TY - RPRT AN - 01518896 AU - Ungemah, David H AU - Swenson, Chris R AU - Juriga, Jessica AU - Baker, Richard T AU - Goodin, Virginia AU - Parsons Brinckerhoff AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Colorado Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Colorado Mileage-Based User Fee Study PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 102p AB - The Transportation Research Board, Government Accountability Office, and Colorado Transportation Finance and Implementation Panel (CTFIP) suggested that Colorado pursue fees based on actual travel as an alternative to the fuel tax. Revenues from mileage-based user fees (MBUF) would not vary based on fleet fuel consumption and would instead return revenue in proportion to use of the roadway network. The 2008 CTFIP recommended specifically that the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) study MBUF in more detail. This research project investigated the application of mileage-based user fees, and more expansively road usage charges, as a possible mechanism to improve funding for transportation. The final report documents: 1) state of the practice in MBUF; 2) stakeholder and public perceptions of MBUF in Colorado; 3) operations guidance; and 4) recommendations for next steps. This yielded the primary conclusion: although a mileage-based user fee system can be created in Colorado so that all Colorado drivers pay their proportional share of roadway system costs, significant issues remain from technical, policy, and public acceptance perspectives. Too many operational and technological questions remain unanswered, and must be tested and evaluated before the state would be ready to commit to a statewide implementation of this strategy. Rather, alternative short-term measures that can accomplish many of the objectives of mileage-based user fees – namely, an increase in revenue and better distribution of payment from alternative fuel and fuel high-efficiency vehicles – should be evaluated and considered. KW - Colorado KW - Financing KW - Highways KW - Implementation KW - Mileage-based user fees KW - Public opinion KW - Recommendations KW - State of the practice UR - http://www.coloradodot.info/programs/research/pdfs/2013/mbuf.pdf/at_download/file UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1301936 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516635 AU - Mitra, Subhro AU - Lee, EunSu AU - DeHaan, Christopher AU - Kayabas, Poyraz AU - Itani, Maher AU - Mountain-Plains Consortium AU - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Integrating Supply Chain Models in Urban Freight Planning PY - 2013/12 SP - 45p AB - Urban freight planning is more complex than urban passenger transport in many respects. The complexity of the planning process arises from the fact that (1) movement of freight in an urban area is part of a logistics chain for diverse goods moved from points of production via warehouses and distribution centers to final destination, which might be another industry or end user; (2) commodities categorized as urban freight are very broad and can be subdivided into diverse groups; and (3) each group of these commodities has its own set of supply chain models. This study aims to present a holistic view on the importance of incorporating a logistics aspect into the freight model process. The flow of categories of commodities is incorporated in the urban freight planning process to improve the decision making process of the individual firm or firm group to determine shipment size, consolidation and distribution center, and mode of transport. An agricultural freight analysis case study is given to illustrate the potential of the method for integrating supply chain models in freight planning. KW - Case studies KW - Commodity flow KW - Decision making KW - Freight transportation KW - Logistics KW - Supply chain management KW - Transportation planning KW - Urban areas KW - Urban goods movement UR - http://www.mountain-plains.org/pubs/pdf/MPC13-259.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1299889 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516625 AU - Wakeman, Thomas H AU - Stevens Institute of Technology AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Lessons from Hurricane Sandy for Port Resilience PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 72p AB - New York Harbor was directly in the path of the most damaging part of Hurricane Sandy causing significant impact on many of the facilities of the Port of New York and New Jersey. The United States Coast Guard closed the entire Port to all traffic before the storm hit on October 28th. It was not fully reopened to vessel traffic until November 4th. Then, even though the waterways were open, numerous port terminals and maritime facilities did not resume their operations for several more weeks because of power failures and damages to the facilities and equipment. This study was conducted to identify lessons learned that could assist in restoring the Port and its contributions to the supply chain to service more rapidly in the future. The study used interviews of key port stakeholders to gather information, to understand events, and to identify the circumstances that led to the Port’s storm-related impacts and operational recovery. The project reviewed the existing design codes for infrastructure and attempted to identify how building codes could be improved. It also examine the activities and processes that enhanced port resiliency. There were several generalized principles that emerged from the interviews. They included: (1) Safety of life is the prime consideration. (2) Make plans before hand to provide leadership across organizations with strong and redundant communication systems between the leadership team and the staff. (3) The current designs and procedures must be re-evaluated given the frequency of storms. (4) Conduct drills and tabletop exercises. Most of the major damage within the port was related to the inundation associated with the storm surge plus a high tide. Storms capable of having similar impacts will occur in the future. The following building code recommendations are suggested: (1) The building codes of New York and New Jersey should be updated to include port specific sections that are uniform for the entire harbor region. (2) Specifically the states should adopt ASCE 24 for siting of critical utility and mechanical equipment and directly reference it for flood resistant design for all port facilities. (3) The Port Authority should add a section to their lease agreements devoted to port specific structural considerations. (4) The facility owners in the Port of New York and New Jersey should adopt a reasonable and consistent methodology for incorporating sea level rise into their facility upgrades. Merging resiliency principles from the literature and the descriptions by stakeholders, a simple stepwise process was formulated for enhancing port resiliency. There are activities that can take place prior to a disruption (i.e., pre-event) or they can take place following the occurrence of an incident (post-event). KW - Building codes KW - Disaster preparedness KW - Hurricane Sandy, 2012 KW - Hurricanes KW - Intermodal facilities KW - Port Authority of New York and New Jersey KW - Port operations KW - Recommendations KW - Risk assessment KW - Service disruption UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/pubs/Final-Hurricane-Sandy-Resilience_0.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1299556 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516606 AU - Shu, Zhan AU - Axe, Lisa AU - New Jersey Institute of Technology AU - New York State Department of Transportation AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Field Methods for Determining Lead Content in Bridge Paint Removal Waste PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 574p AB - The removal of paint from bridges and other structures is a significant issue facing transportation agencies because of the presence and potential for release of lead and other contaminants upon disposal. A large percentage of the bridges are reaching a critical level of deterioration, resulting in management issues for paint waste. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) applies a conservative approach by assuming all waste generated from bridges previously painted with lead-based paint (LBP) is hazardous. Therefore, an approach that provides accurate in-situ characterization of the waste classification would be beneficial. The goal of this project is to develop a rapid and cost-effective method that can provide an accurate characterization of waste classification. With 11 Regions and 2,385 bridges rehabilitated and subsequently repainted after NYSDOT stopped using LBP on bridges (after 1988), 24 bridges from across the NYS were selected for this study based on Sampling Theory (Deliverable Task 1). The literature review demonstrated that elevated metal concentrations in paint waste have resulted in leaching that exceeds toxicity characteristic (TC) concentrations; however, models to predict leaching behavior have not been developed (Deliverable Task 2). Field portable X-ray fluorescence (FP-XRF) (Deliverable Task 3) was applied to quantify Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) metals (i.e., As, Ba, Cr, Cd, Pb, Hg, Se, and Ag) along with iron and zinc in paint waste samples (Deliverable Task 4), while Hach DR 2800 field portable spectrophotometer (Deliverable Task 3) was employed for measuring dissolved and total lead concentrations in bridge wash water (Deliverable Task 5). Leaching behavior of the paint waste was evaluated with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) and multiple extraction procedure (MEP) (Deliverable Task 6). Elevated Pb (5 to 168,090 mg kg-1), Cr (21 to 10,192 mg kg-1), and other metal concentrations were observed in the paint samples. However, 48 out of 51 samples passed the TCLP test, while 19 out of 24 samples revealed concentrations less than the TC level in the MEP study. These results are attributed to the use of iron-based abrasives (steel grit) in the paint removal process. Trace metals are sequestered through interactions with the steel grit surface resulting in reduced leachable concentrations (less than the TC limit). Using the suite of analyses including sequential extraction procedure (SEP), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), iron oxides were observed on the steel grit surface and are important surfaces affecting the degree of metal leaching from the paint waste (Deliverable Task 6). Given an understanding of mechanistic processes along with a demonstrated analysis of variables through principle component analysis (PCA), statistically-based models for leaching from paint waste were developed (Deliverable Task 7). The statistical models demonstrated 96 percent of the data fall within the 95% confidence level for Pb (R2 0.6 – 0.9, p ≤ 0.01), Ba (R2 0.6 – 0.7, p ≤ 0.1), and Zn (R2 0.6 – 0.7, p ≤ 0.01), although the regression model was not significant for Cr leaching (R2 0.5 – 0.7, p ≤ 0.75). The models have applicability over a wide range of total metal concentrations. A practical advantage in applying models developed is the ability to estimate contaminant leaching from paint waste without additional laboratory studies including the U.S. EPA TCLP. Therefore, the statistically-based models developed are a powerful approach for predicting metal leaching and therefore waste classification. KW - Bridges KW - Classification KW - Leaching KW - Lead based paint KW - Literature reviews KW - New York (State) KW - Paint removal KW - Wastes UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/pubs/Final-Lead-Content.pdf UR - https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/trans-r-and-d-repository/C-08-19%20%20Final%20Report_12-2013_0.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1299547 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516583 AU - Sun, Carlos AU - Brown, Henry AU - Edara, Praveen AU - Claros, Boris AU - Nam, Kyoungmin (Andrew) AU - Missouri Department of Transportation AU - Missouri Department of Transportation AU - Mid-America Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Calibration of the Highway Safety Manual for Missouri PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 259p AB - The new Highway Safety Manual (HSM) contains predictive models that need to be calibrated to local conditions. This calibration process requires detailed data types, such as crash frequencies, traffic volumes, geometrics, and land-use. The HSM does not document in detail techniques for gathering such data, since data systems vary significantly across states. The calibration process also requires certain decisions, such as the correct sampling approach, determination of the minimum segment length, the treatment of left-turn phasing, and the inclusion or exclusion of speed-change lane crashes. This report describes the challenges, practical solutions, and results from a statewide HSM calibration in Missouri, including lessons learned from other states such as Kansas, Illinois, and New Hampshire. The models calibrated included five segment and eight intersection site types, as well as three freeway segment types that will be part of the next edition of the HSM. The applied random sampling technique ensured geographic representativeness across the state. A variety of data processing techniques were utilized, including Computer-aided design (CAD), which was used to obtain geometric data. Some of the challenges encountered during calibration included data availability, obtaining a sufficient sample size for certain site types, maintaining a balance between segment homogeneity and minimum segment length, and excluding inconsistent crash data. The calibration results indicated that the HSM predicted Missouri crashes reasonably well, with the exception of a few site types for which it may be desirable for Missouri to develop its own safety performance functions (SPFs). KW - Calibration KW - Crash risk forecasting KW - Data collection KW - Highway safety KW - Highway Safety Manual KW - Information processing KW - Mathematical prediction KW - Missouri KW - State departments of transportation UR - http://library.modot.mo.gov/RDT/reports/TR201302/cmr14-007_reduced.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1300193 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516571 AU - Lococo, Kathy H AU - Decina, Lawrence E AU - TransAnalytics, LLC AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Child Restraint Use Survey (LATCH Use and Misuse): Coding Manual PY - 2013/12 SP - 261p AB - The purpose of this project was to collect quantitative data and other information concerning the restraint use of children in passenger vehicles. In particular, the project was conducted to obtain information regarding whether LATCH technology (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) was being used in vehicles equipped with LATCH, and whether LATCH technology was being used correctly in the installation of child restraint systems (CRSs). The study also sought information about drivers’ knowledge of booster seats and their purposes, as well as drivers’ knowledge about the new LATCH technology for CRSs. In addition, if LATCH equipment was available in the vehicles, information about drivers’ likes and dislikes about LATCH technology was obtained, and whether there were preferences for using safety belts to secure the CRS to the vehicle over use of lower anchors. Additionally, the study sought to identify relationships between selected driver demographic characteristics (age, gender, race/ethnicity) and restraint use of children; as well as the relationship that variables such as the demographics of other occupants in the vehicle, vehicle type, occupant seating position, and restraint type available for the seating position had on restraint use. This Coding Manual provides information about data collected in 7 States from 1,182 vehicles that were transporting 1,728 children ages 12 and under. Data are organized into two sets—a Vehicle data set and an Occupant data set. This Manual provides a description of the 126 variables in the Vehicle data set and the 91 variables in the Occupant data set to be used for statistical analysis purposes. KW - Booster seats KW - Child restraint systems KW - Children KW - Coding systems KW - Demographics KW - Drivers KW - Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) KW - Vehicle occupants UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811852.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1290699 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516504 AU - Huseth, Andrea AU - Mountain-Plains Consortium AU - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Misinformation Contributing to Safety Issues in Vehicle Restraints for Children: A Rural/Urban Comparison PY - 2013/12 SP - 52p AB - This study sought to determine current knowledge-levels of health care providers regarding child passenger safety issues and frequency of counseling on this topic. In addition, this study explored the differences in child restraint knowledge levels and current counseling frequency between rural and urban health care providers. A survey of rural and urban caregivers found that health care providers of rural caregivers were less likely to ask about the type of child restraint being used and were less likely to provide information about the type of restraint a child should be using in a vehicle. In addition, rural caregivers were less likely than urban caregivers to keep their child rear-facing for longer periods of time. Urban parents were twice as likely to list their child’s health care provider as a primary source of information about child occupant protection issues. A survey of rural and urban health care providers found that rural health care providers were less likely than urban health care providers to always provide advice to caregivers regarding child occupant issues, were less confident about their ability to address caregiver questions and concerns related to specific child occupant issues, and were less likely to be knowledgeable about specific child occupant protection issues. KW - Child restraint systems KW - Health care facilities KW - Information dissemination KW - Parents KW - Rural areas KW - Surveys KW - Urban areas UR - http://www.mountain-plains.org/pubs/pdf/MPC13-264.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1290790 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516474 AU - Sun, Carlos AU - Edara, Praveen AU - Brown, Henry AU - University of Missouri, Columbia AU - Mid-America Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - New Highway Accident Location Manual for Missouri PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 157p AB - The Missouri Highway Accident Location (HAL) manual is used to identify, analyze, and correct high crash locations, and has not been updated since 1999. This new edition brings the manual up to date, while incorporating the methodology of the national Highway Safety Manual (HSM). This 4th edition represents a complete re-working of all existing chapters of the manual. The changes are both stylistic and substantive. A contemporary book-style stylesheet was used to improve the appearance of figures, tables, headings, and labels. Even the title of the manual was changed from HAL (Identification, Analysis, and Correction of High-Crash Locations) to S-HAL (Safety Handbook for Locals) in order to reflect current trends in highway safety. The section on countermeasures has been improved significantly through the incorporation of the HSM approach to analyzing countermeasure effectiveness. Further, the manual now incorporates a partnership-based approach to safety. This edition takes full advantage of the availability of safety information, becoming the gateway for many additional sources. KW - Countermeasures KW - Crash analysis KW - High risk locations KW - Highway safety KW - Highway Safety Manual KW - Manuals KW - Missouri KW - Traffic crashes UR - http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1095&context=matcreports UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51100/51137/Sun_Development.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1290617 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516470 AU - Sun, Carlos AU - Brown, Henry AU - Edara, Praveen AU - Claros, Boris AU - Nam, Kyoungmin (Andrew) AU - Mid-America Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Calibration of the Highway Safety Manual for Missouri PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 258p AB - The new Highway Safety Manual (HSM) contains predictive models that need to be calibrated to local conditions. This calibration process requires detailed data types, such as crash frequencies, traffic volumes, geometrics, and land-use. The HSM does not document in detail techniques for gathering such data, since data systems vary significantly across states. The calibration process also requires certain decisions, such as the correct sampling approach, determination of the minimum segment length, the treatment of left-turn phasing, and the inclusion or exclusion of speed-change lane crashes. This report describes the challenges, practical solutions, and results from a statewide HSM calibration in Missouri, including lessons learned from other states such as Kansas, Illinois, and New Hampshire. The models calibrated included eight segment and eight intersection site types, as well as three freeway segment types that will be part of the next edition of the HSM. The applied random sampling technique ensured geographic representativeness across the state. A variety of data processing techniques were utilized, including Computer-aided design (CAD), which was used to obtain geometric data. Some of the challenges encountered during calibration included data availability, obtaining a sufficient sample size for certain site types, maintaining a balance between segment homogeneity and minimum segment length, and excluding inconsistent crash data. The calibration results indicated that the HSM predicted Missouri crashes reasonably well, with the exception of a few site types for which it may be desirable for Missouri to develop its own safety performance functions (SPFs). KW - Calibration KW - Crash risk forecasting KW - Data collection KW - Highway safety KW - Highway Safety Manual KW - Information processing KW - Mathematical prediction KW - Missouri KW - State departments of transportation UR - http://library.modot.mo.gov/RDT/reports/TR201302/cmr14-007_reduced.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1290606 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516459 AU - Stroud, Nathan K AU - Ksaibati, Khaled AU - University of Wyoming, Laramie AU - Mountain-Plains Consortium AU - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Quantifying the Impact of Energy Traffic on Local Unpaved Roads PY - 2013/12 SP - 202p AB - Converse, Goshen, Laramie, and Platte counties were selected in accordance with a legislative directive as part of a project to determine the impact of the oil and gas industry on county infrastructure. This thesis takes into account the impact of county gravel roads and strategies used to help develop methods to assess and mitigate this impact. With a lacking road and bridge budget, these counties are only just keeping up with the current impact. In order to receive additional funding from the state legislature, actual impact needs to be assessed. The different distresses and ride quality of all the county gravel roads showed that, on average, the roads were in good condition no matter the level of impact. However, the cost to keep the impacted roads in this condition came at a much greater price. By modeling the data gathered in this study and comparing the differences between impacted and non-impacted roads, a better understanding of the degradation taking place was attained. A priority ranking for impacted roads was also assessed to determine the severity of the impact. The process developed in this study could be very useful for other local agencies impacted by energy development. KW - Economic impacts KW - Energy resources KW - Gravel roads KW - Highway maintenance KW - Ride quality KW - Traffic loads KW - Truck traffic KW - Wyoming UR - http://www.mountain-plains.org/pubs/pdf/MPC13-263.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1299888 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516424 AU - Betti, Raimondo AU - Columbia University AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Finite Element Model Updating and Damage Detection for Bridges Using Vibration Measurement PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 51p AB - In this report, the results of a study on developing a damage detection methodology based on Statistical Pattern Recognition are presented. This methodology uses a new damage sensitive feature developed in this study that relies entirely on modal characteristics, i.e. natural frequencies and mode shapes, directly identified from measurements of the structural response. A procedure for training the damage detection methodology to account for variability induced by operational conditions, i.e. temperature, traffic, wind, etc., has been proposed to determine boundaries of variability of the cumulative distribution functions of the various features. Two different test setups have been considered: 1) a full set of sensors, and 2) a limited number of sensors. The results show that this methodology has been proven successful in detecting the occurrence of damage and, in the case of full sensor setup, also in accurately locating the element where damage has occurred and the amount of element stiffness reduction. In the case of a limited instrumentation setup, the proposed methodology is successful in identifying the occurrence of damage, and even though it loses accuracy in pinpointing the exact damage location, it still successfully identifies the region containing the damaged element. In conclusion, the results obtained using the proposed Stiffness Proportional Damage Sensitive Feature (SPDSF) are promising and allow for damage identification, localization and estimation. The next step will be to use the same damage detection algorithm but relying only on measurement data of the structural response (output-only). Preliminary results conducted as a part of this study show that using non mass-normalized mode shapes, as usually obtained from output-only identification algorithm, can generate misleading results. The key point will be the determination of the mass normalizing factors of a mode shape matrix identified via output-only system identification algorithms. Also, the development and application of mode shape expansion techniques to obtain the complete mass normalized mode shape matrix in the situation of limited instrumentation will constitute a part of future study. KW - Algorithms KW - Bridges KW - Finite element method KW - Instrumentation KW - Methodology KW - Pattern recognition systems KW - Sensors KW - Stiffness KW - Structural analysis KW - Vibration tests UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/pubs/Final-Finite-Element-Model.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1299546 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516422 AU - Zheng, Wei AU - Jackson State University AU - Mississippi Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Instrumentation and Computational Modeling for Evaluation of Bridge Substructures Across Waterways PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 78p AB - This State Study 229 was proposed as the Phase I study for implementing sensing technologies and computational analysis to assess bridge conditions and support decision-making for bridge maintenance in Mississippi. The objectives of the study are to: (1) prioritize the major detrimental bridge substructure deterioration in Mississippi waterway and their measurable parameters; (2) identify instrumentation technology for wirelessly in-situ monitoring of these parameters; (3) develop computational framework that can correlate the identified bridge substructure deterioration with the structure performance; (4) integrate research findings into education and professional preparation for students and professionals; and (5) prepare the field implementation for the next phase study and identify further needed research in above areas. This final report synthesizes the available findings from existing research and presents the major outcomes obtained from this State Study, which are summarized as follows. The bridge scour is determined as the major detrimental deterioration for bridges in Mississippi waterway by the project Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) members of Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the project team. The fixed monitoring sensor for detecting scour at the bridge substructure has been identified as suitable means to ensure the bridge safety against scour. Literature reviews along with technical seminars on various scour monitoring devices, including Sonar, Magnetic sliding collars, Float-out devices, Tilt-sensor, and Time Domain Reflectometer (TDR), have been conducted and delivered to the inspectors and engineers at the MDOT Bridge Division. The TDR scour-monitoring sensor with wireless data transmission system was selected and evaluated for the field implementation of scour monitoring in the next phase study. A bridge in service has been chosen for implementing the field test of the selected scour monitoring system for the phase II study. The field installation plan and design was completed for the implementation of the selected sensor for the next phase II project. The computational model of the scoured bridge and probabilistic inference are proposed and examined for assessing the bridge performance and its associated uncertainties for given scour conditions based on dynamic measurements. The method for predicting the reliability of the performance scoured bridge based on quantified uncertainties associated with the bridge damage models and scour damage is presented. The acceptable performance reliability or predicted probability of failure of scoured bridge has been identified. The application and effectiveness of proposed assessment approach are illustrated and examined through a numerical simulation of a selected prototype bridge. The future research needs for field verification of the selected scour monitoring system and the proposed computational framework are discussed. KW - Bridge substructures KW - Computer models KW - Instrumentation KW - Literature reviews KW - Mississippi KW - Scour KW - Sensors KW - Simulation KW - Structural health monitoring KW - Time domain reflectometers UR - http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/research/Reports/Interim%20and%20Final%20Reports/State%20Study%20229%20-%20Instrumentation%20and%20Computational%20Modeling%20for%20Evaluation%20of%20Bridge%20Substructures%20Across%20Waterways.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1300242 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516385 AU - Padfield, Jon AU - Handy, Jim AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Striping Truck Utilization at Crawfordsville and Greenfield PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 17p AB - At the time this project was launched, Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) was operating two paint trucks per district (one edge line truck and one center line truck). This project was launched to determine the feasibility of painting all the lane miles in each district with a single paint truck per district. The Greenfield and Crawfordsville districts were chosen to develop and test ideas to enable the transition to painting with just one truck per district. Teams from both districts including paint truck drivers, painters and managers participated in a series of Value Stream Mapping (VSM) sessions facilitated by Purdue Technical Assistance Program (TAP). The Value Stream Maps were then used to identify inefficiencies in the painting operation and opportunities for improvement. These improvement ideas included both process changes and physical alterations to existing paint trucks. An action plan was created for each district to follow to enable them to test the ideas during the 2nd half of the 2013 and first half of the 2014 paint season. The action plans were completed and progress was tracked regarding the performance of the modified trucks and processes. Although the Crawfordsville and Greenfield districts implemented different approaches, both were able to complete painting all of their scheduled lane miles during the season with just 1 truck apiece. The results of this project demonstrated the viability of reducing the statewide fleet of INDOT paint trucks from 12 to 6. At an approximate cost of $400,000 per truck, this translates into an approximate savings of $2,400,000 as the current fleet of 12 aging trucks is replaced with 6 trucks rather than 12. The process changes implemented in this project also demonstrated operational efficiency improvements, which will result in labor savings of approximately 10%. KW - Construction and maintenance KW - Costs KW - Indiana Department of Transportation KW - Painting KW - Savings KW - Striping KW - Trucks UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284315229 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1291086 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516374 AU - Tong, Yunwei AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Fatigue Resistance of Asphalt Mixtures Affected by Water Vapor Movement PY - 2013/12 SP - 76p AB - This dissertation has two key objectives: the first objective is to develop a method of predicting and quantifying the amount of water that can enter into a pavement system by vapor transport; the second objective is to identify to which extent the fatigue crack growth of pavement would result from such moisture accumulation. To fulfill these two objectives, a diffusion model was first established to illustrate the wetting process of the surface asphalt layer due to the vapor migration from subgrade soil into the upper layer. Secondly, in order to quantify the degree of moisture damage induced by water vapor diffusion, fine aggregate mixture specimens were fabricated and conditioned at different levels of relative humidity (RH) in closed vacuum desiccators that allows little temperature fluctuation. Moreover, the moisture conditioned specimens were tested using a newly developed repeated direct tension (RDT) test method to evaluate the fatigue crack growth. The RDT test greatly reduced the stress state complexity within the specimens by evenly distributing stress over the cross section area of the cylindrical specimen. Compared to the previous torsional test, the newly proposed test protocol was more efficient in characterizing the moisture susceptibility of the asphalt mixture. A major finding in this dissertation is that the higher level of RH in an asphalt surface layer will induce significantly higher crack growth rates. KW - Asphalt mixtures KW - Fatigue cracking KW - Fine aggregates KW - Humidity KW - Laboratory tests KW - Moisture content KW - Moisture damage KW - Pavement cracking KW - Tension tests KW - Water vapor UR - http://swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/600451-00019-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1290702 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516367 AU - Hansen, Kent R AU - Copeland, Audrey AU - National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Annual Asphalt Pavement Industry Survey on Recycled Materials and Warm-Mix Asphalt Usage: 2009–2012 PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 28p AB - One of the shared goals of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) is to support and promote sustainable practices such as pavement recycling and warm-mix asphalt (WMA). The use of recycled materials, primarily reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and reclaimed asphalt shingles (RAS), in asphalt pavements reduces the amount of new materials required to produce asphalt mixes and material going to landfills. This is vital to the mission of environmental stewardship and extending the service life of the nation’s infrastructure while lowering overall costs. WMA technologies have been introduced to reduce the mixing and compacting temperatures for asphalt mixtures as a means of reducing emissions. Additional benefits include improved compaction of asphalt mixtures leading to improved pavement performance. As part of FHWA’s Every Day Counts initiative, WMA was chosen for accelerated deployment in federal-aid highway, state department of transportation (DOT), and local road projects. It is important for the industry to track the deployment of these technologies, which reduce costs, energy, waste, emissions, and the amount of new materials required for road construction. FHWA has established two survey mechanisms for tracking the use of recycled materials and WMA in asphalt pavements. The first survey tracks state DOT usage and the other tracks industry usage. These have established a baseline of RAP, RAS, and WMA usage and tracked the growth of the use of these sustainable practices in the highway industry since 2009. The objective of this survey is to quantify the use of recycled materials, and WMA produced by the asphalt pavement industry. Survey results show significant growth in the use of RAP, RAS, and WMA technologies from 2009 through 2012. The asphalt industry remains the country’s number-one recycler by recycling asphalt pavements at a rate of over 99 percent and almost all (98 percent) contractors/branches report using RAP in 2012. The amount of RAP used in asphalt mixtures has increased by 22 percent, from 56 million tons in 2009 to 68.3 million tons in 2012. Assuming 5 percent liquid asphalt in RAP, this represents over 3.4 million tons (19 million barrels) of asphalt binder conserved during 2012. The estimated savings at $600 per ton for asphalt binder is $2.04 billion. Use of both manufacturers’ scrap and post-consumer asphalt shingles used in asphalt mixes increased 165 percent from 2009 to nearly 1.9 million tons 2012. Assuming a conservative asphalt content of 20 percent for the RAS, this represents about 380,000 tons (2.1 million barrels) of asphalt binder conserved. The estimated savings at $600 per ton for asphalt binder is $228 million. For 2012 contractors were asked about their use of other recycled materials in asphalt mixtures. Contractors in 13 states reported using steel and blast furnace slag in asphalt mixtures. Ground tire rubber (GTR) was reported as being used in asphalt mixtures in nine states. Other recycled materials used to a lesser degree include fly ash, bottom ash, foundry slag, cellulose fiber, and glass. Due to the low response rate on other recycled materials no attempt was made to estimate the total quantities of other recycled materials used. In 2012, WMA was over 24 percent of the total asphalt mixture market. WMA use increased by nearly 26 percent from 2011 to 2012, and about 416 percent since 2009. Plant foaming is used most often in producing WMA, with over 88 percent of the market. WMA additives accounted for about 12 percent of the market. KW - Asphalt pavements KW - Contractors KW - Reclaimed asphalt pavements KW - Recycled materials KW - Shingles KW - State departments of transportation KW - Surveys KW - Warm mix paving mixtures UR - http://www.asphaltpavement.org/PDFs/IS138/IS138-2012_RAP-RAS-WMA_Survey_Final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1290656 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516364 AU - Coifman, Benjamin AU - Kim, Seoungbum AU - Ohio State University, Columbus AU - Ohio Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Assessing the Performance of the SpeedInfo Sensor PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 60p AB - Until recently freeway traffic operations data were collected in house by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) using loop detectors. In recent years several private companies have emerged with a viable opportunity to outsource traffic data collection. While these new business models and ease of deployment are compelling, there are few published studies explicitly evaluating their performance. ODOT has contracted with two of these data providers: SpeedInfo and INRIX. This study exploited a unique juncture as ODOT transitioned to the new third party data collection: the two new systems and the legacy loop detectors were concurrently operational in Columbus, Ohio for approximately 6 months. Using the archived data from this period, the authors evaluated SpeedInfo and INRIX performance over a 14 mi corridor over several months. This long period of time ensured that the authors would have a better chance of observing intermittent features that might go unobserved in a short-term study. Both SpeedInfo and INRIX traffic data generally performed within specifications, exhibiting small biases that could likely be fixed with fine-tuning. Both sensors also exhibited a reporting lag, on the order of 60 sec for SpeedInfo and 360 seconds for INRIX (comparable to conventional 60 sec and 5 min aggregation periods used in loop detectors). Although the lag and bias are within specifications, some applications might be sensitive to them, e.g., traffic responsive ramp metering. Each system also exhibited unique behavior not found in the other. SpeedInfo is sensitive to precipitation: sometimes going offline for tens of minutes. When mounted on the shoulder, SpeedInfo showed slightly degraded performance on the far side traffic. INRIX reported speeds every minute, but after excluding repeated values, the actual effective reporting period was more like 3-5 min, with occasional periods of repeated measurements lasting in excess of 10 min (already reflected in the lag above). INRIX also provides two measures of confidence, neither of which reflects the measurement repetition. KW - Columbus (Ohio) KW - Data collection KW - Evaluation KW - Loop detectors KW - Sensors KW - Traffic data KW - Traffic surveillance UR - http://worldcat.org/oclc/870337945/viewonline UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1298612 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516328 AU - Maher, Ali AU - Ott, Patricia AU - Rutgers University, Piscataway AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Effects of New Jersey’s Cell Phone/Text Ban PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 39p AB - Since March 1, 2008 there has been a ban on wireless telephone and electronic communication devices in New Jersey (NJ) while operating a motor vehicle. But from general observation on any roadway, it appears that there are still drivers who are talking on their phones or texting while driving. From 2006 to 2009, NJ crashes, injuries, and deaths for hand-held devices have averaged 1837, 769, and 6, respectively, while hands-free averaged 1570 crashes, 659 injuries, and 3 deaths. It is generally believed that the number of crashes attributable to phone or text use is under-reported as drivers will rarely admit to their use and enforcement normally does not witness the crash event. Additionally, law enforcement resources may be limited and issuing citations for phone or text use may be competing with other enforcement priorities. The objectives of this research effort are to ascertain whether the legislation has had any effect on actual crash and citation data as well as driver attitude toward the phone and text use while driving and the legislative ban. The results showed that actual hand-held cell phone crashes increased after the ban was implemented but citations issued also increased. Survey results indicated that drivers were knowledgeable about NJ's law but admitted to violating that law anyway. Drivers supported more enforcement but recognized that the law is difficult to enforce. Recommendations included potential revisions to NJ's crash form; consistent national legislation; and evaluation of other states' programs. KW - Automobile drivers KW - Cellular telephones KW - Crash rates KW - Handheld devices KW - Legislation KW - New Jersey KW - Recommendations KW - Surveys KW - Text messaging KW - Traffic citations UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/pubs/Final-NJ-Cell-Phone-Text-Ban.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51200/51241/Final-NJ-Cell-Phone-Text-Ban.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1299560 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516302 AU - Rister, Brad W AU - Creech, Jamie AU - Whelan, Joe AU - Taylor, Tim AU - University of Kentucky, Lexington AU - Kentucky Transportation Cabinet AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Pavement Evaluation of the Concrete Tie-bars and Dowel Baskets on Irvin Cobb Drive, US 60, McCracken County, KY PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 15p AB - A 1500 Mhz. ground coupled, ground penetrating radar antenna was used to identify both the horizontal alignment and the vertical displacement of the concrete tie-bars and the transverse joint dowel bar assembles on a Portland-Cement-Concrete-Pavement (PCCP) on US 60 in McCracken County, Kentucky. Approximately 5 lanes miles of PCCP were evaluated using the 1500 Mhz. ground coupled antenna. Results indicate that only one transverse dowel basket out of an approximate total of 1,760 were within 4.17 inches of the pavement surface. Seven transverse dowel baskets were misaligned four inches or greater from the location of the sawed joint. These areas represent 0.45 percent of the total transverse joints on the project. The ground penetrating radar results also indicated there were no areas along the longitudinal joint where the tie-bars were either too close to the pavement surface or missing. KW - Concrete pavements KW - Dowels (Fasteners) KW - Evaluation KW - Ground penetrating radar KW - Mccracken County (Kentucky) KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Tie bars KW - Transverse joints UR - http://www.ktc.uky.edu/files/2014/02/KTC_13_24_FRT_2013_6_11_1F.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1299694 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516290 AU - Edara, Praveen AU - Sun, Carlos AU - Robertson, Andrew AU - University of Missouri, Columbia AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Effectiveness of Work Zone Intelligent Transportation Systems PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 71p AB - In the last decade, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) have increasingly been deployed in work zones by state departments of transportation. Also known as smart work zone systems they improve traffic operations and safety by providing real-time information to travelers, monitoring traffic conditions, and managing incidents. Although there have been numerous ITS deployments in work zones, a framework for evaluating the effectiveness of these deployments does not exist. To justify the continued development and implementation of smart work zone systems, this study developed a framework to determine ITS effectiveness for specific work zone projects. The framework recommends using one or more of five performance measures: diversion rate, delay time, queue length, crash frequency, and speed. The monetary benefits and costs of ITS deployment in a work zone can then be computed using the performance measure values. Such ITS computations include additional considerations that are typically not present in standard benefit-cost computations. The proposed framework will allow for consistency in performance measures across different ITS studies thus allowing for comparisons across studies or for meta analysis. In addition, guidance on the circumstances under which ITS deployment is recommended for a work zone is provided. The framework was illustrated using two case studies: one urban work zone on I-70 and one rural work zone on I-44, in Missouri. The goals of the two ITS deployments were different – the I-70 ITS deployment was targeted at improving mobility whereas the I-44 deployment was targeted at improving safety. For the I-70 site, only permanent ITS equipment that was already in place was used for the project and no temporary ITS equipment was deployed. The permanent dynamic message signs (DMS) equipment serves multiple purposes, and it is arguable whether that cost should be attributed to the work zone project. The data collection effort for the I-70 site was very significant as portable surveillance captured the actual diversion flows to alternative routes. The benefit-cost ratio for the I-70 site was 2.1 to 1 if adjusted equipment costs were included and 6.9 to 1 without equipment costs. The safety-focused I-44 ITS deployment had an estimated benefit-cost ratio of 3.2 to 1. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Case studies KW - Evaluation KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - Missouri KW - Mobility KW - Performance measurement KW - Rural highways KW - Urban highways KW - Variable message signs KW - Work zone safety KW - Work zones UR - http://publications.iowa.gov/15989/1/IADOT_InTrans_TPF-5%28081%29_work-zone_ITS_effectiveness.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1291097 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516289 AU - Hu, Jinge AU - Kwon, Changhyun AU - Park, JiYoung AU - Wang, Qian AU - State University of New York, Buffalo AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Towards Socially and Economically Sustainable Developments: Impacts of Toll Pricing on Residential Developments PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 34p AB - The goal of this research is to investigate the effects of road pricing on residential land use choices and to help select pricing policies that foster socially and economically sustainable residential development in urbanized residential areas. Under this goal, a residential land use choice model in logit form with shared aggregated data was developed. The model was designed to assess the impacts of various toll pricing policies and the resulting accessibility on a residential land use choice pattern. The Great Buffalo-Niagara metropolitan area was selected for a case study. The multinomial logit model was built at the census tract level, with four residential land use types—single-family houses, multiple-family houses, apartments and others—as main choice alternatives. With the estimated model, the following hypothetical toll pricing scenarios were tested: (1) uniform increase of tolls for the entire region, (2) distance-based tolls for the entire region, and (3) uniform tolls for entering the downtown area only. The authors found that toll pricing strategies affect accessibility of zones, shaping a trend and pattern of the residential land use. More specifically, increased toll charges would urge people to choose multi-family housing and apartments, encouraging a sustainable high density residential land use pattern. KW - Accessibility KW - Buffalo Metropolitan Area KW - Choice models KW - Housing KW - Land use KW - Multinomial logits KW - Residential location KW - Road pricing KW - Sustainable development KW - Tolls KW - Urban areas UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51200/51243/Final-Toll-Pricing.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1299554 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516270 AU - van Rooij, Lex AU - Broos, Jeroen AU - van Nunen, Ellen AU - TASS/TNO North America AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Sensitivity Analysis of the Response of a 6-Year-Old Child in Automotive Crashes PY - 2013/12 SP - 107p AB - Prior studies have shown that child anthropometric test devices (ATDs) could benefit from improved biofidelity. Defining child ATD biofidelity based on traditional biomechanical testing methods can be ethically and technically (e.g., scaling) difficult. Therefore, this project explored a modeling approach for defining biofidelity test conditions/responses that could be applied towards new frontal child ATD development. This project used new knowledge from child-focused biomechanical and anthropometry studies as input in efforts to update, parameterize, and optimize a Hybrid III 6-year-old-based numerical model that was then applied in defining new biofidelity targets for a 6-year-old frontal ATD. The first phase of the study involved parameterizing and updating a Hybrid III-based 6-year-old model to include improved pelvis, abdomen, and shoulder anthropometry and an additional joint in the thoracic spine.The updated and parameterized 6-year-old model was then used to complete a parameter sensitivity analysis. Twelve setups were implemented, all representing biomechanical test conditions. These conditions included four belt load tests on the abdomen and thorax, pendulum and cardiopulmonary resuscitation tests on the thorax, neck flexion/extension and tension tests, and three whole-body conditions. Almost all stiffness and damping parameters were found to be sensitive. The model was then optimized for various responses (e.g., force-displacement, head excursion) and various criteria (e.g., peak value, curve fit). The same 12 setups from the parameter sensitivity analysis were used together with a few additional conditions. In general, the optimization process improved the response of the model. However, the final optimized model did not achieve biofidelic head excursions in whole body sled conditions. This may be attributed to parameter limits implemented in the spine (tensile and flexion properties). Shoulder flexibility may also have contributed. While the shoulder was updated, shoulder flexibility was not parameterized. The final task involved using the updated and optimized model to develop biofidelity targets for a frontal 6-year-old ATD. The conditions largely represented those from existing standards or from biomechanical studies used in the sensitivity and optimization tasks. Proposed conditions and biofidelity targets are presented. KW - Anthropometry KW - Biophysics KW - Children KW - Dummies KW - Frontal crashes KW - Highway safety KW - Optimization KW - Sensitivity analysis UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Biomechanics%20&%20Trauma/Biomechanics%20Software%20and%20Reports/811860.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1290619 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516269 AU - Wang, Xiaokun (Cara) AU - Zhou, Yiwei AU - Conway, Alison AU - Chen, Quanquan AU - Kamga, Camille AU - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute AU - City College of New York of the City University of New York AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Evaluation of the Cooperative Multi-Carrier Delivery Initiatives PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 45p AB - In the last several years there has been a surge of interest in fostering more sustainable logistical operations in urban areas. Under the umbrella of the generic term City Logistics, these initiatives try to take advantage of the coordinating power of a municipal government to convince urban delivery companies to participate in collaborative schemes that by reducing truck trips, increasing the utilization of trucks, or both, may reduce the negative externalities associated with urban truck traffic. While most research on this topic focuses on freight models (Holguin-Veras, et al, 2001), freight transport networks (Yamada, et al, 2010) and urban freight project evaluation (Thompson and Hassall, 2005), not much research has been conducted to understand the behaviors of urban carriers and freight receivers in response to the cooperative multicarrier delivery initiatives and assess its impacts on a disaggregate level. Some researchers had studied the behavioral modeling between freight agents (Thompson and Hassall, 2005). It is important to investigate the interactions between freight agent and how those relations impact decision making and policy implementation. To investigate a cooperative multicarrier delivery initiative and assess its impacts on a disaggregate level, this report is divided into two parts. The first part studies freight delivery patterns in New York City and related influential factors. Results would serve the feasibility study of implementing freight consolidation centers (FCC) in New York City. The second part focuses on studying the decision-making process for developing urban FCC using experimental economics approach. Players acting as different stakeholders are given cash bonus to mimic the decision making process. KW - Consolidation KW - Decision making KW - Freight consolidators KW - Freight traffic KW - Logistics KW - New York (New York) KW - Truck traffic KW - Urban areas KW - Urban goods movement UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/pubs/Final-Collaborative-Delivery.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1299559 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516174 AU - Heitzman, Michael AU - Greer, Mary AU - Maghsoodloo, Saeed AU - National Center for Asphalt Technology AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Dynamic Friction Tester Workshop and Round-Robin Testing Summary PY - 2013/12 SP - 52p AB - A number of state agencies, consultants, and research centers are using a dynamic friction tester (DFT) as a quick, relatively simple, lightweight device for spot-­testing pavement surface friction. Based on the experience of these users, a number of issues with the equipment and test standard have been noted. The scope of this workshop is to bring DFT users together to discuss these issues and collectively outline areas that should be addressed. The objectives of the workshop are to: 1. provide an open forum for discussion; 2. develop a list of concerns; 3. provide direction for further development of the equipment and test method; 4. provide an opportunity for side-­‐by-­‐side testing of DFT devices. KW - Dynamic friction tester KW - Friction tests KW - Pavement performance KW - Surface course (Pavements) KW - Test procedures KW - Testing equipment UR - http://www.ncat.us/files/reports/2013/rep13-12.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1299880 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01514644 AU - Silver, Steven AU - Mineta National Transit Research Consortium AU - San Jose State University AU - California Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Assessing the Comparative Efficiency of Urban Mass Transit Systems in Ohio: Longitudinal Analysis PY - 2013/12 SP - 38p AB - A mass transit system not only improves passenger mobility, it also affects the level of economic activities (e.g., working and shopping). Thus, changes wrought by mass transit service planning can heavily influence regional economic growth. This planning requires a careful consideration of conflicting goals (e.g., better utilization of fleets vs. transit services, improved passenger services vs. increased operating expenses, revenue increases vs. tax or fare hikes), which poses a number of problems for policy decision makers. In particular, given the public’s growing concerns over government budget deficits, the continuous underutilization of a mass transit system can increase public scrutiny of additional investments in mass transit services. To find ways to better utilize mass transit systems across the state of Ohio and thus make best use of state/federal/municipal government funds and taxpayers’ monies, this paper aims to evaluate the operational efficiency of the current mass transit system relative to benchmark standards and then identify the leading causes of mass transit inefficiencies. To meet these goals, window data envelopment analysis (DEA) was conducted on the past three years of time-series data for 24 (out of 27) of Ohio’s urban mass transit agencies. KW - Benchmarks KW - Economic efficiency KW - Ohio KW - Public transit KW - Standards KW - Suburbs KW - Transit operating agencies KW - Urban areas UR - http://transweb.sjsu.edu/PDFs/research/1135-assessing-efficiency-urban-mass-transit-ohio.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1290755 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01506810 AU - Lee, Hosin AU - Ahmed, Taha AU - Mid-America Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Investigation of Synergistic Effects of Warm Mix Asphalt and High Fractionated Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement for Safe, Environmentally Sustainable Highway PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 63p AB - To increase RAP materials by up to 75% by binder replacement, a fractionation method was applied to the RAP stockpile by discarding RAP materials passing No. 16 sieve. This fractionation method was effective in improving volumetric properties of the HMA mixture with high RAP contents. The mix designs were then performed for both HMA and WMA with varying fractionated RAP amounts accounting for a replacement of 20, 30, 40, 50 and 75% of the mixture’s optimum asphalt binder content. All mix designs met the Iowa DOT mix design requirements except the one with 75% RAP materials by binder replacement due to the excessive amount of dust content. Hamburg Wheel Tracking (HWT) test was used to evaluate the rutting and moisture susceptibility of both HMA and WMA mixtures with varying RAP amounts. Overall, HMA mixtures performed better than WMA mixtures and the mixes with higher RAP amounts performed better except the mix with 30% RAP materials by binder replacement. Both HMA and WMA mixes with 75% RAP materials by binder replacement (90% by weight replacement) performed the best by exhibiting very little deformation ranging between 2 and 4 mm after 20,000 repetitions. In order to evaluate the performance of WMA mixtures in the field, test sections were constructed in Iowa and Ohio. The average densities of the HMA and WMA test sections in Iowa were 94.3% and 93.9%, respectively, and those of the HMA and WMA test sections in Ohio were 94.6% and 95.2%, respectively. Significantly less emission and smoke were observed during construction of WMA mixtures, which confirmed the environmental benefits of using WMA technologies while meeting both Iowa and Ohio DOT’s density requirements. Both HMA and WMA mixes from Iowa met Hamburg testing requirement by exhibiting very little deformation of 3 mm and 5 mm, respectively, after 20,000 repetitions. HMA mix from Ohio met Hamburg testing requirement by exhibiting very little deformation of 4 mm after 20,000 repetitions whereas WMA mix exhibited 15 mm deformation after 20,000 repetitions. KW - Fractionation KW - Hamburg Wheel Tracking Device KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Iowa KW - Mix design KW - Moisture content KW - Ohio KW - Pavement performance KW - Reclaimed asphalt pavements KW - Rutting KW - Warm mix paving mixtures UR - http://matc.unl.edu/assets/documents/matcfinal/Lee_InvestigationofSynergisticEffectsofWarmMixAsphaltandHighFractionatedReclaimedAsphaltPavementforSafe,EnvironmentallySustainableHighway.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1290516 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01506776 AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Crashworthiness Data System 2012 Coding and Editing Manual PY - 2013/12 SP - 1,297 p AB - This manual includes information to edit and code the 2012 Crashworthiness Data System. Data elements and tables are defined, data collection and entry forms are presented, and a data dictionary is described throughout the manual. The database seems to be a relational database, with Oracle as its platform. KW - Crashworthiness KW - Data dictionaries KW - Data elements (Relational databases) KW - Highway safety KW - Relational databases KW - Tables (Data) KW - Vehicle safety UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811831.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1290231 ER - TY - SER AN - 01506428 JO - TechBrief PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Connor, Robert AU - Digglemann, Lindsey AU - Sherman, Ryan AU - Ocel, Justin AU - Purdue University AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of Member and Load-Path Redundancy on the US-421 Bridge Over the Ohio River PY - 2013/12 SP - 8p AB - Single member failures or fractures can cause complete bridge failure, leading to the development of fracture critical member (FCM) provisions for design, fabrication, and inspection. The objective of the project was to assess the after-fracture performance of a two- line, simple-span truss bridge, the Milton-Madison Bridge spanning the Ohio River. The bridge was slated for explosive demolition and offered the ability to examine both internal and structural redundancy. A simple, three-dimensional analysis model of the bridge was created. Controlled load testing was performed on the bridge to understand its behavior, determine stresses in the bridge under a known load, and calibrate the finite element analysis. KW - Bridge decks KW - Bridge members KW - Demolition KW - Evaluation KW - Fracture mechanics KW - Load tests KW - Ohio River KW - Redundancy KW - Structural models KW - Truss bridges UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/bridge/13105/13105.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1280974 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01506405 AU - Stringfellow, Richard AU - Nutting, Jay AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Workstation Table Crashworthiness Tests PY - 2013/12 SP - 95p AB - This report describes results from the Option C component of a research program aimed at improving crashworthiness of passenger train workstation tables. Research conducted in the Base, Option A, and Option B components of the program was focused on developing a prototype design for a crashworthy workstation table, constructing a number of tables, and testing them. A prototype crashworthy workstation table was successfully tested as part of the full-scale train-to-train test of CEM equipment conducted in March of 2006. The Option C activities described here were focused on characterizing the quasi-static and dynamic force-crush behavior of the prototype workstation table in order to define performance requirements for future workstation table designs. KW - Crash injuries KW - Crashworthiness KW - Crush zones KW - Crushing injuries KW - Furniture KW - Passenger cars KW - Passenger trains KW - Prototype tests KW - Railroad safety KW - Survival KW - Workstation tables UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3515 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51000/51001/Workstation_Table_Crash_Tests_20131219.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1284798 ER - TY - SER AN - 01506403 JO - Research Results PB - Federal Railroad Administration AU - Ranney, Joyce AU - Raslear, Thomas AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Another C3RS Site Improves Safety at Midterm PY - 2013/12 IS - 13-49 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 belief led FRA to implement the Confidential Close-Call Reporting System (C3RS), which includes voluntary confidential reporting of near-miss events to a neutral third party; root-cause- problem solving by a Peer Review Team (PRT) composed of labor, management, and FRA representatives; implementation of corrective actions; tracking of the results of change; and reporting of the results of change to employees. Demonstration pilot projects are underway at Union Pacific Railroad (UP), Canadian Pacific Railway (CP), New Jersey Transit (NJT), and Amtrak. C3RS also embodies the risk reduction and system safety principles espoused by FRA's Office of Railroad Safety that supplement conventional regulatory oversight and enforcement activities. 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 published to provide the public and government and industry decision makers with the evaluation’s findings. The findings here cover the midterm analysis of C3RS at one demonstration site (Site “A”) and are based on data collected and analyzed using five data sources: interviews with workers, managers, and other stakeholders; railroad newsletters; corporate safety data; corrective action data; and redacted Multiple Cause Incident Analysis (MCIA) results from a third party. KW - Close calls KW - Confidential incident reporting KW - Employees KW - Human factors in crashes KW - Interviewing KW - Monitoring KW - Railroad safety KW - Risk management KW - U.S. Federal Railroad Administration UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3516 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51000/51000/C3RS_Site_Improves_Safety_20131219.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1284799 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505862 AU - Lyon, Craig AU - Persaud, Bhagwant AU - Hattan, David E AU - Renner, Gabrielle AU - Persaud and Lyon, Incorporated AU - Colorado Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Safety Performance Functions for Freeway Merge Zones PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 35p AB - This report documents the results of a research project to support the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) in the area of Safety Performance Function (SPF) development. The project involved collecting data and developing SPFs for ramp-freeway merge zones categorized as isolated, non-isolated and weave. Tor each of these three categories, data for the period 2007 to 2011 were collected at sites selected to ensure statewide geographical representation and coverage of the range of traffic volume and other variables in each category. The development of SPFs for the three categories of ramp-freeway merge zones was successful. Separate SPFs were developed for Total, fatal+injury (FI) and Property Damage Only (PDO) crashes. CDOT can use the developed SPFs immediately to apply state-of-the-art methodologies for road safety management activities. KW - Colorado KW - Crash data KW - Data collection KW - Freeways KW - Merging area KW - Ramps (Interchanges) KW - Safety Performance Functions UR - http://www.coloradodot.info/programs/research/pdfs/2013/spf.pdf/at_download/file UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1286958 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505855 AU - National Center for Statistics and Analysis TI - Traffic Safety Facts 2012 Data: Alcohol-Impaired Driving PY - 2013/12 SP - 6p AB - In 2012, 10,322 people were killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. These alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities accounted for 31 percent of the total motor vehicle traffic fatalities in the United States. Traffic fatalities in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes increased by 4.6 percent from 9,865 in 2011 to 10,322 in 2012. The alcohol-impaired-driving fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) declined to 0.33 in 2011 from 0.34 in 2010 (VMT data for 2012 is not available yet). An average of 1 alcohol-impaired-driving fatality occurred every 51 minutes in 2012. In 2012, all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico had created by law a threshold making it illegal per se to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. Of the 10,322 people who died in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes in 2012, 6,688 (65%) were drivers with a BAC of .08 or higher. The remaining fatalities consisted of 2,824 (27%) motor vehicle occupants and 810 (8%) nonoccupants. Additional statistics on alcohol-impaired-driving fatal crashes in 2012 are provided in this traffic safety fact sheet. KW - Blood alcohol levels KW - Drunk drivers KW - Drunk driving KW - Fatalities KW - Impaired drivers KW - Per se laws KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811870.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1286715 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505850 AU - Helmicki, Arthur AU - Hunt, Victor AU - University of Cincinnati AU - Ohio Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Instrumentation of the US Grant Bridge for Monitoring of Fabrication, Erection, In-Service Behavior, and to Support Management, Maintenance, and Inspection PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 185p AB - The replacement of the US Grant Bridge over the Ohio River in Portsmouth, Ohio, was initiated in 2001 when the original bridge was closed and demolished, and its substitute opened in 2006. The new design is a steel cable stay design with steel girders and floor-beams supporting a post-tensioned concrete deck system nearly 65’ wide carrying one lane of traffic in each direction. The combination of epoxy-coating, grout filling, and outer tubing provides protection for the all-important structural cabling suspension system from both weather and corrosion. Ironically, however, these same features make it impossible to gain direct access to either the cables or the interior of the anchorages which, in turn, presents special challenges for inspection and rehabilitation of these critical bridge components on bridges of this type. It was envisioned that its long-term behavior and any associated changes in its structural condition could be best understood with the aid of a longitudinal study beginning during bridge construction, one that includes instrumented monitoring of both construction/erection and in-service phases of the life of this bridge. Such an approach, integrated with traditional bridge management techniques, would help lead to a safe and economical realization of the 100-year design life of this structure. A health monitoring system for the bridge would be designed, planned, and implemented, with data collection and archival throughout its construction and ultimately an automated, user-friendly interface on a dedicated website. KW - Bridge management systems KW - Cable stayed bridges KW - Data collection KW - Inspection KW - Instrumentation KW - Maintenance management KW - Portsmouth (Ohio) KW - Structural health monitoring UR - http://worldcat.org/oclc/871712582/viewonline UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1286008 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505788 AU - Funkhouser, Dillon AU - Sayer, James R AU - University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Cell Phone Filter/Blocker Technology Field Test PY - 2013/12//Technical Report SP - 90p AB - Forty-four participants each received a cell phone filtering/blocking application on their employer-provided cell phones for 9 weeks. During the first and last 3 weeks, cell phone activity including calling, text messaging and application use was simply recorded in the background. During the middle 3 weeks, the cell phone filtering/blocking software was active, meaning that anytime the application sensed that the phone was moving faster than the pre-set speed threshold, all phone activity was blocked. Two different custom applications were designed for this study, one a software-only solution, and one a combination of hardware and software. Objective data on participants’ phone use behavior and subjective data (from a questionnaire) on participants’ acceptance were collected. Additionally, the impact on an organization attempting to implement a similar program employing cell phone filtering/blocking was examined. During the blocking period, participants initiated a higher proportion of their calls when stopped than when the blocking software was inactive. Also, during the blocking period, participants answered a much smaller proportion of incoming calls while driving, and outgoing calls were placed at a lower mean speed. Participants were neutral in their opinions on whether they received a safety benefit from the cell phone blocking. While the costs for an organization attempting to implement a program like this are incurred throughout the life cycle, the largest costs will likely come from the monitoring and maintenance required and through any losses in productivity associated with blocking phone use while driving. KW - Cellular telephones KW - Costs KW - Drivers KW - Employees KW - Field tests KW - Highway safety KW - Software UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crash Avoidance/Technical Publications/2013/Cell_Phone_Filter_Blocker_Technology_Field_Test_811863.