bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Shopping Trip-Chaining Behavior at Malls in a Transitional Economy
Authors: Newmark Gregory L. , Plaut Pnina O.
Published: May 2018

Cities in transitional economies are experiencing a proliferation of newly constructed suburban shopping malls. Curiously, travel habits to these new malls are quite distinct from those generally experienced in North America, particularly regarding trip chaining. While most weekday afternoon mall trips in developed nations are chained, few are linked in countries with transitional economies. Because trip chaining is a behavior strongly associated with sprawl, this research seeks to examine the nascent trip chaining at the four new peripheral malls in Prague, Czech Republic, to identify factors that contribute to such travel patterns. This research explores two types of trip chaining among a survey sample of 782 people. External trip chaining considers activities made before and after the mall stop, while internal trip chaining considers activities made during the mall stop. Overall, only 18.1% of patrons made external trip chains, while 42.3% made internal trip chains. This general finding suggests that, in the absence of many retail alternatives, mall patrons in transitional economies may substitute internal trip chaining for the external trip chaining that characterizes travel patterns in North America. This research demonstrates that male gender, high income, working age, small household size, ownership of multiple cars, suburban home location, few additional car passengers, weekly mall trip frequency, a long access travel time, poor mall accessibility, and a short mall activity duration are tied to higher rates of external trip chaining. Concomitantly, female gender, high income, working age, large household size, private vehicle use, additional passengers in the car, mall trip frequency, poor mall accessibility, grocery shopping, high mall expenditure, and long mall activity duration are tied to higher rates of internal trip chaining. These findings suggest that land use policies may be effective in limiting the growth of external trip chaining and maximizing internal trip chaining among suburban mall patrons.
Analysis of Long-Term Effectiveness of Thin Hot-Mix Asphaltic Concrete Overlay Treatments
Authors: Labi Samuel , Lamptey Geoffrey , Konduri Sravanthi , Sinha Kumares C.
Published: May 2018

Thin hot-mix asphalt (HMA) concrete overlays are preventive maintenance treatments used to address minor distresses, increase ride quality, and extend pavement life. This paper determines the long-term effectiveness of such treatments by using three measures of effectiveness: treatment service life, increase in average pavement condition, and area bounded by the performance curve. For each measure of effectiveness, the pavement performance indicators used are the international roughness index (IRI), rutting, and pavement condition rating (PCR). For each measure of effectiveness and performance indicator, treatment benefits were found to lie within a wide range because of the effect of varying levels of weather severity, traffic, and route type. The service life of the treatment ranges from 3 to 13 years (IRI performance indicator), 3 to 14 years (rutting), and 3 to 24 years (PCR). When the increase in average pavement condition is used as the measure of effectiveness, the results show that such treatments offer 18% to 36% decrease in IRI, 5% to 55% reduction in rutting, and 1% to 10% increase in PCR. For the area enclosed by the performance curve, thin HMA overlay effectiveness ranges from 40 to 360 IRI years (where IRI is in inches per mile), 0.13 to 0.76 RUT years (where RUT is in inches), and 7 to 130 PCR years (where PCR is on a 0 to 100 scale). The wide ranges of thin HMA overlay effectiveness for each combination of measure of effectiveness and performance indicator is suggestive of the sensitivity of the treatment effectiveness to levels of traffic loading and weather severity, and route type. The effectiveness of thin HMA overlay treatments is of interest to pavement professionals and is a vital input in the quest for cost-effective long-term pavement preservation practices.
Incorporating Variability into Pavement Performance, Life-Cycle Cost Analysis, and Performance-Based Specification Pay Factors
Authors: Whiteley Leanne , Tighe Susan , Zhang Zhanmin
Published: May 2018

This paper describes a recent research study that examined how changes in design life affected the pavement life-cycle cost and ultimately how the reduction in or addition to life-cycle cost attributed to superior or inferior in-service performance could be used as a basis for establishing a pay factor for a performance-based specification. Previous models were developed with data from the Canadian Long-Term Pavement Performance Program, which indicated that overlay thickness, total prior cracking, annual freezing index, annual days with precipitation, and accumulated equivalent single-axle loads (ESALs) after 8 years affected the slope of pavement deterioration for asphalt overlay pavements. One of these models, as well as data from the U.S. Long-Term Pavement Performance test sites, is used to determine the service life of asphalt overlay pavements. This paper examines how the variability associated with overlay thickness, total prior cracking, and accumulated ESALs after 8 years affects the service life of asphalt overlay pavements. Furthermore, this paper considers the variability associated with the discount rate and incorporates all associated variability into the life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA). LCCA is performed by using Monte Carlo techniques. On the basis of a recent study, distributions for service life and life-cycle costs are developed by using both normal and lognormal distributions for overlay thickness. With the LCCA values for typical design lives, a sensitivity analysis is subsequently performed to evaluate the impact of 10%, 20%, and 30% differences in the in-service performance as compared to the design life. These LCCA differences are then used as a basis for establishing pay factors. Overall the paper attempts to relate design to in-service performance life-cycle cost and the ultimate use of pay factors.
Use of Pavement Management System Data to Monitor Performance of Pavements under Warranty
Authors: Wang L. B. , Park JinYoung , Hill Sonya H.
Published: May 2018

