a four-lane freeway, the CMB placement at 8 ft (2.44 m) from the median centerline on a six-lane freeway has reduced performance in both the front-side and backside impacts by the Ford F250 for TL-3 requirements of MASH. For the tested impacts with a Dodge Neon, the CMB on the 6:1 slope of the six-lane freeway has similar performance to that of a four-lane free way on the 6:1 slope. Based on the simulation results, placing the CMB at 6 ft (1.83 m) from the median centerline on a 4:1 slope of a six-lane freeway is not recommended. The use of finite element simulations in this project is shown to be both effective and efficient and thus recommended for future investigations of other research topics. KW - Cables KW - Finite element method KW - Four lane highways KW - Highway safety KW - Horizontal curvature KW - Median barriers UR - http://www.ncdot.gov/doh/preconstruct/tpb/research/download/2011-09finalreport.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1245875 ER - TY - SER AN - 01471904 JO - University of California, Davis. Institute of Transportation Studies. Research report PB - University of California, Davis AU - Shilling, Fraser M. AU - Haverkamp, Paul AU - Santos, Maria AU - Ustin, S L AU - University of California, Davis AU - University of California, Davis AU - California Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Limited Wildlife Diversity at Highway Right-of-Way Crossings PY - 2012/09/15/Final Report SP - 21p AB - This project included estimation of animal occurrence near and using structures (e.g., culverts, street, and RR crossing structures) to cross the Interstate-80 right-of-way in the Sierra Nevada, California. A combination of track plates near over-crossings and remote cameras at under-crossings was used to index wildlife occurrence and crossings. Diversity was relatively low in the highway right-of-way and at highway under-crossings. Across six highway under-crossings, only eight of 38 possible species were observed moving through these crossings from one side of the highway right-of-way to the other. Alpha diversity at highway crossings ranged widely for wildlife near street under and over-crossings, but was not related to nearby land development. Wildlife use of existing under-crossing structures was inversely proportional to the presence of humans and frequency of human use of the same structures. This has important implications for effectiveness of existing structures and purpose-built “wildlife crossings” to provide for wildlife movement. KW - Biodiversity KW - Crashes KW - Motion KW - Right of way (Land) KW - Roadside fauna KW - Sierra Nevada (Calif. and Nev.) KW - Wildlife crossings UR - http://www.its.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/themes/ucdavis/pubs/download_pdf.php?id=1680 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1217344 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01476036 AU - Biernbaum, Lee AU - Hagemann, Garrett AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Runway Incursion Severity Risk Analysis PY - 2012/09/14/Final Report SP - 272p AB - Runway incursions are defined as the unauthorized presence of a vehicle, pedestrian, or aircraft on a runway. Identifying situations or conditions in which runway incursions are more likely to be severe can suggest policy implications and areas for future safety research. Previous work in this area focused on a narrative approach. This study seeks to examine runway incursions from a statistical perspective and provide insights into the broad trends underlying severity. This report analyzes 10 years of runway incursion event information. A variety of FAA data sources were used to provide information on the event itself, airport characteristics, and airport operations at the time of the incident. Weather information was also incorporated using automated weather readings from airports. The culmination of the analysis is a series of discrete choice models focusing on different sets of incident characteristics. As this represents the first regression-based analysis of these data, the results are suggestive rather than definitive. For example, controller incidents appear to be more severe on average. The results also suggest some areas for further investigation: specifically a need for understanding the frequency of incursions and improvements to the severity measure. KW - Air traffic controllers KW - Aviation safety KW - Choice models KW - Discrete choice KW - Regression analysis KW - Risk analysis KW - Runway incursions KW - Statistical analysis UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46800/46878/Final_Report_-_Runway_Incursion_Severity_Risk_Analysis__read-only___2_.docx UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1245584 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01466547 TI - HTML Preparation and 508 Compliance for Two Documents in the FHWA Office of Natural Environment AB - Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Office of Natural Environment has a requirement to convert two developed documents into HTML format and become compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 508), so that they may be posted onto the organization's website. The contractor shall provide all material, equipment, labor, and items necessary to convert the two documents (when combined include 325 pages) into an HTML format and made 508 Compliant by including alternate text for all images, and headings and scopes for all table rows and columns. Alternate text must be descriptive enough so that anyone unable to view the document gleans the same information as one would from reading the text KW - Contractors KW - Data conversion KW - HTML (Document markup language) KW - Tables (Data) KW - Websites (Information retrieval) UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1234782 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477129 AU - Bras, Bert AU - Leigh, Nancey Green AU - Yang, Jiawen AU - Georgia Transportation Institute University Transportation Center (GTI-UTC) AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Effects of Private Transportation Improvements on Economic Development PY - 2012/09/13/Final Report SP - 28p AB - In this project, the authors explored opportunities and effects of public-private or private- partnerships for mobility improvements (incl. alternative fueled shuttles and IT infrastructure) and assessed their effects on local and regional economic development (incl. low income workers/households). The major focus was on South-Atlanta and the region around the City of Hapeville where closure of the Ford Hapeville assembly plant has negatively impacted the local economy. We partnered with Ford Motor Company and Jacoby Development to study the extended benefits of Jacoby Development’s “Aerotropolis Atlanta” development planned for the site of the former Ford assembly plant in the City of Hapeville, Georgia. The project assessed the triple bottom line benefits of different mobility and transportation options for the site, surrounding neighborhoods, the adjacent Atlanta airport, and the regional transportation system, coupled with different energy generation and industrial co-location options. Increased understanding of such benefits will also impact developments at other former manufacturing sites. In recent years, transit oriented developments in previously developed urban areas have linked private investments and redevelopment activity that is residential and commercial/retail business based. The projected private investment for redevelopment explored here will help to retain and grow industrial business and job opportunities that can compensate for the loss of a major industrial employer. This, in turn, will help to reverse a trend of good jobs lost in urban areas that is gaining increasing national attention. Towards the end of this project, we expanded our research to explore the potential of implementing a broader aerotropolis concept that would encompass other communities in the airport’s sphere of influence, serving to promote a logistics-based, clean tech development strategy. This concept is seen as a promising solution to addressing the uneven development pattern of the metro area in which the southern crescent portion that encompasses the airport has not benefited from the mobility and transportation improvements and associated economic development of the northern half. KW - Aerotropolis KW - Atlanta (Georgia) KW - Economic development KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - Mobility KW - Public private partnerships KW - Regional transportation KW - Shuttle buses KW - Transit oriented development UR - http://www.utc.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/projects/reports/yang_green_leigh_and_bras_effects_of_private_transportation_improvements_on_economic_development_aerotropolis_final_report_sept13_0.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1246695 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454381 AU - Guzzetti, Jeffrey B AU - Langan-Feirson, Mary Kay AU - Department of Transportation TI - Weaknesses in Program and Contract Management Contribute to ERAM Delays and Put Other NextGen Initiatives at Risk PY - 2012/09/13/Audit Report SP - 47p AB - Since 2002, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been developing the $2.1 billion En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) program to replace and significantly enhance the existing hardware and software at facilities that manage high-altitude air traffic. ERAM is a foundational component of FAA’s Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) and is critical to meeting FAA’s goals for increasing airspace capacity and reducing flight delays. The authors have testified on several occasions before Congress that delays in implementing ERAM could significantly impact the cost and pace of NextGen implementation. FAA planned to deploy ERAM to the Nation’s 20 en route facilities by the end of 2010. However, due to software problems that were identified early on at its two key test sites in Salt Lake City, UT, and Seattle, WA, FAA has delayed ERAM’s schedule beyond original completion dates. Given the importance of ERAM for transforming the National Airspace System (NAS), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development and Related Agencies, requested that the Office of Inspector General (OIG) assess FAA’s progress with implementing ERAM. Accordingly, OIG audit objectives were to (1) evaluate FAA’s progress in correcting ERAM’s persistent software problems; (2) evaluate whether the ERAM contract is designed and administered effectively to manage costs and achieve desired outcomes; and (3) identify the risks that ERAM’s delays pose to FAA’s plans to implement critical NextGen initiatives. The authors conducted this audit in accordance with generally accepted Government auditing standards. Exhibit A details their scope and methodology. Exhibit B lists the entities they visited or contacted. This report presents their findings and makes a series of recommendations to improve ERAM's contract structure and oversight and reduce the associated risks to future NextGen related programs. KW - Air traffic control KW - Auditing KW - Contract administration KW - Delays KW - En Route Automation Modernization KW - Implementation KW - Modernization KW - National Airspace System KW - Next Generation Air Transportation System KW - Oversight KW - Recommendations UR - http://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/dot/files/ERAM%20Final%20Report%5E9-13-12.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222978 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01576047 TI - Navigation Guidance for People With Vision Impairment AB - The project is intended to accomplish five main objectives in terms of its potential for technical innovation and commercial application in the field of navigation aid for blind or visually impaired persons. The first objective is to provide a navigational aid that can track the location of a blind person anywhere, including areas where a global positioning system (GPS) is not available or not reliable (e.g., indoors, in urban areas with tall buildings, etc.). The second is to look ahead in time and space to plan a route that allows a visually impaired person to get to a destination, then to adaptively update the route based on vision system recognized obstacles that are to be avoided, such as people or construction within the path (a concept know in robotics as Event Horizon). The third is to take gestural input and provide natural route guidance based on tactile stimuli (instead of relying solely on auditory or visual instructions). The fourth objective is to use computer vision techniques to verify that the user has reached the correct destination, as well as to find stairs, elevators (buttons), hallways, and doors in the visual scope to help with navigation. The final objective is to take input from and provide input to intelligent traffic systems (for example, the ability to communicate with drivers to send them alerts when they are getting close to a blind person who is crossing the street). KW - Audible pedestrian signals KW - Blind persons KW - Global Positioning System KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - Navigation systems KW - Pedestrian movement KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Route guidance UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/tfhrc/projects/projectsdb/projectdetails.cfm?projectid=FHWA-PROJ-12-0107 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1369996 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469943 AU - Panken, A D AU - Harman, W H AU - Rose, C E AU - Drumm, A C AU - Chludzinski, B J AU - Elder, T R AU - Murphy, T J AU - Massachusetts Institute of Technology AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Measurements of the 1030 and 1090 MHz Environments at JFK International Airport PY - 2012/09/12/Project Report SP - 121p AB - Measurements of signals in the 1030 and 1090 MHz frequency bands have been made by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory in the last several years, previously in the Boston area and most recently in April 2011, at JFK International Airport near New York City. This JFK measurement activity was performed as a part of the Lincoln Laboratory Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) work for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and is the subject of this report. This report includes: overall characteristics of the 1030/1090 MHz environments; analysis of the TCAS air-to-air coordination process; examination of 1090 MHz Extended Squitter transmissions for use in TCAS; and assessment of the extent and impact of TCAS operation on the airport surface. KW - Air traffic control KW - Airport operations KW - Crash avoidance systems KW - JFK International Air Terminal LLC KW - Radar air traffic control KW - Radio frequency KW - Radio signals KW - Surveillance KW - Traffic alert and collision avoidance system UR - http://www.ll.mit.edu/mission/aviation/publications/publication-files/atc-reports/Panken_2012_ATC-390_WW-25379.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236785 ER - TY - SER AN - 01455857 JO - Traffic Safety Facts - Research Note PB - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Distracted Driving 2010 PY - 2012/09/12 SP - 8p AB - Distracted driving is a behavior dangerous to drivers, passengers, and nonoccupants alike. Distraction is a specific type of inattention that occurs when drivers divert their attention from the driving task to focus on some other activity instead. Nine percent of fatal crashes in 2010 were reported as distraction-affected crashes. Fatal crashes involving distraction in 2010 should not be compared to fatal crashes involving distraction for years 2009 and prior due to significant changes in data collection. Eighteen percent of injury crashes in 2010 were reported as distraction-affected crashes. In 2010, 3,092 people were killed in crashes involving distracted drivers and an estimated additional 416,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers. Of those people killed in distraction-affected crashes, 408 occurred in crashes in which at least one of the drivers was using a cell phone (13% of fatalities in distraction-affected crashes) at the time of the crash. Use of a cell phone includes talking/listening to a cell phone, dialing/texting a cell phone, or other cell-phone-related activities. This definition is different than previous years and cannot be compared directly to cell phone involvement prior to 2010. Of those injured in distraction-affected crashes, an estimated 24,000 were injured in crashes that involved the use of cell phones at the time of the crashes (6% of injured people in distraction-affected crashes). Eleven percent of all drivers under age 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crashes. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted. For drivers under age 20 involved in fatal crashes, 19 percent of the distracted drivers were distracted by the use of cell phones. KW - Age groups KW - Cellular telephones KW - Crash injuries KW - Distraction KW - Drivers KW - Fatalities UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811650.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223700 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01446297 AU - Peters, Klaus-Markus AU - Hetzel, Brian P AU - Wagner, Timothy R AU - Zeller, Matthias AU - Wallace, Darrell R AU - Fireline TCON, Incorporated AU - Youngstown State University Center for Transportation and Materials Engineering AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Advanced Ceramic-Metallic Composites for Lightweight Vehicle Braking Systems PY - 2012/09/11/Final Report SP - 19p AB - According to the Federal Transit Administration Strategic Research Plan: “Researching technologies to reduce vehicle weight can also lead to important reductions in fuel consumption and emissions. The power required to accelerate a bus and overcome rolling resistance is directly proportional to vehicle weight. Composite materials are one example of an FTA research area aimed at reducing vehicle weights.” One way to reduce vehicle weight is through the development of lightweight components for advanced braking systems. Gray cast iron has been the material of choice in braking systems (such as in brake rotors and drums) because it is inexpensive and a large supply chain infrastructure is in place for engineering and manufacturing gray cast iron components. However, gray cast iron is a relatively heavy material. Utilizing lighter weight materials in braking systems would not only achieve better fuel economy by reducing the vehicle’s static weight but, since brake rotors and drums are rotating components, there would be a large multiplying effect on reducing the amount of energy required to increase their rotational speed as the vehicle accelerates. Finally, as the braking system is an unsprung weight, a lighter system would significantly improve vehicle handling performance and safety. In spite of obvious benefits to lightweight materials, there are significant technical and commercial challenges to overcome. Most lightweight materials do not have the physical, thermal, and tribological performance characteristics required for brake applications, such as a high strength and high thermal conductivity at elevated temperatures. Lightweight alternatives to cast iron that currently do exist are prohibitively expensive for general use in most vehicles. The TCON materials produced by Fireline, Inc. are a class of interpenetrating phase composites produced by a unique reactive metal penetration process. TCON materials contain continuous, microscopic networks of ceramic and metallic phases that are co-continuous and strongly bonded together. This unique material structure is substantially different from traditional metal matrix and ceramic matrix composites, therefore TCON materials exhibit mechanical, physical and thermal properties that are quite distinctive. Through process variations, the properties of TCON composites can be tailored to meet the requirements of specific applications. TCON materials can be net-shaped or near-net shaped in a wide variety of useful forms and sizes, making the process relatively low cost. In collaboration between Fireline and Youngstown State University, this project investigated how TCON materials may be utilized in lightweight vehicle brake systems. The project results are very promising, showing that TCON composites exhibited friction and thermal management properties similar to or better than cast iron, but with half the weight and less wear. It is expected that Fireline will continue on with the further development and evaluation of prototype TCON brake rotors, possibly leading to the commercialization of TCON brake components. KW - Brakes KW - Braking performance KW - Cermets KW - Composite materials KW - Light vehicles KW - Prototypes KW - Vehicle weight UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45900/45928/120911_CTME_Fireline_Final_Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1213857 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470563 AU - Schweitzer, Helmut L AU - Southern California Regional Rail Authority AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Methodology for Initial Assessment of Spectrum Requirements and Required Numbers of Base Stations in a Multi-railroad, Dense Traffic Area PY - 2012/09/10/Version No 1.0 SP - 33p AB - This report is intended to provide a methodology for performing an initial assessment of spectrum requirements related to deployment of a 220 MHz RF network for handling of Positive Train Control (PTC) messaging in a multi-railroad, dense traffic area. It also identifies how to determine the number of radio base stations required to support the projected messaging load in a territory. KW - Base stations KW - Communication systems KW - Electromagnetic spectrum KW - Positive train control KW - Radio frequency KW - Railroads KW - Traffic density UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/2220 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238512 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454512 AU - Lane, Richard AU - Pelham, Krystle AU - New Hampshire Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Ground Vibrations Emanating from Construction Equipment PY - 2012/09/08/Final Report SP - 69p AB - The recent trend in highway construction within New Hampshire has been toward reconstruction and rehabilitation projects in congested urban areas. This has resulted in a greater concern for vibrations generated by non-blasting construction activities, a greater potential for complaints, increased potential for damage, and increased need to monitor vibrations during the construction phase of projects. A procedure for assessing the potential impact of non-blasting construction-induced vibrations at a project site has been modeled after the “Rock Fall Hazard Rating System” as published in the Federal Highway Administration’s “Rock Slopes Reference Manual” (FHWA HI-99-007). An impact assessment of construction vibrations can consider each type of vibration producing activity and the potential impact that activity would have on man-made structures and/or vibration sensitive equipment that is in relevant proximity to the project site. A “Construction Vibration Impact Assessment Table” was developed, providing a means of rating the potential impact of a specific construction activity at a given site. This rating will allow comparison of a specific construction activity at different sites, or different construction activities at the same site. The “Construction Vibration Database” was created as part of this research project, with the intent of providing a means of recording information on various types of non-blasting construction vibration activities. It is intended that this database will be continually updated with data submitted by both in-house resources and by vibration consultant subcontractors working on New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) projects. This database will provide designers with a means of accessing empirical data to be used for forecasting expected vibration impacts on upcoming construction projects. The “Construction Vibration Assessment Procedure” and “Construction Vibration Database” can be used to develop a preliminary cost estimate for vibration monitoring services and as a resource for decision-making during the design and construction phases of NHDOT projects. Information was collected on a variety of non-blasting construction activities to include vibratory compaction, excavation, splitting of rock with a hoe-ram, sheet pile driving, pavement breaking, demolition, track mounted vehicles and heavy construction traffic at various project sites throughout the state. KW - Construction equipment KW - Databases KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Excavation KW - New Hampshire KW - Road construction KW - Vibration tests KW - Vibratory compaction UR - http://www.nh.gov/dot/org/projectdevelopment/materials/research/projects/documents/FHWA-NH-RD-12323W.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223063 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470844 AU - Allwell, Cassandra AU - Perlman, David AU - Paiewonsky, Luisa AU - Vasconez, Kimberly C AU - Lane, Tim AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Senior Executive Transportation & Public Safety Summit: National Traffic Incident Management Leadership & Innovation Roadmap for Success PY - 2012/09/05 SP - 45p AB - This report summarizes the proceedings, findings, and recommendations from a two-day Senior Executive Summit on Transportation and Public Safety, held June 26 and 27, 2012 at the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) in Washington, D.C. This forum of senior-level, multi-disciplinary executives representing the transportation, law enforcement, fire and rescue, and emergency medical services communities addressed major challenges and innovative solutions in enhancing the state of the practice nationally in Traffic Incident Management (TIM). Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Deputy Administrator Greg Nadeau, and FHWA Executive Director Jeff Paniati provided opening remarks expressing the commitment of the entire Department to support safe, quick traffic incident response on the Nation’s roadways. Participants at the Summit discussed innovative practices in TIM policies, legislation, training and outreach. Summit highlights included discussions and presentations on the following issues: Improving responder and motorist safety and consistency among jurisdictions; Supporting TIM outreach initiatives and messaging; Enhancing State and local legislation and policies that advance TIM planning and operations, including Driver Removal and Authority Removal legislation; Supporting urgent and clearly-defined research strategies, such as model Move Over and Driver Removal laws, the effects of emergency lighting, and the impact of TIM performance measures; Implementing the National TIM Responder Training course developed through the Transportation Research Board’s Second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2); Improving the efficiency of the highway system through possible cost-recovery strategies, better investment of cost-efficient resources, and improved communication among responders about roles and responsibilities; and Developing an action-based executive group equipped to provide leadership, support, and guidance in advancing priority actions. KW - Communication KW - Incident management KW - Innovation KW - Law enforcement KW - Leadership KW - Legislation KW - Policy KW - Safety KW - State of the practice KW - Strategic planning KW - Traffic congestion KW - Traffic incidents KW - Training UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/eto_tim_pse/publications/publicsafetysummit/fhwahop12051.pdf UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/eto_tim_pse/publications/publicsafetysummit/index.htm UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46100/46199/PublicSafetySummit_2012.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238464 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01570489 TI - Midwest Freight AB - The National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education (CFIRE) will capitalize on its resources to conduct advanced and applied research that impacts the multimodal movement of freight. Making freight transportation systems work for economic competitiveness should not happen at the expense of livability. The center has distilled its ideas for projects into a theme: Making Multimodal Freight Systems Work for Economic Recovery and Quality of Life. CFIRE's multidisciplinary and multi-scale approach recognizes interacting economic, social, and technical factors, and environmental and regulatory constraints, which influence the function of freight transportation and allied systems. In summary, CFIRE's significant contributions have two outcomes: Desired outcomes impacting applied measurement include: (1) a better routing tool for hazardous materials shipments; (2) guidance for using advanced technologies to improve livability of freight-centric communities; (3) methods for using non-destructive technologies for safety, maintenance, and cost allocation; (4) a new methodology for processing vessel data in real-time; and (5) identification of transportation infrastructure most at risk in a climate-change scenario. Desired outcomes influencing Institutional and Organizational Design include: (1) strategies for realigning multimodal freight networks in response to international capacity expansion; (2) strategies for revitalizing rural economies with shortline rail access; (3) identification of transportation barriers and opportunities for delivery of local food; and (4) the creation of a market for beneficial reuse of waterway dredging materials. KW - Economic and social factors KW - Freight traffic KW - Hazardous materials KW - Multimodal transportation KW - Quality of life KW - Regulations KW - Routing KW - Short line railroads UR - http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/507 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1362130 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01447540 AU - Clough Harbour & Associates LLP AU - New York State Energy Research and Development Authority AU - New York State Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Commercial Vehicle Information Exchange Window (CVIEW) Roadside Enforcement/Compliance Project: Comprehensive and Detailed Final Project Report PY - 2012/09/04/Final Report SP - 286p AB - An extensive effort was undertaken by Clough Harbour & Associates on behalf of, and with assistance from, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) in order to research and design a prototype roadside commercial vehicle electronic screening system including design guidelines, standards and specifications, to be utilized in New York State for data collection and roadside enforcement purposes, and to be potentially replicated at additional commercial vehicle inspection locations throughout the State. The culmination of this project is a comprehensive research, development and testing effort that resulted in the final design of a system and components for a deployable roadside electronic screening system that meets the existing and future needs of New York State's commercial vehicle safety and security inspection operations. The resulting prototype electronic screening system is operational and deployed along Interstate 90 westbound in the Town of Schodack, Rensselaer County, located approximately 1 ½ miles downstream of an existing commercial vehicle inspection location. Deployed at the testing location of the original mobile electronic screening system developed and based on recommendations as part of Phase One of this effort, the I-90W/Schodack prototype electronic screening site now includes permanent inroad and roadside installations of three different Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) technologies, Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVI) sensors and a License Plate Recognition (LPR) camera system. The system also includes a local wireless network configuration for on-site equipment communications as well as Internet access allowing enforcement to obtain access to the system remotely, and the functionality of monitoring and collecting bi-directional data on a 24/7 basis and providing a direct data feed to the regional transportation management center (TMC). In addition to serving as the model/prototype system for all future electronic screening deployments Statewide, NYSDOT is also utilizing this site to test additional commercial vehicle enforcement technologies such as rear (trailer) License Plate Reader cameras, US DOT Number reader cameras, overheight vehicle detection systems, and 5.9 GHz Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) vehicle/roadside technology. KW - Automatic vehicle identification KW - Commercial vehicles KW - Data collection KW - Electronic screening KW - Inspection stations KW - Interstate highways KW - License plate recognition KW - New York (State) KW - Prototypes KW - Screenings KW - Technological innovations KW - Weigh in motion KW - Wireless communication systems UR - https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/trans-r-and-d-repository/C-01-66c%20-%20Task%2019%20Final%20Report%20-%20FINAL%20-%209-4-12.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46000/46028/C-01-66c_-_Task_19_Final_Report_-_FINAL_-_9-4-12.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1214779 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01625574 TI - Influential Factors for Helmet Use Compliance in States without Universal Helmet Laws AB - Motorcycle helmets are highly effective in reducing rider fatalities (by 22 – 42%) and brain injuries (by 41 – 69%). Universal helmet-use laws (UHUL) are effective at increasing helmet use. Observed helmet use compliance is 84% across States with UHUL compared to 50% compliance across States with no, or partial, helmet use laws (e.g., those that cover only young riders). However, there is variability in helmet use rates among States without a UHUL, which suggests that other factors besides the law contribute to rates of helmet use among riders. The objective of this study is to identify State initiatives and actions that increase helmet use in the absence of a UHUL for the purpose of applying those lessons in other States. The project examined whether helmet use rates vary among those States that do not have a universal motorcycle helmet use law. The project sought to identify the factors that influence the use of helmets in the higher-use rate States. The outcome should provide information of use to all States working to increase the rate of helmet use among motorcycle riders. To explore the factors associated with increased helmet use, the researchers obtained information on State safety programs and strategies in the 31 States without universal helmet laws. KW - Brain KW - Crash injuries KW - Fatalities KW - Law KW - Motorcycle crashes KW - Motorcycle driving KW - Motorcycle helmets UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1453686 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01570488 TI - 2014 Asset Management Conference and Training on Implementation Strategies AB - The objectives of this research project are to: (1) Provide communication and information sharing among member states and discuss research needs and provide research ideas to the Transportation Research Board (TRB); (2) Provide a technology and knowledge exchange forum to enhance the practical knowledge of member states concerning asset management implementation; and (3) Enhance the working knowledge of the asset management community. KW - Asset management KW - Conferences KW - Implementation KW - Information dissemination KW - Information technology KW - Knowledge UR - http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/510 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1362129 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469970 AU - Mogawer, Walaa S AU - Austerman, Alexander J AU - Daniel, Jo Sias AU - Engstrom, Bryan AU - University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth AU - New England Transportation Consortium AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Fix It First: Utilizing the Seismic Property Analyzer and MMLS to Develop Guidelines for the Use of Polymer Modified Thin Lift HMA vs. Surface Treatments PY - 2012/09/01/Final Report SP - 102p AB - The main objective of this study was to develop thin lift overlay mixtures with polymer modified asphalt for use in New England. As part of this research a comprehensive literature review and internet survey was conducted. Moreover, laboratory testing was conducted to develop thin lift Polymer Modified Asphalt (PMA) mixtures in an effort to evaluate their use for New England. It was attempted to use the Model Mobile Load Simulator (MMLS) to investigate the feasibility of using a non-destructive testing (Potable Seismic Property Analyzer) to evaluate the thin lift mixtures. However, after several attempts to compact the asphalt mixtures in the device, achieving target density was not attainable. Accordingly this thin lift mixture testing was replaced by dynamic modulus testing in the Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester and low temperature cracking using the Indirect Tensile Test (IDT). The survey conducted showed the method of selection for either a surface treatment or lift Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) overlay were: decision trees, functional classification of the roadway, existing pavement condition, and experience and treatment cost. Moreover, the majority of respondents did not have a methodology to select the appropriate time to apply a strategy. Based on the survey, transportation agencies utilized PMA to reduce cracking, reduce rutting, reduce thermal cracking, and extend pavement life. No disadvantages of using polymer modified asphalt were noted. Thin lift mixtures were developed with five modified binders and one conventional binder for comparison purposes. The laboratory data indicated that the low temperature performance grade of the binders were warmer than the low temperature cracking of the mixtures predicted using IDT measurements. This indicates that the use of PMA did not increase the low temperature susceptibility of the mixtures tested. Therefore, PMA could be utilized for thin lift mixtures in the New England region. KW - Asphalt mixtures KW - Dynamic modulus of elasticity KW - Laboratory tests KW - Literature reviews KW - Low temperature tests KW - New England KW - Overlays (Pavements) KW - Polymer asphalt KW - Surface treating KW - Surveys KW - Tension tests UR - http://www.uvm.edu/~transctr/pdf/netc/netcr91_03-6.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46746/NETC03-6_Final_Report_-September_2012_1_.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1237190 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01466655 TI - A Multi-Modal Freight Safety, Security and Environmental Routing Tool AB - The research will produce a geographic information system (GIS) framework to identify and categorize safety, security, and environmental risk along multimodal transportation networks. The categories will be useful for situational awareness analysis and risk assessment. The project will develop GIS routing algorithms with enhanced capability to minimize risks associated with freight transport while taking efficiency and cost into consideration. This area represents a significant contribution to both the state-of-the-art and industry practice, and serves as a foundation for future comprehensive transportation planning. KW - Freight transportation KW - Geographic information systems KW - Multimodal transportation KW - Risk assessment KW - Routing KW - Safety KW - Security KW - State of the art KW - Transportation planning UR - http://www.wistrans.org/cfire/research/projects/ri-01/ UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1234890 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01466648 TI - Estimating the Effects of Extreme Weather on Transportation Infrastructure AB - The proposed research will develop a method for evaluating and prioritizing those elements of the highway infrastructure deemed critical by taking into consideration the risks associated with future flooding events. This method will be applied in a real-world setting to evaluate its utility in supporting climate-related highway infrastructure adaptation decisions. The research results hold promise for potential transferability to the assessment of highway infrastructure in other geographical settings and for other modes of transport. KW - Extreme events KW - Floods KW - Infrastructure KW - Risk analysis KW - Transportation modes KW - Weather conditions UR - http://www.wistrans.org/cfire/research/projects/ri-05/ UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1234883 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01466621 TI - Leveraging Brightness from Transportation Lighting Systems through Light Source Color: Implications for Energy Use and Safety for Traffic and Pedestrians AB - The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute proposes to conduct a study, with support from the University Transportation Research Center (UTRC) and with cofunding from the Louisiana Research Council's (LRC's) Transportation Lighting Alliance (TLA) industry partnership program, of brightness perception from transportation lighting systems used on vehicles, and along roadways and other facilities. The immediate objective is to elucidate the visual mechanisms underlying brightness perception under nighttime lighting conditions. This will be accomplished through a series of scale-model human factors experiments comparing the perception of brightness under lighting conditions differing in color. The second objective is to develop preliminary guidance for transportation agencies in U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Region 2 that can benefit from these findings by utilizing light sources that optimize the visual benefits of lighting against the initial and operating costs of lighting (equipment, energy and maintenance). This will be accomplished through technical analyses comparing spectral properties of light sources for transportation systems, along with their luminous efficacy to provide recommendations for tailoring light source spectra that meet driver and pedestrian needs while maximizing energy efficiency. KW - Brightness KW - Color KW - Human factors KW - Lighting KW - Luminous intensity KW - Perception KW - Spectrum analysis UR - http://www.utrc2.org/research/projects/leveraging-brightness-transportation-lighting-systems UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1234856 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01466618 TI - Planning Level Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Alternative Transportation Construction Projects AB - The Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University has developed, in collaboration with New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) and New Jersey Transit, a tool that allows engineers to estimate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with specific transportation construction practices for both highway and rail projects. This includes estimating emissions from material inputs, construction equipment activity, life-cycle maintenance, project staging inputs (including emissions due to road closures during construction) over the lifetime of a project. The product is a spreadsheet tool, the Greenhouse Gas Assessment Spreadsheet for Transportation Capital Projects (GASCAP) that will allow NJDOT personnel and potentially contractors to input project data from bid sheets and specify a maintenance plan for the life of the facility. Greenhouse gases are estimated on a life cycle basis using a cradle to grave approach that accounts for upstream emissions, i.e. extraction and processing of most materials, primarily fuels, aggregate and fill, cement, asphalt, steel, plastics, galvanizing materials, paint, and others, as well as direct emissions i.e. their application and downstream emissions, which include those associated with demolition, and disposal. At present the GASCAP tool has the ability to estimate upstream, and construction emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), black carbon particulate matter, air conditioning coolants, sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) and total global warming potential. This provides a comprehensive estimate that allows project engineers to compare how different project construction decisions may affect overall life-cycle GHG emissions. In addition, the current version of the model provides a technique to estimate extra emissions associated with growth of the highway network. Currently the GASCAP model provides project specific estimates; the goal with this work is to apply the GASCAP tool to a wider range of alternative transportation construction projects to provide policy-makers with estimates that can inform higher-level decision making. Ultimately the goal is to provide a technique whereby estimates of GHG emissions can be estimated from basic information such as lane-miles or track-miles constructed, or rehabilitated, and to compare the GHG emissions associated with alternative construction and maintenance materials, practices, and techniques that are typically used in projects. Parallel to this work, VTC is collaborating with San Jose State University's Mineta Transportation Institute (under the auspices of the tier 1 transit research center, the National Mineta Transit Research Consortium (MTRC)) to estimate future transportation scenarios to reduce GHG emissions in 2050. This parallel research effort will analyze existing trends and policies aimed at reducing GHG emissions and will include a detailed modeling component of transportation and land use policy options. The work proposed here will be linked with the MTRC project to provide a means to estimate planning-level construction emissions that can be added to future transportation scenarios. Emissions associated with alternative plans, such as whether to build high-speed rail versus other modes of transportation, can be affected by these estimates. The project will also use data and analysis from another recently awarded NJDOT project, The Impact of Freight on Highway Infrastructure in New Jersey, being led by another team at Rutgers. This project will allow us to better determine how highways deteriorate as a function of freight traffic and how this affects the life-cycle maintenance plans (and consequent GHG emissions) from maintenance activity, allowing us to update GASCAP with this additional data. The primary objective of this proposed project is to enhance the GASCAP model by developing estimates of GHG emissions that are useful for policy makers and integrating these with future transportation scenarios. KW - Decision making KW - Environmental impacts KW - Global warming KW - Greenhouse gases KW - Life cycle analysis KW - Pollutants KW - Spreadsheets KW - Transportation projects UR - http://www.utrc2.org/research/projects/planning-level-assessment-greenhouse-gas-emissions UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1234853 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01466549 TI - National Transportation Agreement on Research and Innovation between Federal Highway Administration and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service AB - The purpose of this agreement is to conduct research and promote innovation into the highway program with respect to fish and wildlife laws. The results of the research shall aid in the development of programmatic guidance, strategies, and stewardship initiatives in relation to the environmental review process. Dissemination of research results can enhance inter-agency coordination and support the development of training capabilities among the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and State Departments of Transportation (State DOTs). KW - Environmental impacts KW - Fishes KW - Information dissemination KW - Innovation KW - Laws KW - State departments of transportation KW - U.S. Federal Highway Administration KW - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service KW - Wildlife UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1234784 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01592623 TI - Motorcoach Model Curriculum AB - The objective of this project is to update the 1994 model motorcoach curriculum to provide finishing training for drivers who have obtained a commercial driver’s license (CDL) for the purpose of becoming a motorcoach driver. This project builds on prior Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) work which produced the 1994 model curriculum. As with the 1994 curriculum, the updated curriculum was jointly developed with a sizable group of interested industry personnel. The motorcoach industry—specifically the International Motorcoach Group (IMG)—requested this effort in order to update standardized motorcoach driver finishing training guidance. This effort was organized into four structured process sequences, including: analysis; training design; training development; and possible future pilot testing. The first three sequences were funded as Phase I of the project. The effort began with a job task analysis to identify new items that are not covered in the existing 1994 curriculum. The development included periodic meetings with the industry technical group to explain progress and to solicit suggestions and direction. Training module materials are undergoing final technical editing. Phase II of the project (pilot testing) is planned. Model curriculum and supporting materials that can easily be customized by the many motorcoach companies that offer specialized training for CDL drivers who are candidates to become motorcoach drivers. KW - Bus drivers KW - Commercial drivers KW - Driver licenses KW - Education and training methods KW - Motor Coach KW - Safety UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1400215 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01592581 TI - Impact of Driver Compensation on Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety AB - The objective of this project is to examine the relationship between driver compensation (i.e., pay by the mile or hour) and safety. The most widely-used system for paying commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers in the Nation is “pay-per-mile” (i.e., drivers receive a set amount of money for each mile driven). “Pay-per-load” is also used in certain commercial vehicle operations. An unintended safety consequence of the pay-per-mile system is that it may reward drivers for speeding and for driving excessive miles. This study will survey carriers to determine how they compensate their drivers and what impact their compensation package has on safety. The study will involve linking information from the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) with the survey responses. The data will be used to characterize industry practices with respect to driver compensation and to determine the effects of driver compensation packages on safety. To explore the relationship between driver compensation and safety, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will work with other Federal agencies and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) to assess the safety implications of commercial driver compensation methods. The study will examine the process by which changes to the current system could be made. A report that determines the effect of driver compensation on safety. KW - Commercial vehicle operations KW - Impact studies KW - Motor Carrier Management Information System KW - Motor carriers KW - Safety KW - Salaries KW - Surveys KW - Transportation Research Board KW - Truck drivers UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1400175 ER - TY - SER AN - 01554353 JO - Transportation Trends in Focus PB - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Chambers, Matthew TI - Containerships Carry Inventory for U.S. Retailers PY - 2012/09 SP - 3p AB - U.S. retailers depend on the U.S. transportation system and supply-chain infrastructure to stock up and replenish depleted inventories. In particular, they utilize containerships to move intermodal shipping containers filled with goods worth billions of dollars, often from foreign manufacturers, through the global supply-chain from foreign seaports to domestic seaports onto their final destination. This interdependence may continue to grow as U.S. retailers streamline by adopting just-in-time (JIT) or similar inventory management approaches. Such processes allow retailers to maintain the optimal balance between inventory and sales. This trends report examines the underlying trend and seasonal patterns in U.S. imports by containership. Further, it explores the interrelationship between U.S. container vessel imports, U.S. retailer inventories, and U.S. retailer sales. KW - Containerships KW - Imports KW - Inventory KW - Retail trade KW - Sales KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States UR - http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/entire.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1341980 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01548514 AU - Deeter, Dean AU - Athey Creek Consultants AU - Michigan Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Impacts of Traveler Information on the Overall Network PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 54p AB - ENTERPRISE member agencies use a variety of tools and approaches to inform travelers about conditions on the roadways, including Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) and traffic flow maps on internet dissemination websites. The impacts of these tools are not clearly understood. While the public response to these dissemination tools has been very positive, there remains minimal solid evidence about the travel pattern changes caused by these messages or the impacts on other routes. Based upon the ENTERPRISE Travel Time Best Practices project, in nearly every state deployed, the travel time reports have received very positive feedback, and perhaps the value lies in informing travelers of conditions ahead, regardless of whether they divert. ENTERPRISE recognized the need for additional research on the impacts of traveler information and approved the “Impacts of Traveler Information on the Overall Network Project” to focus on understanding the impacts that travel time message displays (web and roadside) have on the network. To determine the impacts of travel times, on-line surveys were created and linked to the traveler information portion of the Minnesota and Washington State Department of Transportation (DOT) websites to gather feedback from travelers regarding their use of travel time information displayed on the web and on roadside DMS. In addition to surveying travelers’ opinions, historical travel time displays on DMS together with related traffic volume data (from locations downstream of the DMS) from the Minnesota and Washington State networks were analyzed. KW - Minnesota KW - Surveys KW - Traffic volume KW - Travel patterns KW - Travel time KW - Traveler information and communication systems KW - Variable message signs KW - Washington (State) KW - Websites (Information retrieval) UR - http://enterprise.prog.org/Projects/2010_Present/travelinfoimpacts/ENT%20Impacts%20of%20TT%20on%20the%20Overall%20Network%20FINAL%20Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1333229 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01541523 AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Eco-Logical Successes PY - 2012/09//Third SP - 6p AB - Eco-Logical: An Ecosystem Approach to Developing Infrastructure Projects outlines an ecosystem-scale approach to prioritizing, developing, and delivering infrastructure projects. Eco-Logical emphasizes interagency collaboration in order to create infrastructure projects in ways that are more sensitive to terrestrial and aquatic habitats. The eight Eco-Logical signatory agencies are: Bureau of Land Management, Federal Highway Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service, National Park Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Eco-Logical Successes highlights signatory agencies’ strategic environmental programs, projects, and efforts that share the vision set forth in Eco-Logical. This edition of Eco-Logical Successes focuses on two agency programs: the U.S. Forest Service’s Open Space Conservation Strategy and the National Park Service’s (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring Program. KW - Conservation KW - Environmental policy KW - Federal government agencies KW - Habitat (Ecology) KW - Infrastructure KW - National Park Service KW - Sustainable development KW - U.S. Forest Service UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/48000/48300/48341/EcoLogical_Successes_III.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1327139 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01538306 AU - Jamison, Doug AU - Ghani, Gisela AU - Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - Model Orlando Regionally Efficient Travel Management Coordination Center (MORE TMCC), Phase II Final Report PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 82p AB - The final report for the Model Orlando Regionally Efficient Travel Management Coordination Center (MORE TMCC) presents the details of the 2½-year process of the partial deployment of the original MORE TMCC design created in Phase I of this project. The purpose of Phase II was to deploy certain modules of the original design, given the limited funding and resources that were available to the project team. As part of the Phase II partial deployment, one aspect of the original design was implemented—multimedia trip management. As one of the foundations of MORE TMCC, enhanced trip management allows customers “around the clock” access to book, view, or cancel trips online or via Interactive Voice Response (IVR) telephone. Additionally, representatives such as human service agencies, dialysis clinics, or nursing homes are able to access their customers’ trips as well. This system reduces telephone call hold times and customer no-shows because they are able to manage their trips online. Additionally, a Short Message Service (SMS) system was implemented to notify customers of their vehicles imminent arrival. This report reviews the project methodology, Phase II deployment, self-evaluation, outreach, and results and findings. KW - Computer online services KW - Evaluation KW - Implementation KW - Methodology KW - Mobility KW - Multimedia KW - Orlando (Florida) KW - Outreach KW - Paratransit services KW - Scheduling KW - Travel demand management KW - Travel Management Coordination Center UR - http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/FTA_Report_No._0061.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1322777 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01537416 AU - Myers, John J AU - Volz, Jeffery S AU - Sells, Eric AU - Porterfield, Krista AU - Looney, Trevor J AU - Tucker, Brian AU - Holman, Kyle AU - Center for Transportation Infrastructure and Safety/NUTC program AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Self‐Consolidating Concrete (SCC) for Infrastructure Elements PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 958p AB - Because of its unique nature, self-consolidating concrete (SCC) has the potential to significantly reduce costs associated with transportation-related infrastructure, benefiting both the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and the residents of Missouri. SCC is a highly flowable, nonsegregating concrete that can be placed without any mechanical consolidation, and thus has the following advantages over conventional concrete: decreased labor and equipment costs during concrete placement, decreased potential for and costs to repair honeycombing and voids, increased production rates of precast and cast-in-place elements, and improved finish and appearance of cast and free concrete surfaces. However, concerns exist over the structural implications of SCC in cast-in-place and precast elements. Specifically, higher paste contents, higher fines contents, and the use of smaller, rounded aggregates may significantly alter the creep, shrinkage, bond, and shear strength of SCC mixes as compared to traditional concrete mixes with the same compressive strength. These concerns increase for mixtures that use untested aggregate types and various supplementary cementitious materials. Consequently, to achieve the benefits and potential savings with SCC, guidelines are needed for its proper application in bridges, roadways, culverts, retaining walls, and other transportation-related infrastructure components. KW - Bond strength (Materials) KW - Cast in place concrete KW - Cost effectiveness KW - Infrastructure KW - Missouri KW - Precast concrete KW - Self compacting concrete KW - Shear strength UR - http://transportation.mst.edu/media/research/transportation/documents/R265%20Final%20Report%20-%20for%20web.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1322153 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01522359 AU - Ohman, Jon M AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - FMCSA Safety Program Effectiveness Measurement: Compliance Review Effectiveness Model Results for Carriers with Compliance Reviews in FY 2008 PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 36p AB - In fiscal year (FY) 2008, Federal and State enforcement personnel conducted 14,906 compliance reviews (CRs) on individual motor carriers. It is intended that through education, heightened safety regulation awareness, and the enforcement effects of the CR, carriers will improve the safety of their commercial vehicle operations and, ultimately, reduce the number and severity of crashes in which they are involved. The CR Effectiveness Model measures the direct impact of compliance reviews on carriers that received CRs but not the “deterrent” effects (i.e., the “threat” of having a CR) on carriers that did not actually receive CRs. The model is based on the individual and cumulative “before and after” changes in the safety performance of carriers that received CRs in a given year. The model compares a motor carrier’s crash rate in the 12 months following an onsite compliance review to its crash rate in the 12 months prior to that review. The model uses crash data reported by the States and power unit data reported by carriers or obtained during CRs to calculate both the before-CR and after-CR crash rates. This report documents the benefits derived from performing CRs on motor carriers in terms of crashes avoided, as well as lives saved and injuries prevented. KW - Before and after studies KW - Commercial vehicles KW - Compliance KW - Crash rates KW - Motor carriers KW - Safety programs UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51200/51282/CREM_FY_2008.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1306385 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01506074 AU - O'Connor, J S AU - BridgeComposites, LLC AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Composite Bridge Decking: Phase I Design Report PY - 2012/09 SP - 140p AB - This report provides information about the materials, subcomponent shapes, and processes used to fabricate a lightweight decking system. It describes the design criteria and presents the results of physical testing done to validate the finite element analysis. Attention has been given to the structural panels used for decking, as well as to the design details that are critical to the successful deployment of the technology, such as field joint construction, and wearing surface installation. The proposed design is a versatile hollow section that can be deployed in a variety of ways, depending on the design objectives and existing site conditions for a deck replacement project. The composite material provides sufficient strength to carry the factored American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) design load and, in cases where the supports are close together, is adequate for deflection control as well. Where steel stringers are spaced more than 3 feet on center, additional material is needed to increase the section’s stiffness. Testing has shown that fabrication with epoxy grout in selected cells of the hollow section will increase stiffness by 45 percent, although the grout adds 50 percent or more to the weight of the deck. In cases where it is very important to have a lightweight deck, deflection control can be achieved with additional fiber in the outer wrap. In this instance, the deck weighs approximately 16 psf prior to the application of a 4-psf wearing surface. This report documents Phase I of the project. It is provided as an after-test review to get input from the project’s Technical Advisory Panel and other potential stakeholders. KW - Bridge construction KW - Bridge decks KW - Bridge design KW - Composite materials KW - Fabrication KW - Fiber reinforced polymers KW - Highway bridges UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hfl/partnerships/hif13030/fhwahif13030.