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285679 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505767 AU - Edara, Praveen AU - Sun, Carlos AU - Breslow, Sawyer AU - University of Missouri, Columbia AU - Mid-America Transportation Center AU - Missouri Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Evaluation of J-turn Intersection Design Performance in Missouri PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 89p AB - Research shows that a high percentage of crashes that take place on high-speed rural expressways occur at intersections with minor roads. One low-cost alternative design for improving the safety of at-grade intersections on such expressways is the J-turn. In the last few years, the Missouri Department of Transportation has converted some two-way stop controlled (TWSC) intersections into J-turns. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the J-turn intersection design in Missouri utilizing field studies, a public survey, crash analysis, and traffic conflict analysis. The field studies collected detailed video data at a J-turn site and a control site. The crash analysis included a statistically rigorous empirical Bayes before-after safety evaluation of five J-turn sites in Missouri. The J-turn design resulted in a 34.8% reduction in crash frequency for all crashes and a 53.7% reduction in crash frequency for all injury and fatal crashes. Both reductions were significant at the 95% confidence level. Annual disabling injury crashes and minor injury crashes decreased by 86% and 50%, respectively. None of the five sites exhibited a fatal crash following J-turn implementation. This five-site analysis showed that annual right angle crashes decreased from 6.3 to 1.3, a 80% reduction. One of the most severe crash types, the left turn, right angle crash, was completely eliminated by the J-turn. One conflict measure, average time to collision, was found to be four times higher at the J-turn site compared to the control TWSC site among minor road turning vehicles, indicating greater safety at the J-turn site. The average wait time at the J-turn site was half the wait time at the control site, while the average travel time at the J-turn site was approximately one minute greater than at the TWSC site. When the public was surveyed regarding trip time perceptions resulting from the J-turn, the majority said there was no adverse effect. A high percentage of minor road left turning and through movements at the J-turn site merged into the travel lanes within the first 400 feet of the acceleration lane. Public opinion regarding the J-turn at US 63 and Deer Park Road was mixed. Frequent concerns raised by respondents included difficulty merging following the U-turn, improper use of acceleration and deceleration lanes, insufficient U-turn radius to accommodate large vehicles, and driver confusion KW - Before and after studies KW - Crash analysis KW - Crash rates KW - Crash severity KW - Field studies KW - Intersection elements KW - Intersections KW - Missouri KW - Rural highways KW - Surveys KW - Traffic safety KW - Turning traffic UR - http://library.modot.mo.gov/RDT/reports/TRyy1304/cmr14-005.pdf UR - http://matc.unl.edu/assets/documents/matcfinal/Edara_EvaluationofAlternativeGeometricDesignsonHighwayCorridors-CaseStudyofJTurns.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285198 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505755 AU - McVay, Michael C AU - Bloomquist, David AU - Tran, Khiem AU - University of Florida, Gainesville AU - Florida Department of Transportation AU - Department of Transportation TI - Embedded Data Collector (EDC) Evaluation Phase II – Comparison with Instrumented Static Load Tests PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 192p AB - A total of 139 piles and 213,000 hammer blows were compared between the Embedded Data Collector (EDC), the Pile Driving Analyzer (PDA), and the CAse Pile Wave Analysis Program (CAPWAP) along with SmartPile Review versions (3.6, 3.72, 3.73, 3.76 and 3.76.1). Fixed EDC/PDA ratio was consistent (0.89 to 0.97) for all version numbers, with little variability (max coefficient of variation (CV) = 0.17); UF EDC/PDA ratio was slightly unconservative (1.12) for earlier versions (3.6), but conservative (0.89 to 0.93) for later releases, with little variability (max CV = 0.18); Top pile compressive stresses, CSX (EDC/PDA), were consistent (0.91 to 0.93) for all versions, with little variability (max CV = 0.09); Bottom pile compressive stresses, CSB (EDC/PDA), ranged from 0.77 for earlier version (3.6), but quickly stabilized at 0.74 for all subsequent versions (3.72-3.761), with maximum variability (CV = 0.25); Pile tension stress, TSX (EDC/PDA), was slightly unconservative (1.2) for earlier versions (3.6), but was conservative (0.87 to 0.90) for all later releases, with max variability (CV = 0.29); UF EDC/CAPWAP total capacity ratio varied from 1.0 (ver 3.6) to 0.89 (ver 3.761), with R2 = 0.89; UF EDC/CAPWAP skin friction ratio varied from 0.78 to 1.04, with R2 = 0.57; UF EDC/CAPWAP tip resistance ratio varied from 0.85 to 0.93, with R2 = 0.76. A total of 12 static pile test were collected in Florida and Louisiana. From the 12 piles, a total of 17 independent measurements (i.e., total, skin, and tip capacities) were recorded. EDC and SmartPile had a bias or ʎ (ratio of measured/predicted) of 0.96, CVR, of 0.258 for combined (total, tip and skin) resistances. Using ASHTO, 2012, the Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) Φ was determined to be 0.65, for a reliability, β, of 2.33. CAPWAP had a bias, ʎ, of 0.91, CVR = 0.311, and LRFD Φ = 0.54 for β=2.33 with inclusion of side friction and tip resistance. KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Case Pile Wave Analysis Program (CAPWAP) KW - Florida KW - Instruments for measuring loads or pressure KW - Load and resistance factor design KW - Load tests KW - Louisiana KW - Pile driving KW - Pile foundations KW - Skin friction KW - Strain gages UR - http://www.fdot.gov/research/Completed_Proj/Summary_GT/FDOT-BDK75-977-24-rpt.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1286030 ER - TY - SER AN - 01505748 JO - TechBrief PB - Federal Highway Administration TI - Where Pedestrians Cross the Roadway PY - 2013/12 SP - 4p AB - In 2010, 13 percent of all crash fatalities were pedestrians. Of these, 68.1 percent occurred outside of intersections. Despite the large proportion of crashes, there has been little research investigating why pedestrians cross roadways at unmarked locations. This study sought to better understand the environmental influences on both where and when pedestrians elect to cross the road. The study team observed, coded, and analyzed the circumstances surrounding when and where crashes took place at more than 70,000 crossings. The study team created a model to predict crossing behaviors. These data have the potential to guide roadway design. Furthermore, this approach may aid in the selection and location of pedestrian crossing interventions (e.g., new pedestrian activation crossing beacons), ultimately increasing pedestrian safety in shared use environments. KW - Crash analysis KW - Crash locations KW - Crosswalks KW - Environment KW - Mathematical models KW - Pedestrian movement KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Pedestrian-vehicle crashes KW - Pedestrians UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/13099/13099.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1286049 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505743 AU - Skaggs, Valerie J AU - Norris, Ann I AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - 2012 Aerospace Medical Certification Statistical Handbook PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 44p AB - The annual Aerospace Medical Certification Statistical Handbook reports descriptive characteristics of all active United States civil aviation airmen and the aviation medical examiners (AMEs) that perform the required medical examinations. The 2012 annual handbook documents the most recent and most widely relevant data on active civil aviation airmen and AMEs. Medical certification records from 2007-2012 were selected from the Document Imaging Workflow System (DIWS), which is the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical certification database. All medical data were abstracted from the most recent medical examinations, with the exception of medical conditions, which were historical and current. Only those with a non-expired medical certificate remained in the dataset. AME records were selected from the Aviation Medical Examiner Information System (AMEIS). The current status of each AME was determined for each year of the study period from 2010-2012, retaining only those with an active status. Airman variables include age, issued and effective medical classes, height, weight, BMI, gender, select medical conditions, special issuances, and FAA region of residence. AME variables include AME type, age, gender, medical specialty, pilot license status, senior examiner status, and region. Airmen: As of December 31, 2012, there were 581,850 medically certified airmen age 16 and older, and 32.7%, 21.6%, and 45.7% were issued a Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 medical certificate, respectively. Across all medical classes, the average age was 42.9 years, and 93.5% of the airmen were male. The mean BMI for both females and males was 24.1 and 27.2, respectively. Seven percent of issued certificates required a special issuance. The most commonly reported medical condition was hypertension with medication, at 11.3%. Aviation medical examiners: Of the 3,427 active AMEs, 93.8% were civilian, 2.0% federal, and 4.2% military. Nearly 50% reported their medical specialty as family practice. Their average age was 60.2 years; the majority (52.6%) did not hold a pilot license, and 88.7% were male. KW - Air pilots KW - Aviation medicine KW - Certification KW - Civil aviation KW - Demographics KW - Medical personnel KW - Physicians KW - Statistics KW - United States UR - http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2010s/media/201325.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285694 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505731 AU - Goodall, Noah J AU - Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research AU - Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Real-Time Prediction of Vehicle Locations in a Connected Vehicle Environment PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 55p AB - The wireless communication between vehicles and the transportation infrastructure, referred to as the connected vehicle environment, has the potential to improve driver safety and mobility drastically for drivers. However, the rollout of connected vehicle technologies in passenger vehicles is expected to last 30 years or more, during which time traffic will be a mix of vehicles equipped with the technology and vehicles that are not equipped with the technology. Most mobility applications tested in simulation, such as traffic signal control and performance measurement, show greater benefits as a larger percentage of vehicles are equipped with connected vehicle technologies. The purpose of this study was to develop and investigate techniques to estimate the positions of unequipped vehicles based on the behaviors of equipped vehicles. Two algorithms were developed for this purpose: one for use with arterials and one for use with freeways. Both algorithms were able to estimate the positions of a portion of unequipped vehicles in the same lane within a longitudinal distance. Further, two connected vehicle mobility applications were able to use these estimates to produce small performance improvements in simulation at low penetration rates of connected vehicle technologies when compared to using connected vehicle data alone, with up to an 8% reduction in delay for a ramp metering application and a 4.4% reduction in delay for a traffic signal control application. The study recommends that the Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research (VCTIR) continue to assess the data quality of connected vehicle field deployments to determine if the developed algorithms can be deployed. If data quality is deemed acceptable and if a connected vehicle application is tested in a field deployment, VCTIR should evaluate the use of the location estimation algorithms to improve the application’s performance at low penetration rates. This is expected to result in reduced delays and improved flow for connected vehicle mobility applications during times when few vehicles are able to communicate wirelessly. KW - Algorithms KW - Arterial highways KW - Automatic vehicle location KW - Freeways KW - ITS program applications KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Real time information KW - Traffic flow KW - Vehicle electronics KW - Wireless communication systems UR - http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/14-R4.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285615 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505713 AU - Kemp, Philip M AU - Cardona, Patrick S AU - Chaturvedi, Arvind K AU - Soper, John W AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Distribution of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and 11-Nor-9-Carboxy-Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in Postmortem Biological Fluids and Tissues From Pilots Fatally Injured in Aviation Accidents PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 16p AB - Despite a long history of research on the pharmacology of ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary active cannabinoid in marijuana, little is known of its distribution in postmortem fluids and tissues. This study presents postmortem fluid and tissue data for THC and its major metabolite, 11-nor-9-carboxy-∆9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THCCOOH), from 55 pilots involved in fatal aviation accidents from 2005 – 2012. Utilizing immunoassay screening followed by confirmation using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, blood, urine, liver, brain, lung, heart, kidney, and muscle were analyzed, as needed, for each of the 55 cases. Particular attention was paid to lung as this tissue is exposed to cannabinoid-rich marijuana smoke. Mean THC concentrations in blood, liver, lung, and kidney were 12.5 ng/mL, 52.8 ng/g, 766.0 ng/g, and 27.1 ng/g, respectively. Mean THCCOOH concentrations in those same specimens were 34.1 ng/mL, 322.4 ng/g, 38.0 ng/g, and 138.5 ng/g, respectively. Limited data were available for heart tissue (2 cases), muscle (2), and brain (1). Heart THC concentrations were 184.4 and 759.3 ng/g. The corresponding heart THCCOOH measured 11.0 and 95.9 ng/g, respectively. Muscle concentrations for THC were 16.6 and 2.5 ng/g; corresponding THCCOOH, “positive” and 1.4 ng/g. The only brain tested in this study showed 0.0 ng/g THC and 2.9 ng/g THCCOOH, low concentrations that correlated with low values in other specimens from this case. This research emphasizes the need for cannabinoid testing in postmortem forensic toxicology laboratories. In addition, it demonstrates the usefulness of a number of tissues, most notably lung, for these analyses. KW - Air pilots KW - Air transportation crashes KW - Fatalities KW - Gas chromatography KW - Human tissue KW - Marijuana KW - Mass spectrometry KW - THC (Cannabis) KW - Toxicology UR - http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2010s/media/201324.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1281038 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505700 AU - McConnell, Jennifer AU - Wurst, Diane AU - McCarthy, Gillian AU - Sparacino, Matthew AU - Delaware Center for Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Investigation of Load-Path Redundancy in Aging Steel Bridges PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 231p AB - The key objectives of this work were: (1) to assess and quantify the influence of corrosion caused by deicing-agents on the ability of reinforced-concrete bridge decks to serve as a transverse load distribution and redistribution mechanism in steel girder bridges; (2) to formulate a rating procedure to quantify the system capacity of bridges that includes the effects of reinforced-concrete deck deterioration; and (3) to explore the correlations deck condition ratings and level of deterioration and how this may affect predicted system capacities. The primary components of the scope of work began with reviewing the literature to quantify the effect of deicing agents on the structural performance of reinforced concrete members. A finite element methodology was then formulated and calibrated to simulate this effect, first in analytical reproductions of the experimental specimens in the literature and then through FEA models of three existing steel I-girder bridges that had been calibrated to field data in prior work. Theoretical calculations supported by the data generated from these models and data from bridge inspection reports was used to accomplish the second and third objectives. KW - Aging (Materials) KW - Bridge decks KW - Corrosion KW - Deicing chemicals KW - Deterioration KW - Finite element method KW - Girder bridges KW - Literature reviews KW - Reinforced concrete KW - Steel bridges KW - Structural analysis UR - http://www.ce.udel.edu/UTC/downloads2013/McConnell_FinalReport_Complete.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285411 ER - TY - SER AN - 01505696 JO - TechBrief PB - Federal Highway Administration TI - Corrosion Monitoring Research of New York City Bridges PY - 2013/12 SP - 6p AB - Current visual maintenance inspections of suspension bridge cables do not provide an adequate amount or sufficiently reliable data, indicating the need for innovative non-destructive testing (NDT) and sensing technologies that can provide an immediate, comprehensive, and reliable assessment of cable conditions and their evolution with time either directly or through measuring-related variables (i.e., temperature, humidity, etc.). The objective of this research project was twofold: (1) to install a network of sensors that can monitor the internal environment of main cables and provide information that can be used to indirectly assess the cable’s deterioration conditions and their evolution over time (indirect sensing method) and (2) to explore and possibly further develop the most recent and promising NDT technologies for direct detection of the corrosion damage inside main cables of suspension bridges (direct sensing method). KW - Bridge cables KW - Corrosion tests KW - New York (New York) KW - Nondestructive tests KW - Sensors KW - Structural health monitoring KW - Suspension bridges UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/bridge/14024/14024.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1286050 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505688 AU - McVay, Michael AU - Bloomquist, David AU - Wasman, Scott AU - Drew, Gary AU - Lovejoy, Austin AU - Pyle, Chris AU - O'Brien, Riley AU - University of Florida, Gainesville AU - Florida Department of Transportation AU - Department of Transportation TI - Development of LRFD Resistance Factors for Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) Walls PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 152p AB - Over 100 centrifuge tests were conducted to assess Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) resistance factors for external stability of Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) walls founded on granular soils. In the case of sliding stability, the tests suggest the LRFD Φ values vary from 0.74 to 0.94 and 0.63 to 0.68 using Rankine and Coulomb methods for lateral resultant force, respectively. These values covered wall heights of 8 to 14 ft with variable backfill having μφ=32° and CVφ= 11.7%. The study also revealed that the load factor for horizontal earth pressure agreed very well with current practice (AASHTO, 2012), i.e. 1.5. In the case of bearing stability, the tests support Φ= 0.47 and 0.45 (β= 3.09) for foundation soils with μφ= 26°-30° and 31°-33°, respectively, and Φ= 0.65 and 0.68 (β= 2.32); current practice uses Φ= 0.65. The tests also suggest the use of load inclination factors in estimating bearing capacity. The combination of axial and lateral force, i.e., inclined resultant reduces the depth and length of the bearing failure surface, which is reflected in a reduced capacity. From over 200 measurements, the load factor for vertical earth pressure was determined to be 1.87, which is larger than current practice, 1.35 (AASHTO, 2012), but agrees well with values reported by others for internal stability. In the case of bearing stability of MSE walls near slopes, it was found that current prediction methods (Bowles, Vesic, etc.) are too conservative. Moreover, based on observed failures of MSE walls near embankments, slope stability instead of bearing controls their design KW - Bearing capacity KW - Centrifuges KW - Earth walls KW - Embankments KW - Granular soils KW - Load and resistance factor design KW - Load factor KW - Mechanically stabilized earth KW - Resistance tests UR - http://www.fdot.gov/research/Completed_Proj/Summary_GT/FDOT-BDK75-977-22-rpt.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1286029 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505675 AU - Ideker, Jason H AU - Fu, Tengfei AU - Deboodt, Tyler AU - Oregon Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development of Shrinkage Limits and Testing Protocols for ODOT High Performance Concrete PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 87p AB - Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has observed varying degrees of cracking in their concrete structures. Cracking of high performance reinforced concrete structures, in particular bridge decks, is of paramount concern to ODOT. Cracking at early ages (especially within the first year after placement) results in additional costs and a significant maintenance burden to ODOT. The causes behind cracking in high performance concrete (HPC) are well known and documented in the existing literature. However, appropriate shrinkage limits and standard laboratory/field tests that allow proper criteria to ensure crack-free or highly cracking-resistant high performance concrete are not clearly established either in the technical literature or in specifications. The purpose of this research was to provide shrinkage threshold limits for specifications and to provide a robust test procedure that allows easy determination of compliance with specified threshold limits. It has been shown that the “restrained ring” tests are the most comprehensive accelerated laboratory tests to accurately identify cracking potential. In addition, acceptable correlation between the ring test and the field test has been observed and documented. However, a simplified yet robust test procedure is in demand from materials suppliers and Departments of Transportation. Analysis of data obtained from this research project showed that the ratio of free shrinkage to shrinkage capacity (theoretical strain related to tensile strength and modulus of elasticity), referred to as a cracking potential indicator (CPI), was a promising assessment of cracking resistant performance. In this way, only the free shrinkage test (ASTM C157) and basic mechanical properties (ASTM C39, C469 and C496) are required to assess cracking risk of candidate high performance concrete mixture designs. This research investigation showed that a CPI less than 3.0 indicated low cracking risk when correlated to standard restrained ring tests. For ODOT HPC concrete bridge deck mixtures, a limit of 450 microstrain for free shrinkage at 28 day from initiation of drying is recommended to achieve satisfactory cracking resistance. Correlation to field experience is also recommended if these recommended thresholds/limits are adopted by ODOT. KW - Bridge decks KW - Cracking KW - High performance concrete KW - Literature reviews KW - Oregon KW - Shrinkage KW - Shrinkage limit KW - Test procedures UR - http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TP_RES/ResearchReports/SPR728_ShrinkageLimits-Final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285608 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505669 AU - Elzarka, Hazem AU - Andrews, Taylor AU - University of Cincinnati AU - Ohio Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of Renewable Energy Alternatives for Highway Maintenance Facilities PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 176p AB - A considerable annual energy budget is used for heating, lighting, cooling and operating Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) maintenance facilities. Such facilities contain vehicle repair and garage bays, which are large open spaces with high heating demand in winter. The main goal of the project was to recommend renewable energy and energy efficiency strategies for ODOT maintenance facilities that will reduce energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The research team developed a 3-phases screening process for evaluating renewable energy technologies and developed a decision support tool for use in each phase. KW - Air quality management KW - Decision support systems KW - Evaluation KW - Greenhouse gases KW - Maintenance facilities KW - Ohio Department of Transportation KW - Renewable energy sources UR - http://worldcat.org/oclc/871261211/viewonline UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285756 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505656 AU - Young, Rhonda AU - Liesman, Joel AU - Lucke, David AU - Schieck, Shane AU - University of Wyoming, Laramie AU - Mountain-Plains Consortium AU - Wyoming Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Wyoming Freight Movement System Vulnerabilities and ITS PY - 2013/12 SP - 35p AB - This report summarizes the work performed during the second phase of a two-phase research project. The first phase focused on two main areas: freight safety and wind vulnerability, and the identification of critical infrastructure. Phase I also tackled another major but less defined task in bringing together information from numerous sources to provide agencies in Wyoming with a general understanding of freight movement in the state. The results from the first phase can be found in the report entitled “Wyoming Freight Movement and Wind Vulnerability” (Young et al. 2005). The objectives of this second phase were to continue the efforts on freight safety with respect to high wind conditions and to propose a system utilizing intelligent transportation system technology to mitigate high wind hazards. These two tasks are summarized in Section 2, High Wind Freight Crashes in Wyoming, and Section 3, Use of ITS for Operation of Roadway Segments in High Wind Conditions. KW - Freight transportation KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - Truck crashes KW - Trucking safety KW - Wind KW - Wyoming UR - http://www.mountain-plains.org/pubs/pdf/MPC13-261.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51000/51092/MPC_13-261.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1286034 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505615 AU - Ma, Jiaqi AU - Demetsky, Michael J AU - Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research AU - Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Integration of Travel Demand Models with Operational Analysis Tools PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 61p AB - Continuing growth in urban travel demand inevitably leads to a need for more physical capacity within the transportation system. However, limited financial resources, high construction costs, environmental considerations, long timelines, and an increasingly complex regulatory process have essentially rendered capacity-adding projects to be actions of last resort. Before such projects are undertaken, decision makers, planners, and engineers evaluate alternative operational improvement strategies that can eliminate, mitigate, or forestall the need for a more traditional highway construction project. Effectively evaluating the wide range of operational improvement strategies that are available is not a trivial matter, and this is particularly true when the performance of such strategies is compared to the construction of new lanes. The purpose of this study was to recommend methods to obtain input data for operational analysis tools that operate as post-processors to travel demand models. Among all operational planning tools compatible with the four-step planning process, the Florida ITS Evaluation (FITSEval) tool was selected to be integrated with the primary planning software used by the Virginia Department of Transportation, i.e., Cube. To achieve the objective of this study, methods for estimating peak period flows from travel forecasting model outputs were investigated and Virginia data were examined for areas where planning forecasts and 24-hour travel patterns were available. Relationships between peak period flows and 24-hour data were studied. Procedures for obtaining the time-of-day factors for link and trip tables are provided using continuous count stations and National Household Travel Survey Data for Virginia. The modeling process was demonstrated by two case studies for the Hampton Roads area where the latest travel demand model was recently completed and many potential capacity enhancing operational strategies were available. Two case studies, Incident Management systems and High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes deployment, were evaluated, and the results of the base case and operational strategy deployment scenarios were compared to make recommendations on the feasibility of the evaluated projects. This report is designed to serve as a reference for users of FITSEval or similar operational analysis tools for evaluating operational capacity enhancements. KW - Case studies KW - Evaluation KW - High occupancy toll lanes KW - Incident management KW - Peak periods KW - Software KW - Traffic forecasting KW - Transportation planning KW - Travel demand KW - Virginia UR - http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/14-r5.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285626 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505602 AU - Coulter, Zebulun C AU - Ksaibati, Khaled AU - University of Wyoming, Laramie AU - Mountain-Plains Consortium AU - Wyoming Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Effectiveness of Various Safety Improvements in Reducing Crashes on Wyoming Roadways PY - 2013/12 SP - 98p AB - The high societal cost of roadway crashes nationwide makes improving highway safety an important objective of transportation agencies. Recognizing this, Safety Management Systems (SMS) have been required by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to encourage states to pursue and promote safety and accident investigations. In 2006, the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) SMS Committee organized an effort to reduce the number of fatal and serious injury crashes on Wyoming roadways. A plan was published in a formal document known as the Wyoming State Highway Safety Plan (WSHSP). When developing the WSHSP, the WYDOT SMS Committee recognized four main emphasis areas: roadway departure crashes, use of safety restraints, impaired driving, and speeding. While each one of the four emphasis areas plays an important role in the overall reduction of fatal and serious injury crashes statewide, this research focuses primarily on roadway departure crashes. This research study summarizes the effectiveness of the WSHSP on crash severity statewide. This is done by analyzing crash severity on geometric conditions statewide, as well as the effectiveness of two types of safety devices installed on selected roadway sections: shoulder rumble strips and cable median barriers. KW - Crash data KW - Crash rates KW - Crash severity KW - Highway safety KW - Median barriers KW - Ran off road crashes KW - Rumble strips KW - Safety Management Systems KW - Wyoming UR - http://www.mountain-plains.org/pubs/pdf/MPC13-262.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51000/51093/MPC_13-262.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1286036 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505568 AU - Romero, Pedro AU - Jones, ZacGary L AU - Mountain Plains Consortium AU - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Implementation of Low Temperature Tests for Asphalt Mixtures to Improve the Longevity of Road Surfaces PY - 2013/12 SP - 40p AB - Field samples were obtained from cores taken from multiple roads around the Salt Lake Valley in Utah and prepared for Bending Beam Rheometer (BBR) testing. The response of field cores showed that even though the binder grade used in the region is the same, the resulting mixtures have significant differences in creep moduli and m-values. This indicates that binder testing alone might not be enough to control the material’s creep modulus. The combination of BBR test results and field surveys indicate that both creep modulus and m-value play a significant role in low-temperature performance of asphalt pavements. Pavements with high creep moduli and low m-values are more susceptible to low-temperature thermal distress. From field observations, the field performance of each section was known; by plotting the test results of the field samples on a Black Space Diagram, it can be observed that a thermal stress failure envelope might exist. These results will allow the development of asphalt mixtures that have resistance to both low and high temperature distresses. However, more research will be necessary to further define this specification KW - Asphalt mixtures KW - Asphalt pavements KW - Creep properties KW - Field studies KW - Low temperature KW - Pavement performance KW - Performance tests KW - Rheological properties KW - Salt Lake Valley (Utah) KW - Thermal stresses UR - http://www.mountain-plains.org/pubs/pdf/MPC13-260.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1284805 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505127 AU - Chase, Stephanie AU - Gabree, Scott H AU - daSilva, Marco AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Effect of Gate Skirts on Pedestrian Behavior at a Highway-Rail Grade Crossing PY - 2013/12 SP - 43p AB - The Federal Railroad Administration was interested in evaluating one type of pedestrian safety device, commonly known as gate skirts, that consists of a secondary horizontal hanging gate under the existing pedestrian gate to better block access to the crossing by pedestrians who gain unauthorized entry by going under the down gates. The Volpe Center participated in a New Jersey Transit rail pilot project to evaluate a prototype design installed at a grade crossing in Matawan, NJ, on May 30, 2012. The purpose of this evaluation was to determine if the addition of gate skirting would result in fewer pedestrians attempting to violate the crossing on the sidewalk after the gates began to descend. Data were collected over a 2-week period before and a 2-week period after the installation of the gate skirts. Pedestrian actions were coded during all train activations that occurred during this 4-week period. The research team found that the total number of pedestrian violations decreased while the gates were descending (78 percent reduction) and horizontal (55 percent reduction), but increased while the gates were ascending (12 percent increase). Additionally, after the installation of the gate skirts, more pedestrians who violated while the gates were descending or horizontal chose to do so in the adjacent street where there were no gate skirts, as opposed to on the sidewalk where the safety enhancement had been added. KW - Crimes KW - Gates KW - Matawan (New Jersey) KW - Pedestrian flow KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Prototype tests KW - Railroad grade crossings KW - Railroad safety UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3521 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/50000/50900/50989/Effect_of_Gate_Skirts_20131227.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285607 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01504978 AU - Robeda, Jim AU - Sammon, Devin AU - Madrill, Benjamin AU - Transportation Technology Center, Incorporated AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Using Wheel Temperature Detector Technology to Monitor Railcar Brake System Effectiveness PY - 2013/12 SP - 32p AB - Wheel temperature detector technology has been used extensively in the railroad industry for the past several decades. The technology has traditionally been used to identify wheels with elevated temperatures. There is currently a movement in the industry to detect railcars with ineffective brakes by using the technology to identify wheels that have lower than expected temperatures when a train is in a braking mode or condition. This report documents a study to determine the effectiveness of the technology in distinguishing between applied and nonapplied brakes when a train passes a wheel temperature detector with train brakes applied. The study used controlled testing as well as data from revenue service operations to investigate the effectiveness of the technology and to compare its capabilities with the current manual inspection process. KW - Brakes KW - Braking KW - Car wheels (Railroads) KW - Detectors KW - Performance KW - Railroad cars KW - Temperature KW - Temperature measuring instruments UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3520 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285606 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01504420 AU - Mohammad, Louay N AU - Wu, Zhong AU - King, William M AU - Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge AU - Louisiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Accelerated Loading Evaluation of Foamed Asphalt Treated RAP Layers in Pavement Performance PY - 2013/12//Final report SP - 91p AB - Due to a lack of locally produced high-quality stone base materials, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD) is continuously seeking alternative base materials in lieu of crushed stones used for roadway construction. This report documents the research efforts conducted at the Louisiana Transportation Research Center (LTRC) regarding foamed-asphalt treated reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) alternative base materials and provides detailed information on experiment design as well as conducted field and laboratory tests. An accelerated pavement testing (APT) experiment was conducted in this study using the Accelerated Loading Facility (ALF) at LTRC’s Pavement Research Facility (PRF) testing site. The APT experiment included three different base test sections: the first one contained a foamed-asphalt treated 100 percent RAP base course (FA/100RAP), the second used a foamed-asphalt treated 50 percent RAP and 50 percent recycled soil cement base course (FA/50RAP/50SC), and the third had a crushed limestone base. Despite using different base materials, the three APT sections shared other pavement layers and had a common pavement structure: a 2-in. asphalt wearing course, an 8.5-in. base course, and a 12-in. cement-treated subbase course over an A-4 soil embankment subgrade. Each section was instrumented with one multi-depth deflectometer and two pressure cells for measuring ALF moving load induced pavement responses (i.e., deflections and vertical stresses). To expedite traffic-induced pavement deteriorations, two steel lo ad plates of 2,300-lb. each were added to the ALF load assembly (with a self-weight of 9,750-lb.) specifically at the loading cycle numbers of 175,000 and 225,000, respectively. The instrumentation data was collected at approximately every 8,500 ALF load repetitions; whereas, non-destructive deflection tests (NDT) and surface distress surveys (for surface rutting and cracking) were conducted at every 25,000 ALF load passes. In addition, a series of laboratory engineering performance-based tests was performed to characterize the performance of utilized materials in the APT experiment. The overall APT results generally indicated that the two foamed-asphalt base materials did not perform better than or as well as the crushed stone base. All three test sections were failed primarily due to the development of surface rutting. I isolated fatigue cracks were observed in localized areas of each test section associated with excessive surface ruts. The crushed stone section reached a rutting failure limit of an average rut depth of 0.5 in. approximately at an ALF loading cycle of 282,000; whereas, the FA/100RAP and FA/50RAP/50SC sections reached the limit at 230,000 and 228,000 repetitions, respectively. However, further analyses based on field measurement results revealed that both foamed-asphalt test sections showed slightly less permanent deformation than the crushed stone section during the first 175,000 ALF load repetitions. The backcalculated in-situ moduli of the two foamed-asphalt base courses were higher than that of the crushed stone base during the loading period when the applied ALF load was at 9,750 lb. Loading was increased after this and unfortunately, as the ALF load levels increased, both foamed-asphalt sections suddenly displayed a significantly higher rate of rutting than the stone section and quickly developed a premature rutting failure. A Shakedown theory analysis indicated that both foamed-asphalt treated RAP base materials seemed to have a lower shakedown threshold stress than the crushed stone base. It was due to the increase of the ALF load levels after the 175,000 repetitions that caused pavement base stresses higher than the shakedown threshold stresses of the two foamed-asphalt treated RAP base materials and eventually resulted in a stage of incremental collapse (or a sudden rutting failure) for the two foamed-asphalt test sections. In addition, the shakedown analysis also suggested that, as long as keeping the traffic induced stress level below the corresponding threshold stresses (as shown in the case when the ALF load was at a 9,750-lb. level), both foamed-asphalt base materials would have continuously performed better than the stone base. Due to having excellent performance under a 9,750-lb. ALF load, the foamed-asphalt treated RAP mixtures evaluated in this study may be considered for low volume roads, where the percentage of overloaded heavy truck traffic is relatively low and the environment is relatively dry (or a good drainage system is provided). KW - Accelerated tests KW - Base course (Pavements) KW - Foamed asphalt KW - Louisiana KW - Moisture content KW - Nondestructive tests KW - Pavement performance KW - Reclaimed asphalt pavements KW - Ruts (Pavements) KW - Wearing course (Pavements) UR - http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/pdf/2013/FR_475.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1284792 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01504348 AU - Mohammad, Louay N AU - Nazzal, Munir D AU - King, Bill AU - Austin, Aaron AU - Louisiana Transportation Research Center AU - Louisiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development of a Design Methodology for Asphalt Treated Mixtures PY - 2013/12//Final report SP - 93p AB - This report summarizes the results of a study that was conducted to develop a simplified design methodology for asphalt treated mixtures that are durable, stable, constructible, and cost effective through the examination of the performance of mixtures that have different aggregate gradation from typically available sources. The study was conducted in two parallel parts, Part I and Part II. Part I consisted of developing a design methodology for asphalt treated mixtures and conducting a laboratory testing program to characterize the behavior of the designed mixtures. Eight aggregate sources and two types of asphalt binders were considered in this part. Part I of this study also included conducting static as well as repeated load triaxial tests to characterize the performance of three unbound granular base materials. Furthermore, a parametric analysis was conducted using Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPGD) software to evaluate the benefits of in corporating the asphalt treated mixtures in the design of a pavement structure. In Part II four overlay rehabilitation projects were selected in Louisiana to evaluate the constructability and in-situ proprieties of the asphalt treated mixtures designed in Part I. The results of Part I showed that the asphalt treated mixtures containing limestone aggregates, LS I and LS II, had the best laboratory performance among all other mixtures designed in this study. Furthermore, their performance was similar to conventional base course hot mix asphalt (HMA) ones at high and intermediate temperatures. The results of the laboratory tests conducted in Part I also showed that the asphalt treated base mixtures have made significant improvements over unbound granular base materials in terms of stiffness and permanent deformation resistance. In addition, the MEPDG analysis showed asphalt treated mixtures can be used to extend the service life and/or reduce the design thickness of a pavement structure. The results of Part II of this study demonstrated that the asphalt treated mixtures can be successively produced in conventional HMA plants and constructed in the field. In addition, the in-situ test results showed that asphalt treated mixtures exhibited similar moduli to those of conventional HMA base course mixtures. KW - Asphalt mixtures KW - Binders KW - Deformation KW - Field tests KW - Mechanistic-empirical pavement design KW - Overlays (Pavements) KW - Pavement design KW - Pavement performance UR - http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/pdf/2013/FR_453.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1284790 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01504057 AU - Liang, Robert AU - Fan, Haijian AU - University of Akron AU - Ohio Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Performance Based Design Of Laterally Loaded Drilled Shafts PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 186p AB - Reliability-based design of deep foundations such as drilled shafts has been increasingly important due to the heightened awareness of the importance of risk management. The load and resistance factor design has been implemented by FHWA since 2007. Nevertheless, there are still many unsolved issues regarding the implementation of load and resistance factor design. In an attempt to address these issues, a performance-based design approach has been developed in which Monte Carlo simulation is employed to conduct reliability analysis. A series of computer codes were developed and validated. It was found that the spatial variability of soils is an important consideration in reliability analysis. KW - Caissons KW - Deep foundations KW - Lateral loads KW - Load and resistance factor design KW - Monte Carlo method KW - Performance based design KW - Risk management KW - Soils UR - http://worldcat.org/oclc/871543454/viewonline UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1280996 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01504056 AU - Liang, Robert Y AU - Li, Lin AU - University of Akron AU - Ohio Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Probabilistic Analysis Algorithm for UA Slope Software Program PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 132p AB - A reliability-based computational algorithm for using a single row and equally spaced drilled shafts to stabilize an unstable slope has been developed in this research. The Monte-Carlo simulation (MCS) technique was used in the previously developed deterministic computational program, in which the limiting equilibrium method of slices was modified to incorporate the arching effects of the drilled shafts in a slope. Uncertainties of soil parameters in the slope were considered by statistical descriptors, including mean, coefficient of variance (c.o.v.), and distribution function. Model errors of the semi-empirical predictive equation for the load transfer factor for characterizing the soil arching effects were considered by statistics of bias. A PC-based research grade program, UA Slope 3.0, was coded to allow for analysis of probability of failure and reliability index of a shaft/slope system. The illustrative example demonstrated that a single value of factor of safety chosen in the deterministic approach may not yield the desired level of reliability as uncertainties of soil parameters and model errors cannot be accounted for systematically. As an extension of this research, importance sampling technique (IST) on drilled shaft/slope system has been proposed to demonstrate its high efficiency, in which the importance function and design point are determined for the ordinary method of slices (OMS) with the accompanying load transfer factor. In addition, the design method of using multiple rows of drilled shaft was developed to stabilize a large slope, in which the design and optimization criteria were proposed to reach the target safety and the constructability while meeting the service limit requirement KW - Algorithms KW - Drilled shafts KW - Monte Carlo method KW - Probability KW - Slopes KW - Software UR - http://worldcat.org/oclc/871344574/viewonline UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1280997 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01504017 AU - Hooks, John AU - Frangopol, Dan M AU - Rutgers University, Piscataway AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - LTBP Bridge Performance Primer PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 68p AB - The performance of bridges is critical to the overall performance of the highway transportation system in the United States. However, many critical aspects of bridge performance are not well understood. The reasons for this include the extreme diversity of the bridge infrastructure, the widely varying conditions under which bridges serve, and the lack of reliable data needed to understand performance. The Long-Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) Program was created to identify, collect, and analyze research-quality data on the most critical aspects of bridge performance. This report describes the bridge infrastructure in the United States and explains why reliable indicators of bridge performance are necessary. Current methods of measuring performance are described, and the need for more precisely targeted performance indicators is discussed. The report explains bridge performance in terms of the aspects that have the most impact on the ability of the bridge to serve its intended purpose in a safe, efficient, and economical manner. The purpose of this report is to provide an understanding of what bridge performance means and the factors that influence bridge performance. It describes the various ways in which bridge owners measure and report bridge performance. It also describes how the LTBP Program will create new measures to allow deeper analysis and understanding, which will lead to ways to improve long-term bridge performance. KW - Bridges KW - Data quality KW - Long term performance KW - Long-Term Bridge Performance Program KW - Performance measurement KW - Structural health monitoring UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/ltbp/13051/13051.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51100/51152/13051.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1284794 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01504012 AU - Schneider, William H AU - Miller, Christopher AU - Holik, William A AU - Crow, Mallory AU - University of Akron, Ohio AU - Ohio Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of Epoke Bulk Spreader for Winter Maintenance PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 214p AB - In the current economic climate, it is imperative to maximize efficiency while minimizing costs. As a result, ODOT is evaluating new methods to reduce expenditures in their winter maintenance budget. One such evaluation is of the Epoke Bulk Spreader, which is a salt and brine spreader capable of applying material over multiple lanes in a single pass. A thorough evaluation of the Epoke must be conducted in order to determine the feasibility for implementation, including: the impact on level of service (LOS), material usage, and versatility of the equipment. To successfully evaluate the Epoke, several areas of data must be collected, including: weather, traffic, plow truck, tanker anti-icing, and summer herbicide spraying data. The data collection for this project occurred in the Boston Heights garage in Summit County. A salt savings of 12% was realized through the use of the Epoke, with the payback period occurring in year eight with salt prices at $40 per ton and 20,000 tons of salt used annually by the garage. However, savings with the tanker truck were overall negligible. The Epoke is found to reduce salt usage and labor times, while maintaining the level of service. KW - Deicing chemicals KW - Epoke KW - Evaluation KW - Highway maintenance KW - Level of service KW - Ohio KW - Snow and ice control KW - Snowplows KW - Spreaders KW - Winter maintenance UR - http://worldcat.org/oclc/874753594/viewonline UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1280995 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502789 AU - Schroeder, Paul AU - Kostyniuk, Lidia AU - Mack, Mary AU - Abt SRBI Incorporated AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - 2011 National Survey of Speeding Attitudes and Behaviors PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 182p AB - The 2011 National Survey of Speeding Attitudes and Behavior (NSSAB) is the third in a series of surveys on speeding that have provided data to help further the understanding of driving behavior and to contribute to the development of countermeasures and interventions to reduce speeding. Like the previous studies, this survey yields national estimates of behavior and attitudes toward speeding in the United States. The present study differs from the earlier studies in that it developed and used a driver typology based on the pattern of responses across six speeding behavior questions. Cluster analysis identified three distinct groups of drivers with similar overall behavioral tendencies and, among those categorized, 30% are nonspeeders, 40% are sometime speeders, and 30% are speeders. Driver type is a powerful predictor of norms and attitudes toward speeding behavior, speeding countermeasures, experience with sanctions and crash experience. This report details the findings from the 2011 NSSAB, examining the data using the above mentioned driver typology as well as standard demographics. In the final chapter, results from the current study are compared to those of the 2002 NSSAB and the 1997 NSSAB. Using data from over the last 14 years allows the identification of trends in speeding and driving behavior, especially as new technologies such as cell phones become more pervasive in the driving community. KW - Attitudes KW - Automobile drivers KW - Behavior KW - Cluster analysis KW - Countermeasures KW - Demographics KW - Speeding KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/communications/pdf/2011_N_Survey_of_Speeding_Attitudes_and_Behaviors_811865.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1280998 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502082 AU - Edara, Praveen AU - Zhu, Zhongyuan (Eric) AU - Sun, Carlos AU - Mid-America Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Investigation of Alternative Work Zone Merging Sign Configurations PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 37p AB - This study investigated the effect of an alternative merge sign configuration within a freeway work zone. In this alternative configuration, the graphical lane closed sign from the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) was compared with a MERGE/arrow sign on one side and a RIGHT LANE CLOSED sign on the other side. The study measured driver behavior characteristics including speeds and open lane occupancies. The measurements were taken at two identical work zones on Interstate-70 in Missouri, one with the new test sign and the other with the standard MUTCD sign. The study found that the open lane occupancy upstream of the merge sign was higher for the test sign in comparison to the MUTCD sign. Occupancy values at different distances between the merge sign and the taper were similar for both signs. The test sign had 11% more traffic in the open lane upstream of the merge sign. In terms of safety, it is desirable for vehicles to occupy the open lane as far upstream from the taper as possible to avoid conflicts due to the lane drop. Thus, the test sign proved to be a good alternative to the MUTCD sign. The analysis of speed characteristics did not reveal substantial differences between the two sign configurations. The 85th percentile speeds with the MUTCD sign were 1 mph and 2 mph lower than the test sign at the merge sign and taper locations, respectively. KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Lane closure KW - Lane occupancy KW - Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices KW - Merging area KW - Merging traffic KW - Missouri KW - Tapers (Work zone traffic control) KW - Traffic signs KW - Traffic speed KW - Work zone traffic control KW - Work zones UR - http://library.modot.mo.gov/RDT/reports/TRyy1318/cmr14-018.pdf UR - http://matc.unl.edu/assets/documents/matcfinal/Edara_InvestigationofAlternateWorkZoneMergingSignConfigurations.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1279838 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502067 AU - Moses, Ren AU - Mtoi, Enock AU - Ruegg, Steve AU - McBean, Heinrich AU - Florida A&M University - Florida State University AU - Parsons Brinckerhoff AU - Florida Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development of Speed Models for Improving Travel Forecasting and Highway Performance Evaluation PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 155p AB - Most travel forecasting models require the use of appropriate values of free flow speed and practical capacity as well as appropriate forms of volume delay functions and their calibrated parameters. One-year field data of hourly volumes and hourly speeds from permanent traffic count stations maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation were used to determine the prevailing free flow speeds and practical capacities of highway facilities categorized by area type and facility type. The area types were grouped as rural, urban, and residential while facilities were categorized as uninterrupted flow facilities or interrupted flow facilities. Field data of speed and volume were plotted and used to fit and calibrate four volume delay functions (VDFs) - that is, Modified Bureau of Public Roads (BPR), Modified Davidson, Akcelik and Conical functions. The calibrated VDFs were then tested into the Florida Standard Urban Transportation Modeling Structure (FSUTMS) using the Orlando Urban Area Transportation Study (OUATS) region. The results of free flow speed and practical capacity estimation produced values that were in line with those found in published literature, although capacity on rural freeway segments could not be estimated because of uncongested operations on those segments. Updating the FSUTMS SPEEDCAP lookup table is recommended. Although the testing of the volume delay functions on the OAUTS region revealed a reasonable match between estimated counts and field counts for Modified BPR and Modified Davidson volume delay functions, the results need to be validated further due to lack of permanent count stations in the test region. KW - Florida KW - Florida Standard Urban Transportation Modeling Structure KW - Highway capacity KW - Highway facilities KW - Performance measurement KW - Socioeconomic areas KW - Traffic flow KW - Traffic forecasting KW - Traffic speed KW - Traffic volume UR - http://www.fdot.gov/research/Completed_Proj/Summary_PL/FDOT-BDK83-977-14-rpt.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278965 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502055 AU - Edara, Praveen AU - Hou, Yi AU - Sun, Carlos AU - Mid-America Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Analysis of Driver Merging Behavior at Lane Drops on Freeways PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 41p AB - Lane changing assistance systems advise drivers on safe gaps for making mandatory lane changes at lane drops. In this study, such a system was developed using a Bayes classifier and a decision tree to model lane changes. Detailed vehicle trajectory data from the Next Generation Simulation (NGSIM) dataset were used for model development (US Highway 101) and testing (Interstate 80). The model predicted driver decisions regarding whether or not to merge as a function of certain input variables. The best results were obtained when both the Bayes and decision tree classifiers were combined into a single classifier using a majority voting principle. Predictive accuracy was 94.3% for non-merge events and 79.3% for merge events. In a lane change assistance system, the accuracy of non-merge events is more critical than accuracy for merge events. Misclassifying a non-merge event as a merge event could result in a crash, while misclassifying a merge event as a non-merge event would only result in a lost opportunity to merge. Sensitivity analysis performed by assigning a higher misclassification cost for non-merge events resulted in even higher accuracy for non-merge events, but lower accuracy for merge events. KW - Accuracy KW - Bayes' theorem KW - Decision trees KW - Driver support systems KW - Gap acceptance KW - Lane changing KW - Lane drops KW - Merging traffic KW - Next Generation Simulation program KW - Sensitivity analysis KW - Vehicle trajectories UR - http://matc.unl.edu/assets/documents/matcfinal/Edara_AnalysisofDriverMergingBehaviouratLaneDropsonFreeway.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1279841 ER - TY - SER AN - 01502054 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Dwyer, Carmine E AU - Vavrik, William R AU - Becker, Rachel L AU - Applied Research Associates, Incorporated AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluating Pavement Markings on Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) and Various Asphalt Surfaces: Results of Year 1, 2, 3, and 4 Data Collection PY - 2013/12//Project Report SP - 130p AB - The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) uses a variety of different pavement marking systems and has experienced a wide range of pavement marking performance. In an effort to maximize marking performance and to optimize marking selection, IDOT initiated a research project to evaluate the performance of all currently approved marking types to develop a pavement marking selection guide based on performance results. The purpose of this project is to evaluate the performance of pavement markings on both portland cement concrete (PCC) and hot-mix asphalt (HMA) pavements over a period of four years. Field investigations were conducted to gather data on the durability and visibility of markings and the compatibility between markings and pavement materials. From the results of the study and a lifecycle cost analysis, Applied Research Associates (ARA) developed a pavement marking selection guide. Because the successful performance of a marking depends largely on controlling many variables during the installation of the marking, this guide includes pavement marking installation inspection methods for use by IDOT inspectors. KW - Durability KW - Field studies KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Illinois KW - Life cycle analysis KW - Performance measurement KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Road marking materials KW - Road markings KW - Service life KW - Visibility UR - http://hdl.handle.net/2142/45983 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1279848 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502029 AU - Jin, Peter J AU - Fagnant, Dan AU - Hall, Andrea AU - Walton, C M AU - Hockenyos, Jon AU - Krusee, Mike AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Developing Emerging Transportation Technologies in Texas PY - 2013/12//Technical Report SP - 67p AB - Texas’ 83rd Legislature charged Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) with examining and evaluating innovative transportation technologies for purposes of cost savings, reducing traffic congestion, enhancing safety, and increasing economic productivity. As a result, the Texas Transportation Task Force was formed encompassing a group of experts who discussed four groups of emerging transportation technologies including connected vehicles, autonomous vehicles, electric systems, and cloud computing/crowdsourcing technologies. A report of findings is provided from the Task Force’s assessment of each of these technologies using a four-stage process. The first stage sought to understand technology development phases as each technology progressed from prototyping to public road testing to initial deployment and commercialization. The second stage assessed current and near-term (2018) technology maturity development from the perspective of both TxDOT and potential consumers. While the first two stages focused on these technologies as stand-alone technologies, the final two stages provided an assessment of them as standalone and combined technologies to discover synergistic effects and potential benefits and new systems that could be enabled. The third stage evaluated how individual joint technologies could serve Texas’ statewide goals, and the fourth stage provided an evaluation of issues and concerns for each technology or joint technology as they progressed through development stages. Finally, the Task Force developed a preliminary short- and long-term vision for these technologies in Texas, which includes a menu of options for testing and implementation of new technologies. KW - Automated vehicle control KW - Cloud computing KW - Crowd sourcing KW - Electric vehicle charging KW - Electric vehicles KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Implementation KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - ITS program technologies KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Technological innovations KW - Technology assessment KW - Testing KW - Texas UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/ctr-publications/0-6803-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1280267 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502027 AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - 2012 Household Travel Survey Symposium: Conference Summary and Final Report PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 55p AB - The Southwest Region University Transportation Center (SWUTC) Travel Survey Symposium was held in Dallas on November 8 and 9. More than 70 travel survey professionals attended this event from across the United States, from Florida to Alaska, with one attendee from the City of Calgary (Canada), representing an almost equal mix of agency, consultant, and academic researchers. The symposium started with a poster session, featuring research from 22 related efforts. An opening session followed that included a Texas welcome from Mr. Michael Morris, Executive Director of e North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) and a key note speech from Dr. Kermit Wies of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. Attendees were encouraged to think outside the box and consider all users of travel survey data as their customers. The symposium was divided into two parts. The discussion groups on Thursday focused on identifying lessons learned and opportunities to advance methods and sampling approaches, as well as considering all uses of the survey data. Friday, the focus of the symposium discussion turned to identifying what can be implemented now and establishing a research agenda to move us toward the newly identified survey designs. KW - Conferences KW - Data collection KW - Households KW - Methodology KW - National Household Travel Survey KW - Statistical sampling KW - Travel surveys UR - http://swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/600451-00017-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1280288 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502025 AU - McGuire, Sarah AU - Davies, Patricia AU - Partnership for AiR Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Modeling Aircraft Noise-Induced Sleep Disturbance PY - 2013/12 SP - 631p AB - One of the primary impacts of aircraft noise on a community is its disruption of sleep. There are models that have been developed to predict the effect of aircraft noise on sleep. However, most of these models only predict the percentage of the population that is awakened. Markov and nonlinear dynamic models have been developed to predict an individual’s sleep structure during the night. However, both of these models have limitations. The purpose of this research was to examine these sleep structure models to determine how they could be altered to predict the effect of aircraft noise on sleep. Different approaches for adding a noise level dependence to the Markov Model was explored and the modified model was validated by comparing predictions to behavioral awakening data. In order to determine how to add faster dynamics to the nonlinear dynamic sleep models it was necessary to have a more detailed sleep stage classification than was available from visual scoring of sleep data. An automatic sleep stage classification algorithm was developed which extracts different features of polysomnography data including the occurrence of rapid eye movements (REMs), sleep spindles, and slow wave sleep. Using these features an approach for classifying sleep stages every one second during the night was developed. From observation of the results of the sleep stage classification, it was determined how to add faster dynamics to the nonlinear dynamic model. Slow and fast REM activity are modeled separately and the activity in the gamma frequency band of the Electroencephalogram (EEG) signal is used to model both spontaneous and noise-induced awakenings. The nonlinear model predicts changes in sleep structure similar to those found by other researchers and reported in the sleep literature and similar to those found in obtained survey data. To compare sleep disturbance model predictions, flight operations data from United States airports were obtained and sleep disturbance in communities was predicted for different operations scenarios using the modified Markov model, the nonlinear dynamic model, and other aircraft noise awakening models. Similarities and differences in model predictions were evaluated in order to determine if the use of the developed sleep structure model leads to improved predictions of the impact of nighttime noise on communities. KW - Aircraft noise KW - Algorithms KW - Dynamic models KW - Markov processes KW - Mathematical models KW - Mathematical prediction KW - Night KW - Sleep KW - United States UR - http://web.mit.edu/aeroastro/partner/reports/proj24/proj24-2013-004.