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1280727 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01501473 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Modeling and Analysis Needs and Resources for Small Metropolitan Area Transportation Planning: Report on a Peer Exchange PY - 2012/09 SP - 30p AB - A peer exchange on Modeling and Analysis Needs and Resources for Small Metropolitan Area Transportation Planning was convened on August 28 and 29, 2011, to explore the state of transportation modeling and analysis practice in communities with populations under 200,000. The peer exchange explored planning concerns in small urban areas, and discussed data and analysis methods available to address those concerns efficiently and cost-effectively. KW - Data needs KW - Metropolitan planning organizations KW - Peer exchange KW - Small cities KW - Transportation planning KW - Travel demand UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/tmip/publications/other_reports/mpo_peer_exchange/mpo_peer_exchange.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1279831 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01496695 AU - Ashuri, Baabak AU - Kashani, Hamed AU - Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta AU - Georgia Tech Research Corporation AU - Georgia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Recommended Guide for Next Generation of Transportation Design Build Procurement and Contracting in the State of Georgia PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 274p AB - The overall objective of this research project is to develop a systematic approach that evaluates the appropriateness of Design Build Project Delivery System for a transportation project. State departments of transportation (DOTs) can benefit from this systematic assessment approach and better implement the Design Build Project Delivery System in highway construction programs by selecting the projects that are the most appropriate candidates for Design Build. The authors initially analyzed and documented state of practice of Design Build across State DOTs in the United States. Several structured interviews with representatives from three State DOTs (Colorado, Virginia, and Florida) were also conducted to further enhance understanding about the state of practice in using Design Build Project Delivery System in these DOTs. The detailed interviews of these three State DOTs helped the research team understand that a systematic, transparent, and consistent approach towards the application of Design Build Project Delivery System is critical in the success of Design Build programs in State DOTs. The most pertinent findings of this research are: (1) a systematic approach that evaluates the appropriateness of Design Build Project Delivery System for a transportation project; (2) a systematic high-level risk allocation for Design Build projects; (3) a systematic approach that evaluates the appropriateness of procurement methods for a Design Build project; and (4)a Design Build Guidebook that describes the process of evaluating the appropriateness of Design Build Project Delivery System, initial risk allocation in Design Build contracts, and assessment and selection of procurement methods for Design Build projects. KW - Construction management KW - Construction projects KW - Design build KW - Georgia KW - Implementation KW - Road construction KW - State departments of transportation KW - State of the practice UR - http://www.dot.ga.gov/BuildSmart/research/Documents/10-23.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1265114 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01495866 AU - Proctor, Gordon AU - Varma, Shobna AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Risk-Based Transportation Asset Management: Achieving Policy Objectives by Managing Risks: Report 3: Risks to Asset Management Policies PY - 2012/09 SP - 27p AB - Dealing with risks to key strategic objectives is not new to transportation executives. They do it every day. What is relatively new is formal risk management as a transparent framework for identifying risks to strategic objectives, mitigating them and communicating their likelihood. The earlier risk management reports provided an overview of risk management and its practice at the agency, program or project level. This report examines a subset of agency risk management, that is strategic risk management, or the management of risks to key agency objectives and policies. In particular, this report examines risks to transportation asset management (TAM) policies and objectives. KW - Asset management KW - Risk management KW - Strategic planning KW - Transportation planning KW - Transportation policy UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/asset/pubs/hif12054.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1265589 ER - TY - SER AN - 01495414 JO - ACPT TechBrief PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Plei, Michael AU - Tayabji, Shiraz AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement Performance and Best Practices PY - 2012/09 SP - 12p AB - Continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) is enjoying a renaissance across the United States and around the world. CRCP has the potential to provide a long-term, “zero-maintenance,” service life under heavy traffic loadings and challenging environmental conditions, provided proper design and quality construction practices are utilized. This TechBrief provides an overview of the CRCP technology and the major developments that have led to what are referred to herein as the “best practices” for CRCP design and construction. KW - Best practices KW - Continuously reinforced concrete pavements KW - Pavement design KW - Pavement performance KW - Paving UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/concrete/pubs/hif12039/hif12039.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1264832 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01494500 AU - Baldwin, J David AU - Ramseyer, Christopher AU - Runolfsson, Thordur AU - Kroll, Adam AU - University of Oklahoma, Norman AU - Oklahoma Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Interstate-35 Bridge Instrumentation Renaissance PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 39p AB - An updated, accelerometer-based, sensor and data acquisition system was installed and verified on the I-35 Walnut Creek Bridge in Purcell, Oklahoma. The data collection system also includes a microwave communication system to move sensor and video data off the bridge, through the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) proprietary network, to a server on the University of Oklahoma (OU) Norman campus. A new approach to structural health monitoring is proposed based on a reliability definition of structural health. Within that framework, the structure’s probability of failure is estimated using data from the sensor network, the output of a moving mass analysis to simulate the traverse of a heavy vehicle across the bridge, and a probabilistic metal fatigue analysis incorporating a Markov state transition analysis to map the transition of the structure from the undamaged to failed states. KW - Bridges KW - Data collection KW - Dynamic loads KW - Failure analysis KW - Fatigue (Mechanics) KW - Microwave communication systems KW - Purcell (Oklahoma) KW - Sensors KW - Simulation KW - Structural health monitoring UR - http://www.oktc.org/otc/files/finalReports/OTCREOS9.1-34-F.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1262832 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01491460 AU - Ling, Bo AU - Gibson, David AU - Bentzen, Billie Louise AU - Burton, Paul AU - Boudreau, Neil AU - Bobinsky, Mike AU - Hoben, Jim AU - Migma Systems AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Large Field Test of New Stereo Detection System for the Pedestrian Signal Phase for the Visually Impaired PY - 2012/09//Field Test Report SP - 154p AB - In March 2010, a large field test study was conducted on a stereo pedestrian detection system in four cities in four States under the Federal Highway Administration’s Small Business Innovative Research program. The objective was to prove that the stereo vision would reliably detect pedestrians in real-world environments under all weather conditions (e.g., sunny, cloudy, foggy, rainy, and snowy) and extreme temperatures (e.g., very high temperatures in the southern part of the country and very low temperature in the northern part of the country) and determine that the system effectively actuates pedestrian calls and locator tones on accessible pedestrian signals (APSs). The study was conducted in Tucson, AZ; Somerville, MA; Portland, ME; and Manchester, NH. The stereo pedestrian detection systems were installed to evaluate their performance in complex real-world pedestrian/traffic environments under all weather conditions and extreme temperatures. A total of 17 systems, consisting of one computer and two cameras per crossing, were installed at 9 geographically disparate test sites. These were installed at both midblock crossings and at intersections. When pedestrians were detected at crosswalk ramps, the system automatically actuated both regular and APS pushbuttons to make the service request on behalf of the pedestrians. System performances were evaluated using images saved in external hard disks. Results from the testing showed that the overall positive detection rate for the automated APS actuation zones in all four cities was close to 98 percent, with the average number of false calls per day less than three. This excellent performance was confirmed through the real operations of systems installed at the test sites. Currently, all of the systems are operational 24 h a day, 7 days a week. Comments from the general public, including the blind and visually impaired community, were all positive. This system provides automated actuation of pushbuttons based on the presence of pedestrians. This provides the protection of pedestrian phases, thereby reducing the possibility of collisions between vehicles and pedestrians, preventing unnecessary fatalities, and automatically extending the walk time for seniors and wheelchair pedestrians without slowing down the traffic flow. KW - Crosswalks KW - Field tests KW - Pedestrian actuated controllers KW - Pedestrian detectors KW - Pedestrian movement KW - Pedestrian phase KW - Visually impaired persons KW - Weather UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/operations/12047/12074.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1259876 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01491400 AU - Bae, Han-Ug AU - Oliva, Michael G AU - National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education (CFIRE) AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Bridge Analysis and Evaluation of Effects Under Overload Vehicles (Phase 2) PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 80p AB - The use of special purpose highway vehicles, over the legal limit in size and in weight, is increasing as industry grows and large items must be shipped over highways. Overload vehicle crossing of a bridge, even if it is a single crossing, may affect not only the short term behavior of the bridge but also the long term performance and life cycle cost of the bridge. There may be minor cracking or deterioration in the components of the bridge which are not critical in the short term period but can result in special maintenance, rehabilitation or reduced life span in the long term. It may be reasonable for the permit applicant to be responsible for the reduced life of the bridge. The work completed in this project aims to help agencies in evaluating the long term impact of the vehicles on bridges and in assigning the resulting cost to the permit applicants as an extension of the first phase of the project. Long term behavior of concrete decks and steel girder bridges was investigated and a means to assign cost to the overloads was developed. Miner’s damage accumulation rule and life cycle cost analysis of bridges were used to develop the means. Examples of assigning cost per crossing bridges with overloads is provided for practical application of the developed means. The first set of examples were performed for two pilot concrete decks and the second set of examples were performed for two pilot steel girder bridges. KW - Bridge decks KW - Concrete bridges KW - Costs KW - Girder bridges KW - Life cycle analysis KW - Oversize loads KW - Overweight loads KW - Permits KW - Steel bridges KW - Structural analysis UR - http://www.wistrans.org/cfire/documents/FR_0203ph2.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1257325 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01487938 AU - Hallmark, Shauna L AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Midwest Transportation Consortium AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Relationship between Speed and Lateral Position on Curves PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 22p AB - Excessive speed is often cited as a primary driver factor in crashes, particularly rural two-lane crashes. It has also been suggested that speed plays a significant role in crashes on curves. However, the relationship between speed and crashes on curves is not well documented because it is difficult to determine driver speed after the fact when investigating a crash. One method to begin documenting this relationship is to explore the relationship between lateral position and speed as a crash surrogate. For this study, the researchers collected speed and lateral position data for three rural two-lane curves. The relationship between lateral position and speed was assessed by comparing the odds of a near-lane crossing for vehicles traveling 5 or more mph over the advisory speed to those for vehicles traveling below that threshold. KW - Data collection KW - Highway curves KW - Lateral placement KW - Rural highways KW - Speed KW - Two lane highways UR - http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/research/documents/research-reports/speed_lateral_position_w_cvr.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1256469 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01486651 AU - Karner, Alex AU - University of California, Davis AU - California Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Transportation Planning and Regional Equity: History, Policy and Practice PY - 2012/09 SP - 219p AB - This dissertation investigates regional transportation planning in California from 1967 through the contemporary era, identifying advocates for regional equity as important actors for achieving desired planning outcomes including climate change mitigation. It begins with the creation of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). Replacing its predecessor organization in 1973, the creation of Caltrans was thought to signal the beginning of multimodalism in state transportation policy. Opposition from the public and the legislature to this new direction led to the establishment of regional transportation planning organizations that actually located authority at the local (city and county) level. California’s transportation policy goals embodied in the contemporary Senate Bill (SB) 375 are similar to those of the 1970s – reducing vehicle-miles traveled through the promotion of compact urban forms – but the institutional arrangements established in the 1970s make progress difficult to achieve. Regional equity advocates are emerging as an important constituency in this fraught planning landscape. Buoyed by foundation funding and federal legislation enacted beginning with Title VI of 1964’s Civil Rights Act, these advocates are seeking to ensure that agencies meet planning goals where the law is insufficiently prescriptive. A key method by which advocates access the planning process is through the “equity analysis” of regional transportation plans. A critical review of equity analysis practice reveals standard methods that are not responsive to public input and do not take advantage of recent developments in activity based travel demand modeling. Improved methods are proposed that are developed in collaboration with equity advocates. Although these improvements will not ensure equitable outcomes, they are more likely to highlight existing inequities, more accurately reflect the concerns of advocates, and could be deployed nationwide. KW - California KW - California Department of Transportation KW - Equity (Justice) KW - Methodology KW - Metropolitan planning organizations KW - Multimodal transportation KW - Public participation KW - Regional planning KW - Sensitivity analysis KW - Transportation planning KW - Travel behavior KW - Travel demand UR - http://www.its.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/themes/ucdavis/pubs/download_pdf.php?id=1733 UR - https://merritt.cdlib.org/d/ark%3a%2f13030%2fm53x89mf/1/2012_UCD-ITS-RR-12-29.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225416 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01486642 AU - Xiao, Feng AU - Tang, Shikai AU - Zhang, Michael AU - University of California, Davis AU - California Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Credit-based Pricing for Multi-user Class Transportation Facilities PY - 2012/09//Research Report SP - 20p AB - This paper proposes an innovative arc-based credit (ABC) congestion pricing scheme to improve the system performance in a transportation network. By associating each arc with a positive or negative credit rate, the strategy can accomplish multiple planning goals, such as efficiency, fairness, and public acceptance simultaneously. We first demonstrate that on a one-origin or one-destination network, a pareto-improving, system-optimal and revenue- neutral credit scheme always exists and can be obtained by solving a set of linear equations. Recognizing that such a credit scheme may not exist in a multi-origin network, we then define the maximum-revenue problem with pareto-improving constrains (MRPI): find the maximum possible revenue collected by the credit scheme with optimal arc flows and non-increasing origin-destination (OD) travel costs. We discover that the dual of MRPI is equivalent to a typical Transportation Problem which, therefore, provides a simple way to calculate the revenue by just examining the dual problem. At the end of the paper, a numerical example with a small synthetic network is provided for the comparison of the credit scheme with other existing toll schemes in terms of OD travel disutilities. KW - Algorithms KW - Congestion pricing KW - Credit KW - Network analysis (Planning) KW - Origin and destination KW - Route choice KW - Subsidies UR - http://pubs.its.ucdavis.edu/download_pdf.php?id=1724 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247842 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01484421 AU - Ley, Tyler AU - Hajibabbee, Amir AU - Kadam, Shardul AU - Frazier, Robert AU - Aboustait, Mohammed AU - Ebisch, Travis AU - Riding, Kyle AU - Oklahoma State University, Stillwater AU - Oklahoma Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development and Implementation of a Mechanistic and Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) for Rigid Pavements - Phase I PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 243p AB - This report completes a sensitivity analysis of the MEPDG based on Oklahoma pavements, provides a literature review of base material best practices, increases the Oklahoma weather data available for the MEPDG, investigates the impact of curing on curling from drying shrinkage and from temperature differentials in concrete pavements, and provides regional input guidance for strength, coefficient of thermal expansion, and shrinkage for Oklahoma concrete mixtures. This research will speed the adoption of the MEPDG in Oklahoma. KW - Admixtures KW - Base course (Pavements) KW - Concrete curing KW - Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide KW - Oklahoma KW - Pavement design KW - Rigid pavements KW - Sensitivity analysis KW - Shrinkage KW - Thermal expansion UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1251379 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01479817 AU - Humphrey, Ronald G AU - Lewis, John C AU - Xie, Yuanchang AU - Sharp, Susan AU - CodeRed Business Solutions AU - Bi-State Development Agency AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - Transit Asset Inventory Development and Integration: Asset Management Methodology/Condition Assessment Methodology Research PY - 2012/09 SP - 316p AB - This report summarizes the results of a 13-month effort by CodeRed Business Solutions (CRBS) to consider how urban rail transit agencies can leverage data within their maintenance management systems to build asset inventories for higher-level analysis. The research goal/requirement was to provide the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) with a plan or road map for transit agencies to leverage existing asset management and maintenance data, regardless of which asset management or maintenance data collection system the agency deploys. KW - Asset management KW - Condition surveys KW - Data collection KW - Inventory KW - Maintenance management KW - Methodology KW - Rail transit UR - http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/FTA_Report_No._0023.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/55000/55500/55509/FTA_Report_No._0023.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1248173 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01479061 AU - Bergin, Stephen P AU - VSE Corporation AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - Zero-Sulfur Diesel Fuel from Non-Petroleum Sources: The Key to Reducing U.S. Oil Imports PY - 2012/09 SP - 45p AB - Zero-sulfur diesel fuel of the highest quality, the fuel used in this project, can be made by Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis from many nonpetroleum resources, including natural gas, which is increasingly abundant in the United States. Zero-sulfur FT diesel fuel can upgrade, and more-than-proportionally increase the supply of, conventional ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel by targeted blending. Zero-sulfur FT diesel fuel could eventually even replace conventional ULSD. The primary purpose of this project has been to evaluate the operating performance benefits and develop market acceptance of synthetic Fischer-Tropsch (FT) diesel fuel. The approach has been to understand and resolve, within the transit-bus context, the issues that make FT fuel different or unique in comparison to conventional diesel fuel, prominently including the virtual absence of both aromatics and sulfur from FT diesel fuel. This project and report add to the existing base of data and experience, demonstrating again that FT diesel fuel is indeed a fully functional “drop-in” replacement for conventional diesel fuel in a U.S. Air Force transit bus, equipped with a Caterpillar C-7 engine, as used over a wide range of operating conditions in Michigan for a period of three years. KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Diesel fuels KW - Fischer-Tropsch Process KW - Michigan KW - Performance tests KW - Synthetic fuels KW - Transit buses KW - Ultra low sulfur diesel UR - http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/FTA_Report_No._0029.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/55000/55500/55514/FTA_Report_No._0029.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1248083 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477156 AU - Lawson, William D AU - Senadheera, Sanjaya P AU - Texas Tech University, Lubbock AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Guidelines for Using Ultra High Pressure Water Cutting to Remove Excess Asphalt PY - 2012/09 SP - 88p AB - This document presents guidelines for implementing the ultra high pressure (UHP) water cutter as a roadway maintenance tool relative to removal of excess surface asphalt such as exists for flushed asphalt pavements. The following topics are covered: an introduction to the ultra high pressure water cutter; a description of the ultra high pressure water cutting process; maintenance applications for ultra high pressure water cutting; Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) evaluation of ultra high pressure water cutting in terms of effectiveness, durability, production and cost; guidance on selection of candidate projects for ultra high pressure water cutting treatment; and specifications for ultra high pressure water cutting. Expressed within the broader context of roadway maintenance solutions, the guidance on ultra high pressure water cutting presented herein is intended to help TxDOT maintenance professionals address the problem of flushed pavements on Texas roadways in order to better provide safe and reliable transportation solutions for Texas. KW - Asphalt pavements KW - Cleaning KW - Cutting tools KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Surface treating KW - Texas KW - Water pressure UR - http://www.depts.ttu.edu/techmrtweb/Reports/Products/P1-UHP_WATER_CUTTING_09-12-2012.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1246727 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477151 AU - Vachal, Kimberly AU - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute AU - North Dakota Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Finding Direction for Safety Investments in Local Roads: System Diagnostics and Countermeasure Focus PY - 2012/09 SP - 34p AB - Local rural road travel has the highest injury crash incidence in North Dakota. Crashes on these roads were determined to differ in contributing factors and characteristics when compared to those on other rural roads. Crash data from 2006 to 2010 was studied to quantify factor magnitude in predicting injury crash likelihood on High Risk Rural Road Program eligible roads, considering on driver and road factors. Driver behaviors, including impaired driving and seat belt use, have the largest role in likelihood for injury outcomes. Intersections and unpaved road surfaces are found to be most significant in increased likelihood for injury outcomes among the road factors. Findings provide insight for resource and policy decisions that may be most effective in increasing travel safety for users of these rural roads. KW - Countermeasures KW - Crash analysis KW - Crash characteristics KW - Crash data KW - Highway safety KW - Impaired drivers KW - North Dakota KW - Rural highways KW - Seat belt usage KW - Unpaved roads UR - http://www.ugpti.org/pubs/pdf/DP256.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1244737 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477150 AU - El Howayek, Alain AU - Bobet, Antonio AU - Dawood, Sulaiman AU - Ferdon, Andrew AU - Santagata, Marika AU - Siddiki, Nayyar Zia AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Project Implementation: Classification of Organic Soils and Classification of Marls— Training of INDOT Personnel PY - 2012/09 SP - 126p AB - This is an implementation project for the research completed as part of the following projects: SPR‐3005 ‐ Classification of Organic Soils and SPR‐3227 – Classification of Marl Soils. The methods developed for the classification of both soils have been incorporated in Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) standard specification 903.05 and 903.06 respectively. Both projects included recommendations for implementation that reflected input from the project administrator and study advisory committee. A specific recommendation from both projects was that INDOT soil technicians be trained to perform the required tests and classify soils based on the revised classification systems. This project was initiated to carry out the implementation of those recommendations. The project scope includes development of training material for instruction about the performance of the revised classification tests and methods, training to pertinent INDOT personnel, integration of the revised classification system into INDOT’s standards, and establishment of a resource database for future training of INDOT personnel. Within the general scope outlined above,the specific objectives of the proposed work were to: 1) administer training to select INDOT personnel and interested representatives from the geotechnical consulting/construction community; and 2) develop training materials to be used by INDOT to train additional personnel. These two general objectives were accomplished through four specific tasks: 1) Collection of Sample Soils for Testing and Classification; 2) Development of Training Material (a PowerPoint presentation with concise instructional handouts; supporting classification examples from a variety of soils; and a short manual summarizing the classification system for both soils with supporting examples); 3) Delivery of Training Sessions for INDOT personnel, as well as representatives from select geotechnical consultants and contractors; and 4) Production of a Training Video. KW - Classification KW - Implementation KW - Indiana Department of Transportation KW - Marl KW - Organic soils KW - Training UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284314984 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1245217 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01476003 AU - Chandra, Divya C AU - Grayhem, Rebecca AU - Butchibabu, Abhizna AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Area Navigation and Required Navigation Performance Procedures and Depictions PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 50p AB - Area navigation (RNAV) and required navigation performance (RNP) procedures are fundamental to the implementation of a performance based navigation (PBN) system, which is a key enabling technology for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). As new RNAV and RNP procedures are developed, they are published as charts for use by appropriately qualified pilots. These charts and procedures describe paths that must be flown precisely for improved use of airspace and safety. In this document, the authors consider how charts for both conventional and PBN procedures are designed from a human factors perspective. First, they document current charting challenges and mitigation strategies. Next, they describe a review of procedures that was done to discover which features were related to difficulty of use or visual complexity. The more difficult instrument approach charts depict procedures with more flight paths, path segments, and radius-to-fix legs. Standard instrument departure procedures that are more difficult show more flight paths. Standard terminal arrival route procedures that are more difficult have more total altitude constraints and path segments. Finally, the authors describe the process for designing and implementing new instrument procedures, which involves significant coordination both inside and outside the government. KW - Aeronautical charts KW - Aircraft pilotage KW - Human factors KW - Instrument flying KW - Next Generation Air Transportation System KW - Performance measurement KW - Procedures UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/47000/47000/47072/DOT-VNTSC-FAA-12-10.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1245582 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01475841 AU - Thoren, Tiffany M AU - Thompson, Kristi S AU - Cardona, Patrick S AU - Chaturvedi, Arvind K AU - Canfield, Dennis V AU - University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond AU - Cherokee Nation Distributors AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - In Vitro Absorption of Atmospheric Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen Cyanide in Undisturbed Pooled Blood PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 12p AB - Biological samples from victims of aircraft accidents are analyzed for carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and cyanide ion (CN¯) in blood. Such victims quite often suffer large open wounds near the autopsy blood collection sites. Many aircraft crashes result in fires that fill the victim’s atmosphere with smoke rich in carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN). It is important to determine whether pooled blood in those open wounds may have absorbed CO and HCN after death, which could lead one to erroneously conclude that the presence of COHb and CN¯ in blood was the result of breathing in these combustion gases. A chamber was designed from a laboratory desiccator to establish whether CO and HCN may be absorbed in undisturbed, pooled whole human blood. A magnetic stirring bar was placed at the bottom of the chamber to facilitate air movement. A ceramic plate with concentric rows of holes was above the stirring bar to support a shallow open dish containing 4 mL of heparinized blood. Gas syringes (100-cc) were used to evacuate air from and add pure CO into the chamber. The chamber volume was 9038 cc. The blood was exposed to three concentrations of CO each for two different periods of time. For HCN exposures, an extra dish containing a 5-mL beaker, which contained sodium cyanide (NaCN), was used. Four mL of heparin-treated blood was used in the second dish. One mL of concentrated sulfuric acid was added to the beaker containing NaCN through the lid opening. The volume of the HCN chamber was 8981 cc. Blood COHb and CN¯ concentrations were determined spectrophotometrically. COHb levels of 4.3-11.0% were detected in blood after its exposure to CO at 5532, 8298, 11064, 22129, and 33193 ppm for 30- and 60-min. CN¯ concentrations (1.43-5.01µg/mL) in blood increased with exposure to HCN at 100 and 200 ppm each at 15, 30, 45, and 60 min. Increases in the COHb levels observed in these experiments do not exclude the possibility for higher levels of COHb in blood exposed to highly CO-rich atmospheres from actual fires. It was clearly evident that there is a strong potential for CN¯ levels to increase by the absorption of atmospheric HCN. This selective absorption is consistent with the insolubility of CO and solubility of HCN in water. Thus, postmortem COHb and CN¯ levels should be carefully interpreted. KW - Absorption KW - Air transportation crashes KW - Autopsies KW - Blood analysis KW - Blood carbon monoxide levels KW - Cyanides KW - Fatalities KW - Fires KW - Smoke UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46000/46090/201213.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1244566 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01475551 AU - Chien, Steven AU - Ozbay, Kaan AU - Tsai, Feng - Ming AU - Yazic, Anil AU - New Jersey Institute of Technology AU - New Jersey Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development of New Jersey Rates for the NJCMS Incident Delay Model PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 92p AB - This study developed a working database for calculating incident rates and related delay measures, which contains incident related data collected from various data sources, such as the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Crash Records, Traffic Operation Center (TOC) incident data, TOC Emergency Service Patrol (ESP) data, and New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway incident data. In order to improve the output accuracy of non-recurring delay estimated by the New Jersey Congestion Management System (NJCMS), there is a need to develop the New Jersey specific incident rates, response times, and clearance times for both peak and off-peak periods. This study determined whether new data in the form of actual field observations of incidents (from the beginning to the end of an incident) will be reasonable and useful to supplement and tie together the existing data. An assessment of cost and benefit analysis was conducted, while a list of recommendations were provided at the end of this report. . KW - Congestion management systems KW - Data collection KW - Emergency response time KW - Incident management KW - Information systems KW - New Jersey KW - Off peak periods KW - Peak periods UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46772/Development_of_New_Jersey_rates_for_the_NJCMS_incident_delay_model.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1245597 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01474026 AU - Smart Growth America AU - State Smart Transportation Initiative AU - Rockefeller Foundation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - The Innovative DOT: A handbook of policy and practice PY - 2012/09 SP - 214p AB - This handbook collects the innovative approaches that state transportation leaders are already using to make systems more efficient and effective in today’s challenging economy. Smarter transportation investments are both possible and popular; the challenge is determining where to begin and to whom to reach out for support and guidance. Every state is different, from the political climate to the age and condition of its existing transportation systems. There is no silver bullet transportation recommendation that fits all 50 states. However, state officials can learn from other DOTs that have successfully charted a new course for transportation in their state. A few common keys to success include: 1. Create a collaborative atmosphere and culture within the organization; 2. Include stakeholders and partners beyond the agency; 3. Break down silos between DOT administrations and across agencies; 4. Understand how decisions are made within the agency; and 5. Prioritize solutions for reform. KW - Cooperation KW - Decision making KW - Handbooks KW - Innovation KW - Interagency relations KW - Partnerships KW - State departments of transportation KW - Strategic planning KW - Transportation planning KW - Transportation policy UR - http://www.ssti.us/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/the-innovative-dot.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1243418 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01473077 AU - Effinger, Jacob B AU - Li, Ruipeng AU - Silva, Jessica AU - Cramer, Steven M AU - University of Wisconsin, Madison AU - Wisconsin Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Laboratory Study of Concrete Properties to Support Implementation of the New AASHTO Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 146p AB - Properties of concrete embodying materials typically used in Wisconsin paving projects were evaluated in support of future implementation of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG). The primary concrete properties studied were compressive strength, flexural strength, modulus of elasticity, indirect tensile strength, coefficient of thermal expansion, and Poisson’s ratio. Materials included fifteen sources of coarse aggregate, two sources of fine aggregate, two sources of ordinary Portland cement, two sources of slag cement, and three sources of fly ash. The results showed the type of coarse aggregate had the greatest effect on all concrete properties compared to the rest of the components changed in this study. MEPDG pavement thickness design was found to vary with coarse aggregate source and the use of supplementary materials. The MEPDG default level 2 and 3 empirical relations for material properties proved conservative for typical Wisconsin pavement projects based on predicted critical thicknesses. Two alternative options for empirical equations based on this study’s test results were found to be more accurate to actual test results than default level 2 empirical relations. One option was a least-squares best fit property prediction line based on all the test results. The other option was to split the concrete property predictions into two equations based on coarse aggregate mineralogy. Comparisons with previous relevant WHRP reports are included KW - Compressive strength KW - Concrete pavements KW - Flexural strength KW - Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide KW - Modulus of elasticity KW - Poisson ratio KW - Tensile strength KW - Thermal expansion UR - http://wisdotresearch.wi.gov/wp-content/uploads/WisDOT-WHRP-project-0092-10-11-final-report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1239130 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472487 AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Property Management Tools and Techniques: Models for the Effective Management of Real Property Assets at State Departments of Transportation PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 35p AB - The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Office of Real Estate Services (HEPR) sponsored the research reported on here to review tools and techniques that State Departments of Transportation (SDOTs) are using to manage, or inventory, their real property assets. The report is based on information collected from SDOTs during three separate one-day meetings convened in February and March 2012 in Austin, Texas, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Sacramento, California. This report synthesizes the content of the meetings’ discussions in order to ultimately convey the components of an ideal property management system. KW - Administration KW - Best practices KW - Inventory KW - Property management KW - State departments of transportation UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/real_estate/publications/property_management_tools/property_management_report.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46600/46660/property_management_report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1239011 ER - TY - SER AN - 01471902 JO - University of California, Davis. Institute of Transportation Studies. Research report PB - University of California, Davis AU - Yueyue, Fan AU - Huang, Yongxi AU - Chen, Chien-Wei AU - University of California, Davis AU - California Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Multistage Infrastructure System Design: An Integrated Biofuel Supply Chain against Feedstock Seasonality and Uncertainty PY - 2012/09 SP - 26p AB - A biofuel supply chain consists of various interdependent components from feedstock resources all the way to energy demand sites. This study focuses on the design of an efficient biofuel supply chain system against seasonal variations and uncertainties of feedstock supply in an integrative manner. An effective design strategy for biofuel supply chain that is economically viable and hedges well against a wide range of future uncertainties is sought by integrating planning and operational decisions in a stochastic programming framework. A California case study is implemented to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed methods in evaluating the economic potential, the infrastructure needs, and the risk of wastes-based bioethanol production. KW - Biomass fuels KW - California KW - Economic analysis KW - Economic efficiency KW - Infrastructure KW - Life cycle analysis KW - Stochastic programming KW - System design UR - http://www.its.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/themes/ucdavis/pubs/download_pdf.php?id=1706 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1217343 ER - TY - SER AN - 01471898 JO - University of California, Davis. Institute of Transportation Studies. Research report PB - University of California, Davis AU - Vergis, Sydney AU - Niemeier, Deb AU - University of California, Davis AU - California Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Understanding How Public Perceptions of Road Diets Are Formed PY - 2012/09 SP - 51p AB - The success or failure of road diets, where a multi-lane road is altered to better accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists in addition to motor vehicles, is often tied to public opinion. A survey was conducted in Davis, California, prior to capacity reallocation being implemented on a major arterial. Results show that support and opposition are correlated with perceived safety and comfort; bike usage; and expectations regarding traffic congestion on side streets. This research provides a starting point for communities planning outreach and evaluation of similar projects. KW - Davis (California) KW - Demographics KW - Highway capacity KW - Perception KW - Public opinion KW - Socioeconomic factors KW - Traffic safety UR - http://www.its.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/themes/ucdavis/pubs/download_pdf.php?id=1705 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1217334 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470878 AU - Million, A J AU - Hatchell, Sheila M AU - Sarmiento, Roberto A AU - HS InFocus AU - Missouri Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Proving Your Library’s Value: A Toolkit for Transportation Librarians PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 52p AB - Historically, all types of libraries have faced pressure to demonstrate their worth. This Toolkit was created to provide examples, guidelines, and applications to alleviate such pressure. It was written by the authors after conducting in-depth research, analysis, and discussions. It distills contemporary research for the transportation community. A survey was conducted to gather primary information and supplement our findings while return-on-investment calculator options were developed. Real world lessons were requested from practicing librarians. The team found that communicating value is most accurately addressed by individual libraries. To properly document value requires the development of library-specific goals, metrics, and success stories. KW - Information services KW - Libraries KW - Library operations KW - Management KW - Marketing KW - Return on investment KW - Transportation libraries KW - Valuation UR - http://library.modot.mo.gov/RDT/reports/TRyy1127/cmr13-007.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238981 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470568 AU - Hanson, Carl E AU - Ross, Jason C AU - Towers, David A AU - Federal Railroad Administration AU - Harris Miller Miller and Hanson, Incorporated TI - High-Speed Ground Transportation Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 248p AB - This report is the second edition of a guidance manual originally issued in 2005, which presents procedures for predicting and assessing noise and vibration impacts of high-speed ground transportation projects. Projects involving high-speed trains using traditional steel-wheel on steel-rail technology as well as magnetically levitated (maglev) systems are included. Procedures for assessing noise and vibration impacts are provided for different stages of project development, from early planning through preliminary engineering and final design. For both noise and vibration, three levels of analysis are described including a preliminary impact screening, a general assessment and a detailed analysis. This updated guidance contains models for predicting high-speed train noise and vibration as well as criteria for assessing the magnitude of potential impacts. A range of mitigation measures are described for dealing with adverse noise and vibration impacts. There is a discussion of noise and vibration during the construction stage and also a discussion of how the technical information should be presented in the Federal Railroad Administration’s environmental documents. This guidance will be of interest not only to technical specialists who conduct the analyses but also to project sponsors, Federal agency reviewers, and members of the general public who may be affected by the projects. KW - Environmental impact analysis KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - High speed rail KW - Noise control KW - Noise sources KW - Vibration control UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/2680 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238511 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470203 AU - Agbelie, Bismark R D K AU - Labi, Samuel AU - Mannering, Fred L AU - Sinha, Kumares C AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Updates to Indiana Fuel Tax and Registration Revenue Projections PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 34p AB - Highway revenues both at the federal and state levels have failed to keep up with expected investments required for infrastructure preservation and improvement. The reasons for this trend include the increasing fuel efficiency of vehicles, slowing of the growth in vehicle‐miles of travel, and the erosion of the purchasing power of the dollar due to inflation. Past studies on the issue of highway revenue forecasting for Indiana highways were conducted under different economic conditions than what exists today. The present study updates the revenue projections of particularly with the recognition of new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards. The present study also updates the equations for estimating vehicle miles of travel. Impacts of alternative options for changing the fuel tax rate structure are also investigated. The present study predicted fuel tax revenues from 2012 to 2025 under the existing fuel tax rate structure and also considered possible options for changes in fuel tax rates. Fuel tax revenue from existing rate structure indicated a continuous annual decrease from 2012 to 2025 by 2.96% to 3.49% in real terms. Adopting one of the four fuel tax rate modifications would provide additional short‐ term revenue for a variable number of years. A 1‐cent increase would offset the decline in the total fuel tax revenue only for a year after which it will continually decline every year. A 3‐cent increase would provide a substantial increase in revenue in the short term but will continually decline, however, the 2025 revenue from 3‐cent increase would be a little higher than the 2012 revenue level. Both inflation indexing and an ad valorem tax would also provide substantial increase in fuel tax revenue. KW - Forecasting KW - Fuel taxes KW - Inflation KW - Registration fees KW - Revenues KW - Vehicle miles of travel KW - Vehicle operations UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284314985 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238248 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470201 AU - Kurt, Efe G AU - Varma, Amit H AU - Hong, Sangdo AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - FEM Simulation for INDOT Temporary Concrete Anchored Barrier PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 17p AB - Portable Concrete Barriers (PCBs) are used to redirect errant vehicles to keep them passing to opposing lanes and to ensure safety of the people and any objects behind the barriers. In the state of Indiana, increments to the PCBs, such as L‐Shape steel plates, have been applied to enhance the safety performance of these barriers. In this study, Finite Element (FE) analyses are performed to evaluate the safety performance of PCBs with and without the increments and get thorough information about the increments applied. A full‐scale crash test (INDOT, 2001) was executed for an impact to the PCBs with a 2000 kg pickup truck at an angle of 25 degrees and an initial velocity of around 100 km/hr in accordance with National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350 guidelines for Test Level 3 safety performance. Aforementioned full‐scale crash test data are used to validate the FE model constructed. Roadside Safety Verification and Validation Program (RSVVP) was used to compare the crash test and FE model results quantitatively. Validating the results of the initial FE Model leaded the way in confidence to implement the increments in the following FE Models. KW - Barriers (Roads) KW - Finite element method KW - Highway safety KW - Impact tests KW - Indiana KW - Simulation KW - Steel plates UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284314982 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238247 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469995 AU - Jiang, Yi AU - Ma, Yan AU - Li, Shuo AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development of a Design Flexibility Toolkit PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 69p AB - The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) publication titled “A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets” (Green Book) provides guidance to the designer by referencing a recommended range of values for critical dimensions for the design of highway facilities. For various reasons, it may be necessary to design a section of highway with substandard values for some elements. Such design exceptions require appropriate assessment and justification of the potential impacts to highway safety and operations. This study was performed to develop a guideline for design exceptions. The guideline for development and evaluation of design exception projects was developed and presented. The guideline outlines the steps for developing and evaluating design exception projects. The potential impacts of design exception elements to highway safety and operations are listed for the 13 controlling criteria to provide designers with important and easy to use information. The possible counter measures for each of the controlling criteria are listed in a one-page table for easy reference. The proposed safety evaluation process was presented in terms of safety impacts of individual substandard elements as well as the combined impacts of the substandard elements. An Excel based computer program was developed for life-cycle benefit-cost analysis of design exception projects. A decision on design exceptions can thus be made rationally with the recommended guideline and methods. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Design exceptions KW - Design standards KW - Highway design KW - Highway operations KW - Highway safety UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284314981 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46600/46685/fulltext.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1231475 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458051 AU - Figliozzi, Miguel AU - Bigazzi, Alex AU - Portland State University AU - Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Value of Travel-Time Reliability Part II: A Study of Tradeoffs Between Travel Reliability, Congestion-Mitigation Strategies and Emissions PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 72p AB - Capacity, demand, and vehicle based emissions reduction strategies are compared for several pollutants employing aggregate United States congestion and vehicle fleet condition data. The authors find that congestion mitigation does not inevitably lead to reduced emissions; the net effect of mitigation depends on the balance of induced travel demand and increased vehicle efficiency that in turn depend on the pollutant, congestion level, and fleet composition. In the long run, capacity-based congestion improvements within certain speed intervals can reasonably be expected to increase emissions of greenhouse gases (CO2e), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) through increased vehicle travel volume. Better opportunities for emissions reductions exist for hydrocarbons (HC) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions, and on more heavily congested arterials. Advanced-efficiency vehicles with emissions rates that are less sensitive to congestion than conventional vehicles generate less emissions co-benefits from congestion mitigation. KW - Air quality management KW - Congestion management systems KW - Pollutants KW - Reliability KW - Traffic congestion KW - Traffic mitigation KW - Travel demand KW - Travel time UR - http://otrec.us/main/document.php?doc_id=1205 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225668 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458028 AU - Gao, Jian AU - Gkritza, Konstantina AU - Smadi, Omar AU - Hawkins, Neal R AU - Bektas, Basak Aldemir AU - Nlenanya, Inya AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Midwest Transportation Consortium AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Asset Management and Safety: A Performance Perspective PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 114p AB - Incorporating safety performance measures into asset management can assist transportation agencies in managing their aging assets efficiently and improve system-wide safety. Past research has revealed the relationship between individual asset performance and safety, but the relationship between combined measures of operational asset condition and safety performance has not been explored. This project investigates the effect of pavement marking retroreflectivity and pavement condition on safety in a multi-objective manner. Data on one-mile segments for all Iowa primary roads from 2004 through 2009 were collected from the Iowa Department of Transportation and integrated using linear referencing. An asset condition index (ACI) was estimated for the road segments by scoring and weighting individual components. Statistical models were then developed to estimate the relationship between ACI and expected number of crashes, while accounting for exposure (average daily traffic). Finally, the researchers evaluated alternative treatment strategies for pavements and pavement markings using benefit-cost ratio analysis, taking into account corresponding treatment costs and safety benefits in terms of crash reduction (number of crashes proportionate to crash severity). KW - Asset management KW - Condition surveys KW - Economic analysis KW - Highway safety KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Pavement performance KW - Retroreflectivity KW - Road markings KW - Statistical analysis KW - Traffic crashes UR - http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/research/documents/research-reports/AM_and_safety_w_cvr.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225381 ER - TY - SER AN - 01457561 JO - Traffic Safety Facts - Research Note PB - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - National Child Restraint Use Special Study PY - 2012/09 SP - 2p AB - From June to August of 2011 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducted the National Child Restraint Use Special Study (NCRUSS), a survey of child restraint system (CRS) use. This survey was nationally representative, with data collected at 24 randomly selected geographic areas within the United States. The survey data includes observations of the restraint systems of child passengers from birth to age 8, conducted by certified child passenger safety technicians (CPSTs), as well as associated interview data given by the drivers of these child passengers. In total, 4,167 complete observations (child restraint inspections with driver interviews) were gathered by the research staff. This report gives some of the early findings of this survey, specifically, the five significant mistakes in CRS and child installation most commonly observed in the survey. A detailed analysis is currently in progress. KW - Child restraint systems KW - Children KW - Infants KW - Surveys KW - United States KW - Vehicle occupants KW - Vehicle safety UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225530 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01457368 AU - Linkenbach, Jeff W AU - Keller, Sarah AU - Otto, Jay AU - Swinford, Steven AU - Ward, Nic AU - Western Transportation Institute AU - Idaho Transportation Department AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Media Messages and Tools to Reduce Serious Single Vehicle Run-Off-the-Road Crashes Resulting from Impaired Driving PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 118p AB - The Center for Health and Safety Culture conducted research for the Idaho Transportation Department to develop media messages and tools to reduce fatalities and serious injuries related to Run-Off-the-Road, single-vehicle crashes in Idaho using the Positive Community Norms framework. After a review of Idaho’s Crash Database and a sample of police reports, the research team proposed to focus on impaired driving, a major risk factor for these crashes, by increasing bystander engagement. The theory of planned behavior was the theoretical basis for a survey of Idaho adults implemented by the University of Idaho’s Social Science Research Unit. The survey results informed key media messages to increase the likelihood adults would engage in preventing others from impaired driving. Recommendations for communications, implementation and evaluation are provided. KW - Behavior KW - Bystanders KW - Idaho KW - Impaired drivers KW - Mass media KW - Ran off road crashes KW - Social values UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46351/Final_RP209.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46363/Final_RP209.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225454 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01457331 AU - Kauser, J AU - Yusuf, M AU - Rowan University AU - New York State Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Potential for Natural Brine for Anti-Icing and De-Icing PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 216p AB - This project focused on the feasibility of the use of natural brine for anti-icing and pre-wetting in Onondaga County, Syracuse, New York. A thorough literature review was conducted on the use of brine as an anti-icing and pre-wetting agent both in the United States and abroad. The review indicated that the use of brine as an anti-icing and pre-wetting agent has gained popularity in most of the Departments of Transportation (DOT) in the U.S. and abroad over the years. Studies indicate that decreased applications of anti-icing chemicals lead to significant savings in material costs, reduced use of abrasives (rock salt and sand), better road conditions, lower accident rates, better environmental protection and lower costs for winter road maintenance. Costs analyses indicated that natural brine applications costs were comparable to commercial brine applications in the Onondaga County region. Deicing materials and accident data analyses for the Village of Fayetteville, Onondaga County and the New York State DOT Onondaga East Residency office indicated that: (1) snow events are a significant contributor to winter road accidents; (2) frequency of accidents go up immediately after a heavy precipitation; and (3) number of accidents in the 2010-2011 winter season when brine was applied was less than when rock salt was applied (2009-2010 winter season) even though the precipitation was greater in the former case for I-81 and I-481. KW - Anti-icing KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Brines KW - Crash rates KW - Deicing KW - Deicing chemicals KW - Onondaga County (New York) KW - Prewetting KW - Snow and ice control KW - Winter maintenance UR - https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/trans-r-and-d-repository/C-06-07%20Final%20Report_Sept%202012.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46341/finalbrinereport.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225529 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01457329 AU - Reyna, Monica A AU - Smith, Jennifer C AU - Kane, Stephanie L AU - Foltz, Barbara E AU - University of Idaho, Moscow AU - Idaho Transportation Department AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Positive Community Norm Survey 2011: Methodology and Results PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 66p AB - This survey established a baseline understanding of the positive norms that exist in Idaho, plus reveal the gaps in knowledge and perceived norms with regard to impaired driving. These gaps will indicate the most effective opportunities for future communication efforts (i.e. Media Messages) to change driver behavior. The project objectives included: (1) Measuring self-reported attitudes, behaviors and perceptions of norms of adult drivers in Idaho regarding alcohol and driving; (2) Obtaining information that can help establish a baseline understanding of the positive norms that exist in Idaho as well as reveal the gaps in knowledge and perceived norms. These gaps indicate the most effective opportunities for future communication efforts to change driver behavior and reduce fatalities; and (3) providing information that researchers can use to identify important messages that can be shared with key leaders at the community, county and state levels to support efforts to reduce impaired driving. These leaders include local law enforcement officials, county leaders, and state policy makers. KW - Attitudes KW - Automobile drivers KW - Behavior KW - Drunk driving KW - Idaho KW - Surveys UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46352/RP214_Final_Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225528 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456590 AU - Brennan, Leonard A AU - Texas A&M University, Kingsville AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Comparison and Assessment of Mechanical and Herbicide-Chemical Side-Trimming Methods of Managing Roadside Vegetation by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) PY - 2012/09//Technical Report SP - 30p AB - The project compared and assessed the mechanical and herbicide-chemical side-trimming methods that the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) uses to manage roadside vegetation. This report discusses safety, effectiveness, and economic costs of these methods. It also shares industry best management practices by appending comments of several resource professionals concerned with side-trimming operations for vegetation management on rights-of-way. The researcher based his assessment on information and data that TxDOT’s Vegetation Management staff had provided, and information and perspectives on rights-of-way from resource management professionals associated with other state DOTs as well as other agencies involved in vegetation management. The report emphasized that TxDOT seeks to collaborate with stakeholders to determine the best and most appropriate side-trimming methods for various unique ecological and cultural situations across Texas. KW - Best practices KW - Costs KW - Herbicides KW - Maintenance management KW - Right of way (Land) KW - Roadside KW - Texas KW - Texas Department of Transportation KW - Vegetation control UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6732-1.