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1280720 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01501992 AU - Zou, Yajie AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Multivariate Analysis of Freeway Speed and Headway Data PY - 2013/12 SP - 70p AB - The knowledge of speed and headway distributions is essential in microscopic traffic flow studies because speed and headway are both fundamental microscopic characteristics of traffic flow. For microscopic simulation models, one key process is the generation of entry vehicle speeds and vehicle arrival times. It is helpful to find desirable mathematical distributions to model individual speed and headway values, because the individual vehicle speed and arrival time in microscopic simulations are usually generated based on some form of mathematical models. Traditionally, distributions for speed and headway are investigated separately and independent of each other. However, this traditional approach ignores the possible dependence between speed and headway. To address this issue, the research presents a methodology to construct bivariate distributions to describe the characteristics of speed and headway. Based on the investigation of freeway speed and headway data measured from the loop detector data on IH-35 in Austin, Texas, it is shown that there exists a weak dependence between speed and headway. The research first proposes skew-t mixture models to capture the heterogeneity in speed distribution. Finite mixture of skew-t distributions can significantly improve the goodness of fit of speed data. To develop a bivariate distribution to capture the dependence and describe the characteristics of speed and headway, this study proposes a Farlie-Gumbel-Morgenstern (FGM) approach to construct a bivariate distribution to simultaneously describe the characteristics of speed and headway. The bivariate model can provide a satisfactory fit to the multimodal speed and headway distribution. Overall, the proposed methodologies in this research can be used to generate more accurate vehicle speeds and vehicle arrival times by considering their dependence on each other when developing microscopic traffic simulation models. KW - Austin (Texas) KW - Freeways KW - Headways KW - Heterogeneity KW - Mathematical models KW - Microscopic traffic flow KW - Multivariate analysis KW - Speed KW - Vehicle spacing UR - http://swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/600451-00020-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1280289 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01501564 AU - Edara, Praveen AU - Sun, Carlos AU - Zhu, Zhongyuan (Eric) AU - University of Missouri, Columbia AU - Missouri Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Calibration of Work Zone Impact Analysis Software for Missouri PY - 2013/12//Final Report SP - 33p AB - This project calibrated two software programs used for estimating the traffic impacts of work zones. The WZ Spreadsheet and VISSIM programs were recommended in a previous study by the authors. The two programs were calibrated using field data from two work zones in Missouri. Both work zones involved a single lane closure on a three-lane section of roadway. The I-44 work zone was a long-term work zone, while the I-70 work zone was temporary, lasting only a few hours. The capacity values required for calibration were nearly identical for the two programs: 1,575 veh/hr/ln for the WZ Spreadsheet and 1,514 veh/hr/ln for the VISSIM program. The VISSIM driving behavior parameters CC1, CC2, and SRF were also computed. The study found that a calibration based on delay or travel time exhibited better overall performance than a calibration based on queue length. In the future, additional case studies could be added to further calibrate the two models for different work zone lane configurations, such as a one-lane closure on a two-lane segment or a two-lane closure on a three-lane segment. KW - Calibration KW - Delays KW - Impacts KW - Lane closure KW - Missouri KW - Software KW - Spreadsheet (Computer model) KW - Traffic control KW - Traffic queue length KW - Travel time KW - VISSIM (Computer model) KW - Work zones UR - http://library.modot.mo.gov/RDT/reports/TRyy1306/cmr14-004.pdf UR - http://matc.unl.edu/assets/documents/matcfinal/Edara_EvaluationofWorkZoneSoftwareProgramsPhase2-ValidationUsingFieldData.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1279603 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01501087 AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Traffic Safety for Older People – 5-Year Plan PY - 2013/12 SP - 29p AB - This document is intended to serve as the plan for National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) activities to address traffic safety concerns of older people. Given the increasing proportion of older people in the population, NHTSA must work in conjunction with its partners to provide evidence-based countermeasures to reduce risk to older - and all - road users. The plan is broken down into three time periods. The initial period covers current work and projects scheduled within the next 2 years. The second period covers work scheduled for 3 to 5 years from the initiation of this plan. The final and extended period of this plan covers the outputs occurring beyond 5 years from the initiation of this plan. NHTSA may, based on data, research findings and resources, modify its approach. NHTSA recognized the need to define "older" in developing and executing a plan to improve the safety of older road users. The plan includes diverse efforts to evaluate ages at which risk increases in terms of injuries and of driver performance decrements associated with increased crash risk. The plan also has four core elements, each with a set of issues - data, vehicle, behavior and pedestrian safety. This strategic plan is intended to be a dynamic guide rather than a static statement. KW - Aged KW - Aged drivers KW - Behavior KW - Countermeasures KW - Data needs KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Strategic planning KW - Traffic safety KW - Vehicle safety UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/older_drivers/pdf/Older_People_811873.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1279460 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505648 AU - Department of Transportation TI - Improvements Needed in FMCSA's Plan for Inspecting Buses at the United States-Mexico Border PY - 2013/11/26 SP - 27p AB - Under the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the United States and Mexico agreed to long-haul, cross-border transportation of cargo and passengers. Since 2002, Section 350(c) of annual appropriations legislation has required that no vehicles owned or leased by Mexican motor carriers may be permitted to operate beyond commercial zones until the Office of Inspector General (OIG) verifies the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) implementation of eight safety criteria. These criteria include maintaining staffing and infrastructure for monitoring Mexico-domiciled carriers and capacity to conduct meaningful inspections of commercial vehicles and drivers at United States-Mexico border crossings. In August 2009, the OIG recommended the Agency improve its capacity to perform bus inspections. The objectives for this audit were to determine whether FMCSA (1) is complying with the Section 350(c) safety requirements and (2) took sufficient action to implement the prior recommendations for improving its capacity to perform bus inspections at the border. To conduct the work, inspection operations at 10 of 27 passenger carrier border crossings were observed, including crossings in the 6 highest volume counties. FMCSA’s border enforcement staffing, mechanisms used by inspectors to check commercial driver records, inspection practices and data, and FMCSA’s implementation of the 2009 audit recommendations were assessed. KW - Buses KW - Commercial vehicles KW - Inspection KW - International borders KW - Motor carriers KW - Safety KW - U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration KW - United States-Mexico Border UR - http://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/dot/files/11-26-13_NAFTA_Final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285624 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01599331 AU - Saat, M Rapik AU - Lin, Chen-Yu AU - National University Rail Center (NURail) AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Causal Analysis of Passenger Train Accidents on Freight Rail Corridors PY - 2013/11/25/Final Report SP - 15p AB - A number of economic, technical and political factors have limited the development of new, dedicated, very-high-speed rail systems in North America. Consequently, most, near-term development of improved or expanded passenger rail service in the U.S. involve use of existing railroad infrastructure or rights of way. Comprehensive understanding of train accidents on shared-use corridors is critical for rational allocation of resources to reduce train accident risk. Nevertheless, little research has been undertaken to quantify the risk of a passenger train operating on or next to a freight train in a shared track or shared-use corridor setting. This study presents the initial results to understand what the most important contributors to the risk of train accidents on shared-used rail corridors are. This work can be used to better understand how to most efficiently and effectively manage the risk on shared-use rail corridors. KW - Crash causes KW - Freight trains KW - Passenger trains KW - Railroad crashes KW - Railroad tracks KW - Risk assessment UR - http://www.nurailcenter.org/research/final_reports/UIUC/NURail2013-UIUC-R06_Final_Report_-_SAAT_Causal_Analysis_of_Passenger_Train_Accidents_on_Freight_Rail_Corridors1.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59300/59306/NURail2013-UIUC-R06_Final_Report_-_SAAT_Causal_Analysis_of_Passenger_Train_Accidents_on_Freight_Rail_Corridors1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1405083 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01577842 TI - Water Wetlands Vegetation Wildlife Habitat and Brownfields AB - Providing support to continue incorporating natural environment protection and enhancement into the transportation decision making process. KW - Brownfields KW - Decision making KW - Environmental protection KW - Habitat (Ecology) KW - Vegetation KW - Wetlands KW - Wildlife UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1371005 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505677 AU - Schumacher, Thomas AU - Chen, Andrew AU - Ozturk, Samet AU - Attoh-Okine, Nii AU - Delaware Center for Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Development of Rapid Assessment Tools for Structural Parts after Extreme Events PY - 2013/11/24/Final Report SP - 87p AB - The main objective of this study is to lay the groundwork and evaluate the feasibility to develop a rapid assessment methodology for structural parts for routine inspection and after extreme events based on ultrasonic stress wave techniques. The methods investigated are rather non-traditional as they employ either phenomena that are typically not considered in ultrasonic testing (scattering and dispersion, acoustoelasticity) or they look at portions of the signals that are typically disregarded (diffuse wave fields or Coda waves). Ideally, these methods could also be implemented into a remote monitoring system for both concrete and steel structures. This would not be monitoring in the traditional sense where the sensors measure the structural response, as for example in acoustic emission monitoring, but rather some sensors would be periodically used as pulsars to emit a well-defined and known signal which is recorded by other sensors. This could be done in fixed intervals or after certain events, e.g. extreme events. in essence, this could be a new form of remote non-destructive testing. KW - Concrete structures KW - Earthquakes KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Flaw detection KW - Methodology KW - Monitoring KW - Nondestructive tests KW - Steel structures KW - Ultrasonic waves UR - http://www.ce.udel.edu/UTC/downloads2013/Schumacher_UD-UTC%20Final%20Report%20Development%20of%20rapid%20assessment%20tools.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285408 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01577982 TI - B&S-1- Comprehensive Program for Implementation of Multi-hazard Resistant Design AB - No summary provided. KW - Bridges KW - Earthquake resistant design KW - Implementation KW - Resistance (Mechanics) UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1371347 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01573308 TI - Assessing Roadway Traffic Count Duration and Frequency Impacts on AADT Estimations AB - The objectives of this research project are to gain a quantitative understanding on: (1) How various short term traffic count durations affect and relate to estimated annual average daily traffic (AADT) as compared with long term continuous counting program estimations. The ultimate goal is to enable the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to provide the most feasible and technically sound guidance to States and other agencies on this issue. (2) How missing data from long term traffic monitoring data affects the AADT estimation and establish the critical threshold in terms of data usability. In other words, how much data can be missing and what type of data patterns missing can be tolerated in AADT estimation without any special consideration such these steps used in converting short term counts to AADT. (3) Traffic monitoring methods from a given segment on an annual basis with a 24 hour traffic count program (counted on a frequency of every year) vs. monitoring the same segment on a once every three year (with every 2nd and 3rd year factored to bring them to current year) basis but with a minimum 48 or 72 hour hour count and how these three different methods can effect AADT data on an annual basis. KW - Annual average daily traffic KW - Data quality KW - Time duration KW - Traffic counts KW - Traffic data KW - Traffic estimation KW - Traffic surveillance UR - http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/534 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1366532 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01566822 TI - Mid-America Freight Coalition-II AB - The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is seeking to lead a pooled fund that will produce freight research results, state freight development and multi-state coordination, and increase awareness of the importance of freight transportation. Ultimately, the results of the Mid-America Freight Coalition (MAFC) activities will support and develop the economic well-being of the industries, businesses, farms, and the people of the region by keeping their products flowing to markets reliably, safely, and efficiently. Products of the first generation of the MAFC include five freight transportation conferences with educational workshops and freight innovation components, the development of a regional freight policy response for two transportation authorization cycles, and completed projects in the areas of freight planning, truck parking, freight bottlenecks, commodity profiles, and freight performance measures. The MAFC's current efforts are focused on completing a regional freight study, and analyzing and responding to the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Centurty Act (MAP-21) freight initiatives while supporting the states in their response and adoption of MAP-21 components. Participation in this pooled fund presents an opportunity for agencies to support research on freight and economic development issues specific to the needs of Departments of Transportation (DOTs), advance regional freight coordination, and ultimately allow for the quick implementation of research and development efforts. Using the MAFC as a foundation, partner agencies will be able to take advantage of a wide range of expertise in truck, rail, waterway, air, and multimodal freight planning, research, management, and operations to assess and answer their regional freight research needs. KW - Bottlenecks KW - Commodities KW - Freight transportation KW - Mid-America Freight Coalition KW - Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act KW - Multimodal transportation KW - Policy making KW - Regional transportation KW - Wisconsin UR - http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/535 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1358539 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01546294 TI - Design and Analysis Procedures for Asphalt Mixtures Containing High-RAP Contents and/or RAS AB - Research should be undertaken to (1) establish mechanistic test criteria for asphalt mixtures (warm and hot) containing high-reclaimed asphalt pavements (RAP) content and/or reclaimed asphalt shingles (RAS); and (2) propose asphalt mixture specifications that incorporate the mechanistic test criteria based on the results of the study. KW - Asphalt mixtures KW - Asphalt shingles KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Mechanistic-empirical pavement design KW - Pavement design KW - Reclaimed asphalt pavements KW - Recycled materials KW - Test procedures UR - http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/536 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1333176 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01530967 AU - Sowards, Kent N AU - Eastham, Elizabeth AU - Matthews, Justin AU - Pennington, Eric AU - Multimodal Transportation and Infrastructure Consortium AU - Railway Supply Institute, Incorporated AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - An Analysis of Truck Size and Weight: Phase I – Safety PY - 2013/11/21 SP - 66p AB - Commercial motor vehicles carrying heavier loads or employing multiple trailers present significant concerns regarding the impact of their use in terms of increased accidents, accident severity and fatalities. In 2011, the most recent year for which data is available, 3,757 people were killed in crashes involving large trucks and 88,000 more were injured – absent any increase in truck size and weight. Several proposals have been made in recent years to increase limits for truck size and weight yet significant disputes exist about the safety of heavier and longer truck configurations. The Nick J. Rahall, II Appalachian Transportation Institute (RTI) performed a critical evaluation of available crash rate data, prominent safety claims and operating characteristics. The initial findings are presented in this report. KW - Crash rates KW - Crash severity KW - Fatalities KW - Oversize loads KW - Overweight loads KW - Size KW - Truck crashes KW - Trucking safety KW - Trucks KW - Weight UR - http://www.mticutc.org/assets/pdf/An_Analysis_of_Truck_Size_and_Weight_-_MTIC_Logo.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/52000/52100/52171/An_Analysis_of_Truck_Size_and_Weight_-_MTIC_Logo.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1316327 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01560086 AU - Herman, David AU - Brohard, Andrew AU - Burns, Matthew AU - Zink, Gregory AU - Timcho, Thomas AU - Battelle AU - Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - System Design and Architecture for the IDTO Prototype – Phase I Demonstration Site (Columbus) PY - 2013/11/19/Final Report SP - 92p AB - This report documents the System Design and Architecture for the Phase I implementation of the Integrated Dynamic Transit Operations (IDTO) Prototype bundle within the Dynamic Mobility Applications (DMA) portion of the Connected Vehicle Program. KW - Bus transit operations KW - Columbus (Ohio) KW - Demonstration projects KW - Integrated Dynamic Transit Operations (IDTO) KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Prototypes KW - System architecture KW - System design UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/54000/54400/54474/FHWA-JPO-14-167_System_Design_and_Architecture_for_the_IDTO_Prototype_Ph_I.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1344672 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01523317 AU - Manning, Robert AU - Chase, Lisa AU - Anderson, Laura AU - Kestenbaum, David AU - Mastrangelo, Christina AU - Pettengill, Peter AU - Reigner, Nathan AU - Valliere, William AU - University of Vermont, Burlington AU - University of Vermont, Burlington AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Sustainable Transportation for Tourism: Green Certification Programs PY - 2013/11/19 SP - 38p AB - To promote sustainable travel, a pilot eco-certification program for the motorcoach industry was conducted during an 18-month period between 2009 and 2011. The goals of the program were to increase awareness of the motorcoach as a relatively sustainable form of travel and to promote efficiency and environmental sustainability within the industry. To gauge the impact of the pilot program, surveys of motorcoach company leaders were conducted at the beginning and conclusion of the program. Survey results indicated that over half of motorcoach operators would be willing to change their operating procedures to meet agreed upon criteria and be recognized as “green”. During the first two months of the pilot program, it was learned that a large percentage of the participants introduced new environmental programs and practices to their operations in order to garner a higher level of certification. Overall, twenty-three companies and approximately 1000 motorcoaches participated in the Green Coach Certification pilot program. Survey results indicate that the percentage of participant companies engaging in sustainable practices increased markedly during the time period of the program. KW - Buses KW - Certification KW - Passenger transportation KW - Surveys KW - Sustainable transportation KW - Tour buses KW - Tourism KW - Vermont UR - http://www.uvm.edu/~transctr/research/trc_reports/UVM-TRC-13-011.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1307057 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01598402 AU - McGormley, J C AU - Rende, N S AU - Krauss, P D AU - Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Incorporated AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Nondestructive Evaluation and Assessment of Concrete Barriers for Defects and Corrosion PY - 2013/11/15/Final Report SP - 131p AB - Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE) evaluated potential nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methodologies that may be effective in 1) identifying internal defects within slip formed concrete barriers and 2) assessing the corrosion condition of barrier dowel bars. The evaluation was requested by the Bridge Maintenance and Inspection Unit of the Iowa Department of Transportation (IaDOT) and the Bureau of Bridges and Structures of the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). The need arose due to instances in each Department’s existing inventory of bridge barriers where internal voids and other defects associated with slip forming construction methods were attributed to poor barrier performance after completion of construction and where, in other barrier walls, unintentional exposure of the dowel bars revealed extensive corrosion-related section loss at previously uninspectable locations, reducing the capacity of the barriers to resist traffic impact loads. WJE trial tested potential NDE techniques on laboratory mock-up samples built with known defects, trial sections of cast-in-place barriers at in-service bridges in Iowa, and slip formed and cast-in-place barrier walls at in-service bridges in Illinois. The work included review of available studies performed by others, field trial testing to assess candidate test methods, verification of the test methods in identifying internal anomalies and dowel bar corrosion, and preparation of this report and nondestructive evaluation guidelines. KW - Barriers (Roads) KW - Concrete structures KW - Corrosion KW - Defects KW - Dowels (Fasteners) KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Field tests KW - Illinois KW - Iowa KW - Nondestructive tests UR - http://publications.iowa.gov/id/eprint/21968 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1405316 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01523305 AU - Manning, Robert AU - Chase, Lisa AU - Anderson, Laura AU - Kestenbaum, David AU - Mastrangelo, Christina AU - Pettengill, Peter AU - Reigner, Nathan AU - Valliere, William AU - University of Vermont, Burlington AU - University of Vermont, Burlington AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Sustainable Transportation for Tourism: Indicators and Standards PY - 2013/11/12 SP - 141p AB - The overall project goal of guiding planning and management of transportation to serve the needs of sustainable tourism focused on three tourism-related transportation contexts. The first context was selected types of roads important to tourism in northern New England: park and related roads (e.g., the Loop Road in Acadia National Park, Maine), rural roads/Scenic Byways (e.g., Route 100 in Vermont), and rural sections of interstate highways (e.g., Interstate 89 in Vermont). The second context was selected tourism destinations important in Vermont and other tourism-dependent northern communities: tourism villages (e.g., downtown destinations like Stowe and Burlington). The third context was public transit in park settings (e.g., the Island Explorer in Bar Harbor, Maine). Case studies from these three contexts served as the focus for the creation of a level of service framework. Two tourism-related transportation contexts were the focus for examination of components necessary in a green certification program to affect change in tourist travel. The first context applied to transportation systems within parks and scenic roads. The second context was transportation options in tourism villages and ski resorts. Within these two contexts, “green” alternatives for mass transit and tourism-related motorcoach travel were examined. KW - Bus transportation KW - Case studies KW - Central business districts KW - Level of service KW - Mode choice KW - National parks KW - Public transit KW - Rural highways KW - Scenic highways KW - Sustainable transportation KW - Tourism KW - Tourists KW - Transportation planning KW - Vermont UR - http://www.uvm.edu/~transctr/research/trc_reports/UVM-TRC-13-012.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1307055 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499641 AU - Anstrom, Joel AU - Pennsylvania State University, University Park AU - Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center AU - Ben Franklin Technology Partners AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - TRESP II Testing of AFS Dual Fuel System PY - 2013/11/08/Final Report SP - 16p AB - A dual fuel compressed natural gas (CNG) and diesel system was retrofitted to a 13 L Volvo semi tractor for testing to verify the fuel economy and CNG substitution rate. The semi tractor was tested on interstate and mountainous highway routes with a loaded trailer. Fuel economy, CNG substitution percentage, and cost of fuel per mile were calculated. KW - Compressed natural gas KW - Costs KW - Diesel fuels KW - Fuel consumption KW - Fuel substitution KW - Hybrid vehicles KW - Trucks UR - http://www.mautc.psu.edu/docs/PSU-2011-04.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1276846 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01625571 TI - Field Test of Oral Fluid Screening Devices AB - A recent development in drug use detection has been the capability of toxicology laboratories to detect most illegal and legal (prescription) drugs in oral fluid samples. Oral fluid samples are much easier to collect than blood samples. There are oral fluid collection devices currently available for use that capture a sufficient quantify of oral fluids that can then be sent to a lab for analysis. Devices known as “on-site” or “rapid screening” devices allow one to obtain an oral fluid sample from an impaired driving suspect, and within a few minutes, have an indication of use (typically for 5-7 drugs). At this time, for forensic purposes, a second oral fluid sample is still needed for confirmatory testing. If accurate and reliable, these screening devices would provide an officer with crucial information as to how to proceed with an impaired driving charge. This research is examining the accuracy and feasibility of these devices. KW - Drugs KW - Field tests KW - Fluids KW - Impaired drivers KW - Law enforcement personnel KW - Samples KW - Screenings UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1453683 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01500126 AU - Teng, S Gary AU - Lim, Churlzu AU - Bruton, M Chad AU - Chenette, Joseph AU - Dabholkar, Shweta AU - Lu, Yiping AU - University of North Carolina, Charlotte AU - North Carolina Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development of Funding Project Risk Management Tools PY - 2013/11/05/Final Report SP - 123p AB - Funding project risk management is a process for identifying, assessing, and prioritizing project funding risks. To plan to minimize or eliminate the impact of negative events, one must identify what projects have higher risk to respond to potential project delays due to funding issues quickly. Funding project risk management becomes essential for North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) as part of Executive Management’s decision-making processes. The objectives of this research project are to (1) investigate current risk management and funding risk management business processes and practices in transportation areas, (2) analyze project risk management and funding risk management practices in departments of transportation (DOTs) of other states, (3) analyze best practices in the other states, especially California Department of Transportation’s practices, and appraise the potentials for possible implementation, and (4) develop a funding project risk management tool to assist NCDOT staff members for better decision-making in budget/cash management, funding risk management, and project management under frequent funding change environment. In this project, the research team investigated current risk management and funding risk management processes, and evaluated the best practices among DOTs in the United States. An in-depth study has been conducted to appraise the potentials for possible implementation of the best practices. A funding project risk management tool, funding risk register, has been developed with optimization and simulation capability. This register can produce a potential adjustment of the project let schedule under 15 preset funding change scenarios as well as a user-specified funding change, which can help NCDOT staff members and Executive Management Leaders to make better decisions in budget management, cash management, and project management. KW - Best practices KW - Budgeting KW - Decision making KW - Financing KW - North Carolina Department of Transportation KW - Optimization KW - Project management KW - Risk management KW - Simulation KW - State departments of transportation UR - http://www.ncdot.gov/doh/preconstruct/tpb/research/download/2012-06finalreport.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278428 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01611987 AU - Hatami, Kianoosh AU - Mahmood, Tahsina AU - Pereira-Villarroel, Juan AU - University of Oklahoma, Norman AU - Oklahoma Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Field Verification of Geogrid Properties for Base Course Reinforcement Applications PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 215p AB - The proposed field study is a continuation of a recently concluded, Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT)-funded project titled: Development of ODOT Guidelines for the Use of Geogrids in Aggregate Bases, which is aimed at addressing the need for improved guidelines for base reinforcement applications. One important objective of this long-term study is to develop a correlation between the index properties of geogrids and their field performance for base reinforcement applications. The index properties that will be studied include the junction strength, low-strain rib strength (i.e. strength at 2%-strain and 5%-strain) and the ultimate rib strength of selected geogrids. The project will involve the selection of a full-depth roadway construction project authorized by ODOT. During the construction of the road subgrade, one test section will be used to examine and compare the performance of selected base course reinforcement geogrid products. The field performance of different geogrids will be monitored using different instruments and monitoring techniques and compared with one another as a function of their index properties. Selected instruments include Earth Pressure Cells (EPC) to measure the stress on the subgrade underneath the geogrid, pore pressure transducers to measure the pore pressure in the subgrade and strain gauges to measure the tensile strength of the different geosynthetics. The results of this study will help ODOT to develop an improved and expanded set of materials specification guidelines for the use of geogrids in aggregate base reinforcement applications. The outcome of this study will help ODOT and other transportation agencies in the U.S. develop more durable and economical aggregate base designs which will result in longer service life and reduced maintenance costs for the roadways in Oklahoma and across the United States. KW - Aggregates KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Base course (Pavements) KW - Field studies KW - Geogrids KW - Geosynthetics KW - Laboratory studies KW - Oklahoma KW - Performance measurement KW - Strength of materials KW - Subgrade (Pavements) KW - Test sections UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1423510 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608541 AU - Olek, Jan AU - Janusz, Anna AU - Jain, Jitendra AU - Ashraf, Warda AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Investigation of Anti‐Icing Chemicals and Their Interactions with Pavement Concretes PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 62p AB - The interactions of concrete specimens (both plain and with fly ash addition) with six different deicers was investigated by exposing them to solutions of sodium chloride (NaCl), magnesium chloride (MgCl2), calcium chloride (CaCl2), and the combinations of: sodium chloride with magnesium chloride (NaCl + MgCl2), sodium chloride with calcium chloride (NaCl + CaCl2), sodium chloride with agricultural by product – Ice Ban® (NaCl + Ice Ban®). In addition, control group of specimens was exposed to the deionized water. The exposures consisted of wet/dry (W/D) and freeze/thaw (F/T) cycles as well as a continuous storage in lime water at 23°C. The effects of various exposure conditions were evaluated based on the changes in the following: relative dynamic modulus of elasticity (RDME), ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), mass of specimens, length of specimens, mass of scaled material and compressive strength. In addition, absorption and chloride penetration measurements were performed for specimens exposed to various deicers at room temperature of 23°C. Finally, the qualitative visual evaluation of the appearance of the samples was also performed along with documentation of microstructural changes using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Among the deicer/anti‐icers tested, calcium chloride and magnesium chloride solutions caused comparatively higher degree of deterioration than other solutions. Although the ultimate extent of visual degradation of the specimens exposed to both of these deicers was very comparable, the onset of the degradation process in specimens exposed to magnesium chloride was significantly delayed when compared to the onset of deterioration of specimens exposed to calcium chloride. The best performance (least amount of damage) was observed for specimens exposed to sodium chloride solutions followed by the specimens exposed to the combination of sodium chloride with magnesium chloride and sodium chloride with calcium chloride. The test results indicate that F/T exposure conditions are much more severe than W/D regimes, even though the concentrations of deicers/anti‐icers used for F/T cycles were about 50% lower than those used for W/D cycles. Moreover, the addition of fly ash has a positive influence on performance of the concrete regardless of the type of the exposure regime. KW - Chloride content KW - Chlorides KW - Compressive strength KW - Concrete pavements KW - Deicing chemicals KW - Deterioration KW - Dynamic modulus of elasticity KW - Fly ash KW - Freeze thaw tests KW - Microstructure UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284315226 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420029 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01603521 AU - Nowak, Christopher A AU - State University of New York, Syracuse AU - New York State Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Testing the Efficacy of Alternatives to Herbicides in Controlling Undesirable Plants on NYSDOT Roadside Rights-of-Way PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 63p AB - An emphasis of vegetation management on rights-of-way is to minimize environmental impact. For many people this means excluding the use of chemicals to kill and control vegetation, particularly synthesized products of chemicals that normally do not occur in nature (i.e., are artificial). An important part of Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) is to research and demonstrate local effects of treatments, even those that include chemicals that may not work. A field trial of natural herbicides – which are perceived as chemicals that are acceptable to a broad spectrum of stakeholders – was conducted on New York State Department of Transportation roadside rights-of-way (ROWs) in 2010-2012. Randomized complete block experiments were established across New York State to test Burnout II (citric acid and clove oil active), C-Cide (citric acid), EcoEXEMPT HC (2-Phenethyl proprionate and clove oil), Finale (glufosinate ammonium), and Scythe (pelargonic acid). Percent kill of undesirable plants generally ranged from near zero to nearly 100% across the different natural herbicide treatments, and was related to the mode of action – herbicides that were contact-only in action resulted in the least degree of kill and control, whereas systemic herbicides were generally efficacious and effective. Costs of natural herbicide treatments were determined to be orders of magnitude greater than conventional herbicides. Despite low effectiveness and high dollar costs, it is important to have natural herbicides for use in select situations. Information on cost effectiveness allows ROW vegetation managers an opportunity to better understand and explain the ramifications of using natural herbicides. KW - Cost effectiveness KW - Environmental impacts KW - Field tests KW - Herbicides KW - New York (State) KW - Right of way (Land) KW - Roadside flora KW - Vegetation control UR - https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/trans-r-and-d-repository/C-06-24%20TASK%203%20%201%20%20NYSDOT%20NATURAL%20HERBICIDES%20FIELD%20TESTS.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1411107 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01596741 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - 2013 Traffic Incident Management National Analysis Report: Executive Summary PY - 2013/11 SP - 17p AB - The Traffic Incident Management Self-Assessment (TIM SA) was developed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) as a benchmarking tool for evaluating TIM program components and overall TIM program success. Development of the TIM SA was initiated in 2002 and the first assessments were conducted in 2003. The TIM SA serves several functions. Through the TIM SA, state and local TIM program managers are able to assess progress and identify areas for improvement at state and local levels. Similarly, analysis of the aggregated TIM SA results allows FHWA to identify program gaps and better target TIM program resources. A total of 93 locations completed a TIM SA for inclusion in the 2013 national analysis. The 34 scored questions contained within the TIM SA were grouped into three sections: Strategic, Tactical and Support. The questions in the Strategic section asked respondents to rate progress in how the TIM program is organized, resourced, supported, and sustained. The questions in the Tactical section focused on the policies and procedures used by TIM professionals when responding to incidents. The questions in the Support section focused on the tools and technologies enabling improved incident detection, response, and clearance. KW - Benchmarks KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Incident management KW - Performance measurement KW - Traffic incidents KW - United States UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/eto_tim_pse/docs/timsa13/tim_sa_2013_es.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1403383 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01587655 AU - Shah, Vaishali AU - Vasudevan, Meenakshy AU - Glassco, Richard AU - Noblis, Incorporated AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) Testbed Initial Screening Report PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 76p AB - Analysis Modeling and Simulation (AMS) Testbeds can make significant contributions in identifying the benefits of more effective, more active systems management, resulting from integrating transformative applications enabled by new data from wirelessly connected vehicles, travelers, and infrastructure. To this end, the Dynamic Mobility Applications (DMA) and Active Transportation and Demand Management (ATDM) Programs have jointly sponsored the planning of multiple AMS Testbeds to support the two programs in evaluating and demonstrating the system-wide impacts of deploying application bundles and strategies in an AMS environment. The purpose of this report is to document an initial screening of AMS Testbed locations that was conducted to identify seven to ten potential candidate locations that may be further down-selected in a future effort for developing AMS Testbeds to conduct an evaluation of DMA and ATDM applications and strategies. The criteria used for screening the testbed locations include: (1) geographic scope, (2) temporal scope, (3) temporal resolution, (4) multi-modal, (5) level of congestion, (6) multi-source, (7) calibrated AMS models, (8) ease of adaptability, and (9) existing deployments and or research. Based on the preliminary assessment, the following are the nine AMS testbed locations that may be considered for further down-selection as a testbed location to support AMS activities for DMA and ATDM Programs: (1) Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) San Diego, (2) ICM Dallas, (3) Research Data Exchange (RDE) Test Data Set Pasadena, (4) Connected Vehicle (CV) Testbed Anthem, (5) CV Testbed Palo Alto, (6) SHRP 2 C10 Sacramento, (7) Weather-Chicago, (8) CV Testbed Novi, and (9) SHRP 2 C10 Jacksonville. KW - Active Transportation and Demand Management KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Integrated corridor management KW - Location KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Traffic models KW - Traffic simulation KW - Transportation system management UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51000/51002/DF3F1F7.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1378522 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01581075 AU - Wunderlich, Karl AU - Vasudevan, Meenakshy AU - Sandelius, Taylor AU - Noblis, Incorporated AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) Testbed Requirements for Dynamic Mobility Applications (DMA) and Active Transportation and Demand Management (ATDM) Programs PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 93p AB - This document presents a combined set of requirements for an Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) Testbed based on the foundational research already conducted under the Active Transportation and Demand Management (ATDM) Program, and the analytical needs of the Dynamic Mobility Applications (DMA) bundles. A total of 103 requirements are identified to represent the following: (1) System Entities (“nodes”) (System Users, Connected Vehicles/Devices, Communications Systems, Operational Data Environments, and System Managers); (2) Data and Information Flows (“arcs”) connecting system entities, including attributes of latency, aggregation, message content, range, reliability, and accuracy (error); (3) ATDM Strategies and DMA Applications enhancing current decision-making by System User or System Managers or enabling new forms of decision-making by Users and Managers; (4) Operational Conditions (ambient demand, incident, and weather conditions); (5) System Performance Measurement (mobility, safety, environmental, cost). Each requirement is assigned a technical risk, an importance rating, and priority. Technical risk represents a subjective assessment of the difficulty in meeting this requirement within a near-term test bed compared to current modeling capabilities. This subjective assessment is calculated using inputs from expert stakeholder feedback (collected as a part of workshop held at the 2013 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting), members of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) key content review team, and the authors of this document. Importance ratings were assembled in a similar manner to technical risk assessment, and represents a subjective measure of how critical this requirement will be in differentiating among expected alternatives. Priority ratings are non-subjective measures calculated combining the expert panel assessments of technical risk and importance by modeling scale (tactical and strategic). For this effort, USDOT seeks testbed development that maximizes the number of important requirements, while minimizing technical risk. The collection of functional requirements presented in this report represent a high-level set of capabilities required by an ATDM-DMA Testbed. However, these functional requirements are not detailed enough to allow an analyst to directly create one or more testbeds. Each of these high-level functional requirements will have to be broken down into more detailed requirements in any follow-on testbed design and test effort. KW - Active Transportation and Demand Management KW - Analysis KW - Data analysis KW - Data collection KW - Mobility KW - Real time information KW - Simulation KW - Traffic control KW - Travel demand UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51000/51004/FA985B71.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1375492 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01545305 AU - Sullivan, Jim AU - Dowds, Jonathan AU - Aultman-Hall, Lisa AU - University of Vermont, Burlington AU - Vermont Agency of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Passenger Vehicle Idling in Vermont - Year 1 Report PY - 2013/11 SP - 51p AB - This report includes the results and description of Year 1 of this project. The overall goal of the project is to add greater understanding to the potential for reductions in fuel use and emissions that could result from a reduction or elimination of discretionary idling in Vermont. The Year 1 study was primarily intended to pilot-test the in-vehicle equipment and data collection as well as a comprehensive analysis method for assessing driver idling behavior for Vermont drivers. The scope of Year 1 included the collection and analysis of second-by-second data on the driving behavior of 20 randomly selected drivers in Vermont, for a pilot-scale application of new methods to distinguish between discretionary and nondiscretionary idling by passenger vehicles (PVs) in Vermont. By collecting data in summer and winter, the project team developed an initial understanding of the seasonal differences in idling behavior during this project phase. A more in-depth understanding of the spatial and demographic differences in idling behavior throughout the state is expected to follow in Year 2, along with an estimate of total fuel used and carbon emitted from discretionary idling by Vermont drivers. KW - Analysis KW - Behavior KW - Data collection KW - Drivers KW - Engine idling KW - Fuel consumption KW - Passenger vehicles KW - Pollutants KW - Seasons KW - Vermont UR - http://vtransplanning.vermont.gov/sites/aot_program_development/files/documents/materialsandresearch/completedprojects/2013%20-%2008%20Passenger%20Vehicle%20Idling%20in%20Vermont%20-%20Year%201%20Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1331824 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01544689 AU - Saito, Mitsuru AU - Schultz, Grant G AU - Chau, Elizabeth Jarc-Sum AU - Brigham Young University AU - Utah Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluating the Feasibility of Incorporating Mobility-Based Work Zone Traffic Control Performance Measures in Highway Construction Project Specifications: Volume I. Feasibility of Continuous Monitoring of Performance Measures PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 155p AB - Utah Department of Transportation desired to investigate the feasibility of implementing mobility-based performance specifications for highway construction projects. Multiple methods for gathering information on this topic were used, including a literature search, interviews, and an online survey. The literature review examined mobility-based performance measures; mobility-based performance specifications; and seven technologies: automatic license plate recognition, Bluetooth, magnetic sensors, automatic vehicle identification, microwave radar, cellular phones, and global positioning systems. Current practices concerning implementation of mobility-based performance specifications were investigated on 7800 South and Bangerter Highway projects in West Jordan, Utah, for example. An online survey was developed and distributed to representatives of 50 state transportation agencies (STAs) in the United States to collect information on current practices of incentive/disincentive specifications and mobility-based performance specifications for highway construction contracts. The survey showed that three STAs (South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming) have considered investigating the practice of mobility-based performance specifications in highway construction projects. Overall, the study found that the current technology is capable of continuously collecting mobility data necessary for implementing mobility-based performance specifications in highway construction projects. While this type of specification is found to be feasible to implement, it is important to understand that a large amount of data will be collected and extra personnel are needed to monitor and execute the mobility-based performance specifications. KW - Construction projects KW - Contracts KW - Data collection KW - Disincentives KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Incentives KW - Literature reviews KW - Mobility KW - Performance based specifications KW - Performance measurement KW - Surveys KW - Transportation departments KW - Utah KW - Work zone traffic control UR - https://www.udot.utah.gov/public/ucon/uconowner.gf?n=11525105599285611 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1331667 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01544663 AU - Dissanayake, Sunanda AU - Dias, Ishani AU - Mid-America Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Evaluation of Low-Cost Intersection Countermeasures to Reduce Red Light Running Violations: Retro-Reflective Signal Back Plates PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 64p AB - Red light running has become a serious safety issue at signalized intersections throughout the United States. One objective of this study was to identify the characteristics of red-light-running (RLR) crashes and the drivers involved in those crashes. Driver characteristics, time and day of the crash, occupancy of the vehicle, and environmental factors were tested against any relationship with the RLR crashes and other signalized intersection (non-RLR) crashes. The other objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of retro-reflective signal backplates in reducing red light running as a low cost countermeasure. Crashes that happened in the State of Kansas were analyzed as a case study. Contingency table analysis was used to identify whether a particular factor is related to the crash type, i.e. RLR vs non-ROR. Two methods were used to evaluate the effectiveness of reflective backplates: cross-sectional analysis using an intersection with reflective backplates and an intersection without reflective backplates, and a before-and-after study using four intersections. According to the results of contingency table analysis, the driver age and safety equipment usage, injury severity of the driver, crash severity, time and day of crash, adverse weather conditions, and surface condition were related to crash type. Variables such as gender of the driver, light condition, and presence of passengers were not related to the crash type. The cross-sectional analysis found that reflective backplates are effective in reducing red light violations in the through and left turning traffic flows. The before-and-after study showed a significant reduction in red light violations in one of the two treatment sites, according to paired-t-test statistics. The reduction of red light violations was not significant in the other. Both analyses could not prove a significant impact on red light violations among the right turning vehicles. KW - Age KW - Before and after studies KW - Case studies KW - Countermeasures KW - Drivers KW - Gender KW - Kansas KW - Periods of the day KW - Red light running KW - Retroreflectors KW - Signalized intersections KW - Traffic crashes UR - http://matc.unl.edu/assets/documents/matcfinal/Dissanayake_EvaluationofLow-CostIntersectionCountermeasurestoReduceRedLightRunningViolations.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1331071 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01544520 AU - Saito, Mitsuru AU - Schultz, Grant G AU - Larson, Shawn J AU - Brigham Young University AU - Utah Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluating the Feasibility of Incorporating Mobility-Based Work Zone Traffic Control Performance Measures in Highway Construction Project Specifications: Volume II. Developing Guidelines for Mobility-Based Performance Specificaitons PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 105p AB - Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) funded a study to develop guidelines for implementing mobility-based performance specifications to manage traffic flow in work zones. The core idea of using mobility-based performance specifications is that they can give the contractor more flexibility in construction work scheduling and maintaining an acceptable level of traffic flow. If the level of traffic flow is not maintained, the contractor is assessed a financial penalty. This is the basic concept of mobility-based performance specifications. The penalty is determined by the amount of time where the flow is not maintained at a predetermined condition. To discuss issues of and develop guidelines for implementing mobility-based performance specifications a task force consisting of UDOT representatives, several representatives from the construction industry and researchers from Brigham Young University was formed. Through task force meetings a set of 12 guidelines were developed. Some of the issues were complex to come to consensus among the task force members and a decision-making theory called the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) was used to find best approaches to deal with some of the difficult issues associated with the implementation of mobility-based performance specifications on highway construction work. KW - Construction projects KW - Decision making KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Guidelines KW - Implementation KW - Mobility KW - Performance based specifications KW - Performance measurement KW - Traffic flow KW - Utah KW - Work zone traffic control UR - https://www.udot.utah.gov/public/ucon/uconowner.gf?n=11524918796242173 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1331668 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01543589 AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center TI - Calculation of Fuel, Currency, and Inland Freight Price Adjustment Factors for Military Marine Shipping PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 124p AB - This report describes the refreshing of the USTRANSCOM Economic Price Adjustment (EPA) factors for use in the USC-7 contract. The three EPA factors developed by Volpe in 2009 are the starting point for this update, and these are the Bunker Fuel Adjustment Factor (BAF), Currency Adjustment Factor (CAF) and Inland Intermodal Adjustment Factor (FAF). The basis for the development of each factor in 2009 was re-examined as part of the current refresh. This was done through reviewing current industry practices, relevant EPA related literature or articles, and any changes in the general container shipping market (e.g., emission regulations), to determine whether the underlying methodology used to develop the EPA factors in 2009 would need to be revisited. Based on the market review, the methodology used for the CAF and FAF factors was left unchanged. The introduction of the Emission Control Areas (ECAs) meant the BAF methodology had to be revised to incorporate this change in the container shipping market. KW - Adjustment factors KW - Bunker adjustment factor (Shipping) KW - Containerships KW - Currency adjustment factor KW - Environmental policy KW - Exhaust gases KW - Freight transportation KW - Fuel prices KW - Fuels KW - Intermodal services KW - Military shipments KW - Prices KW - United States Transportation Command KW - Water transportation UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/52000/52800/52857/Marine_shipping_11_2013.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1330872 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01541433 AU - Thomas, Michael D A AU - Folliard, Kevin J AU - Fournier, Benoit AU - Rivard, Patrice AU - Drimalas, Thano AU - Transtec Group AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Methods for Evaluating and Treating ASR-Affected Structures: Results of Field Application and Demonstration Projects – Volume I: Summary of Findings and Recommendations PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 80p AB - As part of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) alkali-silica reaction (ASR) Development and Deployment Program, nine field trials were conducted across the United States that evaluated mitigation measures applied to concrete structures and pavements already exhibiting ASR-induced distress. The findings from these trials served as the basis for the Volume I report and recommendations. In order to provide a technical underpinning for Volume I and to provide more detailed information on each of the trials (e.g., product types and application rates, treatment methods, monitoring program, etc.), the Volume II report was developed. This document presents the findings and recommendations from the field trials concerned with the treatment of ASR-affected structures. KW - Alkali silica reactions KW - Concrete pavements KW - Concrete structures KW - Field tests KW - Recommendations UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/concrete/asr/pubs/hif14002.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1326519 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01541408 AU - Thomas, Michael D A AU - Folliard, Kevin J AU - Fournier, Benoit AU - Rivard, Patrice AU - Drimalas, Thano AU - Garber, Sabrina I AU - Transtec Group AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Methods for Evaluating and Treating ASR-Affected Structures: Results of Field Application and Demonstration Projects – Volume II: Details of Field Applications and Analysis PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 342p AB - As part of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) alkali-silica reaction (ASR) Development and Deployment Program, nine field trials were conducted across the United States that evaluated mitigation measures applied to concrete structures and pavements already exhibiting ASR-induced distress. The findings from these trials served as the basis for the Volume I report and recommendations. In order to provide a technical underpinning for Volume I and to provide more detailed information on each of the trials (e.g., product types and application rates, treatment methods, monitoring program, etc.), this Volume II report was developed. This document provides detailed information on each of the ASR field trials, including information and data from visual inspections, petrographic evaluations, laboratory testing, and in-situ field monitoring. KW - Alkali silica reactions KW - Concrete pavements KW - Concrete structures KW - Field tests KW - Laboratory tests KW - Pavement distress KW - Petrography UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/concrete/asr/pubs/hif14003.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1326521 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01538123 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Applications for Highway Transportation PY - 2013/11 SP - 23p AB - This document identifies research (2006–present) focusing on autonomous micro unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for transportation applications, including the examination of other industries that may also utilize micro UAVs. Authors, source, publisher, year, and description of research are provided for each entry. KW - Bibliographies KW - Drone aircraft KW - Highway transportation KW - Highways KW - Research projects KW - Utilization UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/advancedresearch/pubs/14037/14037.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1323104 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01536062 AU - Staes, Lisa AU - Begley, Justin AU - Perk, Victoria AU - University of South Florida, Tampa AU - Federal Transit Administration AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Bus Safety Study: A Report to Congress PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 122p AB - Section 20021(b) of the Moving Ahead for Progress for the 21st Century (MAP-21) legislation requires the Secretary of Transportation to submit a report of the results of a “Bus Safety Study” to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives. The report’s objectives are to 1) examine the safety of public transportation buses that travel on highway routes where 50 percent or more of the route is on roads having a speed limit of more than 45 miles per hour, 2) examine the laws and regulations that apply to commercial over-the-road buses (OTRBs), and 3) provide recommendations as to whether additional safety measures should be required for public transportation buses that travel on highway routes. KW - Bus crashes KW - Bus transportation KW - Highway safety KW - Laws KW - Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act KW - Recommendations KW - Regulations UR - http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/FTA_Report_No._0051.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/55000/55500/55538/FTA_Report_No._0051.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1320928 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01534430 AU - Salgado, Rodrigo AU - Woo, San Inn AU - Tehrani, Faraz S AU - Zhang, Yanbei AU - Prezzi, Monica AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Implementation of Limit States and Load Resistance Design of Slopes PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 27p AB - A logical framework is developed for load and resistance factor design (LRFD) of slopes based on reliability analysis. LRFD of slopes with resistance factors developed in this manner ensures that a target probability of slope failure is not exceeded. Three different target probabilities of failure (0.0001, 0.001 and 0.01) are considered in this report. The ultimate limit state for slope stability (formation of a slip surface and considerable movement along this slip surface) is defined using the Bishop simplified method with a factor of safety equal to unity. Gaussian random field theory is used to generate random realizations of a slope with values of strength and unit weight at any given point of the slope that differ from their mean by a random amount. A slope stability analysis is then performed for each slope realization to find the most critical slip surface and the corresponding driving and resisting moments. The probability of slope failure is calculated by counting the number of slope realizations for which the factor of safety did not exceed 1 and dividing that number by the total number of realizations. The mean of the soil parameters is adjusted and this process repeated until the calculated probability of failure reaches to the target probability of failure. Optimal resistance and load factors are obtained by dividing the resisting and driving moments corresponding to the most probable ultimate limit state by the nominal values of resisting and driving moments. The main goal of this study was to provide specific values of resistance and load factors to implement in limit states and load resistance design of slopes in the context of transportation infrastructure. This report discusses the concepts of load and resistance factors, target probability of failure and the ultimate limit state equation in the context of slope stability analysis. It then presents a detailed algorithm for resistance factor calculation by using reliability analysis. Six cases of real slopes designed and constructed by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) are examined by using undrained shear strengths in order to illustrate the LRFD procedure and validate the recommended resistance and load factors. KW - Algorithms KW - Case studies KW - Indiana KW - Limit state design KW - Load and resistance factor design KW - Reliability analysis KW - Slope stability KW - Undrained shear strength UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284315225 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1319866 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01530200 AU - Thiagarajan, Ganesh AU - Myers, John AU - Halmen, Ceki AU - Center for Transportation Infrastructure and Safety/NUTC program AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Field Evaluation of Alternative and Cost-Efficient Bridge Approach Slabs PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 150p AB - Based on a recent study on cost efficient alternative bridge approach slab (BAS) designs has recommended three new BAS designs for possible implementation by Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) namely a) 20 feet cast-in-place slab with sleeper slab (CIP20SLP) - for new construction on major roads, b) 25 and 20 feet precast-prestressed slab with sleeper slab (PCPS20SLP)- for replacement and new construction applications on major and minor roads, and c) 25 feet modified BAS without a sleeper slab for new CIP construction on minor roads (CIP25NOSLP). The objective of the project here is to evaluate and compare the field performance of recommended BAS designs, their constructibility, and their impact on cost and schedule to the current MoDOT BAS design. Two PCPS20SLP, one CIP20SLP and two CIP25NOSLP implementations have been implemented and studied for this report. One PCPS20SLP panel was also tested in the laboratory for several washout conditions and for its ultimate capacity. Based on field observations, data recorded and analyzed, preconstruction and post construction cost analyses this study has found that all the suggested designs are performing well and are lower in cost compared to current designs used in practice. KW - Bridge abutments KW - Bridge approaches KW - Bridge decks KW - Bridge design KW - Cast in place concrete KW - Field studies KW - Precast concrete KW - Prestressed concrete UR - http://transportation.mst.edu/media/research/transportation/documents/R272%20-%20R273.pdf UR - http://transportation.mst.edu/media/research/transportation/documents/R272-R273%20Final%20Report%20-%20DRAFT.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1315456 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01528606 AU - Volz, Jeffery S AU - Drury, Jonathan AU - Henderson, Charles R AU - Zipprich, Roger M AU - Center for Transportation Infrastructure and Safety/NUTC program AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Development And Testing Of Synthetic Riprap Constructed From Coal Combustion Products PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 8p AB - Even with an increase in the amount of coal combustion products (CCPs) used in concrete construction, soil stabilization, and other applications, the coal power industry must dispose of a significant amount of fly ash and bottom ash. One potential avenue for the material is to develop a riprap to armor bridge abutments, bridge pilings, streambeds, and shorelines against scour and ice damage. The proposed research plan is divided into three (3) phases, which consist of the following: Phase I – Product & Criteria Development; Phase II – Prototype Development & Testing; and Phase III – Production Plant Design. Phase I involves determining the most appropriate applications for the synthetic riprap. There are several ranges of potential products available depending on the specific applications, including bridge pier scour prevention, channel stabilization, lake boundary erosion control, and shoreline protection. Once the potential product areas have been determined, the next part of Phase I will be to determine the necessary design requirements and specifications for the riprap. Phase II involves prototype development and testing based on the results from Phase I. Phase III involves development of a production plan and facility layout. KW - Bottom ash KW - Bridge substructures KW - Fly ash KW - Protection against environmental damage KW - Riprap KW - Shore protection KW - Streambeds UR - http://transportation.mst.edu/media/research/transportation/documents/R301.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1313132 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01526730 AU - Schwarz, Chris AU - Thomas, Geb AU - Nelson, Kory AU - McCrary, Michael AU - Sclarmann, Nick AU - Powell, Matthew AU - Mid-America Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Towards Autonomous Vehicles PY - 2013/11 SP - 77p AB - The age of autonomous vehicles is approaching. Cycles of innovation initiated in the public and private sectors have led one into another since the 1990s; and out of these efforts have sprung a variety of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and several functioning autonomous vehicles. The challenges that face autonomous vehicle are still significant. There is still technical work to be done to make sensors, algorithms, control schemes, and intelligence more effective and more reliable. As automation in vehicles increases, the associated human factors challenges become more complex. Then, there are a host of socioeconomic issues. Are autonomous vehicles legal; and who is liable if one crashes? How can the privacy and security of data and automation be ensured? Finally, how might the wide adoption of autonomous vehicles affect society at large? It is hoped that when they appear, they will bring with them the promised benefits of safety, mobility, efficiency, and societal change. KW - Autonomous vehicle guidance KW - Driver support systems KW - Human factors KW - Intelligent vehicles KW - Liability KW - Privacy KW - Security KW - Socioeconomic factors UR - http://matc.unl.edu/assets/documents/matcfinal/Schwarz_TowardsAutonomousVehicles.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1290428 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01526374 AU - Bartilson, Daniel AU - Contreras, Adrian AU - Mackan, Kevin AU - Membreño, Mark AU - Moore, Parker C AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Compendium of Student Papers: 2013 Undergraduate Transportation Scholars Program PY - 2013/11 SP - 137p AB - This report is a compilation of research papers written by students participating in the 2013 Undergraduate Transportation Scholars Program. The 10-week summer program, now in its 23nd year, provides undergraduate students in Civil Engineering the opportunity to learn about transportation engineering through participating in sponsored transportation research projects. The program design allows students to interact directly with a Texas A&M University faculty member or Texas Transportation Institute researcher in developing a research proposal, conducting valid research, and documenting the research results through oral presentations and research papers. The papers in this compendium report on the following topics: 1) Validation of Computer Vision for Structural Vibration Studies; 2) Evaluating Driver Response to Prototype Traffic Control Devices at Access Points; 3) Evaluation of Apparent Capacities through Freeway Lane Closures; 4) Operational Effects of Chevrons on Horizontal Curves Using Speed and Energy Differentials and Speed Profiles; and 5) Preliminary Development of a Trip Generation Manual for Texas. KW - Access control (Transportation) KW - Computer vision KW - Drivers KW - Highway capacity KW - Highway curves KW - Lane closure KW - Manuals KW - Operating speed KW - Prototypes KW - Road markings KW - Texas KW - Traffic control devices KW - Trip generation KW - Vibration UR - http://swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/compendiums/600451-00003-2.1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1308853 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01526362 AU - Baldwin, Michael AU - Hoogewind, Kimberly AU - Snyder, Derrick AU - Price, Matthew AU - Trapp, R Jeffrey AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Assessment and Recommendations for Using High-Resolution Weather Information to Improve Winter Maintenance Operations PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 46p AB - A variety of methods for obtaining detailed analyses regarding the timing and duration of winter weather across the state of Indiana for multiple seasons were compared and evaluated during this project. Meteorological information from sources such as surface reporting stations, National Weather Service radars, and three‐dimensional weather analysis and prediction systems were utilized in this work. In addition, daily weather forecasts were provided by students at Purdue University during the 2012‐13 winter season. These forecasts supplemented the weather forecast information already in use at Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). Purdue weather forecasts were systematically evaluated during this project. The results from these assessments are provided in this report, along with a set of recommendations for sources of detailed weather information to be utilized by INDOT in future winter seasons. KW - Assessments KW - Data analysis KW - Indiana KW - Recommendations KW - Weather conditions KW - Weather forecasting KW - Winter maintenance UR - http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3050&context=jtrp UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284315224 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1310620 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01526342 AU - Koo, Dan AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Roadway Striping Productivity Data Analysis for INDOT Greenfield and Crawfordsville Districts PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 74p AB - The main objective of the SPR‐3650 project is to provide an accurate overview of striping operations so that Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) finds a way to effectively save significant investment for purchasing new striping trucks in the near future without compromising roadway striping operations and maintenance. Telematics technology was used to collect 2012 striping season operation data, from April 2012 to November 2012, in real‐time via wireless network to analyze striping operation performance mainly focusing on four striping trucks in the Crawfordsville and Greenfield district. The study focused on productivity and utilization as key performance components. Productivity and utilization analyses revealed that there is significant opportunity to improve. As a result of data analysis, four recommendations and performance metrics were suggested. Several statistical techniques such as Monte Carlo simulation and triangular distribution model were used to develop the performance metrics. An expected further outcome of the study is that a new data collection system provides an opportunity to improve various INDOT roadway maintenance operations. KW - Data analysis KW - Data collection KW - Indiana Department of Transportation KW - Maintenance equipment KW - Maintenance management KW - Metrics (Quantitative assessment) KW - Productivity KW - Recommendations KW - Striping KW - Telematics UR - http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3042&context=jtrp UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284315228 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1310595 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01523810 AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Model Guideline for State Ignition Interlock Programs PY - 2013/11 SP - 13p AB - Each State has its own impaired driving laws which influence the delivery of impaired driving programs and policies. While almost all States have an ignition interlock program, they are each unique and at different stages of development. States vary in terms of the agencies involved in the delivery of interlock programs, their structures, authority, and operational practices. State ignition interlock programs include partners in law enforcement, State highway safety offices, prosecutors, judiciary, driver licensing agencies, probation, manufacturers, and treatment. Ignition interlock programs can be delivered in three different ways: through the judiciary within the criminal justice system, administratively within the driver licensing system, or using a hybrid approach that incorporates both judicial and administrative driver licensing elements. Regardless of the approach to ignition interlock program delivery that is used in each State, there are some key program features that are essential to strengthen program delivery and that should be pursued in every jurisdiction. KW - Alcohol ignition interlock devices KW - Drunk driving KW - Guidelines KW - Legislation UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811859.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1307279 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01522139 AU - Grejner-Brzezinska, Dorota A AU - Toth, Charles AU - Ohio State University, Columbus AU - Ohio Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Height Modernization Program and Subsidence Study in Northern Ohio PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 101p AB - This study is an initiative focused on establishing accurate, reliable heights using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology in conjunction with traditional leveling, gravity, and modern remote sensing information. The traditional method for determining the elevation of these vertical benchmarks is differential leveling, but the advanced technology of GNSS and other modern positioning technologies have begun to replace this classical technique of vertical measurement in many situations. The primary goal of this research was to contribute to the improvement of height estimation using Global Positioning System (GPS) that supports the goals of the National Height Modernization project led by NGS. This was attained by investigating the required baseline length to de-correlate the tropospheric corrections at individual stations, as well as to determine the optimal network design. In order to perform these experiments, three different networks were formed: the single, the double, and the multiple base station approaches. The comparison of these three approaches concluded that the multiple base approach (combination of CORS and IGS stations) is the optimal network, which improved the estimation of the tropospheric corrections, the quality of the processing results, and the positioning accuracy, especially in the height component. This configuration reduced the possible errors associated with the base station, provides reliable tropospheric corrections and improved the accuracy of the ellipsoidal heights. These test cases also illustrated that a longer session provides higher accuracy and reliable ellipsoidal heights. Based on the results in this study, at least a two-hour data span should be used to determine the ellipsoidal heights accurately in OPUS-Projects. Additionally, a second independent observation should be used to increase the confidence in the processing results. In order to maximize independence of the observations, the second observation should be obtained on a different day and at a different time of day. KW - Data quality KW - Global Navigation Satellite System KW - Global Positioning System KW - Height KW - Mapping KW - Ohio KW - Subsidence (Geology) KW - Troposphere UR - http://worldcat.org/oclc/881433401/viewonline UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1306455 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01522136 AU - Masada, Teruhisa AU - Han, Xiao AU - Ohio University, Athens AU - Ohio Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Rock Mass Classification System: Transition from RMR to GSI PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 130p AB - The AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications is expected to replace the rock mass rating (RMR) system with the Geological Strength Index (GSI) system for classifying and estimating engineering properties of rock masses. This transition is motivated by the fact that some difficulties were experienced with RMR in many highway bridge projects. A study was carried out to determine if GSI is applicable to rock materials found in Ohio. To meet this primary objective, a literature review was conducted, many rock samples were tested in the lab, an extensive rock property data set was assembled, and statistical/computation analysis of the data set was performed. The outcome showed that GSI is applicable to rock materials in Ohio. KW - AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications KW - Bridge design KW - Bridge foundations KW - Geological strength index KW - Laboratory tests KW - Literature reviews KW - Properties of materials KW - Rock mass classification KW - Rock mass rating KW - Rocks UR - http://worldcat.org/oclc/881501703/viewonline UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1306454 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01519410 AU - Nobbe, Patrizia AU - Berechman, Joseph AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - The Politics of Large Infrastructure Investment Decision-Making: The Case of the Second Avenue Subway Case Study PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 34p AB - Over the past few decades, urbanization and economic growth have intensified the need for more efficient urban and regional transportation, including the expansion and reorganization of existing transportation networks. Given such huge investments and severe constraints on resources such as financial and land, infrastructure projects require a careful prioritization and selection among available alternatives. In reality, project selection appears to be determined as much by politics as by transport-economic considerations. This paper traces the politics of megaproject decision-making of the Second Avenue Subway (SAS), a subway project in New York. The project’s first stage is currently being built after nearly 100 years of effort. In particular, the authors examine whether project-related decisions were the results of power struggles between the involved actors, and less the results of transportation planning concerns. The authors argue that the re-organization of transportation institutions, specifically the formation of the Metropolitan Transportation Agency (MTA), enabled the selection and implementation of SAS. While transportation agencies are bound by the legal and bureaucratic rules set by those who create them, they have their own agendas and are crucial for project selection. If successful, as in the case of the Second Avenue Subway, they can establish political momentum against political and fiscal adversity. Against the background of this project long planning and failure history, the authors find that besides the creation of the MTA, the following factors contributed to project eventual success: 1) the long project history bestowed a “legendary” character upon the project; 2) a “window of opportunity” opened up for inner-city projects after September 11; 3) a strong set of project champions advanced the project; and 4) the nature of funding arrangements was instrumental in this project success. KW - Case studies KW - Decision making KW - Financing KW - Investments KW - Megaprojects KW - New York (New York) KW - New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority KW - Subways UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/pubs/final-2nd-ave-subway-study.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1302424 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01518977 AU - Duffy, Steve AU - Prasad, Aloke AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Motorcoach Side Glazing Retention Research PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 102p AB - In 2003, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Transport Canada entered into a joint research program conducted by Martec Limited that focused on preventing unrestrained occupant ejections during motorcoach rollovers by improving standard window glazing and retention. Through computer simulation the Martec study (MS) determined that the impact velocity of an occupant striking the glazing was as much as 21.6 km/h (13.4 mph). Results from this research aided in the development of a dynamic test device of 26 kg (57 lb) mass that represents the torso of the 50th percentile adult male side impact dummy (US-SID). A section of a Motor Coach Industries (MCI) 1993 102D motorcoach was used by the Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC) to conduct impact tests at the center of the window and near the latch at different impact speeds. In center impacts, no windows with tempered glass broke and no windows opened under the MS impact conditions (26 kg at 21.6 km/h). In near-latch impacts, all latches opened when struck at the MS conditions. Testing was expanded to other motorcoach manufacturers and coach series to establish fleet baseline performance. Market share studies indicated that the fleet was well represented by conducting tests on a Prevost model H3-45, Van Hool model C2045, and MCI E/J-series, in addition to the MCI D-series line. Testing was conducted on glazing mounted to test frames that represented the side passenger window frames for each of the three manufacturers. Windows from all three manufacturers exhibited latch openings in near-latch tests on production latches at MS conditions. An attempt was made to modify the latch systems with simple designs to see if the impactor could be contained when tested at the MS conditions. In near-latch tests on countermeasure latches at MS conditions, the MCI E/J-series latches required the simplest modification to improve its performance. The MCI E/J-series countermeasure latch and glass remained intact. However, no simple countermeasures were identified for the Van Hool and Prevost latches. A study was conducted and a test procedure developed to address the glazing strength in the event the window is broken in a rollover crash prior to occupant loading. A series of tests was performed on fixed windows from the MCI E/J-series to determine their performance under MS conditions. Tests near the retaining clips on unbroken glazing produced partial window openings. For tests conducted at the center of the daylight opening, the unbroken single-glazed window opened, but neither the unbroken or pre-broken double-glazed windows opened. Finally, a series of tests was conducted to compare the setups of the MCI D-series bus section tests and window frame tests. Determining the relative stringency of the two test methods was inconclusive. In five comparison tests, the event of window opening or remaining closed was similar. Also, the peak forces from the frame tests were higher than those from the bus section tests, but there was no clear trend for the peak excursion measurements. KW - Bus crashes KW - Buses KW - Impact tests KW - Occupant dynamics KW - Rollover crashes KW - Simulation KW - Test procedures KW - Window glass KW - Windows (Vehicles) UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Vehicle%20Research%20&%20Test%20Center%20(VRTC)/cw/811862.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1300292 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01518970 AU - Angell, Linda AU - Perez, Miguel AU - Garrott, W Riley AU - Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Explanatory Material About the Definition of a Task Used in NHTSA's Driver Distraction Guidelines, and Task Examples PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 182p AB - This report supplements the proposed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Driver Distraction Guidelines for Visual-Manual Interfaces with explanatory information and examples about the definition of a task. It is intended to assist those using these Guidelines. The contents of this report are the opinions of contractor personnel; they are not necessarily official NHTSA policy. This report is believed to be consistent with NHTSA’s proposal of February 24, 2012. The material provided herein is offered to facilitate a common and shared understanding of the definitions needed for consistent and rigorous testing of tasks that may be performed using electronic devices that are within the scope of the NHTSA Driver Distraction Guidelines. This report particularly focuses on the definition of a testable task, and on supporting definitions which are used in conjunction with it (for example, definitions such as “start of measurement” and “end of measurement”). These definitions are needed when device tasks are tested to determine whether the proposed acceptance criteria of the NHTSA Distraction Guidelines have been successfully met. This report provides numerous examples which illustrate how to apply the definitions for testing purposes, and discusses some of the challenges that exist in applying definitions to tasks in real system architectures. KW - Definitions KW - Distraction KW - Driver vehicle interfaces KW - Guidelines KW - Test procedures KW - U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration KW - Vehicle electronics UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crash%20Avoidance/Technical%20Publications/2013/811858.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1300416 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01518866 AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - 2012 Fatality Analysis Report System (FARS) and National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) General Estimates System (GES) Coding and Validation Manual PY - 2013/11 SP - 974p AB - This manual provides a data dictionary for the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) General Estimates System (GES) databases. Providing data about fatal and all other types of crashes involving all types of vehicles, both FARS and the NASS GES are used to identify highway safety problem areas, provide a basis for regulatory and consumer information initiatives, and form the basis for cost and benefit analyses of highway safety initiatives. The manual lists the codes used for the data elements in FARS and the NASS GES. It presents the coding forms and instructions on how to code the data elements at the crash level, vehicle level, driver level, precrash level and person level. It also provides the changes to the 2012 manual, and a list of data elements and database location codes. KW - Coding systems KW - Computer program documentation KW - Data dictionaries KW - Databases KW - Fatalities KW - Fatality Analysis Reporting System KW - General Estimates System KW - Highway safety KW - National Automotive Sampling System KW - Traffic crashes UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811854.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1300587 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01518861 AU - Christensen, Donald W AU - Advanced Asphalt Technologies, LLC AU - SRA International, Incorporated AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Review of Recent Research on Using Gyratory Compaction to Design Hot Mix Asphalt for Airfield Pavements PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 33p AB - This document is a critical review of three recent reports detailing research on the appropriate level of design gyrations to use when preparing hot mix asphalt (HMA) mix designs for airfield pavements using the gyratory compactor. Research performed at the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Engineering Research and Development Center (ERDC) recommended using 70 gyrations when designing HMA for airfield pavements using the gyratory compactor. The results from research using a similar approach, sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and performed by SRA International, Inc. (SRA) and several other contractors, concurred that 70 gyrations was an appropriate compaction level. This research also found that HMA designed using 75-blow Marshall compaction and 70 gyrations exhibited similar levels of rut resistance and fatigue resistance when evaluated in laboratory tests. A third study, Airfield Asphalt Pavement Technology Program (AAPTP) Project 04-03, also examined the issue of using gyratory compaction to design HMA for airfield pavements. In this project, it was recommended that design gyrations should increase with increasing tire pressure. For example, the AAPTP 04-03 report recommended that, for HMA subject to aircraft tire pressures in excess of 200 lb/in2, 80 gyrations should be used in preparing specimens during the mix design process. Although the concept of linking design gyrations to aircraft tire pressure has merit, the performance test used in developing these recommendations was not calibrated to actual pavement performance. Therefore, it is recommended that 70 gyrations be used in preparing mix designs for HMA for airfield pavements, in accordance with the ERDC and FAA/SRA reports. KW - Airport runways KW - Compaction KW - Fatigue strength KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Laboratory tests KW - Mix design KW - Pavement performance KW - Recommendations KW - Rutting UR - http://www.airporttech.tc.faa.gov/DesktopModules/FlexNews/DownloadHandler.ashx?id=6a38ef05-59f5-4a4c-8798-21eb12ecc9ed&f=TC-13-48.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1300235 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516627 AU - Bullough, John D AU - Besenecker, Ute C AU - Radetsky, Leora C AU - Lighting Research Center AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Leveraging Brightness from Transportation Lighting Systems through Light Source Color PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 30p AB - Roadway transportation lighting is installed for multiple reasons including traffic safety and pedestrian security. Judgments of pedestrian safety and security along roadways are not strictly correlated to specified light levels, but the color of the light source influences pedestrians' judgments as well. In general, the brighter a roadway location appears, the safer and more secure it is judged as being. Most roads are illuminated using "yellowish" high pressure sodium lamps, but light sources such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) are increasingly being considered as alternative light sources for roadway lighting, and these produce a "white" light appearance. Roads illuminated by "white" light sources are consistently judged as brighter, and as a consequence safer and more secure, than roads illuminated by "yellowish" sodium lamps, even when they are lighted to the same level. The present laboratory study used lighting varying in color in order to help understand the mechanisms underlying brightness perception. Better understanding of these mechanisms can lead to recommendations for lighting that could allow engineers to design roadway lighting for equal brightness and therefore, equivalent perceptions of safety and security by pedestrians, possibly while reducing energy use. KW - Brightness KW - Color KW - Highway safety KW - Laboratory studies KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Perception KW - Street lighting UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/pubs/Final-LRC-Light-Source-Color_1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1299548 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516514 AU - Prassas, Elena AU - Vin, Arth AU - Polytechnic Institute of NYU AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Relating the 2010 Signalized Intersection Methodology to Alternate Approaches in the Context of NYC Conditions PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 152p AB - The Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) has had a delay-based level of service methodology for signalized intersections since 1985. The 2010 HCM has revised the method for calculating delay. This happened concurrent with such jurisdictions as New York City (NYC) reviewing the use of the HCM method in their environmental impact regulations (e.g. City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR) process), and concurrent with a dialog in the profession on when it is appropriate to use simulation models in lieu of HCM methods. This effort focused on providing guidance on how to use the 2010 HCM signalized intersection method in the context of the NYC urban environment. It was deemed important by New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) to verify whether the delay and saturation flow estimates were consistent with what is found in the field in New York City, and specifically Manhattan. It was decided to measure and do analyses of the following measures of effectiveness: Saturation flow rate, Delay, and Start-up lost time. The authors began the process with meetings with NYCDOT staff to determine what data was available and what level of analysis was needed. The HCM signalized intersection methodology is known to not work well in oversaturated conditions unless a multi-period analysis is done. Since the analysis that NYCDOT does with the HCM always uses a 15-minute period analysis and not a multi-period one, it was decided to only look at intersections that were not oversaturated when measuring and comparing delay results. The HCM 2010 arterial analysis methodology does consider queues and oversaturated conditions that should better reflect conditions in NYC, given that NYC is made up of arterial streets and not individual isolated intersections. However, the standard method used and required by CEQR is the signalized intersection methodology. This then was another factor in deciding not to use oversaturated intersections. It was found that the field data of saturation flow and delay were well correlated with the values computed using the 2010 Highway Capacity Manual methodologies, but that the start-up lost times that are defaulted and used in an HCM analysis are very different from the values measured in field data. KW - Field studies KW - Highway Capacity Manual 2010 KW - Manhattan (New York, New York) KW - Methodology KW - New York (New York) KW - Saturation flow KW - Signalized intersections KW - Starting (Driving) KW - Stopped time delays UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/pubs/Final-Intersection-Methodology_0.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1299552 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516338 AU - Li, Shuo AU - Jiang, Yi AU - Guan, Bowen AU - Zhao, Guangyuan AU - Thompson, Aaron AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Cost and Energy‐Efficient (LED, Induction and Plasma) Roadway Lighting PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 75p AB - There is an increasing interest in using new lighting technologies such as light emitting diode (LED), induction, and plasma light sources in roadway lighting. The most commonly claimed benefits of the new lighting systems include increased reliability, improved efficiency, and reduced maintenance costs. While Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is also getting a lot of interest from vendors pushing the new light sources for roadway lighting applications, none of these new lighting technologies has been used in the state highway systems by INDOT. Before adopting the new lighting technologies, INDOT would like to determine if the new lighting technologies meet required light output and if they are cost effective. Moreover, it is necessary for INDOT to establish standardized guidelines for evaluating the new lighting systems prior to the formal adoption. This study first conducted literature reviews on the new lighting technologies. Surveys were also conducted to identify the perceptions of state highway agencies and local cities towards the new lighting technologies including LED, induction, and plasma, and their experiences in use of these new lighting technologies. Various luminaires, including high pressure sodium (HPS), LED, plasma, and induction luminaires from different manufacturers were installed and evaluated for both conventional and high mast lightings at a test site over a period of 12 months. Illuminance measurements were made to determine the light levels and illuminance uniformities produced by those LED, plasma and induction luminaires with the existing lighting infrastructures. Comparisons were also made between the light performances produced by different luminaires. Electric currents were measured to determine the energy consumptions by different luminaires. Life cycle cost analysis was also conducted to determine if the new lighting sources are cost-effective compared to the corresponding HPS lighting sources and assess the possible return or payback periods for the LED, plasma, and induction luminaires evaluated in this study. Illuminance measurements were also made for two urban street lightings to map the light performances of LED and plasma luminaires with different lighting layouts. Main findings and recommendations were made to assist INDOT Traffic Engineering in upgrading the lighting policies and developing technical specifications for adopting the new lighting technologies. KW - Cost effectiveness KW - Energy consumption KW - Evaluation KW - Field tests KW - Indiana Department of Transportation KW - Life cycle analysis KW - Light emitting diodes KW - Literature reviews KW - Luminaires KW - Luminescence KW - Recommendations KW - Street lighting KW - Surveys UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284315221 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1291087 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516265 AU - Davis, Janet L AU - Reich, Stephen L AU - National Center for Transit Research AU - Florida Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Analysis of Transit Contracting Models and Proper Incentives for Long-Term Success PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 56p AB - As transit systems are being challenged to operate in the most cost-effective manner, and budgets are being tightened and demand for services increases, there has been renewed interest in the area of contracting for fixed route service in the United States (U.S.). Researchers were tasked to inventory and synthesize previous work in the area of types of transit operating contracts in the U.S. and Europe, assess the benefits and drawbacks of each general approach, and develop situational guidance for Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to help determine if a particular model could be appropriately considered. The investigation began with a review of the literature. Using the National Transit Database for 2011, transit service contracting practices in five states were reviewed, focusing on the monetary nature of the contractual relationship between the agency and the contractor. Specific contracts awarded were reviewed to compare and contrast operating parameters outlined in the contracts in terms of assignment, responsibility, and oversight. Researchers turned to individual transit agencies to explore lessons learned from their contracting experience, providing valuable insight not only for agencies considering contracting some or all service for the first time, but also for agencies interested in improving their existing contractual relationships. A contracting decision tree is illustrated, and several strategies to improve service in-house are detailed for agencies that decide to forego contracting. In order to meet the challenges of today’s economy, transit agencies must understand and assess the benefits and drawbacks of each general approach to contracting for transit service. KW - Contracting KW - Contracts KW - Decision trees KW - Europe KW - Fixed routes KW - Florida KW - Literature reviews KW - Public transit KW - Transit operating agencies KW - United States UR - http://www.fdot.gov/research/Completed_Proj/Summary_PTO/FDOT-BDK85-977-47-rpt.pdf UR - http://www.nctr.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/77952.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1299534 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516185 AU - Tran, Nam H AU - Taylor, Adam J AU - Withee, Jeffrey N AU - National Center for Asphalt Technology AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Western Workshop on Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester: Summary Report PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 17p AB - To continue supporting the implementation of the Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester (AMPT) for Superpave mix design and for asphalt pavement design and analysis, a western workshop on the AMPT was organized by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) at the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) headquarters in Carson City, Nevada on September 24 and 25, 2013. This workshop was specifically organized for state DOT representatives from the Rocky Mountain Asphalt User and Producer Group (RMAUPG) and the Pacific Coast Conference on Asphalt Specifications, who were not able to attend the national AMPT workshop in Atlanta, Georgia in September 2012. Since many of the participants of the western workshop were not familiar with the AMPT, the workshop included both (1) a discussion of the development and implementation of AMPT and relevant test procedures, and (2) a hands-­on demonstration of the testing equipment in the NDOT materials laboratory. This report summarizes the information presented at the workshop and the challenges, potential solutions, and future needs discussed in the round table discussion sessions for implementing the AMPT. KW - Asphalt mixtures KW - Asphalt pavements KW - Mix design KW - Pavement design KW - Pavement performance KW - Performance tests KW - Superpave UR - http://www.ncat.us/files/reports/2013/rep13-10.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1299882 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01514600 AU - Arhin, Stephen AU - Noel, Errol C AU - Mineta National Transit Research Consortium AU - San Jose State University AU - California Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Evaluation of Bus Transit Reliability in the District of Columbia PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 52p AB - On-time arrival at bus stops is one of the performance metrics of the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA). A bus is considered to be on time by WMATA if it arrives at most two minutes earlier or seven minutes later than the scheduled arrival times, with a performance goal of 78%. Most regional transit agencies consider arrivals that fall within one minute earlier or five minutes later than the scheduled arrival times as being on time. The goal of this project was to determine the on-time performance and their statistical significance based on WMATA’s advertised threshold and the industry standard for on-time arrivals. Fifteen bus routes in Washington DC with several stops were studied in this research. WMATA’s published bus schedules provided expected arrival times. An on-board manual survey was conducted from June 2012 through June 2013 for peak morning and afternoon travel on those routes during which the actual arrival times at the bus stops were noted and compared with the scheduled arrival times. For WMATA’s two-minutes-early and seven-minutes-late arrival threshold, the buses were found to be on time approximately 82% of the time, on average, during the morning. In the evening, for the same threshold, only 68% of the buses on average were considered to be on time. This results in an overall on-time performance of 75%, which is a modest improvement over the 2010 on-time performance of 74%. Based on the one-minute-early and five-minutes-late arrival threshold used by several regional transit agencies, the buses were found to be on time approximately 67% of the time during the morning and 55% in the evening, resulting in an overall performance of 61%. KW - Arrivals and departures KW - Bus transit KW - On time performance KW - Performance measurement KW - Reliability KW - Standards KW - Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority UR - http://transweb.sjsu.edu/PDFs/research/1139-DC-bus-transit-reliability.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1290326 ER - TY - SER AN - 01506812 JO - Traffic Volume Trends PB - Federal Highway Administration TI - Traffic Volume Trends, November 2013 PY - 2013/11 SP - 10p AB - Traffic Volume Trends is a monthly report based on hourly traffic count data. These data, collected at approximately 4,000 continuous traffic counting locations nationwide, are used to determine the percent change in traffic for the current month compared to the same month in the previous year. This percent change is applied to the travel for the same month of the previous year to obtain an estimate of travel for the current month.Travel on all roads and streets changed by -0.1% (-0.2 billion vehicle miles) for November 2013 as compared with November 2012. Travel for the month is estimated to be 239.5 billion vehicle miles. Cumulative Travel for 2013 changed by +0.6% (15.4 billion vehicle miles). KW - Highway travel KW - Traffic counting KW - Traffic data KW - Traffic volume KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - Vehicle miles of travel UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/travel_monitoring/13novtvt/13novtvt.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1290230 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01506235 AU - Yeh, Michelle AU - Jo, Young Jin AU - Donovan, Colleen AU - Gabree, Scott AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Human Factors Considerations in the Design and Evaluation of Flight Deck Displays and Controls PY - 2013/11//Version 1.0 Final Report SP - 361p AB - The objective of this effort is to have a single source document for human factors regulatory and guidance material for flight deck displays and controls, in the interest of improving aviation safety. This document identifies guidance on human factors issues to consider in the design and evaluation of avionics displays and controls for all types of aircraft (14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) parts 23, 25, 27, and 29). It is intended to facilitate the identification and resolution of typical human factors issues that are frequently reported by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aircraft Certification Specialists. Topics address the human factors/pilot interface aspects of the display hardware, software, alerts/annunciations, and controls as well as considerations for flight deck design philosophy, intended function, error management, workload, and automation. A checklist of topics to consider during a display system evaluation, sample testing procedures and scenarios, and a list of key references are provided as appendices to facilitate the use and application of this document. KW - Aircraft KW - Design KW - Flight decks KW - Human factors KW - Information display systems KW - Instrument displays KW - User interfaces (Computer science) UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/50000/50700/50760/General_Guidance_Document_Nov_2013_v1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1290392 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505784 AU - Fang, Howie AU - Gutowski, Matthew AU - Li, Ning AU - DiSogra, Matthew AU - University of North Carolina, Charlotte AU - North Carolina Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Performance Evaluation of NCDOT W-beam Guardrails under MASH TL-2 Conditions PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 78p AB - This report summarizes the research efforts of using finite element modeling and simulations to evaluate the performance of W-beam guardrails for different heights under Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) Test Level 2 (TL-2) and Test Level 3 (TL-3) impact conditions. A literature review is included on performance evaluation of W-beam guardrails as well as applications of finite element modeling and simulations in roadside safety research. The modeling and simulation work was conducted on W-beam guardrails placed at a height of 27, 29 and 31 in. with vehicular impacts of a 1996 Dodge Neon and a 2006 Ford F250. All three W-beam guardrail placement heights were evaluated and compared to MASH TL-2 conditions, i.e., both vehicles were tested at an impact speed of 44 mph (70 km/hour) and a 25° impact angle. The 29- and 31-inch W-beam guardrails were also evaluated under MASH TL-3 conditions, i.e., both vehicles were tested at an impact speed of 62 mph (100 km/hour) and a 25° impact angle. The simulation results demonstrated the effectiveness of the 27-, 29- and 31-in. guardrails under MASH TL-2 conditions. They also showed the effects of guardrail heights on the vehicles’ post-impact responses such as redirection, snagging and large exit angles. The use of finite element simulations was shown to be both effective and efficient because they were nondestructive, repeatable, modifiable, and inexpensive. Furthermore, finite element simulations can be used to study crash scenarios that are difficult and/or extremely expensive to conduct with physical crash testing. Finite element modeling and simulations are recommended for future investigations of other research issues. KW - AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware KW - Finite element method KW - Guardrails KW - Height KW - Impact tests KW - Literature reviews KW - Simulation UR - http://www.ncdot.gov/doh/preconstruct/tpb/research/download/2012-11finalreport.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285443 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505772 AU - Lesthaeghe, Tyler AU - Frishman, Samuel AU - Holland, Stephen D AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - RFID Tags for Detecting Concrete Degradation in Bridge Decks PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 26p AB - Steel reinforcing bar (rebar) corrosion due to chlorine ingress is the primary degradation mechanism for bridge decks. In areas where rock salt is used as a de-icing agent, salt water seeps into the concrete through cracks, causing corrosion of the rebar and potentially leading to catastrophic failure if not repaired. This project explores the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags as low-cost corrosion sensors. RFID tags, when embedded in concrete, will fail due to corrosion in the same manner as rebar after prolonged exposure to salt water. In addition, the presence of salt water interferes with the ability to detect the tags, providing a secondary mechanism by which this method can work. During this project, a fieldable RFID equipment setup was constructed and tested. In addition to a number of laboratory experiments to validate the underlying principles, RFID tags were embedded and tested in several actual bridge decks. Two major challenges were addressed in this project: issues associated with tags not functioning due to being in close proximity to rebar and issues associated with portland concrete coming in direct contact with the tags causing a detuning effect and preventing the tags from operating properly. Both issues were investigated thoroughly. The first issue was determined to be a problem only if the tags are placed in close proximity to rebar. The second issue was resolved by encapsulating the tag. Two materials, polyurethane spray foam and extruded polystyrene, were identified as providing good performance after testing, both in the lab and in the field. KW - Bridge decks KW - Concrete bridges KW - Corrosion KW - Field tests KW - Laboratory tests KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Radio frequency identification KW - Reinforcing bars KW - Sensors UR - http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/research/documents/research-reports/RFID_tags_w_cvr.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285617 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505761 AU - Stuedlein, Armin W AU - Meskele, Tadesse AU - Oregon State University, Corvallis AU - Oregon Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Analysis And Design Of Pipe Ramming Installations PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 236p AB - The trenchless technology known as pipe ramming for construction of culverts and buried pipes under roadways or other infrastructure has gained significant popularity due to its cost-effectiveness and ability to alleviate surface disruptions associated with open-cut trenching. Although the experience with pipe ramming is increasing, there has been remarkably little technical guidance available for engineers to appropriately specify aspects of a pipeline or culvert installation, including the planning of feasible layouts, rates of penetration, pipe diameters, and hammers. This research provides a comprehensive engineering framework for evaluation of culvert installations at the planning phase to address the gaps in knowledge associated with pipe ramming. Presently there are no existing and proven techniques for prediction of settlement, vibration, driving stresses, soil resistance to ramming, and drivability for pipe ramming installations. This study has adopted existing drivability, soil resistance, settlement, and vibration prediction models from pipe jacking, microtunneling, and pile driving models and examined their applicability in pipe ramming installations, resulting in new and technology-specific design guidance. The development of this comprehensive engineering guidance is based on engineering calculations empirically tuned using a database of actual performance measurements. Field observations of five production installations and a full-scale experiment were conducted to form the performance database employed to understand the mechanics associated with pipe ramming installations, ranging from vertical ground movements, ground vibrations, and installation performance. Settlement prediction was evaluated using the inverted normal probability distribution based models, and these methods over-estimated the observed settlements close to the center of the pipes and under-estimated settlements at radial distances away from the pipe. A pipe-ramming-specific hyperbolic model was developed for better prediction of the vertical settlement induced by pipe ramming in granular soils. Attenuation of observed pipe ramming-induced vibrations was modeled using a simple semi-empirical approach, and the calibrated model resulted in reasonable predictions of the ground vibrations for granular soils. The static soil resistance to ramming was evaluated using the traditional quasi-static pipe jacking models and the models resulted in inaccurate predictions for instrumented pipe ramming installations. Therefore pipe ramming-specific static soil resistance models were developed for both the face and casing resistance in granular soils. Principles of stress wave theory routinely applied in the drivability analyses for pile foundations were adopted for the evaluation of the dynamic response of pipes during ramming. Reliable estimates of the static soil resistance and dynamic soil parameters were obtained through signal matching processes. Data-informed drivability analysis were performed to simulate the magnitude of driving stresses and develop drivability curves which relate the penetration resistance of a given pipe and hammer to the range of static soil resistances. The study culminates in the first comprehensive framework and recommendations for the installation of pipes by ramming, and should help owners, consultants, and contractors to appropriately plan pipe ramming installations. KW - Culverts KW - Design methods KW - Field studies KW - Geotechnical engineering KW - Ground settlement KW - Installation KW - Pipe ramming KW - Trenchless technology KW - Vibration UR - http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TP_RES/ResearchReports/spr710_piperamming.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285616 ER - TY - SER AN - 01505709 JO - Technology Brief PB - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - SmartPark Technology Demonstration Project PY - 2013/11 SP - 2p AB - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has a Smart Roadside Initiative project called SmartPark to demonstrate a technology to provide parking availability information to truckers in real time on the road. Phase I of SmartPark was to demonstrate a technology capable of counting truck parking space occupancy and determining space availability in a truck stop rest area. KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - Parking facilities KW - Real time information KW - Smart parking KW - SmartPark KW - Truck drivers KW - Truck stops KW - Trucks UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51400/51424/SmartPark-Demonstration-Project-Tech-Brief_508.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285677 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505702 AU - Flora, Jeffrey B AU - Alam, Mahbubul AU - Yousef, Amr H AU - Iftekharuddin, Khan M AU - Old Dominion University AU - National Institute for Advanced Transportation Technology AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Exploring Image-based Classification to Detect Vehicle Make and Model PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 26p AB - The goal of this work is to improve the understanding of the impact of carbon emissions caused by vehicular traffic on highway systems. In order to achieve this goal, this work obtains a novel pipeline for vehicle segmentation, tracking and classification by leveraging techniques in computer vision and machine learning using the existing Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) infrastructure on networked traffic cameras. This vehicle segmentation and classification data can be used to obtain a real-time estimation of carbon emissions. The VDOT traffic video is analyzed for vehicle detection and segmentation using an adaptive Gaussian mixture model algorithm. The segmented vehicles are tracked using speeded up reduced feature (SURF) methods. The morphological properties and histogram of oriented features are derived from the detected and segmented vehicles. Finally, vehicle classification is performed using a multiclass support vector machine classifier. The resulting classification scheme offers an average classification rate of 85% under good quality segmentation. This work constitutes the first step in estimating carbon emission for highway traffic. In the subsequent steps, additional vehicle information (e.g., type, model), speed, and other relevant parameters need to be extracted and used for the Environmental Protection Agency's Motor Vehicle Emissions Simulator (MOVES) or similar tools to estimate the carbon emission. More challenging weather conditions as well as nighttime scenarios also need to be included to make this tool applicable to real life application. KW - Algorithms KW - Computer vision KW - Exhaust gases KW - Highway traffic KW - Image analysis KW - Pollutants KW - Real time information KW - Vehicle classification KW - Virginia Department of Transportation UR - http://tranliveutc.org/~/media/Files/orgs/ENGR/Research/NIATT/TranLIVE/Final%20Reports/ODU%20-%20Image%20Based%20Vehicle%20Classification UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285416 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505619 AU - Scott, Marcia AU - Kelly, Christopher AU - Collins, Eileen AU - University of Delaware, Newark AU - Delaware Center for Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Intermodal Transportation Facilities: Research of Viable Attributes and Potential to Integrate Curbside Intercity Buses PY - 2013/11 SP - 84p AB - The primary goal of this document is to assess the potential of integrating curbside intercity bus operations within intermodal transportation facilities. This research focuses on identifying viable attributes of successful intermodal facilities in the Northeast Corridor (NEC) that have the potential to support integration of curbside intercity buses. Research tasks included: (1) Conducting a literature review to: provide an overview of the growth of the curbside intercity bus industry, highlight factors that support intermodalism and the development of intermodal transportation facilities that incorporate all modes of transportation and provide seamless connections, summarize challenges and barriers to intermodalism that may hinder inclusion of curbside intercity buses within intermodal transportation facilities, and provide a synopsis of funding opportunities for new or improved intermodal transportation facilities; (2) Conducting case studies of major intermodal transportation facilities within the NEC - from Washington, D.C., to Boston, Massachusetts - to identify the extent to which curbside intercity buses are being or have been considered in the planning, design, or operations of facilities; and (3) Developing a matrix to highlight key attributes that are either highly, somewhat, or not supportive of intermodal transportation facilities. KW - Bus transportation KW - Case studies KW - Financing KW - Intercity bus lines KW - Intermodal facilities KW - Intermodal transportation KW - Literature reviews KW - Northeast Corridor KW - Transportation corridors UR - http://www.ipa.udel.edu/publications/intermodal_report_final_2013-12-6-web.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285409 ER - TY - SER AN - 01505601 JO - Traffic Safety Facts - Crash Stats PB - National Center for Statistics and Analysis TI - Lives Saved in 2012 by Restraint Use and Minimum Drinking Age Laws PY - 2013/11 SP - 2p AB - In 2012, the use of seat belts in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 12,174 lives. Seat belts have saved nearly 63,000 lives during the 5-year-period from 2008 to 2012. These annual estimates of lives saved have been produced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's National Center for Statistics and Analysis since 1975. In addition to the lives saved in 2012 by seat belts (occupants 5 and older), 2,213 lives were saved by frontal air bags (occupants 13 and older), 1,699 lives were saved by motorcycle helmets, 525 lives were saved by 21-year-old-minimum-drinking-age laws, and 284 lives (4 and younger) were saved by child restraints (child safety seats and lap/shoulder belts). An additional 3,031 lives would have been saved in 2012 if all unrestrained passenger vehicle occupants 5 and older involved in fatal crashes had worn their seat belts; and if all motorcyclists had been helmeted, then an additional 781 lives would have been saved. KW - Air bags KW - Child restraint systems KW - Legal drinking age KW - Motorcycle helmets KW - Seat belt use KW - Traffic safety KW - Trend (Statistics) UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811851.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285678 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505588 AU - Wang, Yinhai AU - Corey, Jonathan AU - Lao, Yunteng AU - Henrickson, Kristian AU - Xin, Xin AU - University of Washington, Seattle AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Oregon Department of Transportation TI - Criteria for the Selection and Application of Advanced Traffic Signal Systems PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 129p AB - The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has recently begun changing their standard traffic signal control systems from the 170 controller running the Wapiti W4IKS firmware to 2070 controllers operating the Northwest Signal Supply Corporation’s Voyage software. Concurrent with this change in standard signal control systems, ODOT has taken the opportunity to install test sites with adaptive signal control systems and evaluate advanced features in the Voyage software. The evaluation of advanced features and adaptive signal control systems has led to a series of questions about how to measure performance, when to apply a given feature, and when should one system be preferred over another. To answer these questions a survey of literature and practicing professionals was conducted to determine the current state of the practice regarding conventional and adaptive signal control systems. The survey of practitioners indicated that practitioners in general were seeking answers regarding when and how to implement adaptive systems. To assist ODOT’s engineers in selecting when and which systems to evaluate more closely, a methodology frame work has been developed and implemented in a Microsoft Excel based evaluation tool. This framework uses queuing models and simplified control logic to estimate corridor performance. Selected additional features have also been enabled to allow engineers to evaluate the performance benefits that may be realized through enabling them with the existing systems. Finally, to compare performance across different systems and different measures of effectiveness, the research team implemented a cost to benefit ratio calculation. This calculation encompasses performance measures produced by the evaluation model as well as external data regarding existing equipment, required upgrades, and additional costs such as those associated with retiming operations. By including as many cost factors as practical, the methodological framework and its Excel-based implementation may offer a means to make the selection of systems to evaluate as simple and straightforward as possible. KW - Adaptive control KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Implementation KW - Literature reviews KW - Oregon Department of Transportation KW - Performance measurement KW - Queuing theory KW - Software KW - State of the practice KW - Surveys KW - Traffic signal control systems UR - http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TP_RES/ResearchReports/SPR729_AdvancedTrafficSignals.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285612 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01504278 AU - Saber, Aziz AU - Louisiana Tech University, Ruston AU - Louisiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Load Distribution and Fatigue Cost Estimates of Heavy Truck Loads on Louisiana State Bridges PY - 2013/11//Final report SP - 198p AB - The bridge in this study was evaluated and a monitoring system was installed to investigate the effects of heavy loads and the cost of fatigue for bridges on state highways in Louisiana. Also, this study is used to respond to Louisiana Senate Concurrent Resolution 35 (SCR-35). The superstructure of the bridge in this study was evaluated for safety and reliability under four different kinds of truck configuration and loads hauling sugarcane. The bridge model was verified by performing live load tests using 3S3 trucks with a gross vehicular weight (GVW) of 100,000 lb. on the structure. The bridge finite element model was analyzed under the different kinds of loading and the effects were listed and compared. The results of the analyses show that the pattern of response of the bridge under the different cases follows the same trend. Among the four different cases of loading configurations, case 4, which was GVW =148,000 lb. and a vehicle length of 92 ft., produced the largest tensile and compressive stresses in the members. The results from the bridge deck analyses confirm that the bridge deck is under a stable stress state, whether the stresses are in the tension zone or the compression zone. The heavy load as indicated in SCR-35 will cause damage to bridges. The data from the monitoring system indicates that the average number of heavy loads during October, November, and December is 3.5 times higher than the rest of the year. The bridges are exposed to high cycles of repetition of heavy loads that will reduce the life span of the bridges by about 50%. The bridges that are built to last 75 years will be replaced after about 40 years in service. This seasonal impact is due to the sugarcane harvest and confirms the cost of fatigue, $0.9 per truck per trip per bridge, as determined in the previous study. Based on the results of the studies presented in this report, increasing the gross vehicle weight of sugarcane trucks is not recommended. The heavy loads indicated in SCR-35 will cause premature fatigue damage to the main structural members and could cause their eventual structural failure. In addition, the majority of the Louisiana bridges currently in service were designed to accommodate lower loads than the bridge tested on this project. Therefore, based on the test results, one should expect that the proposed trucks to significantly shorten the remaining life span of Louisiana bridges. All these bridges should be rehabilitated prior to implementing SCR 35. The data from the monitoring system will provide a good source of information to review the current serviceability criteria used by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD) for the design of prestressed concrete bridge girders. KW - Axle loads KW - Concrete bridges KW - Failure KW - Gross vehicle weight KW - Live loads KW - Louisiana KW - Trucks KW - Weigh in motion UR - http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/pdf/2013/FR_509.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1284793 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01503975 AU - Herricks, Edwin E AU - Weber, Peter AU - Mayer, David AU - King, Ryan E AU - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Avian Radar Maintenance: Magnetron Replacement Requirements PY - 2013/11//Technical Note SP - 23p AB - Magnetrons are a critical component of current avian radar technologies, providing avian radar systems with the energy that is transmitted and received to identify targets. The current avian radar systems used in an avian radar performance assessment uses X-band marine radars that are based on magnetron technology. Manufacturers recommend regular replacement of magnetrons to maintain radar detection effectiveness. The University of Illinois Center of Excellence for Airport Technology (CEAT) examined the issue of operational effectiveness for magnetrons with short and long operational histories. CEAT found that magnetrons with long operational histories performed at a level consistent with new magnetrons. CEAT recommends that magnetron replacement be based on performance criteria rather than on a fixed schedule or replacement period. Replacement should be made when a magnetron fails to produce consistent detection results when evaluated as part of a regularly scheduled radar health assessment program. KW - Aviation KW - Magnetrons KW - Maintenance KW - Radar air traffic control KW - Radar devices KW - Service life UR - http://www.airporttech.tc.faa.gov/DesktopModules/FlexNews/DownloadHandler.ashx?id=9a3bc558-d2e5-4c08-b4df-39bb3adc053e&f=TC-TN13-47.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1286158 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502785 AU - Lin, Pei-Sung AU - Fabregas, Aldo AU - Kourtellis, Achilleas AU - Lall, Sherrell AU - Bato, Michael AU - National Center for Transit Research AU - Florida Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Improved Traffic Control Measures to Prevent Incorrect Turns at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 88p AB - A number of injuries and fatal collisions have occurred at certain highway-rail grade crossings that are located immediately adjacent to highway intersections, driveways or interstate ramps. Some guide signage, pavement markings, and other traffic control devices present near or at the crossings in the past may have confused drivers and caused them to turn onto the railroad tracks, rather than at the nearby intersections, driveways or ramps. This research found the major contributing causes of incorrect turns onto railroad tracks includes (1) confusing signs and pavement markings near highway-rail crossings, (2) darkness and low visibility near or at highway-rail crossings, (3) following turn instructions from a global positioning system (GPS) device onto railroad tracks, (4) skewed highway-rail grade crossings, and (5) driver distraction. Based on the findings from intensive literature review, historical crash data analysis, and field observations, a set of practical countermeasures was developed to prevent incorrect turns onto railroad tracks. The major recommended treatments for upstream of a highway-rail grade crossing include advance direction signage and striping. The recommended downstream treatments also consist of guide signs and striping. For the critical zone, treatments such as striping or dynamic envelope pavement markings, pavement gate markings, bollards, and illumination are recommended. Adequate illumination is essential for reducing the number of rail-vehicle crashes and stuck vehicle incidents due to incorrect turns at night. Finally, this research developed a simple and effective method to help quantify potential drivers that experience confusion or hesitation when they approach a highway-rail grade crossing. It provided a cost-effective method to evaluate the effectiveness of any implemented treatments to prevent incorrect turns onto railroad tracks. KW - Automobile drivers KW - Countermeasures KW - Distraction KW - Global Positioning System KW - Grade crossing protection systems KW - Lighting KW - Railroad grade crossings KW - Road markings KW - Signs KW - Traffic control devices UR - http://www.fdot.gov/research/Completed_Proj/Summary_PTO/FDOT-BDK85-977-45-rpt.pdf UR - http://www.nctr.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/77950.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1281005 ER - TY - JOUR AN - 01502459 JO - Public Roads PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Vásconez, Kimberly C TI - Training Millions of Responders PY - 2013/11 VL - 77 IS - 3 AB - Efficient traffic incident management (TIM) is crucial to the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) goals for improving motorist and responder safety, reducing traffic congestion, and enhancing the performance and reliability of the transportation system. FHWA leads the effort of training responders and developing good practices with the help of state police organizations, state and local departments of transportation, local and regional emergency services, and others. A TIM training course was developed in 2007 by FHWA with other organizations, and in 2012, a train-the-trainer pilot program was introduced. TIM training is most effective if responders take a refresher course every few years. Training programs have helped to improve traffic incident recovery, streamlining responses. KW - Highway safety KW - Highway traffic control KW - Incident management KW - Police departments KW - State departments of transportation KW - Traffic congestion KW - Traffic incidents KW - Training KW - U.S. Federal Highway Administration UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/13novdec2013/03.cfm UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1281050 ER - TY - JOUR AN - 01502456 JO - Public Roads PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Kalla, Hari AU - Garfield, Kristine TI - A Look Back at Moving Forward PY - 2013/11 VL - 77 IS - 3 AB - The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) launched the Every Day Counts (EDC) initiative in November 2009, which encourages the use of technological innovations and enhanced business processes to solve the challenges of highway projects and to facilitate doing more with less. Through EDC, FHWA works with transportation agencies and other groups to identify a new collection of innovations every two years. The innovations share goals of shortening project delivery, enhancing the safety and durability of bridges and roads, reducing traffic congestion, and protecting the environment. There has been a high level of participation in EDC. Since its inception, every state transportation agency in the country has used at least one of the selected innovations, with more and more being adopted all the time. KW - Business practices KW - Construction projects KW - Durability KW - Environmental protection KW - Every Day Counts KW - Highway safety KW - Road construction KW - State departments of transportation KW - Technological innovations KW - Traffic congestion KW - U.S. Federal Highway Administration UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/13novdec2013/05.cfm UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1281052 ER - TY - JOUR AN - 01502451 JO - Public Roads PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Kuehn, David AU - Fitzgerald, Mark TI - Breakthroughs to the Future PY - 2013/11 VL - 77 IS - 3 AB - The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) developed the Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program in 2005 in order to conduct high-risk, long-horizon research on mitigating congestion and pollution and improving safety. Findings from EAR-funded projects could lead to new research methods and models or new system concepts and prototypes. One of the program's focus areas is connected highway-vehicle systems, which depend on emerging technologies. Projects funded by EAR have made breakthroughs in sensor and control technology, wireless communications, data fusion, and information sciences. EAR has also funded research at the University of Virginia Center for Transportation Studies to examine issues such as freeway merge areas, lane-level speed control, lane-changing advisory, gap-responsive onramp signal, merging control, system integration and evaluation, and others. Research sponsored by EAR has developed advanced solutions to increase mobility and safety. KW - Data fusion KW - Exploratory Advanced Research Program KW - Highway safety KW - Information organization KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Pollution KW - Research projects KW - Sensors KW - Technological innovations KW - Traffic congestion KW - U.S. Federal Highway Administration KW - University of Virginia KW - Wireless communication systems UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/13novdec2013/01.cfm UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1281048 ER - TY - JOUR AN - 01502139 JO - Public Roads PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Kendall, Cathy AU - Toni, Melissa AU - Woolford, Edward TI - Protecting the Planet One Road at a Time PY - 2013/11 VL - 77 IS - 3 AB - In January 2012, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) established the Annual Environmental Discipline Awards to support and recognize individual and team leadership and excellence in the delivery of transportation environmental programs. Candidates for the award are nominated by their peers to recognize achievements in improving collaboration across agency disciplines, sharing resources, and strengthening FHWA's overall environmental program. Award winners include Provo, Utah, for its Westside Connector, which provided a link between the local airport and the interstate; Florida and Puerto Rico for being able to adapt when circumstances exceed procedures; and the Tappan Zee Hudson River Crossing Project in New York, which will be replaced to improve structural, operational, mobility, safety, and security features. Environmental programs require cross-discipline collaboration, and this award helps to encourage such cooperation. KW - Airport access KW - Awards KW - Cooperation KW - Environmental protection KW - Florida KW - New York (State) KW - Provo (Utah) KW - Puerto Rico KW - Safety and security KW - Tappan Zee Bridge KW - U.S. Federal Highway Administration UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/13novdec2013/04.cfm UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1281051 ER - TY - JOUR AN - 01502138 JO - Public Roads PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Duwadi, Sheila Rimal TI - Saving the Past PY - 2013/11 VL - 77 IS - 3 AB - The Federal Highway Administration has been managing the National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program since 1998, when it was established as part of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century. Many covered bridges were built in the mid-19th century, and eight hundred of them remain today. The covered bridge program awards grants to states through annual solicitations for preservation, restoration, and rehabilitation work. The program also runs research, development, and education, with a focus on the development of methodologies to restore and protect the bridges. The program was not renewed in 2012 as part of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, so the bridges now have to compete with other infrastructure priorities for preservation work. KW - Covered bridges KW - Government funding KW - Grant aid KW - Historic bridges KW - Historic preservation KW - Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act KW - National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) KW - Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century KW - U.S. Federal Highway Administration UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/13novdec2013/02.cfm UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1281049 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502116 AU - Rathod, Yatinkumar AU - Burris, Mark AU - Coppock, Mark AU - Geiselbrecht, Tina AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Texas Traffic Thermostat Software Tool PY - 2013/11 SP - v.p. AB - To support its Mobility Pledge to Texas commuters, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has created a tool for traffic managers that helps them meet operational goals established for roadways by local communities. Dubbed the Traffic Thermostat Decision Tool, this software enables managers to implement simulated solutions to determine how best to change operations in the real world to meet performance goals. Using performance measures established by local policy-makers, the Traffic Thermostat helps identify and seamlessly implement agreed-upon operational solutions to remedy problems, thereby providing smoother commutes for all Texans. KW - Computer program documentation KW - Decision making KW - Highway traffic control KW - Performance measurement KW - Simulation KW - Software KW - Texas KW - Texas Department of Transportation KW - Traffic control UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/5-6396-01-P1.zip UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1279851 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502109 AU - EUROCONTROL AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Comparison of Air Traffic Management-Related Operational Performance: U.S./Europe PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 106p AB - This report provides a high-level comparison of operational air traffic management (ATM) performance between the United States and Europe. Building on established operational key performance indicators, the goal of the joint study between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and EUROCONTROL is to understand differences between the two ATM systems in order to further optimise ATM performance and to identify best practices for the benefit of the overall air transport system. The analysis is based on a comparable population of data and harmonised assessment techniques for developing reference conditions for assessing ATM performance. KW - Air traffic KW - Air traffic control KW - Best practices KW - Eurocontrol KW - Europe KW - Performance measurement KW - U.S. Federal Aviation Administration KW - United States UR - http://www.eurocontrol.int/sites/default/files/publication/files/2012-US-EUR-comparison-of-ATM-related-OPS-performance.