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46336/0-6732-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1224958 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01455853 AU - Schooley, Benjamin AU - Horan, Thomas A AU - Abed, Yousef AU - Murad, Abdullah AU - University of Minnesota, Twin Cities AU - Claremont Graduate University AU - Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - ITS and Transportation Safety: EMS System Data Integration to Improve Traffic Crash Emergency Response and Treatment – Phases IV and V PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 29p AB - Researchers developed a software system called “CrashHelp” to improve the information exchange from emergency medical services (EMS) practitioners to emergency room/trauma center providers. The system combines mobile smartphone, multimedia, Web server, and location-based technologies for paramedics to send key information to hospital providers in a more data-rich manner than is currently available. This study outlines the development of a second version of CrashHelp and summarizes the results of an initial pilot testing in the Boise, Idaho, region. In addition, the study contains an analysis of the data system standards for EMS and intelligent transportation systems to understand how they should be applied to the CrashHelp system. Finally, the study investigates the potential sustainability of the CrashHelp system in several respects, including deployment in regions with little prior infrastructure, as well as in more urban and developed areas. This included investigating business models and deployment models for delivering CrashHelp as a product or service in the future. KW - Boise (Idaho) KW - Emergency medical services KW - Hospital emergency rooms KW - Information dissemination KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - Real time data processing KW - Traffic crashes UR - http://www.cts.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/pdfdownload.pl?id=2178 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223581 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01455847 AU - Yang, Jiann-Shiou AU - University of Minnesota, Duluth AU - Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Estimation of Vehicle's Lateral Position via the Lucas-Kanade Optical Flow Method PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 45p AB - The use of rumble strips on roads has proven to be an effective means of providing drivers lane departure warning (LDW). However, rumble strips require an infrastructure and do not exist on a majority of roadways. Furthermore, rumble strips present a difficult issue of where to establish the rumble-strip distance threshold. To develop an effective virtual rumble-strip LDW system where the rumble-strip threshold is allowed to vary according to the risk of the vehicle departing the road, it is essential to know the vehicle’s lateral characteristics; in particular, the vehicle’s lateral position and speed. In this report, we use image processing via an in-vehicle camera to estimate the vehicle’s lateral position and speed. The lateral position is estimated by determining the vehicle’s heading angle via a homography and the Lucas-Kanade optical flow techniques; while the lateral speed is determined via the heading angle and the vehicle’s On Board Diagnostic (OBD)-II forward speed data access. The detail of the approach is presented in this report together with the findings. This approach will only need the minimal set of information to characterize the vehicle lateral characteristics, and therefore, makes it more feasible in a vehicle application. KW - Image processing KW - Lateral placement KW - Optical flow patterns KW - Rumble strips KW - Speed data KW - Vehicle electronics UR - http://www.cts.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/pdfdownload.pl?id=2174 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223580 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01455297 AU - Yang, Jiann-Shiou AU - University of Minnesota, Duluth AU - Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Estimation of Vehicle’s Lateral Position via the Lucas-Kanade Optical Flow Method PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 45p AB - The use of rumble strips on roads has proven to be an effective means of providing drivers lane departure warning (LDW). However, rumble strips require an infrastructure and do not exist on a majority of roadways. Furthermore, rumble strips present a difficult issue of where to establish the rumble-strip distance threshold. To develop an effective virtual rumble-strip LDW system where the rumble-strip threshold is allowed to vary according to the risk of the vehicle departing the road, it is essential to know the vehicle’s lateral characteristics; in particular, the vehicle’s lateral position and speed. In this report, the author uses image processing via an in-vehicle camera to estimate the vehicle’s lateral position and speed. The lateral position is estimated by determining the vehicle’s heading angle via a homography and the Lucas-Kanade optical flow techniques; while the lateral speed is determined via the heading angle and the vehicle’s On Board Diagnostic (OBD)-II forward speed data access. The detail of the author's approach is presented in this report together with the author's findings. The approach will only need the minimal set of information to characterize the vehicle lateral characteristics, and therefore, makes it more feasible in a vehicle application. KW - Detection and identification KW - Highway safety KW - Lane departures KW - Lateral placement KW - Ran off road crashes KW - Speed KW - Warning systems UR - http://www.its.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/pdfdownload.pl?id=2174 UR - http://www.its.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/reportdetail.html?id=2190 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223370 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01455276 AU - Hans, Zachary AU - Souleyrette, Reginald AU - Bogenreif, Corey AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Midwest Transportation Consortium AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Horizontal Curve Identification and Evaluation PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 33p AB - Horizontal curves are over-represented, high-frequency, high-severity crash locations. Significant opportunities exist to mitigate these crashes through relatively low-cost safety improvements such as paved shoulders, rumble strips/stripes, and improved signing and delineation. However, the presence of horizontal curvature is not captured as part of the Iowa crash report and the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT)-maintained database of public roadways does not identify the locations of horizontal curvature. Therefore, it is currently difficult to identify the locations of curves systematically, and particularly high-crash curves and the characteristics of these curves. The goal of this project was to expand the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) effort to systematically identify high-crash and potentially-problematic horizontal curves. The primary objective of this project was to refine the previously-developed, preliminary, horizontal-curve database, allowing specific curve parameters to be extracted and evaluated system wide. This refinement facilitates identification of not only high-crash locations but candidate sites for low-cost safety improvements. Secondary objectives include updating the high-crash curve list, evaluating the accuracy of the geometric parameter estimates and testing the sensitivity of safety performance to errors in curve parameters. KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - High risk locations KW - Highway curves KW - Highway safety KW - Horizontal curvature KW - Iowa KW - Location UR - http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/research/documents/research-reports/horizontal_curves_w_cvr.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222617 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454142 AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Working Group Best-Practice Recommendations for the Safe Transportation of Children in Emergency Ground Ambulances PY - 2012/09 SP - 46p AB - The major objectives of this project were to: build consensus in the development of a uniform set of recommendations to safely and appropriately transport children (injured, ill, or uninjured) from the scene of a crash or other incident in an ambulance; to foster the creation of best practice recommendations after reviewing the practices currently being used to transport children in ambulances; and to provide consistent national recommendations that will be embraced by local, State and national emergency medical services organizations, enabling them to reduce the frequency of emergency transport of ill, injured or uninjured children who may be transported in an unsafe or inappropriate manner. To achieve these major objectives, a working group was formed; the working group was comprised of members with experience, background, and extensive knowledge in the current practices of the emergency transportation of children in ground ambulances. KW - Ambulances KW - Best practices KW - Child restraint systems KW - Child safety KW - Children KW - Vehicle safety UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811677.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1218544 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454129 AU - Hallmark, Shauna L AU - Boyle, Linda Ng AU - Qiu, Yu AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Midwest Transportation Consortium AU - Strategic Highway Research Program 2 AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Relationship between Lane Departure Events and Roadway Characteristics PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 25p AB - This study will provide better information about the effectiveness of rural roadway safety countermeasures with a focus on lane departures. The main emphasis of the research is to conduct a crash surrogate analysis for common road departure events and develop a model that can be used to predict and mitigate road departures. The purpose of the study covered in this report was to explore use of naturalistic driving study (NDS) data to assess the relationship between roadway and other characteristics and lane departures on rural two-lane roads. Road departure events from an NDS dataset from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) were used to predict the likelihood of a lane departure as influenced by driver, roadway, and environmental factors. KW - Crash analysis KW - Crash surrogates KW - Highway safety KW - Lane departures KW - Naturalistic driving data KW - Ran off road crashes KW - Road characteristics KW - Rural highways KW - Two lane highways UR - http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/research/documents/research-reports/lane_depart_event_w_cvr.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1218390 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454122 AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Teen Distracted Driver Data PY - 2012/09 SP - 1p AB - This one page document presents 2010 data on distracted driving and fatalities focusing on the percentage of teen drivers involved in distraction-affected crashes. In 2012, 403 people died in crashes that involved distracted teen (15 to 19) drivers; 307 teens were killed in distraction-affected crashes; and 368 teen drivers involved in fatal crashes were distracted. KW - Crash data KW - Distraction KW - Fatalities KW - Teenage drivers KW - Traffic crashes UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811649.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1218604 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454121 AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - National Traffic Speeds Survey I: 2007 PY - 2012/09 SP - 2p AB - Vehicle speeds are a crucial factor in traffic safety. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that speeding is involved in approximately 31% of fatal motor vehicle crashes, costing society over $40 billion per year. Since speeding is such a pervasive traffic safety issue, NHTSA funded a field survey to measure driving speeds for all types of motor vehicles on freeways, arterial highways, and collector roads across the United States and to produce national and regional estimates of travel speeds for various types of roads and vehicles. KW - Arterial highways KW - Average travel speed KW - Collector roads KW - Field studies KW - Freeways KW - Speed estimates KW - Speeding KW - Traffic speed KW - United States UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/traffic_tech/811644.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1218694 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454109 AU - LeBlanc, David AU - Belzowski, Bruce AU - University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Interoperability Issues for Commercial Vehicle Safety Applications PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 68p AB - A connected-vehicles program has been undertaken by the U.S. Department of Transportation and its partners, with the goal of exploring and possibly enabling a new generation of technology to address highway transportation safety, mobility, and environmental challenges. This program has been underway for several years, and one area of intensive work has been the development of enabling devices, to be installed onboard vehicles, which use wireless technology to communicate with nearby vehicles and the infrastructure. This can be achieved through 5.9 GHz dedicated short-range communications (DSRC). Such technologies represent highly capable, low-cost alternatives or complements to vehicle-based crash avoidance systems. The wireless-enabled systems may enable vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) applications as well as vehicle-infrastructure (V2I) applications, and would be capable of interfacing with other devices as well (V2X). This study sought to identify and prioritize issues unique to commercial vehicles that affect the interoperability of DSRC communications, and especially V2V safety applications. V2V safety applications represent a primary set of applications for DSRC because they leverage the unique aspects of DSRC: low latency, and design for broadcast mode (as opposed to peer-to-peer). A series of ground-breaking projects and activities have been underway, and are still ongoing. The results presented in this report identify and prioritize issues related to connected vehicle systems and applications that are unique to commercial vehicles. In particular, the technical aspects of the exchange of information were studied. This project considered the current state of the art, and identified areas in which commercial vehicle considerations may result in revisions to past decisions or changes to future plans. This focus was necessary to support upcoming activities to equip heavy trucks with these connected vehicle systems, and because the breadth of commercial vehicles was not possible to consider in the scope of this project. KW - Commercial vehicles KW - Connected vehicle technologies KW - Crash avoidance systems KW - Dedicated short range communications KW - Heavy duty trucks KW - Highway safety KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - Interoperability KW - Vehicle to vehicle communications UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crash%20Avoidance/Technical%20Publications/2012/811674.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1218667 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454082 AU - Burbidge, Shaunna K AU - Active Planning AU - Utah Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Identifying Characteristics of High-Risk Intersections for Pedestrians and Cyclists: A Case Study from Salt Lake County PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 51p AB - While the transportation network is meant to accommodate a variety of transportation modes, the experience varies for the users of each mode. For example; an automobile, cyclist, transit rider, and pedestrian will all have a very different experience traveling along the same corridor. Often, the physical characteristics of the system that make travel easier or more enjoyable for one mode may produce challenges or increase risk for users of another mode. This report provides an analysis of high-risk versus low-risk intersections (as defined by accident rates for non-motorized mode users) to determine what characteristics make intersections more dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians. Results show that simply incorporating longer signal lengths, providing dedicated right turn lanes, and adding street trees at intersections can significantly reduce the number of non-motorized accidents. Additionally, construction at intersections was shown to significantly increase the number of non-motorized incidents (particularly those involving pedestrians). Addressing these issues and enacting appropriate improvements will not only improve safety conditions for non-motorized users, but may also provide an enhanced travel experience for automobile travelers and result in additional external benefits of traffic calming and improved flow. KW - Crash analysis KW - Cyclists KW - Highway safety KW - Intersection elements KW - Intersections KW - Nonmotorized transportation KW - Pedestrians KW - Salt Lake County (Utah) KW - Traffic safety UR - http://utah.ptfs.com/awweb/awarchive?type=file&item=57170 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46348/UT-12.13_1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222611 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454031 AU - Nash, Phillip T AU - Senadheera, Sanjaya AU - Beierle, Micah AU - Kumfer, Wesley AU - Wilson, Dannia AU - Texas Tech University, Lubbock AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Best Practices for TxDOT on Handling Wildfires PY - 2012/09//Interim Report SP - 154p AB - The State of Texas suffered record-setting wildfires in 2011. More than 30,000 wildfires occurred, burning nearly four million acres. Although not directly responsible for fighting wildfires, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) provides valuable support during fire-fighting operations. The purpose of this research was to document lessons learned during recent wildfire events and to better define the role of TxDOT in responding to wildfires leading to guidance on best practices. Researchers collected information from a number of agencies responsible for emergency operations during wildfire response, including the Texas Division of Emergency Management, the Texas Forest Service, The Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System, National Wildfire Coordination Group, and the Texas Interagency Coordination Center. Personnel from ten TxDOT districts were interviewed along with personnel from the Department of Public Safety, Texas Forest Service, Volunteer and Community Fire Departments, National Weather Service, and other City and County Officials. Questions used for the interviews covered categories of preparation, communication, responsibilities, and training. Many common responses were found, although several districts provided unique insights. Lack of reimbursement and concerns regarding safety during incident response were two main themes throughout the interviews. Best practices found during the study were collected, synthesized and presented to TxDOT employees in four regional workshops. These workshops were designed to address safety and effectiveness of TxDOT personnel in efforts to improve response to future wildfires. KW - Best practices KW - Disaster preparedness KW - Emergency management KW - Emergency response time KW - Emergency transportation KW - Texas KW - Wildfires UR - http://www.depts.ttu.edu/techmrtweb/reports/complete_reports/0-6735-2-Final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1218674 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454025 AU - Heskitt, Mike AU - Smith, Tim AU - Hopkins, Jeff AU - Altair ProductDesign AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - Design & Development of the LCO-140H Series Hydraulic Hybrid Low Floor Transit Bus: BUSolutions Final Technical Report PY - 2012/09//Final Technical Report SP - 84p AB - Automation Alley, Altair, and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), in a public-private partnership, teamed up to advance a new transit bus initiative that would improve America’s local and regional transit systems while requiring no infrastructure upgrades to operate. The goal was to develop a significantly lighter-weight, heavy-duty bus design that yields superior fuel efficiency to conventional buses at a lower lifecycle cost. The four main areas of focus for reducing the lifecycle cost of the new bus were purchase price, fuel economy, scheduled maintenance, and unscheduled maintenance. The results yielded the Altair ProductDesign LCO-140H hydraulic hybrid bus, a physical technology demonstration vehicle that is projected to have a 20 percent lower purchase price than most electric hybrids and saves over 30 percent in total lifecycle costs. The LCO-140H is projected to even save 20 percent in lifecycle costs over a basic non-hybrid diesel bus. Fuel economy test results showed a 110 percent improvement in fuel economy as compared to the average non-hybrid diesel bus, and over a 30 percent better fuel economy than the best-in-class hybrid electric bus results found in the Altoona database. The net result is that this design enables a transit authority to reduce their reliance on oil and save money while doing it. KW - Fuel consumption KW - Hybrid vehicles KW - Hydraulic transmissions KW - Life cycle costing KW - Low floor vehicles KW - Transit buses KW - Vehicle design UR - http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/FTA_Report_No._0018.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/55000/55500/55504/FTA_Report_No._0018.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222402 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01453998 AU - Tool Design Group AU - Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Bike Sharing in the United States: State of the Practice and Guide to Implementation PY - 2012/09 SP - 68p AB - With the introduction of new and more advanced bike sharing programs, and the continued interest and political support for them throughout many U.S. cities, it is important to provide an objective analysis of bike share programs, and to document early lessons learned. This guide is intended to serve as a resource for transportation planning professionals, as well as public officials considering implementation of a bike sharing program. The guide presents a snapshot of current municipal bike share systems where local jurisdictions (including cities, counties, etc.) are engaged in the funding, managing, administering and/or permitting of bike share implementing practices. The objectives of this guide are to: 1. Define bike sharing and provide an overview of the concept. 2. Describe the steps a jurisdiction should take to plan, implement, and sustain a bike share program. 3. Document existing models of provision, infrastructure considerations, and funding options for successfully implementing a bike sharing program. 4. Describe metrics for monitoring and evaluating program success. 5. Provide a baseline documentation of existing bike share programs in the United States in 2012. KW - Administration KW - Cities and towns KW - Financing KW - Implementation KW - Management KW - Performance measurement KW - State of the practice KW - Transportation planning KW - United States KW - Vehicle sharing UR - http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/promote/bikeshareintheus.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1221970 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01450872 AU - Abdel-Aty, Mohamed AU - Ahmed, Mohamed M AU - Yu, Rongjie AU - Qi, Shi AU - University of Central Florida, Orlando AU - Colorado Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Developing an Active Traffic Management System for I-70 in Colorado PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 193p AB - The Colorado Department of Transportation is at the forefront of developing an Active Traffic Management (ATM) system that not only considers operation aspects, but also integrates safety measures. In this research, data collected from Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVI), Remote Traffic Microwave Sensors (RTMS) and Real-Time weather data were utilized to incorporate safety within the ATM system. Preliminary investigation of crashes along 20-miles of Interstate 70 revealed that the mountainous terrain and adverse weather during the winter season may increase crash likelihood. A traditional automatic incident detection system is a reactive approach to mitigating the effects of crashes without attempting to avoid primary incidents. To reduce the risk of primary incidents, a more proactive approach that identifies locations where a crash is more likely to happen in real-time can be implemented. The results from the research study suggest that there is a clear demand to incorporate real-time weather conditions and roadway geometric characteristics within the development of the ATM system. Remote Traffic Microwave Sensors, AVI, weather data, and road geometry information were collected and utilized to develop a real-time risk assessment system. Data Mining (DM) techniques were also used to reveal important data relationships and improve prediction accuracy. Based on the data and DM techniques, models were tested and their performances were compared. Results show that the Full Model which incorporates AVI, RTMS data, weather data, and geometric information outperforms other models by identifying about 89% of crash cases in the validation dataset with only 6.5% false positive. This model has the potential to be an accurate component of a proactive traffic management strategy to provide reliable and timely information to drivers under various adverse environments. This work could serve as the basis for a future Variable Speed Limit algorithm to be deployed on I-70. KW - Automatic vehicle identification KW - Colorado KW - Crash prediction models KW - Crash risk forecasting KW - Data mining KW - Highway traffic control KW - Interstate 70 KW - Mountain roads KW - Remote traffic microwave sensors KW - Road geometry KW - Variable speed limits KW - Weather conditions UR - http://www.coloradodot.info/programs/research/pdfs/2012/atm.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1218130 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449704 AU - Liu, Wenjie AU - Zhou, Eric AU - Wang, Youqi AU - Kansas State University Transportation Center AU - Kansas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Response of No-Name Creek FRP Bridge to Local Weather PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 86p AB - Since 1996, over 30 Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite bridges have been installed in the United States. Bridge locations are in Kansas, Missouri, New York, Iowa, Colorado, West Virginia, Ohio, California, Idaho, Washington, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, North Carolina and South Carolina. Compared to traditional steel and concrete bridge structures, the FRP panel shows several significant advantages: reduced weight, higher strength, better corrosion resistance and quicker installation. However, FRP materials exhibit different physical properties. As such, a composite bridge would demonstrate different deformation and failure patterns than a traditional bridge. During the past years, much experimental research has been conducted to investigate FRP bridge deck performance. Most experiments divide into two types: 1) static and fatigue tests in the laboratory and 2) real traffic load tests in the field. These experimental results, as well as finite element method (FEM) analytical results, have served as baseline data for FRP bridge deck design. A long-term remote monitoring system was designed to investigate the response of the No-Name Creek composite bridge to the local weather. The characteristics of the bridge temperatures, the temperature differences of the two panel surfaces and the relationship between the temperature difference and the deflection were investigated with respect to the different weather patterns. Twelve thermal sensors were embedded into the FRP bridge panels. In addition, 3 laser sensors were installed to measure bridge thermal deflection. Between October 2004 and September 2005, bridge temperature and deflection were measured at 20 minute intervals. Relations between weather condition, temperature distribution and bridge thermal deflection for that bridge were analyzed. From the analysis of the experimental and FEM, the responses of the composite bridge to weather are summarized as follows: (1) The temperatures of the upper and bottom panel surfaces and their differences greatly change with time of day and season. The extreme temperature usually appears in the early afternoon and the minimum temp usually appears in the early morning or in the night. The bottom surface temperature is near the climatic temperature. (2) The bridge deflections are approximately proportional to the temperature differences. (3) The bridge had a significant upward deflection on a sunny day during the summer with the maximum often occurring between 3:00-5:00 PM. The bridge has a downward deflection during the night with it being the most severe in the winter. (4) Comparing climate induced deflection to traffic load induced deflection, the climate induced deflection is at least on the same order of deflection as allowable traffic load. Therefore, it should be considered in the FRP bridge design process. (5) Thermal load and deflection usually are larger on clear days than on unclear, rainy, and snowy days. (6) Distributions of thermal load in the panel can form a larger amount of deflection in the hot season than in the cold season. KW - Bridge decks KW - Bridge design KW - Composite bridges KW - Deflection KW - Fiber reinforced polymers KW - No-Name Creek Bridge KW - Temperature measurement KW - Thermal loads KW - Weather UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46100/46155/FHWAKS126_Final.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46100/46197/FHWAKS126_Final.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46100/46198/FHWAKS126_Summary.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1217351 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449699 AU - Jeihani, Mansoureh AU - Ardeshiri, Anam AU - Naeeni, Amir AU - Morgan State University AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Evaluating the Effectiveness of Dynamic Speed Display Signs PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 60p AB - This study investigates the impact of dynamic speed display signs (DSDSs) on drivers’ speed-related behavior. A survey questionnaire regarding attitudes and reactions to DSDSs on different road classes was distributed to Maryland drivers of different ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. In addition, the research team collected vehicle speed data upstream and downstream of the DSDS location on different corridors. The data was collected with a portable Trax Flex High Speed Counter, which records vehicles’ length, speed, and number of axels as they pass over the device’s tubes on the road. The speed data was collected on three roads with different speed limits: 25 mph, 35 mph, and 45 mph. Conventional statistical analysis, Bayesian network, and planned behavior theory were applied to assess the DSDS’ effectiveness with reducing speed. To investigate the shortterm and long-term effects of the DSDS, the research team collected the data in different periods (few days to few months) after the installation. Furthermore, the effective distance for the DSDS was investigated. Two different sizes of the DSDS were used to find the impact of size on drivers’ compliance. KW - Bayesian networks KW - Behavior KW - Drivers KW - Dynamic speed signs KW - Maryland KW - Speed control KW - Speed data KW - Speed limits KW - Statistical analysis UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46100/46154/Evaluating_Jeihani_1112.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1217350 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449584 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 - Intelligent Pavement for Traffic Flow Detection - Phase II PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 33p AB - This project is the extension of a Northland Advanced Transportation System Research Laboratory (NATSRL) FY09 project, titled “Intelligent Pavement for Traffic Flow Detection”, which aims to explore a new approach in detecting vehicles on a roadway by making a roadway section a traffic flow detector. Sections of a given roadway are paved with carbon-nanotube (CNT) enhanced pavement; the piezoresitive property of carbon nanotubes enables the pavement to detect the traffic flow. Meanwhile, CNTs can also work as reinforcement elements to improve the strength and toughness of the concrete pavement. The proposed sensor is expected to have a long service life with little maintenance and wide-area detection capability. In the FY09 project, lab tests demonstrated that CNT based cement composite can detect the mechanical stress levels for both static and dynamic loads. In the FY10 project, the research was extended to cement mortar, which has much higher mechanical strength and is more useful in real applications. The effects of water level and CNT doping levels on the piezoresistivity of the composites were also studied. Preliminary road tests were performed for the evaluation of this new traffic sensor. KW - Composite pavements KW - Laboratory tests KW - Nanotubes KW - Piezoresistivity KW - Resistivity method KW - Road tests KW - Sensors KW - Vehicle detectors UR - http://www.its.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/pdfdownload.pl?id=2148 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1217090 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449578 AU - Esteban-Muir, R P AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Community-Based Impaired-Driving Programs: Local Ordinances and Other Strategies Addressing Impaired Driving PY - 2012/09 SP - 76p AB - While many impaired-driving programs are implemented at the State level, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recognizes that the lack of resources and political challenges may make implementation of needed and effective legislation and programs difficult. In addition, States may find that some programs are effective in some communities but not others. This publication is intended to be a resource to help communities identify appropriate, effective, and promising strategies and legislation that can be implemented on a local level. It is not intended as a how-to-guide, but rather describes and provides examples of each strategy. Leaders and program managers within communities may find this useful in helping to jump start or reenergize their efforts to reduce impaired driving. This publication is divided into three primary sections: understanding a community’s impaired-driving problem, strategies that reduce impaired driving, and references and appendix. KW - Community action programs KW - Countermeasures KW - Drunk driving KW - Highway safety KW - Ordinances KW - Outreach KW - Prevention KW - State laws UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811678.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1217084 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449564 AU - Boeker, Eric R AU - Senzig, David A AU - Roof, Christopher J AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Analysis of Aerobatic Aircraft Noise Using the FAA’s Integrated Noise Model PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 117p AB - This project has three main objectives. The first objective is to model noise from complete aerobatic routines for a range of aircraft. The second is to compare modeled and previously measured aircraft noise from complete aerobatic routines for a range of aircraft. The third is to model the noise from up to 50 daily aerobatic routines for a range of aircraft. The end result of this analysis is a matrix of modeled noise results for a range of aircraft performing a variety of aerobatic routines. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) can now utilize these results to help set the technical threshold for approving National Environmental Policy Act analyses for aircraft performing aerobatic routine represented within the matrix. KW - Aerodynamics KW - Aircraft noise KW - INM (Integrated Noise Model) KW - National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 KW - Propeller driven aircraft KW - Sound transmission UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45900/45934/DOT-VNTSC-FAA-12-06.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216158 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449560 AU - Donovan, Paul AU - Illingworth and Rodkin, Incorporated AU - Arizona Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Quiet Pavement Pilot Program: Progress Report 3 PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 98p AB - Since 2003, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has been conducting a Quiet Pavement Pilot Program (QPPP) in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This report presents the noise findings of this research through 2007. The initial reduction in noise levels achieved by overlaying portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP) on freeways in the greater Phoenix area with asphalt rubber friction course (ARFC) were documented with three types of measurements: tire/pavement noise levels measured on-board a test vehicle near a test tire (Site 1); neighborhood noise levels measured at typical receiver locations in the vicinity of the freeways (Site 2); and wayside tire/pavement noise levels measured at five research grade sites (Site 3). The initial reductions ranged on average from 5.5 to 9 decibels (dB) depending on the type of measurement and the specific location. In subsequent years, measurements were conducted to assess the noise reduction performance of the AFRC over time or the acoustic longevity of the pavement. For the Site 1 and 3 data, the noise reduction has dropped by about 2 dB on average over the four years since the overlay was installed while the Site 2 levels have shown less than a 1 dB reduction. The results of the Site 3 measurements were compared to the results calculated from the FWHA Traffic Noise Model (TNM) using TNM Average Pavement. Through 2007, the measured noise levels at the tire/pavement interface have been 4 dB or more lower than the TNM predictions for the 50 ft and 100 ft distant microphone locations except for the 50 ft position (only) at one of the Site 3 locations. KW - Asphalt rubber KW - Freeways KW - Phoenix (Arizona) KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Quiet Pavement Pilot Program KW - Quiet pavements KW - Rolling contact KW - Tire/pavement noise UR - http://apps.azdot.gov/ADOTLibrary/publications/project_reports/PDF/AZ577.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46100/46116/AZ577.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1215673 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449518 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 - Intelligent Pavement for Traffic Flow Detection - Phase I PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 27p AB - This project explored a new approach in detecting vehicles on a roadway by making a roadway section itself a traffic flow detector. Sections of a given roadway are paved with carbon-nanotube (CNT)/cement composites; the piezoresitive property of carbon nanotubes enables the composite to detect the traffic flow. Meanwhile, CNTs can also work as the reinforcement elements to improve the strength and toughness of the concrete pavement. In contrast to current traffic flow detection technologies that require separate devices to be installed either in the pavement or over the road, the proposed sensing approach enables the pavement itself to detect traffic flow parameters. Therefore, the proposed sensor is expected to have a long service life with little maintenance and wide-area detection capability. KW - Composite pavements KW - Nanotubes KW - Piezoresistivity KW - Resistivity method KW - Sensors KW - Vehicle detectors UR - http://www.its.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/pdfdownload.pl?id=2150 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1217087 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449496 AU - Lownes, Nicholas AU - Jackson, Eric AU - Bertolaccini, Kelly AU - Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering AU - Connecticut Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Benchmarking Connecticut’s Transportation Infrastructure Capital Program with Other States PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 81p AB - This study was conducted to benchmark Connecticut’s performance in capital programming against other state Departments of Transportation (DOTs), identify ways to improve the performance and efficiency of the capital programming process and create a tool, a “Transportation Investment Dashboard,” to communicate the performance of Connecticut’s capital program to the state’s transportation leadership. Current data suggest that Connecticut’s capital program may be more reliant on federal sources than the selected benchmark and best practice states reviewed in this study. This finding may indicate that expanded state investment and/or alternative sources of revenue will be needed to keep pace with the state’s capital investment needs. Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) is currently involved in many initiatives that are intended to improve the efficiency of the state’s capital programming process and linkage to long-term transportation goals. These initiatives should be continued and progress should be tracked in a transportation investment dashboard using relevant financial data and performance measures. These performance measures should also be used in formalizing the linkage between long-term planning and capital programming, and to ensure that resources are adequate to meet future travel demand. KW - Benchmarks KW - Best practices KW - Capital expenditures KW - Capital investments KW - Connecticut KW - Connecticut Department of Transportation KW - Financing KW - Infrastructure KW - Long range planning KW - Performance measurement KW - Programming (Planning) KW - State departments of transportation KW - Transportation planning UR - http://www.ctcase.org/reports/capital_infrastructure_2012.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1217013 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449495 AU - Roma, Peter G AU - Hursh, Steven R AU - Mead, Andrew M AU - Nesthus, Thomas E AU - Institutes for Behavior Resources AU - Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Analysis of Commute Times and Neurobehavioral Performance Capacity in Aviation Cabin Crew PY - 2012/09 SP - 18p AB - Fatigue-induced impairments in neurobehavioral performance capacity may compromise safety in 24-hr operational environments, and a potential contributing factor of special interest in commercial aviation is the influence of commute times prior to reporting for duty. However, no systematic field data exist regarding actual commute times in commercial aviation or the relationship between commute times and objective neurobehavioral performance capacity. To address these issues, the present study analyzed data from 807 one-way commute episodes and corresponding performances on standardized 5-min Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) sessions by 160 active cabin crew from the 2009-2010 US Civil Aerospace Medical Institute-sponsored Flight Attendant Field Study (Roma et al., 2010). All eligible pre-work commute events were categorized as commutes originating from home at the start of a work trip (“Home,” n=444) or commutes while away on a work trip (“Trip,” n=363). Commute times from home were more widely distributed and positively skewed than commute times during a trip, and a univariate Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) controlling for reserve status, gender, and age confirmed that Home commutes were significantly longer than Trip commutes (mean±SEM: 81±3 vs. 31±3 min, p<.001). Next, the authors utilized separate ANCOVAs as above to examine commute times based on Carrier Type (Network, Low-Cost, Regional), Seniority (Senior, Mid, Junior), and Flight Operations (Domestic, International). Crew working for Network carriers had the longest Home and Trip commutes, although this effect was an artifact of Flight Operations, as follow-up analyses of domestic-only crew revealed no differences in commute times. Analysis of Seniority revealed no differences in Home commutes; however, Trip commutes of Mid and Junior level crew (33±2 and 34±2 min, respectively) were significantly longer than those of their Senior colleagues (23±3 min, ps<.01). Crew working International flights had significantly longer Home and Trip commute times versus their counterparts working Domestic operations (Home: 123±9 vs. 73±4 min, Trip: 39±3 vs. 29±1 min, ps<.01). Finally, the authors organized all Commute episodes into ascending categories (Home: <30,30-60,60-90,90-120,>120 min; Trip: <30,30-60,60-90,>90 min) and utilized separate ANCOVAs as above to evaluate the relationships between commute times and mean performances of various PVT metrics. In addition, they assessed the relationship between commute times and mean predicted effectiveness scores rendered by the Sleep, Activity, Fatigue, and Task Effectiveness (SAFTE™) model, which accounted for sleep history and circadian factors based on each participant’s actual sleep/wake/location patterns receding each commute/PVT pairing. Analysis of Home commutes revealed no significant relationships between commute times and PVT reaction times, speed, lapses, false starts, or “effectiveness” (speed as % of individual baseline; F(4,436)s<1.5, ps>.20), although a trend in SAFTE predicted effectiveness (F(4,436)=2.36, p=.052) suggested a potential “recovery” effect of sleep obtained during commutes >120 min. Analysis of Trip commutes revealed no significant relationships between commute times and PVT reaction times, speed, lapses, false starts, effectiveness, or SAFTE predicted effectiveness (F(3,356)s<1.2, ps>.30). The apparent lack of effects on neurobehavioral performance capacity at the start of and during trips reveals the limited value of commute times per se as a significant predictor of fitness for duty. KW - Aviation safety KW - Civil Aerospace Medical Institute KW - Civil aviation KW - Commuting KW - Fatigue (Physiological condition) KW - Fitness for duty KW - Flight attendants KW - Flight crews KW - Psychomotor Vigilance Task KW - Reaction time KW - Sleep UR - http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2010s/media/201214.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1217071 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449131 AU - Kuhn, Beverly T AU - Jasek, Debbie AU - Carson, Jodi AU - Theiss, LuAnn AU - Songchitruksa, Praprut AU - Perkins, Judy AU - Yang, Yonggao AU - Mwakalonge, Judith AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Asset Management Guidebook for Safety and Operations PY - 2012/09//Technical Report SP - 86p AB - A primary product of this research was the "Asset Management Guidebook" that Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) division and district personnel can use to help them define, develop, and implement asset management across all levels—particularly as it relates to establishing performance measures for safety and operations. The guidebook is a stand-alone product and contains easy-to-use, practical guidelines that TxDOT personnel can use to identify the best approach to asset management on three possible levels if feasible and practical: (1) total asset management for large urban areas encompassing multiple counties, (2) asset management of critical functions on a smaller regional scale—such as maintenance of roadside components excluding the pavement, and (3) asset management for specific types of assets—such as pavement markings or light emitting diode (LED) signal indications—that may be based on warranty specifications. The research team also recommends that they present to TxDOT district engineers the results of the project to facilitate the dissemination of this research and present the potential benefits of asset management for safety and operations in the organization and the effective use of all of its resources. KW - Asset management KW - Handbooks KW - Highway operations KW - Highway safety KW - Maintenance management KW - Texas Department of Transportation UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6390-P1.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46100/46130/0-6390-P1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216915 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449081 AU - Anderson, Keith W AU - Uhlmeyer, Jeff S AU - Russell, Mark AU - Kinne, Chuck AU - Weston, Jim AU - Davari, Moe AU - Kromm, Kevin AU - Washington State Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Dowel Bar Evaluation PY - 2012/09//Post-Construction Report SP - 36p AB - Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) dowel bars were installed on one new construction project and two dowel bar retrofit projects to evaluate the performance of this type of dowel bar in comparison to steel dowel bars installed on the same contracts. The primary data collection site (I-82, Yakima River Br. Vic. to Granger) included 67 joints retrofit with GFRP dowels and an equal number of epoxy coated doweled joints that serve as the control section. Falling weight deflectometer (FWD) testing will be used to evaluate the load transfer efficiency (LTE) of the two types of dowel bars. Periodic coring of the concrete at the joints is also planned to examine the condition of the GFRP and epoxy coated dowels. Post-installation FWD testing of the primary data site revealed that the average LTE of the joints retrofit with epoxy coated dowel was higher than the joints retrofit with the GFRP dowels and that the difference was statistically significant. Preinstallation FWD testing showed no difference in the LTE of the joints in the areas where the GFRP and epoxy coated dowels were installed. KW - Dowel bar retrofit KW - Dowel bars KW - Epoxy coatings KW - Falling weight deflectometers KW - Fiber reinforced polymers KW - Glass fibers KW - Load transfer KW - Pavement joints KW - Paving KW - Performance measurement UR - http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/795.1.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46000/46045/795.1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216368 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449080 AU - Lee, Joyoung AU - Strack, Eric AU - Park, Byungkyu AU - University of Virginia, Charlottesville AU - Virginia Transportation Research Council AU - Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center AU - Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Development and Evaluation of Lane-by-Lane Gap-out Based Actuated Traffic Signal Control PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 18p AB - Actuated traffic signal controls at isolated intersections largely benefit from gap-out and phase skip features as they allow unused green times to be re-allocated to those movements that need them. A few studies indicated that lane-by-lane gap-out should be implemented for multi-lane approaches instead of traditional combined single channel gap-out. While the lane-by-lane gap-out is logically better than the combined channel gap-out, no studies have shown the delay benefits under the optimized green splits and gap-out times. This research developed a lane-by-lane gap-out-based actuated signal control optimization method and evaluated its performance using four demand cases covering volume-to-capacity ratios between 0.4 and 1.3. A simulation-based study indicated that the lane-by-lane gap-out outperformed the combined single channel gap-out for all these cases. It was found that over 12% total delay savings were observed for high volume-to-capacity ratio cases. KW - Actuated traffic signal controllers KW - Gap-out (Traffic signal timing) KW - Highway traffic control KW - Optimization KW - Simulation KW - Traffic signal timing KW - Traffic signals UR - http://www.mautc.psu.edu/docs/UVA-2008-02.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46326/UVA-2008-02_Development_and_evaluation_of_lane-by-land_gap-out.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216330 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01448521 AU - Zornberg, J G AU - Ferreira, J A Z AU - Roodi, G H AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Experimental Results on Soil-Geosynthetic Interaction Stiffness PY - 2012/09//Technical Report SP - 231p AB - This report summarizes small pullout test results conducted as a part of Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Project 5-4829 to assess the performance of a newly developed small pullout box as well as the associated K sub SGI model. The parameter K sub SGI quantifies the stiffness of the soil-reinforcement interface under low displacements, which makes it suitable for evaluating the performance of geosynthetic products in base-reinforced pavements. Seven different types of geosynthetics, including six biaxial geogrids and one geotextile, were tested with three different soil types. Results of each test are summarized in two-page laboratory report format. KW - Base course (Pavements) KW - Geosynthetics KW - Pullout tests KW - Reinforcement (Engineering) KW - Soils KW - Stiffness UR - http://www.utexas.edu/research/ctr/pdf_reports/5_4829_01_3.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1215587 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01448520 AU - Fowler, David AU - Whitney, Dave AU - Clement, John Chris AU - Stutts, Zachary AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Test Plan PY - 2012/09 SP - 37p AB - This document contains a summary of the testing to be conducted under Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) project 0-6617. A description is provided for all tests, as well as an explanation of the property that is to be measured by each test. Collection status of aggregates and a short-term general testing timeline is also discussed in this document. This document is provided to fulfill the requirements of Task 4 of the project, and represents P2, a short report to summarize the Test Plan for the project. This document will be incorporated into the final comprehensive report that will be delivered at the end of the project. KW - Aggregate tests KW - Aggregates KW - Coarse aggregates KW - Fine aggregates KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Testing UR - http://www.utexas.edu/research/ctr/pdf_reports/0_6617_p2.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1215596 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01448516 AU - Fowler, David W AU - Whitney, David P AU - Won, Moon AU - Ha, Soojun AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Pavement Repair Guidelines for Longitudinal Joints PY - 2012/09//Technical Report SP - 66p AB - Implementation Project 5-5444-01, “Pilot Implementation of Pavement Repair Guidelines for Longitudinal Cracks and Joints,” applies the lessons and recommendations from the previous Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) funded Center for Transportation Research (CTR) Research Project 0-5444, “Rehabilitation Procedures for Longitudinal Cracks and Joints Separation in Concrete Pavement,” which investigated the causes and repairs of longitudinal joint separations and faulting. KW - Concrete pavements KW - Guidelines KW - Longitudinal joints KW - Repairing UR - http://www.utexas.edu/research/ctr/pdf_reports/5_5444_01_1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1215595 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01447663 AU - Martinsen, Greg AU - Wade, Timothy AU - Balluff, Tricia AU - EcoPlan Associates, Inc. AU - Arizona Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Determination of Section 404 Permit and Habitat Mitigation Requirements PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 78p AB - The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is committed to developing habitat, mitigation, monitoring, and maintenance plans that replace the loss of the functions and values of an area and are self-sustaining, thereby providing long-term compensation for habitat adversely affected by ADOT construction activities. This study focuses on identifying administrative and biological criteria that are important to the success or failure of mitigation and/or restoration projects and developing recommendations from these criteria. Files on ADOT and non-ADOT riparian habitat restoration and mitigation projects were obtained from several sources and were reviewed for project applicability to the study goals. Thirty-four sites were selected for further analysis. In addition, employees from the Corps and ADOT were interviewed to gain a realistic perspective. A review of project files, associated site data sheets, and analysis of the interview results yielded mitigation practices and a variety of administrative and biological problems commonly associated with restoration projects in Arizona. More specifically, the problems are associated with ADOT mitigation projects for which Clean Water Act Section 404 permits are involved. Recommendations based on analysis of these problems, review of applicable peer-reviewed literature, and research team expertise, are offered in this report to aid future ADOT projects and all future restoration projects in Arizona, regardless of the agency or organization undertaking the restoration of riparian areas. KW - Arizona KW - Clean Water Act Section 404 KW - Construction KW - Environmental impacts KW - Habitat (Ecology) KW - Highways KW - Literature reviews KW - Mitigation measures (Ecology) KW - Recommendations KW - Restoration ecology KW - Riparian corridors KW - Section 404 permits UR - http://apps.azdot.gov/ADOTLibrary/publications/project_reports/PDF/AZ589.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46000/46054/AZ589.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1214846 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01446920 AU - Roma, Peter G AU - Hursh, Steven R AU - Mead, Andrew M AU - Nesthus, Thomas E AU - Institutes for Behavior Resources AU - Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Flight Attendant Work/Rest Patterns, Alertness, and Performance Assessment: Field Validation of Biomathematical Fatigue Modeling PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 20p AB - Fatigue-induced impairments in neurobehavioral performance capacity may compromise safety in 24-hr operational environments, and developing reliable and valid methods of identifying work/rest patterns that produce fatigue and undermine performance is important. One approach is the use of biomathematical modeling as a means of predicting, preventing, and mitigating fatigue-induced safety risks. The Sleep, Activity, Fatigue, and Task Effectiveness model (SAFTE; Hursh et al., 2004) is among the more mature fatigue models currently used in military, shift-work, and various transportation operations. The SAFTE model was constructed empirically, integrating classical physiological and circadian processes with task effectiveness predictions based on the scientific literature of standardized laboratory tests. SAFTE has been validated against accident risk in railroad operations; however, as with virtually all fatigue models, the extent to which variations in model predictions correspond to variations in actual performance capacity in the aviation environment is largely unknown. The present report offers a field validation of the SAFTE model using data from a broad sample of 178 aviation cabin crew from the 2009-2010 Federal Aviation Administration Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI)-sponsored Flight Attendant Field Study (Roma et al., 2010). Data were collected daily throughout each individual’s continuous 3 to 4-week study period. Objective sleep/wake patterns were determined via actigraphy. In addition, a personal digital assistant device was used to maintain an activity log documenting work schedules and locations, and neurobehavioral performance capacity was assessed via standardized 5-min Psychomotor Vigilance Tests (PVT) taken before and after each work day and sleep episode. Individual sleep, wake, and work patterns were entered into the Fatigue Avoidance Scheduling Tool (FAST) software for continuous records of Predicted Effectiveness (PVT Speed [1/Reaction Time] expressed as a % of individual optimum baseline). SAFTE-FAST performance predictions were then temporally aligned with the 10,659 valid PVT test sessions from the field study, and performance data from each session were expressed as Actual Effectiveness (same as Predicted Effectiveness), Reaction Time (RT), Speed (1/RT), Lapses (RTs>500 msec), and False Starts (FS; premature responses). Linear regression of mean PVT performances across 5% SAFTE prediction bins revealed significant correlations between SAFTE Predicted Effectiveness and PVT Actual Effectiveness (R²=0.884, p<.001), RT (R²=0.745, p<.01), and Lapses (R²=0.486, p<.05). Identical analyses of the 7,533 valid PVT sessions completed while away on a multi-day work “trip” (i.e., excluding sessions while off-duty at home) revealed significant correlations between SAFTE Predicted Effectiveness and mean PVT Actual Effectiveness (R²=0.889, p<.001), RT (R2=0.819, p<.001), Speed (R²=0.808, p<.001), and Lapses (R²=0.484, p<.05). Finally, separate regression analyses of all valid Pre-Work (n=1,712) and Post-Work (n=1,934) PVT sessions revealed a significant Pre-Work correlation between SAFTE Predicted Effectiveness and mean PVT Actual Effectiveness (R²=0.530, p<.05), and significant Post-Work correlations between SAFTE Predicted Effectiveness and mean PVT Actual Effectiveness (R²=0.600, p<.05), RT (R²=0.887, p<.001), Speed (R²=0.539, p<.05), and Lapses (R²=0.901, p<.001). Despite inherent technical limitations and issues of inter-individual variability, these results clearly support the validity of the SAFTE model for population-level prediction of fatigue-induced impairments in objective neurobehavioral performance capacity in extremely dynamic 24-hr field operations such as commercial aviation. KW - Alertness KW - Aviation safety KW - Fatigue (Physiological condition) KW - Fatigue models KW - Flight attendants KW - Hours of labor KW - Mathematical models KW - Performance measurement KW - Psychomotor Vigilance Task KW - Reaction time KW - Rest periods KW - Sleep UR - http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2010s/media/201212.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1214368 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01446916 AU - Lanicci, John AU - Halperin, Daniel AU - Shappell, Scott AU - Hackworth, Carla AU - Holcomb, Kali AU - Bazargan, Massoud AU - Baron, Jaclyn AU - Iden, Rebecca AU - Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University AU - Clemson University AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - General Aviation Weather Encounter Case Studies PY - 2012/09//Final Report SP - 22p AB - This study presents a compilation of 24 cases involving general aviation (GA) pilots’ weather encounters over the continental United States. The project team interviewed pilots who had experienced a weather encounter, and we examined their backgrounds, flight experience, and weather encounter details. Results from meteorological data analysis for each weather encounter were consistent with findings of larger GA weather accident studies in terms of the types of hazards encountered and flight phase during which the encounters occurred. Investigation of pilot weather products and the sources from which they were obtained revealed a lack of uniformity of pre-flight data sources and underutilization of available en route flight information services. The team used these results to develop a set of pilot weather education and training recommendations intended to reduce the number and severity of weather encounters. KW - Air transportation crashes KW - Aviation safety KW - Case studies KW - Education and training KW - General aviation pilots KW - Information systems KW - Weather KW - Weather conditions UR - http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2010s/media/201211.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45900/45936/201211.