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1280698 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502108 AU - Choi, Kunhee AU - Park, Eun Sug AU - Bae, Junseo AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Decision-Support Framework for Quantifying the Most Economical Incentive/Disincentive Dollar Amounts for Critical Highway Pavement Rehabilitation Projects PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 98p AB - One innovative way of reducing construction duration is to reward contractors with an early completion incentive bonus and levy fines for delays. Although use of Incentive/Disincentive (I/D) is increasingly common, State Transportation Agencies (STAs) often struggle to select the most appropriate I/D rates due largely to the lack of proper analytical methods. There is an immediate need to develop a holistic framework that is more general and applicable to a variety of transportation projects for the determination of optimal I/D rates. The main objectives of this study are to create a new decision-support analytical framework of optimal I/D and test whether it can reasonably and realistically determine and justify the most economical I/D dollar amounts. This study blends existing schedule and traffic simulation techniques with a stochastic analysis by accounting for the integration of project schedule, Contractor’s Additional Cost (CAC) of acceleration, and total savings to motorists and to the agency. STAs can arrive at an optimal I/D rate by employing a seven-stage methodology proposed in this study. These steps include two adjustment algorithms that are factored on the concepts of level-of-service and net present value. The study results revealed a strong tradeoff effect between schedule and cost, suggesting that CAC growth rate can be analyzed by how the CAC interacts with the agency’s specified schedule goal. The robustness of the proposed seven-stage methodology was validated with two case studies performed on real-world construction projects. The proposed work provides research communities and industry practitioners with the first holistic view to determine the most economical and realistic I/D dollar amounts for a given project—an optimal value that allows the agency to stay within budget while at the same time effectively motivating contractors to use their ingenuity to complete the projects earlier. It can help agency engineers and decision makers make better-informed decisions and allocate more realistic incentives, which will result in more favorable cost-benefit ratios and better use of public funds. It will significantly reduce the agency’s expenses in the time and effort required for determining I/D rates. KW - Case studies KW - Construction projects KW - Contract administration KW - Decision support systems KW - Disincentives KW - Incentives KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) UR - http://swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/600451-00016-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1280285 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502101 AU - Maritime Administration AU - Economic Development Research Group, Inc. TI - Panama Canal Expansion Study: Phase I Report: Developments in Trade and National and Global Economies PY - 2013/11 SP - 202p AB - The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) and Maritime Administration (MARAD) commissioned a study to examine the anticipated economic and infrastructure impacts of the Panama Canal expansion on U.S. ports and port-related freight transportation infrastructure. The study has been conducted in four defined phases that examine a full range of impacts on U.S. ports, waterways, and intermodal freight systems. This report is the first of two reports intended to be issued. This first report covers Phase I of the study; a second report will cover Phases II – IV of the study. The purpose of this Phase I report is to identify and explain the pending developments in world ocean trade routes and national and global economies that are likely to affect global and U.S. freight corridors relevant to the Panama Canal expansion. This Phase I report also sets the stage for subsequent phases of the study, and identifies and describes the capabilities of U.S. ports to accommodate changes in the physical and market attributes needed to receive Post-Panamax vessels. This report also provides a preliminary assessment of potential shifts in commodity flows once the Panama Canal expansion is complete. KW - Commodity flow KW - Economic impacts KW - Freight traffic KW - International trade KW - Marine terminals KW - Panama Canal KW - Panamax (Ship dimensions) KW - Port operations KW - Port structures KW - Trade routes UR - http://www.marad.dot.gov/documents/Panama_Canal_Phase_I_Report_-_20Nov2013.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278966 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502086 AU - Chamberlain, Robert M AU - Heers, Susan T AU - Mejdal, Sig AU - Delnegro, Rena A AU - Monterey Technologies, Incorporated AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Multi-Function Displays: A Guide for Human Factors Evaluation PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 101p AB - This guide is designed to assist aircraft certification personnel and avionics manufacturers in evaluating the human factors aspects of Multi-function Displays (MFDs) for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification. The guide focuses specifically on human factors and does not address issues concerning the functional performance or operational accuracy of the display units. The guide is expected to be used as an assistive tool, and is organized as a checklist to provide structure for MFD evaluations. The guide summarizes human factors standards, guidelines, and research on MFDs, and evaluation criteria are grouped in sections of related areas ordered to facilitate the evaluation process. Regulatory documents, advisory information, and recommended practices relevant to the specific topics are cited with each section KW - Aircraft Certification Service KW - Evaluation KW - Guidelines KW - Human factors KW - Information display systems KW - Multifunction displays KW - Standards UR - http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2010s/media/201321.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1280088 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502070 AU - Goodin, Ginger AU - Burris, Mark AU - Geiselbrecht, Tina AU - Wood, Nick AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Application of a Performance Management Framework for Priced Lanes PY - 2013/11//Technical Report SP - 46p AB - The Texas Department of Transportation and its agency partners have implemented various forms of lane management and pricing over the past three decades, including high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, high-occupancy toll lanes, managed lanes, and toll roads. As more of these complex transportation facilities are planned and constructed throughout the state, agencies need to understand how these facilities may operate over time. Ideally, the long-term operations should be based on metrics that are agreed upon in advance. When agencies define what metrics can most effectively and efficiently measure the performance of a facility and outline what thresholds trigger a change in operation, policy makers and the public can anticipate and appreciate how a facility’s operation may change over time. This understanding allows the facility operators to focus on the tasks of efficiently operating a smooth transportation network, rather than on how to get the necessary changes approved in a timely manner. Research Project 0-6396 developed a framework called the Traffic Thermostat, which helps make operating decisions for priced facilities and guides changes in operational strategies for a facility over time. This implementation project demonstrates how the Traffic Thermostat can be implemented for a specific project, and allow for adjustments to the framework and implementation process based on results. This pilot focused on the I-30 managed HOV lanes. In addition, the project created a primer and user’s manual to assist agencies in using the Traffic Thermostat. KW - Decision support systems KW - High occupancy toll lanes KW - High occupancy vehicle lanes KW - Highway operations KW - Managed lanes KW - Manuals KW - Performance measurement KW - Road pricing KW - Texas KW - Toll roads UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/5-6396-01-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1279356 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502060 AU - Self, David A AU - Mandella, Joseph G AU - White, Vicky L AU - Burian, Dennis AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Physiological Determinants of Human Acute Hypoxia Tolerance PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 20p AB - This research investigated possible physiological determinants of variability in hypoxia tolerance in subjects given a 5-minute normobaric exposure to 25,000 ft equivalent. Physiological tolerance to hypoxia was defined as the magnitude of decline in hemoglobin saturation (SpO2 - dependent variable). Pulmonary function, heart rate variability (HRV), total hemoglobin, a VO2max estimation and resting oxygen consumption (VO2) were measured prior to the normobaric hypoxia exposure. Cerebral oximetry, electrocardiogram (ECG), middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity, noninvasive beat-to-beat arterial pressure and its first derivative, cardiac output, and left ventricular stroke volume, cerebral pulse oximetry, and hemoglobin oxygen saturation were recorded. Additionally, tidal volume and respiratory rate, breath-by-breath inhalation and end-tidal atmospheric gases (O2, CO2, and N2) tensions were measured and VO2 computed. Mixed venous partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) and alveolar-capillary O2 gradient was calculated. Serum S100b, a putative marker for cerebral hypoxic insult, was also measured in 26 subjects. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the ability of combinations of physiological measures to predict declines in SpO2 in 34 subjects. Seven variables were identified that gave a statistically significant prediction model that accounted for 71% of the variance (R²= .706; adjusted R²=.627). The model predicted that subjects with large total lung diffusion capacities for O2, those with the highest end- alveolar PO2 and the lowest mixed venous PO2 at the end of the 5-min exposure, and those who maintained an O2 consumption rate that exceeded their resting levels had the smallest declines in SpO2. Additionally, cerebral oximetry declines were negatively correlated with SpO2 declines and suggest that greater O2 extraction at the tissue level may be a strategy for lowering oxygen tension in blood returning to the lungs, thus providing a larger gradient for diffusion. KW - Altitude KW - Human beings KW - Hypoxia KW - Linear regression analysis KW - Lungs KW - Oxygen KW - Physiological aspects KW - Tolerance (Physiology) UR - http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2010s/media/201322.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1280089 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502046 AU - Schaefer, Vernon R AU - Jalinoos, Frank AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Characterization of Bridge Foundations Workshop Report PY - 2013/11 SP - 70p AB - In 2013, the Federal Highway Administration proposed a new research program for the characterization of bridge foundations. To narrow the focus and develop a research roadmap for the program, a workshop on “Characterization of Bridge Foundations” was held in Arlington, Virginia, from April 30 to May 1, 2013, to solicit key stakeholder input. The workshop opened with plenary sessions to provide the invited participants with a national perspective on the issue; summaries of geotechnical and hydraulic hazards; and, the impact of changes in service loads and foundations reuse. The plenary sessions were followed by breakout sessions. This report presents an overview and documents the results and conclusions of the workshop. KW - Bridge design KW - Bridge foundations KW - Geotechnical engineering KW - Hazards KW - Hydraulics KW - Loads KW - Reuse KW - Workshops UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/bridge/13101/13101.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51000/51069/13101.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1279601 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502042 AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS): Analytical User's Manual 1975-2012 PY - 2013/11 SP - 500p AB - One of the primary objectives of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is to reduce the staggering human toll and property damage that motor vehicle traffic crashes impose on our society. Crashes each year result in thousands of lives lost, hundreds of thousands of injured victims, and billions of dollars in property damage. Accurate data are required to support the development, implementation, and assessment of highway safety programs aimed at reducing this toll. NHTSA uses data from many sources, including the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) which began operation in 1975. Providing data about fatal crashes involving all types of vehicles, the FARS is used to identify highway safety problem areas, provide a basis for regulatory and consumer information initiatives, and form the basis for cost and benefit analyses of highway safety initiatives. FARS is a census of fatal motor vehicle crashes with a set of data files documenting all qualifying fatalities that occurred within the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico since 1975. To qualify as a FARS case, the crash had to involve a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public, and must have resulted in the death of a motorist or a non-motorist within 30 days of the crash. The purpose of this analytical guide is to introduce the historical coding practices of the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) from 1975 to 2012. In other words, this guide presents the evolution of FARS coding from inception through 2012. KW - Coding systems KW - Computer program documentation KW - Data dictionaries KW - Data files KW - Databases KW - Fatalities KW - Fatality Analysis Reporting System KW - Highway safety KW - Traffic crashes KW - United States UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811855.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1279462 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502037 AU - Dougald, Lance E AU - Cottrell, Benjamin H AU - Kweon, Young-Jun AU - Lim, In-Kyu AU - Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research AU - Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Investigation of the Safety Effects of Edge and Centerline Markings on Narrow, Low-Volume Roads PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 36p AB - Residency and regional traffic engineering staff of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) have postulated that the use of low-cost centerline and edgeline pavement markings, applied individually or in combination, can improve safety on narrow roads until higher cost, road-widening design improvements can be programmed and implemented. Mostly narrow secondary roads would fall in this category, but narrow primary roads would also be included. The original purpose of this study was to develop a set of guidelines for VDOT traffic engineers to use when making decisions regarding the use of edgelines and centerlines on narrow, low-volume (less than or equal to 3,000 vehicles per day) roads. These guidelines were to be developed in a two-phase process, with the initiation of the second phase depending on the results of the first phase. This report describes the Phase I study, which included examining relevant literature; gathering information from other state departments of transportation; conducting a statewide inventory of edgeline and centerline markings; and performing a cross-sectional crash analysis of narrow roads identified in the inventory as (1) not having edge and centerline markings, (2) having both edge and centerline markings, (3) having edgeline markings only, and (4) having centerline markings only. The study found that there is much variation in the practices of state departments of transportation with regard to installing pavement markings on roads 16 to 20 ft wide. In addition, the limited analysis of crash frequency, density, rate, and safety performance found no statistical difference between segments with and without centerlines and/or edgelines. Based on the results of this Phase I study, the project was limited to one phase. Therefore, a Phase II study to develop guidelines was not considered. The study recommends that VDOT consider (1) developing a statewide process for a pavement marking inventory; (2) asking the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia for an interpretation/opinion of the term “appropriate” in House Joint Resolution No. 243 passed in the 1994 Session of the Virginia General Assembly; and (3) evaluating data from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute’s naturalistic driving study to determine if the data may be used to evaluate driver behavior on roads 16 to 20 ft wide with or without centerlines and/or edgelines. KW - Center lines KW - Crash analysis KW - Edge lines KW - Highway safety KW - Inventory KW - Literature reviews KW - Road markings KW - State departments of transportation UR - http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/14-r3.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1279701 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502022 AU - Zhang, Tian AU - Stansbury, John AU - Branigan, Jessica A AU - Mid-America Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Development of a Field Test for Total Suspended Solids Analysis PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 236p AB - Total suspended solids (TSS) are all particles in water that will not pass through a glass fiber filter with a pore size less than 2 μm, including sediments, algae, nutrients, and metals. TSS is an important water quality parameter because of its adverse effects on aquatic species and wildlife. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a regulation for turbidity, a related water quality parameter, which has been stayed pending further testing. TSS is regulated through the EPA via the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) in many states. Since there are no accepted field tests for TSS, projects with TSS regulations must send samples to a laboratory for analysis, which can delay projects for days or weeks. The goal of this research was to develop a rapid, cost-effective, and consistent method for direct measurement of TSS in the field. Theoretical analyses of three initial designs (centrifugation, rapid heating, and rapid filtration using vacuum pressure) showed that in order to obtain sufficient suspended material to measure in the field, too much water would be needed for each sample to be feasible for centrifugation and rapid heating. A new prototype rapid filtration system design was developed for evaluation. Testing showed this system to be inaccurate. A second system was modified for rapid filtration with no vacuum. Testing of this system also showed results were not precise enough to be a feasible field test. It was concluded that none of the described methods were currently feasible, and that the laboratory test could also have inaccuracies in measuring water samples tested to meet regulation standards. KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Field tests KW - Laboratory tests KW - Measuring methods KW - National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) KW - Suspended sediments KW - Turbidity KW - Water quality UR - http://matc.unl.edu/assets/documents/matcfinal/Zhang_DevelopmentofaVacuum-Filtration-BasedMethodforRapidMeasurementofTotalSuspendedSolidsinStormwaterRunofffromConstructionandDevelopmentSites.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1280090 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502021 AU - Carlson, Paul AU - Park, Eun-Sug AU - Pike, Adam AU - Porter, R J AU - Miles, Jeffrey AU - Boulanger, Bryan AU - Smadi, Omar AU - Hawkins, Neal AU - Chalmers, Seth AU - Darmiento, Frank AU - Burde, Adrian AU - Kuhn, Beverly AU - Ealding, Wendy AU - Texas Transportation Institute, College Station AU - Science Applications International Corporation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Pavement Marking Demonstration Projects: State of Alaska and State of Tennessee PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 302p AB - This project evaluates the safety impacts, environmental impacts, and cost effectiveness of different pavement marking systems as well as the effect of State bidding and procurement processes on the quality of pavement marking material employed in highway projects. The findings indicate that States are pursuing alternative procurement strategies to provide high-quality durable markings in a cost effective manner, often as part of a strategic safety plan, while industry has responded to requirements for more environmentally benign materials. A multi-State retrospective crash analysis suggests that the use of 6-inch edge lines reduces several crash types on rural two-lane two-way roads as compared to 4-inch edge lines. The monitored performance of pavement markings installed as part of the demonstration project was used to evaluate pavement marking cost effectiveness. The same results were also used to populate a framework for a pavement marking selection tool. KW - Alaska KW - Competitive bidding KW - Cost effectiveness KW - Crash analysis KW - Demonstration projects KW - Edge lines KW - Environmental impacts KW - Highway safety KW - Procurement KW - Road marking materials KW - Road markings KW - Tennessee UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/12048/12048.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1279600 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502012 AU - Kilduff, A L AU - Moyer, K L AU - McCool, G E AU - Ahern, M E AU - Breen, J E AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Corrosion Resistance Recommendations from Long-Term Exposure Testing of Post-Tensioning Systems PY - 2013/11//Technical Report SP - 88p AB - Results from two sets of full-scale post-tensioned specimens after four and six years of highly aggressive exposure tests are summarized. The study was funded to assess corrosion resistance of both the current state of the industry and possible future developments in strands, ducts, couplers, and anchorages. Non-destructive monitoring was performed throughout the testing, followed by full autopsies of the specimens. The project also served to highlight a new, smaller test specimen and to investigate how the new specimen was able to better isolate design variables. The main focus was durability of galvanized steel ducts in comparison to plastic ducts. While the galvanized duct certainly showed much worse physical behavior, with large sections of the duct being totally breached by corrosion, the plastic duct jointing techniques failed to completely prevent chloride ingress into the grout and therefore to the tendon. Future testing of post-tensioned systems should be conducted with this new procedure and specimen since it was much more cost effective. The project results showed plastic ducts were not subject to corrosion as a result of chlorides but were subject to minor internal gouging damage caused by threading of the strands. Both coupled and uncoupled ducts contained grouts with elevated chloride content. Regardless, the strands showed little physical damage. Additionally the project served to highlight the importance of grouting procedures and the need for proper implementation of the Post-Tensioning Institute grouting standards. Failure to address workmanship issues provided the largest contribution to corrosion damage. These results were considered in a cost analysis which demonstrated how upfront decisions and small initial cost increases can substantially increase performance life and limit corrosion issues. KW - Concrete bridges KW - Corrosion KW - Corrosion resistance KW - Costs KW - Ducts KW - Galvanized metals KW - Grouting KW - Plastics KW - Posttensioning KW - Service life KW - Steel UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/ctr-publications/0-4562-5f.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1279357 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502007 AU - Li, Ming-Han AU - Li, Pengzhi AU - McFalls, Jett AU - Storey, Beverly AU - Newman, Galen AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Developing the Sediment and Erosion Control Laboratory to Become a Hands-on Training and Education Center PY - 2013/11//Project Report SP - 149p AB - The Sedimentation and Erosion Control (SEC) Laboratory has an established reputation as a renowned soil erosion research facility in the United States since its inception in 1990. During the past two decades, the lab has expanded its original performance evaluation task to cutting-edge stormwater research, as well as professional training development. The researchers affiliated with the SEC Lab have also developed numerous training courses. In the market of continuing education industry, a popular business is to provide courses on soil erosion and Low Impact Development (LID) subjects. As the demand grows for these topics, more continuing education programs are starting to set up training courses on this topic. However, these programs rarely provide hands-on training. Therefore, the opportunity arises for the SEC Lab to integrate hands-on exercises in professional training, continuing education and high-impact learning experiences for current Texas A&M University (TAMU) students, regional municipalities, and other design and construction professionals. Considering that the SEC Lab has never developed a master plan and the demand of continuing education, this research proposed a master plan for the lab and developed a pilot LID course. Tasks included: case reviews, SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity and challenge) analysis, course module development, conceptual plan design, model build, propagation, and a final master plan. KW - Continuing education KW - Education and training KW - Erosion control KW - Laboratories KW - Master plans KW - Research and educational facilities KW - Sustainable development KW - United States UR - http://swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/161306-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1280286 ER - TY - SER AN - 01502003 JO - TechBrief PB - Federal Highway Administration TI - Optimization of Grade 100 High-Performance Steel Butt Welds PY - 2013/11 SP - 6p AB - In the development of the high performance steels (HPS) grades, three advisory groups were formed to oversee and guide the development of the steels in terms of their design, welding, and corrosion aspects. One of the aspects considered by the Welding Advisory Group (WAG) was how to butt splice HPS100W plates together without matching strength consumables. At the time the research began, matching 100-ksi-yield weld consumables were available but were also much more expensive than typical welding consumables for steel bridge fabrication. Therefore, the WAG wanted to demonstrate the use of “optimized” welding as a potentially useful option for the HPS steels under certain circumstances. Optimized welding harnesses triaxial internal constraint, which wider and thicker plates can use to develop through-thickness stresses and demonstrate an apparent increase in yield strength. Therefore, for particular combinations of joint width and thickness, an undermatched weld consumable could develop strengths equivalent to matching consumables. In this case, the “joint” is the butt splice between two different plates. Optimized welding is an attractive option in welds joining HPS plates of differing strength or when weld consumables match the HPS steel in terms of toughness but not in strength. Matching or overmatching welds are not necessary when optimization can be achieved. This TechBrief reports the results from two final tests in this overall research project. KW - Butt welds KW - Gas metal arc welding KW - High strength steel KW - Optimization KW - Steel bridges KW - Submerged arc welding KW - Triaxial shear tests KW - Weld strength KW - Weld tests UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/bridge/13102/13102.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278954 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502002 AU - Seeds, Stephen B AU - Peshkin, David G AU - Applied Pavement Technology, Incorporated AU - Arizona Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of Maintenance Strategies PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 185p AB - In the mid-1990s, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) initiated the Maintenance Cost Effectiveness study (SPR 371) with the development of plans and an experiment designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a variety of asphalt pavement maintenance treatments. During 1999 and 2001, ADOT oversaw the construction of hundreds of experimental sections throughout the state under the Phase I, Wearing Course Experiment (nine treatments and 82 sections at three sites), and the Phase II, Preventive Maintenance Experiment (24 treatments and 137 sections at four sites). Work continued in 2006 and 2007 under the Evaluation of Maintenance Strategies study (SPR 628) for ADOT with a yearlong program of pavement performance monitoring involving manual pavement distress surveys and automated skid, friction, and surface texture measurements at all the experimental sites. The project culminated with a detailed analysis of key pavement performance data to compare the performance of the individual treatments and determine their overall effectiveness. This report documents the independent findings of both the Phase I and II experiments. KW - Arizona KW - Arizona Department of Transportation KW - Cost effectiveness KW - Maintenance practices KW - Pavement distress KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Pavement performance KW - Surface treating KW - Test sections KW - Wearing course (Pavements) UR - http://apps.azdot.gov/ADOTLibrary/publications/project_reports/PDF/AZ628.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1279840 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01501998 AU - Zheng, Hong AU - Son, Young-Jun AU - Chiu, Yi-Chang AU - Head, Larry AU - Feng, Yiheng AU - Xi, Hui AU - Kim, Sojung AU - Hickman, Mark AU - University of Arizona, Tucson AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - A Primer for Agent-Based Simulation and Modeling in Transportation Applications PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 88p AB - Agent-based modeling and simulation (ABMS) methods have been applied across a spectrum of domains within transportation studies. Different paradigms for ABMS in transportation exist; in general ABMS has strong roots in the individual-based travelers' model in the activity-based travel demand domain. In the distributed system domain, ABMS is commonly seen as a method, known as multiagent systems, for a distributed autonomous system. Recently, transportation-related applications leveraging ABMS have continued to grow. This report attempts to clarify the concept of ABMS and summarize variant paradigms that have been studied in the transportation field. It will do this by distinguishing similarities of differences of the specified problems, model capabilities, strengths and weaknesses of ABMS scoped in different applications, and through a comprehensive review of ABMS approaches that have been seen in transportation studies. The report also seeks to connect the individual-based ABMS with the transportation problems viewed in the social science paradigm. This is achieved by trying to apply ABMS characterized by social science rules to study behavioral decisions of individual travelers. This exploratory study is demonstrated in an example of travelers' route choice decisions, which features a bottom-up, rather than a conventional top-down, approach to formulate the mechanism of an individual traveler's complex route choice behavioral process as a collaborative and reactive result of the traveler's mindset and the network environment integrated in an ABMS. KW - Decision making KW - Literature reviews KW - Methodology KW - Multi-agent systems KW - Route choice KW - Travel behavior KW - Travel demand UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/advancedresearch/pubs/13054/13054.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278955 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01501717 AU - Icenogle, Patrick AU - Kabir, Sharear AU - Louisiana Transportation Research Center AU - Louisiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of Non-Destructive Technologies for Construction Quality Control of HMA and PCC Pavements in Louisiana PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 101p AB - Current roadway quality control and quality acceptance (QC/QA) procedures for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD) include coring for thickness, density, and air voids in hot mix asphalt (HMA) pavements and thickness and compressive strength for Portland cement concrete (PCC) pavements. Non-destructive testing (NDT) devices, such as the light weight deflectometer (LWD) and the portable seismic pavement analyzer (PSPA), provide a non-destructive and portable means of quick in-place determination of pavement properties, resulting in an increase in sampling frequency to supplement coring. Many researchers have shown good trends between measurements of the NDTs and other pavement properties, though variability has shown to differ from report to report. The PSPA exhibited seismic modulus values of the surface layer with an average coefficient of variation (CoV) of 2 to 15 percent for repeat collections without moving the apparatus. The PSPA variability increased to a range of 6 to 28 percent if the apparatus changed orientation or moved within a close proximity. The LWD exhibited deflections values of the pavement structure with an average CoV of 4 to 12 percent for repeat collections without moving the apparatus. The PSPA exhibited project wide seismic modulus values with a CoV between 1 and 32 percent. The LWD exhibited project wide deflection values with a CoV between 18 and 55 percent. Factors that increased variability include: deterioration of the feet pads, presence of vibrations, placement of a foot into a groove, testing close to joints, and temperature. Changing the orientation of the sensors showed to increase the variability of the PSPA measurements; however, the variability increase is no different than moving the apparatus within a close proximity. Orientation of the sensors did not show to have a bias to measuring parallel or perpendicular to the paving direction. The strength gain measured by the PSPA correlated well with the strength gain of laboratory testing for only one of the PCC data sets for this study. The LWD deflections correlated well with the FWD deflections, but the back-calculated moduli of the surface layer did not correlate well. No trends were observed between the PSPA and LWD. A preliminary sampling procedure was developed for the PSPA as a quality control tool in Louisiana. KW - Deflectometers KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Louisiana KW - Nondestructive tests KW - Paving KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Quality assurance KW - Quality control UR - http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/pdf/2013/fr_493.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278426 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01501714 AU - Herbel, Susan AU - Retting, Richard AU - Wemple, Elizabeth AU - Cambridge Systematics AU - Louisiana Transportation Research Center AU - Louisiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Automated Enforcement and Highway Safety: Final Report PY - 2013/11//Technical Report SP - 101p AB - The objectives of the Automated Enforcement and Highway Safety Research study were to conduct a literature review of national research related to the effectiveness of Red Light Camera (RLC) programs in changing crash frequency, crash severity, crash costs, and violations; identify red light running program noteworthy practices, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and barriers; establish a record of current RLC applications in Louisiana communities and the observed safety impact of the programs; conduct a survey to understand public perception of RLC programs in Louisiana; review the existing statewide RLC policy, compare it to noteworthy practices, identify potential improvements; and develop a guidebook for implementing red light camera programs. The research led to recommendations to modify state policy to improve public support for red light cameras. Potential modifications include enhanced public education programs, additional signage, and clarification on right-turn-on-red violations at signalized intersections with red light cameras. The research also includes recommendations to maximize local agency involvement in site selection. KW - Automated enforcement KW - Crash rates KW - Crash severity KW - Highway safety KW - Literature reviews KW - Louisiana KW - Red light cameras KW - Red light running KW - Signalized intersections UR - http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/pdf/2013/fr_510.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278427 ER - TY - SER AN - 01501343 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Steele, Douglas A AU - Zabecki, Jessica Marcon AU - Zimmerman, Laura AU - Applied Research Associates, Incorporated AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Improving the Effectiveness of Nighttime Temporary Traffic Control Warning Devices, Volume 2: Evaluation of Nighttime Mobile Warning Lights PY - 2013/11 IS - 13-032 SP - 80p AB - Vehicle-mounted warning lights for nighttime mobile highway operations provide critical protection to workers and the driving public. Alerting the traveling public of the approaching work activity and providing guidance is vital to maintaining safety and mobility. Previous research conducted for IDOT on mobile lane closures (Steele and Vavrik 2009) identified driver confusion as a concern to the safety of nighttime highway operations. Users are subject to warning lights from multiple agencies with varying characteristics and configurations, but we know little about driver comprehension of these signals and their influence on driver behavior. Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) studied the effectiveness of warning lights on nighttime highway operations, including mobile lane closures, incident responses, and police activities, by reviewing pertinent literature, performing observational and experimental field studies, and conducting driver surveys and focus groups of driver perceptions and behavior in response to nighttime mobile operations. The authors used a cognitive model of driver mental processes to analyze this information and better understand the interaction between warning lights and driver perception and behavior, and to identify and evaluate potential improvements to current practice. The research showed that drivers view current vehicle-mounted warning lights as highly visible, attention-getting, and effective at conveying the message caution/alert. However, intense lights can cause discomfort glare and multiple light sets on individual vehicles, or multiple vehicles at a location, can be distracting, annoying, or anxiety-inducing. Complex visual scenes can confuse drivers and take longer to process cognitively, leading to slower reaction times. Often, information provided by flashing arrows, signs, and changeable message signs can be interfered with by other warning lights on the same vehicle. Suggestions for improvement from the focus groups centered primarily on reducing the number of flashing lights, or synchronizing their flashing, on individual vehicles, reducing the intensity of specific lights, sequential flashing of arrows between multiple trucks in a convoy, and incorporating directional motion in light bars. Researchers were not able to test some of the ideas due to limitations of current device technology; however, field experiments on several suggested concepts showed the potential to improve driver perception, comprehension, and behavior by modifying the number, intensity, and synchronization of lights on individual vehicles, as well as between vehicles. KW - Mobile equipment KW - Night KW - Night visibility KW - Warning devices KW - Work zone traffic control KW - Work zones UR - http://hdl.handle.net/2142/45991 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278996 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01500069 AU - Hallmark, Shauna AU - Cormicle, Larry AU - Rouse, Matt AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - 2013 Iowa DOT Engineering Intern Development and Management Program PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 52p AB - The Institute for Transportation (InTrans) at Iowa State University (ISU) developed an internship mentoring program in collaboration with the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide additional mentorship to both student interns and Iowa DOT intern managers. For the summer 2013 Iowa DOT Engineering Intern Development and Management Program, this report summarizes the following: Mentoring activities conducted by ISU; Results of the different intern program success assessments that were conducted; Experiences, lessons learned, and recommendations; and Program benefits that were realized. KW - Education and training KW - Internships KW - Iowa State University KW - Mentoring KW - Transportation careers KW - Transportation engineering UR - http://publications.iowa.gov/15276/1/IADOT_InTrans_13-464_intern_dev_mgmt_program.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278029 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01500067 AU - Elkins, Gary E AU - Rada, Gonzalo R AU - Groeger, Jonathan L AU - Visintine, Beth AU - AMEC Environment and Infrastructure, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Pavement Remaining Service Interval Implementation Guidelines PY - 2013/11//Implementation Guidelines SP - 66p AB - Many important decisions are necessary in order to effectively provide and manage a pavement network. At the heart of this process is the prediction of needed future construction events. One approach to providing a single numeric on the condition of a pavement network is the use of pavement remaining service life (RSL). However, many issues exist with the current RSL terminology and resulting numeric that complicate proper interpretation, interagency data exchange, and use. A major source of uncertainty in the current RSL definition is the use of the term “life” to represent multiple points in the pavement construction history. The recommended path to consistency involves adopting terminology of time remaining until a defined construction treatment is required (i.e., RSL is replaced by remaining service interval (RSI)). The term “RSI” has the ability to unify the outcome of different approaches to determine needs by focusing on when and what treatments are needed and the service interruption created. This report provides step-by-step guidelines for implementing the RSI terminology. A companion report (FHWA-HRT-13-038) presents the framework for replacing the current RSL terminology with one based on more exact construction event terms. KW - Guidelines KW - Implementation KW - Maintenance management KW - Pavement performance KW - Remaining service interval KW - Service life UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/13050/13050.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278033 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01500061 AU - Elkins, Gary E AU - Thompson, Travis M AU - Groeger, Jonathan L AU - Visintine, Beth AU - Rada, Gonzalo R AU - AMEC Environment and Infrastructure, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Reformulated Pavement Remaining Service Life Framework PY - 2013/11//Final Draft Report SP - 84p AB - Many important decisions are necessary in order to effectively provide and manage a pavement network. At the heart of this process is the prediction of needed future construction events. One approach to providing a single numeric on the condition of a pavement network is the use of pavement remaining service life (RSL). However, many issues exist with the current RSL terminology and resulting numeric that complicate proper interpretation, interagency data exchange, and use. A major source of uncertainty in the current RSL definition is the use of the term “life” to represent multiple points in the pavement construction history. The recommended path to consistency involves adopting terminology of time remaining until a defined construction treatment is required (i.e., RSL is replaced by remaining service interval (RSI)). The term “RSI” has the ability to unify the outcome of different approaches to determine needs by focusing on when and what treatments are needed and the service interruption created. This report presents the framework for replacing the current RSL terminology with one based on more exact construction event terms. A companion document (FHWA-HRT-13-050) provides step-by-step guidelines for implementing the RSI terminology. KW - Maintenance management KW - Pavement performance KW - Remaining service interval KW - Service life UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/13038/13038.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51100/51144/13038.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278034 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499711 AU - Berry, Michael AU - Stephens, Jerry AU - Bermel, Bethany AU - Hagel, Adam AU - Schroeder, David AU - Western Transportation Institute AU - Montana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Feasibility of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement as Aggregate in Portland Cement Concrete PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 191p AB - This research effort was focused on evaluating the feasibility of using minimally processed reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) as aggregate replacement in concrete pavements. This research demonstrated that concretes with up to 50 percent of the fine aggregates and 100 percent of the coarse aggregates replaced with RAP were suitable for concrete pavement. A statistical experimental design procedure (response surface methodology – RSM) was used to investigate proportioning RAP concrete mixtures to achieve desired performance criteria. Based on the results of the RSM investigation, two concrete mixtures were selected for further evaluation: a high RAP mix with fine and coarse aggregate replacement rates of 50 and 100 percent respectively, and a “high” strength mix with one half of the RAP used in the high RAP mix. Both mixes met Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) concrete pavement specifications for slump (1.5 inches), air content (6 percent), and 28-day compressive and tensile strengths (3,000 psi and 500 psi, respectively). These two concrete mixtures were subjected to a suite of mechanical and durability tests to evaluate their potential use in Montana roadways. Mechanical properties tested were compressive and tensile strength, elastic modulus, shrinkage, and creep. Durability tests included alkali-silica reactivity, absorption, abrasion, chloride permeability, freeze-thaw resistance, and scaling. Overall, both mixes performed adequately in these mechanical and durability tests, although it is important to note that the inclusion of RAP had an obvious negative impact on nearly every property tested relative to those of control mixes made with 100 percent conventional aggregates. KW - Aggregates by gradation KW - Concrete pavements KW - Durability tests KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Mechanical tests KW - Mix design KW - Montana KW - Pavement performance KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Reclaimed asphalt pavements UR - http://www.mdt.mt.gov/other/research/external/docs/research_proj/cement/FINAL_REPORT_NOV13.pdf UR - http://www.mdt.mt.gov/other/webdata/external/research/docs/research_proj/cement/FINAL_REPORT_NOV13.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1268230 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499659 AU - Hovis, Jeffery K AU - Milburn, Nelda J AU - Nesthus, Thomas E AU - University of Waterloo AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Hypoxia, Color Vision Deficiencies, and Blood Oxygen Saturation PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 16p AB - Chromatic thresholds were measured using the Cambridge Color Test (CCT), Color Assessment and Diagnosis (CAD) test, and Cone Specific Contrast Test at ground and 3780 m (12,400 ft) for subjects with normal color vision and red-green color vision defects. The CAD revealed a small (~10%) increase in the red-green thresholds for the trichromatic subjects and a similar increase in the blue-yellow thresholds for the dichromats. The other two color vision tests did not reveal any significant change in chromatic thresholds. The CAD results for the trichromats were consistent with a rotation of the discrimination ellipse counterclockwise, with little change in the elliptical area. This alteration in the color discrimination ellipse is consistent with the hypothesis that the effects of mild hypoxia on basic visual function are similar to lowering the retinal illuminance. KW - Altitude KW - Aviation KW - Color vision KW - Hypoxia KW - Oxygen KW - Vision tests UR - http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2010s/media/201320.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1276932 ER - TY - SER AN - 01499643 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Ouyang, Yanfeng AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - 2012 National State Safety Engineers and Traffic Engineers Peer-To-Peer Workshop PY - 2013/11 IS - 13-031 SP - 130p AB - The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Illinois Center for Transportation (ICT) sponsored and hosted the 2012 National State Safety Engineers and Traffic Engineers Peer-to-Peer Workshop on November 14 and 15, 2012, at the Hyatt Regency Woodfield hotel in Schaumburg, Illinois. The peer-exchange workshop was attended by representatives of highway safety engineers and traffic engineers from 33 states, and the discussion focus was the implementation of a variety of safety engineering and traffic operations countermeasures and initiatives, in addition to complying with new federal rules. The workshop covered a wide range of topics, including the history of mobility and safety; the national scene and perspective; linking safety engineering and traffic engineering efforts; organizational structures of state agencies and the interrelationships between traffic and safety engineering procedures; managing performance (operations and safety), and systematic safety and operations. This report summarizes the attendee statistics, the conference program, the main activities (including 17 presentation and discussion sessions), and feedback provided on attendee surveys. KW - Countermeasures KW - Highway operations KW - Highway safety KW - Illinois KW - Mobility KW - Peer groups KW - Policy KW - Safety engineering KW - State government agencies KW - Traffic engineering KW - Workshops UR - http://hdl.handle.net/2142/46368 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1277862 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499640 AU - Thiagarajan, Ganesh AU - Myers, John AU - Halmen, Ceki AU - Nalagotla, Jitesh AU - Muncy, Nathan AU - University of Missouri, Kansas City AU - Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla AU - Missouri Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Bridge Approach Slabs for Missouri DOT: Field Evaluation of Alternative and Cost Efficient Bridge Approach Slabs PY - 2013/11//Final Report SP - 158p AB - A recent study on cost efficient alternative bridge approach slab (BAS) designs (Thiagarajan et al. 2010) has recommended three new BAS designs for possible implementation by Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) namely a) 20 ft cast-in-place (CIP) slab with sleeper slab (CIP20SLP) - for new construction on major roads, b) 25 and 20 ft precast-prestressed slab with sleeper slab (PCPS20SLP)- for replacement and new construction applications on major and minor roads, and c) 25 ft modified BAS without a sleeper slab for new CIP construction on minor roads (CIP25NOSLP). The objective of the project here is to evaluate and compare the field performance of the recommended BAS designs, their constructability, and their impact on cost and schedule to the current MoDOT BAS design. Two PCPS20SLP, one CIP20SLP and two CIP25NOSLP implementations have been implemented and studied for this report. One PCPS20SLP panel was also tested in the laboratory for several washout conditions and for its ultimate capacity. Based on field observations, data recorded and analyzed, preconstruction and post construction cost analyses, this study has found that all the suggested designs are performing well and are lower in cost compared to current designs used in practice. KW - Bridge approaches KW - Bridge decks KW - Bridge design KW - Cast in place structures KW - Costs KW - Field studies KW - Implementation KW - Laboratory tests KW - Missouri Department of Transportation UR - http://library.modot.mo.gov/RDT/reports/TRyy1121/cmr13-010_Final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1277060 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499602 AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Summary of Vehicle Occupant Protection and Motorcycle Laws, Eleventh Edition, Current as of April 1, 2012 PY - 2013/11//Eleventh Edition SP - 184p AB - This publication provides summary charts of the key provisions of State occupant protection laws and motorcycle 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 April 1, 2012. 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/811768.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1277859 ER - TY - SER AN - 01499340 JO - Traffic Safety Facts - Research Note PB - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - 2012 Motor Vehicle Crashes: Overview PY - 2013/11 SP - 6p AB - Motor vehicle crashes and fatalities increased in 2012 after six consecutive years of declining fatalities on our nation’s highways. The nation lost 33,561 people in crashes on roadways during 2012, compared to 32,479 in 2011. The increase in crashes, and the resulting fatalities and injuries, can be seen across many crash characteristics—vehicle type, alcohol impairment, location of crash, etc.—and does not seem to be associated with any one particular issue. In fact, crashes associated with some traditional risk factors, fell in 2012. For example, young drivers involved in fatal crashes continued to decline, as they have since 2005. Despite the general downward trend in overall fatalities in recent years, pedestrian and motorcycle fatalities have shown an upward trend. This was again the case in 2012, as motorcycle and pedestrian fatalities increased by 7 and 6 percent, respectively. Specifically, 1. The nation saw 1,082 more fatalities from motor vehicle crashes in 2012 than in 2011—a 3.3-percent increase. 2. Much of the increase in fatalities, 72 percent (778/1,082), occurred in the first quarter (Jan-Mar) of 2012. And of that first quarter increase, over half of the increase was from nonoccupant and motorcyclist fatalities. This quarter was also the warmest first quarter in history. 3.The number of injured people, which has seen subtle fluctuation in recent years, experienced the first statistically significant increase since 1995. In 2012, there was an increase of 145,000 people injured in motor vehicle crashes over 2011. 4. While motor vehicle crash fatalities increased by 3.3 percent overall, the number of people who died in alcohol-impaireddriving crashes increased by 4.6 percent. In 2012, 10,322 people lost their lives in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. KW - Crash data KW - Drunk driving KW - Fatalities KW - Highway safety KW - Injuries KW - Motorcyclists KW - Pedestrians KW - Traffic crashes KW - Trend (Statistics) UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811856.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1277734 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516471 AU - Falcocchio, John C AU - Prassas, Elena S AU - Xu, Zeng AU - Polytechnic Institute of New York University, Brooklyn AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Traveler-Oriented Traffic Performance Metrics Using Real Time Traffic Data from the Midtown-in-Motion (MIM) Project in Manhattan, NY PY - 2013/10/31/Final Report SP - 137p AB - In a congested urban street network the average traffic speed is an inadequate metric for measuring speed changes that drivers can perceive from changes in traffic control strategies. A driver – oriented metric is needed. Stop frequency distributions were developed for avenue segments in Manhattan, New York City, from known vehicle travel times for the am, midday, and pm peak hours. The stop frequency metrics were developed from archived real-time data for twenty avenue segments in Midtown Manhattan. Additional data sources included ETC (EZ-Pass) readers, Google Earth, and records of Traffic Signal Strategies. Using the stop frequency metric it is possible to evaluate the benefits of adaptive traffic control systems (ATCS) over pre-ATCS deployment, by comparing the number of vehicles stopping more than an acceptable number of stops. Relationships were developed between average speed and a stop frequency threshold representing driver’s perception of annoyance. In a very dense traffic network, where competition for street space among a multiplicity of users is very intense (as in Manhattan), ATCS implementation needs to be combined with the deployment of active traffic enforcement. To be able to measure the drivers’ benefits of ATCS deployment it is fundamental to collect robust pre-deployment data. KW - Adaptive control KW - Automobile drivers KW - Average travel speed KW - Manhattan (New York, New York) KW - Real time information KW - Stopping KW - Time periods KW - Traffic control devices KW - Traffic data KW - Travel time KW - Urban areas UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/pubs/Final-Traffic-Performance-Metrics_0.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1299553 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499275 AU - Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Opportunities Exist to Strengthen FHWA's Coordination, Guidance, and Oversight of the Tribal Transportation Program PY - 2013/10/30 SP - 21p AB - The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Tribal Transportation Program (TTP) provides funding for safe and adequate transportation and public road access to, within, and through tribal reservations, tribal lands, and Alaska Native Villages. TTP projects range from board roads for all-terrain vehicles on the marshy Alaskan tundra to significant road construction. According to FHWA’s Office of Federal Lands Highway (FLH), over 8 billion vehicle miles are traveled annually on the TTP system, but more than 60 percent of its roads are unpaved and 27 percent of its bridges are deficient. From fiscal years 2005 to 2012, the TTP received about $3.5 billion in congressional appropriations, including $310 million provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). FLH and the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) jointly administer and oversee the TTP. Tribes enter into agreements with either FLH or BIA to receive funding for their tribal transportation projects and overall technical assistance on the program. The U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (OIG) initiated this audit to assess whether FLH is (1) effectively coordinating with BIA to administer and manage the TTP and (2) providing adequate oversight of TTP projects under agreements with tribes. FLH and BIA routinely coordinate in key TTP areas, such as conducting reviews of tribal transportation programs. However, FLH and BIA have opportunities to improve coordination on National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) approvals and final acceptance of TTP projects. The existing agreements between FLH and BIA do not reconcile the two Agencies’ different processes and requirements for NEPA approvals or reflect FLH’s current role in assisting tribes. Although FLH has developed some processes for reviewing the tribes’ management of transportation projects, its oversight is not based on sufficient data on tribes’ program risks and needs. OIG requested project and funding information for all completed projects and projects under construction for the tribes in our sample, but FLH did not provide accurate data for 7 out of the 10 tribes. It can be difficult for FLH and tribes to clearly understand and comply with program requirements. Insufficient data on program and project activities and unclear, outdated program guidance impedes FLH’s ability to effectively advise tribes and ensure that projects meet Federal requirements. KW - Coordination KW - Federal Aid Program Administration (Federal Highway Administration) KW - Federal Lands Highway Program KW - Management KW - Native Americans KW - Oversight KW - Tribal government KW - U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs UR - http://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/dot/files/FHWA%20Tribal%20Transportation%20Program%20Oversight%20Report%5E10-30-13.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1268229 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516597 AU - Strawderman, Lesley AU - Zhang, Li AU - Huang, Yunchen AU - Nandi, Apurba AU - Mississippi State University, Mississippi State AU - Mississippi Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Driver Speed Limit Compliance in School Zones: Assessing the Impact of Sign Saturation PY - 2013/10/29/Final Report SP - 50p AB - School zones are often viewed as an effective way to reduce driving speeds and thereby improve safety near our nation’s schools. The effect of school zones on reducing driving speeds, however, is minimal at best. Studies have shown that over 90% of drivers exceed speed limits posted in school zones (Trinkaus, 1996; Trinkaus, 1998). Many drivers report that their lack of speed reduction was based on the fact that they were unaware that they were in a school zone (Ash, 2006). Researchers have investigated methods used to increase driver compliance for some time (McCoy, Mohaddes, & Haden, 1981). Based on the results of empirical studies, effective methods include increased enforcement (Dumbaugh & Frank, 2007), appropriate speed zone settings (Day, 2007; McCoy & Heimann, 1990), visual placement of school buildings and play equipment (Clifton & Kreamer-Fults, 2007), and speed monitoring devices (Ash, 2006; Lee et. al., 2006). In a recent study, (Kattan, et al., 2011) found that in the situation when there are 2-lane roads, roads with fencing, traffic control devices and the presence of speed display devices or children, and zones that were longer, drivers’ mean speed was lower and the rate of compliance was higher. KW - Behavior KW - Drivers KW - Mississippi KW - Signs KW - Speed limits KW - Speed zones KW - Traffic safety UR - http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/research/Reports/Interim%20and%20Final%20Reports/State%20Study%20253%20-%20Driver%20Speed%20Limit%20Compliance%20In%20School%20Zones%20-%20Assessing%20The%20Impact%20Of%20Sign%20Saturation.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1300240 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01523302 AU - Anderson, Ian A AU - Suozzo, Mark AU - Dewoolkar, Mandar M AU - University of Vermont, Burlington AU - University of Vermont, Burlington AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Vermont Agency of Transportation TI - Laboratory and Field Evaluations of Pervious Concrete PY - 2013/10/28 SP - 93p AB - This study evaluates the factors affecting the testing of strength and hydraulic parameters of pervious concrete pavement (PCP), presents results of long-term infiltration monitoring and cleaning operations, and investigates freeze-thaw durability of pervious concrete and the effects of fly ash. The specific objectives of this study were to: (1) determine how rubber capping and sulfur capping affect compressive strength measurements of PCP; (2) determine the effects of height to diameter (H:D) ratio of cylindrical specimens on compressive strength measurements of PCP; (3) compare various methods used to determine infiltration rate of PCP in the field to one another and to laboratory measurements of hydraulic conductivity; (4) monitor two PCP facilities in Vermont for changes to infiltration rate over time; (5) evaluate the effects of various cleaning methods on the restoration of infiltration rates; (6) determine the effects of deicing salts on pervious concrete, using a modified and more field representative testing procedure that involves slow freeze-thaw cycling in drained condition, and (7) determine the effects of cement replacement with increasing amounts of fly ash on the freeze-thaw durability of pervious concrete. In addition, the results of this study were used to suggest correlations to the field observations seen at several pervious concrete sites in Vermont. KW - Capping KW - Compressive strength KW - Concrete pavements KW - Deicing chemicals KW - Field studies KW - Fly ash KW - Freeze thaw durability KW - Infiltration KW - Laboratory tests KW - Street cleaning KW - Vermont UR - http://www.uvm.edu/~transctr/research/trc_reports/UVM-TRC-13-007.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1307058 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01560099 AU - Jensen, Mark AU - Schiller, Roger AU - Williamson, Michael AU - Fayez, Sam AU - Cambridge Systematics, Incorporated AU - Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - South Florida Freight Advanced Traveler Information System: Demonstration Plan PY - 2013/10/25 SP - 46p AB - This Demonstration Plan has been prepared to provide guidance and a common definition to all parties of the testing program that will be conducted for the South Florida Freight Advanced Traveler Information System (FRATIS) Demonstration Project. More specifically, this document provides: (1) Planning information that identifies all demonstration elements and site information; (2) Experimental information to support the Impacts Assessment (IA) Team that includes demonstration hypotheses, testing protocols, and data elements collected; and (3) Methods for providing data outputs from this project to the IA Team, and to the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Research Data Exchange. KW - Advanced traveler information systems KW - Demonstration projects KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Freight transportation KW - Impacts KW - South Florida UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/54000/54400/54485/Fratis_FHWA-JPO-14-182.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1344671 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01497276 AU - Fatality Analysis of Maintenance-of-way Employees and Signalmen (FAMES) Committee AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Fatal Striking Accidents with Roadway Maintenance Machines Present PY - 2013/10/24 SP - 4p AB - Following the implementation of the Roadway Worker Protection (RWP) Rule in 1997, there have been a total of 42 fatal RWP accidents, in which 44 roadway workers have perished, as of January 1, 2012. The Fatality Analysis of Maintenance-of-way Employees and Signalmen (FAMES) Committee was able to obtain data to analyze 39 fatal RWP accidents, which accounted for 41 of the 44 fatalities. At least one Roadway Maintenance Machine (RMM) was present in 22 of the 41 roadway worker fatalities reviewed. KW - Crash analysis KW - Crash causes KW - Fatalities KW - Maintenance equipment KW - Maintenance of way KW - Maintenance personnel KW - Occupational safety KW - Railroad crashes KW - Railroad safety UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3467 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1266346 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610819 AU - Rangaraju, Prasada Rao AU - Balitsaris, Marcus AU - Kizhakkumodom, Harish AU - Clemson University AU - South Carolina Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Impact of Aggregate Gradation on PCC Performance Properties PY - 2013/10/15/Final Report SP - 102p AB - Increasingly, aggregates in South Carolina are failing to meet the standard requirements for gradation for use in portland cement concrete. The effect of such failed aggregate gradations on concrete properties and the consequent effect on short- and long-term performance of the structures are poorly understood. Furthermore, a rational basis to accept or reject concrete containing such out-of-specification aggregate is not available at the present time. The goal of this project was to provide South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) with guidance on determining whether concrete containing aggregate with an out-of-specification gradation should be accepted or rejected. The principal objective of this investigation was to study the influence of variations in aggregate gradations on selected properties of concrete. The experimental methodology for this research study consisted of using aggregates size fractions that are sieved into individual size fractions and recombining them in definite proportions to create a range of gradations, some within the bounds of the acceptable gradation (Control-1, Control-2, Control-3) and some out-of-specification gradations. Concrete specimens were prepared with such aggregate gradations and a range of fresh and hardened properties of concrete were evaluated. Results from these studies indicated that deviations in fine aggregate gradation from the Control-2 gradation had relatively larger influence on properties of concrete compared to coarse aggregate. Also, the differences in gradations of aggregates within control gradations (i.e. between Control-1 and Control-3 gradation) had more significant influence on properties of concrete, compared to the out-of-specification gradations. In general, the effects of deviations in gradations from the Control-2 gradation had minimal influence on compressive strength and modulus of elasticity of concrete. However, properties such as slump of fresh concrete, split tensile strength and rapid chloride ion permeability were more significantly influenced by the deviations in the gradations. KW - Aggregate gradation KW - Compressive strength KW - Durability KW - Modulus of elasticity KW - Permeability KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Slump test KW - South Carolina KW - Specifications KW - Tensile strength UR - http://www.scdot.scltap.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/SCDOT-SPR-689-Project-Final-Report1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420977 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516428 AU - Orlov, Alexander AU - Stony Brook University AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Developing self-cleaning and air purifying transportation infrastructure components to minimize environmental impact of transportation PY - 2013/10/15/Final Report SP - 12p AB - Creating transportation infrastructure, which can clean up itself and contaminated air surrounding it, can be a groundbreaking approach in addressing environmental challenges of our time. This project has explored a possibility of depositing coatings on the existing materials to address a feasibility of this approach. More specifically, the authors have quantified the rates of removal of pollutants from the air by a new generation of coatings, which can be applied on any architectural elements and transportation infrastructure. The authors have also used indicators synthesized in our lab to demonstrate the self-cleaning properties of these now commercially available coatings. In addition, the authors have worked with the company pioneering this technology in the United States and Europe to scope the new application of this technology. The survey of the existing and future commercial projects has indicated that this technology is already leading to very exciting applications in transportation sector, where concrete, asphalt, steel, glass and masonry surfaces will become green and sustainable interfaces mitigating the environmental and health impacts of transportation. The results obtained in this project have a significant relevance to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) goals, such as development of livable communities by providing an access to environmentally sustainable travel options. Moreover, it has also relevance to another DOT goal focused on environmental sustainability, where self-cleaning properties of the coatings have a potential to improve both energy and water conservation. KW - Air pollution KW - Air quality management KW - Coatings KW - Environmental quality KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Infrastructure KW - Purification KW - Self-cleaning systems UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/pubs/Final-Self-Cleaning-Transportation-Infrastructure.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1299549 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505281 AU - Burden, Lindsay Ivey AU - University of Virginia, Charlottesville AU - Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Karst Topography: Noninvasive Geophysical Detection Methods and Construction Techniques PY - 2013/10/15/Final Report SP - 25p AB - The objective of this project was to investigate the current state of the practice with regards to karst detection methods and current karst construction practices and to recommend the best practices for use by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). A comprehensive review of literature available on the subject was conducted. Various karst detection technologies were summarized with respect to conditions for usage and relevant specifications. In addition, common karst mitigation / construction techniques were also summarized. Recommendations for the management of karst by VDOT were drafted. KW - Construction management KW - Geological surveying KW - Geotechnical engineering KW - Karst KW - Recommendations KW - Road construction KW - Sinkholes KW - State of the practice KW - Virginia KW - Virginia Department of Transportation UR - http://www.mautc.psu.edu/docs/UVA-2012-01.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1287001 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499629 AU - O'Connell, Lenahan AU - Brock, Timothy J AU - University of Kentucky, Lexington AU - Multimodal Transportation and Infrastructure Consortium AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Workforce Assessment of the Inland Waterways Industry: A Survey of Current and Future Training and Personnel Needs PY - 2013/10/14/Final Report SP - 78p AB - This report describes the findings of a preliminary review of the workforce needs of the inland waterways industry, which currently confronts a human resources crisis and must recruit more people who can work their way up to the skilled positions on towboats. The looming surge in retirements will present a significant hurdle - especially as its large cohort of baby boom river pilots and captains reach retirement age. The industry will need to recruit, train, and retain competent personnel for a very demanding and important set of jobs. While many people can handle the tasks of a deckhand, only a minority will have the requisite combination of spatial relations aptitude, leadership, technical and social skills that it takes to perform effectively as a pilot or captain on the inland river system. Two basic conclusions were drawn from the interviews with industry experts: (1) the rivers present a dangerous and cognitively challenging environment in which to work and (2) the more demanding jobs on the rivers are best filled by conscientious people who can work well with others and have sufficient cognitive ability to cope with the safety and other challenges that arise with some regularity. During research on job performance, it was found that cognitive ability is the best predictor of job performance and especially so in the more complex jobs. To be sure, piloting a barge tow is a complex task. Service as captain is even more so. Clearly the jobs above deckhand require more cognitive ability and more capacity for leadership. Thus, only a subset of those who succeed as deckhands can move to the more complex and difficult positions of mate, engineer, pilot or captain. The military relies on a test of cognitive ability to ensure that all its recruits have measured intelligence in the normal range or above. The military also wants a high school diploma. Combined, these two screening devices improve the recruit's odds for success in the armed forces. Thus, this study concludes that the average veteran with an honorable discharge is more likely to have the traits conducive to occupational success in the more complex occupations on the rivers. Given this reality, the industry can profit from devising new methods for reaching out to veterans, many of whom have little or no knowledge of the numerous benefits of a career on the rivers. KW - Inland waterways KW - Labor force KW - Military personnel KW - Personnel development KW - Recruiting KW - Selection and appointment KW - Ship pilots KW - Shipboard personnel KW - Towboats KW - Training KW - Water transportation UR - http://www.ktc.uky.edu/files/2013/11/KTC_13_19_UTC005_12_1F.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1267305 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01560336 AU - Peirce, Sean AU - Puckett, Sean AU - Petrella, Margaret AU - Minnice, Paul AU - Ray, Rosalie AU - Lappin, Jane AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Effects of Full-Facility Variable Tolling on Traveler Behavior: Evidence from a Panel Study of the SR-520 Corridor in Seattle PY - 2013/10/03/Final Report SP - 115p AB - This paper uses a two-stage panel survey approach, with roughly 2,000 respondent households, to analyze the impacts of a federally sponsored variable tolling program on SR-520 in the Seattle region. The focus is on corridor users’ daily travel choices and opinions. Key survey findings include a marked decrease in respondents’ travel in the corridor after tolling, particularly on SR-520, and significant diversion to nearby toll-free I-90. There were also increases in transit mode share in the corridor, while carpooling and telecommuting levels were relatively stable. In the post-tolling survey, respondents registered an overall increase in satisfaction with their commutes and less stress associated with driving. Reported satisfaction with the speed and reliability of individual trips on SR-520 also increased substantially, and personal attitudes shifted slightly in favor of tolling. KW - Attitudes KW - Carpools KW - Congestion pricing KW - Driver satisfaction KW - Modal shift KW - Panel studies KW - Seattle (Washington) KW - Telecommuting KW - Travel behavior KW - Variable tolls KW - Washington State Route 520 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/54000/54000/54063/UPA_Panel_Survey_Seattle_Final_Report_Volpe.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1345730 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01495432 AU - Gentry, Lance AU - Heartland Market Research LLC AU - Missouri Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - A Report Card from Missourians - 2013 PY - 2013/10/03/Final Report SP - 167p AB - Overall statewide satisfaction with MoDOT and additional feedback about MoDOT’s operations was obtained from a representative sample of the general adult public in Missouri. A professional calling center was engaged to obtain a diverse sample across Missouri. Specific minimums were given, such as 500 responses per district, with gender and age-range targets for each county in Missouri. 3,552 completed responses were obtained between July 9, 2013 and ending on August 1, 2013. Additional calls were made from August 2, 2013 to August 19, 2013 to ensure a representative sample for all questions. With the exception of a few questions (e.g., demographics), all statewide results presented in this document are weighted results. The data was weighted in accordance with the true distribution of the regional population in terms of geographic (county), gender, and age distributions using the most recent (2010) US government census information available. Following past practice, all district measures presented in this document are unweighted. With a minimum of 500 responses per district, the district measures have a 95% level of confidence with a precision (margin of error) of +/- 4.4%. The statewide results for the stratified-random sample of 3,552 Missourians have a 95% level of confidence with a precision of +/- 1.6%. KW - Construction projects KW - Customer satisfaction KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Missouri KW - Missouri Department of Transportation KW - Operations KW - Surveys UR - http://library.modot.mo.gov/RDT/reports/tryy1228/2013/cmr14-003_FinalReport.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1264467 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01578086 TI - Scaling Factors and Self-Sensing in Composite Repairs of Corrosion Defects AB - This project seeks to resolve two fundamental questions regarding the composite repair approach: do scaling effects have an impact on repair performance? And how can an operator effectively inspect these repairs during the design lifespan? The first question will be answered through a fatigue test program that will compare the performance of patch-type composite repairs on small pipeline specimens (6 in. nominal diameter) to the performance of the same repair on a large diameter specimen (60 in. nominal diameter). The testing will allow for a definitive statement on the scaling of small-scale qualification test results to large diameter repairs. The second question will be answered through the development and testing of a resistive-based, self-sensing composite system. The material will allow for the monitoring of the composite substrate bond using small, low-voltage electronics. Wireless communication for either ground-based or in-line inspection tools will be explored and validated. Graduate students will form an integral part of the research team at all stages and will work closely with the principle investigator (PI) and the industry partners that have committed time and materials to this research program. KW - Corrosion KW - Defects KW - Fatigue tests KW - Monitoring KW - Repairing KW - Wireless communication systems UR - http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/matrix/prjHome.rdm?prj=506 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1371470 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01578083 TI - Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Smart Corrosion Coupon AB - To develop a novel type of smart corrosion coupons using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for continuously real-time wireless monitoring of corrosion. This will combine the advantages of RFID technology and the corrosion coupon so that a better corrosion monitoring method can be realized. The central idea in this project is to create smart corrosion coupons, which can emit signals indicating the corrosion status of the monitored points on demand, by embedding passive RFID tags inside layers of support materials, which act like normal corrosion coupon. KW - Corrosion KW - Monitoring KW - Radio frequency identification KW - Real time information KW - Signals UR - http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/matrix/prjHome.rdm?prj=505 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1371467 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01578082 TI - Proactive and Hybrid Sensing based Inline Pipeline Defects Diagnosis and Prognosis AB - This project will support the development of a new form of hybrid sensing technique, thermoelectromagnetic-acoustic (TEA) method that can identify and characterize injurious pipe body proactively with superior resolution and high sensitivity. The detection results from the proposed advanced nondestructive evaluation (NDE) sensing methodology are further integrated with probabilistic methods and mechanical analysis for the accurate time-dependent reliability analysis. An information fusion framework integrating the residual strength calculation, uncertainty quantification and propagation analysis, and Bayesian updating is proposed for the accurate pipeline reliability evaluation and risk assessment using NDE testing results. If successful, the pipeline failure can be significantly reduced by this innovative pipeline defects diagnosis and prognosis approach. KW - Defects KW - Diagnostic tests KW - Inspection KW - Nondestructive tests KW - Pipelines KW - Risk assessment KW - Thermoelectric materials UR - http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/matrix/prjHome.rdm?prj=508 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1371391 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01578003 TI - Permanently Installed Pipeline Monitoring Systems AB - This project will design and implement a built-in monitoring system for corrosion-damage assessment in pipelines. The system will be able to operate in a dual monitoring mode: 1) real-time continuous and 2) routine-based inspections. KW - Corrosion KW - Inspection KW - Maintenance KW - Monitoring KW - Pipelines KW - Real time information UR - http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/matrix/prjHome.rdm?prj=507 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1371387 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01578002 TI - Mitigating External Corrosion of Pipelines Through Nano-Modified Cement-Based Coatings AB - This project consists of three main tasks. The first task will be to develop an effective processing technique to produce the cement-based coating, namely effective dispersion of the nanomaterials. This will be approached through physical and chemical methods: sonication and surfactant treatment, respectively. The second task will be to characterize key rheological properties of the coating material: thixotropic structural rebuilding and fresh-state adhesive properties. This will be done through a shear rheological "breakdown-recovery" protocol and the tack test, respectively. The last task will be to characterize key hardened properties: porosity and crack resistance under fatigue and restrained shrinkage. This will be done through monitoring weight loss, flexural testing under cyclic loading, and the ring test, respectively. KW - Adhesive strength KW - Coatings KW - Corrosion KW - Cracking KW - Nanostructured materials KW - Pipelines KW - Porosity KW - Rheological properties KW - Shrinkage UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1371384 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01577996 TI - Improving Quality Management Systems (QMS) for Pipeline Construction Activities AB - The main objectives of the project are: 1) to develop guidance pertaining to issues related to quality of a new pipeline and how these issues should be addressed through standards, specification, and in the field; 2) to develop general guidelines for a Quality Management System (QMS) for pipeline projects to provide greater assurance of consistent and acceptable quality; and 3) to suggest enhancements to regulations and standards to improve the overall quality of new pipelines. KW - Construction management KW - Guidelines KW - Pipeline safety KW - Quality control KW - Specifications KW - Standards UR - http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/matrix/prjHome.rdm?prj=504 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1371377 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01577993 TI - Enhanced Mitigation of Pipeline Biocorrosion Using A Mixture of D-Amino Acids with A Biocide AB - This project will develop a new biocide enhancer technology from laboratory tests to field applications to mitigate biofilms in the prevention of MIC. Experimental tasks will evaluate these as well as additional D-amino acids in combination with THPS (one of the most popular biocide in pipeline treatment) to treat field biofilm consortia. In the 2nd year, field trials will be carried out to validate the technology. KW - Acids KW - Biodeterioration KW - Corrosion KW - Environmental impacts KW - Laboratory tests UR - http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/matrix/prjHome.rdm?prj=512 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1371367 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01577975 TI - Composite Self-sensing Thermal Sprayed Coatings for Pipeline Corrosion Prevention and Mitigation AB - This project will develop a composite self-sensing thermal sprayed coating for pipeline external corrosion prevention and mitigation. This will introduce a new alternative strategy for developing a self-monitored protective layer for pipelines used in corrosive and destructive environment in a single manufacturing step via thermal spraying technique. KW - Coatings KW - Corrosion KW - Deterioration by environmental action KW - Monitoring KW - Pipelines KW - Protective coatings KW - Sensors UR - http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/matrix/prjHome.rdm?prj=509 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1371335 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01577974 TI - Advanced Nondestructive Characterization of Pipeline Materials AB - Current process of assessing a steel pipeline involves running in-line inspection (ILI) tools, and/or hydrotesting. Neither of these yields the type and quality of information needed for adequate prediction of performance recently recommended by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), if the pipe properties are unknown. Laboratory measurements from in-the-ditch cutouts are currently the only way to gain sufficient quality information. No acceptable measurement method exists for non-destructively obtaining those values, which together with ILI sizing of defects, can be used in determining the pressure rating. Pipe properties of interest are; outside diameter, wall thickness,and material properties such as yield strength, tensile strength, fracture toughness and transition temperature. With the exception of the diameter and wall thickness, these values are only currently available through destructive testing. KW - Fracture mechanics KW - Inspection KW - Nondestructive tests KW - Pipelines KW - Properties of materials KW - Steel pipe KW - Tensile strength KW - Thickness KW - Toughness UR - http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/matrix/prjHome.rdm?prj=511 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1371332 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01577146 TI - Material Reference Library 2013-2018 AB - The Material Reference Library was conceived and initiated under the Strategic Highway Research Program to store selected highway materials and, later, make them available for the evaluation and verification of new pavement designs and material tests that are expected to result in substantial improvement to pavement performance. The Material Reference Library was therefore conceived to maintain "standard" materials that were representative of locations throughout North America for future research. The Material Reference Library originally contained the Strategic Highway Research Program asphalt binders, aggregates, and material from Long-Term Pavement Performance General Pavement Studies and Specific Pavement Studies projects. Over time, the Material Research Library has expanded to contain the following: Strategic Highway Research Program asphalt binders and aggregates, Specific Pavement Studies materials (asphalt, aggregates, and mix), Specific Pavement Studies and General Pavement Studies cores, crumb rubber modifier samples, WesTrack samples, National Center for Asphalt Technology test track samples, Federal Highway Administration Accelerated Pavement Testing Facility samples, Western Research Institute samples, and miscellaneous samples. Many of the samples in the Materials Reference Library are from projects with performance data, which makes these samples very valuable to researchers. Requests to the Materials Reference Library come from around the world. Projects funded by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program and Federal Highway Administration make use of the materials in the Materials Research Library. At the completion of the American Association of State Highway Officials (predecessor to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) Road Test, there were no materials available to verify the models developed from the research. By maintaining the Materials Research Library, this will not happen. KW - Aggregates KW - Asphalt KW - Libraries KW - Materials KW - Mix design KW - North America KW - Pavement design KW - Pavement performance KW - Referencing UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1370409 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01577030 TI - Addressing Challenges in Intelligent Construction Systems and Technologies AB - Under this project study, the contractor shall address gaps identified for Intelligent Construction Systems and Technologies (ICST) from project development through construction and develop guidance for State highway agencies to assist them in determining how best to use ICST to improve accelerated delivery. The scope of the study covers various types, sizes, and scopes of transportation projects using ICST delivered by State highway agencies. The study involves collecting, organizing and analyzing data from various State highway agencies and other facility owners using ICST. Under this contract, the contractor shall address the objectives detailed in the Key Project Objectives field. KW - Construction KW - Construction management KW - Construction projects KW - Intelligent control systems KW - State highway departments KW - Technological innovations UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1370355 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01576049 TI - Low-Powered Wired Sensors for Asset Management or Health Monitoring of Structure and Pavements AB - The research will focus on the design, development, and validation of a revolutionary suite of wireless, multipurpose sensors developed for the health monitoring of transportation infrastructures. The sensors will be designed to be rugged, easy to install, maintenance-free, low-cost, and have a service life exceeding 30 years. The multimodal nature of the sensing system will allow the simultaneous measurement of miscellaneous quantities (such as strain, acceleration, tilt, temperature, and humidity) with sensitivity and accuracy comparable to state-of-the-art wired sensors. KW - Asset management KW - Infrastructure KW - Sensors KW - Service life KW - State of the art KW - Structural analysis KW - Structural health monitoring KW - Wireless communication systems UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/tfhrc/projects/projectsdb/projectdetails.cfm?projectid=FHWA-PROJ-13-0086 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1369998 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01575501 TI - Unmanned Aircraft System Sense and Avoid Research AB - No summary provided. KW - Aviation safety KW - Avoids-1 (Collision avoidance system) KW - Avoids-2 (Collision avoidance system) KW - Drone aircraft KW - Near midair crashes KW - Research UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1367825 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01575500 TI - Conductive Concrete for Airfield Heated Pavement Construction AB - No summary provided. KW - Airport runways KW - Concrete construction KW - Heat KW - Paving KW - Paving materials UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1367824 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01575499 TI - Instrumentation and Analysis of Airfield Pavement Response AB - No summary provided. KW - Airport runways KW - Instrumentation KW - Pavement distress KW - Pavement performance UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1367823 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01575498 TI - Global Safety Information Project AB - No summary provided. KW - Flight information services KW - Information dissemination KW - Safety UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1367821 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01575497 TI - An Integrated Approach to Safety and Security in Aircraft Network Systems AB - No summary provided. KW - Aircraft KW - Networks KW - Safety and security UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1367819 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01575496 TI - Unsolicited Proposal for the FAA Small Airplane Directorate to Develop and Flight Test a Low Cost Accurate Angle of Attack Differential Pressure System for Light General Aviation Aircraft AB - No summary provided. KW - Aircraft by size KW - Angle of attack KW - Flight tests KW - Pressure KW - Proposals UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1367817 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01575452 TI - New Approaches to Non-Flammable Polymer Materials and Composites AB - No summary provided. KW - Composite materials KW - Nonflammable materials KW - Polymers UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1367712 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01575450 TI - Use of Complex Fluids for Enhanced Cellulosic Pre-treatment. AB - No summary provided. KW - Definitions KW - Design KW - Empirical methods KW - Training programs UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1367710 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01575287 TI - Research Proposal for Data-Link Weather in the Cockpit Training Tools and Strategies AB - No summary provided. KW - Cockpits KW - Data displays KW - Training aircraft KW - Weather conditions UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1367544 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01575285 TI - A Stress History Based Approach for Predicting Deformation Potentials of Granular Base and Subbase Layers in Airport Pavements AB - No summary provided. KW - Airport runways KW - Deformation KW - Granular bases KW - Pavement distress KW - Pavement Loading Guide (Computer program) KW - Subbase (Pavements) UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1367543 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01575284 TI - A Survey of Evaluation Methods for Unmanned Aircraft Risk and Safety to Third Parties AB - No summary provided. KW - Aviation safety KW - Drone aircraft KW - Evaluation KW - Risk analysis UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1367539 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01575283 TI - Proposal to Reform a Literature Review in Support of TCRG Task 14-05: UAS System Safety Criteria AB - No summary provided. KW - Aviation safety KW - Drone aircraft KW - Literature reviews UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1367537 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01575282 TI - Computational Assessment of Landing Performance AB - No summary provided. KW - Aviation safety KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Landing UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1367535 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01575281 TI - Identifying CRM Approaches for Enhancing Flightcrew Performance AB - No summary provided. KW - Air traffic control KW - Aircraft separation KW - Approach KW - Crew resource management KW - Flight crews UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1367533 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01575280 TI - Collaborative Research Supporting FAA Fire Safety Mission through a FAA-Rutgers Graduate Assistant Support AB - No summary provided. KW - Cooperation KW - Fire fighting KW - Fires KW - Graduate students KW - Technical assistance UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1367528 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01575279 TI - Improving Human and System Performance in Air Traffic Control AB - No summary provided. KW - Air traffic control KW - Air traffic controllers KW - Airport operations KW - Aviation safety KW - Civil aviation KW - Performance measurement UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1367524 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01575277 TI - Collect, Aggregate, and Disseminate Rotorcraft Flight Data Monitoring Data to Provide Data Driven Safety Analysis AB - No summary provided. KW - Aviation safety KW - Data collection KW - Flight control systems KW - Helicopters KW - Monitoring UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1367521 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01575264 TI - Critical Incident Intervention Program AB - Implement a pilot of a new framework for critical incident intervention programs with Amtrak and evaluate its effectiveness. KW - Amtrak KW - Grade crossing protection systems KW - Highway operations KW - Incident detection KW - Incident management KW - Traffic incidents UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1367518 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01611977 AU - Cook, Marllon D AU - Ghaeezadeh, Ashkan AU - Ley, M Tyler AU - Russell, Bruce W AU - Oklahoma State University, Stillwater AU - Oklahoma Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Investigation of Optimized Graded Concrete for Oklahoma- Phase 1 PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 118p AB - Optimized Graded Concrete has been a subject widely discussed through the history of concrete. Since aggregates make up over 70% of the volume in a mixture, gradation is critical to the strength, workability, and durability of concrete. In practice only a small quantitative guidance can be given to practitioners on aggregate proportioning in a mixture to meet the desired performance. The American Concrete Institute (ACI) 211 Mixture Design Procedure maybe the most widely taught mixture design method, but still is not widely used in practice due to the impracticality. In fact the ACI 211 method only contains a handful of aggregate parameters that many argue about the validity. One of the largest obstacles preventing the development of aggregate parameters and guidance comes from only a few test methods have been able to provide quantitative data about the workability of concrete. This work focused on creating a practical test method and using it to better understand the aggregate gradation impacts on the workability of concrete. In this report a new workability test for concrete was developed to investigate mixtures for slip formed pavements. This was done by creating a test called the “Box Test” in Chapter 2. The Box Test was then used to evaluate several existing optimized graded design methods in Chapter 3. After finding some shortcomings in the current methods, Chapter 4 develops a new set of design recommendations and specifications. Finally, Chapter 5 investigates the durability of the optimized graded mixtures in freeze thaw and shrinkage testing. The ultimate product of this work is a new specification for the state of Oklahoma for mixtures with a greater durability at reduced cost and with improved sustainability. Based on 2013 production this design method has the potential to save the state of Oklahoma over $4 million per year and long term costs through reduced maintenance from durability issues and the reduced amount of cement paste needed to make satisfactory mixtures. KW - Admixtures KW - Aggregate gradation KW - Durability KW - Freeze thaw durability KW - Mix design KW - Oklahoma KW - Optimization KW - Performance based specifications KW - Shrinkage KW - Slip form paving KW - Test procedures KW - Workability UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1423506 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01609741 AU - Sheng, Huan AU - Nielson, Bryant G AU - Pang, Weichiang AU - Schiff, Scott D AU - Clemson University AU - South Carolina Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Precast Alternative for Flat Slab Bridges PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 590p AB - The cast-in-place (CIP) concrete slab bridge and the hollow core flat slab bridge are two very common bridge types utilized by the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT). The CIP bridge is durable but has a long construction time while the hollow-core bridge has a short construction time but produces durability concerns. Trying to balance the speed of construction for hollow-core and the durability of CIP, the SCDOT commissioned this study to provide a recommendation for an alternative bridge type that could: 1) eliminate or minimize longitudinal cracking, 2) have a shorter erection time than the CIP flat slab system, and 3) have no restriction on Annual Daily Truck Traffic (ADTT) and can be used on the National Highway System. There were two distinct phases in this research. In Phase 1, a thorough online survey and telephone interviews were conducted to investigate the pros and cons of existing short-span bridge systems used by other state departments of transportation. In addition, feedback from contractors and precast element fabricators in the Southeast region was also solicited. Based on this work, a precast bridge system known as the NEXT-D (Northeast Extreme Tee) beam was selected by the SCDOT for further testing and validation. The experimental and analytical validation along with the design of a 6 ft. wide section (NEXT-6) and an 8 ft. wide section (NEXT-8), with span lengths from 22 ft. to 40 ft., was the focus of Phase 2. The results of the experimental study indicated that U-shaped reinforcing bars and poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber reinforced ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) were an effective combination when used for the shear key located between precast NEXT elements. These results were also used to calibrate analytical models which were used to better understand and quantify the load demands associated with this beam type. Using this new understanding, a set of new design guidelines for the new NEXT-6 and NEXT-8 bridge systems was developed. For the beam design, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) live load distribution factors for tee beams are recommended to be used. For the deck design, the AASHTO strip method is recommended with some modification. A simplified four-step procedure was developed to assist bridge engineers in determining the design demands (positive and negative moments) on a one-foot strip of deck for Strength I and Service I limit states. The results of this study, field experience with existing cast-in-place and precast bridges and sound engineering judgment allow the investigators to believe with a reasonable degree of confidence that the construction of a bridge using the provided recommendations and new system will lead to durable bridges that are cost effective and can be constructed using an accelerated schedule. One of the immediate needs is to now share the results of this study with neighboring states, so that the investment of needed steel forms by precasters can result in similar precast pieces sold to multiple states. KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Beams KW - Bridge construction KW - Bridge design KW - High performance concrete KW - Longitudinal cracking KW - Precast concrete KW - South Carolina KW - Surveys UR - http://bnielso.people.clemson.edu/SPR-682%20-%20Final%20Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420968 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01595740 AU - Wang, Wen AU - Lin, Chun-Wei AU - Yin, Kai AU - Gong, Qi AU - Adams, Teresa M AU - Wang, Xiubin Bruce AU - National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education (CFIRE) AU - Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Using Sparse GPS Data to Estimate Link Travel Time for Truck Transport PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 50p AB - Network link travel time estimation for commercial vehicles is essential to freight operations and planning. This project studies link travel time estimation using sparse truck Global Positioning System (GPS) data. First, the research team presents a naïve method for truck speed analysis on individual links. The naïve method can compute the average travel speed and variation on each link individually as input for further travel time analysis. Second, to address the issue of ignoring those truck trips with large intervals covering multiple links, the research team presents a network mapping method that maps the link performances using the itinerary travel times. A case study is conducted using the San Antonio corridor network, a major freight corridor. In addition, the research team further tests the proposed methods with simulation data partially on I-94 and I-894, a highway corridor in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area. The test results indicate that the proposed network mapping method appears practical for application to the link performance analysis on freight corridors for truck transport. KW - Case studies KW - Commercial vehicle operations KW - Estimating KW - Freight corridors KW - Global Positioning System KW - Highway corridors KW - Link travel time KW - Links (Networks) KW - Milwaukee (Wisconsin) KW - San Antonio (Texas) KW - Travel time KW - Trucking UR - http://www.wistrans.org/cfire/documents/CFIRE_0707_FinalReport.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1398475 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01587393 AU - Sandoval, Kristianne AU - Pomeroy, Christine AU - University of Utah, Salt Lake City AU - Washington State Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Endangered Species Act Analysis Model Comparison Study: Comparing HI-RUN and SELDM for use in Washington State Department of Transportation Biological Assessments PY - 2013/10//Research Report SP - 181p AB - This study compares the Highway Runoff Dilution and Loading Model (HI-RUN) and Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM) models for use in Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) biological assessments for western Washington highway projects. Current WSDOT policy and an interagency agreed upon analytical approach require the use of HI-RUN in these assessments, which are completed in order to comply with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. SELDM is a model developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) which could possibly be used in biological assessment analysis. This study was completed to determine the feasibility and cost benefits of use of either model for biological assessments in western Washington projects. The study consists of three primary components: comparison of model results, comparison of model usability, and comparison of costs and benefits of each model. The comparison demonstrates that SELDM provides similar assessment results to HI-RUN and that with preliminary steps as detailed in the study, both models were found to be similarly usable. Ongoing maintenance costs were also found to be similar, but implementation costs related to use of SELDM within current policy requirements was found to be prohibitive. The recommendation of these findings is for continued use of the HI-RUN model, with the condition that further analysis be completed if policy conditions were to change. Additionally, it is recommended that WSDOT investigate other possible needs and situations where the SELDM model would be beneficial. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Biological assessment KW - Endangered Species Act KW - Environmental impact analysis KW - Feasibility analysis KW - HI-RUN (Computer model) KW - Highway planning KW - Highway projects KW - Improvements KW - Runoff KW - SELDM (Computer model) KW - Washington (State) UR - http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/820.1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1395638 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01571971 AU - Daniel, Jo Sias AU - Lowe, Justin AU - Steele, Matthew AU - University of New Hampshire, Durham AU - New Hampshire Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Local Calibration of the MEPDG for New Hampshire PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 137p AB - This report summarizes the University of New Hampshire (UNH) results of a study to calibrate the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) model for sites and conditions within New Hampshire. MEPDG adds mechanistic understanding of material properties into methods for the design of flexible pavements which has traditionally used an empirical method that correlates designs with observed performance. MEPDG is part of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) 2002 Design Guide and includes over 135 potential inputs for flexible pavements (e.g. climate conditions and traffic loading). The inputs allow the model to be calibrated so that the predicted pavement performance (distress) can resemble what is observed in field application. The pavement section evaluation indicated that it will exceed the distress performance units set by the NHDOT. KW - Calibration KW - Flexible pavements KW - Mechanistic-empirical pavement design KW - Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide KW - New Hampshire KW - Pavement distress KW - Pavement performance UR - http://www.nh.gov/dot/org/projectdevelopment/materials/research/projects/documents/14282S-FINALREPORT.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1363118 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01567413 AU - Southworth, Frank AU - Sonnenberg, Anthon AU - Meyer, Michael D AU - Smith, Denise A AU - Wilson, Richard D AU - Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta AU - Georgia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Multimodal Needs, Constraints, and Opportunities: Observations and Lessons Learned for Georgia and GDOT PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 153p AB - This research project assessed the multimodal transportation needs, constraints, and opportunities facing the state of Georgia and the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). The project report includes: 1) a literature review focusing on the current state of multimodal transportation planning practice within state DOTs; 2) an assessment of Georgia’s multimodal transportation needs through reviews of the state’s recent transportation planning documents and through interviews of key stakeholders; 3) a nationwide survey of state DOTs regarding critical multimodal transportation planning issues and how they are being addressed; and 4) case studies, including document reviews and some interviews with staff of selected state DOTs that were considered to offer noteworthy examples in one or more aspects of multimodal transportation planning. The report concludes with a set of 28 recommendations for advancing multimodal planning at the statewide level. KW - Assessments KW - Case studies KW - Georgia KW - Georgia Department of Transportation KW - Literature reviews KW - Multimodal transportation KW - Recommendations KW - Stakeholders KW - State departments of transportation KW - Surveys KW - Transportation planning UR - http://g92018.eos-intl.net/eLibSQL14_G92018_Documents/11-04.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/55000/55100/55117/11-04.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1357776 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01554344 AU - Lee, J D AU - Ward, N AU - Boer, E AU - Brown, T L AU - Balk, S A AU - Ahmad, O AU - University of Iowa, Iowa City AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Exploratory Advanced Research: Making Driving Simulators More Useful for Behavioral Research – Simulator Characteristics Comparison and Model-based Transformation PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 118p AB - A central issue in making simulators useful for highway and traffic engineers concerns how well driver behavior in the simulator corresponds to driver behavior in the real world. Simulator fidelity plays a central role in matching behavior in the simulator to behavior on the road. Simulator fidelity often refers to the features and appearance of the simulator. The degree to which behavior in the simulator matches behavior on the road defines behavioral fidelity. This project characterized the physical fidelity and behavioral fidelity of four simulators. These four simulators represent a broad range of fidelity and cost. Data collected from these four simulators begin to address the question of how simulators can support highway and traffic engineers. Overall, the results show that simulators with high physical fidelity demonstrate high behavioral fidelity and are likely to provide good estimates of mean speeds in typical engineering applications such as roundabouts and roadway treatments designed to moderate drivers’ speed. A detailed analysis of both physical fidelity and behavioral fidelity suggests the need to carefully assess the match between simulator features and the properties of the roadway design issue. A model-based transformation was developed to relate data collected in the simulators to data collected on the road. Future research should examine physical fidelity in more detail and its relationship to behavioral fidelity across a broader range of driving behavior parameters. KW - Accuracy KW - Behavior KW - Data analysis KW - Driver performance KW - Driving simulators KW - Performance measurement KW - Roundabouts UR - http://www.nads-sc.uiowa.edu/publicationStorage/20131399331159.N2013-016_Making%20driving%20simul.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1342591 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01535770 AU - Fertig, Ryan AU - Jones, Angela AU - Kimble, Margaret AU - Hacker, Darby AU - Toker, Saadet AU - Tanner, Jennifer Eisenhauer AU - University of Wyoming, Laramie AU - Wyoming Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of ASR Potential in Wyoming Aggregates PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 172p AB - A comprehensive study was performed to evaluate the alkali-silica reactivity (ASR) reactivity of eight Wyoming aggregates. State-of-the-art and standardized test methods were performed and results were used to evaluate these aggregate sources. Of the eight aggregates: four are reactive; two are moderately reactive and two are nonreactive. The Concrete Prism Test (CPT) and large scale field blocks provided the most accurate data. KW - Aggregates KW - Alkali aggregate reactions KW - Alkali silica reactions KW - Concrete KW - Durability KW - Evaluation KW - Wyoming UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51800/51850/FHWA_1304F_RS09206_Evaluation_of_ASR_Potential_in_Wyoming_Aggregates.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1317679 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01531906 AU - Schooley, Benjamin L AU - Horan, Thomas A AU - Murad, Abdullah AU - Abed, Yousef AU - Claremont Graduate University AU - Idaho Transportation Department AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Improving Emergency Response to Motor Vehicle Crashes: The Role of Multi-media Information PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 48p AB - The motivation for this study is to reduce the adverse impacts of trauma caused by motor vehicle crash (MVC), including rural regions, where crashes account for a high percentage of trauma injury and death. One key aspect of reducing adverse effects of MVCs is to improve emergency medical services (EMS)—that is, to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of emergency and transportation services to respond, clear the scene of the crash, provide patient care, and take a patient to the correct hospital. The study centered on a 6-month demonstration of a multi-media (voice, video, pictures, data) EMS application (“CrashHelp”) in the greater Boise area. For the pilot test period, 1,513 CrashHelp reports, 306 digital images, and 1,121 voice recordings were sent by 81 paramedics to 8 hospital emergency departments (EDs). EMS and ED staff generally thought the system was easy to use, captured useful information, and could play a role in enhanced clinical decision-making. The voluntary nature of the pilot program did result is some inconsistency of use over time and this limited the extent to which the information was utilized. In summary, when the system was used it was found to be helpful. Therefore, future efforts should focus on protocols and procedures that would allow for easy integration of multi-media information in the workflow of crash response and subsequent hospital care. KW - Boise (Idaho) KW - Decision making KW - Emergency medical services KW - Hospital emergency rooms KW - Multimedia KW - Rural areas KW - Traffic crashes KW - Web applications UR - http://itd.idaho.gov/highways/research/archived/reports/RP220CrashHelpFinal11222013.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1316824 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01530881 AU - Shinstine, Debbie S AU - Ksaibati, Khaled AU - University of Wyoming, Laramie AU - Wyoming Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Indian Reservation Safety Improvement Program: A Methodology and Case Study PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 217p AB - The need to reduce fatal and injury crashes on Tribal lands has been recognized for years. The U.S. has realized a decline in fatal crashes over the past several years but fatal crashes continue to increase on Tribal lands. Little progress has been made in improving safety on Tribal lands. Limited resources and lack of coordination across jurisdictions has made it difficult for Native American communities to address their roadway safety concerns. The rural nature of many of their roadways and lack of crash data has also made it difficult for Tribes to implement an effective safety improvement program. A methodology that is able to address these challenges is presented in this report to assist Tribes in reducing fatal and injury crashes. The proposed methodology has been implemented successfully in the Wind River Indian Reservation. Key to the success of such a process is collaboration among safety stakeholders, namely the State departments of transportation, Tribal leadership, Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP), Tribal Technical Assistance Program (TTAP), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and local and Tribal law enforcement. KW - Case studies KW - Countermeasures KW - Crash rates KW - Highway safety KW - Indian reservations KW - Methodology KW - Rural highways KW - Stakeholders KW - Wind River Indian Reservation UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51800/51853/FHWA_1307F_RS09211.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1315569 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01529869 AU - Sneed, Lesley H AU - Shaw, Dane M AU - Center for Transportation Infrastructure and Safety/NUTC program AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Lightweight Concrete Modification Factor for Shear Friction PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 132p AB - This report describes the results of a study initiated to examine the influence of concrete unit weight on the direct shear transfer across an interface of concretes cast at different times. This type of interface is common with structural precast concrete connections, such as corbels, for which shear friction design provisions are commonly used. Increasing use of lightweight aggregate concretes prompted this investigation to determine the appropriateness of current shear friction design provisions with respect to all-lightweight and sand-lightweight concrete. The experimental investigation included 36 push-off test specimens, each of which was constructed with a cold-joint at the interface shear plane. Test variables included unit weight of concrete (108, 120, and 145 pcf), target compressive strength of concrete (5000 and 8000 psi), and interface condition (smooth or roughened). A constant amount of reinforcing steel was provided across the shear plane. Results suggest that concrete unit weight did not play a significant role in the interface shear strength for the cold-joint specimens in this study. Results were also compared with shear friction design provisions in both the ACI 318 code and the PCI Design Handbook. Shear strengths computed using the coefficient of friction µ approach were conservative for the sand-lightweight and all-lightweight cold-joint specimens in this study. The value of the effective coefficient of friction µₑ computed using the PCI Design Handbook approach was found to be conservative for both roughened and smooth non-monolithic interfaces for each concrete type. Finally, the use of the lightweight concrete modification factor in the calculation for the effective coefficient of friction µₑ was found to be conservative for the sand-lightweight and all-lightweight cold-joint specimens in this study. KW - Bridge design KW - Bridge superstructures KW - Coefficient of friction KW - Friction factor KW - Lightweight concrete KW - Precast concrete KW - Shear properties KW - Structural connection UR - http://transportation.mst.edu/media/research/transportation/documents/R276%20-%20R317%20Final%20Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1313919 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01529483 AU - Martin, Amy Epps AU - Arambula, Edith AU - Kutay, M Emin AU - Lawrence, James AU - Luo, Xue AU - Lytton, Robert AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Comparison of Fatigue Analysis Approaches for Hot-Mix Asphalt to Ensure a State of Good Repair PY - 2013/10//Technical Report SP - 35p AB - Fatigue cracking is a primary form of distress in hot-mix asphalt. The long-term nature of fatigue due to repeated loading and aging and its required tie to pavement structure present challenges in terms of evaluating mixture resistance. This project focused on comparing stiffness and fatigue life output from two recently developed approaches that use repeated direct tension tests: the Modified Calibrated Mechanistic with Surface Energy (CMSE*) approach and the Push-Pull Viscoelastic Continuum Damage (PP-VECD) approach. The CMSE* and the PP-VECD approaches were applied to both laboratory and field specimens for two mixtures, one from SH 24 in the Paris (PAR) District and one from US 277 in the Laredo (LRD) District of the Texas Department of Transportation, and the results were compared. Both approaches can be used to characterize mixture fatigue resistance with relatively low variability. Based on stiffness, both approaches predict better resistance (lower stiffness) for the PAR mixture based on laboratory results but that the mixtures would have equivalent resistance based on field results for the CMSE* approach. There was also good agreement between laboratory and field specimens for the LRD mixture. The two approaches define fatigue failure in different ways, and thus the rankings of mixture resistance may be different. For the CMSE* approach, the stiffer LRD mixture based on laboratory specimens results in a longer fatigue life, while for the PP-VECD approach, this mixture results in a shorter fatigue life. In addition, the PP-VECD approach outputs significantly lower fatigue lives than the CMSE* approach does due to differences in the analysis including critical strain values and accumulation of damage. The CMSE* approach only requires a single test sequence, and thus fewer resources in terms of specimens and time are needed. However, the PP-VECD approach is more user friendly in terms of the analysis, and some of the required inputs (E*) can be used to evaluate mixture resistance to other distresses. Field specimens can be tested and analyzed using both approaches. Ultimately, the laboratory approach used should tie to field performance. KW - Asphalt mixtures KW - Fatigue (Mechanics) KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Stiffness KW - Tension tests KW - Test procedures KW - Texas UR - http://swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/600451-00012-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1312410 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01529436 AU - Martinez, Sergio E AU - Hall, Andrea AU - Walton, C Michael AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Public-Private Partnerships in Transportation Infrastructure: Survey of Experiences and Perceptions PY - 2013/10//Research Report SP - 77p AB - The use of public-private partnerships (PPPs) for transportation infrastructure delivery has increased in the U.S. However, concerns about and opposition to these agreements exist due to a variety of factors. This paper explores the perceptions that a variety of PPP stakeholders have about PPP usage to deliver transportation infrastructure in the U.S., including stakeholders from fields at times overlooked in PPP literature but that are key to these transactions, such as professionals in legal, banking and finance, and concessionaire organizations. The paper reports the results of a survey taken by 101 professionals, with responses classified based on different aspects of the respondents’ backgrounds. Results indicate that stakeholders’ perceptions about benefits, barriers, and valuation of PPPs vary—at times greatly— depending upon the respondent’s work type, location, and especially whether they had previous experience with PPPs. While this is not surprising, in some cases, such variations in perceptions were unexpected in both type and magnitude. It is understandable that some misperceptions still exist among PPP stakeholders due to various reasons, yet some responses showed deep misunderstandings, fears, or unrealistic expectations about PPPs. The fact that respondents were targeted because of their assumed familiarity with these transactions is worrisome and it indicates the need to educate decision-makers, staff, and the general public about what PPPs really are, why they are needed, and what they can and cannot do. KW - Infrastructure KW - Public private partnerships KW - Stakeholders KW - Surveys KW - United States UR - http://swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/600451-00072-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1312413 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01529433 AU - Boyles, Stephen D AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Wyoming Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Statewide Mesoscopic Simulation for Wyoming PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 265p AB - This study developed a mesoscopic simulator which is capable of representing both city-level and statewide roadway networks. The key feature of such models are the integration of (1) a traffic flow model which is efficient enough to scale to large regions, while realistic enough to represent traffic dynamics, including queue growth and dissipation and intersection control; and (2) a user behavior model in which drivers choose routes based on minimizing travel times. Integrating these models is nontrivial, because route choices depend on route travel times, but route travel times are determined from route choices through the traffic flow model. An iterative approach is used to seek a consistent solution to this problem, using the cell transmission model as the traffic flow model. These features have been implemented in a software program, for which source code and tutorials have been provided as appendices to this report. Additional modules are provided for generating graphical views of networks, performing warrant analysis based on Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) procedures (either to assist with network creation, or as a post-processing step), and a spreadsheet interface to the program itself. Ready-to-use networks have been provided representing the city of Casper and the state of Wyoming. KW - Dynamic traffic assignment KW - Mesoscopic traffic flow KW - Route choice KW - Software KW - Traffic simulation KW - Travel time KW - Wyoming UR - http://www.dot.state.wy.us/files/live/sites/wydot/files/shared/Planning/Research/Completed%20Projects%20for%202009/FHWA%201305F%20RS06210%20Statewide%20Mesoscopic%20Traffic%20Simulation%20for%20Wyoming.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51800/51851/FHWA_1305F_RS06210.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1312041 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01529415 AU - Osmari, Patricia Hennig AU - Arega, Zelalem AU - Bhasin, Amit AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Wetting Characteristics of Asphalt Binders at Mixing Temperatures PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 48p AB - Conventional hot mix asphalt (HMA) is produced by heating the aggregate and the asphalt binder to elevated temperatures that are typically in the range of 150C to 160C. These temperatures ensure that the viscosity of the asphalt binder is low enough to effectively coat the aggregate particles. During the past decade, warm mix asphalt (WMA) has been introduced to reduce the mixing temperatures by approximately 30C compared to HMA. Workability at these reduced temperatures is typically achieved by the use of chemical additives in the asphalt binder or by foaming the asphalt binder using small percentages of water. The use of WMA is associated with advantages such as reduced emissions during mixture production, extended paving season and reduced aging in the asphalt binder. In case of the WMA and the HMA, one of the important physical properties that dictates the quality of coating is the surface tension of the asphalt binder at mixing temperatures. In this study, the surface tension of different liquid asphalt binders was measured at typical mixing temperatures. The effect of binder type, temperature, and chemical additives used to produce WMA on the surface tension of the binder was evaluated. Three different binders with and without three different chemical additives were used in this study. The dynamic surface tension was measured using four different rates of surface formation and at several different temperatures within the range of 140C and 170C. Results show that the surface tension of asphalt binder depends on the rate of surface formation, temperature and source of the asphalt binder. Dynamic surface tension of asphalt binders suggests that asphalt binders behave similar to surfactants. The addition of chemical warm mix additives did not significantly reduce the surface tension of the binder compared to the control. KW - Additives KW - Bituminous binders KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Surface tension KW - Temperature KW - Warm mix paving mixtures KW - Workability UR - http://swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/600451-00062-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1312411 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01529381 AU - Seedah, Dan P K AU - Walthall, Rydell D AU - Fullerton, Garrett AU - Owens, Travis D AU - Harrison, Robert AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - A Transportation Corridor Analysis Toolkit PY - 2013/10//Technical Report SP - 51p AB - The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act includes a number of provisions advocating improving the condition and performance of the national freight network through targeted investments and policies by the Department of Transportation and state agencies. Critical to this network are freight corridors which serve as major trade gateways connecting multiple cities and regions. However, transportation planners and policy makers are limited by the number of tools available to assess the performance and condition of these corridors. Most current tools and models require data which is either unavailable, outdated or insufficient for analysis. To address this need, a truck-rail intermodal toolkit was developed for multimodal corridor analysis and enables planners and other stakeholders to examine freight movement along corridors based on mode and route characteristics. The toolkit includes techniques to acquire data for simulating line-haul movements, and models to evaluate multiple freight movement scenarios along corridors. Example analyses examining truck and rail movements along 5 mode-competitive corridors are presented in addition to a case study of the Gulf Coast Megaregion. The methodology described herein can be used in other multistate corridors and serve as an initial assessment of the condition and performance of the national freight network. KW - Case studies KW - Data collection KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Freight transportation KW - Gulf Coast KW - Multimodal transportation KW - Railroad transportation KW - Routes KW - Transportation corridors KW - Trucking UR - http://swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/600451-00066-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1312412 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01529320 AU - Guensler, Randall AU - Elango, Vetri AU - Guin, Angshuman AU - Hunter, Michael AU - Laval, Jorge AU - Araque, Santiago AU - Colberg, Kate AU - Castrillon, Felipe AU - D'Ambrosio, Kate AU - Duarte, David AU - Khoeini, Sara AU - Peesapati, Lakshmi AU - Sheikh, Adnan AU - Smith, Katie AU - Toth, Christopher AU - Zinner, Stephanie AU - Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta AU - Georgia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Atlanta I-85 HOV-to-HOT Conversion: Analysis of Vehicle and Person Throughput PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 142p AB - This report summarizes the vehicle and person throughput analysis for the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) to High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lane conversion in Atlanta, Georgia, undertaken by the Georgia Institute of Technology research team. The team tracked changes in observed vehicle throughput on the corridor and collected average vehicle occupancy (persons/vehicle) data to assess changes in person throughput. Traffic volumes were collected by vehicle detection systems (VDS) systems on the Georgia NaviGAtor system and the team implemented a large scale quarterly data collection effort for vehicle occupancy across all travel lanes. Between the baseline year (2011) and HOT implementation year (2012), significant changes were noted in both the vehicle and person throughput on the corridor at Center Way. Vehicle throughput on the I-85 HOT corridor decreased by about 6.6% (2698 vehicles) during the morning peak period, but only by about 2.9% (1148 vehicles) during the afternoon peak period. Average vehicle occupancy (persons/vehicle) also decreased during the same period. Reduced vehicle throughput and decrease in observed vehicle occupancy had a synergistic impact on estimated corridor person throughput, which declined significantly at a much faster rate than vehicle throughput. While traffic volumes declined by 6.6%, person throughput concurrently declined by about 9.9% (4868 individuals). While traffic volumes declined by approximately 2.9% in the afternoon peak period, person throughput concurrently declined by about 6.3% (3123 individuals). The data reveal that the majority of two-person carpools have been diverted from the HOV lane into the general purpose lanes after HOT lane implementation. Based upon vehicle throughput and occupancy distributions, the largest reduction in vehicle throughput in both the morning and afternoon peak periods came from a reduction in carpools (HOV2 and HOV3+ vehicles). Carpool mode share declined by more than 30% in the AM peak and by 25% in the PM peak, and average managed lane vehicle occupancy decreased from approximately 2.0 persons/vehicle to approximately 1.2 persons/vehicle. KW - Atlanta (Georgia) KW - Carpools KW - High occupancy toll lanes KW - High occupancy vehicle lanes KW - Highway corridors KW - Implementation KW - Managed lanes KW - Periods of the day KW - Traffic volume KW - Vehicle occupancy UR - https://smartech.gatech.edu/bitstream/handle/1853/51624/022720141307_hov-to-hot_I-85_throughput_analysis_final_report_033114.pdf?sequence=1 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1311884 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01523803 AU - National Center for Safe Routes to School AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Trends in Walking and Bicycling to School from 2007 to 2012 PY - 2013/10 SP - 43p AB - This report describes a series of analyses involving parent survey data collected by schools throughout the United States starting in the year 2007 and through 2012. After linking parent survey data with school-level information from the National Center for Education Statistics, more than 525,000 parent surveys from nearly 4,700 schools located within all states and the District of Columbia were included in the analyses. To examine student travel patterns and parental perceptions of active school travel over time, multinomial logit models which clustered responses by school were estimated. These models estimated the probability of choosing school travel modes as a function of school-level and household-level predictor variables. School-level variables included school income and the Census-defined locale in which a school was located. Household-level variables included students’ sex and grade in school, distance the student lived from school, parents’ level of education, whether the student asked parents for permission to walk or bicycle between home and school, how much fun parents perceived walking and bicycling to be for their child, how healthy walking and bicycling was for their child, and how much their child’s school supported walking and bicycling to/from school. KW - Bicycling KW - Data analysis KW - Mode choice KW - Multinomial logits KW - Parents KW - Safe Routes to School (Program) KW - School children KW - School trips KW - Surveys KW - Travel patterns KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States KW - Walking UR - http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/sites/default/files/Trends_in_Walking_and_Bicycling_to_School_from_2007_to_2012_FINAL.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1307256 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01522336 AU - Huber, Tom AU - Luecke, Kevin AU - Hintze, Michael AU - Coffman, Virginia AU - Toole, Jennifer AU - VanOosten, Matt AU - Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - A Guide for Maintaining Pedestrian Facilities for Enhanced Safety PY - 2013/10 SP - 158p AB - This document provides guidance for maintaining pedestrian facilities with the primary goal of increasing safety and mobility. The Guide addresses the needs for pedestrian facility maintenance; common maintenance issues; inspection, accessibility, and compliance; maintenance measurers; funding; and construction techniques to reduce future maintenance. KW - Construction and maintenance KW - Crosswalks KW - Financing KW - Inspection KW - Maintenance management KW - Maintenance practices KW - Pedestrian areas KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Sidewalks KW - Walkways UR - http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/tools_solve/fhwasa13037/fhwasa13037.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51900/51943/fhwasa13037.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1304842 ER - TY - SER AN - 01522271 JO - Technology Brief PB - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Onboard Safety System Effectiveness Evaluation PY - 2013/10 SP - 2p AB - This research study evaluated three vehicle-based driver assistance technologies that aim to improve the safety of in-service commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operations. These commonly deployed onboard safety systems (OBSS)—lane departure warning (LDW), roll stability control (RSC), and forward collision warning (FCW)—were examined using existing crash data acquired directly from participating motor carriers. The OBSSs were installed on Class 7 and 8 trucks and the data were collected while drivers operated their normal revenue-producing routes. KW - Audible warning devices in vehicles KW - Commercial vehicles KW - Crash avoidance systems KW - Crash data KW - Driver support systems KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Motor carriers UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51200/51259/13-012_OBSS_Technology_Brief.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1306439 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01522237 AU - López-Jacobs, Von AU - Ellerbee, Jason AU - Hoover, Michael AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration AU - Gannett Fleming, Incorporated TI - SmartPark Technology Demonstration Project PY - 2013/10 SP - 88p AB - The purpose of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA’s) SmartPark initiative is to determine the feasibility of a technology for providing truck parking space availability in real time to truckers on the road. SmartPark consists of two phases. Phase I was a field operational test (FOT) to determine the accuracy and reliability of a technology for counting truck parking space availability. Phase II focuses on disseminating truck parking availability information and determining whether the technology can be deployed to divert trucks from a filled to an unfilled parking area. This document is the final report for Phase I. In Phase I, three combinations of different technologies were subjected to field testing to ascertain their feasibility for determining truck parking space availability in real time: side (SID) scanners, overhead (OH) scanners, and light curtains (CURs), each combined with Doppler radar. The most optimal configuration of technologies is a SID scanner combined with Doppler radar at both the ingress and egress points of the selected truck parking area. Other findings and recommendations pertain to the trade-off between accuracy and the frequency of ground-truth correction, qualitative reporting of truck parking availability to address uncertainty when the parking area is nearly full, required time for stabilizing the system, use of a vehicle classification scheme that reduces the number of vehicle classes, increased bandwidth in data transmission, and enhanced surveillance and monitoring with closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras. KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Field tests KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - Parking facilities KW - Real time information KW - Smart parking KW - SmartPark KW - Truck stops KW - Trucks UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51400/51425/13-054-SmartPark-Demonstration-Project-508slim.