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1214369 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01446043 AU - Mattson, Jeremy AU - Ripplinger, David AU - Peterson, Del AU - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - North Dakota State University Student Transit Survey, 2010-2011 PY - 2012/09 SP - 59p AB - The Small Urban & Rural Transit Center (SURTC) conducted surveys of North Dakota State University (NDSU) students during the fall and spring semesters of 2010-2011 regarding travel behavior and experience with Metro Area Transit (MATBUS). An on-vehicle survey of MATBUS riders on two NDSU campus routes was conducted in the winter of 2010, and an online survey of NDSU students was conducted in the spring of 2011. The onboard survey was conducted both by paper and with the use of smartphones. The two surveys captured a significant amount of information regarding student travel behavior, use of transit, and opinions about current MATBUS service. The on-vehicle survey collected responses from 120 individuals, mostly NDSU students, while the online survey of NDSU students received 858 responses, including responses from both transit users and non-users. The survey collected information on student access to vehicles, transportation modes used to travel to campus, factors influencing mode choice, use of transit services, opinions on MATBUS service, thoughts on how to improve service, opinions on marketing efforts and preferred methods of accessing information, interest in wireless Internet access onboard, willingness to pay for transit services, and issues concerning parking. KW - Bus transit KW - Campus parking KW - College students KW - Customer satisfaction KW - Metro Area Transit (MATBUS) KW - Mode choice KW - North Dakota State University KW - On-board surveys KW - Public transit KW - Surveys KW - Travel behavior KW - Web-based surveys UR - http://www.ugpti.org/pubs/pdf/SP175.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1213750 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01478379 AU - Qi, Yi AU - Chen, Xiaoming AU - Yu, Lei AU - Liu, Haixia AU - Liu, Guanqi AU - Li, Da AU - Persad, Khali R AU - Pruner, Kristopher AU - Texas Southern University AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development of Guidelines for Operationally Effective Raised Medians and the Use of Alternative Movements on Urban Roadways PY - 2012/08/31/Project Summary SP - 2p AB - The development of raised medians is an important access management technique commonly used in urban settings. Currently, there are limited official guidelines available for practitioners in design and implementation of raised medians. In addition, alternative movements, such as right turns followed by U-turns as an alternative to direct left turns, are increasingly used in the urban street to reduce conflicts and to improve safety along arterial roads. However, the current available official guidelines do not list all the available tools for practitioners in determining appropriate solutions to some operational and access issues, which makes engineers hesitant to use alternative geometric treatments. The objective of this research project is to develop guidelines for operationally effective raised medians and the use of alternative movements on urban roadways. KW - Access control (Transportation) KW - Geometric design KW - Guidelines KW - Highway operations KW - Medians KW - U turns KW - Urban highways UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/hostedpdfs/txdot/psr/0-6644-s_tsu.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247496 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01478345 AU - Cleveland, Theodore G AU - Strom, Kyle B AU - Barnes, Wade J AU - Texas Tech University, Lubbock AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Hydraulic Performance of Staggered-Barrel Culverts for Stream Crossing PY - 2012/08/31/Project Summary SP - 2p AB - The interaction of sediment transport and drainage structures at highway stream crossings is a relatively ignored component of engineering design. Use of hydraulic structures to accommodate aquatic species is progressing, and this knowledge, at least conceptually, is relevant to the transport of stream-carried solids through hydraulic structures. However, when bed material transport rates are relatively high and comprised of solids too large to travel in suspension, then current drainage structures might not function as intended. Under such conditions, solids may become trapped in and around the structure and lead to untimely service failures. This project attempted to understand how to accommodate such episodic loads of solids material using different culvert geometries—in particular the staggered-barrel configuration. KW - Culverts KW - Drainage structures KW - Geometric configurations and shapes KW - Hydraulic structures KW - Sediments KW - Solids KW - Streams UR - http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/rti/psr/0-6549-s_techmrt.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247495 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01475506 AU - Hsieh, Hsin-Neng AU - Marhaba, Taha AU - New Jersey Institute of Technology AU - New Jersey Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Impacts of EPA 2012 Commercial Pump-Out Regulations PY - 2012/08/31/Final Report SP - 64p AB - The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) issued the Vessel General Permit (VGP) for managing vessel discharges, under the Clean Water Act. As a result, commercial vessels operating in the New York/New Jersey Harbor and at Delaware River will be required to comply, including additional conditions imposed by the state. This will affect maritime commerce in terms of cost and operation to meet the VGP requirements. The objectives of this research are to (1) determine how this rule would affect maritime commerce in New Jersey, (2) perform an analysis of the US EPA standards and the VGP rules and determine their impacts on New Jersey maritime operations, and (3) determine what New Jersey needs to do to be prepared. To carry out the project tasks, information on vessels registered under the VGP Notice of Intent and vessels arrivals were solicited from the US EPA and US Coast Guard, respectively, and analyzed. A stakeholder committee was formed where key and urgent issues were discussed in several meetings. New Jersey ports and onshore storage and treatment facilities were investigated. A cost analysis of alternative methods and facilities for pump-out of the discharge, storage, transport to a treatment facility, and waste treatment was performed. A protocol was developed for the maritime industry for filing VGP compliance and reporting. With the 2008 VGP expiration date approaching, US EPA is proposing new, more stringent numeric technology-based effluent limitations for ballast water in the 2013 VGP. A draft sVGP for small vessels is also issued. Finally, the impact on New Jersey and recommendations to the maritime industry are presented. KW - Ballast (Ships) KW - Clean Water Act KW - Environmental impacts KW - New Jersey KW - Ports KW - Sewage treatment KW - Ships KW - Vessel General Permit KW - Wastewater UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46773/Impacts_of_EPA_2012_commerical_pump-out_regulations.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1245600 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01475432 AU - Gopalakrishna, Deepak AU - Schreffler, Eric AU - Vary, Don AU - Friedenfeld, David AU - Kuhn, Beverly AU - Dusza, Casey AU - Klein, Rachel AU - Rosas, Alexandra AU - Battelle AU - Eric Schreffler, Transportation Consultant AU - Wilbur Smith Associates AU - Texas Transportation Institute AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Integrating Demand Management into the Transportation Planning Process: A Desk Reference PY - 2012/08/31/Technical Report SP - 194p AB - The document has been developed to serve as a desk reference on integrating demand management into the transportation planning process. The desk reference is organized around two fundamental aspects of transportation planning – policy objectives and scope of the planning effort. The report discusses how demand management relates to seven key policy objectives that are often included in transportation plans, such as congestion and air quality. It then discusses how demand management might be integrated into four levels of transportation planning from the state down to the local level. The report also includes information on tools available for evaluating demand management measures and on the known effectiveness of these measures. KW - Air quality KW - Demand KW - Management KW - Manuals KW - Traffic congestion KW - Transportation planning UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop12035/fhwahop12035.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1245662 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472561 AU - Abu-Odeh, Akram AU - Williams, William AU - Ferdous, Rubiat AU - Spencer, Matthew AU - Bligh, Roger AU - Menges, Wanda AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Safety and Integrity of Median Barrier-Mounted Hardware PY - 2012/08/31/Project Summary SP - 2p AB - Concrete median barriers have been used throughout the state as permanent and temporary barriers for providing separation of traffic. Due to space restrictions, a sign or a light pole is placed on top of such barriers. Typically, these barriers are tested and considered crashworthy through crash testing according to the National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 350 or the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Manual for Assessment of Safety Hardware (MASH). However, when signs or light poles are mounted on top of barriers, the crashworthiness of the system is not necessarily guaranteed. In this project, a survey of the practice of mounting hardware on top of barriers was performed. This research developed a design guideline and a standard that could be incorporated into Texas Department of Transportation standards and specifications. KW - Crashworthiness KW - Impact tests KW - Lighting KW - Median barriers KW - Signs KW - Texas UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/hostedPDFs/txdot/psr/6646.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1243675 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01472508 AU - Kraus, Edgar AU - Li, Yingfeng (Eric) AU - Overman, John AU - Quiroga, Cesar AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Best Practices for Utility Investigations in the TxDOT Project Development Process PY - 2012/08/31/Project Summary SP - 2p AB - The lack of adequate information about the location and characteristics of utility facilities can result in a number of problems, including damages to utilities, disruptions to utility services and traffic, lost utility facilities as construction alters the landscape and preexisting benchmarks are removed, and delays to highway projects. This is one of the reasons subsurface utility engineering (SUE) has become a critical tool to help identify and locate utility installations within the right of way. To address this issue, the research team reviewed the state of the practice in utility investigations, and developed best practices for timing and use of utility investigation services in the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) project development process. KW - Best practices KW - Project management KW - Public utilities KW - Right of way (Land) KW - State of the practice KW - Subsurface Utility Engineering KW - Texas Department of Transportation KW - Underground utility lines UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/hostedPDFs/txdot/psr/6631.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1243415 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470773 AU - Bayrak, Oguzhan AU - Garber, David AU - Gallardo, José AU - Deschenes, Dean AU - Dunkman, David AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Effects of New Prestress Loss Predictions on TxDOT Bridges PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - In 2008, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) initiated Project 0-6374 to investigate prestress losses in pretensioned concrete girders. The prestress loss estimates in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) Bridge Design Specifications had been recalibrated in 2005 to be more accurate for “high-strength [conventional] concrete.” Greater accuracy implies less conservatism, the result of which may be flexural cracking of beams under service loads. Project 0-6374 was therefore funded to provide an experimental evaluation and an engineering recommendation of whether implementation of the new prestress loss estimates (currently outlined in AASHTO LRFD 2012) is appropriate for TxDOT. The primary objectives of TxDOT Project 0-6374 were to: Assess the conservatism and accuracy of the current prestress loss provisions. Identify the benefits and weaknesses of using the AASHTO LRFD 2004 and 2012 prestress loss provisions. Make recommendations to simplify the prestress loss provisions of AASHTO LRFD 2012. KW - AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications KW - Bridge design KW - Girders KW - High strength concrete KW - Prestress losses KW - Prestressed concrete KW - Prestressed concrete bridges KW - Texas UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238242 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470772 AU - Waller, S Travis AU - Duthie, Jennifer C AU - Nezamuddin, N AU - Juri, Natalia Ruiz AU - Rambha, Tarun AU - Melson, Chris AU - Pool, C Matt AU - Boyles, Stephen AU - Kumar, Roshan AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Investigating Regional Dynamic Traffic Assignment Modeling for Improved Bottleneck Analysis PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) made geometric changes to the MoPac Expressway near the downtown Austin area in September 2010 to alleviate the existing bottleneck and improve travel conditions for downtown commuters during peak periods... The research team performed a bottleneck analysis using dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) to evaluate the impact of the geometric reconfigurations on travel conditions downtown and its secondary impact on network-wide travel patterns in the area surrounding the bottleneck site. KW - Austin (Texas) KW - Bottlenecks KW - Dynamic traffic assignment KW - Geometric configurations and shapes KW - Impact KW - Traffic flow KW - Travel patterns UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238060 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470771 AU - Qian, Qin AU - Liu, Xinyu AU - Charbeneau, Randall AU - Barrett, Michael AU - Lamar University AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Hydraulic Performance of Rectangular Deck Drains PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Bridge Division has developed a new type of rectangular, scupper deck drain with two different sizes, 4" × 8" and 6" × 8". It allows runoff to drain via free fall without a pipe system. The new drain is designed to fit between the deck reinforcement and not interfere with the structural connection of the rail to the deck; therefore, it is less susceptible to clogging and requires less maintenance. However, no equation is available to accurately predict its hydraulic performance. Therefore, equations developed by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Hydraulic Engineering Circle 22 (HEC 22) for slotted drains were adapted to model its hydraulic performance. KW - Bridge decks KW - Drainage KW - Drains KW - Flow KW - Free fall KW - Hydraulics KW - Rectangles KW - Texas UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238059 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470770 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 of Cost-Effectiveness of Extradosed Bridges PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - An extradosed bridge is a bridge type that combines a prestressed girder bridge with cable-stayed bridge design concepts. Since the concept of the bridge is still relatively new, there is no clear definition and design document or guideline for extradosed bridges. Also, due to the unique characteristics of an extradosed bridge, it is likely to initially cost more than a conventional girder bridge but be less expensive than a cable-stayed bridge. A synthesis study examining general configurations and the overall cost-effectiveness of choosing an extradosed bridge is therefore needed. This study summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of using extradosed bridges, and methods for cost-effectiveness analysis and bridge selection procedures through a comprehensive literature review. The synthesis study also summarizes best practices and existing methodologies in determining how and when an extradosed bridge is cost-effective. KW - Best practices KW - Bridge design KW - Cable stayed bridges KW - Case studies KW - Cost effectiveness KW - Extradosed bridges KW - Girder bridges KW - Literature reviews UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238243 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470763 AU - Hawkins, H Gene AU - Zhou, Tracy AU - Miles, Jeff AU - Texas A&M University, College Station AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Guidelines for Continuous and Safety Roadway Lighting PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - Roadway lighting is provided on selected highways to improve the visibility and safety of the nighttime driving environment. Roadway lighting is typically installed due to traffic volume warrants or safety criteria. Turning off or reducing the lighting level during late-night periods is known as a lighting curfew. The potential benefits of implementing a lighting curfew include reduced energy consumption and the associated electrical cost for the agency responsible for the lighting plus reduced light pollution and spillover onto adjacent properties. This research project evaluated the potential benefits of turning off roadway lighting on freeways during the late night and/or early morning hours. The researchers, in consultation with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) project advisors, decided to focus on freeways because of the prevalence and the accessibility of traffic volume and crash data to analyze the safety impacts of a lighting curfew. KW - Crash data KW - Curfew KW - Energy conservation KW - Freeways KW - Nighttime crashes KW - Street lighting KW - Texas KW - Traffic volume UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238057 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470760 AU - Folliard, K AU - Kruse, K AU - Jasso, A AU - Ferron, R AU - Juenger, M AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Characterizing Class C Fly Ashes for Alkali Silica Reaction Mitigation Effectiveness PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - Fly ash is a byproduct material produced from coal-combustion power plants and is one of the most commonly used supplementary cementing materials (SCMs) in the world. Prudent use of fly ash as a replacement for portland cement can have several major technical benefits, including reduced heat of hydration, reduced permeability, and improved resistance to alkali-silica reaction (ASR), sulfate attack, and delayed ettringite formation (DEF). After performing a comprehensive evaluation of over 20 fly ashes from throughout Texas, the researchers were able to identify the key parameters that most affect the performance of mortar and concrete containing the fly ashes. Primary focus was placed on the effects of fly ash chemistry and mineralogy on external sulfate attack and alkali-silica reaction. Through these efforts the researchers were able to identify test methods that best predict the durability of a given fly ash when used in concrete. KW - Alkali silica reactions KW - Class C fly ash KW - Classification KW - Concrete KW - Delayed ettringite formation KW - Durability KW - Field studies KW - Fly ash KW - Heat of hydration KW - Laboratory studies KW - Sulfates KW - Texas UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238058 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470559 AU - Mukhopadhyay, Anal K AU - Pitre, Brandon AU - Arambula, Edith AU - Estakhri, Cindy AU - Russell, Andrew AU - Deng, Youjun AU - Texas A&M University, College Station AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Treatments for Clays in Aggregates Used to Produce Cement Concrete, Bituminous Materials, and Chip Seals PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - The clay contamination of coarse and fine aggregates and its effects on pavement performance of portland cement concrete (PCC), hot-mix asphalt (HMA), and chip seals are major concerns for the Texas Department of Transportation. This study: determined what type and concentration of clay mineral will result in poor pavement performance, identified a quick field test method to detect the presence of deleterious clay minerals in the aggregate stockpiles, and suggested remedial techniques to make the clay-contaminated aggregates acceptable for use. KW - Aggregates KW - Bituminous mixtures KW - Chip seals KW - Clay minerals KW - Field tests KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Pavement performance KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Test procedures KW - Texas UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238052 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470557 AU - Kockelman, Kara AU - Boyles, Stephen AU - Fagnant, Daniel AU - Nichols, Brice AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development of a Performance Measurement-Based Methodology to Objectively Compare Operational Improvements with Capacity Additions PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - Preliminary project analysis and comparison are important for agencies in funding considerations and anticipating network impacts. Agencies are presented with multiple approaches to improving network functionality but may not be able to objectively compare solutions in a straightforward or holistic manner. Few or no tools exist for transportation professionals to comprehensively quantify and compare solutions. Tools to anticipate impacts at the preliminary or sketch level of analysis are important for general planning use, to help ensure that projects with the highest merit are pursued. Such pursuits are also increasingly necessary to compete for funding programs like MAP-21’s Projects of Regional and National Significance and past United States Department of Transportation TIGER grants. Such project proposals must consider safety, congestion, emissions, and economic impacts. The Project Evaluation Toolkit (PET) developed under this research project does just that. KW - Decision making KW - Economic impacts KW - Performance measurement KW - Project evaluation KW - Project management KW - Software KW - Texas UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238053 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470556 AU - Zhou, Fujie AU - Hu, Sheng AU - Gautam, Das AU - Scullion, Tom AU - Texas A&M University, College Station AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Performance Evaluation and Mix Design for High RAP Mixtures PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - The use of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) has the potential to conserve energy, protect the environment, and reduce the cost of hot mix asphalt (HMA) paving. However, many states including Texas have upper limits on use of RAP in asphalt mixes due to different concerns: RAP variability, the impact of RAP on engineering properties of mixes and field performance (especially cracking resistance), and the lack of a rational RAP mix design method. To address these concerns, in 2008, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) initiated this research study at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute with objectives to: define variability of processed RAP; develop best practices for RAP processing and stockpile management; identify the impact of RAP on engineering properties of mixes; propose a balanced mix design and performance evaluation system for project-specific service conditions; construct and monitor field test sections with RAP; evaluate approaches for improving cracking resistance of RAP mixes. KW - Asphalt pavements KW - Best practices KW - Cracking KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Mix design KW - Performance tests KW - Reclaimed asphalt pavements KW - Recycled materials KW - Texas UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238047 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470555 AU - Klingner, Richard E AU - Bayrak, Oguzhan AU - Chao, Shih-Ho AU - Jirsa, James O AU - Azimov, Umid AU - Foreman, James AU - Foster, Stephen AU - Karki, Netra AU - Kwon, Ki Yeon AU - Woods, Aaron AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Bridge Deck Reinforcement and PCP Cracking PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - Bridge decks composed of precast, pre-stressed panels (PCPs) overlain by cast-in-place (CIP) are popular in many states of the United States, including Texas. Optimization of top-mat reinforcement and reduction of collinear panel cracking were addressed in this project. KW - Bridge decks KW - Cast in place concrete KW - Cracking KW - Panels KW - Precast concrete KW - Prestressed concrete KW - Reinforcement (Engineering) UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238050 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470554 AU - Mo, Yi-Lung AU - Labib, Emad L AU - Dhonde, Hemant B AU - Howser, Rachel AU - Mo, Y L AU - Hsu, Thomas T C AU - Ayoub, Ashraf AU - University of Houston, Texas AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Shear in High-Strength Concrete Bridge Girders PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - High-strength concrete (HSC) is increasingly being used in highway bridges to enable prestressed concrete (PC) girders of a given size to support larger loads or longer span. Even if it is not specified, it is frequently provided by the contractor to speed concrete strength development. Both shear design provisions in the American Concrete Institute (ACI) Code and the AASHTO Specifications are derived empirically for normal strength concrete (up to 8,000 psi) only. Because of their empirical origins and complicated expressions, it is nearly impossible to extend the current design provisions for application to HSC. This research project is divided into two parts. Part one studies the ultimate shear strength of the new Tx-girders as a function of concrete strength. Part two studies the end zone behavior of different sizes of Tx-girders and effects of tendon slip on web shear capacity. KW - Compressive strength KW - Design standards KW - Girders KW - High strength concrete KW - Highway bridges KW - Prestressed concrete KW - Shear properties KW - Tendons (Materials) KW - Texas UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238049 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470553 AU - Quiroga, Cesar AU - Li, Yingfeng (Eric) AU - Le, Jerry AU - Texas A&M University, College Station AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Improving the Response and Participation by Utility Owners in the Project Development Process PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - Coordination with utility owners during the project development and delivery process involves multiple activities, such as requesting and collecting data about the location and characteristics of existing facilities, identifying and analyzing utility conflicts, coordinating with utility stakeholders for the resolution of those utility conflicts, preparing and executing utility agreements, coordinating and inspecting utility adjustments, and coordinating reimbursements and audits. Effective communication, cooperation, and coordination among utility stakeholders are critical to keep transportation projects on schedule. Unfortunately, these elements are frequently lacking during project development and delivery to allow for the adoption of cost-effective solution strategies. The researchers reviewed strategies used by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and other agencies to engage utility owners, and assembled a list of 64 potential strategies to improve utility owner participation in the project development and delivery process. KW - Communication KW - Construction projects KW - Coordination KW - Development KW - Project management KW - Public utilities KW - Road construction KW - Texas Department of Transportation UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238054 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470552 AU - Kockelman, Kara M AU - Chen, T Donna AU - Nichols, Brice AU - Boske, Leigh AU - Leite, Fernanda AU - Kelly, Maureen AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Economic Considerations in Transportation System Development and Operations PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - While many transportation planners and engineers feel unfamiliar with economic principles, their daily job duties frequently involve economic decisions. While these decision processes may regularly be informal, emerging via engineering judgment or rules of thumb, they are rooted in economic considerations and consequences. The Transportation Economics Reference serves as a comprehensive and concise guidebook for practitioners to appreciate the economic implications of their work and assess such impacts when making transportation investment, policy, and maintenance decisions. In addition to introducing key terms and concepts, the Reference presents a wide variety of evaluation and analysis tools to help transportation professionals address fundamentally complex questions with more confidence, particularly under resource constraints. KW - Decision making KW - Economic factors KW - Economics KW - Guidelines KW - Handbooks KW - Transportation planning UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238055 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470550 AU - Nazarian, Soheil AU - Borrok, David AU - Bronson, Arturo AU - University of Texas, El Paso AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Characterization of Backfill Materials for Prevention of Corrosion MSE Metallic Wall Reinforcement PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - Mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls are economical to construct and have the potential to exhibit good serviceability over long duration. To prevent premature failure of MSE walls, the corrosive potential of backfills has to be evaluated. Even though Item 423, Retaining Walls, provides reasonable means of evaluating the finer backfills, its applicability to coarser backfill materials needed further evaluation. To that end, the geotechnical, geochemical, electrochemical, and metallurgical aspects of the corrosion of MSE metallic earth reinforcements were studied to recommend new guidelines to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). The main objectives of this study were the following items: evaluate current practices within Item 423 for coarse backfills; fully characterize and understand the geochemistry of common coarse backfills; propose geochemical methods for more realistically estimating the corrosion potential of coarse backfills; and study the corrosion rate of typical metallic reinforcement for typical coarse backfill geochemistry and environmental conditions. KW - Backfill soils KW - Corrosion protection KW - Earth walls KW - Geochemistry KW - Mechanically stabilized earth KW - Retaining walls KW - Texas UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238051 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470549 AU - Scullion, Tom AU - Walubita, Lubinda F AU - Das, Gautam AU - Tanvir, Hossain AU - Texas A&M University, College Station AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - New Generation HMA Mix-Design Procedures and Specifications for Texas PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has introduced the Hamburg wheel tracking test into routine hot-mix asphalt (HMA) mix designs in order to minimize the risk of designing mixes with either rutting or stripping problems. This shift has prompted designers to move to stiffer asphalt-binder grades (e.g., PG 70-22S and PG 76-2). In addition, the increasing use of recycled materials has raised concerns that the typical mixes are now drier, more difficult to compact, and more susceptible to premature cracking. This project developed alternative mix-design approaches that will optimize HMA field performance, particularly with respect to cracking. KW - Asphalt pavements KW - Cracking KW - Dense graded aggregates KW - Hamburg Wheel Tracking Device KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Mix design KW - Pavement performance KW - Recycled materials KW - Texas UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238048 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470488 AU - Martin, Amy Epps AU - Arambula, Edith AU - Estakhri, Cindy AU - Prozzi, Jorge AU - Smit, Andre AU - Trevino, Manuel AU - Texas A&M University, College Station AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Performance of Permeable Friction Course (PFC) Pavements over Time PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - Recent Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Projects 0-5262, 0-5185, and 0-4834 addressed important design, construction, and maintenance issues associated with permeable friction courses (PFCs) that have been increasingly utilized by TxDOT as a surface pavement layer based on safety and environmental benefits. These benefits, that include reduced risk of hydroplaning and splash and spray and improved noise reduction effectiveness as compared to dense-graded hot-mix asphalt (HMA), are derived from high, interconnected air void (AV) contents in PFCs that may contribute to durability issues. To complete the evaluation of PFCs in terms of functionality and safety benefits and durability concerns, performance was tracked over time and compared against that of HMA in this project. KW - Asphalt concrete pavements KW - Durability KW - Friction course KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Pavement design KW - Pavement performance KW - Permeability KW - Surface course (Pavements) KW - Texas UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238046 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470487 AU - Rached, Marc AU - Fowler, David W AU - Whitney, David P AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Recommendations for Achieving Adequate Surface Friction and Predicting Skid Values in Class P Concrete Containing Manufactured Fine Aggregates PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 41p AB - This report summarizes findings and recommendations regarding the usage of manufactured fine aggregates in portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP). The supporting research included both field and laboratory testing of aggregates and concrete properties that relate to skid resistance. Results show good correlation between friction values obtained using a Dynamic Friction Tester (DFT) and the micro-Deval test for fine aggregates (ASTM D7428). After comparing skid trailer values with Circular Track Meter (CTM) and DFT values, a correlation between the skid trailer and the DFT was established. Recommendations on how to blend carbonate sands with low acid insoluble residues to achieve good friction are presented in chapter 1 of this document. In chapter 2, a model for estimating skid numbers on concrete pavements with a mortar surface finish is presented. KW - Acid insoluble residue KW - Concrete pavements KW - Dynamic friction tester KW - Field tests KW - Fine aggregates KW - Friction KW - Laboratory tests KW - Micro-Deval Abrasion Test KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Skid resistance tests UR - http://www.utexas.edu/research/ctr/pdf_reports/0_6255_p4.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238017 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458076 AU - Machemehl, Randy B AU - Wang, Li AU - Kolahdoozan, Sami AU - Seedah, Dan AU - Leite, Fernanda AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - State of the Practice for Workers in Very Short Duration Work Zone Operations PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - The safety of workers and motorists is a major concern, and the Federal Highway Administration recognizes this challenge and makes provisions for work zone safety in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Setting up sufficient traffic control devices without severely interrupting traffic and sacrificing safety is a challenging task for traffic engineers, researchers, and maintenance workers. According to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), work duration is a major factor in determining the number and types of devices used in temporary traffic control (TTC) zones. Previous studies observed that workers are reluctant to utilize extensive traffic control for activities that only take a few minutes to complete. In addition, the setup and removal of traffic control devices increase the workers’ exposure to traffic, and adequate safety is therefore a concern for both workers and motorists. KW - Highway maintenance KW - Occupational safety KW - Risk management KW - State of the practice KW - Texas KW - Time duration KW - Work zone safety KW - Work zones UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/digitized/products/0-6640-P2/6640-P2.zip UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/hostedPDFs/txdot/psr/6640.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46800/46895/6640-EducationalModule.pptx UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225792 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458073 AU - Bhasin, Amit AU - Arega, Zelalem AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Developing a Fundamental Understanding of the Chemistry of Warm Mix Additives PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - Several independent research studies have made broad comparisons between the engineering properties and performance of warm mix asphalt (WMA) mixtures to conventional hot mix asphalt (HMA) mixtures. However, there has been very little work that investigates the effect of WMA additives on the performance-related properties of the asphalt binder or on the long-term impact of using such additives in asphalt binders and mixtures. In addition, there is a need for work to be performed to evaluate the effectiveness of using recycled materials in conjunction with the WMA technology. The overall goal of this study was to bridge the aforementioned knowledge gaps. KW - Asphalt additives KW - Bituminous binders KW - Performance tests KW - Reclaimed asphalt pavements KW - Texas KW - Warm mix paving mixtures UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/hostedPDFs/txdot/psr/6591.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225691 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458072 AU - Lawson, William D AU - Senadheera, Sanjaya AU - Texas Tech University, Lubbock AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Implementing the Ultra-High Pressure Water Cutter for Roadway Maintenance Applications PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - This study was conducted to implement ultra-high pressure (UHP) water cutting as a Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintenance strategy to rectify flushed pavements surfaced with either a seal coat or surface treatment. The UHP technique is useful for other pavement maintenance applications as well, such as treatment in advance of seal coating operations, removal of pavement markings, thermoplastic striping removal, cleanup of residue from spills, and cleaning of porous friction course asphalt pavements. This research was aimed at conducting a systematic evaluation of the UHP water cutting process for Texas roads, and it represents the first large-scale application of UHP water cutting for treatment of flushed seal coats in the United States. KW - Bleeding (Pavements) KW - Cleaning KW - Cutting tools KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Seal coats KW - Texas KW - Water pressure UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/hostedPDFs/txdot/psr/5-5230.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225694 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458065 AU - Weissmann, Jose AU - Weissmann, Angela Jannini AU - Kunisetty, Jaya Lakshmi AU - Warner, Jeffery AU - Protopapas, Annie AU - Park, Eun Sug AU - Venglar, Steven AU - Sunkari, Srinivasa AU - University of Texas, San Antonio AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Developing Warrants for Active Warning Devices at Low-Volume Highway-Rail Grade Crossings PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - In order to utilize funds from the Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety Program, Section 130 of Title 23 United States Code (U.S.C.), states must prioritize public highway-rail crossings for improvements. With nearly 10,000 open public crossings in Texas to prioritize for Section 130 funds, an automated ranking procedure capable of generating a useful priority list can be instrumental for efficient fund allocation. Findings from this research were used develop the following products: warrants to identify crossings that may benefit from upgrades; revised Texas Priority Index (TPIrev); the Texas Passive Crossings Index (TPCI); and an integrated prioritization methodology. KW - Financing KW - Grade crossing protection systems KW - Low volume roads KW - Passive crossings KW - Railroad grade crossings KW - Strategic planning KW - Texas KW - Warning systems UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/hostedPDFs/txdot/psr/6642.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225692 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458062 AU - Lee, Soon-Jae AU - Humphries, Steven Cade AU - Broughton, Benjamin AU - Humphries, Evan AU - Texas State University, San Marcos AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Costs Associated with Conversion of Surfaced Roads to Unsurfaced Roads PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - Conversion of roadways from a surfaced type to an unsurfaced type in order to achieve agency cost savings is currently being studied and practiced in select regions in other states. Conversion from surfaced to unsurfaced may be a more economical option for low-volume roads. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) manages tens of thousands of miles of low-volume roads, and wishes to know if conversion of those roadways could save significant money in maintenance over time. KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Gravel roads KW - Low volume roads KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Texas KW - Unpaved roads UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/hostedPDFs/txdot/psr/6677.pdf UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6677-P1.zip UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225690 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458057 AU - Lawson, William AU - Wood, Timothy AU - Texas Tech University, Lubbock AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Pullout Resistance of Mechanically Stabilized Earth Reinforcements in Backfills Typically Used in Texas PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - Current design practice for evaluating the internal stability of Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) wall systems relies on equations published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) to determine the pullout resistance factors for earth reinforcements. However, these equations were developed based on data collected from testing performed many decades ago on reinforcement-backfill combinations that are not representative of materials used in TxDOT wall construction today. Since pullout often governs the internal stability of wall systems that utilize metallic reinforcements, it is important to determine pullout resistance factors for the specific reinforcement-backfill combinations used in Texas. A second important reinforcement pullout resistance question involves the use of alternative reinforcement layouts to resolve conflicts that arise in the field in relation to obstructions located within the reinforced fill. Such alternative reinforcement layouts have the potential to impact the internal stability of the wall system. TxDOT initiated this three-year research study with the primary objective of addressing these questions. KW - Backfill soils KW - Earth walls KW - Mechanically stabilized earth KW - Pull out test KW - Stability analysis KW - Stabilized materials KW - Texas UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/hostedPDFs/txdot/psr/6493.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225791 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458056 AU - Zhang, Zhanmin AU - Murphy, Mike AU - O'Connor, James AU - Bhat, Chandra AU - Yildirim, Yetkin AU - Liu, Jin AU - Liu, Wenxing AU - Gonzalez, Epigmenio AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Optimizing Resource Allocations for Highway Routine Maintenance PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is responsible for maintaining more than 190,000 lane miles of highways. TxDOT is not only obligated to preserve the pavements in good condition, but it must also maintain the roadside and all roadway fixtures in a functional and acceptable condition. To add to this already difficult task, the agency has experienced funding fluctuations that can disrupt the timing of scheduled maintenance work, resulting in unstable highway conditions. TxDOT requested the researchers develop a methodology to minimize the impact of routine maintenance budget fluctuations on highway conditions. KW - Budgeting KW - Decision support systems KW - Financing KW - Highway maintenance KW - Maintenance management KW - Resource allocation KW - Strategic planning KW - Texas UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/hostedPDFs/txdot/psr/6623.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225790 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458049 AU - Scullion, Tom AU - Walubita, Lubinda F AU - Faruk, Abu AU - Hoeffner, Jacob AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - The Overlay Tester (OT): Sensitivity Evaluation and Comparison to Other Crack Test Methods PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - Currently, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) uses the overlay tester (OT) to routinely evaluate the cracking susceptibility of hot mix asphalt (HMA) mixes in the laboratory. While the OT shows good correlations with field performance data, repeatability and variability in the test results have been major areas of concern. This is particularly true for most conventional Texas dense-graded mixes such as Type C and D mixes that constitute approximately 75% of all HMA produced for TxDOT. A laboratory test to routinely characterize the HMA cracking susceptibility is thus needed for all the Texas mix types.This study set out to address the OT variability issues and explore new supplementary and/or surrogate crack tests. KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Asphalt mixtures KW - Cracking KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Laboratory tests KW - Materials tests KW - Overlays (Pavements) KW - Test procedures KW - Texas UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/hostedPDFs/txdot/psr/6607.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225695 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458045 AU - Li, Ming-Han AU - Chu, Kung-Hui AU - McFalls, Jett AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Bioretention for Highway Stormwater Quality Improvement in Texas PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - Bioretention is a technique that utilizes soil, sand, organic matter, and vegetation-based storage and infiltration facilities for treating runoff from paved surfaces such as parking lots, streets, and highways. To date, most bioretention results have been created by experiments conducted in different regions where climates and plants are very different from Texas. Moreover, few studies were conducted on highway environments. This project investigated the applicability and identified benefits and drawbacks of bioretention best management practices (BMPs) in Texas, specifically for highway-related applications. Large-scale and field experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance in hydraulic and water quality improvement. KW - Best practices KW - Bioremediation KW - Bioretention KW - Detention basins KW - Drainage KW - Highways KW - Runoff KW - Texas KW - Water quality management UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/hostedPDFs/txdot/psr/5949.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225687 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458044 AU - Theiss, LuAnn AU - Bligh, Roger AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Compare Trailer-Mounted Attenuators vs. Truck-Mounted Attenuators Protection for Workers PY - 2012/08/31 SP - 2p AB - Although many truck-mounted and trailer-mounted attenuators have been accepted for use on the National Highway System, their required testing focused primarily on their structural adequacy, occupant risk for the impacting vehicle, and post-impact vehicular response. For workers that may be located near the attenuators when an impact occurs, the level of protection provided has not been compared. The purpose of this research was to compare truck-mounted and trailer-mounted attenuators in terms of worker safety. KW - Crash cushions KW - Impact tests KW - Occupational safety KW - Texas KW - Trailers KW - Truck mounted attenuators KW - Work zone safety UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/hostedPDFs/txdot/psr/6707.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225688 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01457378 AU - Gong, Hongmian AU - Chen, Cynthia AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Hunter College of the City University of New York AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Automating Web Collection and Validation of GPS Data for Longitudinal Urban Travel Studies PY - 2012/08/31/Final Report SP - 23p AB - Traditional paper and phone travel surveys are expensive, time consuming, and have problems of missing trips, illogical trip sequences, and imprecise travel time. Global Positioning Systems (GPS)-based travel surveys can avoid many of these problems and are becoming increasingly popular in major cities worldwide. However, methodologies have not been developed to catch up with the enormous amount of data generated by the GPS. This project established a Web-based geographic information systems (GIS) prototype to speculate travel modes and trip purposes from GPS data and to validate the results from the survey participants. The prototype has the functions to collect GPS data from participants through the Web, run algorithms to speculate travel modes and trip purposes from the GPS data and other transportation and land use data, send back the results to participants for verification or modification, and finally update the data. While reducing the burdens on participants by using GPS, this Web-based GIS prototype has the potential to provide accurate and validated travel information for transportation modeling and planning. KW - Geographic information systems KW - Global Positioning System KW - Longitudinal studies KW - Methodology KW - Mode choice KW - Travel surveys KW - Trip purpose KW - Urban travel KW - Web applications UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/pubs/FinalReportGPSData.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46340/FinalReportGPSData.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225456 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01448513 AU - Kampmann, Raphael AU - Roddenberry, Michelle AU - Ping, Wei-Chou Virgil AU - FAMU-FSU College of Engineering AU - Florida Department of Transportation AU - Department of Transportation TI - Development of a Failure Theory for Concrete PY - 2012/08/31/Final Report SP - 178p AB - The failure behavior of concrete materials is not completely understood because conventional test methods fail to assess the material response independent of the sample size and shape. To study the influence of strength affecting test conditions, four typical concrete sample types were experimentally evaluated in uniaxial compression and analyzed for strength, crack initiation/propagation, and fracture patterns under varying boundary conditions. Both low friction and conventional compression interfaces were assessed. High-speed video technology was used to monitor macrocracking. Inferential data analysis proved reliably lower strength results for reduced surface friction at the compression interfaces, regardless of sample shape. Reciprocal comparisons revealed statistically significant strength differences between most sample shapes. Crack initiation and propagation was found to differ for dissimilar compression interfaces. The principal stress and strain distributions were analyzed, and the strain domain was found to resemble the experimental results, whereas the stress analysis failed to explain failure for reduced end confinement. Neither stresses nor strains indicated strength reductions due to reduced friction, and therefore, buckling was considered. The high-speed video analysis revealed buckling phenomena, regardless of end confinement. Slender elements were the result of low friction, and stocky fragments developed under conventional confinement. The critical buckling load increased accordingly. The research showed that current test methods do not reflect the ``true'' compressive strength and that concrete failure is strain driven. Ultimate collapse results from buckling preceded by unstable cracking. KW - Buckling KW - Compressive strength KW - Concrete KW - Cracking KW - Failure analysis KW - Laboratory tests KW - Strain (Mechanics) KW - Stresses KW - Video UR - http://www.fdot.gov/research/Completed_Proj/Summary_STR/FDOT_BDK83_977-02_rpt.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45900/45910/FDOT_BDK83_977-02_rpt.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1214978 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01587685 AU - Dong, Jing AU - Davidson, Diane AU - Southworth, Frank AU - Reuscher, Tim AU - Oak Ridge National Laboratory AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Analysis of Automobile Travel Demand Elasticities With Respect To Travel Cost PY - 2012/08/30 SP - 64p AB - This report summarizes the auto travel demand elasticities with respect to different cost variables. The dependent variable of interest is vehicle miles of travel (VMT) of personally owned vehicles by U.S. households. Trip frequency, in terms of the number of trips made per day, is also considered as a dependent variable, though it requires a conversion (i.e., a trip length assumption) to put trip frequency into VMT terms. A relationship between household-level VMT and a set of explanatory variables is established using the direct demand approach. In particular, a log-log regression model is formulated and calibrated using the 2009 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) dataset, supplemented with the national transit database and other data sources. Household-level travel demand elasticities with regards to fuel cost, maintenance cost, transit services, income and other socioeconomic characteristics are derived from the VMT regression model. A Poisson regression model is used to describe the relationship between trip frequency and various travel cost variables. In addition, to examine the effect of travel time and cost on the mode choice between flying and driving a personal vehicle, the long distance passenger travel mode choice is represented by a discrete choice model. Using a subset of 2001 NHTS long trip samples, a binary logit choice model is developed and calibrated, which includes access distance, travel time, cost, income, and travel party size as explanatory variables. Aggregate elasticities of long distance trips by personal vehicles are derived from the discrete choice model. KW - Analysis KW - Automobile travel KW - Choice models KW - Elasticity (Economics) KW - Households KW - Mode choice KW - National Household Travel Survey KW - Regression analysis KW - Travel costs KW - Travel demand KW - Travel time KW - United States KW - Vehicle miles of travel UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/pubs/hpl-15-014/TCElasticities.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1378463 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470999 AU - Finley, Melisa AU - Ullman, Gerald AU - Miles, Jeff AU - Pratt, Mike AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Assessment of the Impact of Nighttime Work Zone Lighting on Motorists PY - 2012/08/30 SP - 2p AB - Work zone lighting affects motorist and worker safety, quality of work, productivity, and worker morale. Currently, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) specifications only require that contractors provide “adequate lighting during nighttime work activities to ensure the quality of work and that inspection can occur.” Details as to what constitutes “adequate” are not currently defined. This project assessed the impact of work zone lighting on motorists and developed work zone lighting guidelines for nighttime operations, considering both worker and motorist needs. KW - Field studies KW - Glare KW - Guidelines KW - Highway safety KW - Lighting KW - Night KW - Night shifts KW - Night visibility KW - Texas KW - Work zone safety KW - Work zones UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/hostedPDFs/txdot/psr/6641.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238895 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470764 AU - Benz, Robert AU - Kuchangi, Shamanth AU - Nelson, Alicia AU - Voigt, Anthon AU - Stevens, Roma AU - Wikander, John AU - Theiss, LuAnn AU - Texas A&M University, College Station AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Guidelines for the Effective Use of Flexible Pylons for Congestion Mitigation, Access Management, and Safety Improvement PY - 2012/08/30 SP - 2p AB - Over the past decade, flexible pylons have been increasingly used on Texas roadways for the purposes of lane delineation and separation. Pylons are used for lane separation, delineation of median curbs, and access management on arterials, among other applications. If pylons are hit by a vehicle, an unsafe condition for motorists could result as debris from broken pylons and/or curbs leave exposed nails or broken curbs. The use of pylons can result in increased long-term maintenance costs for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and other agencies, even though the initial deployment costs are typically much less than traditional concrete median barriers. While some standards exist to test durability of pylons, this project aimed to provide guidelines for implementation of pylons. KW - Access control (Transportation) KW - Highway delineators KW - Implementation KW - Maintenance KW - Pylons KW - Texas KW - Traffic control devices KW - Traffic mitigation UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238056 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01473867 AU - Honeywell Aerospace AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Test Report: Alternative Fuels Propulsion Durability Evaluation PY - 2012/08/28/Final Report SP - 152p AB - This document reports on the testing of alternative fuel blends on aviation engine durability. Specifically, synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) fuels made from hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) in a blend with petroleum-derived Jet A fuel were tested in an HTF7000 turbofan propulsion engine. Impacts on combustion and fuel system components were measured and the blend did not appear to negatively effect durability. KW - Alternate fuels KW - Aviation fuels KW - Combustion KW - Durability KW - Fuel mixtures KW - Fuel system components KW - Jet engine fuels KW - Jet engines KW - Propulsion UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46600/46646/Alternative_Fuels_Propulsion_Durability.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1239009 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01530965 AU - Katz, Bryan AU - O'Donnell, Cara AU - Donoughe, Kelly AU - Atkinson, Jennifer AU - Finley, Melisa AU - Balke, Kevin AU - Kuhn, Beverly AU - Warren, Davey AU - Science Applications International Corporation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Guidelines for the Use of Variable Speed Limit Systems in Wet Weather PY - 2012/08/24 SP - 40p AB - This report provides guidance on the use of variable speed limit (VSL) systems in wet weather at locations where the operating speed exceeds the design speed and the stopping distance exceeds the available sight distance. The use of VSLs during inclement weather or other less than ideal conditions can improve safety by decreasing the risks associated with traveling at speeds that are higher than appropriate for the conditions. By using VSLs, agencies can take into account traffic volume, operating speeds, weather information, sight distance, and roadway surface condition when posting speed limits. This report provides guidelines for the design, installation, operation, maintenance, and enforcement of wet weather VSL systems. The guidelines presented in this report are intended for a broad range of audiences, from the transportation policy professionals who are considering whether or not their agency should use VSL systems to the engineers who are actually designing VSL systems for their jurisdictions. The information within this guidebook should be useful to anyone considering the implementation or development of a VSL system. This document also provides examples of the challenges, obstacles and issues that organizations have encountered when implementing VSL systems so that future implementers can develop practices that will increase their likelihood of success. KW - Case studies KW - Guidelines KW - Installation KW - Maintenance KW - Stopping distances KW - Traffic law enforcement KW - Variable speed limits KW - Wet weather UR - http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/speedmgt/ref_mats/fhwasa12022/fhwasa12022.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1315572 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01455279 AU - Schrum, Kevin D AU - Lechtenberg, Karla A AU - Stolle, Cody S AU - Faller, Ronald K AU - Sicking, Dean L AU - University of Nebraska, Lincoln AU - Nebraska Department of Roads AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Cost-Effective Safety Treatments for Low-Volume Roads PY - 2012/08/24/Final Report SP - 228p AB - The majority of roadside safety guidance pertains to high-volume roads. Very little guidance exists to assist engineers in treating common obstacles found alongside low-volume roads. In general, it is assumed that low traffic volumes can effectively mitigate the risks associated with vehicle impacts into fixed objects and other geometric features to a point where they do not significantly increase the accident costs relative to high-volume roads. However, a single crash on a low-volume road may result in a fatality or a severe injury, effectively making low-volume roads competitive in severity scale with high-volume roads. As a result, the possibility of a fatal or severe injury crash needs to be mitigated on low-volume roads. Common roadside features were observed in a field study and included culverts, trees, slopes, ditches, and bridges. A probability-based encroachment tool, known as the Roadside Safety Analysis Program (RSAP), was used to determine impact frequencies and severities for each feature. Treatment options, like removing the fixed object or installing W-beam guardrail, were considered for each feature. Finally, acceptable ranges in traffic volume were recommended for each safety treatment option. In these recommendations, the “do nothing” option was often considered to be the most cost-effective safety treatment for the existing configuration. However, this was not always the case. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Cost effectiveness KW - Countermeasures KW - Crash severity KW - Highway factors in crashes KW - Highway safety KW - Low volume roads UR - http://ne-ltap.unl.edu/Documents/NDOR/cost_effective_safety_treatments.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46900/46948/Cost-Effective_Safety_Treatments_for_Low-Volume_Roads.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223708 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01481626 AU - Medina, Juan C AU - Benekohal, Rahim F AU - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - NEXTRANS AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Agent-based Traffic Management and Reinforcement Learning in Congested Intersection Network PY - 2012/08/23/Final Report SP - 152p AB - This study evaluates the performance of traffic control systems based on reinforcement learning (RL), also called approximate dynamic programming (ADP). Two algorithms have been selected for testing: 1) Q-learning and 2) approximate dynamic programming (ADP) with a post-decision state variable. The algorithms were tested in increasingly complex scenarios, from an oversaturated isolated intersection, to an arterial in undersaturated conditions, to a 2x5 network in both undersaturation and oversaturation, and finally to a 4x5 network in oversaturation with even and uneven directional demands. Potential benefits of these algorithms include signal systems that not only quickly respond to the actual conditions found in the field, but also learn about them and truly adapt through flexible cycle-free strategies. Moreover, these signal systems are decentralized, providing greater scalability and lower vulnerability at the network level. Results showed that agents with RL algorithms (ADP and Q-learning) were able to manage the traffic signals efficiently in both undersaturation and oversaturation. KW - Algorithms KW - Dynamic programming KW - Learning (Artificial intelligence) KW - Oversaturation (Traffic flow) KW - Signalized intersections KW - Traffic congestion KW - Traffic signal control systems KW - Undersaturated conditions (Traffic) UR - http://www.purdue.edu/discoverypark/nextrans/assets/pdfs/Final%20Report%20072IY03.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1250502 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454021 AU - Department of Transportation AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - FAA Has Not Effectively Implemented Its Wildlife Hazard Mitigation Program PY - 2012/08/22 SP - 30p AB - In January 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of Canada geese shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport, forcing the flight crew to land the airplane in the Hudson River. More recently, on April 19, 2012, Air Force Two, with the Vice President on board, sustained a wildlife strike while approaching Santa Barbara Municipal Airport when birds hit the right side of the aircraft. The Vice President’s aircraft touched down safely, and all passengers were unharmed. However, in the immediate aftermath of both incidents, the risk of wildlife hazards at or near airports received increased attention, as did the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Wildlife Hazard Mitigation Program, which seeks to reduce the risk of wildlife hazards to aviation and serves an important role in FAA’s overall safety mission. Wildlife strikes are not new threats to aviation safety. In the past 2 decades, wildlife strikes have steadily and dramatically increased, from 1,770 reported in 1990 to 9,840 reported in 2011, a five-fold increase. The rise in strikes is due in part to increases in large bird populations. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 13 of the 14 largest bird species have shown significant population increases. These include Canada geese, white and brown pelicans, sandhill cranes, wild turkeys, and bald eagles—all of which could cause catastrophic failure if ingested into an aircraft engine. Wildlife strikes have resulted in at least 24 deaths and 235 injuries in the United States, and since 1988, 229 deaths worldwide. They also have caused nearly 600,000 hours of aircraft downtime and $625 million in damages annually. Given the rise in reported wildlife strikes and their safety implications, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Oiffice of Inspector General (OIG) initiated this audit to assess the effectiveness of FAA’s Wildlife Hazard Mitigation Program (Program). Specifically, OIG assessed FAA’s (1) oversight and enforcement of airports’ adherence to Program requirements; (2) policies and guidance for monitoring, reporting, and mitigating wildlife hazards; and (3) coordination with other Government agencies that have a role in mitigating wildlife hazards. FAA’s oversight and enforcement activities are not sufficient to ensure airports fully adhere to Program requirements or effectively implement their wildlife hazard management plans. FAA has not developed robust inspection practices, and its inspectors do not have the technical expertise to effectively oversee the Program. FAA’s policies and guidance for monitoring, reporting, and mitigating wildlife hazards are mostly voluntary, thereby limiting their effectiveness. While FAA recommends wildlife strike reporting, it does not require it. Consequently, not all airports choose to report all their wildlife strikes. FAA has an effective process for coordinating with USDA Wildlife Services (WS), its main partner in wildlife hazard mitigation at or near airports. However, FAA’s coordination with other Government agencies that help mitigate wildlife hazards is not sufficient to effectively manage off-airport hazards and strikes. KW - Aviation safety KW - Bird strikes KW - Coordination KW - Countermeasures KW - Hazard mitigation KW - Inspection KW - Monitoring KW - Oversight KW - U.S. Federal Aviation Administration UR - http://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/dot/files/wildlife%20report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1218106 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01573292 TI - Performing Forensic Evaluations of LTPP Remaining Sections Before They Leave Service AB - The objective of this research project is to create a pooled fund to rapidly complete forensic evaluations of Long-Term Pavement Performance Program (LTPP) sections before going out of service. Approximately 750 sections remain in service. KW - Forensic science KW - Long-Term Pavement Performance Program KW - Pavement performance KW - Pavements KW - Service life KW - Test sections UR - http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/581 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1366516 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01554359 AU - Balducci, Patrick AU - Battelle AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - Integrated Corridor Management Initiative: Demonstration Phase Evaluation – San Diego Benefit-Cost Analysis Test Plan PY - 2012/08/21/Final Report SP - 52p AB - This report presents the test plan for conducting the Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) for the United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) evaluation of the San Diego Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) Initiative Demonstration. The ICM projects being deployed in San Diego include a suite of strategies aimed at balancing corridor transportation supply and demand to promote overall corridor efficiency and safety. Operational strategies to be deployed in the San Diego I-15 highway corridor include: simulations to predict travel conditions for improved incident response, interdependent response plans among agencies, traffic diversion to strategic arterials, traveler mode shift to the bus rapid transit (BRT) system during major freeway incidents, and comparative travel time information to the public and operating agencies for freeway, High-Occupancy Tolling (HOT) lanes, arterial streets, and BRT. Technologies that will be used to carry out these strategies include a Decision Support System, a 511 traveler information system (telephone and website), a regional center-to-center information exchange network, dynamic message signs, adaptive ramp metering, and responsive traffic signals. This BCA Data Test Plan is based on the ICM Initiative Demonstration National Evaluation Framework. This test plan provides an overview of the BCA framework and describes the specific qualitative and quantitative data that will be collected to support the analysis. Data analysis methodologies as well as risks and mitigations associated with this evaluation analysis are also discussed in this test plan. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Bus rapid transit KW - Data collection KW - Decision support systems KW - Incident management KW - Integrated corridor management KW - Methodology KW - Modal shift KW - San Diego (California) KW - Transportation corridors KW - Traveler information and communication systems UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/54000/54300/54351/icm_san_diego_benefit_cost_testplan__FHWA-JPO-13-042_.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1342215 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01554210 AU - Lee, Ming-Shiun AU - Krile, Bob AU - Battelle AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - Integrated Corridor Management Initiative: Demonstration Phase Evaluation – San Diego Corridor Performance Analysis Test Plan PY - 2012/08/21/Final Report SP - 80p AB - This report presents the test plan for conducting the Corridor Performance Analysis for the United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) evaluation of the San Diego Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) Initiative Demonstration. The ICM projects being deployed in San Diego include a suite of strategies aimed at balancing corridor transportation supply and demand to promote overall corridor efficiency and safety. Operational strategies to be deployed in the San Diego I-15 highway corridor include: simulations to predict travel conditions for improved incident response, interdependent response plans among agencies, traffic diversion to strategic arterials, traveler mode shift to the bus rapid transit (BRT) system during major freeway incidents, and comparative travel time information to the public and operating agencies for freeway, High-Occupancy Tolling (HOT) lanes, arterial streets, and BRT. Technologies that will be used to carry out these strategies include a Decision Support System, a 511 traveler information system (telephone and website), a regional center-to-center information exchange network, dynamic message signs, adaptive ramp metering, and responsive traffic signals. This Corridor Performance Analysis Test Plan is based on the ICM Initiative Demonstration National Evaluation Framework. This test plan provides an overview of the Corridor Performance Analysis and describes the specific qualitative and quantitative data that will be collected to support the analysis. Data analysis methodologies as well as risks and mitigations associated with this evaluation analysis are also discussed in this test plan KW - Analysis KW - Bus rapid transit KW - Data collection KW - Decision support systems KW - Incident management KW - Integrated corridor management KW - Methodology KW - Modal shift KW - San Diego (California) KW - Simulation KW - Transportation corridors KW - Traveler information and communication systems UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/54000/54300/54352/icm_san_diego_corridor_perform_testplan__FHWA-JPO-13-043_.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1342216 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449557 AU - Sweda, Timothy M AU - Klabjan, Diego AU - Northwestern University, Evanston AU - Center for the Commercialization of Innovative Transportation Technology AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - An Agent-Based Information System for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Deployment PY - 2012/08/18/Final Report SP - 20p AB - The current scarcity of public charging infrastructure is one of the major barriers to mass household adoption of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). Although most PEV drivers can recharge their vehicles at home, the limited driving range of the vehicles restricts their usefulness for long-distance travel. In this paper, an agent-based information system is presented for identifying patterns in residential PEV ownership and driving activities to enable strategic deployment of new charging infrastructure. Driver agents consider their own driving activities within the simulated environment, in addition to the presence of charging stations and the vehicle ownership of others in their social network, when purchasing a new vehicle. Aside from conventional vehicles, drivers may select among multiple electric alternatives, including two PEV options. The Chicagoland area is used as a case study to demonstrate the model, and several different deployment scenarios are analyzed. KW - Agent based models KW - Automobile ownership KW - Driving patterns KW - Electric power transmission facilities KW - Electric vehicle charging KW - Electric vehicles KW - Energy infrastructure KW - Social factors UR - http://www.ccitt.northwestern.edu/documents/CCITT_Final_Report_Y401.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46100/46129/CCITT_Final_Report_Y401.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1217074 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01554410 AU - Lee, Ming-Shiun AU - Krile, Bob AU - Battelle AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - Integrated Corridor Management Initiative: Demonstration Phase Evaluation – Dallas Corridor Performance Analysis Test Plan PY - 2012/08/17/Final Report SP - 78p AB - This report presents the test plan for conducting the Corridor Performance Analysis for the United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) evaluation of the Dallas U.S. 75 Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) Initiative Demonstration. The ICM projects being deployed in Dallas include a suite of strategies aimed at balancing U.S. 75 corridor transportation supply and demand to promote overall corridor efficiency and safety. Operational strategies to be deployed in the Dallas U.S. 75 highway corridor include: simulations to predict travel conditions for improved incident response, interdependent response plans among agencies, traffic diversion to frontage roads and strategic arterials, traveler mode shift to the light rail system during major freeway incidents, and comparative travel time information to the public and operating agencies for freeway, high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, frontage roads, arterial streets, and light-rail transit lane. Technologies that will be used to carry out these strategies include a Decision Support System, a 511 traveler information system (telephone and website), a regional center-to-center information exchange network, dynamic message signs, parking management systems, transit signal priority and responsive traffic signals. This Corridor Performance Test Plan is based on the ICM Initiative Demonstration National Evaluation Framework. This test plan provides an overview of the Corridor Performance Analysis and describes the specific qualitative and quantitative data that will be collected to support the analysis. Data analysis methodologies as well as risks and mitigations associated with this evaluation analysis are also discussed in this test plan. KW - Analysis KW - Dallas (Texas) KW - Data collection KW - Decision support systems KW - Incident management KW - Integrated corridor management KW - Light rail transit KW - Methodology KW - Modal shift KW - Simulation KW - Transportation corridors KW - Traveler information and communication systems UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/54000/54300/54347/icm_dallas_corridor_perform_testplan_final__FHWA-JPO-13-037_.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1342213 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01554340 AU - Lee, Matt AU - Pack, Michael AU - Battelle AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - Integrated Corridor Management Initiative: Demonstration Phase Evaluation – Dallas Decision Support System Analysis Test Plan PY - 2012/08/17/Final Report SP - 54p AB - This report presents the test plan for conducting the Decision Support System (DSS) Analysis for the United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) evaluation of the Dallas U.S. 75 Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) Initiative Demonstration. The ICM projects being deployed in Dallas include a suite of strategies aimed at balancing U.S. 75 corridor transportation supply and demand to promote overall corridor efficiency and safety. Operational strategies to be deployed in the Dallas U.S. 75 highway corridor include: simulations to predict travel conditions for improved incident response, interdependent response plans among agencies, traffic diversion to frontage roads and strategic arterials, traveler mode shift to the light rail system during major freeway incidents, and comparative travel time information to the public and operating agencies for freeway, high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, frontage roads, arterial streets, and light-rail transit lane. Technologies that will be used to carry out these strategies include a Decision Support System, a 511 traveler information system (telephone and website), a regional center-to-center information exchange network, dynamic message signs, parking management systems, transit signal priority and responsive traffic signals. This DSS Analysis Test Plan is based on the ICM Initiative Demonstration National Evaluation Framework. This test plan provides an overview of the DSS Analysis and describes the specific qualitative and quantitative data that will be collected to support the analysis. Data analysis methodologies as well as risks and mitigations associated with this evaluation analysis are also discussed in this test plan. KW - Analysis KW - Dallas (Texas) KW - Data collection KW - Decision support systems KW - Incident management KW - Integrated corridor management KW - Light rail transit KW - Methodology KW - Simulation KW - Transportation corridors KW - Traveler information and communication systems UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/54000/54300/54348/icm_dallas_decision_support_testplan_final__FHWA-JPO-13-039_.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1342211 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01554239 AU - Lee, Matthew AU - Battelle AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - Integrated Corridor Management Initiative: Demonstration Phase Evaluation – Dallas Technical Capability Analysis Test Plan PY - 2012/08/17/Final Report SP - 60p AB - This report presents the test plan for conducting the Technical Capability Analysis for the United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) evaluation of the Dallas U.S. 75 Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) Initiative Demonstration. The ICM projects being deployed in Dallas include a suite of strategies aimed at balancing U.S. 75 corridor transportation supply and demand to promote overall corridor efficiency and safety. Operational strategies to be deployed in the Dallas U.S. 75 highway corridor include: simulations to predict travel conditions for improved incident response, interdependent response plans among agencies, traffic diversion to frontage roads and strategic arterials, traveler mode shift to the light rail system during major freeway incidents, and comparative travel time information to the public and operating agencies for freeway, High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, frontage roads, arterial streets, and light-rail transit lane. Technologies that will be used to carry out these strategies include a Decision Support System, a 511 traveler information system (telephone and website), a regional center-to-center information exchange network, dynamic message signs, parking management systems, transit signal priority and responsive traffic signals. This Technical Capability Test Plan is based on the ICM Initiative Demonstration National Evaluation Framework. This test plan provides an overview of the Technical Capability Analysis and describes the specific qualitative and quantitative data that will be collected to support the analysis. Data analysis methodologies as well as risks and mitigations associated with this evaluation analysis are also discussed in this test plan. KW - Analysis KW - Dallas (Texas) KW - Data collection KW - Decision support systems KW - Incident management KW - Integrated corridor management KW - Light rail transit KW - Methodology KW - Modal shift KW - Simulation KW - Transportation corridors KW - Traveler information and communication systems UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/54000/54300/54349/icm_dallas_tech_capab_testplan_final__FHWA-JPO-13-040_.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1342214 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01447239 AU - Neher, Deborah A AU - Asmussen, David AU - Williams, Kristin AU - University of Vermont AU - University of Vermont, Burlington AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Spatial Extent of the Impact of Transported Road Materials on the Ecological Function of Forested Landscapes PY - 2012/08/17 SP - 32p AB - While there have been studies investigating different aspects of the roadside environment, there is a need for research in forest ecosystems and for development of methods to predict roadside environmental conditions with distance and road use intensity. This study determines how roads within a northern hardwood forest change the native plant and soil conditions at various distances from the road. It also provides a method to predict plant and soil conditions based on traffic volume. Specifically, the objective of this study was to determine the spatial extent of the effects of the road and these transported materials on forest plant communities, soil chemistry, and soil nematode communities immediately surrounding roadways broadly classified as ‘highways,’ ‘twolane paved,’ and ‘gravel’ which correspond roughly with the Federal Highway Administration’s classification of arterial, collector and local. The study was conducted in Chittenden County, Vermont, in the Northeastern U.S., where deicing salts are spread regularly on roads during winter months. Land cover in the state of Vermont is dominated by forest (approximately 75%), and many of the forested areas are directly connected with the roadways. KW - Chittenden County (Vermont) KW - Deicing chemicals KW - Ecology KW - Ecosystems KW - Environmental impacts KW - Forests KW - Landscape ecology KW - Plants KW - Road materials KW - Roadside flora KW - Soil chemistry KW - Soils UR - http://www.uvm.edu/~transctr/research/trc_reports/UVM-TRC-12-012.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46000/46023/UVM-TRC-12-012.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1214563 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01575934 TI - Oil Extraction from Oilseeds for Renewable Aviation Fuel Production AB - No summary provided. KW - Aviation fuels KW - Oils KW - Production KW - Renewable energy sources KW - Resource extraction KW - Seeds UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1368942 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01493270 AU - Miller, Norm AU - Smith, Brian AU - Nicholson, Kent AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - A Comparison of Mobile Scanning to a Total Station Survey at the I-35 and IA 92 Interchange in Warren County, Iowa PY - 2012/08/15/Final Report SP - 23p AB - The purpose of this project was to investigate the potential for collecting and using data from mobile terrestrial laser scanning (MTLS) technology that would reduce the need for traditional survey methods for the development of highway improvement projects at the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT). The primary interest in investigating mobile scanning technology is to minimize the exposure of field surveyors to dangerous high volume traffic situations. Issues investigated were cost, timeframe, accuracy, contracting specifications, data capture extents, data extraction capabilities and data storage issues associated with mobile scanning. The project area selected for evaluation was the Interstate 35/Iowa Highway 92 (IA 92) interchange in Warren County, Iowa. This project covers approximately one mile of I-35, one mile of IA 92, 4 interchange ramps, and bridges within these limits. Delivered LAS and image files for this project totaled almost 31GB. There is nearly a 6-fold increase in the size of the scan data after post-processing. Camera data, when enabled, produced approximately 900MB of imagery data per mile using a 2-camera, 5 megapixel system. A comparison was done between 1823 points on the pavement that were surveyed by Iowa DOT staff using a total station and the same points generated through the MTLS process. The data acquired through the MTLS and data processing met the Iowa DOT specifications for engineering survey. A list of benefits and challenges is included in the detailed report. With the success of this project, it is anticipate that additional projects will be scanned for the Iowa DOT for use in the development of highway improvement projects. KW - Data collection KW - Highway design KW - Iowa KW - Lasers KW - Mapping KW - Scanners KW - Surveying instruments KW - Surveying methods and processes UR - http://publications.iowa.gov/14888/1/IA_DOT_Mobile_Scanning_Total_Station_Survey.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1261365 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01447237 AU - Watts, Richard A AU - Maddison, Jonathan AU - Macias, Thomas AU - Witham, Aaron AU - University of Vermont, Burlington AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - The Social Construction and Framing of Tailpipe Emissions in the Media PY - 2012/08/15 SP - 20p AB - The reduction of tailpipe emissions is a critical issue in the U.S. Vehicle emissions containing carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and nitrogen oxides degrade the quality of air and damage lung and heart function. Urban areas in the northeast and California suffer from severe air quality issues caused by tailpipe emissions. Mass communication through the media can help communicate the risks of tailpipe emissions and help set the political agenda. This study examines media coverage of tailpipe emissions in the Associated Press State and Local Wire from 2000 to 2008. Using a framing analysis approach, the researchers focused on the policy actors and issue frames in media coverage relating to tailpipe emissions. Frames define problems, provide causal analysis, moral judgment, and remedy promotion. KW - Environmental policy KW - Exhaust gases KW - Framework KW - Mass communication KW - Mass media KW - Pollutants KW - Press coverage KW - Public opinion KW - Social factors UR - http://www.uvm.edu/~transctr/research/trc_reports/UVM-TRC-12-010.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46000/46021/UVM-TRC-12-010.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1214565 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449576 AU - Borraz-Sánchez, Conrado AU - Klabjan, Diego AU - Northwestern University, Evanston AU - Center for the Commercialization of Innovative Transportation Technology AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Strategic Gang Scheduling for Railroad Maintenance PY - 2012/08/14 SP - 20p AB - This report addresses the railway track maintenance scheduling problem. The problem stems from the significant percentage of the annual budget invested by the railway industry for maintaining its railway tracks. The process requires consideration of human resource allocations (gangs), as well as effective logistics for equipment movement and routing around the rail network under time window constraints. The authors propose an efficient solution approach to minimize total costs incurred by the maintenance projects or jobs within a given planning horizon. This is accomplished by designing a job-time network model to capture feasible schedules under the constraints of job precedence and developing a mathematical programming heuristic to solve the underlying model. The key ingredient is an iterative process that extracts and then re-inserts jobs based on an integer programming model. Computational experiments show the capability of the proposed heuristic to schedule more than 1,000 jobs and more than 30 gangs. KW - Computer models KW - Heuristic methods KW - Maintenance KW - Maintenance personnel KW - Railroad tracks KW - Railroads KW - Scheduling KW - Time constraints UR - http://www.ccitt.northwestern.edu/documents/CCITT_Final_Report_Y201.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46100/46128/CCITT_Final_Report_Y201.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1217073 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01573317 TI - Passive Force-Displacement Relationships for Skewed Abutments AB - The objectives for this study include: (1) Determine passive force-displacement curves for skewed abutments with and without wingwalls from large scale tests. (2) Provide comparisons of behavior of skewed abutments with that of normal abutments. (3) Evaluate the effect of wingwalls on response. (4) Develop design procedures for calculating passive force-displacement curves for skewed abutments. KW - Abutments KW - Design KW - Passive forces KW - Skewed structures KW - Wingwalls UR - http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/493 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1366541 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01476291 AU - Frey, H Christopher AU - Graver, Brandon M AU - North Carolina State University, Raleigh AU - North Carolina Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Measurement and Evaluation of Fuels and Technologies for Passenger Rail Service in North Carolina PY - 2012/08/13/Final Report SP - 137p AB - The purpose of this project is to measure a baseline for fuel use and emission rates on the rebuilt or replaced engines on each locomotive in the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Rail Division fleet, using ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel; measure real-world, in-use “over-the-rail” activity, fuel use, and emissions for service between Raleigh and Charlotte; assess the avoided fuel use and emissions from substitution of automobile trips with rail service based on real-world data obtained in this research for the train service and real-world highway vehicle data obtained in recent previous research; and conduct an evaluation of the emissions implications of B20 biodiesel versus ULSD using a life cycle inventory approach that takes into account the fuel cycle, as well as locomotive emissions. The methodology features the use of portable emissions measurement systems (PEMS). The results of this project will enable the NCDOT Rail Division to accurately assess the fuel use and emissions benefits of the engine rebuilds and replacements, the use of alternative fuel, and the energy and emissions benefits of passenger rail service compared to the avoided highway vehicle usage. These data can be used to identify priorities for further emission reduction measures, if needed, and to claim credit for the energy and environmental benefits of rail transportation. These data and information will be useful to the NCDOT Rail Division as the basis for determining the energy and emissions benefits of B20 and of rail versus highway transportation and, thus, as an input to prioritizing future activity pertaining to asset management and community relations. KW - Biodiesel fuels KW - Diesel fuels KW - Environmental impacts KW - Fuel consumption KW - Locomotives KW - North Carolina KW - Passenger trains KW - Pollutants KW - Portable Emissions Measurement System UR - http://www.ncdot.gov/doh/preconstruct/tpb/research/download/2010-12FinalReport.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1245467 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01446260 AU - Selvam, R Panneer AU - Hall, Kevin AU - Bhadra, Sayantan AU - Mack Blackwell National Rural Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Nanotechnology-Based Performance Improvements For Portland Cement Concrete – Phase I PY - 2012/08/12/Technical Report SP - 25p AB - A fundamental understanding of the nano-structure of Portland cement concrete (PCC) is the key to realizing significant breakthroughs regarding high performance and sustainability. MBTC-sponsored research (MBTC 2095/3004) using molecular dynamics (MD) provided new understanding of Calcium Silicate Hydrate (CSH) structure (the main component giving strength and durability to PCC); however, the study was limited, particularly regarding nano-level mechanical properties in the PCC due to number of atoms that could be considered in the MD approach. In this work discrete element method (DEM) for considering the CSH gel structure is proposed. The progress made in phase I out of three phases is reported. The review of DEM application in engineering and specifically for CSH study is reported. Existing free ware and commercial code available for DEM study is presented. An in house DEM code is developed to apply an indentor type load to a cohesive material. Sample model calculation reasonably illustrated the development and application of the DEM code. KW - Calcium silicate KW - Concrete pavements KW - Discrete element method KW - Hydrates KW - Nanostructured materials KW - Pavement performance KW - Portland cement concrete UR - http://www.arkansastrc.com/MBTC%20REPORTS/MBTC%203022.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45800/45881/MBTC_DOT_3022.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1212535 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01466558 TI - 2012 International Mountain Bicycling Association World Summit AB - The objective of this order is to provide partial sponsorship to the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) to conduct the 2012 IMBA World Summit that was held October 10-13, 2012, in Santa Fee, New Mexico. As part of this effort, IMBA will provide the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) with benefits commensurate with its publicized conference sponsor opportunities. KW - Information dissemination KW - International relations KW - Mountain bikes KW - Sponsors KW - Workshops UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1234793 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01380305 AU - Hudson, Joan G AU - Duthie, Jennifer C AU - Rathod, Yatinkumar K AU - Larsen, Katie A AU - Meyer, Joel L AU - University Transportation Center for Mobility AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Using Smartphones to Collect Bicycle Travel Data in Texas PY - 2012/08/08/Final Report SP - 84p AB - Researchers believed that if smartphones could prove to be an effective tool for collecting bicycle travel data, the information could be used for aiding decision making as to what types of facilities users prefer and guiding decisions about future facilities. If adequate facilities were provided, the mode share of bicyclists would increase and lead to a reduction in congestion. Thus, researchers used an existing smartphone application, CycleTracks, developed by the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, to develop this study. Austin-area bicyclists were targeted to test the application. Austin’s strong cycling culture, its known bicycle friendliness, and the presence of several universities including the University of Texas made it an ideal test environment. Bicycle route data was collected between May 1 and October 31, 2011 during which time over 3,600 routes were recorded. About 300 bicyclists provided their age, gender, bicycling frequency, home zip code, work zip code, and school zip code. Eighty-three percent of these participants indicated that they bicycle daily or several times per week. Most participants live and work in the central area of Austin. Seventy percent of the participants were male and 30 percent female. There were slightly more participants in the 20-29 age range than the 30-39 and 40-49 age ranges. Many defined the purpose of the bicycle trip: 85 percent of the trips were for the purpose of transportation vs. recreation. Using algorithms within ArcGIS, researchers were able to match almost 90 percent of the bicycle routes. The collected dataset provided a rich set of bicyclist and route attributes useful for identifying route choice decisions. Despite the manageable challenges of the data cleaning, network completion, and map-matching process, the amount of information provided by the use of CycleTracks far exceeds what would be available using other data collection methods. KW - Austin (Texas) KW - Bicycle travel KW - Bicycling KW - Bikeways KW - Data collection KW - Route choice KW - Smartphones UR - http://utcm.tamu.edu/publications/final_reports/Hudson_11-35-69.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45700/45731/Hudson_11-35-69.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1148103 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01576046 TI - Cooperating Camera Platforms for Ultra High-Resolution Tracking of Traffic AB - This project is designed to provide high-definition cooperative camera traffic surveillance. This system will have enhanced capabilities to recognize "events" in the highway infrastructure and relay this information to command centers in real time. In addition, the technology will enable any feature extraction algorithm to interoperate with ultra high-resolution surveillance hardware. This research will explore the use of cooperating camera platforms, high accuracy gimbals, high-definition vision cameras, and servo-stabilized platforms. These technologies provide unique cross-cutting opportunities. This cross-cutting system might enable significant improvements in the power of computer vision algorithms and will allow a test bed for developers of the algorithms because the system design for utilization of the cameras provides an agnostic interface with analysis algorithms. This project will expand understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of ultra high-resolution traffic surveillance and real-time analysis and dissemination of detected "events" or anomalies. KW - Algorithms KW - Cameras KW - Computer vision KW - Incident management KW - Real time information KW - Test beds KW - Traffic surveillance UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/tfhrc/projects/projectsdb/projectdetails.cfm?projectid=FHWA-PROJ-12-0104 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1369995 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01431192 AU - Geunes, Joseph AU - Konur, Dincer AU - University of Florida, Gainesville AU - Center for Multimodal Solutions for Congestion Mitigation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Impacts of Efficient Transportation Capacity Utilization via Multi-Product Consolidation on Transportation Network Usage and Congestion PY - 2012/08/06/Final Report SP - 42p AB - Multi-item inventory problems that explicitly account for realistic transportation cost structures and constraints, including a per-truck capacity and per-truck cost are studied. The authors analyze shipment consolidation and coordination policies under these conditions. A set partitioning problem is formulated to determine the best consolidation policy. The authors first use a branch-and-price method to solve the resulting set partitioning problem. Since the pricing problem for the general case is NP-hard, two heuristic methods are proposed to generate new columns. The authors also show that the pricing problem can be solved in polynomial time for a practical special case. Furthermore, they develop two heuristic methods as alternatives to the branch-and-price method. Numerical studies are conducted to demonstrate the efficiency of the heuristic column generators, heuristic methods to the set partitioning problem, and how the modeling approach helps mitigate truck density on transportation networks while resulting in higher truck utilization and lower total costs. KW - Branch and price algorithms KW - Freight consolidation KW - Heuristic methods KW - Inventory KW - Pricing KW - Trucking UR - http://cms.ce.ufl.edu/research/geunes_cms_%202010-018_final.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45600/45655/geunes_cms__2010-018_final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1197318 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01566745 TI - Updating U.S. Precipitation Frequency Estimates for the Northeastern Region AB - The purpose of this study is to determine annual exceedance probabilities (AEP) and average recurrence intervals (ARI) for durations ranging from 5 minutes to 60 days and for ARIs from 1 to 1,000 years. The point estimates will be spatially interpolated to a spatial resolution of approximately 4km x 4 km. The study results will be published as volumes of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Atlas 14, a wholly web based publication available at www.nws.noaa.gov/ohd/hdsc. The publication will include the artifacts provided in Volumes 1 and 2 including access through the Precipitation Frequency Data Server, base grids in standard formats, electronic copies of maps, results of trend analyses, charts of seasonal distributions and probabilistic temporal distributions, and detailed documentation. Updated areal reduction factors are being developed as a separate appendix to NOAA Atlas 14 for the entire U.S. including Alaska. The project will review and process all reasonably available rainfall data. It is recognized that the rainfall data archived by NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) may not be sufficient to accomplish the objectives of this project. Therefore, other data available from sources such as State Climatologists and other Federal, State and local agencies will be examined and included if appropriate. The state of the art techniques and processes developed and applied for NOAA Atlas 14 Volumes 1 and 2 will be applied. They include regional frequency analysis based on L-moments including error estimates, a combination of PRISM based techniques and CRAB for spatial interpolation, techniques for the analysis of climatic trend, temporal distribution and seasonality, internal consistency checks and variety of automated processes designed to enhance productivity. Intermediate results in the form of hourly and daily estimates at several ARIs will be distributed for peer review as will the final documentation. KW - Climate change KW - Data banks KW - Rainfall KW - Spatial distribution (Rainfall) KW - State of the art KW - Websites (Information retrieval) UR - http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/477 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1358401 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01480981 AU - Langen, Tom A AU - Clarkson University AU - New York State Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Monitoring Functionality and Durability of the New York State Highway 30 Turtle Barrier and Adjacent Nesting Substrate PY - 2012/08/01/Final Report SP - 40p AB - . In 2008, the New York State (NYS) Department of Transportation installed a wildlife barrier along NYS Route 30 in Tupper Lake, Franklin County, New York. The major objectives of the study that is the subject of this report were to: evaluate the effectiveness of the Route 30 wildlife barrier for preventing turtle mortality and turtle trespass onto the roadway, assess the impacts of the barrier on turtle nesting, evaluate the wildlife barrier design, and provide general design recommendations for future turtle barriers along roadways. The study area was monitored from May to October in 2010 and 2011, and the barriers were judged to be partially effective. Adjacent roadside nesting was also monitored and did not appear to suffer elevated failure due to predation. The report concludes that the wildlife barrier was generally effective but could be enhanced with modifications at the ends of barriers, and recommends regular monitoring and annual maintenance. KW - Barriers (Roads) KW - Durability KW - Evaluation KW - Franklin County (New York) KW - Habitat (Ecology) KW - Highways KW - Turtles KW - Wildlife UR - https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/trans-r-and-d-repository/C-10-06Final%20Report_Tupper%20Fence%20Monitoring%20Project_Revised16Apr2013.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1249375 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470000 AU - McGurrin, Michael AU - Noblis AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Vehicle Information Exchange Needs for Mobility Applications Exchange: Version 2.0 PY - 2012/08/01/Revised Report SP - 47p AB - Connected Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) safety applications heavily rely on the Basic Safety Message (BSM), which is one of the messages defined in the Society of Automotive standard J2735, Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) Message Set Dictionary, November 2009. The BSM is broadcast from vehicles over the 5.9 GHz DSRC band. Transmission range is on the order of 1 kilometer. The BSM consists of two parts: BSM Part 1: Contains core data elements, including vehicle position, heading, speed, acceleration, steering wheel angle, and vehicle size; it is transmitted at an adjustable rate of about 10 times per second. BSM Part 2: Contains a variable set of data elements drawn from an extensive list of optional elements. They are selected based on event triggers, e.g., Anti-lock braking system activated. They are added to Part 1 and sent as part of the BSM message, but are transmitted less frequently in order to conserve bandwidth. The BSM message includes only current snapshots (with the exception of path data which is itself limited to a few second’s worth of past history data). A preliminary assessment of the information that needs to flow to and from vehicles in order to support thirty high priority applications identified by the Dynamic Mobility Applications (DMA) and connected vehicle road weather programs was conducted to determine the extent to which the BSM can support those needs. The primary findings of the analysis are: (1) The BSM, with Part 1 transmitted approximately 10 times per second over DSRC, is useful for a limited subset of mobility applications, but is not solely sufficient for most applications, especially since complete roadway coverage using DSRC has never been envisioned as a feasible option. (2) A subset of the BSM Part 1 and Part 2 data, if cached, bundled, and sent in another manner (e.g., periodic transmission of both current and history data over cellular networks), adequately provides the vehicle-based information needed for most mobility applications. The major exception is crash-related data to support the Advanced Automatic Crash Notification Relay (AACNRELAY) application. KW - Data communications KW - Dedicated short range communications KW - Highway safety KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - Mobility KW - Vehicle to vehicle communications KW - Weather UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46000/46089/Final_PKG_FHWA-JPO-12-021_508_PDF.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1226259 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01447235 AU - Guzzetti, Jeffrey B AU - Department of Transportation AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Challenges With Implementing Near-Term NextGen Capabilities at Congested Airports Could Delay Benefits PY - 2012/08/01 SP - 32p AB - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) estimates that there are about 7,000 aircraft in the air over the United States at any given time. To better manage this traffic and meet future air travel demands, FAA is developing the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), a satellite-based air traffic control system intended to replace the current ground-based system. In September 2009, an Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics task force of government-industry representatives made 32 recommendations for accelerating NextGen’s deployment. This report is a review of FAA’s actions to address the task force’s recommendations with a focus specifically on efforts to implement an initiative known as “metroplex,” which aims to improve the efficiency of airspace that affects multiple airports near large metropolitan areas. KW - Air traffic control KW - Airport congestion KW - Airports KW - Barriers (Obstacles) KW - Benefits KW - Implementation KW - Next Generation Air Transportation System KW - Project management KW - Recommendations KW - U.S. Federal Aviation Administration UR - http://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/dot/files/FAA%20NextGen%20Near-Term%20Capabilites%20%28RTCA%20Task%20Force%20Recommendations%29%5E8-1-12.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1214567 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01574049 AU - DeFrank, Joseph AU - Baldos, Orville AU - Lukas, Scott AU - University of Hawaii, Manoa AU - Hawaii Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Native Grass Hydroseed Development: Establishment Protocols for Three Native Hawaiian Plants on Roadside Areas PY - 2012/08 SP - 41p AB - The biggest mistake with using native plants on Hawaii’s roadways is to assume that native plants do not require nutrient enhancement or supplemental water to establish on these sites. The establishment of native plants will require a detailed analysis of the site in terms of access to irrigation water, established weeds and other ground covers as well as suitability to a mixture of desired native plants in the final landscape setting. This document provides protocols that start with proper pre-plant site preparation to purge weedy species and leave the site with a depleted capability to repopulate with undesirable vegetation. This is followed by planting and establishment techniques of pili grass (Heteropogon contortus), akiaki (Sporobolus virginicus) and mauu akiaki (Fimbristylis cymosa). The protocols provided in this planting handbook were developed with the understanding that contractors have a defined period to finish a job and that many challenges exist in establishing a persistent landscape composed of native Hawaiian plants. KW - Grasses KW - Handbooks KW - Hawaii KW - Native plants KW - Roadside flora KW - Weed control UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1366392 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01554151 AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts 2010 PY - 2012/08 SP - 84p AB - This annual edition of Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts contains descriptive statistics about fatal, injury, and property damage only crashes involving large trucks and buses in 2010. Selected crash statistics on passenger vehicles are also presented for comparison purposes. This year’s report is organized into four chapters: Trends, Crashes, Vehicles, and People. The Trends chapter shows data for 2010 in the context of available historical data for past years. In the other chapters, the 2010 data are shown in different ways, according to what is being counted. The Crashes chapter counts numbers of crashes; the Vehicles chapter counts vehicles in crashes; and the People chapter counts persons of all types involved in crashes. KW - Bus crashes KW - Crash data KW - Crash injuries KW - Crash rates KW - Fatalities KW - Loss and damage KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - Truck crashes UR - http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/CarrierResearchResults/PDFs/LargeTruckandBusCrashFacts2010.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1343901 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01537442 AU - Elmore, Cecilia AU - Center for Transportation Infrastructure and Safety/NUTC program AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Women in Science & Engineering Scholarships and Summer Camp Outreach Programs: Year 6 PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 5p AB - Support will make scholarships available to minority and women students interested in engineering and science and will increase significantly the number of minority and female students that the Missouri University of Science and Technology can recruit to its science and engineering programs. Recipients of scholarships will also be exposed to career opportunities in transportation. KW - Education and training KW - Engineering KW - Females KW - Financial aid KW - Minorities KW - Missouri University of Science and Technology KW - Outreach KW - Scholarships KW - Transportation careers UR - http://transportation.mst.edu/media/research/transportation/documents/ETT279%20Final%20Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1322144 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01537422 AU - Perkins, William AU - Center for Transportation Infrastructure and Safety/NUTC program AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Minority Engineering Scholarships Renewal 2011 PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 5p AB - Scholarships for Minority Students Studying Engineering and Science: Support will make scholarships available to minority students interested in engineering and science and will increase significantly the number of minority students that the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) can recruit to its science and engineering programs. Recipients of scholarships will also be exposed to career opportunities in transportation. Minority Engineering and Science Program ( MEP) scholarships provide critical financial support for under-represented students majoring in engineering and science programs at Missouri S&T. MEP scholarship students receive professional and academic support through the close-knit MEP network of friends, mentors, and Missouri S&T staff. MEP has a rich 30 year tradition of sponsoring events, activities and organizations that ensure its students are prepared for personal and professional success. KW - Engineering KW - Financial aid KW - Minorities KW - Missouri University of Science and Technology KW - Scholarships KW - Transportation careers UR - http://transportation.mst.edu/media/research/transportation/documents/Ett280%20Final%20Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1322143 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01535797 AU - Hilburn, Brian AU - Ahlstrom, Vicki AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Information Requirements Analysis for Remote Maintenance Monitoring Interfaces PY - 2012/08//Technical Report SP - 44p AB - This paper identifies user requirements for Remote Maintenance Monitoring (RMM) and identifies high-level RMM tasks based on the Cognitive Task Analysis results. RMM is a primary means of maintaining the National Airspace System. Technical Operations Specialists have specific information that they need to see to do their jobs effectively and efficiently when using RRM systems. Thus, Technical Operations Specialists requested an evaluation of information requirements for RMM systems. Human Factors Researchers collected data from Technical Operations Specialists at four facilities. Twelve participants performed think-aloud exercises and cognitive walk-through exercises, and 28 participants completed a survey. The resulting data led to a Cognitive Task Analysis list of tasks and 29 recommendations regarding information requirements, including ways to better tailor the amount and form of presented information to better meet the needs of the user and the organization. For RMM to be an effective tool for performing maintenance, the RMM system must have an effective user interface. When asked what they would change about the RMM system, specialists responded (a) that they would like RMM to be quicker (i.e., closer to real time), (b) that they would like to have default settings that would let each user pick which sites and units to monitor, and (c) that they would like to remove or reduce the number of false alarms that occur. KW - Air transportation KW - Evaluation KW - Human factors KW - Information processing KW - Maintenance management KW - Monitoring KW - National Airspace System KW - Recommendations KW - Task analysis KW - User interfaces (Computer science) UR - http://hf.tc.faa.gov/publications/2012-08-information-requirements-analysis/full_text.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1318113 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01534779 AU - Daniel, Jo Sias AU - University of New Hampshire, Durham AU - New Hampshire Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - New Hampshire Binder and Mix Review PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 20p AB - This review was initiated to compare relative rut testing and “simple performance tests” (now known as Asphalt Mix Performance Tests) for the New Hampshire ½ inch mix with 15% Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP). The tested mixes were made from various neat and modified asphalt liquids. The asphalts were tested with the full battery of Strategic Highway Research Program binder tests to assess stiffness comparisons and low temperature cracking properties. Binder testing results indicate that Polyphosphoric Acid (PPA) may slightly decrease the low temperature performance and the styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) modified binder would perform better at low temperatures than the styrene-butadiene styrene (SBS) modified binder. With respect to rutting, the Multiple Stress Creep Recovery (MSCR) results indicate the PPA binder may increase rutting susceptibility and the SBR modified binder would perform better than the SBS modified binder. Mixture testing results indicate the PPA mixture will perform better with respect to rutting, but the Model Mobile Load Simulator (MMLS3) tests show the opposite. Air void content differences for the MMLS3 specimens could be affecting the results. The difference in fatigue performance will be dependent on the pavement structure. A stiffer mixture is generally better for thicker pavements, but may not be for thinner structures. KW - Air voids KW - Asphalt mixtures KW - Bituminous binders KW - Fatigue (Mechanics) KW - Model mobile load simulators KW - Multiple Stress Creep Recovery KW - New Hampshire KW - Performance tests KW - Polyphosphoric acid KW - Reclaimed asphalt pavements KW - Rutting KW - Styrene butadiene rubber KW - Styrene butadiene styrene UR - http://www.nh.gov/dot/org/projectdevelopment/materials/research/projects/documents/FHWA-NH-RD-14282B-2.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1320438 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01531148 AU - Subbotin, Nicholas AU - Cozart, Kris AU - Hawk, John AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Air Force Research Laboratory TI - Test and Evaluation of Rear-Wheel Steering for Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Vehicles—Part 2 PY - 2012/08//Technical Note SP - 30p AB - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has an ongoing research program that evaluates new technologies for increasing postcrash fire survivability on aircraft and determines methods to increase the performance capabilities of aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) vehicles. Excessive tire wear on hard surfaces is a concern on ARFF vehicles with more than four wheels. The FAA ARFF research program evaluated a six-wheeled ARFF vehicle with rear-wheel steering (RWS). The objectives were to evaluate an ARFF vehicle for turning diameter, tire tread wear, and estimated tire life. A six-wheeled ARFF vehicle was used with a prototype RWS system that allowed comparisons with the RWS function disabled and enabled. Tests were conducted according to FAA Advisory Circular 150/5220-10C, which specifies turning diameter procedures. Tire tread wear was achieved by driving the test vehicle on a figure-eight course for 60 miles, which generated a faster and more aggressive tire tread wear than normal driving patterns. Tire tread depth was measured according to the tire manufacturer. The data from the tread wear results were used to calculate estimated tire life. The results showed the ARFF vehicle with RWS decreased the turning diameter by 18.7% in the clockwise direction from 116.0 feet to 94.3 feet and 18.2% in the counter clockwise direction from 108.2 feet to 88.5 feet compared to vehicle operations without RWS. Without RWS, the rear tires wore the fastest by approximately 0.406 (13/32) inch over the 60 miles. With RWS, the middle tires wore the fastest by approximately 0.121 (4/32) inch over the 60 miles. The data from the tire tread wear tests were used to calculate the estimated tire life using linear regression calculations. RWS extended the estimated tire life by 1.9 to 2.6 times on the front tires and 7.9 to 9.0 times on the rear tires compared to vehicle operations without RWS enabled. However, the middle tires showed better tire life without RWS, 5.3 to 7.3 times that of tire life with RWS. KW - Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting KW - Airside operations KW - Emergency vehicles KW - Fire vehicles KW - Service life KW - Tire treads KW - Turning radius KW - Vehicle performance UR - http://www.airporttech.tc.faa.gov/DesktopModules/FlexNews/DownloadHandler.ashx?id=466c6014-bf54-4259-a519-8bdbfa214bdd&f=TC-TN12-34_Test_and_Eval_of_RWS_082112.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1313495 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01529419 AU - Andreen, Burt AU - Ksaibati, Khaled AU - University of Wyoming, Laramie AU - Wyoming Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Comparing Crash Trends and Severity in the Northern Rocky Mountain Region PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 133p AB - Safety Management Systems are federally mandated in an effort to encourage states to develop strategic programs in order to mitigate severe crashes. In 2006, the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) published the Wyoming Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). The plan outlines goals for the state and transportation areas of strategic emphasis. While the SHSP has proven successful in lowering crash rates, Wyoming is constantly plagued by one of the highest fatal crash rates in the region. In the northern Rocky Mountain region, North Dakota historically boasts the lowest fatal crash rates, while Colorado has the highest. Other states in the region are Wyoming, Montana, Utah, South Dakota, and Idaho. In an effort towards continued safety improvement, WYDOT is investigating whether there is a link between certain factors in North Dakota and the low number of fatal crashes experienced there. The basis of this research centers on evaluating key differences between North Dakota and Wyoming to determine if there are policies, practices, and or physical differences that keep North Dakota’s fatal crash rate lower. This research investigates patrol enforcement differences, traffic safety laws, crash records, mileage records, vehicle records, and economic factors as possible sources of crash rate differences. When some critical factors were identified, Logistic Regression Modeling was applied to two Wyoming interstates to identify safety concerns for implementation within Wyoming’s transportation SHSP. It was found that on Interstates 80 and 25 in Wyoming, sobriety, motorcycle usage, and speed were some of the largest factors in increasing the probability of a critical crash. From comparing crash trends between the two states, it was found that interstates are an area where fatal crashes happen more often in Wyoming. Wyoming also has more fatal crashes on weekends and in the summer months than North Dakota. It was found that both states are behind in the adoption of nationally recommended laws and that Wyoming enforcement needs more resources to effectively patrol and maintain safety on highways such as interstate 80. Finally, it was determined that in those counties where mining and construction industries have high levels of employment, crashes were more frequent and care should be taken to educate those communities on the benefits of safe driving. KW - Crash causes KW - Crash characteristics KW - Crash rates KW - Fatalities KW - Logistic regression analysis KW - North Dakota KW - Rocky Mountain States KW - State laws KW - Strategic Highway Safety Plan KW - Traffic law enforcement KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - Wyoming UR - http://www.dot.state.wy.us/files/live/sites/wydot/files/shared/Planning/Research/RS08210%201203F%20Comparing%20Crash%20Trends%20and%20Severity%20in%20the%20Northern%20Rocky%20Mountan%20Region.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51800/51883/FHWA_1203F_RS08210__Comparing_Crash_Trends_and_Severity_in_the_Northern_Rocky_Mountan_Region.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1312744 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516379 AU - Zhang, Xiong AU - Presler, Wendy AU - Alaska University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Use of H2Ri Wicking Fabric to Prevent Frost Boils in the Dalton Highway Beaver Slide Area, Alaska PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 111p AB - Many roads in Alaska, such as the Dalton Highway, experience degradation during spring thaw due to the downslope running of shallow groundwater. The water flows down the slope and pools up in the road embankments, where it freezes, causing frost boils and subsequent road damage. One good example of this damage occurred at Beaver Slide, near mile 110.5 of the Dalton Highway. The frost boils have resulted in extremely unsafe driving conditions and frequent accidents. Past repair efforts indicate conventional road construction methods do not work. The Mirafi Nylon Wicking Fabric, developed by Tencate Geosynthetics (North America), offers a potential solution. Featuring high specific surface area and high permeability, preliminary laboratory tests of MNWF indicate that it has great promise as a cost-effective means to solve the frost boil problems on northern road systems. This proposed project aims to verify the theory, testing MNWF at Beaver Slide using moisture and temperature sensors to gather measurements for one year. Upon evaluation, researchers expect improved performance of pavement at installation sites. Data will be gathered regarding soil properties at the site; observed thermal and moisture changes and pavement performance over a one-year period; analysis of frost boil mechanisms; and evaluation of MNWF effectiveness to mitigate frost boil problems. Research results may lead to incorporation of MNWF in the geotechnical engineering curriculum at University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Further, recommendations developed from the research will be useful in ensuring a reliable and economic design of roads in arctic environments. KW - Alaska KW - Dalton Highway KW - Data collection KW - Embankments KW - Freeze thaw durability KW - Frost heaving KW - Geosynthetics KW - Highway maintenance KW - Moisture content KW - Sensors UR - http://ine.uaf.edu/autc/files/2013/10/Final-Report_Beaver-Slide.10.13.