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1306388 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516620 AU - McCullouch, Bob AU - Partridge, Barry AU - Noureldin, Samy AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Snow and Ice Performance Standards PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 47p AB - Performance Standards are used extensively at Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) to establish and measure performance in many different operations. One area that extensively uses standards is in Maintenance Operations. Currently INDOT has defined three Level of Service (LOS) standards for winter operations. These standards describe pavement conditions during winter weather events and are subjective in nature. A more quantifiable standard would improve the evaluation of winter operations. This project produced a performance standard based on vehicle speeds during a storm impact period. The period is defined as the time between the beginning and end of a winter storm. The performance standard is modeled after the INDOT mobility standard and applies to interstate routes. It is easily implementable and can be used to identify ineffective snow and ice removal efforts and provides real time feedback. KW - Indiana Department of Transportation KW - Interstate highways KW - Level of service KW - Maintenance practices KW - Quality of work KW - Snow and ice control KW - Speed KW - Winter maintenance UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284315223 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1291085 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516347 AU - Peebles, Gemma R AU - Mehta, Yusuf AU - Rowan University AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Characterization of Fatigue Properties of Binders and Mastics at Intermediate Temperatures using Dynamic Shear Rheometer PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 32p AB - This paper compares the fatigue life of neat and modified pressure aging vessel (PAV)-aged binders and mastics and determines the influence of dust on fatigue life using the Linear Amplitude Sweep (LAS) method. It will also compare these results with results from the Dissipated Energy Ratio (DER) and 50% Drop Methods as reported in previous research. The binders used were PG 58-28, PG 64-22, PG 70-22, PG 76-28 and PG 82-22. The dust content for the mastic binder was 0%, 5%, and 15% dust to binder by mass. Using the fatigue life of the binder with 0% dust as a baseline, a range of temperature (based on the difference between high and low performance grade) of 86 may make the binder susceptible to fatigue however increasing the range to 92-104 may produce an increase in fatigue life for small amounts of dust (5%). Although the PG 82-22 experienced a decrease in fatigue life with the addition of a small amount of dust, the change was very small prospectively (dropping only 0.7%) suggesting that this binder also experiences a slight increase in fatigue life with the addition of 5% dust. It was determined that two types of failure (mode I and mode II) were occurring in the LAS tests and that the results from the DER and 50% Drop tests may have been either of these failure types. This made it difficult to compare the two procedures based on the results. Further studies must be performed to determine what causes the two different failure types (mode I and mode II). Overall, the binders with higher range in PG grade appear to be less sensitive to addition of dust and binder should be appropriately selected if sensitivity to dust is to be minimized. KW - Binders KW - Dust KW - Fatigue (Mechanics) KW - Fatigue tests KW - Shear modulus UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/pubs/Final-Binder-Fatigue.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1299550 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01516262 AU - Kamga, Camille AU - Ukkusuri, Satish V AU - Sadri, Arif Mohaimin AU - City College of New York of the City University of New York AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - A Decision Support Model to Understand Route Choice Decisions and Siting of Facilities in Emergency Evacuation PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 62p AB - In this research, the authors present the results of a behavior model to capture different routing strategies executed by evacuees during hurricane evacuation by using a random-parameter logit-based modeling approach. This may be the first attempt to model evacuees' strategic behavior for evacuation routing decisions using a random-parameter model. A probabilistic model incorporating the demographic characteristics of evacuees and evacuation related characteristics would predict the routing behavior of evacuees' in a better way. Several important factors, for example, household's geographic location, number of children, evacuees' income and age, timing and medium of evacuation notice, etc. influence household's evacuation routing decision which are found from the empirical analysis. In addition, the authors explain the results of a behavior model to capture the timing behavior of evacuees which elapses from the time of an evacuation decision making to the time of actual evacuation during a hurricane by developing a random-parameter ordered probit model. This may be the first attempt to model evacuees' strategic behavior in terms of evacuation timing by developing a random-parameter ordered probit model. Different influential factors, such as, household's geographic location, socio-economic factors, evacuation related characteristics, trip time during normal condition, previous experience, etc. are found to be statistically significant which affect the time that is required by the evacuees for necessary arrangements during an evacuation. KW - Behavior KW - Decision making KW - Demographics KW - Disaster preparedness KW - Evacuation KW - Hurricanes KW - Logits KW - Route choice KW - Time intervals UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/pubs/Final-Decision-Support-Emergency-Evacuation.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1299558 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01506243 AU - Owens, Russell AU - Windover, Paul AU - New West Technologies, LLC AU - New York State Energy Research and Development Authority AU - New York State Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Vessel Electrification Feasibility Study for the New York State Canals PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 92p AB - The objective of this study was to determine the technical and economic feasibility of repowering a diesel-fueled New York State Canal Corporation (NYSCC) work boat with a diesel hybrid-electric or full-electric powertrain. The project team instrumented a NYSCC dredge tender to capture in-use data to determine the vessel’s duty cycle. A comprehensive evaluation of commercially-available hybrid-electric and full-electric marine powertrains was performed. The results revealed that only one full-electric system met NYSCC’s performance and cost targets. A cost-effective electric powertrain system is expected to handle approximately 95% of the dredge tender’s typical duties. The remaining high energy use cases that are not met will be handled by NYSCC dispatching a diesel boat. An evaluation of the available electric recharging infrastructure on shore and using excess power from mobile work platform generators was also performed. The investigation revealed that shore power was available at many, but not all, locations where the boat frequently visits. The project concluded that hybrid-electric and full-electric powertrains are a potentially viable technology option for NYSCC to consider to reduce its operating costs, carbon footprint, and energy use. Thus, NYSCC and New West Technologies proposed a Phase II field demonstration project to New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to install a full-electric powertrain and perform a long-term field demonstration project to validate the electrically-powered boat’s performance. The Phase II project was awarded and is expected to be completed in early 2014. KW - Canals KW - Economic analysis KW - Electric vehicle charging KW - Electric vehicles KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Hybrid vehicles KW - New York (State) KW - Power trains KW - Work boats UR - https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/trans-r-and-d-repository/C-11-10%20Final%20Report_11-13-13.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1290263 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505599 AU - Bahia, Hussain U AU - Rajaei, Mozhdeh AU - Sefidmazgi, Nima Roohi AU - National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education (CFIRE) AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Characterizing Rider Safety in terms of Asphalt Pavement Surface Texture PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 56p AB - The overall goal of pavement design is to meet the intended service life and more importantly to provide a safe riding surface for the traveling public. Therefore, pavements can experience structural failure (i.e. rutting or cracking) or functional failures, where the pavement becomes unsafe from a riders perspective due to a lack of sufficient surface texture (friction). Several countries within the European Union have specifications related to measurement of surface texture already in place to ensure a minimum level of friction. The barrier to implementing similar practices in the United States is in further development of friction measurement and analysis methods. Measuring pavement friction involves specialized equipment with a relatively high initial cost. In addition, many devices require that measurements be made on field pavement sections, incurring further delay in opening new pavement to traffic. Several recent studies have correlated asphalt pavement surface texture with friction using relatively inexpensive, non-intrusive devices. These devices can be used in the laboratory as well as in the field and have shown promise in estimating not only pavement surface texture and friction, but also noise emissions. With further development, these methods will give pavement designers the necessary tools to evaluate asphalt pavement surface texture in terms of pavement friction and promoting the development of new specifications. This project refines and applies these methods to several plant produced mixtures to estimate surface texture and friction. Limits on the mix design parameters most affecting rider safety (friction) will be proposed. KW - Asphalt pavements KW - Friction KW - Highway safety KW - Measuring methods KW - Mix design KW - Rolling contact KW - Texture KW - Tire/pavement noise UR - http://www.wistrans.org/cfire/documents/FR_0708.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285414 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01504354 AU - Daly, William H AU - Negulescu, Ioan AU - Balamurugan, Sreelatha S AU - Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge AU - Louisiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Implementation of GPC Characterization of Asphalt Binders at Louisiana Materials Laboratory PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 114p AB - This research implemented a procedure for using gel permeation chromatography (GPC) as an analytical tool to define the percentage amounts of polymer modifiers, which are soluble in eluting GPC solvents, in polymer-modified asphalt cements. It also addressed quantification of both GPC solvent soluble and insoluble crumb rubber present in crumb rubber modified binders. Attention was also paid to using GPC for assessment of the extent of oxidative rolling thin-film oven (RTFO) and pressure aging vessel (PAV) aging of a series of asphalt binders as well as forensic analysis of pavement failures. The project was sub-divided into two phases including (I) purchasing, installing and calibrating a GPC instrument at the Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) Materials Laboratory and writing detailed procedures for conducting binder analysis to determine the percent polymer content in polymer modified binders and (II) developing an efficient extraction process capable of recovering binder from asphalt cement cores. Phase I included the GPC analysis of different polymers and binders, and a quantitative estimation of polymers, asphaltenes, and maltenes present in the analyzed binders. At DOTD, a large number of binders from various asphalt sources and polymer additives have been analyzed. Over 180 samples of PG 64-, PG 67-, PG 70-22m and PG 76-22m grades were subjected to GPC analysis and the polymer percentage was calculated and compiled. Phase II extended the development of a procedure to define the percent amounts GPC solvent insoluble crumb rubber present in CRM binders. It included a comparison between the extraction of soluble CRM species with a blend of toluene-ethanol (85:15 volumetric ratio) and bromopropane at room or moderate temperatures. Since similar results have been obtained, due to the fact that bromopropane is more expensive than toluene and ethanol, the toluene/ethanol mixture appears to be a better option, especially for large scale extractions. An American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) standard test method for the quantification of polymer content in polymer modified asphalt cements by GPC has been proposed. KW - Asphalt pavements KW - Binders KW - Crumb rubber KW - Gel permeation chromatography KW - Louisiana KW - Polymer asphalt KW - Solvents UR - http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/pdf/2013/FR_505.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1284791 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502792 AU - Lee, Chanyoung AU - Winters, Phil AU - Pino, Joan AU - Schultz, Debbie AU - National Center for Transit Research AU - Florida Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Improving the Cost Effectiveness of Financial Incentives in Managing Travel Demand Management (TDM) PY - 2013/10//Draft Final Report SP - 66p AB - Providing financial incentives to commuters to use alternative modes is a common element of managing transportation demand. Although these incentives have become common during the past two decades as elements of transportation demand management (TDM) programs, limited effort has been made to understand how different ways of providing financial incentives affect commuter mode choice. A better understanding of how these components of incentives affect their impact is critical to enhancing the performance of financial incentives as a TDM strategy. A Web survey was developed and conducted to investigate the feasibility and interest of shifting mode in Florida. A total of 1,031 responses were collected and analyzed. From the survey, researchers found that more than 80 percent of respondents in Florida indicated that they were neither carpooling nor taking public transit. Over 70 percent of the sampled commuters have not considered changing modes. Most respondents indicated that they need a car to reach multiple destinations. In general, respondents agreed that financial incentives can make both carpool and public transit more appealing to commuters, but some systematic improvements are also critical. While mode shift away from driving alone is the primary purpose for most of the TDM incentive programs reviewed, there are other means for yielding the desired outcomes without shifting mode. One method is to shift the focus on the time of the trip or the quantity of the trip consumed (i.e., vehicle miles of travel (VMT)). Researchers focused the evaluation on the feasibility of reducing individual VMT rather than changing mode as a means of achieving the outcomes of reduced congestion and emissions. A pilot test was conducted and proved that a VMT saving approach is very effective and has great potential to grow to achieve several of the desired outcomes of TDM. Two different incentive schemes in the pilot test produced valuable insights to expand the approach to statewide TDM programs. KW - Carpools KW - Commuters KW - Cost effectiveness KW - Florida KW - Incentives KW - Modal shift KW - Mode choice KW - Public transit KW - Surveys KW - Travel demand management KW - Vehicle miles of travel UR - http://www.fdot.gov/research/Completed_Proj/Summary_PTO/FDOT-BDK85-977-41-rpt.pdf UR - http://www.nctr.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/77947.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1281004 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502075 AU - Hickman, Jeffrey S AU - Guo, Feng AU - Camden, Matthew C AU - Medina, Alejandra AU - Hanowski, Richard J AU - Mabry, Erin AU - Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Onboard Safety Systems Effectiveness Evaluation Final Report PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 267p AB - The purpose of this project was to conduct a retrospective effectiveness evaluation study on three commonly deployed onboard safety system (OBSS) types using previous data acquired directly from participating motor carriers. These OBSS technologies included lane departure warning (LDW), roll stability control (RSC), and forward collision warning (FCW) systems. The current study assessed the effectiveness of these three different OBSS types installed on Class 7 and 8 trucks as they operated in their normal revenue-producing routes. Although the crash data were acquired from 14 carriers representing small, medium, and large carriers hauling a variety of commodities (including a total of 88,112 carrier crash records—United States Department of Transportation-reportable accidents as well as minor incidents—and 151,624 truck-years of operation that represented 13 billion miles traveled), the dataset in the current study was skewed toward larger, for-hire carriers and may not fully represent the overall U.S. trucking population. The benefit-cost analyses clearly showed the estimated benefits of LDW and RSC systems deployed at participating fleets outweighed the estimated costs. The analysis of the fleet crash data using the same methodology did not show a statistically significant difference in FCW-related crash occurrence rates between vehicles with or without an FCW system installed. Retrospectively, this result is primarily attributed to the lack of sufficient data (in terms of number of trucks with a deployed FCW system in the dataset) to be able to detect safety benefits with statistical significance at the observed level. Focus groups were also conducted with drivers and safety managers who had experience with LDW, RSC, or FCW systems. Drivers’ and safety managers’ opinions and perceptions of each OBSS type were generally very positive. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Crash avoidance systems KW - Crash data KW - Driver support systems KW - Evaluation KW - Focus groups KW - Literature reviews KW - Motor carriers KW - Truck crashes KW - Warning systems UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51200/51256/12-012_OBSS_Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278992 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01502040 AU - Russell, Alan M AU - Chumbley, L Scott AU - Becker, Andrew AU - Vennerberg, Daniel AU - White, Emma AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Testing and Recommended Practices to Improve Nurse Tank Safety, Phase I PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 128p AB - This research project studied causes and possible remediation inspection strategies to prevent failures for anhydrous ammonia (NH3) nurse tanks. Nurse tanks are steel tanks used to transport NH3 locally over public roadways and farm fields. Many of the reportedly 200,000 nurse tanks in use in the United States are 3 to 5 decades old. Several tank failures have occurred in recent years. Nurse tank failures can injure workers and bystanders by way of chemical burns, frostbite, suffocation, and physical injuries caused by the catastrophic force of rupture. This research study addressed this problem by: surveying the technical literature on nurse tank properties and case studies of tank failures; examination of 20 used nurse tanks by metallography, glow discharge spectroscopy, neutron diffraction analysis of residual stresses, ultrasound, and fluorescent dye penetrant examination for cracks. It exposed 56 specimens of the commonly used tank steel, stressed in tension, while either immersed in liquid NH3 or exposed to pure NH3 vapor, for 7 months to study the initiation and growth of stress corrosion cracks. This research further confirms that stress corrosion cracking is the greatest threat to nurse tank integrity. Recommendations for best inspection practices are presented on how to reduce the risks associated with nurse tank failures. KW - Anhydrous ammonia KW - Case studies KW - Hazardous materials KW - Inspection KW - Laboratory tests KW - Literature reviews KW - Metallography KW - Nurse tanks KW - Recommendations KW - Residual stress KW - Spectroscopy KW - Stress cracking KW - Tank trucks KW - Tanks (Containers) KW - United States UR - http://fmcsa.dot.gov/facts-research/research-technology/report/13-032_Nurse_Tank_Safety_Phase_1.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51400/51404/13-032_Nurse_Tank_Safety_Phase_1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1279599 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01501986 AU - King, William AU - Kabir, Sharear AU - Cooper, Samuel B AU - Abadie, Christopher AU - Louisiana Transportation Research Center AU - Louisiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of Open Graded Friction Course (OGFC) Mixtures PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 72p AB - Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD) began the development of Open-Graded Friction Course (OGFC) mixtures in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In the early 1980s, a moratorium was imposed on the use of OGFC mixtures due to some early failure issues and a number of OGFC pavements experiencing end of life failure. However, significant improvements have been noticed in OGFC mixture performance and service life since a new-generation of OGFC mixture was promoted in the U.S. in late 1990s. Inspired by the success of some other state agencies, LADOTD modified the earlier mix design and constructed four new OGFC sections during the last decade to evaluate pavement performance and safety benefits. This paper includes a comprehensive evaluation of Louisiana OGFC mixtures on the basis of their laboratory and field performance. Laboratory work entailed material and mixture design in addition to performing numerous laboratory tests namely permeability, draindown, tensile strength ratio, and loaded wheel test. Field evaluation involved visual inspection, pavement condition survey, skid resistance, and traffic safety. With very few exceptions in the laboratory, the selected OGFC mixtures showed the potential to meet current LADOTD specifications as well as various performance standards established by previous studies. The field analysis indicates that the OGFC test sections showed improved rutting, cracking, and skid performance when compared to typical Superpave roadway sections. It is anticipated that this performance evaluation will support the ongoing use of OGFC mixtures in the state of Louisiana. Additionally, it provides an opportunity to continually improve the current OGFC specification and mix design procedures adopted by LADOTD. KW - Friction course KW - Mix design KW - Pavement performance KW - Permeability KW - Rutting KW - Service life KW - Skid resistance KW - Tensile strength UR - http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/pdf/2013/FR_513.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278424 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01501945 AU - Ishak, Sherif AU - Codjoe, Julius AU - Osman, Osama AU - Russell, Marlene AU - Rodriguez, Jose AU - Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge AU - Louisiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Measuring the Effectiveness of Ramp Metering Strategies on I-12 PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 233p AB - Ramp metering is one of the successful traffic control strategies in the area of active traffic and demand management. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a fixed time ramp metering control on the day to day operation of traffic over two segments of I-12, seven miles apart, in Baton Rouge, LA. Traffic data were collected and analyzed using MIST (Management Information System for Transportation) detectors at one segment, and DCMS (Data Collection and Management Service) detectors at the other segment. The assessments undertaken include a comparative speed analysis, travel time savings analysis, level of service analysis, and speed contours analysis of the conditions before and after deployment of the ramp metering. For the MIST segment, the statistical analysis showed that for the eastbound evening (PM) peak period, 47% of the time there were significant speed increases of 7 mph, but 12% of the time there were significant speed decreases of 17 mph. For the westbound morning (AM) peak period, significant speed increase of 5 mph were observed 43% of the time while significant speed decrease of 7 mph were observed 29% of the time. The speed contours analysis supported these findings with more areas of congestion observed in the westbound AM peak period than was observed in the eastbound PM peak period. The travel time analysis showed mixed results of reduced and increased travel times depending on which weekday was being analyzed. The level of service results suggests an overall deterioration of traffic conditions for both peak periods. For the DCMS segment, however, there was an average decrease in speed from 61.91 to 58.37 mph for the eastbound PM and 53.78 to 49.06 mph for the westbound AM peak periods. The speed contours showed increased areas of congestion for both peak time periods, and analysis of travel time savings showed overall increases in travel times for both peak periods. The level of service results supported the findings, showing worsened level of service (LOS) distributions for both peak periods. It should be noted, however, that the analysis for the DCMS segment did not account for the effect of the on-going construction work between O’Neal Lane interchange and Walker/La. 447 interchange, which started as early as 2009. It is possible that the presence of the construction zone may have impacted the traffic conditions and obscured the benefits of ramp meters. This is because the construction work schedule overlapped with the analysis time period. For both segments, it was not possible to isolate the effect of incidents on traffic conditions when measuring the performance of ramp meters since incident logs were not available at the time the analysis was done. While the fixed time operation of the ramp metering system on I-12 was effective to some extent on one of the western segment of I-12, the study recommended further investigation to determine if other ramp metering strategies would be more effective. This includes both local and coordinated demand responsive ramp metering systems. Furthermore, due to the confounding effect of the work zone in the eastern segment of I-12 and the current fixed time ramp metering system, the study recommended further comparative analysis by turning the ramp meters on and off for a few days to determine the effect on traffic conditions. This practice was followed in other studies such as the one in Minnesota. KW - Baton Rouge (Louisiana) KW - Level of service KW - Minnesota KW - Physical distribution KW - Ramp metering KW - Speed data KW - Traffic congestion KW - Traffic control KW - Traffic data KW - Travel time UR - http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/pdf/2013/FR_507.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278425 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01501588 AU - Jeihani, Mansoureh AU - Zhang, Lei AU - Ardeshiri, Anam AU - Amiri, Arash AU - Nasri, Arefeh AU - Zamir, Kiana Roshan AU - Baghaei, Babak AU - Morgan State University AU - University of Maryland, College Park AU - Maryland State Highway Administration AU - Morgan State University AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Development of a Framework for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) PY - 2013/10//Final Report AB - In this project, the research team performs a comprehensive analysis of transit-oriented developments (TODs) in the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore metro areas to investigate if TODs actually can reduce automobile travel and encourage transit use as well as non-motorized modes. The research team modeled vehicle miles traveled (VMT), trip generation, trip length, and mode share in two case study areas using the most recent local household travel survey data and advanced econometric models. Findings show that people living in TODs have lower household VMT, make more trips by all modes of transportation, but make fewer trips by automobiles. Results also show that TOD residents tend to travel shorter distances by all modes of transportation, which implies that they choose closer destinations for their activities. In terms of mode choice, trips originating from TODs have substantially higher non-auto mode share in both Baltimore and Washington, D.C., after controlling for relevant socioeconomic and demographic factors. The research team also finds significant differences in the effectiveness of TODs in these two metropolitan areas due to different TOD locations, transit system availability and level of service, and TOD resident characteristics. The trip generation step of the Maryland Statewide Transportation Model (MSTM) can be modified to incorporate the effect of TOD on a transportation system as a result of this study. The results demonstrate that TOD areas have different trip rates and travel behavior. Therefore, developing transportation models that separate TOD from Non-TOD areas would yield more accurate results than the current models. Using such models, sensitivity analysis for changes in TOD characteristics would become possible. KW - Baltimore (Maryland) KW - Econometric models KW - Land use planning KW - Modal split KW - Mode choice KW - Public transit KW - Ridership KW - Transit oriented development KW - Travel behavior KW - Travel surveys KW - Trip generation KW - Trip length KW - Vehicle miles of travel KW - Washington (District of Columbia) UR - http://www.roads.maryland.gov/OPR_Research/MD-13-SP209B4N-Development-of-a-Framework-for-Transit-Oriented-Development_Report.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/50000/50900/50921/Development_Jeihani_1314.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1280325 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01500390 AU - Schroeder, Paul AU - Wilbur, Melanie AU - Abt SRBI, Incorporated AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - 2012 National Survey of Bicyclist and Pedestrian Attitudes and Behavior. Volume 1: Summary Report PY - 2013/10 SP - 29p AB - The 2012 National Survey of Bicyclist and Pedestrian Attitudes and Behavior is the second survey on this topic conducted for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Data collection was conducted by Abt SRBI, Inc, a national research organization. The survey utilized an overlapping dual frame (landline and cell) sample design and included an oversample of 16- to 39-year-olds. A total of 7,509 interviews were conducted with persons 16 years of age or older living in the United States. Interviewing began on July 12, 2012, and ended on November 18, 2012. The samples were combined and weighted to produce national estimates of the target population. This report presents summary findings from the survey and compares selected results to the 2002 administration. KW - Attitudes KW - Behavior KW - Bicycling KW - Bikeways KW - Cyclists KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Pedestrians KW - Surveys KW - United States KW - Walking UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811841a.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278697 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01500381 AU - Schroeder, Paul AU - Wilbur, Melanie AU - Abt SRBI, Incorporated AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - 2012 National Survey of Bicyclist and Pedestrian Attitudes and Behavior. Volume 3: Methodology Report PY - 2013/10 SP - 93p AB - The 2012 National Survey of Bicyclist and Pedestrian Attitudes and Behavior is the second survey on this topic conducted for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Data collection was conducted by Abt SRBI, Inc, a national research organization. The survey utilized an overlapping dual frame (landline and cell) sample design and included an oversample of 16- to 39-year-olds. A total of 7,509 interviews were conducted with persons 16 years of age or older living in the United States. Interviewing began on July 12, 2012, and ended on November 18, 2012. The samples were combined and weighted to produce national estimates of the target population. This report presents detailed information on the survey methodology, as well as the full survey instrument. KW - Attitudes KW - Behavior KW - Bicycling KW - Bikeways KW - Cyclists KW - Methodology KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Pedestrians KW - Surveys KW - United States KW - Walking UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811841c.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278700 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01500356 AU - Schroeder, Paul AU - Wilbur, Melanie AU - Abt SRBI, Incorporated AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - 2012 National Survey of Bicyclist and Pedestrian Attitudes and Behavior. Volume 2: Findings Report PY - 2013/10 SP - 162p AB - The 2012 National Survey of Bicyclist and Pedestrian Attitudes and Behavior is the second survey on this topic conducted for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Data collection was conducted by Abt SRBI, Inc, a national research organization. The survey utilized an overlapping dual frame (landline and cell) sample design and included an oversample of 16- to 39-year-olds. A total of 7,509 interviews were conducted with persons 16 years of age or older living in the United States. Interviewing began on July 12, 2012, and ended on November 18, 2012. The samples were combined and weighted to produce national estimates of the target population. The survey assessed the extent to which respondents engaged in bicycling and walking outdoors; demographic and typological descriptions of bicyclists and pedestrians; the extent and frequency of using electronic devices while biking or walking; attitudes and perceptions about bicycling and pedestrian activity; the availability and use of bike paths and lanes in the community; knowledge of various laws pertaining to bicyclists and pedestrians; and changes in bicycling and pedestrian behavior and attitudes since 2002.This report presents detailed findings from the survey and compares results to the 2002 administration. KW - Attitudes KW - Behavior KW - Bicycling KW - Bikeways KW - Cyclists KW - Demographics KW - Laws KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Pedestrians KW - Surveys KW - United States KW - Walking UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811841b.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278699 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01500124 AU - Kissick, Jerry AU - Hunsucker, David Q AU - Martin, Andrew AU - Walton, Jennifer AU - Bell, Mark AU - University of Kentucky, Lexington AU - Kentucky Transportation Cabinet AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Kentucky's PRISM-Based Automated Ramp Screening System Evaluation PY - 2013/10 SP - 75p AB - In 2010, Kentucky implemented a Performance Registration Information Systems and Management (PRISM) based automated ramp screening system (PARSS) at the Boone County inspection station on southbound Interstate-71. The purpose of the PARSS is to identify and screen every vehicle that enters the Boone County inspection station. The system provides automated screening of trucks based on the license plate number and the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) number displayed on the vehicle. If it is determined that the vehicle should be stopped for inspection, that decision is communicated to the truck driver via the existing directional arrows that direct drivers to the static scale for inspection. A thorough evaluation was conducted to assess the performance of the system (i.e., does it do what it was intended to do?), the value of the system in identifying vehicles for inspection with PRISM or Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN)-related issues, and the potential for more widespread deployment of this type of screening system. In addition, the evaluation also included a side-by-side comparison of the two automated license plate reader (ALPR) systems. KW - Automatic license plate readers KW - Automatic vehicle identification KW - Commercial vehicles KW - CVISN (Program) KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Inspection stations KW - Kentucky KW - Trucks UR - http://www.ktc.uky.edu/files/2013/11/KTC_13_21_RSF_27_12_1F.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278372 ER - TY - SER AN - 01500073 JO - TechBrief PB - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development of Non-Proprietary Ultra-High Performance Concrete for Use in the Highway Bridge Sector PY - 2013/10 SP - 8p AB - This document is a technical summary of the unpublished Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) report, "Development of Non-Proprietary Ultra-High Performance Concrete for Use in the Highway Bridge Sector." The long-term goals of this study are to facilitate the use of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) among U.S. suppliers and contractors, accelerate its application in U.S. construction, and promote a more resilient and sustainable future U.S. infrastructure. In pursuit of these goals, the objective of this research was to develop a non-proprietary cost effective UHPC characterized by compressive strength exceeding 20 ksi (138 MPa), pre- and post-cracking tensile strength above 0.72 ksi (5 MPa), and sufficient durability properties. The mix designs were optimized in their efficiency considering workability, mechanical performance, and cost effectiveness. In support of cost effectiveness, locally available materials were used from selected areas in the United States. The results of the research effort are summarized herein, and mix designs are suggested for the following three regions: the Northeast area in the vicinity of New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey; the upper Midwest area in the vicinity of Iowa, Minnesota, and Michigan; and the Northwest area in the vicinity of Washington and Oregon. KW - Compressive strength KW - Cost effectiveness KW - Durability KW - High performance concrete KW - Highway bridges KW - Midwestern States KW - Mix design KW - Northeastern States KW - Northwestern States KW - Tensile strength KW - Ultra high performance concrete KW - United States KW - Workability UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/bridge/13100/13100.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278030 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01500065 AU - Scopatz, Bob AU - Lefler, Nancy AU - Eccles, Kim AU - Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Assessment of the Geographic Information Systems’ (GIS) Needs and Obstacles in Traffic Safety PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 50p AB - A geographic information system (GIS) is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographical data visually. The objective of this project was to assess GIS practices, needs and obstacles, and opportunities in traffic safety programs and recommend ways to improve the state-of-the-practice in GIS use for highway safety analysis and decisionmaking at the State and local level. The project included a literature review and summary of relevant peer exchanges along with a Marketing, Communications, and Outreach Plan. These resources have been summarized in this final report to help guide future Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) efforts to best support the needs of State and local agencies as they develop and improve their GIS programs for safety. Key findings are that States are not generally using the full capabilities of modern GIS software to support advanced safety data analysis (such as the techniques suggested in the Highway Safety Manual), but that most States are looking forward to enhancing their GIS and making use of advanced techniques in the future. States are aware of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) requirements for statewide basemaps and a linear reference system that includes all public roadways, but cite administrative and technical barriers to success. The report includes recommendations for FWHA to help agencies overcome these challenges including tools, marketing and training, and research to fill gaps in knowledge. KW - Geographic information systems KW - Highway safety KW - Linear reference system KW - Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act KW - State of the practice KW - Traffic data KW - Traffic safety UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/13096/13096.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278031 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01500064 AU - Richard, Christian M AU - Lichty, Monica G AU - Battelle Seattle Research Center AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Driver Expectations When Navigating Complex Interchanges PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 206p AB - The purpose of this project was to develop a method for determining driver expectations at interchanges and to use that method to determine how these expectations affect driver behavior at interchanges that vary in level of complexity, including provision of initial recommendations for navigation signage to aid complex interchange design. Interchange navigation presents a range of challenges that are different from those associated with driving on continuous roads, and driver errors at interchanges are often more difficult to correct since drivers transfer to a grade-separated freeway, highway, or roadway, which provides limited access points for their return to the original roadway. Clear navigation signage is needed to guide drivers and minimize errors. Although there has been previous research performed on signage in general, research specifically on driver expectations and interchange signage has been limited. Moreover, there is little consensus on a single best way to design signs for interchanges, and available data present an incomplete picture of guidance relevant to sign design. This project involved multiple tasks to study driver expectations, including: (1) a literature review of prior work on driver navigation problems and driver expectations at interchanges, (2) a series of focus groups to collect qualitative information about driver expectations, (3) a task analysis of different interchange navigation scenarios, and (4) an experimental study to collect data on driver performance given various complex interchange signage alternatives. This project yielded several overall conclusions related to driver expectations at interchanges. The focus groups indicated that most drivers have problems at complex, unfamiliar interchanges, and they become stressed when they do not receive the information they expect, if they are surprised, or if required to execute multiple lane changes in a short distance. The task analysis indicated that multiple concurrent driving tasks may be common in complex interchanges and could lead to higher workload. Finally, the empirical data collection activities showed, among other findings, that perceptual factors associated with the spatial layout of signs have a significant impact on driver interpretation of guidance information. The problems that drivers experience, and their responses to those challenges, potentially have implications for safety and capacity at complex interchanges. KW - Behavior KW - Driver expectations KW - Driver workload KW - Drivers KW - Driving KW - Interchanges KW - Traffic signs UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/13048/13048.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278032 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499963 AU - Beason, W Lynn AU - Brackin, Michael S AU - Bligh, Roger P AU - Menges, Wanda L AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development and Testing of a Non-Pinned Low-Profile End Treatment PY - 2013/10//Test Report SP - 96p AB - The Low-Profile barrier was crash tested in the 1990s to assure that a previously developed Low-Profile barrier end treatment complied with Test Level 2 (TL-2) criteria for terminals and redirective crash cushions as presented in National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350. Together, the sloped end treatment and the low-profile barrier provide an innovative barrier system acceptable for use on most local and collector roads, and many work zones, depending upon applicable guidelines. The primary advantage of the low-profile barrier system is that the 20-inch height of the system is less than the traditional concrete barrier height of 32 inches. The reduced height provides enhanced driver visibility in highway work zones and other appropriate locations. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) deemed acceptable the complete Low-Profile barrier system, including the sloped end treatment, for use in situations consistent with NCHRP Report 350 TL-2 applications in 2009. The original Low-Profile end treatment was designed and tested under the assumption that it would be attached to the pavement or subgrade using vertical steel pins spaced at equal intervals along the centerline of the end treatment. The purpose of the steel pins was to control the lateral deflection of the end treatment during impact. While the steel pins do an excellent job of controlling the lateral deflection of the end treatment during impact, the introduction of holes into the pavement or subgrade may not be desirable in many applications. The purpose of this research is to determine if a non-pinned Low-Profile end treatment can comply with applicable crash test standards. The unpinned Low-Profile end treatment performed acceptably for Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) Tests 2-34 and 2-35. KW - AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware KW - Barriers (Roads) KW - Design KW - End treatment KW - Guardrails KW - Height KW - Impact tests KW - Pins UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/9-1002-12-7.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1278251 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499712 AU - Lesnicki, Krzysztof J AU - Kim, Jin-Yeon AU - Kurtis, Kimberly E AU - Jacobs, Laurence J AU - Georgia Institute of Technology AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Accelerated Determination of ASR Susceptibility During Concrete Prism Testing Through Nonlinear Resonance Acoustic Spectroscopy PY - 2013/10//Interim Report SP - 80p AB - Accurate, reliable, and timely laboratory assessment of concrete mixtures—aggregates combined with cementitious materials—is a critical component in ensuring the durability of concrete infrastructure from the adverse effects of the alkali-silica reaction (ASR). Currently, the “Concrete Prism Test” (American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) C1293) is the most reliable standard test method for assessing the suitability of materials and materials combinations for resistance to damage by ASR. However, the main drawback of this method is the 1- to 2-year duration required for the test. This research study evaluates a new nonlinear acoustic technique for characterization of ASR damage in standard concrete prism specimens. Nonlinear impact resonance acoustic spectroscopy offers a fast and reliable measurement of the material nonlinearity. Microstructural changes that occur as a result of ASR cause an increase in the measured nonlinearity, which can be used as a measure of the amount of ASR-induced damage. This study evaluates 10 concrete mix designs with varying ASR reactivity. Both standard expansion tests and nonlinearity measurements are performed on the specimens. This report presents the results of those tests to illustrate the utility of the new method as a complementary technique for damage assessment of laboratory concrete prisms specimens. KW - Admixtures KW - Alkali silica reactions KW - Durability tests KW - Infrastructure KW - Mix design KW - Spectroscopic analysis KW - Ultrasonic tests UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/50000/50800/50867/13085.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/50000/50800/50867/13085.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1267333 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499704 AU - Bejleri, I AU - Goodknight, J AU - Srinivasan, S AU - Barker, N AU - Haas, P AU - Noh, S AU - University of Florida, Gainesville AU - University of Florida, Gainesville AU - Florida Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Safety Project Development Capacity for Small Communities in Coordination with Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Center PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 53p AB - The goal of Florida’s 2012 Strategic Highway Safety Plan is to reduce serious and fatal crashes on all of Florida's road system, including small rural communities. However, there are a few challenges in the way: most small communities lack technical expertise and crash data systems; Florida Department of Transportation's (FDOT) manpower to provide this support is limited; and the necessary funding is lacking. Given the long-time Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) experience in assisting local communities, the purpose of this study was to research options to find a structured and sustainable solution that would address the challenge above by involving LTAP and in coordination with FDOT. To accomplish this goal, the research team reviewed existing efforts in Florida and in other states, surveyed small counties in Florida, and developed a case study for a selected rural (Union) county. Several findings emerged. First, for small agencies a "hands on" support with studies and analysis is required, which will need additional resources to accomplish. Second, some of the safety issues identified could be corrected through maintenance practices and training. Third, there is a need to incorporate the systemic approach with low cost countermeasures, and therefore, further development of systemic analytical tools is needed. Fourth, continued efforts are needed to develop ways to expedite the implementation of safety projects after they have been approved for federal funding. The following recommendations are proposed for a successful application of these findings: (1) establish a program and plan resources to conduct and execute safety studies for small local agencies through LTAP; (2) inform the larger agencies about the safety program through safety summits; (3) expand the outreach program at the state level by reaching out to various relevant professional associations; (4) enhance tools for systemic analysis; and (5) expand methods for expediting implementation of safety improvements. KW - Case studies KW - Countermeasures KW - Crash data KW - Florida KW - Florida Department of Transportation KW - Highway safety KW - Local government agencies KW - Local Technical Assistance Program KW - Rural areas KW - Safety programs KW - Traffic safety UR - http://www.fdot.gov/research/Completed_Proj/Summary_SF/FDOT-BDK77-977-21-rpt.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1267307 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499701 AU - Nordback, Krista AU - Marshall, Wesley E AU - Janson, Bruce N AU - University of Colorado, Denver AU - Colorado Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development of Estimation Methodology for Bicycle and Pedestrian Volumes Based on Existing Counts PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 157p AB - The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) adopted the Bicycle and Pedestrian Policy directive in 2009 stating that "...the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians shall be included in the planning, design, and operation of transportation facilities, as a matter of routine..." While well intentioned, this policy directive remained difficult to fulfill without sufficiently accurate estimates of bicycle and pedestrian volume on CDOT facilities. This research project enables CDOT to answer the question of whether or not these road users are being adequately accommodated by establishing Colorado-specific methodologies for estimating bicycle and pedestrian volumes via a limited sample of existing counts. Because it is not economically realistic to collect continuous count data throughout the entire CDOT system, there is a need to establish procedures for handling bicycle and pedestrian data and calculations as well as methods for estimating annual bicycle and pedestrian use from short-term counts. This work will facilitate improved use of CDOT’s existing investments in collecting continuous and short-term bicycle and pedestrian count data. It will also enable CDOT to better understand the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians as well as best allocate limited resources in order to properly meet those needs. Using the factoring method presented in this report, CDOT can automate the estimation of annual average daily bicyclists (AADB) and annual average daily bicyclists and pedestrians (AADBP), just as is currently done for motor vehicle traffic. Since the method is essentially the same and the grouping of the sites can be automated, this should not require significant staff time. By publishing the non-motorized traffic counts and AADB and AADBP estimates on its website, CDOT can share this processed data with local agencies throughout the state. KW - Bicycle counts KW - Colorado KW - Cyclists KW - Data collection KW - Estimating KW - Methodology KW - Pedestrian counts KW - Pedestrians UR - http://www.coloradodot.info/programs/research/pdfs/2013/bikecounts.pdf/at_download/file UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1267338 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499699 AU - Greeley, Harold P AU - Roma, Peter G AU - Mallis, Melissa M AU - Hursh, Steven R AU - Mead, Andrew M AU - Nesthus, Thomas E AU - Response Applications, LLC AU - Institutes for Behavior Resources AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Field Study Evaluation of Cepstrum Coefficient Speech Analysis for Fatigue in Aviation Cabin Crew PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 20p AB - Impaired neurobehavioral performance induced by fatigue may compromise safety in 24-hour operational environments such as aviation. As such, non-invasive, reliable, and valid methods of objectively detecting compromised performance capacity in operational settings could be valuable as a means of identifying, preventing, and mitigating fatigue-induced safety risks. One approach that has attracted attention in recent years is quantitative speech analysis, but the extent of its operational feasibility, validity of the metrics, and sensitivity to operationally-relevant factors in aviation remains unknown. To this end, the present report offers an initial proof-of-concept evaluation of a speech analysis method based on Cepstrum Coefficient modeling, using voice files from a broad sample of 195 cabin crew personnel collected during the 2009-2010 United States Civil Aerospace Medical Institute-sponsored Flight Attendant Field Study. Using a personal digital assistant device, participants recited five standardized phrases in random order before and after each workday and sleep episode throughout their respective 3-4 week study periods. Operational acceptability of the procedure was high, as indicated by high protocol compliance and, despite the inherent variability of the timing and environments in which the test sessions occurred, the 13,975 files from 2,795 valid sessions were of sufficient quality for formal analysis. Individualized “baseline” speech models were built from the files collected during test sessions coinciding with optimal neurobehavioral performance, as determined by 5-min Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) reaction times(RT), then speech deviation scores relative to individual baseline models were calculated for the test sessions that preceded and concluded each “trip” of multiple consecutive work days. Regarding validity, speech scores correlated significantly with PVT RTs and Lapses (RTs > 500 msec), with a stronger relationship to Lapses, but high variability at the low range of both performance variables suggests the influence of other factors. Regarding sensitivity to operational factors, average Pre-Trip vs. Post-Trip speech scores differed significantly, although scores unexpectedly decreased from Pre to Post, an artifact attributable to the composition of the baseline session pool. Nonetheless, the pattern of speech data echoed performance data from a previous report in which scores were most affected in crew of Regional carriers, with Junior seniority, and in Domestic operations. These initial results reveal promising validity and sensitivity of Cepstrum Coefficient modeling for speech signal analysis of fatigue in dynamic operational environments. Remaining questions underscore the need to further explore the dataset to determine the precise relationship between speech production and neurobehavioral performance capacity, the parameters for constructing individualized models, and standardized quantitative speech-based definitions of fatigue. KW - Aviation safety KW - Evaluation KW - Fatigue (Physiological condition) KW - Field studies KW - Flight crews KW - Performance measurement KW - Psychomotor Vigilance Task KW - Reaction time KW - Sleep KW - Speech UR - http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2010s/media/201319.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1276930 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499681 AU - Hewes, Joshua T AU - Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff AU - Arizona Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Analysis of the State of the Art of Precast Concrete Bridge Substructure Systems PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 132p AB - Precasting of bridge substructure components holds potential for accelerating the construction of bridges, reducing impacts to the traveling public on routes adjacent to construction sites, improving bridge durability and hence service life, and reducing the environmental impacts that are associated with cast-in-place construction operations. Use of concrete substructures has been limited in the United States; only recently have state departments of transportation (DOTs) developed and implemented technologies that speed construction through the use of prefabricated columns, cap beams, and footings. In this research, the author gathered relevant information on the use of precast substructures by state DOTs, and analyzed existing technologies for appropriateness of use on typical bridges within Arizona. Drawing from the collected literature, the author makes recommendations for implementing precast substructures. KW - Arizona KW - Bridge construction KW - Bridge members KW - Bridge substructures KW - Implementation KW - Precast concrete KW - Prefabricated bridges KW - Recommendations KW - State departments of transportation KW - State of the art UR - http://apps.azdot.gov/ADOTLibrary/publications/project_reports/PDF/AZ687.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1276928 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499673 AU - Plankis, Alivia AU - Heyliger, Paul AU - Colorado State University, Fort Collins AU - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute AU - Mountain-Plains Consortium AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Off-Grid MEMS Sensors Configurations for Transportation Applications PY - 2013/10 SP - 90p AB - The motivation for this report is a proposed new microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensor with applications in civil infrastructure sensing. The work required was to determine accurate estimates of the resonant frequencies for a fixed-fixed silicon bridge within the device so that further testing and development could proceed. Additional knowledge and information were essential, though, before these requested calculations could be performed confidently. First, a thorough review of current structural health monitoring concepts and methods was performed to better understand the field in which this device would be applied and what incentive existed to develop a new sensor. Second, an in-depth investigation of vibrational beam mechanics theories was completed to ensure the accuracy of the frequency results for the new MEMS sensor. This report analyzed the influence of three assumptions employed in the Euler-Bernoulli, Rayleigh, and Timoshenko beam theories by comparing their results to a three-dimensional, elasticity-based approximation for vibrational frequencies and mode shapes. The results of this report showed that all three theories are insufficient when a fixed support is involved, so the elasticity-based approximation was utilized to calculate the frequencies for the bridge component in the MEMS device. These results have been passed on to the developers so that the testing process could move forward in the hopes that the device could advance the field of structural health monitoring in the future. KW - Beams KW - Bridge members KW - Elasticity (Mechanics) KW - MicroElectroMechanical System (MEMS) device KW - Microelectronic materials KW - Resonance frequency KW - Sensors KW - Structural health monitoring KW - Structural supports KW - Vibration UR - http://www.mountain-plains.org/pubs/pdf/MPC13-257.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1277739 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499663 AU - Watkins, Kari E AU - Wong, James AU - Roell, Maria AU - Georgia Institute of Technology AU - Georgia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Technology Scan of Future Traveler Information Systems and Applications in Georgia PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 138p AB - Statewide traveler information provided in Georgia through its NaviGAtor/5-1-1 system is primarily based on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) related to freeway traffic management. The purpose of this study is to evaluate traveler information in Georgia and to provide recommendations on potential conceptual alternatives to the existing NaviGAtor system that could improve its effectiveness. The evaluation applies several different methodologies including website comparisons, a survey of NaviGAtor users, a feedback system and a futures workshop which applies a visioning process to the current state of the NaviGAtor system. Four proposed alternatives address information delivery to customers and methods through which data can be fed into the broader system. The final recommendation is a hybrid of those alternatives that suggests that the agency: (1) enters into third-party data agreements to cost effectively increase coverage of travel speeds; (2) pursues an open data approach that invites broader participation by web developers to improve information dissemination; and (3) incorporates static and real-time information from the Metropolitan Atlanta Regional Transit Authority (MARTA) and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. This research will be of interest to those researchers and practitioners involved in managing traveler information programs, especially those contemplating changes to existing traditional ITS systems. KW - Advanced traveler information systems KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Georgia KW - Information dissemination KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - Real time information KW - Recommendations KW - Surveys KW - Websites (Information retrieval) KW - Workshops UR - http://www.dot.ga.gov/BuildSmart/research/Documents/11-25.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1267734 ER - TY - SER AN - 01499658 JO - Traffic Safety Facts - Crash Stats PB - National Center for Statistics and Analysis TI - Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities for the First Half (Jan–Jun) of 2013 PY - 2013/10 SP - 2p AB - A statistical projection of traffic fatalities for the first half of 2013 shows that an estimated 15,470 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes. This represents a decrease of about 4.2 percent as compared to the 16,150 fatalities that were projected to have occurred in the first half of 2012. The percentage change in fatalities has been steadily decreasing since the significant 12.3-percent increase projected for the first quarter of 2012. Preliminary data reported by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) shows that vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the first six months of 2013 decreased by about 1.4 billion miles, or about a 0.1-percent decrease. The fatality rate for the first six months of 2013 decreased to 1.06 fatalities per 100 million VMT, down from 1.10 fatalities per 100 million VMT in the first half of 2012. The fatality rate for the second quarter of 2013 decreased to 1.08 fatalities per 100 million VMT, down from 1.12 fatalities in the second quarter of 2012. KW - Fatalities KW - Traffic crashes KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - Vehicle miles of travel UR - http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811845.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1277860 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499650 AU - Bushell, Max A AU - Poole, Bryan W AU - Zegeer, Charles V AU - Rodriguez, Daniel A AU - University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Costs for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Infrastructure Improvements: A Resource for Researchers, Engineers, Planners, and the General Public PY - 2013/10 SP - 46p AB - Costs for pedestrian and bicycle safety infrastructure often vary greatly from city to city and state to state. This document (and associated database) is intended to provide meaningful estimates of infrastructure costs by collecting up-to-date cost information for pedestrian and bicycle treatments from states and cities across the country. Using this information, researchers, engineers, planners, and the general public can better understand the cost of pedestrian and bicycle treatments in their communities and make informed decisions about which infrastructure enhancements are best suited for implementation. By collecting countrywide cost information, this database should contain useful information for any state or city, even if costs from that particular state or city are not included for a given treatment. The tables provided in this document provide general estimates and cost ranges for 77 pedestrian and bicycle facilities using more than 1,700 cost observations, and are presented with a median and average price, the minimum and maximum cost, and the number of sources. KW - Bicycle facilities KW - Bikeways KW - Cities KW - Costs KW - Infrastructure KW - Pedestrian areas KW - States KW - United States KW - Walkways UR - http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/cms/downloads/Countermeasure%20Costs_Report_Nov2013.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1266314 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499625 AU - Stamatiadis, Nikiforos AU - Sturgill, Roy AU - Goodrum, Paul AU - Shocklee, Emily AU - Wang, Chen AU - University of Kentucky, Lexington AU - Kentucky Transportation Cabinet AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Tools for Applying Constructability Concepts to Project Development (Design) PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 85p AB - The purpose of this report is to document the activities of Phases I and II of the research effort and present the findings of the work accomplished. Phase I developed the Constructability Review Database for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and Phase II conducted a benefit analysis of the constructability review process. The database provides the basis for entry and collection of constructability reviews and allows for the identification of trends leading to potential improvements of the process. The database can be used to summarize activities, generate reports for a project, and be capable of quantifying the benefits from the process. The analysis documents the benefits of the reviews and recommends continuation and expansion to all projects. KW - Benefits KW - Case studies KW - Construction KW - Databases KW - Design KW - Kentucky KW - Kentucky Transportation Cabinet KW - Project management KW - Reviews KW - Statistical analysis UR - http://www.ktc.uky.edu/files/2013/11/KTC_13_15_FRT_190_11_1F_.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1277863 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499612 AU - Sun, Xiaoduan AU - Das, Subasish AU - University of Louisiana, Lafayette AU - Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development AU - Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Developing Louisiana Crash Reduction Factors PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 72p AB - The Louisiana Strategic Highway Safety Plan is to reach the goal of Destination Zero Death on Louisiana roadways. This tall order calls for implementing all feasible crash countermeasures. A great number of crash countermeasures have been identified by various representative documents; however, crash countermeasures unique to Louisiana have not been thoroughly evaluated before. After reviewing and documenting crash countermeasures as well as their crash modification factors (CMF), the research team developed two CMFs that are unique in Louisiana. The first CMF is for converting four-lane urban undivided roadway to five-lane roadway. Undivided multilane roadways have consistently exhibited low safety performance, particularly in urban or suburban areas where roadside development is relatively intense. Although the five-lane roadway is no longer an acceptable roadway type for new construction in Louisiana, the impressive crash reductions on several urban roadway segments clearly demonstrate it as a feasible solution under financial constrained conditions. Based on the statistical analysis with six years of crash data (three years before and three years after excluding the project implementation year), the CMFs for all roadways are estimated to be less than 0.6 with a standard deviation less than 0.07. The second CMF developed is for raised pavement markers and striping. Raised pavement markers (RPM) are intended as safety devices on roadways. Intuitively convinced by its safety benefits, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) has been using RPM for many years on all freeways in the state. This project evaluates the safety benefit of RPM along with pavement striping on freeways with nine years of data. The analysis results from three analysis methods indicate that RPM has significant benefit in reducing nighttime crashes on rural freeways and there are no safety benefits on urban freeways. KW - Countermeasures KW - Crash data KW - Five lane highways KW - Freeways KW - Highway safety KW - Louisiana KW - Multilane highways KW - Nighttime crashes KW - Road markings KW - Striping KW - Traffic crashes UR - http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/pdf/2013/FR_506.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1267337 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499597 AU - Monsere, Chris AU - Figliozzi, Miguel AU - Thompson, Sam AU - Paulsen, Kirk AU - Portland State University AU - Oregon Department of Transportation AU - Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Operational Guidance For Bicycle-Specific Traffic Signals In the United States PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 298p AB - This research consisted of two phases: a synthesis of practice and an analysis of cyclist performance characteristics. The synthesis of current practice reviewed the literature, current engineering design and operational guidance documents, and surveyed the jurisdictions about their current deployments of bicycle-specific signals. This report summarizes research of cyclist behavior at signalized intersections in Portland, Eugene, Corvallis, Beaverton and Clackamas County, Oregon. These signals had both bicycle-specific indications and vehicle-only signals. A total of 4,673 cyclists were observed. For each cyclist observed arriving on red, a set of descriptive variables were collected (e.g., age, sex, helmet use, presence of cargo, arrival in group). Time-based event data were collected to establish reaction times, crossing times, waiting time, gap acceptance, and saturation flow rates. Compliance behavior was also established for these cyclists. KW - Behavior KW - Bicycle crossings KW - Cyclists KW - Demographics KW - Gap acceptance KW - Oregon KW - Persons and personal characteristics KW - Reaction time KW - Saturation flow KW - Signalized intersections KW - Traffic signals KW - United States KW - Waiting time UR - http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TP_RES/ResearchReports/SPR747_Bicycle_Specific.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1267339 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499594 AU - Johnsen, Michael AU - Rears, Johnothan AU - Gruberg, Richard AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Safety Analysis and Industry Impacts of the Pre-Employment Screening Program PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 35p AB - In this report, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) analyzes the safety impacts of the Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) and presents metrics and anecdotal information on attitudes of carriers using PSP. The safety impacts are examined by comparing the crash rates and driver out-of-service (OOS) rates during the 12-month time periods prior to and after the start of PSP use. These data are then compared to the general carrier population. This analysis finds that the carriers using PSP reduced their crash and driver OOS rates over the general carrier population. FMCSA also provides metrics indicating that motor carriers are the most active users of the PSP, and use of the PSP has been steadily increasing since the PSP began distributing information in May 2010. An informal query of some carriers using PSP reveals that carriers like the system, use it for determining the accuracy of potential drivers’ resumes, and use it for every newly hired driver. KW - Crash rates KW - Driver performance KW - Motor carriers KW - Selection and appointment KW - Truck drivers KW - Trucking safety UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51200/51258/13-003-PSP-Safety-Impact.