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1290646 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499725 AU - Davidson, Eric AU - White, Donald AU - Kahn, Lawrence AU - Georgia Institute of Technology AU - Georgia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of Performance and Maximum Length of Continuous Decks in Bridges, Part 2 PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 108p AB - Field experimental measurements and analytical studies showed that the link-slab reinforcement experiences almost no axial load due to thermal and gravity loading. One of the fundamental reasons for the low loads in the link-slab reinforcement is the fact that there is a small space (tolerance) between the dowel restraint bars located within the bearing at the bottom of each girder and the cast-in holes in the girder. Further, concrete shrinkage causes a crack to occur at the construction joint; the crack width is larger than the deformations caused by thermal and gravity loading. Thus, no link-slab moments can be generated in the deck. The authors concluded that the top layer of longitudinal deck reinforcement would be sufficient for link-slab reinforcement. KW - Bridge decks KW - Construction joints KW - Field studies KW - Georgia KW - Length KW - Performance measurement KW - Reinforcement (Engineering) KW - Shrinkage UR - http://www.dot.ga.gov/BuildSmart/research/Documents/RP%2010-29_Final%20Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1267733 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499337 AU - Schram, Scott AU - Williams, R Christopher AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Ranking of HMA Moisture Sensitivity Tests in Iowa PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 20p AB - Several agencies specify AASHTO T283 as the primary test for field acceptance of moisture susceptibility in hot mix asphalt. When used in this application, logistical difficulties challenge its practicality, while repeatability is routinely scrutinized by contractors. An alternative test is needed which can effectively demonstrate the ability to screen mixtures based on expected performance. The ideal replacement can be validated with field performance, is repeatable, and allows for prompt reporting of results. Dynamic modulus, flow number, AASHTO T283, Hamburg wheel tracking device (HWTD), and the moisture induced sensitivity test (MIST) were performed on plant produced surface mixes in Iowa. Follow-up distress surveys were used to rank the mixes by their performance. The rankings indicate both the quantity of swelling from MIST conditioning and submersed flow number matched the performance ranking of all but one mixture. Hamburg testing parameters also appear effective, namely the stripping inflection point and the ratio between stripping slope and the creep slope. Dynamic modulus testing was ineffective, followed by AASHTO T283 and ratios produced from flow number results of conditioned samples. KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Iowa KW - Materials tests KW - Moisture content KW - Ranking (Statistics) KW - Sensitivity analysis UR - http://publications.iowa.gov/15262/1/IA_DOT_RB00-012_HMA_Moisture_Sensitivity_Final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1277733 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01496715 AU - Ryu, Sungwoo AU - Choi, Pangil AU - Zhou, Wujun AU - Saraf, Sureel AU - Won, Moon C AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Texas Tech University, Lubbock TI - Improvements of Full Depth Repair Practices for CRCP Distresses PY - 2012/08//Technical Report SP - 147p AB - The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has by far the most continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) lane miles in the nation and sections as old as 50 years are still in service. Having served much longer than intended, some sections are showing distresses. Full-depth repair (FDR) is one of the methods to repair CRCP distresses in Texas. Over the years, various FDR methods have been used and the effectiveness of each method has varied. The most widely used FDR method – where a full-depth cut is made at 2 ft (30.48 cm) inside the transverse repair boundaries and partial-depth cut at repair boundaries with the concrete in between removed to expose longitudinal steel – has inherent disadvantages, with longer repair time required being the primary disadvantage. Full-depth cut FDR method – where a full-depth cut is made at repair boundaries with transverse and longitudinal tie bars epoxy grouted into the existing concrete – has advantages over other methods, one of which is the faster operation, minimizing the time of roadway closure. Since CRCP is normally utilized at high traffic volume areas, the maximum time allowed for the FDR operation in TxDOT is normally limited to nine hours, which makes the full-depth cut method the only acceptable repair method. Factors affecting the effectiveness of the full-depth cut method were investigated by laboratory testing and field evaluations. The way epoxy is injected into the holes was the most important variable affecting the performance of FDR. Based on the research findings, recommendations were made to revise specifications for FDR, and it is expected that the implementation will result in improved FDR performance of CRCP. Some distresses in CRCP are limited to the upper half of the slab depth, and for these distresses, partial-depth repair (PDR) is the more effective method. A device called MIRA was evaluated for the detection of partial-depth failures in CRCP. MIRA was able to detect not only delaminations, but voids and mud balls in concrete slab, reinforcement, and slab thickness. For the detection of partial-depth distresses, MIRA can be a useful tool. Guidelines, special specifications, and design standards for PDR were developed. KW - Continuously reinforced concrete pavements KW - Field studies KW - Full-depth reclamation KW - Laboratory tests KW - Partial depth repair KW - Pavement distress KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Specifications KW - Texas UR - http://www.depts.ttu.edu/techmrtweb/reports/complete_reports/0-6611-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1264099 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01495184 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Risk-Based Asset Management:Examining Risk-based Approaches to Transportation Asset Management, Report 2: Managing Asset Risks at Multiple Levels in a Transportation Agency PY - 2012/08 SP - 34p AB - This is the second in a series of five reports discussing risk management and its application to Transportation Asset Management (TAM) in the United States. Report 1, titled “Overview of Risk Management”, defines risk and provides an overview of risk management as applied to managing transportation assets. This second report discusses some of the frameworks implemented in the U.S. and in other countries to enhance and assist transportation agency decision makers in the management of risks at different levels. Globally, transportation agencies are attempting to address very similar kinds of risks. These include risks to transportation assets, public safety, and those associated with failure to accomplish important goals, such as achieving lowest possible lifecycle costs, meeting infrastructure targets, and protecting the environment. KW - Asset management KW - Decision making KW - Framework (Planning) KW - International KW - Risk management KW - Transportation departments KW - United States UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/asset/pubs/hif12050.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/48000/48100/48117/hif12050.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1263008 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01494506 AU - Zaman, Musharraf AU - Gransberg, Douglas AU - Riemer, Caleb AU - Pittenger, Dominique AU - Aktas, Bekir AU - University of Oklahoma, Norman AU - Oklahoma Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Quantifying the Costs and Benefits of Pavement Retexturing as a Pavement Preservation Tool – Phases 1 & 2 PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 168p AB - The objective of the study is to build on the research done overseas and conduct a comparative field evaluation of various methods used to restore pavement skid resistance by retexturing the existing surface with either a surface treatment, chemical treatment or a mechanical process. In Phase 1, 16 field test sections were constructed on State Highway 77 between Oklahoma City and Norman. Monthly microtexture and macrotexture measurements were taken over a period of 22 months. The field data were reduced to create deterioration models based on loss of both micro and macrotexture over time. The models were then used to calculate effective service lives for each treatment which was then used as input for a life cycle cost analysis. A new life cycle cost analysis model for pavement preservation treatments based on equivalent uniform annual cost rather than net present value was developed and is used to process the pavement texture change data. This will allow pavement managers to have the required information to be able to make rational engineering design decisions based on both physical and financial data for a suite of potential pavement preservation tools. Each treatment alternative has been evaluated under the same conditions over the same period of time by an impartial research team. The project continued for a third year under the Phase 2 OTCREOS9.1-21 contract. A pavement preservation treatment toolbox for a total of 23 different treatments was developed and furnished to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) for use by its division maintenance engineers in the statewide pavement preservation program. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Life cycle costing KW - Macrotexture KW - Microtexture KW - Oklahoma KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Pavement preservation KW - Service life KW - Skid resistance KW - Surface treating KW - Texture UR - http://www.oktc.org/otc/files/finalReports/OTCREOS9.1-21-F.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1262829 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01493491 AU - Rasmussen, Robert Otto AU - Wiegand, Paul D AU - Fick, Gary J AU - Harrington, Dale S AU - National Concrete Pavement Technology Center AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - How to Reduce Tire-Pavement Noise: Better Practices for Constructing and Texturing Concrete Pavement Surfaces PY - 2012/08 SP - 45p AB - Concrete pavements can be designed and constructed to be as quiet as any other conventional pavement type in use today. This report provides an overview of how this can be done—and done consistently. In order to construct a quieter concrete pavement, the texture must have certain fundamental characteristics. While innovative equipment and techniques have shown promise for constructing quieter pavements in the future, quieter concrete pavements are routinely built today all across the United States using the following standard nominal concrete pavement textures: drag, longitudinal tining, diamond grinding, and even, to limited extent, transverse tining. This document is intended to serve as a guide that describes better practices for designing, constructing, and texturing quieter concrete pavements. KW - Concrete pavements KW - Diamond grinding KW - Noise control KW - Pavement design KW - Pavement grooving KW - Paving KW - Surface course (Pavements) KW - Texture KW - Tire/pavement noise UR - http://publications.iowa.gov/14942/1/IA_DOT_TPF-5%28139%29_InTrans_tire-pavement_noise_2012.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1261560 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01490604 AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Fatality Analysis Reporting System General Estimates System: 2010 Data Summary PY - 2012/08 SP - 36p AB - The Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), which became operational in 1975, contains data on a census of fatal traffic crashes within the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. To be included in FARS, a crash must involve a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public, and must result in the death of an occupant of a vehicle or a nonoccupant within 30 days of the crash. The 2010 FARS data file used for the statistics in this report was created in July 2011. The updated final counts for 2009 are reflected in this report. The updated final counts for 2010 will be reflected in the 2011 report. Data in the General Estimates System (GES) are obtained from a nationally representative probability sample selected from all police-reported crashes. The system began operation in 1988. To be eligible for the GES sample, a police accident report (PAR) must be completed for the crash, and the crash must involve at least one motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway and must result in property damage, injury, or death. The 2010 GES file used for the statistics in this report was completed in October 2011. KW - Crash data KW - Crash injuries KW - Crash reports KW - Data files KW - Fatalities KW - Fatality Analysis Reporting System KW - General Estimates System KW - Statistics KW - Traffic crashes KW - United States UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811660.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1259526 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01489741 AU - Adams, Teresa M AU - Janowiak, Scott AU - Bittner, Jason AU - Sperry, Benjamin R AU - Warner, Jeffery E AU - Borowiec, Jeffrey D AU - National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education (CFIRE) AU - Wisconsin Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Air Cargo in the Mid-America Freight Coalition Region PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 128p AB - This report contains a contextual review of air cargo transportation in the 10-state Mid-America Freight Coalition (MAFC) region including the industry’s recent history, security implications, and integration within the greater MAFC economy. The report contains an inventory of air cargo facilities throughout the 10-states, including airports, air cargo screening facilities, and foreign trade zones. The researchers analyzed air cargo activity by weight at the region-wide, state, and individual airport levels. An analysis of air cargo movement patterns by tonnage is also provided. Similarly the report contains analyses of MAFC air cargo movements by value and commodity. In the MAFC region, major metropolitan areas such as Chicago, IL; Minneapolis, MN; Detroit, MI; Indianapolis, IN; and Louisville, KY form the core markets for the air cargo industry. An important component of this study focuses on the improved or expanded role smaller general aviation (GA) airports can play to enhance air cargo opportunities for themselves and their community. The report contains insights into how general aviation airports can play a role within the MAFC air cargo industry. The study contains case studies of exceptional air cargo stories including the experience of airports in St. Louis, MI and Fort Wayne, IN; the role of air cargo in supporting auto manufacturing, regional contexts and considerations, and multi-airport “twinning” arrangements. Recommendations and conclusions are intended to be suggestive considerations for integration into the greater decision-making process. KW - Air cargo KW - Case studies KW - Commodities KW - Freight security KW - Freight traffic KW - General aviation airports KW - Metropolitan areas KW - Mid-America Freight Coalition UR - http://www.wistrans.org/cfire/documents/FR_CFIRE0411.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1258469 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01489533 AU - Titi, Hani AU - Tabatabai, Habib AU - Sobolev, Konstantin AU - Crovetti, James AU - Foley, Christopher AU - National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education (CFIRE) AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Feasibility Study for a Freeway Corridor Infrastructure Health Monitoring Instrumentation Testbed PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 256p AB - With current and near-term construction activities within the freeway system of Southeast Wisconsin, there is a unique opportunity to develop a detailed understanding of their in-service performance by implementing a health monitoring network that can serve as a living laboratory for the State of Wisconsin. Data from this health monitoring network can be used to develop and guide maintenance and inspection operations for these and other critical infrastructure components across the State. This monitoring network can also become a model for the nation, illustrating the benefits and cost savings from an integrated, proactive maintenance program KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Instrumentation KW - Maintenance management KW - Performance measurement KW - State departments of transportation KW - State of the practice KW - Structural health monitoring KW - Surveys KW - Transportation corridors KW - Wisconsin UR - http://www.wistrans.org/cfire/documents/FR_0408.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1258462 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01488183 AU - Chase, Steven B AU - Feeley, Katherine E AU - University of Virginia, Charlottesville AU - Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center AU - Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Integration of Structural Health Monitoring with Asset Management PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 98p AB - The Virginia Center for Innovation and Transportation Research and Virginia Tech installed a structural health monitoring (SHM)system on a Virginia bridge.Using data from this SHM system as input, a procedure was developed to provide information on the lane occupancy, speed, classification and gross vehicle weight of heavy trucks. The resulting information is very useful for bridge management. The data also augments existing bridge weigh in motion (WIM) data collection sites in Virginia. The procedure could add functionality to other bridge SHM systems in Virginia. The system provides useful information on truck loading at low cost. KW - Asset management KW - Bridge management systems KW - Bridges KW - Gross vehicle weight KW - Lane occupancy KW - Structural health monitoring KW - Traffic loads KW - Traffic speed KW - Trucks KW - Vehicle classification KW - Virginia UR - http://www.mautc.psu.edu/docs/MAUTC-2009-01%20UVA.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1257073 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01481082 AU - Fang, Xing AU - Zech, Wesley C AU - Logan, Christopher P AU - Clement, T Prabhakar AU - Auburn University AU - Alabama Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Assessing the Performance Characteristics of Sediment Basins Constructed in Franklin County PY - 2012/08 AB - The objective of the research project was to monitor the performance of newly designed sediment basins that were constructed on the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) 502 project in Franklin County. The project included four tasks: (1) assess performance characteristics of sediment basins on the 502 project, (2) collect cost data and perform a literature review, (3) perform a survey of the current state-of-the-practice, and (4) prepare project reports. All tasks proposed have been completed. Through completing the study, the following conclusions have been developed: A field-scale data collection plan to monitor and evaluate sediment basin performance was developed and implemented using ISCO 6712 portable automatic stormwater samplers, flow modules, a rain gauge, and weirs -- Sediment basin 4 on the 502 project did effectively remove sediments at the early stage of the construction when the basin’s influent most likely contained relative large percent of large-size sediment particles. For example, sediment basin 4 removed 97.9% and 83.7% of sediments generated by rainfall events on 11/16/2011 and 12/5/2011. -- A floating skimmer allowed for effluent to be discharged uniformly and slowly, providing longer detention time for sediments to settle in the basin. Data analyses on decay (reduction) coefficients for total suspended solids (TSS) and turbidity allowed the authors to quantify the sediment-settling rate of soils on the 502 project in Franklin County, AL. -- Appropriate PAM (or floc log) added into inflow is crucial to aid sediment settling and reduce turbidity of effluent. For example, the performance of the basin 4 was superior for the rainfall event on 11/16/2011 when correct PAM was used in the inflow channel than the performance for the rainfall event on 12/5/2011 when wrong PAM was used. -- Rainfall events with subsequent high rainfall intensity impulses generated high turbidity inflows from the construction site and suddenly increased in-basin turbidity that could be several times higher than turbidity of water already in the basin. -- Resuspension of settled sediments significantly increased in-basin sediment concentration and turbidity when the basin has experienced a number of rainfall events with large amount of settled sediments inside basin. -- An under-designed sediment basin (from a volumetric standpoint) more frequently allowed highly turbid sediment-laden runoff to directly flow over the emergency spillway to downstream receiving water body. Based upon the results of the data collected and observed site conditions throughout the research period, the following recommendations are provided to ALDOT to improve sediment basin design and installation to maximize performance efficiency and cost effectiveness: 1) Use at least 3,600 cubic feet per acre draining to the basin from the contributing the sediment basin. 2) Increase the number of PAM floc logs placed at the bottom of inflow channel to properly dose for the average flow rate of 2-yr 24-hr runoff. The number of floc logs should be based on the manufacturer recommended dosage and the expected inflow rate of stormwater runoff. 3) Consider increasing the number of floc logs placed on the sides of inflow channel to dose for the average flow rate of 10-yr 24-hr runoff. These storms will have higher water depths, resulting in a greater amount of inflow, therefore requiring a higher dosage of PAM. 4) The height of the baffles, once installed, should match the full depth of the sediment basin and not be installed below the minimum elevation of the emergency spillway. 5) Include a sediment storage volume (e.g., 500 ft3/acre disturbed) into the design specifications of sediment basins and a requirement to remove the sediment when it reaches one third of the height of the sediment storage volume. KW - Alabama KW - Construction sites KW - Detention basins KW - Erosion control KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Runoff KW - Sediments KW - Water quality management UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1250036 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01481078 AU - Zech, Wesley C AU - Fang, Xing AU - Logan, Christopher AU - Auburn University AU - Alabama Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - State-of-the-Practice: Evaluation of Sediment Basin Design, Construction, Maintenance, and Inspection Procedures PY - 2012/08 SP - 67p AB - This document is a summary of results from a survey that was conducted to evaluate the state-of-the-practice for sediment basin design, construction, maintenance, and inspection procedures by State Highway Agencies (SHAs) across the nation. The survey consisted of 68 possible questions in six categories: A. Background and Experience, B. Design, C. Construction, D. Maintenance of Sediment Basins during Construction, E. Inspection and Monitoring, and F. Lessons Learned. A total of 37 responses were received and analyzed. The responses included 37 SHAs (74% response rate) out of a total of 50 SHAs. KW - Construction sites KW - Detention basins KW - Erosion control KW - Runoff KW - Sediments KW - State departments of transportation KW - State of the practice KW - Water quality management UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1250035 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01479001 AU - Tait, Timothy D AU - Arizona Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Assessing Leadership Influences Within Public Involvement Programs for Transportation Projects: A Mixed-methods Study PY - 2012/08//Transportation Research Quick Study 8 SP - 306p AB - Since implementation, the role of public involvement in projects governed by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) has increased. However, the challenging dynamic between technical and contentious project proposals, and the need to engage stakeholders in a process of deliberative democracy has not been thoroughly explored from a leadership-theory framework. This research explored both the process and relationship elements of public meetings, and the role of leadership behaviors of project staff. This mixed-methods study collected data from public meeting attendees and project staff. The aim was to explore the correlation between the degree to which the public believed a meeting was successful, and the leadership behaviors that may contribute to legitimate and productive community meetings. The hypotheses examined correlations between observed and ideal leadership behavior s at public meetings among project staff and constituents. The findings of this study are significant on several fronts, including: (a) streamlining the NEPA process; (b) promoting earlier public engagement; (c) creating a stronger sense of participatory democracy with NEPA; and (d) producing better, more collaborative, and more accepted decisions. Data was collected using the adopted Leadership Knowledge Survey administered to project staff (N=117) and public meeting participants (N=569), and meeting observations. Ultimately, the top five behaviors for supporting productive public meetings were teamwork, ethics and character, attitude, conflict management, and vision. Future research can focus on connecting specific leadership behaviors to meetings/presenters. KW - Conflict management KW - Data collection KW - Leadership KW - National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 KW - Public participation KW - Stakeholders KW - Surveys UR - http://apps.azdot.gov/ADOTLibrary/publications/QuickStudies/PDF/TRQS-08.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247715 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01478581 AU - Shaulov, Mark AU - Green, Kevin AU - Harrington, Ryan AU - Mergel, Joe AU - Pickrell, Don AU - Keefe, Ryan AU - Van Schalkwyk, John AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - 2017 – 2025 Corporate Average Fuel Economy Compliance and Effects Modeling System Documentation PY - 2012/08 SP - 134p AB - The Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) of the United States Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration has developed a modeling system to assist the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the evaluation of potential new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. Given externally-developed inputs, the modeling system estimates how manufacturers could apply additional fuel-saving technologies in response to new CAFE standards, and estimates how doing so would increase vehicle costs, reduce national fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, and result in other effects and benefits to society. The modeling system can also be used to estimate the stringency at which an attribute-based CAFE standard satisfies various criteria. For example, the system can estimate the stringency that produces a specified average required fuel economy level, or that maximizes net benefits to society. KW - Carbon dioxide KW - Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) KW - Costs KW - Evaluation KW - Fuel consumption KW - Pollutants KW - Standards KW - Technological innovations UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/47000/47000/47027/CAFE_HS_811_670.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247584 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01478580 AU - Rajbhandari, Rajat AU - Villa, Juan AU - Tate, William AU - Samant, Swapnil AU - Ruback, Leonard AU - Kang, Don AU - Texas Transportation Institute AU - Battelle Memorial Institute AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Measuring Border Delay and Crossing Times at the U.S.–Mexico Border – Final Report: Automated Crossing and Wait Time Measurement PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 140p AB - A pilot test implemented a radio frequency identification (RFID) system to automatically measure travel times of United States-bound commercial vehicles at a selected Port of Entry (POE) on the US‒Mexico border under long-term, real-world conditions. The initiative began with a Part 1 technology trade-off study of potential detection technologies to measure travel times. A Part II initiative verified RFID as the most appropriate technology for the objectives and implemented a RFID-based reader system the selected POE: the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) at El Paso, Texas/Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The initial implementation measured crossing time, which is the average travel time completely through the POE starting at the end of the queue in Mexico. The project later added RFID reader stations at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Primary Inspection booths at BOTA and at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge POE in eastern Texas that allowed measurement of wait time. Wait time is the average travel time from the end of the queue in Mexico to the border and is a segment of crossing time. This report documents the technology system’s stakeholder involvement, planning, design, installation, integration, test and evaluation, and real-world operation as well as lessons learned. The project also developed stand-alone documents to assist future implementers of similar automated RFID-based travel time measurement systems. KW - Bridge of Americas Port of Entry KW - Commercial vehicles KW - International borders KW - Mexico KW - Ports of entry KW - Radio frequency identification KW - Texas KW - Traffic delays KW - Travel time KW - United States-Mexico Border KW - Waiting time UR - http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop12049/fhwahop12049.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1247661 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01478355 AU - Wang, Jy-An John AU - Tan, Ting AU - Jiang, Hao AU - Zhang, Wei AU - Feng, Zhili AU - Oak Ridge National Laboratory AU - Department of Energy AU - Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration TI - Developing Fatigue Pre-crack Procedure to Evaluate Fracture Toughness of Pipeline Steels Using Spiral Notch Torsion Test PY - 2012/08//Draft Report SP - 117p AB - Fracture toughness and fatigue properties of pipeline steels play a critical role in developing advanced high-pressure hydrogen infrastructure for alternative fuel pipelines program. The reliability of structure components, particularly resistance to damage and failure in the intended service environment, is highly dependent on the selected materials. An effective surveillance program is also necessary to monitor the material degradation during the course of service. Steels have been proven to be desirable for hydrogen infrastructure. However, hydrogen embrittlement is an important factor that limits steel performance under high-pressure hydrogen conditions. In order to reach the above goal, the authors have proposed an innovative technology, based on spiral notch torsion test (SNTT) methodology, to effectively investigate the material performance of X52 pipeline steel. The SNTT approach was successfully demonstrated and extended to X52 steels during the performance period. In addition to single notch front geometry, the crack growth behavior of the SNTT process has been effectively established using an integrated experimental, numerical and analytical approach. The results indicate that the proposed protocol not only provides significant advance in understanding the compliance evolution of the SNTT specimen, but also can be readily utilized to assist future development of hydrogen infrastructures. KW - Embrittlement KW - Fatigue (Mechanics) KW - Fatigue cracking KW - Fracture properties KW - Hydrogen storage KW - Notch tests KW - Pipelines KW - Steel KW - Torsion tests UR - http://info.ornl.gov/sites/publications/files/Pub38429.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1246276 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01478331 AU - Kahane, Charles J AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Relationships between Fatality Risk, Mass, and Footprint in Model Year 2000-2007 Passenger Cars and LTVs PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 189p AB - Mass reduction while holding a vehicle’s footprint (size) constant is a potential strategy for meeting footprint-based corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) and greenhouse gases (GHG) standards. An important corollary issue is the possible effect of mass reduction that maintains footprint on fatal crashes. One way to estimate these effects is statistical analyses of societal fatality rates per vehicle miles of travel (VMT), by vehicles’ mass and footprint, for the current on-road vehicle fleet. Societal fatality rates include occupants of all vehicles in the crash as well as pedestrians. The analyses comprised model year 2000-2007 cars and light trucks and vans in calendar year 2002-2008 crashes. Fatality rates were derived from Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data, 13 State crash files, and registration and mileage data from R.L. Polk. This analysis finds that societal fatality risk increases by 1.56% if mass is reduced by 100 pounds in the lighter cars. This is the only statistically significant effect found in the current analysis. KW - Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) KW - Crash rates KW - Crash risk forecasting KW - Fatalities KW - Greenhouse gases KW - Light trucks KW - Passenger cars KW - Vehicle size KW - Vehicle weight UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811665.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1246777 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01477145 AU - Won, Moon C AU - Texas Tech University, Lubbock AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Just in Time Technology Transfer for Portland Cement Concrete Pavement Construction and Rehabilitation PY - 2012/08//Technical Report SP - 20p AB - As of 2010, the total lane mileage of continuously reinforced concrete pavements (CRCP) in Texas accounts for about 5.4% of total lane mileage. On the other hand, CRCP carries about 25% of total traffic. It is quite important to Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the State to keep CRCP in good condition. In-depth evaluations of CRCP condition in Texas reveal that the overall condition of CRCP is excellent, with actual performance exceeding intended design lives twice or three times in some projects. On the other hand, distresses do occur in CRCP. TxDOT’s “Rigid Pavement Database” research study evaluated the distresses in CRCP, and discovered that most of the distresses were not due to the structural deficiency of the pavement system; rather, they were due to the quality issues in materials and construction. Enhancing the quality of materials and construction operations of CRCP is the most cost-effective way to improve performance, rather than increasing slab thicknesses. This implementation project aimed at enhancing the quality of the materials and construction operations for CRCP by developing training materials and providing training to TxDOT and contractor personnel. Three areas that need the most attention were identified: (1) materials and construction issues of CRCP for optimum performance, (2) full- and partial-depth repairs of CRCP, and (3) prevention and repair lane separations in concrete pavement. For the development of training material, district construction and maintenance staff were consulted along with the review of publications on CRCP construction and rehabilitation. Also, the information gathered over the years under various TxDOT research studies was utilized KW - Continuously reinforced concrete pavements KW - Materials selection KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Pavement performance KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Quality control KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) KW - Technology transfer KW - Texas KW - Training UR - http://www.depts.ttu.edu/techmrtweb/reports/complete_reports/5-9045-05-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1244736 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01476970 AU - Floyd, Royce AU - Hale, W Micah AU - Mack-Blackwell Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Performance of Prestressed Girders Cast with LWSCC PY - 2012/08//Technical Report SP - 506p AB - Bond of prestressing steel has been a much debated topic since the 1950s. Limited data are available on the transfer and development length of strands cast in self consolidating concrete (SCC) and even less for strands cast in light weight, self-consolidating concrete (LWSCC). The differences in material properties resulting from the lightweight coarse aggregate and mix proportioning used for LWSCC have potential to lead to longer transfer and development lengths than those for conventional concrete, which can be detrimental to shear and flexural performance. The transfer and development length equations provided in the American Concrete Institute (ACI) Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Bridge Design specifications are based on studies performed using conventional concrete. This research project examined the transfer and development length of LWSCC specimens using 0.6 in. (15.2 mm) Grade 270 prestressing strand. The bond performance of LWSCC with a release strength of 6000 psi (41 MPa) was very similar to normal weight SCC, the transfer lengths for both strength levels were accurately predicted by the code equations, and the measured development lengths were significantly less than those predicted. KW - Bond strength (Materials) KW - Bridge design KW - Girders KW - Lightweight concrete KW - Prestressed concrete KW - Self compacting concrete UR - http://www.arkansastrc.com/MBTC%20REPORTS/MBTC%203021.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/47000/47100/47180/Final_Report_-_MBTC_3021.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1246283 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01476968 AU - Bymaster, Jared C AU - Hale, W Micah AU - Mack-Blackwell Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Performance of Prestressed Girders Cast with LWSCC – Phase II PY - 2012/08//Technical Report SP - 86p AB - While much research has been performed on lightweight concrete and self-consolidating concrete (SCC), the knowledge of prestress losses in lightweight self-consolidating concrete (LWSCC) is still limited. LWSCC has the benefits of increased flowability, reduced placement labor, and decreased shipping cost compared to conventional concrete. This research program included the study of 14 SCC beams cast with expanded clay, expanded shale, and limestone aggregates. Strains in the beams were measured with vibrating-wire strain gages, and the measured prestress losses were compared with current American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) methods for calculating prestress losses. The AASHTO approximate method better predicted actual losses than did the AASHTO refined method. In addition, the AASHTO approximate method gave more accurate results for the LWSCC beams than it did for the normal weight SCC beams. This research showed that the AASHTO refined method is overly sensitive to the concrete compressive strength and modulus of elasticity at release. KW - Beams KW - Bridge design KW - Girders KW - Lightweight concrete KW - Prestress losses KW - Prestressed concrete KW - Self compacting concrete UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/47000/47200/47222/MBTC3030Final_Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1246284 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01475809 AU - Morse, Lindsey AU - Frazier, Jonathan AU - Sylvester, Kathleen AU - Fisher, Frances AU - Fine, Alisa AU - Kay, Michael AU - Duffy, Catherine AU - Holder, Kirsten AU - Bartinique, Ingrid AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - National Park Service TI - Assateague Island National Seashore: Alternative Transportation Systems Planning Study and Business Plan for Alternative Transportation PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 220p AB - The purpose of this study was to (1) study the potential expansion of existing alternative transportation systems (bicycle facilities) and development of new alternative transportation systems in and around the Maryland District of Assateague Island National Seashore and (2) develop a business plan for implementation of a new alternative transportation system (transit). The park experiences congestion and parking capacity issues from its beach visitation, as well as challenges around signage, over-sand vehicle zone access, and bicycle and pedestrian access. Assateague Island also faces challenges as a barrier island and is likely to experience an increasingly dynamic land base on the island as a result of storms, natural shoreline processes, and sea level rise and other climate change effects. These changes raise questions about cost, sustainability, and access. The study consists of an assessment of current and future conditions and needs as they relate to transportation within and to the Maryland District of Assateague Island National Seashore. A transit feasibility assessment is also included. KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Assateague Island National Seashore KW - Bicycle facilities KW - Islands KW - Maryland KW - National parks KW - Parking facilities KW - Public transit KW - Traffic congestion KW - Transportation planning UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46000/46047/DOT-VNTSC-NPS-12-11.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1244575 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01475421 AU - Goodnight, Jason AU - Feng, Yuhao AU - Kowalsky, Mervyn AU - Nau, James AU - Alaska University Transportation Center AU - Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - The Effect of Load History on Reinforced Concrete Bridge Column Behavior PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 367p AB - To satisfy the aims of performance based design, levels of damage which interrupt the serviceability of the structure or require more invasive repair techniques must be related to engineering criteria. In this report, the influence of displacement history on performance limit states, the relationship between strain and displacement, and the spread of plasticity in reinforced concrete structures is explored. An experimental study is underway to assess the performance of thirty circular, well-confined, bridge columns with varying lateral displacement history, transverse reinforcement detailing, axial load, aspect ratio, and longitudinal steel content. Eight of these columns, with similar geometry and detailing, were subjected to various unidirectional displacement histories including standardized laboratory cyclic loading and recreations of the displacement responses obtained from non-linear time history analysis of multiple earthquakes with distinct characteristics. Longitudinal reinforcing bars were instrumented to obtain strain hysteresis, vertical strain profiles, cross section curvatures, curvature distributions, and fixed-end rotations attributable to strain penetration. Results indicate that bar buckling was influenced by load history, but the relationship between strain and displacement along the envelope curve was not. The main impact of load history on bar buckling is its influence on accumulated strains within the longitudinal reinforcement and transverse steel. KW - Bridge design KW - Columns KW - Concrete structures KW - Dynamic structural analysis KW - Earthquake resistant design KW - Finite element method KW - Repeated loads KW - Strain gages UR - http://ine.uaf.edu/autc/files/2013/03/410002.Kowlasky.DraftFinal.8.20121.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1245586 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01473860 AU - McDaniel, Rebecca S AU - Shah, Ayesha AU - Olek, Jan AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Longitudinal Joint Specifications and Performance PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 53p AB - Deterioration of longitudinal joints is widely recognized as one of the major factors contributing to failure of asphalt pavements. Finding ways to improve the durability of longitudinal joints will lead to improved service lives and lower life cycle costs. Research and field trials have been directed towards improving joint performance since at least the 1960s. Most of that work was addressed improving the density at and around the joint. This report summarizes an extensive review of the pertinent literature, a review of state specifications and inspection of several trial projects in Indiana related to longitudinal joint construction and performance. Recommendations are given for new and continuing efforts to encourage or require the construction of durable longitudinal joints. KW - Asphalt pavements KW - Density KW - Durability KW - Indiana KW - Literature reviews KW - Longitudinal joints KW - Pavement performance KW - Specifications UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284315024 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1244077 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01473293 AU - Furst, Anthony T AU - Madden, Eric G AU - Aspero, Eduardo AU - Blaney, Monica M AU - Long, David F AU - Ortiz, Bernardo J AU - Penne, Robert L AU - Perry, Ernest B AU - Schoener, George E AU - Sigel, Renee AU - Stevens, Spencer L AU - Sweeney, Kenneth L AU - Villa, Juan C AU - American Trade Initiatives AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) AU - National Cooperative Highway Research Program TI - Understanding the Policy and Program Structure of National and International Freight Corridor Programs in the European Union PY - 2012/08 SP - 56p AB - Growing global competition requires maximizing the efficiency of freight movement on the United States (U.S.) transportation network. The Federal Highway Administration, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and National Cooperative Highway Research Program sponsored a scanning study to learn how the European Union and various member states developed, evolved, and implemented freight transportation corridor programs on national and cross-jurisdictional levels. The scan team learned that European Union transportation policies focus on corridors and on connecting transport chains to and from neighboring countries and overseas, making freight transport more efficient and sustainable. It observed that a unifying vision linking transportation and the economy is a key element of the Trans-European Transport Network. Team recommendations for U.S. implementation include coordinating freight-planning efforts throughout North America, determining low-cost efforts to improve freight transportation, and using private-sector planning resources to aid public-sector planning, KW - European Union countries KW - Freight traffic KW - Freight transportation KW - Policy KW - Transportation corridors KW - Transportation planning UR - http://international.fhwa.dot.gov/scan/12023/eureport.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1243807 ER - TY - SER AN - 01471903 JO - University of California, Davis. Institute of Transportation Studies. Research report PB - University of California, Davis AU - Stillwater, Tai AU - Kurani, Kenneth S AU - University of California, Davis AU - California Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Preliminary Results from a Field Experiment of Three Fuel Economy Feedback Designs PY - 2012/08 SP - 14p AB - Energy feedback to drivers is one method to engage drivers in energy saving driving styles. In contrast to the occasional broadcasting of general driving tips, in-vehicle energy feedback gives drivers access to accurate information about their specific driving situation on an ongoing basis. The increasing prevalence of such feedback in new vehicles suggests a belief that ongoing, in-vehicle feedback is better. However, there is little reliable evidence of the effectiveness of energy feedback in real-word driving in passenger vehicles. This study begins to fill this gap. Participants are given a commercially available fuel consumption display and recording device to use in their personal vehicle for two months. For the first month the display is blank as the device records a baseline of driving and fuel consumption. For the second month the display is switched on to show drivers one of three feedback designs. This paper presents preliminary results (N=36) of a larger study that will include 150 drivers along the California-Nevada Interstate-80 corridor. Using a mixed-effects linear model, an average decrease of 13 between 2% and 8% in fuel consumption (gallons/100 miles) between the without- and with-feedback months, depending on the feedback designs, is found. Categorizing trips into types based on distance and multiple speed characteristics, there are differences in the apparent effectiveness of feedback across trip types. Most trips average approximately 5% reduction in fuel consumption. The long distance highway trip type showed only a 1% decrease in fuel consumption between the two study periods. KW - Design KW - Drivers KW - Energy conservation KW - Feedback control KW - Fuel consumption KW - Sustainable transportation UR - http://www.its.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/themes/ucdavis/pubs/download_pdf.php?id=1658 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1217328 ER - TY - SER AN - 01471901 JO - University of California, Davis. Institute of Transportation Studies. Research report PB - University of California, Davis AU - Stillwater, Tai AU - Kurani, Kenneth S AU - Mokhtarian, Patricia L AU - University of California, Davis AU - California Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Cognitive Mechanisms of Behavior Change in the Case of In-Vehicle Fuel Economy Feedback PY - 2012/08 SP - 14p AB - General ecodriving behaviors are moderating acceleration, top speed, and braking. This study examines both precursor cognitive factors and driver behavior changes with the introduction of energy feedback, using a framework hypothesizing that attitudes, social norms, perceived control, and goals influence behavior and behavior change. The study finds that the introduction of a feedback interface can both activate these cognitive factors and result in behavior change. KW - Behavior modification KW - Cognition KW - Drivers KW - Ecodriving KW - Feedback control KW - Fuel conservation KW - Sustainable transportation UR - http://www.its.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/themes/ucdavis/pubs/download_pdf.php?id=1659 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1217331 ER - TY - SER AN - 01471900 JO - University of California, Davis. Institute of Transportation Studies. Research report PB - University of California, Davis AU - Stillwater, Tai AU - Kurani, Kenneth S AU - University of California, Davis AU - California Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Goal Setting, Framing, and Anchoring Responses to Ecodriving Feedback PY - 2012/08 SP - 17p AB - Ecodriving, the adoption of energy efficient driving styles and practices, may save from less than 5% to as much as 20% of fuel. An interactive energy feedback interface was deployed in a field test with real-world drivers to investigate the effects on ecodriving of the interaction between drivers and in-vehicle energy use. Forty-six plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) drivers were given the ecodriving feedback interface for a multi-week trial including an interface off (baseline) and on (treatment) condition. This paper relies specifically on self-reports of driver motivations and behaviors to better understand what types of information motivated new ecodriving behavior. Interviews at the conclusion of the study revealed that the introduction of feedback led three fourths of drivers to change driving styles to maximize on-road efficiency, at least in the short term. The context of the feedback information, provided by a built-in goal or other contextualizing information such as a comparison value, is important for both comprehension and motivation. Personalization of the information allowed different drivers to access pertinent information, increasing the motivational value of the information. KW - Behavior KW - Drivers KW - Ecodriving KW - Feedback control KW - Psychological aspects KW - Strategic planning KW - Sustainable transportation UR - http://www.its.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/themes/ucdavis/pubs/download_pdf.php?id=1660 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1217330 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470845 AU - Branaghan, Russell J AU - Schvaneveldt, Roger W AU - Beringer, Dennis B AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Arizona State University, Mesa AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Baseline Assessment of the Use of Weather Information in Airline Systems Operations Centers PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 40p AB - A study was conducted to establish current (baseline) practices in the use of weather information at Airline Operations Centers (AOCs). Two large airlines with substantial international service, one smaller airline with national service, and a small regional airline were included in the study. Dispatchers were interviewed at each airline and asked to assign priorities to listed weather factors. Responses were similar across airlines, but dispatchers from the larger long-haul airlines gave somewhat higher priorities to some of the Wind factors. There were numerous differences between the priorities assigned by dispatchers and those assigned by pilots, especially during the planning phase, with small but consistent internal differences in ratings among pilots between Part 91 pilots and Part 121 pilots. The operators interviewed all expected to continue using dispatchers and weather personnel in the AOCs as integrators and flight planners/followers, expecting that the increased networking and availability of new sources of weather data envisioned in the NextGen environment would enhance their ability to make more accurate assessments of operational issues. It was deemed critical that the NextGen environment continue to provide the information currently deemed central to allowing the dispatcher-pilot team to deal effectively with diversions. Several recommendations are included for improving the structure and functioning of the weather-information environment. KW - Airline operations centers KW - Airline pilots KW - Airlines KW - Dispatchers KW - Flight delays KW - Flight plans KW - Next Generation Air Transportation System KW - Traffic diversion KW - Weather KW - Weather conditions KW - Wind factor (Air navigation) UR - http://libraryonline.erau.edu/online-full-text/faa-aviation-medicine-reports/AM12-10.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238465 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470378 AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) AU - National Cooperative Highway Research Program TI - Transportation Risk Management: International Practices for Program Development and Project Delivery PY - 2012/08//Executive Summary SP - 16p AB - Risk management is implicit in transportation business practices. Transportation agencies set strategic goals and objectives (e.g., the reliable and efficient movement of people and goods), but success is uncertain. Internal and external risk events can impact the achievement of these objectives. Likewise, agencies set performance measures and develop asset management systems to optimize investment decisions. Again, risks can impact the achievement of performance and assets. Risk is pervasive in transportation. It is incumbent on transportation agencies to develop explicit enterprise risk management strategies, methods, and tools. The leading international transportation agencies have mature risk management practices and have developed policies and procedures to identify, assess, manage, and monitor risks. From May 29 to June 11, 2011, a team of Federal, State, and public sector professionals visited Australia, England, Germany, the Netherlands, and Scotland to explore risk management practices. A brief summary of the team’s observations includes the following: „„1. Risk management supports strategic organizational alignment. „„2. Risk-based asset management improves investment decisions. „„3. A wide range of risk management tools can optimize performance. „„4. Active risk communication strategies improve decisionmaking. „„5. Mature organizations have an explicit risk management structure. „„6. Successful organizations have a culture of risk management. 7. „„Risk management enhances knowledge management and workforce development. KW - Asset management KW - Best practices KW - Decision making KW - Development KW - Investments KW - Performance measurement KW - Programming (Planning) KW - Risk management KW - Scanning studies KW - Strategic planning UR - http://international.fhwa.dot.gov/scan/12030/12030.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46700/46785/12030.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1238013 ER - TY - SER AN - 01470197 JO - TRAFFIC TECH PB - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Seat Belt Use, Especially Among Low-Use Drivers, Increases as Florida Upgrades to Primary Seat Belt Enforcement PY - 2012/08 SP - 2p AB - As a secondary seat belt law State, Florida had worked for many years to encourage more drivers to wear their seat belts by participating in annual Click It or Ticket (CIOT) mobilizations, and by conducting special programs in rural areas of the State. When Florida upgraded its seat belt law to primary enforcement on June 30, 2009, there was an excellent opportunity to evaluate the impact of the law change in the context of the annual CIOT high-visibility enforcement (HVE) mobilization that concluded one month before. Additionally, detailed driver data were available from 36 northern counties that were part of a Rural Demonstration Program (RDP) to increase seat belt use. Overall, observed belt use increased 7.3 percentage points from April to July 2009, 3 points immediately after CIOT plus another 4.3 points after the primary law went into effect (from 77.9% to 80.9% to 85.2%). This was the highest usage rate achieved in Florida at the time. By June 2010, Florida’s seat belt use increased to 87.4%. The 2010 gain was from a baseline that was 6.4 percentage points higher than in 2009. KW - Drivers KW - Florida KW - Highway safety KW - Primary enforcement KW - Rural areas KW - Seat belt usage KW - Seat belts KW - State laws KW - Traffic law enforcement UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/traffic_tech/811657.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1237162 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01470002 AU - Fitzsimmons, Eric J AU - Schrock, Steven AU - Lindheimer, Tomás E AU - Mid-America Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Evaluation of Large Truck Crashes at Horizontal Curves on Two-Lane Rural Highways in Kansas PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 33p AB - The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between roadway and environment-related factors and truck crash severity at horizontal curves located on rural, two-lane state highways in Kansas. Single vehicle truck crashes and multi-vehicle crashes involving at least one truck were extracted from the Kansas Department of Transportation’s crash and roadway databases for the years 2006-2010, resulting in 452 crash records. Descriptive statistics and 95% confidence intervals were constructed for an odds ratio analysis comparing single-vehicle truck crashes to multi-vehicle crashes involving at least one truck for the variables that were included in both databases. Overall, the odds ratio analysis indicated that single vehicle truck crashes were less likely to occur on wet pavement with shoulder rumble strips present and during non-adverse weather conditions compared to multi-vehicle crashes involving at least one truck. Single-vehicle truck crashes were also more likely to result in an injury crash compared to multi-vehicle crashes involving at least one truck. The latter were more likely to result in a fatality or property damage only crash. KW - Crash analysis KW - Crash severity KW - Heavy duty trucks KW - Highway curves KW - Kansas KW - Multiple vehicle crashes KW - Rural highways KW - Single vehicle crashes KW - Truck crashes KW - Two lane highways UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46600/46670/Schrock_463_COMBINED_FINAL.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225859 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469953 AU - Arega, Zelalem AU - Bhasin, Amit AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Recommendations and Guidelines for the Use of WMA Mixtures PY - 2012/08 SP - 7p AB - The main objective of this research study was to evaluate the influence of warm mix additives on the rheology and performance characteristics of asphalt binders with emphasis on the affects of long-term aging and use of recycled asphalt binder. In order to achieve this objective the asphalt binders were first screened based on their chemical makeup. The selected asphalt binders were combined with different warm mix asphalt additives and evaluated for their mechanical properties. Subsets of these binders were also used to evaluate the affect of long-term aging and the affect of using recycled asphalt binder on performance characteristics. Tests were also conducted using a limited number of sand-asphalt mortars and full asphalt mixtures to further corroborate the findings from the binder study. KW - Aging (Materials) KW - Asphalt additives KW - Asphalt mixtures KW - Binders KW - Pavement performance KW - Recycled materials KW - Rutting KW - Warm mix paving mixtures UR - http://www.utexas.edu/research/ctr/pdf_reports/0_6591_p1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1236959 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469932 AU - Sharma, Anuj AU - Velipasalar, Senem AU - Singh, Sanjay AU - Engel, Dave AU - Gyawali, Sunil AU - Mid-America Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Effect of Freeway Level of Service and Driver Education on Truck Driver Stress – Phase 1 PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 85p AB - This research primarily deals with truck driver stress and its nature, stressors, and their mutual relationship. During the study, different demands of driving related to roads, vehicle, traffic conditions, driver predisposition to stress, and the surrounding environmental conditions were explored. Two distinct clusters of "Low Stress Level" and "High Stress Level" were identified in the stress distribution. Binary logistic regression was used to relate these two conditions of stress with a wide range of stressors. The results found that truck driver training was a statistically significant factor in predicting low stress level. Other statistically significant factors increasing the likelihood of high stress levels were right turning maneuvers, passive overtaking, and traffic control related factors, such as, the presence of a STOP sign as a control of the intersection. The drivers own disposition to stress highly correlated with stress levels. Driving duration and vehicle parameters, like lateral velocity and co-axial acceleration, were also significant variables in explaining stress levels. The study clearly identified that driver training could lower driving stress level. Additionally, the significance of surrogate factors for level of service, like passive overtaking, controls, acceleration and turn maneuvers, also implied that the improvement of Level of Services of Freeway segments and intersections would play an important role in reducing driver stress. KW - Driver education KW - Driver training KW - Freeways KW - Level of service KW - Logistic regression analysis KW - Stress (Psychology) KW - Truck drivers UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46600/46664/Sharma_325_Effect_of_Freeway_Level_Service_FINAL_COMBINED.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225857 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01469922 AU - Ratner, Albert AU - Zhang, Yan AU - Mid-America Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Improving Freight Fire Safety: Experiment Testing and Computer Modeling to Further Development of Mist-Controlling Additives for Fire Mitigation PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 22p AB - With the purpose to minimize or prevent crash-induced fires in road and rail transportation, the current interest in bio-derived and blended transportation fuels is increasing. Based on two years of preliminary testing and analysis, it appears to be clear that polymeric additives may be added to diesel fuel to mitigate the formation of fine mists while allow regular flow through the fuel system. In this work, computer modeling was adapted as a fast and cost-effective methodology to identify the target range where polymeric additives could impact the shear-thickening effect on fuels. The Volume of Fraction (VOF) method was used within the commercial software Fluent to compute droplet behavior. Two new computational models, the combined static contact angle-dynamic contact angle (SCA-DCA) model with Jiang’s correlation and the SCA-DCA model with exponential fitting, were proposed and imposed as the boundary conditions, showing a best-fit behavior with the experiment results. KW - Combustion KW - Computer models KW - Diesel fuels KW - Fire retardants KW - Fuel additives KW - Fuel composition KW - Fuel mixtures KW - Polymers KW - Shear stress UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46600/46674/Ratner_372_FINAL_COMBINED.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225949 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01458043 AU - Audino, Michael J AU - National Center for Transit Research AU - Florida Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Analysis of the Status and Impacts of NCTR Reports PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 66p AB - The National Center for Transit Research (NCTR) at the University of South Florida (USF) assessed the implementation status and identified the outcomes and impacts of the results of 30 Florida Department of Transportation-sponsored NCTR research projects that concluded in fiscal years 2008--2010. The study attempted to address three primary research questions. 1. How well do research results reach the customer; 2. How are recipients of the research findings putting the research into practice; 3. If research is put into practice what impacts are realized. The report includes a brief summary of each of 30 NCTR-funded research projects, a summary of the research findings, a status update, and, where possible, a discussion of the impacts of each project. The report concludes with a discussion of process improvements that might be implemented to ensure future research projects produce the desired impacts. KW - National Center for Transit Research KW - Public transit KW - Research projects KW - Utilization UR - http://www.fdot.gov/research/Completed_Proj/Summary_OP/FDOT_BDK85_977-30_rpt.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225380 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01457668 AU - Scott, C Paul AU - American Trade Initiatives AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) AU - National Cooperative Highway Research Program TI - Developing Multilevel Memorandums of Understanding With Utility Companies PY - 2012/08 SP - 52p AB - The Federal Highway Administration, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and National Cooperative Highway Research Program sponsored a scanning study of innovative right-of-way and utility practices that might be applicable in the United States. The scan team found that two Australian states, Queensland and New South Wales, have developed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and similar agreements with utility companies to facilitate cooperation and optimize relationships between transportation agencies and utilities. This report provides the results of a survey of State highway agencies in the United States on partnering agreements with utility companies and whether any have agreements similar to the Australian MOUs. It also provides a step-by-step approach for developing an Australian-type MOU in the United States, a sample MOU template, and a sample conflict resolution matrix for handling differences that may arise. KW - Memorandums of understanding KW - Partnerships KW - Public utilities KW - Relocation (Facilities) KW - Right of way (Land) KW - Scanning studies UR - http://international.fhwa.dot.gov/scan/12025/12025.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1225378 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01456876 AU - Bullough, John D AU - Rea, Mark S AU - Snyder, Jeremy D AU - Skinner, Nicholas P AU - Capó, Rosa I AU - Rizzo, Patricia AU - Besenecker, Ute AU - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute AU - New York State Energy Research and Development Authority AU - New York State Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Demonstration of Roundabout Lighting Based on the Ecoluminance Approach PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 45p AB - Roundabout lighting consisting of pole-mounted high pressure sodium luminaires can be energy intensive and does not necessary provide clear delineation for drivers and pedestrians navigating a roundabout. Using the ecoluminance concept developed in a previous study, lighting integrated with vegetation using lower mounting heights and reflected light from plants and retroreflective elements, it could be possible to provide illumination at a roundabout using substantially less energy. Two short term lighting demonstrations, using the ecoluminance approach and using lower-wattage luminaires producing “white” illumination, were conducted at a real-world roundabout location in New York State. Feedback from transportation engineers and members of the public was used to refine the ecoluminance concept for a final lighting demonstration, consisting of shrubs and trees in the central roundabout island, landscape lighting for these items, pedestrian bollard lighting at crosswalks, overhead light-emitting diode (LED) luminaires in sidewalk and roadway areas, and retroreflective markers to delineate the perimeter of the central island. Photometric measurements confirmed the simulations performed during the design phase, and supported that pedestrians and roadway elements were visible to drivers and pedestrians. Observations of approaching vehicle speeds with the ecoluminance system installed and with the conventional lighting installed revealed little difference in approach speeds. The ecoluminance system had similar initial costs, mainly because of high LED equipment costs (which are decreasing over time) and used only one-fourth the energy of the conventional roundabout lighting system. KW - Energy consumption KW - Lighting KW - Luminaires KW - Pedestrians KW - Photometry KW - Roundabouts KW - Vegetation UR - https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/trans-r-and-d-repository/C-08-03FinalReport-Project18233-C0803.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1224021 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01455334 AU - Bullough, John D AU - Skinner, Nicholas P AU - Brons, Jennifer A AU - Rea, Mark S AU - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute AU - New York State Department of Transportation AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Using Lighting and Visual Information to Alter Driver Behavior PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 61p AB - Inappropriate traffic speeds are a major cause of traffic fatalities. Since driving is a task with a substantial contribution from vision, the use of lighting and visual information such as signage could assist in providing appropriate cues to encourage appropriate driving speeds. At locations such as sharp roadway curves, an overall reduction in driving speed might be desirable to prevent rollover crashes. At other locations, such as those prone to chronic congestion (exit/entrance ramps, work zones and where posted speed limits change), uniformity of vehicle speeds might be desirable in order to optimize safety and traffic flow. For roadway curves, a method of modifying the size and spacing of traditional chevron signs along a curve was used to convey the perception of increased curvature sharpness. This treatment was field tested in a controlled driving experiment, and then tested in a real-world installation along two highway curves in New York State. Based on the real-world test results, when the perception of curvature sharpness was increased, vehicle speeds were reduced enough to show a statistically significant change. To address the issue of reducing speed variance at congested locations, conditional speed display messages were displayed on a changeable message board based on the speed of oncoming traffic. Under a controlled field experiment, it was found to have the desired impact in terms of driving speed. In a real-world test installation, drivers modified their speeds which reduced speed variance in response to a similar conditional speed display sign. The results of the research project suggest that chevron size and spacing modifications can be readily implemented. Additional limited trials at different types of congested locations should be performed to better understand the impact of conditional speed displays; however, the present results of this research project are promising. KW - Bottlenecks KW - Chevron markings KW - High risk locations KW - Highway curves KW - Human factors engineering KW - New York (State) KW - Speed control KW - Speed display signs KW - Speeding KW - Variable message signs KW - Visual perception UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/pubs/C-06-36-FinalReport_0.pdf UR - https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/trans-r-and-d-repository/C-06-36-FinalReport.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46342/C-06-36-FinalReport_0.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223363 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01455298 AU - Scriba, Tracy AU - Chandler, Brian AU - Kehoe, Nicholas AU - Beasley, Kari AU - O'Donnell, Cara AU - Luttrell, Tim AU - Perry, Eric AU - Science Applications International Corporation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Assessing the Effectiveness of Transportation Management Plan (TMP) Strategies: Feasibility, Usefulness, and Possible Approaches PY - 2012/08 SP - 61p AB - Many transportation management plan (TMP) strategies have been implemented by practitioners, but there is uncertainty about their relative effectiveness. The objective of this research effort is to identify and assess possible approaches to evaluating TMP strategies, determine what data are needed and available to support an assessment, identify any relevant work completed to date, and provide recommendations on the feasibility and usefulness of and possible approaches for conducting an assessment of TMP strategy effectiveness. KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Strategic planning KW - Transportation management plans KW - Transportation planning KW - Work zones UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/publications/fhwahop12043/fhwahop12043.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222977 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01455285 AU - Azimi, Mehdi AU - Hawkins, H Gene AU - Texas Transportation Institute AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Automating the Process for Locating No-Passing Zones Using Georeferencing Data PY - 2012/08//Technical Report SP - 123p AB - This research created a method of using global positioning system (GPS) coordinates to identify the location of no-passing zones in two-lane highways. Analytical algorithms were developed for analyzing the availability of sight distance along the alignments of two-lane highways. The main algorithm was incorporated into a computer model that uses GPS data as the input and produces a method for locating no-passing zones. The resulting automated system processes GPS coordinates and converts them into easting and northing values, smoothes GPS data, and evaluates roadway alignment for possible sight restrictions that indicate where no-passing zones should be located. KW - Alignment KW - Global Positioning System KW - No passing zones KW - Passing sight distance KW - Sight distance KW - Two lane highways UR - http://d2dtl5nnlpfr0r.cloudfront.net/swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/161102-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222615 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01455263 AU - Souleyrette, Reginald AU - Hochstein, Josh AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Midwest Transportation Consortium AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Development of a Conflict Analysis Methodology Using SSAM PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 66p AB - The ultimate goal of this research was to provide improved design guidance for J-turn intersections by learning more about the safety and operational consequences of including or excluding certain geometric design features under various traffic volume conditions. The proposed methodology to accomplish this research objective was to use the VisSim micro-simulation software package in conjunction with Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Surrogate Safety Assessment Model (SSAM). Three alternative high-speed rural expressway intersection designs were modeled previously in VisSim and used to accomplish this analysis. This report examines the use of SSAM for performing a conflict analysis, comparing the safety consequences of alternative designs, and developing conflict and/or crash modification factors. A conflict analysis methodology using the SSAM software was developed and refined. The refined conflict analysis methodology is included in this report. KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Geometric design KW - Highway design KW - Highway safety KW - Intersections KW - J turns KW - Microsimulation KW - Rural highways KW - Surrogate Safety Assessment Model KW - Traffic conflicts KW - Traffic volume KW - VISSIM (Computer model) UR - http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/research/documents/research-reports/conflict_analysis_w_cvr.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222756 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01455247 AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) AU - National Cooperative Highway Research Program TI - Managing Pavements and Monitoring Performance: Best Practices in Australia, Europe, and New Zealand PY - 2012/08//Executive Summary SP - 12p AB - Because pavements represent one of a transportation agency's largest investments, an international scan was conducted to investigate how countries internationally have improved the management of their pavements as they faced the challenges of decreased revenue, deteriorating conditions, and increased public demand for transportation services. The scan, which focused on pavements but was applicable to other assets, was cosponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The scan focused on the following topic areas: 1. Processes for implementing sustainable performancebased programs for managing pavements, and the use of pavement condition information and projections to support programs such as pavement preservation, public-private partnerships, and safety hazard mitigation. 2. Effective methods for communicating with upper management, legislators, and other stakeholders, including strategies to secure public and legislative support. 3. Agency cultures that support performance-based programs, including effective capacity-building programs. 4. Techniques, tools, analyses, and reporting mechanisms that support and encourage performance-based management and optimal use of available resources in transportation agencies. Although the scan team was investigating practices for managing pavements, most of the agencies it met with manage their pavement networks in an asset management framework that considers factors such as strategic fit, effectiveness, efficiency, and risk in determining levels of investment for roads, waterways, rails, and other assets. These agencies operate in a culture in which the long-term implications of their decisions are understood and communicated to decisionmakers using strategic performance measures linked to tactical decisions. Therefore, many of the recommendations have an asset management focus that can be applied to pavements or other transportation infrastructure assets. KW - Asset management KW - Australia KW - Best practices KW - Deterioration KW - Europe KW - FHWA International Scanning Program KW - Financing KW - New Zealand KW - Pavement management systems KW - Pavement performance KW - Scanning studies UR - http://international.fhwa.dot.gov/scan/12032/12032.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222905 ER - TY - SER AN - 01455172 JO - Research Results PB - Federal Railroad Administration AU - Ranney, Joyce AU - Raslear, Thomas AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Senior Cross-Functional Support - Essential for Implementing Corrective Actions at C³RS Sites PY - 2012/08 IS - RR 12-09 SP - 4p AB - The Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Office of Railroad Policy and Development believes that, in addition to process and technology innovations, human factors-based solutions can make a significant contribution to improving safety in the railroad industry. This led FRA to implement the Confidential Close-Call Reporting System (C³RS), which includes voluntary confidential reporting of near-miss events and root-cause-analysis problem solving by a team composed of labor, management, and FRA; implementation of corrective actions; tracking the results of change; and reporting of the results of change to employees. FRA is also sponsoring a rigorous evaluation of three important aspects of C³RS functioning: (1) What conditions are necessary to implement C³RS successfully? (2) What is the impact of C³RS on safety and safety culture? (3) What factors help to sustain C³RS over time? This report is part of a series of Research Results published to provide the public with the evaluation’s findings. Two sets of findings are presented. The first set, the baseline of C³RS at one demonstration site, was obtained using two data sources: worker, manager, and other stakeholder interviews; and railroad newsletters. The second set of findings uses interviews conducted at the first three demonstration sites. KW - Close calls KW - Confidential incident reporting KW - Employee participation KW - Evaluation KW - Human factors KW - Implementation KW - Interviews KW - Near miss collisions (Ground transportation) KW - Railroad safety KW - Root cause analysis KW - Senior managers UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/595 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223448 ER - TY - SER AN - 01455168 JO - Research Results PB - Federal Railroad Administration AU - daSilva, Marco AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - 2012 ROW Fatality & Trespass Prevention Workshop PY - 2012/08 IS - RR 12-14 SP - 4p AB - Trespassing along railroad and transit rights-of-way (ROW) is the leading cause of rail-related deaths in America. Nationally, more than 550 trespass fatalities and nearly as many injuries occur each year. The vast majority of these incidents are preventable. In general, most trespassers are pedestrians who use railroad tracks as a shortcut. The goal of this workshop was to share existing industry leading practices and explore new strategies that the rail industry could pursue to reduce the number of ROW trespasser incidents and fatalities. The Federal Railroad Administration and Federal Transit Administration anticipate that the results of this workshop will be used by U.S. Department of Transportation modal administrations and their stakeholders to enhance safety on the nation’s rail transportation network. KW - Best practices KW - Fatalities KW - Pedestrians KW - Prevention KW - Railroad crashes KW - Railroad safety KW - Railroads KW - Right of way (Land) KW - Trespassers KW - Workshops UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/2204 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223447 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454890 AU - McPheron, Daniel AU - McCullouch, Bob AU - Bowman, Mark D AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Structural Impact of Construction Loads PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 42p AB - Numerous bridge construction accidents have occurred across the country because of construction loadings, which are an under-emphasized topic in many department of transportation (DOT) specifications and design manuals. Bridge girders are least stable when they are subjected to construction loads, so it is important for design engineers and contractors to understand and design for these loads. The Indiana Department of Transportation’s (INDOT's) current Standard Specifications does not contain many construction load provisions, so this study was performed to identify and implement new requirements to proactively prevent accidents from occurring in Indiana. Various documents were examined in this study, including American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) standards in addition to several other states DOT Standard Specifications and Design Manuals. Based on these documents, new falsework and formwork design loads, including horizontal loads, impact loads, and wind load, were developed and proposed to INDOT, which currently only specifies a dead load and live load. A set of drawings showing proposed minimum lateral bracing requirements was also developed to help ensure the stability of prestressed concrete and steel girders during construction. KW - Bracing KW - Bridge construction KW - Construction accidents KW - Falsework KW - Formwork KW - Girders KW - Indiana KW - Loads UR - http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3001&context=jtrp UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284314980 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46400/46462/fulltext.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46400/46470/fulltext.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223428 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454666 AU - Prozzi, Jorge AU - Banerjee, Ambarish AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Quantification of the Effect of Maintenance Activities on Texas Road Network PY - 2012/08//Technical Report SP - 54p AB - Pavement structures are designed for a finite life, usually referred to as performance period. This performance period is typically between 20 to 25 years for flexible pavements and between 25 and 40 years for rigid pavements. After this period, the pavement is predicted to reach a terminal level in terms of several preset criteria. This performance period can be reached by designing a structure that will withstand the effects of traffic and the environment through the design period or by planning a series of maintenance and rehabilitation activities that will keep the structure above the present terminal levels until the end of the design life is reached. The objective of this study is to gather data on pavement performance from the Federal Highway Administration's Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) study. The sections will be selected such that they provide enough time-series information to obtain reliable pavement performance trends. Once the data are collected, the various pavement sections will be modeled using mechanistic-empirical principles and the performance will be predicted. The Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) will be used for this purpose. In addition, empirical performance models will be developed to capture the performance (and in particular the differential performance) of the various sections. Once these two types of performance models are available, the authors will compare the effectiveness of the three types of sections. KW - Long-Term Pavement Performance Program KW - Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Pavement performance KW - Performance models KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) KW - Service life KW - Texas KW - Time series UR - http://d2dtl5nnlpfr0r.cloudfront.net/swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/161125-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223260 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454665 AU - Godazi, Khosro AU - Goodwin, Ronald E AU - Miller, Alexandra AU - Texas Southern University AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Transportation Security Institute: Recruiting Next Generation Professionals PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 34p AB - The Center for Transportation Training and Research (CTTR), as part of Texas Southern University (TSU), served as host for the 2012 Transportation Security Institute (TSI) in Houston and surrounding area. The 2012 Houston TSI focuses on the mission and objectives of transportation security professionals and introduces a preselected group of high school students to the various career opportunities within the profession. TSI provides a curriculum framework that exposes high school students to the transportation security industry via hands-on technical activities, field trips to transportation facilities, lectures by transportation professionals, and on-site seminars. Furthermore, the primary goal of TSI is to introduce exemplary secondary school students to various career opportunities in transportation security. Secondly, industry professionals will reinforce the importance of mathematics, science, and technology skills in the twenty-first century. Lastly, students will observe how public/private partnerships work to strengthen the link between today’s students and future transportation security professionals. KW - Education and training KW - High school students KW - Lectures KW - Public private partnerships KW - Transportation careers UR - http://d2dtl5nnlpfr0r.cloudfront.net/swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/161240-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223264 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454664 AU - Lee, Seokcheon AU - Tanchoco, Jose AU - Kim, Sang-Phil AU - Nantung, Tommy AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Comprehensive Testing Guidelines to Increase Efficiency in INDOT Operations PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 23p AB - When the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) designs a pavement project, the decision for Quality Control/Quality Assurance (QC/QA) or non‐QC/QA is made solely based on the quantity of pavement materials. However, the actual risk will vary depending on the severity of road conditions. The question is how to differentiate the quality testing efforts according to the severity of road conditions in order to balance required testing resources. The authors found that the number of commercial vehicles (CV) and heat index (HI: number of hot days/freezing index) can be used as criteria in classifying the road conditions. Using these two criteria, CV and HI, road sections are classified into four classes and different testing guidelines are provided for different classes. KW - Efficiency KW - Indiana Department of Transportation KW - Materials tests KW - Pavement design KW - Quality assurance KW - Quality control KW - Road conditions KW - Temperature KW - Test procedures KW - Traffic volume UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284314977 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46381/fulltext.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46400/46409/fulltext2.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223258 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454659 AU - Prozzi, Jorge AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Calibration of HERS-ST for Estimating Traffic Impact on Pavement Deterioration in Texas PY - 2012/08 SP - 65p AB - The Highway Economic Requirements System-State Version (or the HERS-ST) is a software package which was developed by the Federal Highway Administration as a tool for evaluating the performance of state highway systems. HERS-ST has the capabilities of estimating highway system performance and system needs. It also has the capability of providing investment strategies required to attain a certain level of system performance. Some states such as Indiana, North Dakota, New Mexico and Oregon have been able to make extensive use of the software. New Mexico, for example has used the software to provide an assessment for the state’s long term highway needs by running and evaluating various investment scenarios. The state of Indiana has used the software package in their Long Range Transportation Plan for assessing future system needs and budget planning. Texas has expressed interest in the HERS-ST software package, but it has been pointed out that the pavement deterioration model used by the HERS-ST software package to estimate pavement wear is inaccurate. This study focused on disaggregating the pavement deterioration model used by the HERS-ST to better understand its process with particular emphasis on traffic characteristics. This report presents a methodology that can be used to calibrate the model for state specific conditions. KW - Calibration KW - Computer models KW - Highway Economic Requirements System KW - Pavement distress KW - Software KW - State highways KW - Texas UR - http://d2dtl5nnlpfr0r.cloudfront.net/swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/169205-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223261 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454658 AU - McCullouch, Bob AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Level of Service Program for INDOT Operations PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 14p AB - Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has used an inspection program named Maintenance Quality Survey (MQS) to perform a state‐wide inspection of their roadway assets, right‐of‐way to right‐of‐way. This inspection requires two two‐person teams approximately 18 months to complete as it determines the condition of individual features and produces a grade for each one. Results from this program were used to define a work program. INDOT uses the software Work Management System (WMS) for their operations. A WMS feature that has not been utilized is the Level of Service (LOS). LOS establishes performance standards for activities and then uses an inspection program to evaluate compliance with these standards. The objective of this project was to develop a LOS program at INDOT that utilizes WMS. One key component of this program is a statistical based inspection program that inspects and grades random roadway segments. The development of this inspection program required determining the number of samples per sub‐district, the features to inspect, defining the pass/fail criteria for each feature, and field training and testing. Another key part is to develop the required WMS LOS data tables. Outcomes from the LOS program will be an improved inspection program, a data driven tool that can be used to perform LOS analyses resulting in improved work planning. Looking at operation activities from a LOS perspective provides opportunities to balance resources better and improve the planning aspect. One benefit being experienced with the implementation of the inspection program is inspection personnel time savings in collecting the LOS data. KW - Indiana Department of Transportation KW - Inspection KW - Level of service KW - Maintenance KW - Maintenance management KW - Quality of work KW - Road segments UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284314978 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46383/fulltext2.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46385/Appendix_A2.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46386/Appendix_B2.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46387/Appendix_C2.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46388/Appendix_D2.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46389/Appendix_E2.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46300/46390/Appendix_F2.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46400/46401/fulltext.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46400/46403/Appendix_A.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46400/46404/Appendix_B.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46400/46405/Appendix_C.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46400/46406/Appendix_D.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46400/46407/Appendix_E.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46400/46408/Appendix_F.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223251 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454657 AU - Lewis, Carol Abel AU - Land, Sara AU - Afefayane, Bethelhem AU - Texas Southern University, Houston AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Moving the Concept of Megaregions into Transportation Planning: Workshop Proceedings PY - 2012/08 SP - 63p AB - An area of growing dialog among transportation professionals is about megaregions and the affect the concept may have on long range travel demand and the movement of goods and people throughout a state or region. Megaregion connotes that an individual urban area does not operate singly, but in concert with other urban and rural areas as a comprehensive unit providing and attracting goods and services for the world. As these complex mobility arrangements occur, planning entities are continuing to conduct more localized scaled activities for their independent urban and rural areas. Key questions should be asked about whether another planning layer should be added that examines the megaregions and investigates the interrelationships to determine if advantages or efficiencies might be available by considering operation of the complex whole as one unit. Clearly, such an assessment would not negate the smaller, local level planning activities, but may offer the potential to more competitively posture a megaregion in line with the other 40 or so world megaregions. This work convened a workshop addressing that planning concept. Workshop participants agreed that planning for the megaregions should be added to the elements included in long range plan development. KW - Long range planning KW - Megaregions KW - Regional planning KW - Transportation planning KW - Travel demand KW - Workshops UR - http://d2dtl5nnlpfr0r.cloudfront.net/swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/476660-00051-1.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46400/46426/476660-00051-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223278 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454654 AU - Yu, Yao AU - Machemehl, Randy AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Using Real Time Traveler Demand Data to Optimize Commuter Rail Feeder Systems PY - 2012/08 SP - 111p AB - This report focuses on real time optimization of the Commuter Rail Circulator Route Network Design Problem (CRCNDP). The route configuration of the circulator system, where to stop and the route among the stops, is determined on a real-time basis by employing adaptive Tabu Search to timely solve a Mixed Integer Program (MIP) problem with an objective to minimize total cost incurred to both transit users and transit operators. Numerical experiments are executed to find the threshold for the minimum fraction of travelers that would need to report their destinations via smart phone to guarantee the practical value of optimization based on real-time collected demand against a base case defined as the average performance of all possible routes. The adaptive Tabu Search Algorithm is also applied to three real-size networks abstracted from the Martin Luther King (MLK) station of the new MetroRail system in Austin, Texas. KW - Austin (Texas) KW - Cost control KW - Demand KW - Feeder routes KW - Mixed integer programming KW - Railroad commuter service KW - Real time information KW - Routes KW - Tabu search KW - Transit operators KW - Transit riders UR - http://d2dtl5nnlpfr0r.cloudfront.net/swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/476660-00078-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223259 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454651 AU - Lewis, Carol Abel AU - Onyejekwe, Sandra AU - Collins, Darlene AU - McGaughay, Kenneth AU - Texas Southern University, Houston AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Transit Agency Strategies that Encourage Mixed Uses around Stations PY - 2012/08 SP - 46p AB - Transit-oriented development (TOD) is a mixed-use residential or commercial area designed to maximize access to public transportation that often incorporates features to encourage transit ridership. Varied interests must be represented to implement TOD. Developers present concepts and financial backing, governments create guidelines or zoning that facilitates TOD, community stakeholders voice desires about their neighborhoods and transit agencies implement the transit improvement that serves as the initial catalyst. This research focuses specifically on the role of the transit agency in encouraging development proximate to transit and investigates selected transit authorities within the United States to determine what strategies and steps they are taking to facilitate proximate desirable development around their stations. KW - Best practices KW - Mixed use development KW - Rail transit stations KW - Strategic planning KW - Transit operating agencies KW - Transit oriented development UR - http://d2dtl5nnlpfr0r.cloudfront.net/swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/476660-00054-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223262 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454649 AU - Kortum, Katherine AU - Machemehl, Randy AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Free-Floating Carsharing Systems: Innovations in Membership Prediction, Mode Share, and Vehicle Allocation Optimization Methodologies PY - 2012/08 SP - 123p AB - Free-floating carsharing systems are among the newest types of carsharing programs. They allow one-way rentals and have no set “homes” or docks for the carsharing vehicles; instead, users are permitted to drive the vehicles anywhere within the operating zone and leave the vehicle in a legal parking space. Compared to traditional carsharing operations, free-floating carsharing allows much greater spontaneity and flexibility for the user. However, it leads to additional operational challenges for the program. This report provides methodologies for some of these challenges facing both free-floating and traditional carsharing programs. First, it analyzes cities with carsharing to determine what characteristics increase the likelihood of the city supporting a successful carsharing program; high overall population, small household sizes, high transit use, and high levels of government employment all make the city a likely carsharing contender. Second, in terms of membership prediction, several modeling alternatives exist. All of the options find that the operating area is of key importance, with other factors (including household size, household densities, and proportion of the population between ages 20 and 39) of varying importance depending on the modeling technique. Third, carsharing trip frequencies and mode share are of value to both carsharing and metropolitan planning organizations, and this report provides innovative techniques to determine the number of trips taken and the share of total travel completed with carsharing (both free-floating and traditional). Fourth and finally, an original methodology for optimizing the vehicle allocation issue for free-floating carsharing organizations is provided. The methodology takes a user input for the total number of vehicles and returns the allocations across multiple demand periods that will maximize revenue, taking into account the cost of reallocating vehicles between demand periods. KW - Automobile travel KW - Demand KW - Membership KW - Methodology KW - Modal split KW - Optimization KW - Rental cars KW - Trip frequencies KW - Vehicle allocation (Car sharing) KW - Vehicle sharing UR - http://d2dtl5nnlpfr0r.cloudfront.net/swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/476660-00079-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1223263 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454386 AU - Horton, Suzanne M AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Use of Traffic Channelization Devices at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings PY - 2012/08//Technical Report SP - 27p AB - Traffic channelization devices have found new application at highway-rail grade crossings with active warning devices. Numerous studies conducted at locations where they have been installed show positive changes in unsafe driver behavior as a result of the treatments. When meeting certain requirements, traffic channelization devices and median barriers are an approved supplemental safety measure for the establishment of quiet zones. Traffic channelization devices are low cost and this makes them an attractive option for improving safety at highway-rail grade crossings. KW - Design KW - Highway safety KW - Median barriers KW - Railroad grade crossings KW - Railroad safety KW - Traffic channelization KW - Traffic control devices UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/2186 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46000/46030/TR_UseofTrafficChannelizationDevicesatHighwayRailGradeCrossings080712_FINAL.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222983 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454289 AU - Nicol, David A AU - Heuer, Dennis W AU - Chrysler, Susan T AU - Baron, James S AU - Bloschock, Mark J AU - Cota, Keith A AU - Degges, Paul D AU - Garber, Nicholas J AU - Kolb, Jeffrey W AU - McGrath, Melinda AU - Moreland, Edward AU - Tan, Carol H AU - American Trade Initiatives AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) TI - Infrastructure Countermeasures to Mitigate Motorcyclist Crashes in Europe PY - 2012/08 SP - 56p AB - The number and rate of motorcyclist deaths on U.S. roads are rising dramatically. The Federal Highway Administration, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and National Cooperative Highway Research Program sponsored a scanning study of five European countries to evaluate infrastructure improvements to aid motorcyclists. The scan team found that the types of infrastructure safety improvements used in Europe, with the exception of motorcycle-friendly roadside barriers, were those that generally improved safety for all vehicle classes. The biggest differences the team observed were in behavioral safety, helmet laws, training, and licensing. The team also noted great cooperation between road authorities and stakeholder groups representing motorcycle riders. Team recommendations for U.S. implementation include filling in knowledge gaps to improve motorcycle safety, conducting research on motorcycle infrastructure safety, and updating design guidelines to accommodate motorcyclist safety. KW - Countermeasures KW - Fatalities KW - Helmet laws KW - Highway safety KW - Motorcycle crashes KW - Motorcycle helmets UR - http://international.fhwa.dot.gov/scan/12028/12028.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222784 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454105 AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Traffic Safety Facts 2001-2010 Data: School Transportation-Related Crashes PY - 2012/08 SP - 4p AB - A school transportation-related crash is a crash which involves, either directly or indirectly, a school bus body vehicle, or a non-school bus functioning as a school bus, transporting children to or from school or school-related activities. Since 2001 there were 363,839 fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Of those, 1,236 (0.34%) were classified as school transportation-related. Since 2001, 1,368 people have died in school transportation-related crashes, an average of 137 fatalities per year. Occupants of school transportation vehicles accounted for 7% of the fatalities, and nonoccupants (pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.) accounted for 21% of the fatalities. Most (72%) of the people who lost their lives in these crashes were occupants of other vehicles involved. Since 2001, 123 school-age pedestrians (younger than 19) have died in school transportation-related crashes. Over two-thirds (69%) were struck by school buses, 5% by vehicles functioning as school buses, and 26% by other vehicles involved in the crashes. There were 49 (40%) school-age pedestrians killed in school transportation-related crashes between the ages of 5 and 7. Additional statistics on 2000-2010 school transportation-related crashes are provided in this traffic safety fact sheet. KW - Fatalities KW - Pedestrians KW - School buses KW - School children KW - School transportation KW - Statistics KW - Traffic crashes KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States KW - Vehicle occupants UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811618.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222408 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454078 AU - Environmental Protection Agency AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Joint Technical Support Document: Final Rulemaking for 2017-2025 Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards and Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards PY - 2012/08 SP - 602p AB - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are issuing a joint final rule to establish new standards for light-duty highway vehicles that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve fuel economy. This joint final rulemaking is consistent with the Presidential Memorandum issued by President Obama on May 21, 2010, requesting that NHTSA and EPA develop through notice and comment rulemaking a coordinated National Program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the fuel economy of light-duty vehicles for model years (MY) 2017-2025. This final rule, consistent with the President’s request, responds to the country’s critical need to address global climate change and to reduce oil consumption. EPA is regulating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards under the Clean Air Act, and NHTSA is regulating Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended. These standards apply to passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty passenger vehicles, covering model years 2017 through 2025. They require these vehicles to meet an estimated combined average emissions level of 163 grams of carbon dioxide per mile in MY 2025 under EPA’s GHG program, and 49.6 mpg in MY 2025 under NHTSA’s CAFE program and represent a harmonized and consistent national program. These standards are designed such that compliance can be achieved with a single national vehicle fleet whose emissions and fuel economy performance improves each year from MY 2017 to 2025. This document describes the supporting technical analysis for areas of these joint rules which are consistent between the two agencies. KW - Air quality management KW - Automobiles KW - Carbon dioxide KW - Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) KW - Emission standards KW - Exhaust gases KW - Fuel consumption KW - Greenhouse gases KW - Light duty vehicles KW - Light trucks KW - Pollutants KW - Standards UR - http://epa.gov/otaq/climate/documents/420r12901.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1218669 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01454077 AU - Turner, Daniel S AU - Jones, Steven AU - Lou, Yingyan AU - Brown, David B AU - Smith, Randy K AU - University Transportation Center for Alabama AU - University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa AU - Alabama Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Implementation of the AASHTO Highway Safety Manual PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 68p AB - This report summarizes the current status of ongoing research conducted for the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) to customize the implementation of the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) published in July 2010 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). There are three major components to this report: (1) A description of the Highway Safety Manual; its embedded definitions, methodologies, and procedures; and supporting software, publications, organizations, and assistance networks. (2) An overview of the Scoping Study conducted by The University of Alabama to identify the most efficient and cost-effective way to implement the HSM in Alabama and to customize the HSM for Alabama’s state and local governments. (3) A review of a plan proposing key implementation strategies and a general implementation configuration based on key findings of the scoping study, the results of implementation in other states (e.g., Lead State project), and additional information that has become available since the HSM was published two years ago. This report includes separate parts for each of the three major topics introduced in the preceding paragraphs, plus appendices containing key documents produced during the scoping study, ongoing and planned research that supports HSM implementation and ALDOT safety programs, and similar relevant documents. KW - Alabama KW - American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials KW - Cost effectiveness KW - Highway safety KW - Highway Safety Manual KW - Implementation KW - Project scoping KW - Software UR - http://utca.eng.ua.edu/files/2012/11/10404-Final-Report.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46200/46291/10404-Final-Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1220237 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01453951 AU - Hosteng, Travis AU - Wipf, Terry J AU - Wood, Douglas L AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Midwest Transportation Consortium AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Development of a Bridge Safety Information System for the Saylorville Reservoir Bridge PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 27p AB - In 2006, a bridge safety issue was brought to the attention of the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) regarding the response of the Saylorville Reservoir Bridge during a high wind event. Although stop-gap measures were put into place, the current knowledge of the performance of the bridge during high wind events was incomplete. Therefore, it was determined that the Saylorville Reservoir Bridge near Polk City, Iowa could further benefit from an information management system to investigate the structural performance of the structure and the potential for safety risks. The monitoring system that was in place at the Saylorville Reservoir Bridge monitors wind data and strain data separately and, through a wireless data connection, uploads this information to a webserver and a website created for the bridge. In addition, the system is programmed to send alert messages to safety personnel when wind speeds reach the predetermined threshold of 50 mph or greater. Once an alert is received, safety personnel determine if it necessary to close the bridge until wind speeds diminish. However, there was no input from the structural monitoring side of the system into the alert to provide safety personnel or engineers with information pertaining to the response of the bridge to the high winds. Therefore, development of an autonomous bridge safety monitoring and alert system for the Saylorville Reservoir Bridge would 1) provide quantitative information regarding any correlation between high wind events and excessive bridge movement, 2) result in considerable savings in manpower and cost by eliminating the need for local authorities to physically close the bridge, 3) eliminate the exposure of local authorities to potential unsafe conditions to close the bridge, and 4) allow for the safe and efficient closing of the bridge to facilitate safer driving conditions on the bridge for motorists. KW - Bridge superstructures KW - Data collection KW - Highway bridges KW - Iowa KW - Monitoring KW - Motion KW - Risk management KW - Safety management KW - Strain measurement KW - Wind UR - http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/research/documents/research-reports/mtc_saylorville_w_cvr.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222403 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01453941 AU - Godazi, Khosro AU - Miller, Alexandra AU - Goodwin, Ronald E AU - Texas Southern University, Houston AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Feasibility of Solar Powered Traffic Signs in Houston – A Step toward Sustainable Control Devices PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 37p AB - With the economy fluctuating all the time, the federal and some city governments at times spend more money than they take in from taxes. It is important for these governments to find ways to reduce spending while still providing sufficient operations for their constituency. As the national focus turns to finding alternative energy rather than the reliance of fossil fuels, it is not hard to find ways in which the city can save money. One of these ways is taking advantage of the sun’s energy to power traffic signals as well as switching the traditional incandescent bulbs to LED. Since the city’s origin, Houston, Texas has been a continuous success in population growth, land expansion, job opportunities, and a leader of industry. The city did not get to be where it is by not staying ahead of the curve. With its 2,450 signalized traffic intersections and a wide range in the number of signals at each one, the city has an opportunity to be a leader in large scale retrofitting in the United States. By retrofitting the signals to solar energy and switching to LED the city will see major energy and cost savings, as well as a significant decrease in maintenance cost and time due to the longer lifespan of the LEDs and solar panels. KW - Cost effectiveness KW - Energy conservation KW - Environmental impacts KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Houston (Texas) KW - Incandescent lamps KW - Light emitting diodes KW - Signalized intersections KW - Solar energy KW - Traffic control devices KW - Traffic signals UR - http://d2dtl5nnlpfr0r.cloudfront.net/swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/476660-00053-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1222401 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01450873 AU - Darrow, Margaret 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 - Measurement of Temperature and Soil Properties for Finite Element Model Verification PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 295p AB - In recent years, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities personnel have used TEMP/W, a commercially available two-dimensional finite element program, to conduct thermal modeling of various embankment configurations in an effort to reduce the thawing of ice-rich permafrost through thermally stable embankment designs. This modeling was done with historic air temperature data and input parameters derived from the literature, since site-specific data is typically not available. The overall goal of this study was to verify the thermal modeling results produced by TEMP/W. Temperatures and soil properties were measured at two different sites underlain by permafrost in Interior and Southcentral Alaska. A sensitivity analysis of certain input parameters was conducted on models of each site. Analysis indicates that the most critical input parameter is air temperature. While historic air temperature data provided an approximation of the regional climate, this data produced model results that were too cold by several degrees. Using air temperatures measured at each site resulted in models that closely matched the measured soil temperatures, and either matched or overestimated active layer depths. Using the overestimated active layer depth for design purposes would result in a more conservative embankment construction, which is a favorable approach if a warming climate is considered. KW - Alaska KW - Climate change KW - Data verification KW - Embankments KW - Finite element method KW - Frozen soils KW - Permafrost KW - Sensitivity analysis KW - Soil properties KW - Temperature measurement KW - Thermal properties UR - http://ine.uaf.edu/autc/files/2012/02/RR08.11.Darrow_FINAL_TEMPW_report_7_28_2010.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46100/46192/RR08.11.Darrow_FINAL_TEMPW_report_7_28_2010.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46600/46694/RR08.11.Darrow_FINAL_TEMPW_report_7_28_2010.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1218222 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01450868 AU - Joy, Richard AU - Tournay, Harry AU - Transportation Technology Center, Incorporated AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Rolling Contact Fatigue Workshop, July 26–27, 2011 PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 218p AB - In July 2011, the Transportation Technology Center, Inc., coordinated the joint Federal Railroad Association/Association of American Railroads Workshop on Rolling Contact Fatigue (RCF). The workshop was held at the Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago, IL. The objective of the workshop was to establish an understanding of the root causes for RCF and the procedures to eliminate, control, or mitigate the effects of RCF under passenger, freight, and mixed passenger/freight operation. Of particular concern is the impact of RCF on rail safety into future rail operations in North America, particularly with the advent of high-speed passenger rail operations. The workshop was tasked to identify any gaps in the current knowledge base so that timely research may be focused on these gaps in the near future. KW - Derailments KW - Fatigue cracking KW - Freight trains KW - High speed rail KW - Maintenance of way KW - North America KW - Passenger trains KW - Railroad safety KW - Rolling contact KW - Workshops UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/2185 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45700/45772/TR_Rolling_Contact_Fatigue_Workshop_07-2011_final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1218195 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449600 AU - Richard, Christian M AU - Campbell, John L AU - Lichty, Monica G AU - Brown, James L AU - Chrysler, Susan AU - Lee, John D AU - Boyle, Linda AU - Reagle, George AU - Battelle Memorial Institute AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Motivations for Speeding, Volume I: Summary Report PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 40p AB - This is volume one of a three-volume report. It contains the results of a study that examined the speeding behavior of drivers in their own vehicles over the course of three to four weeks of naturalistic driving in urban (Seattle, Washington) and rural (College Station, Texas) settings. The purpose of this research was to (1) identify the reasons why drivers speed, (2) model the relative roles of situational, demographic, and personality factors in predicting travel speeds, (3) classify speeders, and (4) identify interventions, countermeasures, and strategies for reducing speeding behaviors. Data collected from 164 drivers included 1-Hz recordings of vehicle position and speed using a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, responses to personal inventory questionnaires, and daily driving logs that captured trip-specific situational factors. Vehicle speed and position data were combined with road network data containing validated posted speed information to identify speeding episodes. The descriptive analysis of speeding data provided evidence for different types of speeding behaviors among individual drivers including: infrequent or incidental speeding, which may be unintentional; trip-specific situational speeding; taking many trips with a small amount of speeding per trip (i.e., casual speeding); and habitual or chronic speeding. Regression models were developed to identify predictors of “any” speeding (logistic regression) and amount of speeding (linear regression). Significant predictors included demographic variables, such as age and gender, situational factors, such as time-of-day and day-of-week, and key personal inventory factors, such as attitudes towards reckless driving. In addition, focus group discussions were conducted with a subset of study participants who were classified as “speeders” and “non-speeders” to identify key attitudes and beliefs towards speeding and the effectiveness of potential countermeasures. KW - Attitudes KW - Automobile drivers KW - Behavior KW - College Station (Texas) KW - Countermeasures KW - Demographics KW - Focus groups KW - Personality KW - Seattle (Washington) KW - Situational triggers KW - Speeding UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811658.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45800/45874/811658.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216284 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449590 AU - Davis, Brian AU - Donath, Max AU - University of Minnesota, Twin Cities AU - Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Aggregating VMT within Predefined Geographic Zones by Cellular Assignment: A Non-GPS-Based Approach to Mileage-Based Road Use Charging PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 63p AB - Currently, most of the costs associated with operating and maintaining the roadway infrastructure are paid for by revenue collected from the motor fuel use tax. As fuel efficiency and the use of alternative fuel vehicles increases, alternatives to this funding method must be considered. One such alternative is to assess mileage based user fees (MBUF) based on the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) aggregated within the predetermined geographic areas, or travel zones, in which the VMT is generated. Most of the systems capable of this use Global Positioning Systems (GPS). However, GPS has issues with public perception, commonly associated with unwanted monitoring or tracking and is thus considered an invasion of privacy. The method proposed here utilizes cellular assignment, which is capable of determining a vehicle’s current travel zone, but is incapable of determining a vehicle’s precise location, thus better preserving user privacy. This is accomplished with a k-nearest neighbors (KNN) machine learning algorithm focused on the boundary of such travel zones. The work described here focuses on the design and evaluation of algorithms and methods that when combined, would enable such a system. The primary experiment performed evaluates the accuracy of the algorithm at sample boundaries in and around the commercial business district of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The results show that with the training data available, the algorithm can correctly detect when a vehicle crosses a boundary to within ±2 city blocks, or roughly ±200 meters, and is thus capable of assigning the VMT to the appropriate zone. The findings imply that a cellular-based VMT system may successfully aggregate VMT by predetermined geographic travel zones without infringing on the drivers’ privacy. KW - Cellular communications KW - Cellular location tracking KW - Geographic boundaries KW - K-Nearest Neighbor Models KW - Mileage-based user fees KW - Minneapolis (Minnesota) KW - Privacy KW - Travel zones KW - Vehicle miles of travel UR - http://www.cts.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/reportdetail.html?id=2174 UR - http://www.its.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/pdfdownload.pl?id=2124 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216803 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449588 AU - Nichols, J L AU - Chaffe, R AU - Solomon, Mark G AU - Preusser Research Group, Incorporated AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Impact of Implementing a Primary Enforcement Seat Belt Law in Florida: A Case Study PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 68p AB - On June 30, 2009, Florida implemented a primary seat belt law. The State was already engaged in a Rural Demonstration Program (RDP) to increase belt usage in rural areas in the northern part of the State and participated regularly in annual Click It or Ticket (CIOT) mobilizations. This study examines the changes in belt usage associated with the primary law change and the contribution of the rural and statewide belt programs. Awareness surveys indicate that 94% of respondents knew of the primary law and 77% supported the law immediately after the law went into effect. The 2009 CIOT May Mobilization resulted in a 3-point increase in statewide usage, from 77.9% to 80.9%. The new primary law provided an additional gain of 4.3 percentage points in statewide usage to 85.2%. Belt use increased the most among the lowest belt use groups, including males, the African-American population, pickup truck occupants, younger occupants, and motorists on local roads. Statewide belt usage increased to 87.4% after the 2010 CIOT, about one full year after the primary belt law went into effect. KW - Awareness KW - Behavior modification KW - Click It or Ticket KW - Florida KW - Primary seat belt laws KW - Rural areas KW - Seat belt usage KW - Seat belts KW - Surveys UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45800/45875/811656.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216282 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449585 AU - Casanova, Tara AU - Hedlund, James AU - Tison, Julie AU - Preusser Research Group, Incorporated AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - State Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Testing and Reporting for Drivers Involved in Fatal Crashes: Current Practices, Results, and Strategies, 1997-2009 PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 98p AB - This report documents current State blood alcohol concentration (BAC) testing and reporting practices and results for drivers involved in fatal crashes. It summarizes known BAC results by State for the years 1997 to 2009 for both fatally injured and surviving drivers. It provides an overview of State practices using information obtained from telephone discussions with all States and all National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Regions. It documents case studies of 9 States (Alaska, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and South Dakota), each of which has improved or maintained high rates of BAC testing and reporting. Successful BAC testing and reporting involves three components: high testing rates, accurate and complete reporting, and careful management. This can be accomplished through laws, policies, or practices. The process involves testing, reporting, tracking, and follow-up. The context involves education, training, and management. A summary presents good practices and strategies for States that wish to improve their BAC testing and reporting. KW - Best practices KW - Blood alcohol levels KW - Case studies KW - Drunk driving KW - Fatalities KW - Fatality Analysis Reporting System KW - Impaired drivers KW - States KW - Statistics UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811661.