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1267334 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499333 AU - Taylor, Peter C AU - National Concrete Pavement Technology Center AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Long-Life Concrete: How Long Will My Concrete Last? A Synthesis of Knowledge of Potential Durability of Concrete PY - 2013/10 SP - 48p AB - There is an ongoing discussion about moving toward performance-based specifications for concrete pavements. This document seeks to move the discussion forward by outlining the needs and the challenges, and proposing some immediate actions. However, this approach may increase risk for all parties until performance requirements are agreed upon and, more importantly, how the requirements can be measured. A fundamental issue behind pavement construction activities is that the owner/designer needs to be assured that the concrete in place will survive for the intended period (assuming there are no changes in the environment or loading) and, therefore, that full payment should be made. At the same time, each party along the supply chain needs to be assured that the material being supplied to them is able to meet the required performance, as is the product/system they are delivering. The focus of this document is a discussion of the issues behind this need, and the technologies that are available, or still needed, to meet this need, particularly from the point of view of potential durability. KW - Concrete pavements KW - Durability KW - Needs assessment KW - Paving KW - Service life UR - http://publications.iowa.gov/15267/1/IADOT_InTrans_TPF-5%28159%29_concrete_durability_synthesis_2013.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1277735 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01499327 AU - Taylor, Peter C AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Colorado Department of Transportation AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Kansas Department of Transportation AU - Michigan Department of Transportation AU - Minnesota Department of Transportation AU - Ohio Department of Transportation AU - Oklahoma Department of Transportation AU - Pennsylvania Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - A Synthesis of Knowledge of Potential Durability of Concrete PY - 2013/10 SP - 48p AB - There is an ongoing discussion about moving toward performance-based specifications for concrete pavements. This document seeks to move the discussion forward by outlining the needs and the challenges, and proposing some immediate actions. However, this approach may increase risk for all parties until performance requirements are agreed upon and, more importantly, how the requirements can be measured. A fundamental issue behind pavement construction activities is that the owner/designer needs to be assured that the concrete in place will survive for the intended period (assuming there are no changes in the environment or loading) and, therefore, that full payment should be made. At the same time, each party along the supply chain needs to be assured that the material being supplied to them is able to meet the required performance, as is the product/system they are delivering. The focus of this document is a discussion of the issues behind this need, and the technologies that are available, or still needed, to meet this need, particularly from the point of view of potential durability. KW - Concrete KW - Concrete pavements KW - Concrete tests KW - Durability KW - Knowledge KW - Measurement KW - Needs assessment KW - Service life UR - http://www.cptechcenter.org/technical-library/documents/durability_synthesis_w_cvr.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1267390 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01497827 AU - Vachal, Kimberly AU - Kubas, Andrew AU - Benson, Laurel AU - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute AU - North Dakota Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Community Leader and Law Enforcement DUI Survey, 2013 PY - 2013/10 SP - 21p AB - Driving under the influence (DUI) is a dangerous activity and is especially problematic in North Dakota. To curtail rates of impaired driving, it is important to examine the actions of those that have firsthand involvement with DUI prevention: prosecutors, community leaders, and law enforcement personnel. A survey was administered to leaders across the state. It included ranking, ordering, and fill-in-the-blank response questions. Statistical analyses were performed to study differences across respondent groups, administrative regions, and with regard to traffic-related work loads. Results show that DUI citation and conviction rates differ and are contingent upon one’s job title, geographic location, and time spent on traffic related calls for service. Imprisonment is viewed as the most effective deterrent to impaired driving, and two funding resources – North Dakota Department of Transportation High-Visibility Enforcement Grants and North Dakota Highway Patrol Roving Patrols – were rated as most important in stopping driving after drinking. Changes can be made to ensure higher conviction rates, and new strategies can be used to discourage impaired driving. North Dakota DUI penalties lag considerably behind other states, and modifications to the state’s legislation could reduce future instances of this hazardous behavior. KW - Drunk driving KW - Law enforcement personnel KW - North Dakota KW - Penalties KW - State laws KW - Surveys KW - Traffic conviction UR - http://www.ugpti.org/pubs/pdf/DP269.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1267420 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01497427 AU - Smith, Wade AU - Shurland, Melissa AU - Amtrak AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Biodiesel Passenger Rail Revenue Service Test PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 45p AB - Amtrak, with the support of the Federal Railroad Administration, operated a P-32 passenger locomotive in revenue service for a period of 12 months on B20 biodiesel fuel, a blend of 20 percent pure biodiesel and 80 percent #2 ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel. The GE P-32 locomotive used in the biodiesel demonstration was a Tier 0 12-cyclinder engine built in 1991. The locomotive was operated on the Heartland Flyer route, providing passenger train service between Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Fort Worth, Texas. Following the in-service trial, the locomotive underwent emissions testing at the GE Transportation’s locomotive emissions test facility in Erie, Pennsylvania. The locomotive was tested for emissions according to the Federal Test Procedure outlined in 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 92. The test results showed that operating the P-32 passenger locomotive on B20 biodiesel blended fuel for 12 months did not adversely affect the emissions of the locomotive. In addition, tear-down inspection of four of the twelve engine power assemblies showed that B20 biodiesel fuel did not have any adverse effects on the engine components. KW - Biodiesel fuels KW - Engine components KW - Exhaust gases KW - On time performance KW - Passenger trains KW - Pollutants UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3417 UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3418 UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3419 UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3420 UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3421 UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3422 UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3423 UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3424 UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3425 UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3426 UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3427 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1266348 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01497425 AU - Gorski, Adrian AU - Richter, Dennis AU - Smith, Andrew AU - Zhang, Jingjun AU - Watson, David AU - Spinelli, Robert AU - GE Transportation AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Safety Evaluation of High-Speed Rail (HSR) Bogie Concepts: Comparative evaluations of HSR bogie design concepts for operation up to 125 mph PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 158p AB - The study defines the basic design concepts required to provide a safe, reliable, high-speed bogie for the next generation Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA) passenger locomotive. The requirements and conditions for the United States market create unique design challenges that currently cannot be addressed by a U.S.-based manufacturer. A global survey identified dominant design trends focused on reducing P2 forces and optimizing bogie stability, curving performance, and ride quality. A likely design configuration with Bo-Bo (a locomotive with two bogies) arrangement was defined for the Task 2 stability analysis. The design of experiments, response surface techniques, and design space method used for the stability analysis demonstrated that a feasible design space of suspension variables could be identified for the conditions evaluated. The coinciding requirements for a higher horsepower engine, Tier 4 emissions, and crashworthiness equipment will add significant weight to the next generation locomotive. In order to meet the P2 limit of 82,000 pounds force at 125 mph, the next generation passenger locomotive will require a frame-hung traction motor, most likely with fully suspended drivetrain, and a disc brake system added to the already existing tread brake and dynamic brake systems. A preliminary safety Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) concluded the new drivetrain would likely not increase safety risk. KW - Braking performance KW - Car trucks (Railroads) KW - Dynamic loads KW - Failure Modes and Effects Analysis KW - High speed rail KW - Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act KW - Power trains KW - Railroad safety KW - Stability analysis KW - Vehicle design UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3416 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1266347 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01497424 AU - Holcomb, Matthew D AU - Mauger, W David AU - Transportation Technology Center, Incorporated AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Feasibility Study of Fiber-Optic Technology for Broken Rail Detection PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 26p AB - This report describes the activities and presents the results of a feasibility study to examine the viability of using fiber-optic acoustic technologies to detect broken rails in railroad tracks. A fiber-optic test bed was constructed at Transportation Technology Center (TTC) that consisted of fiber-optic cable (and related electronics) installed alongside the track of the High Tonnage Loop (HTL) at TTC’s Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST). The cable was used as an acoustic detector to monitor acoustic energy transmitted by the HTL track through the earth to the cable. Data from the acoustic detector was then analyzed to see if acoustic events from the track could be correlated to broken rails when they occurred during train operations at FAST. During the study, analysts were able to identify and locate rail breaks. Follow-on efforts should focus on enhancing the existing capabilities of the fiber-optic test bed to enable it to detect additional acoustic events such as flat wheels and other railcar defects, as well as train position (including head-end and end-of-train detection), train velocity, length of train, braking issues, and the presence of railway trespassers. KW - Acoustic detectors KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Fiber optics KW - Maintenance of way KW - Rail (Railroads) UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3428 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1266350 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01497423 AU - Riding, Kyle AU - Albahttiti, Mohammed AU - Ghadban, Ahmad AU - Stuart, Cameron AU - Kansas State University, Manhattan AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Freeze-Thaw Performance Testing of Whole Concrete Railroad Ties PY - 2013/10 SP - 50p AB - Freezing and thawing durability tests of prestressed concrete ties are normally performed according to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) C666 specifications. Small specimens are cut from the shoulders of concrete ties and tested through 300 cycles of freezing and thawing. Saw-cutting these specimens may cause eccentricities in the prestressing, stress relief, and micro-cracking that may affect the results of the freeze-thaw durability tests, leading to false interpretation of the data. Conversely, testing an entire concrete tie rather than a sample may provide more consistent and accurate results by eliminating saw-cutting damage and sample variability. Seven whole prestressed concrete ties, supplied by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), were tested for freeze and thaw durability using ASTM C666 procedures that were modified slightly to accommodate the large test specimens. Deterioration over 300 cycles was measured by weight loss, length change, and impact resonance measurements. The test results revealed no significant deterioration in the test ties. KW - Deterioration KW - Durability tests KW - Freeze thaw tests KW - Length KW - Prestressed concrete ties KW - Railroad ties KW - Resonance KW - Weight UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3413 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1266352 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01497421 AU - Walsh, Benjamin AU - Golay, Leslie AU - Barnes-Farrell, Janet AU - Morrow, Stephanie AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - University of Connecticut, Storrs AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - A Job Analysis Design for the Rail Industry: Description and Model Analysis of the Job of Freight Conductor PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 138p AB - This document provides a step-by-step description of the design and execution of a strategic job analysis, using the position of Freight Conductor as an example. This document was created to be useful for many different needs, and can be used as an example of how to conduct similar job analyses for other positions. The job analysis process is described in detail; sample meeting agendas, survey questionnaires, and suggestions on how to create and finalize a list of job tasks and knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) for the position of interest are provided. While analyzing the position of Freight Conductor, key aspects of the position were identified, including main tasks and KSAOs required to complete the job successfully. Conclusions report the specific results of the job analysis, including information from subject matter expert (SME) focus group discussions regarding demands and strains of the job. Implications for training and development are also discussed. KW - Abilities KW - Conductors (Trains) KW - Focus groups KW - Freight trains KW - Job analysis KW - Knowledge KW - Personnel development KW - Task analysis KW - Training UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3412 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/50000/50600/50695/TR_Job_Analysis_Design_Rail_Industry_FINAL_1_.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1266351 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01497419 AU - Sharma and Associates, Incorporated AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Performance Requirements: For a 70-Ton Higher Speed Freight Truck Design for Operations of Up To 125 MPH PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 16p AB - This proposed requirements document combines a set of requirements for high-speed freight car truck design and performance from the generally accepted standards in the United States Code of Federal Regulation (CFR), the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices (MSRP), and the American Public Transportation Association Standards (APTA). The proposal will ideally establish a set of design and performance requirements specifically for freight car trucks intended to operate at speeds of up to 125 mph. This proposed requirements document covers the design and performance requirements for freight car trucks applied to freight cars that are intended for use in rail service at speeds of up to 125 mph, the Track Class 7 maximum allowable operating speed. Accordingly, only elements essential to track worthiness, basic equipment, and strength are addressed. Special component and braking requirements are not addressed in this document. In addition to design and strength, safety performance requirements based on lateral wheel load, vertical wheel unloading, L/V ratio, and lateral and vertical car body accelerations are addressed in this report. KW - Design standards KW - Freight cars KW - High speed rail KW - L/V ratio KW - Lateral acceleration KW - Vehicle design KW - Vehicle performance KW - Wheel loads UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3415 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1266356 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01497418 AU - Sharma and Associates, Incorporated AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Structural Analysis: Higher Speed Freight Truck Design for Operations of Up To 125 MPH PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 27p AB - Sharma & Associates, Inc. (SA) had previously (2005–2009) developed a higher speed freight truck under sponsorship of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Under the current contract, SA was tasked with developing performance requirements for higher speed freight trucks, as well as conducting structural and dynamics simulations according to those performance specifications. The strength of various components of the truck was assessed against specification M-213 of the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices (MSRP) using finite element analyses. The analyses showed that the prototype high speed truck (HST) would meet the existing AAR structural strength performance requirements. The stress levels seen in the HST structure(s) were less than the corresponding allowable limits. On the basis of these analyses, SA is confident that the truck will meet the structural performance requirements for higher speed use. KW - Finite element method KW - Freight cars KW - High speed rail KW - Load tests KW - Simulation KW - Stress tests (Equipment) KW - Vehicle design KW - Vehicle dynamics KW - Vehicle performance UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3414 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1266354 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01497409 AU - Anderson, Keith W AU - Uhlmeyer, Jeff S AU - Williams, Kurt AU - Russell, Mark AU - Washington State Department of Transportation AU - Washington State Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of Portland Cement Concrete Pavement with High Slag Content Cement PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 43p AB - The performance of a section of concrete pavement built with 30 percent Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS) is compared to a control section of concrete pavement built with 25 percent GGBFS to determine if the higher slag content pavement is more resistant to wear from studded tires. The wear measurements made over a period of six years showed minimal amount of wear on both the higher slag content section and the control section. It was impossible to conclude that the higher slag content was more resistant to studded tire wear than conventional concrete mixes normally used on Washington roadways. The low speed of vehicles (40 mph speed limit) is a possible contributing factor to the lower amounts of wear noted on this project. KW - Concrete pavements KW - Granulated slag KW - Pavement performance KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Slag KW - Speed KW - Studded tires KW - Washington (State) KW - Wear UR - http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/728.2.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1266307 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01497406 AU - Bruce, Mary Ellen C AU - Berg, Ryan R AU - Collin, James G AU - Filz, George M AU - Terashi, Masaaki AU - Yang, David S AU - Geotechnica S.A., Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Federal Highway Administration Design Manual: Deep Mixing for Embankment and Foundation Support PY - 2013/10 SP - 248p AB - This report provides background on deep mixing for U.S. transportation projects and provides further information on design and construction aspects. This report also includes guidelines required for U.S. transportation engineers to plan, design, construct, and monitor deep mixing projects for embankment and foundation support applications. Considerations for secondary associated applications such as excavation support and liquefaction mitigation are also discussed. KW - Cement treated soils KW - Construction KW - Deep mixing KW - Design KW - Embankment foundations KW - Embankments KW - Quality assurance KW - Quality control UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/bridge/13046/13046.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1266357 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01497279 AU - Carolan, Michael AU - Perlman, Benjamin AU - Tyrell, David AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Alternative Occupied Volume Integrity (OVI) Testing and Analyses PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 143p AB - The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), supported by the Volpe Center, conducted research on alternative methods of evaluating occupied volume integrity (OVI) in passenger railcars. Guided by this research, an alternative methodology for evaluating OVI that ensures an equivalent or greater level of safety than that provided by the current Federal regulations was developed. The alternative methodology moves the evaluation loads to the collision load path and includes three sets of load magnitudes and pass-fail criteria. This methodology also permits a combination of elastic testing and finite element (FE) analysis to be used. This research program applied the alternative methodology to a passenger railcar. Three tests were performed in concert with FE analyses. The first test was a conventional 800,000-pound buff strength test. The results of this test were used to validate an FE model of the car. The FE model was used to estimate the ultimate, or crippling, load of the car. Two destructive crippling tests were then performed. The crippling FE analysis results were compared with the crippling test results and found to describe the general behavior of the tested cars. The FE analysis estimated a crippling load of 1.19 million pounds, and the two test cars had crippling loads of 1.15 and 1.19 million pounds. The results of this program provide a technical basis for the alternative OVI methodology. The load magnitudes in the new methodology have been shown to be reasonable descriptions of the OVI capacity of conventionally designed passenger railcars. KW - Compressive strength KW - Crashworthiness KW - Finite element method KW - Load tests KW - Passenger cars KW - Railroad safety UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3469 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/48000/48300/48366/TR_Alternative_OVI_Testing_Report_edited_20131024_FINAL_1_.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1266343 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01497278 AU - Noel, Errol C AU - Arhin, Stephen AU - Thomas, Janet AU - Mineta National Transit Research Consortium AU - Howard University AU - Mineta Transportation Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Long-Term Trends in Patron Satisfaction of DC Circulator PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 66p AB - The DC Circulator is a local transit system designed to facilitate travel to and within the central business area in the District of Columbia (DC). Since its inception in 2005, the Downtown DC Business Improvement District (DCBID) and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) have been conducting surveys to assess patron trends and feedback, including their satisfaction with the services provided. The Circulator routes provide access from fringe areas to Metro rail and bus services. The Circulator was formed as a public-private enterprise that involves the DDOT, the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) and DC Surface Transit, Inc. As part of its performance management program, DCBID conducted surveys of patrons during summers over the seven year period of 2005-2011. Although the data provided snapshots of consumer opinion and feedback, there was no analysis to examine how the observed variables changed over the years. In addition, the scope of the data collection was not intended to provide information for determining whether there were seasonal variations in patron perception of the quality of service. This study provides some of the trends in patron feedback and perception of the quality of service of DC Circulator using survey data compiled over the seven-year period, in addition to data collected by the research team in summer and fall of 2012. This report also presents seasonal variations (over summer and fall) in the perception of quality of service. KW - Bus transit KW - Customer satisfaction KW - Passengers KW - Public private partnerships KW - Quality of service KW - Ridership KW - Seasons KW - Surveys KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - Washington (District of Columbia) UR - http://transweb.sjsu.edu/PDFs/research/1138-DC-Circulator-user-satisfaction-trends.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1266294 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01497275 AU - Llana, Patricia G AU - Tyrell, David AU - Jacobsen, Karina AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Collision of Amtrak Passenger Train and Norfolk Southern Freight Train— November 30, 2007, Chicago, Illinois PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 61p AB - On November 30, 2007, an Amtrak passenger train travelling at approximately 33 mph collided with the rear of a standing freight train in Chicago, Illinois. The locomotive of the passenger train overrode the rear car of the freight train and came to rest on top of the rear car. The rest of the cars in the passenger and freight consists remained on the tracks. There were no fatalities caused by the accident and no life-threatening injuries were incurred by the passengers or crew. The passenger locomotive bore the brunt of the impact and sustained most of the structural and interior damage, creating an almost life-threatening situation within the cab. This document is the U. S. Department of Transportation’s Rail Accident Forensic Team’s report on the Chicago accident. The document comprises a main report and four appendices. The main report summarizes the sequence of events of the accident, the casualties, and the structural and interior damage incurred. The appendices provide more information and greater detail about the accident, as well as results from preliminary collision dynamics analyses. KW - Amtrak KW - Chicago (Illinois) KW - Crash analysis KW - Crash causes KW - Crash investigation KW - Crashes KW - Freight trains KW - Norfolk Southern Railway Company KW - Passenger trains KW - Railroad crashes UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3468 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/38000/38600/38674/TR_Chicago_Accident_edited_20131025_FINAL_1_.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1266344 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01497273 AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Large Truck Crash Overview 2011 PY - 2013/10 SP - 6p AB - In 2011, there were: 3,341 large truck fatal crashes; 3,608 large trucks in fatal crashes; and 3,757 people killed in large truck fatal crashes. Another 88,000 people were injured in crashes involving large trucks. Seventeen percent of those killed, and 26% of those injured, were occupants of large trucks. From 2001 through 2011, the number of large trucks involved in fatal crashes dropped from 4,823 to 3,608—down by 25%. From 2007 through 2011, the number of large trucks in fatal crashes per 100 million vehicle miles traveled by large trucks declined from 1.52 to 1.35—down 11%. The corresponding rate for passenger vehicles fell from 1.66 to 1.29—a decline of 22%. Additional data including blood alcohol content, seat belt usage, vehicle characteristics, and crash characteristics is also included in this report. KW - Blood alcohol levels KW - Crash characteristics KW - Crash data KW - Crash rates KW - Fatalities KW - Heavy duty trucks KW - Seat belt use KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - Truck crashes KW - Trucking safety UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51300/51397/LargeTruckCrashOverview2011.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1266303 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01497271 AU - Sharp, Stephen R AU - Donaldson, Bridget M AU - Milton, Jeffrey L AU - Fleming, Curtis W AU - Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research AU - Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Preliminary Assessment of Procedures for Coating Steel Components on Virginia Bridges PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 46p AB - The purpose of this study was to conduct a preliminary assessment of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT’s) bridge coating practices to identify areas where process improvements and/or cost savings could be realized. The assessment included reviewing VDOT’s coating procedures, coating performance, and costs associated with bridge coating work, including containment systems, surface preparation techniques, and coating systems. In addition, information on bridge coating products and programs from bridge coating industries and organizations was gathered. The study found that the predominant methods VDOT uses to prepare and coat steel bridge components are adequate and are consistent with industry and compliance standards. These methods include dry abrasive blasting and the use of power tool cleaning for surface preparation; conventional full containment that achieves minimal emissions; and use of a three-coat zinc-based coating system. However, enacting changes in some of the preliminary work for a bridge coating project could improve VDOT’s coating process and potentially reduce costs. These changes include providing additional guidance for coating treatment decisions and preventive maintenance; providing contractors more project scope details in the bid and contract documents; and requiring discussion of job-specific tasks in the preconstruction meeting. Combining the data from Site Manager and the Pontis Structure Inventory appears to be an efficient means of evaluating expenditures and trends. Analyzing costs for recoating work (VDOT’s most common coating method) can be expedited by using “bridge deck area” (a field in the Pontis Structure Inventory) rather than “steel tonnage” (which must be drawn from individual contracts). KW - Coatings KW - Cost effectiveness KW - Improvements KW - Procedures KW - Steel bridges KW - Surface preparation KW - Virginia Department of Transportation UR - http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/14-r1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1266308 ER - TY - SER AN - 01497267 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Medina, Juan C AU - Benekohal, Rahim F AU - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Field Evaluation of Smart Sensor Vehicle Detectors at Railroad Grade Crossings —Volume 3: Performance in Favorable Weather Conditions PY - 2013/10 IS - 13-028 SP - 22p AB - The performance of a microwave radar system for vehicle detection at a railroad grade crossing in Hinsdale, Illinois, was evaluated through field-testing in favorable (normal, good) weather conditions. The system was installed at a crossing with three tracks and used two radar units aimed at the crossing from opposite quadrants. The performance was assessed in terms of false calls, missed calls, stuck-on calls, and dropped calls, using datasets collected in favorable weather conditions. First, the system performance was assessed using the initial setup. In the initial setup, the most frequent error type was false calls (0.55%), mainly the result of activations caused by pedestrians and bicyclists in the crossing; followed by missed calls caused by one of the radars missing a vehicle (0.07%). These results were shared with the product developer to see whether he wanted to make any modification to the initial setup. In the modified setup, the detection zones and the aim of one of the radars were changed. Then, the system performance was evaluated. Results for the modified setup showed an increased frequency of false calls (0.96%), mostly the result of activations generated by moving gates and also by pedestrians. Missed calls in the modified setup were slightly increased to 0.09%, and they were due to one of the two radar units missing a vehicle. There were no missed calls when the system relied on the two radar units because at least one of the two always detected the vehicles occupying the crossing. The system did not generate any stuck-on or dropped calls in the selected data for both the initial and the modified setup in favorable weather conditions. Additional testing is under way to evaluate the system in adverse weather conditions, including snow-covered roadways, rain, fog, and wind. KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Field tests KW - Illinois KW - Radar vehicle detectors KW - Railroad grade crossings KW - Sensors KW - Vehicle detectors KW - Weather conditions UR - http://hdl.handle.net/2142/45968 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1266309 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01497266 AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts 2011 PY - 2013/10 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 2011. 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 2011 in the context of available historical data for past years. In the other chapters, the 2011 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 - Buses KW - Crash data KW - Crash injuries KW - Crash rates KW - Fatalities KW - Heavy duty trucks KW - Loss and damage KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - Truck crashes UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51300/51395/LargeTruckandBusCrashFacts2011.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1266304 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01496801 AU - Choo, Ching Chiaw AU - Peiris, Abheetha AU - Harik, Issam E AU - University of Kentucky, Lexington AU - Kentucky Transportation Cabinet AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Repair of I-65 Expressway Bridges Using Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) Composites PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 113p AB - This report documents the repair of five locations along the I-65 Expressway in Jefferson County, Kentucky. The repair involved: (1) the precast prestressed concrete (PC) girder spans between Jacob Street and Gray Street, (2) the reinforced concrete bearing pads of Bridge Pier 4 at the intersection of Jefferson Street and Preston Street, (3) the reinforced concrete bearing pads of Bridge Pier 6 near the intersection of Main Street and Hancock Street, (4) the precast prestressed concrete girder spans between Chestnut Street and Gray Street and (5) the reinforced concrete pier column on East Muhammad Ali Boulevard. The precast prestressed concrete girders were wrapped with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) fabrics at the cracked locations to prevent or limit excessive translations in both vertical and horizontal directions. Two of the prestressed concrete girders were instrumented with linear variable displacement transducers (LVDTs) to gauge the effectiveness of the repair before and after retrofit. The wrapping appears to have curtailed the relative movements in the horizontal direction as they are more stabilized and less volatile than before the repair. However, the relative movements of the vertical direction were still apparent. The bearing pads of Bridge Piers 4 and 6, as well as the pier column on E. Muhammad Ali Boulevard, have been repaired and wrapped with CFRP fabric to increase their capacity. The bearing pads of Bridge Pier 6 presented a unique challenge as the pads were irregularly shaped. 'Reshaping' of the pads was performed so that the wrapping would be effective. KW - Bridge bearing pads KW - Bridge piers KW - Carbon fibers KW - Fiber reinforced polymers KW - Girder bridges KW - Kentucky KW - Prestressed concrete bridges KW - Retrofitting UR - http://www.ktc.uky.edu/files/2013/10/KTC_13_16_FRT126_03_1F.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1265883 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01496793 AU - Puccinelli, Jason AU - Karamihas, Steven M AU - Hall, Kathleen T AU - Senn, Kevin AU - Nichols Consulting Engineers AU - University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute AU - Kathleen T. Hall Consulting AU - Arizona Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Performance Evaluation of Arizona’s LTPP SPS‐6 Project: Strategic Study of Rehabilitation Techniques PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 192p AB - As part of the Long Term Pavement Performance (LTTP) Program, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) constructed 19 Specific Pavement Studies 6 (SPS-6) test sections on Interstate 40 near Flagstaff. The SPS-6 project studied the effect of specific rehabilitation treatments on jointed portland cement concrete pavement (JPCP) performance. The test sections had various JPCP surface preparations, including crack and seat, minimum and maximum restoration, rubblization, asphalt concrete (AC) with fabric, and asphalt rubber with conventional AC. Opened to traffic in 1991, the project was monitored at regular intervals until 2002. Surface distress, profile, and deflection data collected throughout the life of the pavement were used to evaluate the performance of various flexible pavement design features, layer configurations, and thickness. This report documents the analyses conducted as well as practical findings and lessons learned that will be of interest to ADOT. KW - Long-Term Pavement Performance Program KW - Arizona KW - Pavement distress KW - Pavement performance KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) KW - Specific Pavement Studies (LTPP) KW - Test sections UR - http://apps.azdot.gov/ADOTLibrary/publications/project_reports/PDF/AZ396(6).pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1264721 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01496784 AU - Theryo, Teddy S AU - Hartt, William H AU - Paczkowsk, Piotr AU - Parsons Brinckerhoff, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Guidelines for Sampling, Assessing, and Restoring Defective Grout in Prestressed Concrete Bridge Post-Tensioning Ducts PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 134p AB - A significant proportion of the United States bridge inventory is based on bonded post-tensioned (PT) concrete construction. An important aspect of maintaining corrosion protection of these PT systems is assuring that tendon ducts are properly grouted with an acceptable material. Grout is a cementitious material typically used to provide corrosion protection to the strands used in PT concrete bridges. However, inspections have revealed fractured strands and, in some cases, failed tendons as a consequence of corrosion, even with the newer prepackaged, preapproved thixotropic grouts. Studies to date have attributed this corrosion to physical or chemical grout deficiencies (or both), the former consisting of air voids, free water, and unhardened, segregated, or separated grout and the latter of chloride concentration in excess of what is specified by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and other specifications. Based on collected information and data analysis, State transportation departments can evaluate if grout deficiencies are present in the tendons of their PT bridges and determine the significance of any deficiencies. Durability concerns associated with PT tendons were raised as early as 1999 when tendon failures were seen in some PT bridges as a result of strand corrosion due to the collection of bleed water in grout voids at tendon profile locations like anchorages and crest areas. While the development of prepackaged thixotropic grout was thought to provide a solution to the bleed water problem, corrosion-caused tendon failures on relatively new PT bridges have occurred, and forensic studies have revealed separation and segregation of grout materials as well as the presence of soft material, free water, and high chloride and sulfate content. Consequently, it has become important to examine the overall quality of materials and construction for some in-place grouts in existing PT bridges. The purpose of this study is to provide State transportation departments with guidance regarding tendon inspection, grout sampling, data analysis, and interpretation. KW - Corrosion protection KW - Data analysis KW - Grout KW - Guidelines KW - Inspection KW - Posttensioning KW - Prestressed concrete bridges KW - Sampling KW - State departments of transportation KW - Tendons (Materials) UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/bridge/13028/13028.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51000/51095/13028.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1266093 ER - TY - SER AN - 01496764 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Steele, Douglas A AU - Zabecki , Jessica L Marcon AU - Zimmerman, Laura AU - Applied Research Associates, Incorporated AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Improving the Effectiveness of Nighttime Temporary Traffic Control Warning Devices, Volume 1: Evaluation of Lights on Nighttime Work Zone Channelization Devices PY - 2013/10 SP - 59p AB - Currently, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is one of the few state transportation agencies that require warning lights on nighttime work zone channelization devices, such as drums and barricades. The intent of the steady-burn, amber warning lights is to increase visibility of the channelization devices, providing guidance to motorists and preventing intrusions into the closed lane. However, their additional benefit beyond that provided by the high-reflectivity materials used on the channelization devices themselves has not been evaluated, including taking into consideration their initial, maintenance, and replacement costs; and the environmental and economic issues of routine battery replacement. Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) studied the effectiveness of warning lights on nighttime channelization devices by reviewing pertinent literature, experimental studies of nighttime work zones with and without lights on drums, driver surveys, and focus groups of driver perceptions and behavior in work zones using traffic drums. A cognitive model of driver mental processes was applied to this information to determine the influence of drum warning lights, if any, on driver perception and response. The research showed that, when unprompted, most drivers did not perceive a difference or respond any differently in nighttime work zones using lights on drums than in those without lights. However, when asked to make direct comparisons between work zones with and without lights on drums, there was a slight preference for lights on drums due to the perceived increase in nighttime lighting they provide. Nighttime work zones, and work zones in general, are visually cluttered environments; and the presence (or absence) of lights on drums was not significant enough to attract the drivers’ attention, given competing visual cues such as work zone traffic control devices, other vehicles, and activities in the work space. In addition, the reflective prismatic sheeting on drums in Illinois provides sufficient visibility without warning lights. KW - Barricades KW - Drums (Containers) KW - Highway safety KW - Illinois Department of Transportation KW - Lighting KW - Night visibility KW - Traffic channelization KW - Traffic control devices KW - Work zones UR - http://hdl.handle.net/2142/45967 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1265879 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01496739 AU - Selezneva, O I AU - Hallenbeck, M AU - Applied Research Associates, Inc. AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Long-Term Pavement Performance Pavement Loading User Guide (LTPP PLUG) PY - 2013/10 SP - 102p AB - This guide addresses the selection and use of axle loading defaults for Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) applications. The defaults were developed based on weigh-in-motion (WIM) data from the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Special Pavement Study (SPS) Transportation Pooled Fund Study (TPF). The guide consists of two parts. The first part provides guidelines for selecting and using LTPP SPS TPF axle loading defaults with the MEPDG and DARWin-ME software. These defaults provide a source of axle loading information for pavement analysis for locations where site-specific axle load spectra are not available. The second part of the guide provides practical guidelines that States and LTPP can use to generate additional MEPDG traffic loading defaults based on their own WIM data or for specific analysis purposes. In addition, this guide contains an operator’s manual that supports the use of the LTPP PLUG software. This software helps users select site-specific or default axle loading conditions from its traffic loading library and produces axle load distribution input files for use with the MEPDG or DARWin-ME software. The software can be used to store, view, and group multiple normalized axle load spectra (NALS) and to develop MEPDG inputs and defaults using agency-provided data. KW - Axle loads KW - Computer program documentation KW - Long-Term Pavement Performance Program KW - Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide KW - Software KW - Traffic loads KW - Weigh in motion UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/ltpp/13089/13089.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/51000/51000/51033/13089.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1266089 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01496731 AU - Yildirim, Irem Zeynep AU - Prezzi, Monica AU - Vasudevan, Meera AU - Santoso, Helen AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Use of Soil-Steel Slag-Class-C Fly Ash Mixtures in Subgrade Applications PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 87p AB - In this research study, an experimental program was undertaken to investigate the suitability of using mixtures of steel slag and Class-C fly ash and mixtures of steel and blast furnace slags to replace lime in subgrade stabilization applications. Soil-5% steel slag-5% Class-C fly ash, soil-7% steel slag-3% Class-C fly ash, soil-8% steel slag-2% Class-C fly ash and soil-7% steel slag-3% blast furnace slag mixtures were explored as subgrade materials. The clayey subgrade soil collected from the proposed implementation site was characterized prior to stabilization through a series of tests which included, specific gravity, Atterberg limits, grain-size analysis, compaction, California Bearing Ratio (CBR)-swelling and unconfined compression tests. The mechanical properties of the mixtures of soil, steel slag and Class-C fly ash and of the mixtures of soil, steel slag and blast furnace slag were obtained through compaction and unconfined compression tests. In order to assess the swelling potential of the mixtures of soil, steel slag and Class-C fly ash, CBR swelling tests were also performed on the mixtures. Based on the experimental results, the authors suggested the use of a 7% steel slag-3% Class-C fly ash mixture as a stabilizing material. The implementation of the mixture of soil, steel slag and Class-C fly ash selected was carried out in a road construction project at the intersection of 109th Avenue and Interstate-65, near Crown Point, Indiana. The 7% steel slag-3% Class-C fly ash mixture was used to stabilize the in situ subgrade soils of some sections of the I-65 ramps located in the SW and NW quadrants of the intersection of 109th Avenue and I-65. Field compaction quality control was done by performing Dynamic Cone Penetration Tests (DCPTs) and nuclear gauge tests. The subgrade was monitored and checked for possible cracks or signs of distress. Cracks or signs of distress were not observed on the subgrade before the placement of the base course and concrete. The stabilized subgrade performed satisfactorily. KW - Clay soils KW - Compression tests KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Fly ash KW - Indiana KW - Laboratory tests KW - Road construction KW - Slag KW - Soil stabilization KW - Steel KW - Subgrade (Pavements) KW - Subgrade materials UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284315188 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1265116 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01496722 AU - Darter, Michael I AU - Titus-Glover, Leslie AU - Wolf, Dean J AU - Applied Research Associates, Incorporated AU - Arizona Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development of a Traffic Data Input System in Arizona for the MEPDG PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 364p AB - Accurate traffic data is one of the key data elements required for the cost-effective design of all rehabilitation and reconstruction of pavement structures. This research study addresses the collection, preparation, and use of traffic data required for pavement design by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), focusing on data required as inputs for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) design procedures. ADOT’s current traffic data collection and preparation processes are not adequate to meet the needs of the MEPDG procedure, and improvements are needed. These improvements include enhanced volume, classification, and weight data collection for vehicles, processing data and performing quality assurance checks, and the preparation/analysis of the data for use in the MEPDG. Use of the MEPDG in Arizona will require (1) an annual flow of updated key traffic data and (2) the ability to collect on-site (MEPDG Level 1) data in a timely manner for key projects. An action plan (Chapter 8) calls for the establishment of an Arizona Traffic Segment Database that includes all state highways (or the expansion of an existing traffic database). This database would include all traffic inputs required for the AASHTO MEPDG and AASHTO 1993 design procedures, as well as ADOT pavement management activities. Traffic segments would be identified by beginning and ending milepost numbers and global positioning system (GPS) coordinates along each highway. The researchers propose, and have partly developed, a system for traffic data collection for the MEPDG in Arizona. Level 1 data collection procedures are provided for selected traffic inputs. ADOT’s traffic data collection group will need to develop a process for collecting Level 1 data in a timely manner for important projects requested from the pavement design group. This report also discusses recommended Level 2 and Level 3 inputs, which were prepared based on the best historical data available. These data represent a good initial set of inputs that can be used over the next few years. However, the inputs should be updated annually using improved data collection methods beginning as soon as possible. KW - Arizona KW - Data collection KW - Databases KW - Information processing KW - Mechanistic-empirical pavement design KW - Pavement design KW - Pavement management systems KW - Traffic data KW - Traffic volume KW - Vehicle classification KW - Vehicle weight UR - https://apps.azdot.gov/ADOTLIBRARY/PUBLICATIONS/PROJECT_REPORTS/PDF/AZ672.PDF UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1264105 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01496688 AU - Jones, Stephen AU - Science Applications International Corporation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control: Human Factors Analysis PY - 2013/10 SP - 48p AB - Traffic congestion is growing at a faster rate than can be alleviated solely by additional road construction. Various Intelligent Transportation Systems technologies aim to increase and improve transportation via non-traditional means. Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) is one such technology, intended to increase traffic throughput by safely permitting shorter following distances between vehicles. Both vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications help such endeavors at the micro- and macro-levels of traffic management. This report identifies the various ways in which the CACC concept could be realized and the human-factors-related implementation issues. Several research areas are suggested to address these human-factors issues. KW - Automation KW - Autonomous intelligent cruise control KW - Human factors KW - Implementation KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - Research UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/13045/13045.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1266088 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01496678 AU - Choo, Ching Chiaw AU - Peiris, Abheetha AU - Harik, Issam E AU - University of Kentucky, Lexington AU - Kentucky Transportation Cabinet AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Repair Using Steel Fiber Reinforced Polymer on US150 Bridges PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 25p AB - This report details the pre-construction monitoring, planning and design, and construction of the retrofit measures on the US150 bridge over Beech Fork River in Nelson County, Kentucky (KY) and Cartwright Creek bridge on the border of Washington-Nelson County, KY. All reinforced concrete girders of the five-span Beech Fork River bridge and three-span Cartwright Creek bridge of deck-girder construction had developed diagonal cracks near or at the transition of the variable-and-constant depth regions. To remedy the problem steel fiber reinforced polymer (SFRP) sheets were selected as the means of retrofit due to their strength and stiffness, as well as conformability and flexibility. Repair to the reinforced concrete girders was done by attaching the SFRP sheets to the vertical and bottom faces. Application of SFRP was quickly executed with the use of specialty epoxy designed for use with the steel wire sheets. Construction of the retrofit was completed in May of 2007. KW - Fiber reinforced polymers KW - Girder bridges KW - Girders KW - Kentucky KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) KW - Retrofitting UR - http://www.ktc.uky.edu/files/2013/10/KTC_13_17_KH51_KH52_06_1F.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1265884 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01496669 AU - Yin, Kai AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Performance Analysis of Isolated Intersection Traffic Signals PY - 2013/10 SP - 142p AB - This dissertation analyzes two unsolved problems to fulfill the gap in the literature: (1) What is the vehicle delay and intersection capacity considering left-turn traffic at a pre-timed signal? (2) What are the mean and variance of delay to vehicles at a vehicle-actuated signal? The first part of this research evaluates the intersection performance in terms of capacity and delay at an isolated pre-timed signal intersection. Despite a large body of literature on pre-timed signals, few studies have examined the interactions between left-turn and through vehicles. In order to examine this missing piece in studies of signalized intersections, two probabilistic models are proposed to deal with the left-turn bay blockage and queue spillback in a heuristic manner. The second part of this research studies an isolated intersection with a vehicle-actuated signal. The actuated system dynamically allocates the green time among multiple approaches according to vehicle arrivals. A model is developed to study vehicle delay under a general arrival distribution with a given unit extension. The model allows optimizing signal performance over the unit extension. The third part of this research applies graphical methods and diffusion approximations to traffic signal problems. A graphical method originally proposed by Newell is reinterpreted in order to directly measure the variance of time for queue clearance at a signalized intersection. Furthermore, the problem of disruptions occurring during a pre-timed traffic signal cycle is investigated. The quantitative estimation of the duration that the effects of disruptions dissipate is provided by diffusion approximation. KW - Green interval (Traffic signal cycle) KW - Isolated intersections KW - Left turn phase KW - Pretimed traffic signal controllers KW - Signalized intersections KW - Stopped time delays KW - Through traffic KW - Traffic actuated controllers KW - Traffic delays KW - Traffic queuing UR - http://swutc.tamu.edu/2013/10/21/600451-00021-1/ UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1265935 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01496654 AU - Jeihani, Mansoureh AU - Ardeshiri, Anam AU - National Transportation Center AU - Maryland State Highway Administration AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Exploring Travelers’ Behavior in Response to Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) Using a Driving Simulator PY - 2013/10//Final Report SP - 47p AB - This research studies the effectiveness of a dynamic message sign (DMS) using a driving simulator. Over 100 subjects from different socio-economic and age groups were recruited to drive the simulator under different traffic and driving conditions and various travel-related DMS messages. The subjects drove between a specified pair of origin and destination while choosing their own route in a fairly realistic 12 × 12 mi2 (20 × 20 km2) network that included road signs, traffic signals, three-dimensional buildings and trees, and other roadside objects. Their driving behavior, including changes in driving speed, route choice and diversion, and travel time perception in the presence of DMS were studied. In addition to the driving simulator experiment, a stated preference analysis was conducted through three sequential survey questionnaires. The questionnaire data was utilized to better understand drivers’ perceptions of the efficiency-related attributes. The study concluded that DMS is a safe device, since drivers did not reduce their speed significantly to read the DMS contents. Furthermore, quantitative information provided by DMS affected drivers’ route choice significantly and drivers were quite sensitive to travel time change. However, the diversion rate due to a second DMS with qualitative information was much less than what the subjects stated in the survey. KW - Age groups KW - Demographics KW - Driving simulators KW - Operating speed KW - Route choice KW - Stated preferences KW - Travel behavior KW - Travel time KW - Variable message signs UR - http://www.roads.maryland.gov/OPR_Research/MD-13-SP209B4K_Exploring-Travelers-Behavior-in-Response-To-DMS_Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1265231 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01496650 AU - Burris, Mark AU - Lee, Sunghoon AU - Geiselbrecht, Tina AU - Baker, Richard Trey AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Equity Evaluation of Sustainable Mileage-Based User Fee Scenarios PY - 2013/10//Technical Report SP - 87p AB - The Texas state gas tax has been 20 cents per gallon since 1991, and the federal gas tax has been 18.4 cents per gallon since 1993. The gas tax is not only stagnant, but depreciating in value due to inflation. This is forcing some transportation providers to increase their focus on spending for a more sustainable transportation system, thus shifting how tax revenues are spent. One proposed alternative to the gas tax is the creation of a mileage-based user fee (MBUF), which would then shift how revenues are collected. This research examined potential equity impacts of these shifts in the collection and disbursement of transportation funds. This research used 2009 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) Texas data along with detailed spending estimates from the Texas Department of Transportation to consider the equity impacts surrounding three MBUF and spending scenarios. NHTS data were weighted to reflect results representative of Texas vehicle-owning households. Each scenario was run both statically and dynamically under the assumption that the MBUF would replace the state gas tax. Results indicate that the impact of the MBUF on geographic equity can be different depending on allocation of transportation funding. However, the MBUF was essentially as equally vertically equitable as the current state gas tax. KW - Equity (Finance) KW - Government funding KW - Mileage-based user fees KW - National Household Travel Survey KW - Texas KW - Texas Department of Transportation KW - User charges KW - Vehicle miles of travel UR - http://swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/600451-00007-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1265934 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01495429 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Understanding Transportation Systems: An Integrated Approach to Modeling Complex Transportation Systems PY - 2013/10 SP - 2p AB - The ability to model and understand the complex dynamics of intelligent agents as they interact within a transportation system could lead to revolutionary advances in transportation engineering and intermodal surface transportation in the United States. Developing such a model is the goal of "Agent-Based Approach for Integrated Driver and Traveler Behavior Modeling," a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program study awarded to the University of Maryland. The specific goal of this study is to develop an agent-based approach for integrated driver and traveler behavior modeling that can better reflect these patterns that are seen every day in real urban systems. KW - Agent based models KW - Complex systems KW - Drivers KW - Transportation systems KW - Travel behavior KW - Travel demand KW - Urban areas UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/advancedresearch/pubs/13080/13080.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1264831 ER - TY - SER AN - 01495421 JO - TechBrief PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Virmani, Paul AU - Faridazar, Fred AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Accelerated Determination of ASR Susceptibility During Concrete Prism Testing Through Nonlinear Resonance Ultrasonic Spectroscopy PY - 2013/10 SP - 12p AB - This document is a technical summary of a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) project that is fully documented in a separate report under the same title (FHWA-HRT-13-085). The alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is one form of deterioration that may significantly reduce the service life of concrete structures. Currently, ASR susceptibility of aggregate sources is most commonly assessed through length change in the concrete or mortar specimens over time while subjected to standardized acceleratory conditions. The standard concrete prism test (i.e., ASTM International (formerly American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) C1293) is considered the most representative of field performance. However, one significant practical drawback of that test is its long duration, which is 1 year to assess aggregate reactivity and 2 years to assess mitigation measures. The standard accelerated mortar bar tests (AMBT) are considerably quicker to perform but have not proven reliable in all cases, leading some agencies and owners to implement alternate test durations and/or expansion limits. The objective of this research is to develop a reliable measurement technique that can more quickly quantify damage associated with ASR in concrete specimens while also providing an assessment of the accumulated damage. The developed technique, nonlinear impact resonance acoustic spectroscopy (NIRAS), is based on measurements of the nonlinear acoustic or vibration responses of concrete specimens. KW - Alkali aggregate reactions KW - Alkali silica reactions KW - Concrete KW - Durability KW - Fly ash KW - Nondestructive tests KW - Spectroscopy UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/13086/13086.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1264830 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01487940 AU - Hallmark, Shauna L AU - Knickerbocker, Skylar AU - Hawkins, Neal AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Midwest Transportation Consortium TI - Evaluation of Low Cost Traffic Calming for Rural Communities – Phase II PY - 2013/10//Updated Final Report SP - 59p AB - The main goal of the research described in this report was to evaluate countermeasures that agencies can use to reduce speeds as drivers enter rural communities located on high-speed roadways. The objectives of this study were as follows: Identify and summarize countermeasures used to manage speeds in transition zones; Demonstrate the effectiveness of countermeasures that are practical for high- to low-speed transition zones; Acquire additional information about countermeasures that may show promise but lack sufficient evidence of effectiveness; and Develop an application toolbox to assist small communities in selecting appropriate transition zones and effective countermeasures for entrances to small rural communities. The team solicited small communities that were interested in participating in the Phase II study and several communities were also recommended. The treatments evaluated were selected by carefully considering traffic-calming treatments that have been used effectively in other countries for small rural communities, as well as the information gained from the first phase of the project. The treatments evaluated are as follows: Transverse speed bars; Colored entrance treatment; Temporary island; Radar-activated speed limit sign; and Speed feedback sign. The toolbox publication and four focused tech briefs also cover the results of this work. KW - Color KW - Countermeasures KW - Highway traffic control KW - Optical speed bars KW - Rural areas KW - Small towns KW - Speed control KW - Speed display signs KW - Speed signs KW - Traffic calming KW - Traffic islands KW - Transition zones UR - http://publications.iowa.gov/15269/1/IADOT_InTrans_TR-630_updated_rural_traffic_calming_2013_October.pdf UR - http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/research/documents/research-reports/rural_traffic_calming_w_cvr.pdf UR - http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/research/documents/research-reports/updated_rural_traffic_calming_w_cvr2.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1256471 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01487939 AU - Hallmark, Shauna AU - Hawkins, Neal AU - Smadi, Omar AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Midwest Transportation Consortium AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Toolbox of Countermeasures for Rural Two-Lane Curves PY - 2013/10//Revised Final Report SP - 81p AB - The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) estimates that 58 percent of roadway fatalities are lane departures, while 40 percent of fatalities are single-vehicle run-off-road (SVROR) crashes. Addressing lane-departure crashes is therefore a priority for national, state, and local roadway agencies. Horizontal curves are of particular interest because they have been correlated with increased crash occurrence. This toolbox was developed to assist agencies address crashes at rural curves. The main objective of this toolbox is to summarize the effectiveness of various known curve countermeasures. While education, enforcement, and policy countermeasures should also be considered, they were not included given the toolbox focuses on roadway-based countermeasures. Furthermore, the toolbox is geared toward rural two-lane curves. The research team identified countermeasures based on their own research, through a survey of the literature, and through discussions with other professionals. Coverage of curve countermeasures in this toolbox is not necessarily comprehensive. For each countermeasure covered, this toolbox includes the following information: description, application, effectiveness, advantages, and disadvantages. Countermeasures covered are as follows: speed signs, chevrons, widening/adding paved shoulders, reflective barriers, high-friction treatments, raised pavement markers, edge lines, transverse pavement markings, vertical delineation, rumble strips, rumble stripes, on-pavement curve signing, flashing beacons, dynamic curve warning systems, and pavement inset lights. KW - Countermeasures KW - Highway curves KW - Highway traffic control KW - Lane departures KW - Paved shoulders KW - Ran off road crashes KW - Rural highways KW - Single vehicle crashes KW - Surface treating KW - Traffic control devices KW - Two lane highways UR - http://publications.iowa.gov/15290/1/IADOT_InTrans_TR-579_rural_two-lane_curves_toolbox_UPDATED_2013-10.pdf UR - http://www.dot.state.mn.us/research/TS/2013/201325.pdf UR - http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/research/documents/research-reports/Rural_2-Lane_Curves_Toolbox_w_cvr.pdf UR - http://www.lrrb.org/pdf/201325.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1256472 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01624544 TI - Motivations for Speeding – Additional Analyses AB - The recently completed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) project, Motivations for Speeding, provided some important new insights into speeding behavior, such as identifying four basic speeding types as well as a better understanding of the complexity of speeding behavior. This understanding included the variation of speeding patterns across different roadway types and, in some speed limit ranges, some of which were significantly associated with psychological factors. This new project will further develop this data set and conduct additional analyses to expand upon the information already generated from this data set. First, a new data set could be created that focused on speeding episodes that track from the time the driver first exceeds the speed limit to the time they drop below the speeding threshold. This could be used to examine driver speeding strategies and may also allow an examination of the relationship between speeding and other risky behaviors. Second, additional analyses would allow a more close examination of the relationship between speeding and situational factors, such as leaving home late for work. KW - Behavior KW - Drivers KW - Highway safety KW - Motivation KW - Risk taking KW - Speeding UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1448588 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01619842 TI - Older Drivers and Navigation Devices AB - Electronic navigation systems (ENS) could aid older drivers through freeing cognitive resources otherwise needed for way finding for use on other tasks, thereby prolonging older adults’ driving careers. Alternatively, these systems may increase driver workload through selecting an unexpected route or otherwise distracting the driver. This study will explore the extent to which navigation systems support or impair older adults’ driving performance. The objective of this project is to assess driving performance of older adults driving to unfamiliar destinations under two conditions: using instructions and/or a paper map and using navigation system. Participants will include 40 participants from each of two age groups, 60-69 and 70 and older. Each age group will include 20 drivers accustomed to using an ENS and 20 who are not. This project will document differences in older adults’ performance while they drive to familiar destinations, unfamiliar destinations using paper maps and/or written directions, and unfamiliar destinations using an ENS. The project will also explore the benefits of providing training for older adults in using an ENS. KW - Aged drivers KW - Automobile navigation systems KW - Cognition KW - Driver performance KW - Maps KW - Wayfinding KW - Workload UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440753 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01619841 TI - Mild Cognitive Impairment and Driving Performance AB - Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a condition characterized by small, but noticeable decrements in memory and other cognitive skills. Many people with MCI continue to drive, as there is no clear cut-point to identify when a person with age-related cognitive impairments should discontinue driving. This project will recruit a group of participants with MCI, as well as a control group of participants of similar age who do not have MCI. Researchers will collect and analyze three types of data: (1) clinical measures of functional performance, including tests of cognition, vision and coordination; (2) driving performance during a professional driving evaluation that includes tasks that data indicate are particularly difficult for older drivers, and (3) driving exposure based on data from instruments installed in participants’ vehicles, including time of date participants tend to drive, number of unique destinations, and overall driving time and distance. Analyses of these data will explore differences between MCI and control group in amount of driving overall, and in potentially risky contexts such as nighttime and rush hour driving, and the ability to control a vehicle safely. They will also consider whether participants with poorer driving skills are more likely to limit their overall driving (time and/or miles), or avoid potentially difficult conditions such as night or rush hour driving. The findings will provide valuable information to families, medical professionals and others who provide guidance to older adults as they seek to continue to drive safely. KW - Aged drivers KW - Cognition KW - Driver performance KW - Driving tests KW - Impaired drivers KW - Night visibility KW - Risk assessment UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440752 ER -