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45800/45876/811661.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216280 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449580 AU - Huey, R AU - De Leonardis, D AU - Shapiro, G AU - Freedman, M AU - Westat AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - National Traffic Speeds Survey I: 2007 PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 98p AB - A field survey was conducted during spring and summer 2007 to measure travel speeds and prepare nationally representative speed estimates for all types of motor vehicles on freeways, arterial highways, and collector roads across the United States. Over 10 million vehicle speeds were measured at more than 700 sites included in the geographic cluster sample of 20 primary sampling units (PSUs). Each PSU was a city, county, or group of two or three counties representing combinations of regions of the United States, level of urbanization, and type of topography (flat, hilly, mountainous). Speeds were acquired on randomly drawn road segments on limited access highways, major and minor arterial roads, and collector roads. Speed measurement sites were selected in road segments with low, medium or high degrees of horizontal and vertical curvature or gradient. Overall, speeds of free-flow traffic on freeways averaged 64.7 mph and were approximately 11 mph higher than on major arterials, which at 53.6 mph were in turn about 7 mph higher than the mean speed of 46.9 mph on minor arterials and collector roads. Most traffic exceeded the speed limits. Nearly half of traffic on limited access roads and about 60% of traffic on arterials and collectors exceeded the speed limit. About 15% of traffic exceeded the speed limit by 10 mph or more on freeways, arterials and collector roads. Speeds of passenger vehicle size classes were generally higher than for medium trucks. Often, speeds of large trucks were higher than medium trucks, and in some circumstances, large truck speeds were higher than passenger vehicles. KW - Arterial highways KW - Average travel speed KW - Collector roads KW - Field studies KW - Freeways KW - Speed estimates KW - Speeding KW - Traffic speed KW - United States UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45800/45877/811663.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216279 ER - TY - CONF AN - 01449553 AU - Rochat, Judith L AU - Lodico, Dana AU - Donavan, Paul AU - Rasmussen, Robert O AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Lodico Acoustics LLC AU - Illingworth & Rodkin, Incorporated AU - Transtec Group, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Overview and application of the Continuous-Flow Traffic Time-Integrated Method (CTIM) for determining the influence of road surfaces on traffic noise PY - 2012/08 SP - 10p AB - The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration is sponsoring a Technical Working Group (TWG) to develop guidance for measuring the influence of road surfaces on tire-pavement noise, vehicle noise, and traffic noise in the U.S. This paper reviews provisional specification AASHTO TP 99-11, “Determining the Influence of Road Surfaces on Traffic Noise Using the Continuous-Flow Traffic Time-Integrated Method (CTIM)” and example applications. CTIM is a wayside measurement method which is applied to roadways where measuring single vehicle pass-by events would be difficult due to continuously flowing, relatively dense traffic. At a specified distance from the nearest travel lane, measurements capture sound from existing traffic for all vehicles on all roadway lanes (equivalent sound levels with a maximum sampling period of 15 minutes). A traffic noise prediction model is used to normalize sound levels in terms of traffic variation in order to compare data taken at different times. The method currently allows for comparison of varying or aging pavement surfaces on a single roadway; extension of the normalization process to include site variations to allow for site-to-site comparisons is being examined. U1 - InterNoise 2012New York,NY,United States StartDate:20120819 EndDate:20120822 KW - Measuring methods KW - Rolling contact KW - Surface course (Pavements) KW - Tire/pavement noise KW - Traffic noise UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45800/45894/Rochat_CTIM.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216262 ER - TY - CONF AN - 01449547 AU - Zevitas, Christopher D AU - Cybulski, Jonathan D AU - McNeely, Eileen AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Harvard School of Public Health TI - Evaluating the health benefits of natural sounds: an approach for assessing the environmental impacts of transportation noise PY - 2012/08 SP - 11p AB - Excessive anthropogenic noise has been associated with annoyance, disruption of sleep and cognitive processes, hearing impairment, and adverse impacts on cardiovascular and endocrine systems. Although transportation is a major source of noise, national policy in the U.S. has de-emphasized noise control efforts at the federal level and as a result, research and regulation of noise sources has lagged compared to that of other important environmental pollutants. But as global population and urbanization continue to grow at unprecedented rates, noise control and research will warrant increased attention if development is to proceed in concert with sustainable development principles. Adding to the development challenge are the limitations of current noise impact assessment practice, wherein the incremental effects of anthropogenic noise insults are often studied in isolation and are based on subjective measures, which introduces difficulty in teasing out individual or cumulative impacts. To address these problems, a new research approach is proposed, which seeks instead to characterize the underlying value of the acoustical environment being intruded upon by exploring the health benefits of natural sounds through a comprehensive program based on objective, physiological outcomes. Rooted in well-established methodology common to environmental health and clinical research, a proposed study methodology is outlined within the context of addressing noise impacts from commercial air tours over national parks, but may have broader applicability to clinical, occupational, and other environmental health analysis research areas. U1 - InterNoise 2012New York,NY,United States StartDate:20120819 EndDate:20120822 KW - Environmental impacts KW - Health benefits KW - National parks KW - Natural sounds KW - Noise KW - Public health KW - Quality of life KW - Traffic noise UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45800/45892/Zevitas_NaturalSounds.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216267 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449546 AU - Blower, Daniel AU - Woodrooffe, John AU - Page, Oliver AU - University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Analysis of Rear Underride in Fatal Truck Crashes, 2008 PY - 2012/08 SP - 90p AB - This study was conducted by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) to collect and analyze crash data on rear underride in fatal truck crashes in 2008. The underride data was collected as a supplement to the 2008 Trucks Involved in Fatal Accidents (TIFA) survey, which in turn supplements National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System file. Data was collected on the rear geometry of the rear-most unit of all trucks in the 2008 TIFA file. In addition, for all collisions in which the rear of the truck was struck, data was collected on the extent of underride, damage to the underride guard, if any, and whether the collision was offset. In addition, international rear underride protection standards were surveyed and summarized. Overall, accounting for the rear geometry of the vehicles and exemptions for certain cargo body types, it is estimated that about 39 percent of straight trucks in the crashes were required to have underride guards, and about 64 to 66 percent of trailers pulled by tractors were required to have them. Rear underride was noted in about 63 percent of rear-end-struck (RES) crash involvements. The underride was to the windshield or beyond in 26 percent of RES involvements. Vehicles with lower front geometry tended to experience more underride than vehicles with a higher front geometry. Offset impact was not associated with greater damage to the underride guard, but did tend to result in more extensive underride. There were 532 fatalities to the occupants of vehicles that struck the rears of trucks. There was some underride reported in 59 percent of the fatalities. Considering light passenger vehicles only, 403 fatalities occurred in RES involvements, with some underride in 260, or 65 percent of the cases. KW - Fatalities KW - Rear end crashes KW - Traffic safety KW - Truck crashes KW - Trucks KW - Trucks Involved in Fatal Accidents KW - Underride guards KW - Underride override crashes UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crashworthiness/Truck%20Underride/811652.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1217083 ER - TY - CONF AN - 01449540 AU - Rochat, Judith L AU - Donavan, Paul AU - Seybert, Andrew AU - Dare, Tyler AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Illingworth & Rodkin, Incorporated AU - University of Kentucky, Lexington AU - Purdue University TI - Pavement sound absorption measurements in the U.S. PY - 2012/08 SP - 15p AB - In the U.S., the topic of pavement sound absorption in regard to tire-pavement noise has shown increased interest and research over the last several years. Four types of pavement sound absorption measurements with various applications are discussed: 1) in-situ measurement of effective flow resistivity (EFR), applying a modified version of ANSI S1.18-1999, obtaining EFR values for pavements allows for direct input to the Federal Highway Administration Traffic Noise Model to more precisely represent pavement sound absorption in the propagation algorithms; 2) laboratory measurement of near-grazing incidence sound propagation properties over porous pavement, as compared to a perfectly reflecting surface, the results provide a descriptor of sound propagation at shallow angles of incidence, which cannot be predicted from absorption data alone; 3) developing a method to simulate the propagation of tire noise over pavement surfaces, the average sound intensity for a compact loudspeaker is measured along with resultant sound pressure levels at two distances, and the difference in levels is reported; 4) in-situ measurement of pavement sound absorption using an impedance tube mounted on pavement, part of ISO 13472-2, method is used in the qualification of pass-by test tracks mandated by ISO 10844 and can be used in other applications where sound absorption is less than ~15%. U1 - InterNoise 2012New York,NY,United States StartDate:20120819 EndDate:20120822 KW - Measuring methods KW - Rolling contact KW - Sound absorption KW - Sound transmission KW - Tire/pavement noise KW - Traffic Noise Model UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45800/45893/Rochat_PavementSound.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216265 ER - TY - CONF AN - 01449536 AU - Roof, Christopher AU - Ahearn, Meghan AU - Koopmann, Jonathan AU - Cointin, Rebecca AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Advanced Aviation Environmental Modeling Tools to Inform Policymakers PY - 2012/08 SP - 8p AB - Aviation environmental models which conform to international guidance have advanced over the past several decades. Enhancements to algorithms and databases have increasingly shown these models to compare well with gold standard measured data. The Federal Aviation Administration’s Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) brings these enhancements into a new capability to investigate interdependencies within a single modeling environment. It provides an interactive environment to iterate noise modeling results relative to contributing aircraft events, as well as understand the fuel burn and emissions consequences of model scenarios. This paper presents an overview of the tool, including its capabilities to analyze the implications of technology and operational improvements planned for the next generation airspace system. An example is provided that illustrates how the tool may better inform aviation policymakers as they prepare for the significant growth expected in the aviation industry. U1 - InterNoise 2012New York,NY,United States StartDate:20120819 EndDate:20120822 KW - Aircraft noise KW - Aviation KW - Aviation Environmental Design Tool KW - Environmental impacts KW - Environmental models KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Pollutants KW - Technological innovations UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45800/45896/Roof_AdvancedAviation.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216269 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449521 AU - Liu, Henry X AU - Wu, Xinkai AU - University of Minnesota, Twin Cities AU - Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Estimating and Measuring Arterial Travel Time and Delay PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 46p AB - To estimate arterial travel time/delay, the key element is to estimate intersection queue length, since travel time, delay, and level of services can be easily derived from queue length information. In this study, the authors developed a new traffic flow model, named shockwave profile model (SPM), to describe queuing dynamics for congested arterial networks. Taking advantage of the fact that traffic states within a congested link can be simplified as free-flow, saturated, and jammed conditions, the SPM simulates traffic dynamics by analytically deriving the trajectories of four major shockwaves. This model is particularly suitable for simulating congested traffic especially with queue spillover. In the SPM, a novel approach is proposed as part of the SPM, in which queue spillover is treated as either extending a red phase or creating new cycles. Since only the essential features, i.e. queue build-up and dissipation, are considered, the SPM significantly reduces the computational load and improves the numerical efficiency. The authors further validated the SPM using real-world traffic signal data collected from a major arterial in the Twin Cities. The results clearly demonstrate its effectiveness and accuracy. This model can be applied to estimate arterial travel time and delay and optimize signal timing in real time. KW - Arterial highways KW - Cell transmission model KW - Queuing KW - Traffic congestion KW - Traffic delays KW - Traffic models KW - Traffic signal timing KW - Travel time KW - Twin Cities, Minnesota UR - http://www.its.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/pdfdownload.pl?id=2094 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1217086 ER - TY - CONF AN - 01449519 AU - Boeker, Eric AU - Rosenbaum, Joyce AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center TI - Intelligent switching between different noise propagation algorithms: analysis and sensitivity PY - 2012/08 SP - 12p AB - When modeling aircraft noise on a large scale (such as an analysis of annual aircraft operations at an airport), it is important that the noise propagation model used for the analysis be both efficient and accurate. In this analysis, three different propagation methods are compared over a range of different environmental conditions (uneven terrain, terrain blockage, refractive atmosphere, and ground type transitions) and geometric orientations. These results are then used to inform a scheme of “intelligent switching” between different noise propagation methods as an approach to address the long computational run times without sacrificing accuracy in a noise model. The feasibility of this strategy is discussed and potential implementation hurdles are identified. U1 - InterNoise 2012New York,NY,United States StartDate:20120819 EndDate:20120822 KW - Aircraft noise KW - Algorithms KW - Computation time KW - Hybrid Propagation Model KW - Noise models KW - Sound transmission KW - Terrain UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45800/45895/Boeker_IntelligentSwitching.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216261 ER - TY - CONF AN - 01449510 AU - Bürki-Cohen, Judith AU - Sparko, Andrea L TI - Validation of LOC-I Interventions PY - 2012/08 SP - 10p AB - The basic tenet of this paper is that today’s national airspace systems, at least in advanced industrial countries, qualify as so-called Highly Reliable Systems (HRS). In an HRS, even the type of accident that causes the most fatalities is a rare event. This means that in an HRS, the avoidance of accidents is a frequent event. Therefore, the best way to improve an already highly reliable system would be to learn from the cases where accidents have been avoided. This is not possible, however, because you can’t learn from what is unknown. Instead, safety managers resort to retrospective analyses of the most deadly accidents overall. In an unreliable system, it makes sense to correct what is wrong. In an HRS, however, any mitigation efforts that arise from rare, unpredictable, and often unique events carry great danger to upset the balance of the HRS. Such interventions must be scrupulously vetted, in a series of steps that become increasingly costly as the series progresses. This paper makes some suggestions for these steps. If the anticipated benefit from the intervention is not worth the cost of such a thorough review for unintended consequences, then it may be better to accept the existing high reliability of the system as good enough and leave the system unchanged. U1 - AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, 2012Minneapolis,MN,United States StartDate:20120813 EndDate:20120816 KW - Accident mitigation KW - Aviation safety KW - Consequences KW - Interventions KW - Loss of control KW - Reliability KW - Validation UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45800/45897/Burki_Cohen_ValidationLOC.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45800/45897/BurkiCohen_GNC_JBC_Validation_508.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216259 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449075 AU - Narsavage, Peter AU - Ohio Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Lab Testing of New Stabilization Chemical to Prevent Sulfate Heaving PY - 2012/08//Final Technical Summary SP - 25p AB - Heaving problems caused by a reaction between sulfates in the subgrade soil and the calcium found in lime and cement have caused heaving of the pavement due to a reaction between calcium (cement) from the subgrade stabilization, other minerals in the soil, and water to form a new mineral called ettringite. The objective of the laboratory testing was to determine if the Roadbond EN1 chemical will work with the subgrade soils on a specific construction project to reduce or eliminate heaving. It was concluded that adding the Roadbond EN1 product to the subgrade stabilization would not allow ODOT to significantly reduce the amount of cement, nor would it reduce the amount of expansion due to sulfates. Therefore, it is not recommended to use the Roadbond EN1 for subgrade stabilization on this project, as it appears there is no benefit to using it rather than using cement for subgrade stabilization. KW - Blowup (Pavements) KW - Calcium KW - Ettringite KW - Laboratory tests KW - Soil stabilization KW - Soils KW - Subgrade (Pavements) KW - Sulfates UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216374 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01449074 AU - Al-Rub, Rashid K Abu AU - Texas A&M University AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Nanotechnology-Based System for Damage-Resistant Concrete Pavements PY - 2012/08//Technical Report SP - 124p AB - The focus of this study was to explore the use of nanotechnology-based nanofilaments, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and nanofibers (CNFs), as reinforcement for improving the mechanical properties of Portland cement paste and creating multifunctional and sensing concrete. Due to their ultra-high strength and very high aspect ratios, CNTs and CNFs have been excellent reinforcements for enhancing the physical and mechanical properties of polymer, metallic, and ceramic composites. Very little attention has been devoted to exploring the use of nanofilaments in the transportation industry, however. Therefore, this study aimed to bridge the gap between nanofilaments and transportation materials. This was achieved by testing the integration of CNTs and CNFs in ordinary Portland cement paste through state-of-the-art techniques. Different mixes in fixed proportions (e.g., water-to-cement ratio, air content, admixtures) along with varying concentrations of CNTs or CNFs were prepared. Different techniques commonly used for other materials (like polymers) were used in achieving uniform dispersion of nanofilaments in the cement paste matrix and strong nanofilament/cement bonding. Small-scale specimens were prepared for mechanical testing in order to measure the modified mechanical properties as a function of nanofilament concentration, type, and distribution. With 0.1% CNFs, the ultimate strain capacity increased by 142%, the flexural strength increased by 79%, and the fracture toughness increased by 242%. A scanning electron microscope was used to discern the difference between crack bridging and fiber pullout. Test results showed that the strength, ductility, and fracture toughness can be improved with the addition of low concentrations of either CNTs or CNFs. KW - Carbon KW - Concrete pavements KW - Filaments KW - Mechanical properties KW - Mix design KW - Nanostructured materials KW - Nanotubes KW - Pavement performance KW - Portland cement KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Strength of materials UR - http://d2dtl5nnlpfr0r.cloudfront.net/swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/476660-00017-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216375 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01448974 AU - Fehon, Kevin AU - Krueger, Mike AU - Peters, Jim AU - Denney, Richard AU - Olson, Paul AU - Curtis, Eddie AU - Science Applications International Corporation AU - DKS Associates AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Model Systems Engineering Documents for Adaptive Signal Control Technology Systems - Guidance Document PY - 2012/08//Project Report SP - 276p AB - Model Systems Engineering Documents for Adaptive Signal Control Technology Systems is intended to provide guidance for professionals involved in developing systems engineering documents covering the evaluation, selection and implementation of adaptive signal control technology systems. KW - Adaptive control KW - Concept of operations KW - Highway traffic control KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - System requirements KW - Systems engineering KW - Traffic signal control systems UR - http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop11027/mse_asct.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1214975 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01448723 AU - Rao, C AU - Titus-Glover, L AU - Bhattacharya, B AU - Darter, M I AU - Stanley, M AU - Von Quintus, H L AU - Applied Research Associates, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Estimation of Key PCC, Base, Subbase, and Pavement Engineering Properties from Routine Tests and Physical Characteristics PY - 2012/08//Interim Report SP - 218p AB - Material characterization is a critical component of modern day pavement analysis, design, construction, quality control/quality assurance, management, and rehabilitation. At each stage during the life of a project, the influence of several fundamental engineering material parameters on the long-term performance of the pavement can be predicted using advanced tools like the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Mechanistic- Empirical Pavement Design Guide, Interim Edition: A Manual of Practice (MEPDG). Consequently, there is a need for more information about material properties, which are addressed only to a limited extent with currently available resources for performing laboratory and field testing. Reliable correlations between material parameters and index properties offer a cost-effective alternative and are equivalent to the level 2 MEPDG inputs. The Long-Term Pavement Performance database provides data suitable for developing predictive models for Portland cement concrete (PCC) materials, stabilized materials, and unbound materials, as well as other design-related inputs for the MEPDG. This report describes the procedure for developing the following models: PCC materials: Compressive strength, flexural strength, elastic modulus, tensile strength, and coefficient of thermal expansion; Stabilized materials: Elastic modulus of lean concrete base; Unbound materials: Resilient modulus of fine-grained and coarse-grained materials; and Rigid pavement design features: Pavement curl/wrap effective temperature difference for jointed plain concrete pavement and continuously reinforced concrete pavement designs. KW - Base course (Pavements) KW - Long-Term Pavement Performance Program KW - Mathematical models KW - Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide KW - Pavement design KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Properties of materials KW - Subbase materials KW - Subgrade materials UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/ltpp/12030/12030.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216257 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01448720 AU - Rao, C AU - Titus-Glover, L AU - Bhattacharya, B AU - Darter, M I AU - Applied Research Associates, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - User’s Guide: Estimation of Key PCC, Base, Subbase, and Pavement Engineering Properties from Routine Tests and Physical Characteristics PY - 2012/08//Interim Report SP - 90p AB - Material characterization is a critical component of modern day pavement analysis, design, construction, quality control/quality assurance, management, and rehabilitation. At each stage during the life of a project, the influence of several fundamental engineering material parameters on the long-term performance of the pavement can be predicted using advanced tools like the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Mechanistic- Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG). Consequently, there is a need for more information about material properties, which are addressed only to a limited extent with currently available resources for performing laboratory and field testing. Reliable correlations between material parameters and index properties offer a cost-effective alternative and are equivalent to the level 2 MEPDG inputs. The Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) database provides data suitable for developing predictive models for Portland cement concrete (PCC) materials, stabilized materials, and unbound materials, as well as other design-related inputs for the MEPDG. This user’s guide provides a summary of the models developed, describes their applications for specific project conditions, and lists their limitations. The following models are included: PCC materials: Compressive strength, flexural strength, elastic modulus, tensile strength, and coefficient of thermal expansion; Stabilized materials: Elastic modulus of lean concrete base; Unbound materials: Resilient modulus of fine-grained and coarse-grained materials; and Rigid pavement design features: Pavement curl/wrap effective temperature difference for jointed plain concrete pavement and continuously reinforced concrete pavement designs. KW - Base course (Pavements) KW - Handbooks KW - Long-Term Pavement Performance Program KW - Mathematical models KW - Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide KW - Pavement design KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Properties of materials KW - Subbase materials KW - Subgrade materials UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/ltpp/12031/12031.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46000/46085/User_s_guide_estimation_of_key_PCC__base__subbase.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216255 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01448716 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Sample Guide Specifications for Construction of Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil-Integrated Bridge System (GRS-IBS) PY - 2012/08 SP - 36p AB - This guide was issued to provide guidelines for construction of the geosynthetic reinforced soil-integrated bridge system (GRS-IBS). Refer to "Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil Integrated Bridge System Interim Implementation Guide" for terminology used in these guidelines. This guide serves as the technical basis for agency-developed standard specifications. Local experience and practice are incorporated as applicable. KW - Bridge abutments KW - Bridge construction KW - Geosynthetics KW - Guidelines KW - Jointless bridges KW - Mechanically stabilized earth KW - Specifications UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/12051/12051.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216264 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01448714 AU - Shan, Haoyin AU - Xie, Zhaoding AU - Bojanowski, Cezary AU - Suaznabar, Oscar AU - Lottes, Steven AU - Shen, Jerry AU - Kerenyi, Kornel AU - Genex Systems, LLC AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Submerged Flow Bridge Scour Under Clear Water Conditions PY - 2012/08//Laboratory Report SP - 54p AB - Prediction of pressure flow (vertical contraction) scour underneath a partially or fully submerged bridge superstructure in an extreme flood event is crucial for bridge safety. An experimentally and numerically calibrated formulation is developed for the maximum clear water scour depth in non-cohesive bed materials under different approach flow and superstructure inundation conditions. The theoretical foundation of the scour model is the conservation of mass for water combined with the quantification of the flow separation zone under the bridge deck superstructure. In addition to physical experimental data, particle image velocimetry measurements and computational fluid dynamics simulations are used to validate assumptions used in the derivation of the scour model and to calibrate parameters describing the separation zone thickness. With the calibrated model for the separation zone thickness, the effective flow depth (contracted flow depth) in the bridge opening can be obtained. The maximum scour depth is calculated by identifying the total bridge opening that creates conditions such that the average velocity in the opening, including the scour depth, is equal to the critical velocity of the bed material. Data from previous studies by Arneson and Abt and Umbrell et al. are combined with new data collected as part of this study to develop and test the proposed formulation. KW - Boundary layer separation KW - Bridge superstructures KW - Critical velocity KW - Floods KW - Granular soils KW - Inundation KW - Mathematical models KW - Scour UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/bridge/12034/12034.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46000/46078/Submerged_flow_bridge_scour_under_clear_water_conditions.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1216270 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01448528 AU - Dixon, Karen AU - Avelar, Raul AU - Brown, Lacy AU - Mecham, Megan AU - van Schalkwyk, Ida AU - Oregon State University, Corvallis AU - Oregon Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Quantifying Safety Performance of Driveways on State Highways PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 89p AB - This report documents a research effort to quantify the safety performance of driveways in the State of Oregon. In particular, this research effort focuses on driveways located adjacent to principal arterial state highways with urban or rural designations. This report includes safety performance functions (SPFs) that can be used to evaluate the safety impacts of various access management and driveway-related configurations on Oregon arterial corridors. The project team developed these safety metrics using statistical models and methodologies similar to those outlined in the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) published in 2010 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Instead of using a base condition SPF that included only segment length and traffic volume and then would need companion crash modification factors (CMFs) to fully analyze a corridor, the project team developed full model SPFs that do not require any additional adjustments. The resulting models varied for urban versus rural conditions, but type of land use and traffic volume were two consistently significant variables observed for both models. A companion “smart spreadsheet” accompanies this report to assist readers with implementation of the procedure. KW - Access control (Transportation) KW - Arterial highways KW - Driveways KW - Land use KW - Mathematical models KW - Oregon KW - Rural areas KW - Safety Performance Functions KW - State highways KW - Traffic volume KW - Urban areas UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45900/45900/SPR720_Driveways.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1215740 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01448519 AU - Joseph, John F AU - Sharif, Hatim O AU - University of Texas, San Antonio AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Synthesis of Hydrologic and Hydraulic Impacts: Technical Report PY - 2012/08//Technical Report SP - 172p AB - A substantial portion of the cost of highway projects [approximately 40%, according to one in-house Texas Department of Transportaiton (TxDOT) estimate] is for drainage infrastructure, which is intended to minimize any adverse hydrologic and hydraulic (H&H) impacts of the project. Yet, adverse H&H impacts are not well-defined, despite the cost invested in drainage structures for mitigation of such impacts. This report provides guidance towards defining adverse H&H impacts and recommendations for their mitigation. A minimalistic approach towards defining and mitigating adverse H&H impacts would fulfill minimal legal requirements while taking into account the sovereign immunity enjoyed by state agencies such as TxDOT. A literature review and surveys of state DOTs as well as TxDOT districts suggest that this minimalistic approach be discouraged in favor of an emerging “No Adverse Impact” approach. For better defining and mitigating adverse impacts TxDOT is to refine coordination with local floodplain administrators, optimize site visits by District Hydraulic Engineers and other designers because of centralization, continue to improve H&H modeling and documentation, disseminate best practices regarding drainage system design, and have ongoing training relating to particular H&H issues. Implementation of the recommendations may require a change in the status of the District Hydraulic Engineers. KW - Best practices KW - Drainage KW - Environmental impacts KW - Hydraulics KW - Hydrology KW - Mitigation (Storm water) KW - Runoff KW - State departments of transportation KW - Texas Department of Transportation UR - http://d2dtl5nnlpfr0r.cloudfront.net/tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6671-1.pdf UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6671-1.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46000/46052/0-6671-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1214983 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01447858 AU - Staplin, Loren AU - Lococo, Kathy H AU - Gish, Kenneth W AU - Joyce, John AU - TransAnalytics, LLC AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Functional Assessments, Safety Outcomes, and Driving Exposure Measures for Older Drivers PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 87p AB - This project was conducted to provide an objective measure of the relationship between older adults’ scores on a set of driving assessment tools and their (serious point) violations and crashes over a period of 18 months following the assessments. An additional objective was to compare alternative methods of measuring driver exposure. The assessments were performed on 692 participants age 70 and older who visited one of four Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) field offices between September 2008 and June 2009. The assessments emphasized cognitive performance domains, specifically visuospatial ability, speed of (visual information) processing, divided attention, visual search, working memory, and response planning or “executive function.” Contrast sensitivity was also measured, as well as simple and choice brake reaction time. The functional assessments examined in this research were computer-based and designed to be self-administered, although the assistance of a test administrator was always available and was required for some measures. Univariate and multivariate analyses examined the relationships between functional assessment scores and safety indicators. The measure of “executive function” (maze performance) was highlighted as a significant predictor of crash risk in the study results. This may be of interest to occupational therapy/driving rehabilitation providers as a potentially valuable tool to support clinical evaluations of fitness to drive; and, to developers of screening tools for early warning of driving impairments, and of products meant to educate older drivers and their families about age-related changes that impact safe driving. A subsample of 10 drivers participated in a naturalistic study, driving their own cars for a 1-month period with instrumentation installed by the research team. Data collected included the date and time of each trip taken, monitored via the vehicle’s on-board diagnostic (OBD)-II port; self-reported driving habits obtained via a Driving Preferences Instrument (DPI); and the date, time, and other characteristics for each trip as recorded using a paper-and-pencil trip log. The results showed a very strong (r > 0.90), significant correlation between trip log entries and OBD data; whereas DPI responses, that relied on memory and estimation, were only weakly correlated with the objective OBD record, and included both over- and under-reporting of driving exposure. These results reinforce a growing concern about the reliability of self-reported exposure data in traffic safety research. KW - Advanced driver information systems KW - Aged drivers KW - Crash prediction models KW - Driving assessments KW - Functional abilities KW - Multivariate analysis KW - Self assessments KW - Traffic safety KW - Univariate analysis UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811630.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45700/45707/811630.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1214951 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01447538 AU - Elkins, Steve AU - Niehus, Grant AU - Tario, Joseph D AU - Litteer, John AU - Rhythm Engineering AU - New York State Energy Research and Development Authority AU - New York State Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - InSync Adaptive Traffic Control System for the Veterans Memorial Hwy Corridor on Long Island, NY PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 103p AB - This report documents Rhythm Engineering’s adaptive traffic control system field installation performed by New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) along Veterans Memorial Highway in Long Island, NY. This report reviews the reason for the installation (improve progression along the Veterans Memorial Hwy intersections selected), the initial methods of testing the InSync equipment in NYSDOT’s lab and those results along with the full scope of this project (the testing, installation and configuration of the InSync:Fusion system through nine intersections along Veterans Memorial Hwy). This report documents key milestones through this project: From the kickoff meeting held on 9/13/10, through the on-site training by Rhythm Technicians on 1/18/11, to the completion of the installation by NYSDOT on 2/25/11, to the adaptive turn-on and configuration by a Rhythm Engineer starting on 3/1/11 to the “After Study” being performed from 4/11/11 thru 4/15/11. Disclosure of the Before and After Study results are captured in the Appendix areas of this report. KW - Adaptive control KW - Adaptive traffic control systems KW - Before and after studies KW - Installation KW - Laboratory tests KW - Traffic signal control systems KW - Veterans Memorial Highway (Long Island, NY) UR - https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/trans-r-and-d-repository/C-10-01%20Final%20Report%20August%202012.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/46000/46000/46029/C-10-01_Final_Report_August_2012.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1214775 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01447428 AU - Liao, Chen-Fu AU - Davis, Gary A AU - University of Minnesota, Twin Cities AU - Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Traffic Data Quality Verification and Sensor Calibration for Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) Systems PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 123p AB - Many state departments of transportation have been collecting various traffic data through the Automatic Traffic Recorder (ATR) and Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) systems as outlined in the Traffic Monitoring Guide (TMG) published by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). A pooled fund study led by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) was conducted in 2002 to determine traffic data editing procedures. It is challenging to identify potential problems associated with the collected data and ensure data quality. The WIM system itself presents difficulty in obtaining accurate data due to sensor characteristics, complex vehicle dynamics, and the pavement changes surrounding the sensor over time. To overcome these limitations, calibration procedures and other monitoring activities are essential to data reliability and accuracy. Current practice of WIM calibration procedures varies from organization to organization. This project aims to understand the characteristics of WIM measurements, identify different WIM operational modes, and develop mixture models for each operation period. Several statistical data analysis methodologies were explored to detect measurement drifts and support sensor calibration. A mixture modeling technique using Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm and cumulative sum (CUSUM) methodologies were explored for data quality assurance. An adjusting CUSUM methodology was used to detect data anomaly. The results indicated that the adjusting CUSUM methodology was able to detect the sensor drifts. The CUSUM curves can trigger a potential drifting alert to the WIM manager. Further investigation was performed to compare the CUSUM deviation and the calibration adjustment. However, the analysis results did not indicate any relationship between the computed CUSUM deviation and the calibration adjustment. KW - Calibration KW - Cumulative sum KW - Data quality KW - Minnesota KW - Standard deviation KW - Statistics KW - Traffic data KW - Weigh in motion UR - http://www.cts.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/pdfdownload.pl?id=1944 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1214052 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01446925 AU - Liao, Chen-Fu AU - University of Minnesota, Twin Cities AU - Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Using a Smartphone App to Assist the Visually Impaired at Signalized Intersections PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 102p AB - The blind and visually impaired (VI) rely heavily on walking and public transit for their transportation needs. A major challenge for this population is safe crossing of intersections. As a result of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), Accessible Pedestrian Signal (APS) systems at signalized intersections have improved significantly since 2000. However, these systems still have shortcomings for both users and municipalities, and new approaches are needed to adequately serve pedestrians with low vision. As part of our ongoing effort to develop a prototype Mobile Accessible Pedestrian Signal (MAPS) application for the blind and VI, we interviewed ten blind and low vision people to better understand what types of information they use at intersection crossings and to identify information types that could assist them. With these survey results, a MAPS prototype was developed that provides signal and intersection geometry information to Smartphone users at signalized intersections. User interaction is via simple tactile input (single or double-tap) and Text-To-Speech (TTS) technology. A MAPS prototype was developed and tested to evaluate the functionalities of providing signal and orientation information to the visually impaired travelers at signalized intersections. This proposal will build upon the developed MAPS and investigate how blind and low-vision individuals gain their spatial knowledge surrounding an intersection and how the MAPS can be used to support their decision-making strategy at intersection crossings. KW - Accessible pedestrian signals KW - Blind persons KW - Intersections KW - Interviews KW - Pedestrian movement KW - Prototypes KW - Signalized intersections KW - Smartphones KW - Visually impaired persons UR - http://www.cts.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/pdfdownload.pl?id=1790 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1214374 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01446923 AU - Eustace, Deogratias AU - Ponnada, Sowjanya AU - University of Dayton AU - Ohio Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - L&D Manual Turn Lane Storage Validation/Update PY - 2012/08 SP - 41p AB - Queuing occurs at intersections mostly due to overflow or inadequacy of turn bays. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Location and Design (L&D) Manual Volume 1 has storage requirements for both signalized and unsignalized intersections. Figures 401-9E and 401-10E of the L&D Manual provide the required turn lane storage lengths which should be compared with the real world conditions to check for adequacy of these lengths as a measure of ensuring that accesses to the left turn lanes are not blocked. In addition to the projected turn lane volume, ODOT’s methodology incorporates both deceleration (based on the speed of the roadway) and potential blockage from the adjacent through lane. Currently, however, there are no records whether these storage lengths computed by the methodology put forth in this manual are valid and accurately represent the actual conditions at intersections in Ohio. This study used real world traffic and queue storage data at some intersections and analyzed these data to validate the model ODOT is currently using. This study used the observed field data to evaluate the ODOT’s model of storage length at intersections. In addition, the queue storage lengths observed from field data were compared with the prediction results of Highway Capacity Software (HCS) and SYNCHRO computer packages. The model evaluation task evaluated the level of precision of each of the three models (ODOT, HCS, and SYNCHRO) with respect to the field data observation. L&D Manual lead the way by accurately predicting the observed queues by about 81.6% and closely followed by HCS, which also had a 79.2% prediction accuracy. SYNCHRO was by far the lowest with a 46.0% prediction accuracy. KW - Data storage KW - Field data KW - Highway Capacity Software KW - Lane overflow KW - Ohio Department of Transportation KW - Queuing KW - Signalized intersections KW - Synchro (Computer program) KW - Traffic data KW - Unsignalized intersections KW - Validation UR - http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/Planning/SPR/Research/reportsandplans/Reports/2012/Roadway/134573_FR.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45900/45938/134573_FR.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1214371 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01446461 AU - Qi, Yi AU - Chen, Xiaoming AU - Zhang, Min AU - Yuan, Peina AU - Wang, Yubian AU - Yu, Lei AU - Texas Southern University, Houston AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Training Strategies and Materials: Use of Flashing Yellow Operations to Improve Safety at Signals with Protected-Permissive Left Turn (PPLT) Operations PY - 2012/08 SP - 50p AB - Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) project 0-6568 “Use of Flashing Yellow Operations to Improve Safety at Signals with Protected-Permissive Left Turn (PPLT) Operations” has developed guidelines for implementation of Flashing Yellow Arrow (FYA) PPLT displays including general guidelines on the FYA PPLT operation and guidelines on the installation of FYA signals. To facilitate the implementation of the guidelines developed by this project, training strategies and materials have been developed for providing a training session for TxDOT signal operations and Transportation Management Center (TMC) personnel. This document consists of two parts. Part I “Training Strategies” provides details on the purpose, method, scheduling and location for the training. Part II “Training Materials” provides a list of the developed training materials along with the printouts of these training materials. KW - Exclusive permissive phasing KW - Flashing yellow arrow KW - Guidelines KW - Implementation KW - Left turns KW - Traffic control centers KW - Training UR - http://d2dtl5nnlpfr0r.cloudfront.net/tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6568-P1.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45800/45879/0-6568-P1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1214002 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01446460 AU - Arega, Zelalem AU - Bhasin, Amit AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Interim Report: Binder Rheology and Performance in Warm Mix Asphalt PY - 2012/08//Technical Report SP - 94p 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. A better understanding of the effect of WMA additives and reduced aging on rheology of asphalt binders is a crucial step towards the successful implementation of WMA. This report presents the preliminary findings from a study conducted to investigate the influence of chemical WMA additives and reduced aging on the viscosity, stiffness, susceptibility to permanent deformation, fracture resistance, and thermal cracking resistance of asphalt binders. Short-term aged WMA binders have reduced stiffness compared to conventional binders due to the reduced mixing temperatures. However, preliminary results indicate that certain WMA additives tend to exacerbate the reduced stiffness of WMA while other WMA additives tend to compensate for this effect. In most cases, long-term aged WMA binders had a similar stiffness but similar or reduced strength compared to conventional binders at intermediate temperatures. Also, the long-term aged WMA binders had similar or slightly reduced resistance to low-temperature cracking compared to conventional binders. In most cases, the use of WMA with recycled asphalt rendered the asphalt binder slightly more susceptible to low-temperature cracking. KW - Aging (Materials) KW - Asphalt additives KW - Bituminous binders KW - Cracking KW - Low temperature KW - Rheology KW - Rutting KW - Stiffness KW - Warm mix paving mixtures UR - http://www.utexas.edu/research/ctr/pdf_reports/0_6591_2.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1213993 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01446300 AU - Soerens, Thomas S AU - Parker, Solomon W AU - Mack Blackwell National Rural Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Biodiesel Waste Products as Soil Amendments - Field Study and Runoff Impacts PY - 2012/08//Technical Report SP - 45p AB - For every ten kilograms of biodiesel that is produced, approximately 1 kilogram of glycerol is created as a byproduct. Glycerol, also known as glycerin or glycyl alcohol is a chemical used in all manner of common goods including but not limited to makeup, health products, foods, shampoos, and moisture absorbents. However, the crude glycerol created as a byproduct of biodiesel production is tainted with potassium hydroxide and methanol and this makes it unsuitable for commercial use without expensive refinement. Current common methods for disposing of glycerol include incineration which releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. A more carbon neutral option is land application where glycerol can increase soil organic matter and may sequester carbon. Possible problems involved with land application include its effects on plants, microbes, and larger biological systems. The objectives of this research project were to evaluate the effects of crude glycerol on plant and microbial systems in relation to soils and the potential for runoff contamination. Three tests were used: Concentration comparison in soil with respirometry, plant germination and growth, and runoff testing by test plot application. This project is a continuation of project MBTC 3025 and some of the results included in this report were previously reported in the previous report. The results of the respirometer test show that microbial inhibition is limited and temporary at certain concentrations and not at all inhibitory at other concentrations. Microbial activity was observed in a variety of concentrations of glycerol applied to soil in laboratory tests. In plant tests, low concentrations showed greater growth over control samples and high concentrations showed inhibitory effects on both germination and growth. In land application runoff studies, runoff from glycerol treated plots showed total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations similar to controls and less than plots treated with fertilizer. KW - Biodiesel fuels KW - Environmental impacts KW - Field studies KW - Glycerol KW - Runoff KW - Soil amendments KW - Toxicity KW - Waste management KW - Waste products UR - http://www.arkansastrc.com/MBTC%20REPORTS/MBTC%203034.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45800/45883/MBTC_DOT_3034.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1213820 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01446294 AU - Poole, Harrison Walker AU - Kansas State University Transportation Center AU - Kansas Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Lateral Load Distribution for Steel Beams Supporting an FRP Panel PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 122p AB - Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) is a relatively new material used in the field of civil engineering. FRP is composed of fibers, usually carbon or glass, bonded together using a polymer adhesive and formed into the desired structural shape. Recently, FRP deck panels have been viewed as an attractive alternative to concrete decks when replacing deteriorated bridges. The main advantages of an FRP deck are its weight (roughly 75% lighter than concrete), its high strength-to-weight ratio, and its resistance to deterioration. In bridge design, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) provides load distributions to be used when determining how much load a longitudinal beam supporting a bridge deck should be designed to hold. Depending on the deck material along with other variables, a different design distribution will be used. Since FRP is a relatively new material used for bridge design, there are no provisions in the AASHTO code that provides a load distribution when designing beams supporting an FRP deck. FRP deck panels, measuring 6 ft x 8.5 ft, were loaded and analyzed at Kansas State University (KSU) over the past 4 years. The research conducted provides insight towards a conservative load distribution to assist engineers in future bridge designs with FRP decks. Two FRP panels were tested using two different support configurations. The continuous panel test was completed throughout the year of 2007 while the simple span and cantilever tests were completed November, 2010 through January, 2011. Load increments of 5 kips from 0 to 20 kips were analyzed in this report. From strain results, load ratios for beams were developed and a distribution ratio for each tests setup was determined. Additional testing was completed on the simple span in order to determine the moment curve for a beam with different loading scenarios. These moment curves provided the researchers with insight that would determine an effective load distribution length of the panel bearing on the supporting beam. KW - Beams KW - Bridge decks KW - Bridge design KW - Deck panels KW - Fiber reinforced polymers KW - Highway bridges KW - Load transfer KW - Strength-to-weight ratio UR - http://idmweb.ksdot.org/PublicLib/publicDoc.asp?ID=003822553 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1213862 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01446051 AU - Audino, Michael J AU - National Center for Transit Research AU - Florida Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Analysis of the Status and Impacts of NCTR Projects PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 66p AB - The National Center for Transit Research (NCTR) at the University of South Florida (USF) assessed the implementation status and identified the outcomes and impacts of the results of 30 Florida Department of Transportation-sponsored NCTR research projects that concluded in fiscal years 2008--2010. The study attempted to address three primary research questions: how well do research results reach the customer; how are recipients of the research findings putting the research into practice; if research is put into practice what impacts are realized. The report includes a brief summary of each of 30 NCTR-funded research projects, a summary of the research findings, a status update, and, where possible, a discussion of the impacts of each project. The report concludes with a discussion of process improvements that might be implemented to ensure future research projects produce the desired impacts. KW - Florida Department of Transportation KW - Impacts KW - National Center for Transit Research KW - Recommendations KW - Research projects UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45800/45878/77934.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45800/45878/FDOT_BDK85_977-30_rpt.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1212645 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01446035 AU - McKnight, A Scott AU - Fell, James C AU - Auld-Owens, Amy AU - Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Transdermal Alcohol Monitoring: Case Studies PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 136p AB - Judges, probation officers, and parole officers sometimes require impaired-driving offenders and other offenders to abstain from alcohol and other drugs. Consequently, they need a way to determine whether offenders are complying with that requirement. This report describes the experiences of six jurisdictions using continuous transdermal alcohol monitoring, a technology that can detect the use of alcohol by offenders and report it to authorities. Judges frequently make abstinence a requirement of an offenders’ sentence for a repeat driving-while-intoxicated (DWI) violation and sometimes make it a formal probation requirement. Unless enforced by a monitoring program, however, such a requirement may not have the desired effect. The Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring (SCRAM) device produced by Alcohol Monitoring Systems (AMS) and the Transdermal Alcohol Detection (TAD) system developed by BI Incorporated (BI) are two transdermal alcohol-monitoring devices that are increasingly being used across the country on alcohol-related criminal offenders. Both devices use ankle bracelets that sample perspiration to detect ethanol vapor and can automatically transfer the information stored on the ankle bracelet via modem to a secure Web server. The data is used to generate daily reports of offenders’ drinking events, tamper attempts, and other forms of noncompliance with program requirements. The system was designed for security and remote reporting to minimize circumvention and render the data usable by supervising agencies. In the United States, the SCRAM device has been in use longer and has achieved much greater market penetration than the TAD. SCRAM reportedly is being used in 46 States. AMS reports that it works with more than 200 service providers in more than 1,800 courts and agencies around the United States. From a group of 9,100 offenders who were monitored using the SCRAM device from 2004 to 2009, 75 percent were considered compliant (no alcohol use or tampering occurred). BI currently has more than 1,700 TAD units in use at nearly 200 sites. The objectives of this project were to determine how extensively transdermal alcohol-monitoring devices are used and to document examples of strong and innovative programs through case studies that can be used by agencies at the State and local levels considering the use of these devices to monitor offenders. Six programs were selected for case study. Information from these six case studies revealed the following: (a) use of transdermal alcohol monitoring of DWI offenders is increasing; (b) transdermal alcohol monitoring appears to reliably monitor alcohol use by offenders (prior methods had not been as reliable) and thus is beneficial to officials; (c) transdermal-monitoring devices appear not to have any insurmountable problems (cost is an issue, but costs are paid mostly by the offender). Research is needed to carefully study whether transdermal alcohol-monitoring devices reduce drinking and DWI recidivism by offenders. KW - Alcohol tests KW - Blood alcohol levels KW - Case studies KW - Drunk driving KW - Measuring instruments KW - Technological innovations KW - Transdermal alcohol testing UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811603.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1212685 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01446024 AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Summary of Vehicle Occupant Protection Laws, Tenth Edition, Current as of May 1, 2011 PY - 2012/08//Tenth Edition SP - 193p AB - This publication provides a summary chart of the key provisions of State occupant protection laws and detailed lists of these laws in every State. Such laws include requiring the use of (1) seat belts, (2) child passenger restraint devices, and (3) motorcycle or bicycle helmets. Also included are laws concerning age restrictions for motorcycle passengers and laws that prohibit riding in the bed of a pickup truck. Except as noted, the status of the State laws reported is as of May 1, 2011. KW - Bicycle helmets KW - Child restraint systems KW - Motorcycle helmets KW - Motorcyclists KW - Occupant protection devices KW - Pickup trucks KW - Seat belts KW - State laws UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811648.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1213599 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01446018 AU - Rosenbaum, Joyce E AU - Boeker, Eric R AU - Buer, Alexandre AU - Gerbi, Paul J AU - Lee, Cynthia S Y AU - Roof, Christopher J AU - Fleming, Gregg G AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Assessment of the Hybrid Propagation Model, Volume 2: Comparison with the Integrated Noise Model PY - 2012/08//Final Report SP - 17p AB - This is the second of two volumes of the report on the Hybrid Propagation Model (HPM), an advanced prediction model for aviation noise propagation. This volume presents comparisons of the HPM and the Integrated Noise Model (INM) for conditions of uneven terrain. The cases explored in this volume correspond to flat, hill, upward sloping, and downward sloping terrain presented in Volume 1 (Cases 1, 5, 6, and 7, respectively) to test the capabilities of the HPM. The results are analyzed in detail and comparisons are made between the HPM and INM results for the uneven terrain conditions. The goal of this research is to enhance the modeling capabilities of the Aviation Environmental Design Tool/INM, particularly in complicated environments such as National Parks. KW - Aircraft noise KW - Aviation Environmental Design Tool KW - Hybrid Propagation Model KW - INM (Integrated Noise Model) KW - National parks KW - Sound transmission KW - Terrain UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/45000/45700/45705/Hybrid_Propagation_Model_Vol2.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1212603 ER -