Pavement warranty is an innovative contracting procedure increasingly adopted by highway agencies. Many states view implementing warranties as a way to protect their investment in pavement construction. The major benefit of pavement warranty is enhanced pavement performance. However, establishing warranty criteria and monitoring the performance of warranted pavement are two technical issues that must be resolved. This paper presents the discoveries of a research project supported by FHWA to investigate the effectiveness of using the pavement management system (PMS) to monitor the performance of pavement under warranty. It has been discovered that most states establish their warranty specifications on the basis of performance data from their PMS database by using statistical analyses, expert opinions, and adaptation of other states’ specifications. They also use the PMS data to monitor the performance of both warranty and nonwarranty pavements because the essential data, like ride, cracking, and rutting, are available in the database and are convenient for use. This paper also documents the unique features of the warranty specifications, including the warranty period, performance indicators, data collection methods, performance thresholds, remedial actions, and how the PMS database can be used to track the performance of pavements under warranty in five states: Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, Florida, and Michigan. Some comparisons of the performances of the warranted pavements and those of nonwarranted pavements of similar conditions are also presented. The survey indicated that an integrated PMS that links the materials and traffic database would offer better efficiency to monitor and analyze the performance of both warranty and nonwarranty pavements.
Developing Roadway Standards for Ride Quality from the Customer's Perspective
Authors: Poister Theodore H. , Garvey Philip M. , Zineddin Abdulilah Z. , Pietrucha Martin T. , Smith Christine L.
Published: May 2018

This paper reports the findings of research conducted for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to develop customer-based standards for ride quality on four functional classes of highway: Interstate highways, other national highway system (NHS) roads, secondary roads with average annual daily traffic (AADT) greater than 2,000, and secondary roads with AADT less than 2,000. The field work, in which subjects evaluated the ride quality of predetermined test sections of pavements, was conducted in six Pennsylvania counties to incorporate a variety of settings across the state. These subjective ratings were regressed on international roughness index (IRI) values for each of the four highway classes and revealed a fan-shaped pattern in which motorist satisfaction with ride quality dropped off with increased roughness most sharply on Interstate highways, less so for other NHS roads, and still less for secondary roads. PennDOT's current standards for what constitutes good ride quality for each of the four road types equates closely with the 70% level of motorist satisfaction, whereas the standards for excellent ride quality coincide with the 90% motorist satisfaction level for all but the lower-volume secondary roads. The results also suggest that motorist satisfaction with ride quality is extremely sensitive to IRI in rural settings, moderately sensitive to IRI in urban settings, and less so in major metropolitan suburban areas. This pattern is the reverse for NHS roads, and for secondary roads motorist satisfaction is very sensitive to IRI in rural areas and less so in urban and suburban areas. From these results, PennDOT could consider adopting more ambitious ride quality standards, targeting even higher levels of customer satisfaction. However, adopting such standards would require a careful analysis of the cost implications, which is beyond the scope of the research reported here.
Evaluation of Top-Down Cracks in Asphalt Pavements by Using a Self-Calibrating Ultrasonic Technique
Authors: Khazanovich Lev , Velasquez Raul , Nesvijski Edouard G.
Published: May 2018

To select the optimal strategy for treatment of a cracked asphalt pavement, it is important to determine the extent of cracking (partial depth or full depth). This paper presents the results of an explanatory study aimed at examining the applicability of the ultrasonic technology for evaluation of cracks and longitudinal joints in flexible pavements. It was shown that this technology, which has been used successfully for many years for the evaluation of concrete structures, could provide a simple, quick, and objective procedure for evaluation of surface distresses in asphalt concrete pavements. The results of laboratory testing and field testing at the Minnesota Road Research Project test facility demonstrate the potential of this technology.
Wavelet-Based Multiresolution Analysis of Pavement Profiles as a Diagnostic Tool
Authors: Shokouhi Parisa , Gucunski Nenad , Maher Ali , Zaghloul Sameh M.
Published: May 2018

Discrete wavelet transform (DWT) was proposed as a new diagnostic tool for locating various frequency-related features of profiles, such as repeated waves and short-lived surface distress, that affect ride quality. The shortcomings of power spectrum density (PSD) analysis in evaluating the distribution of energy of a profile between various frequency band-widths were pointed out. The theoretical background and the basics of the DWT decomposition algorithm are discussed. Advantages of DWT analysis over PSD analysis in detection of short-lived features of the profile are illustrated by an example. The results of both the PSD and DWT analyses of three profile data, taken from data collected as a part of an ongoing research project sponsored by New Jersey Department of Transportation, are presented. The results indicate that DWT analysis can capture both short-lived high-frequency and long-lived low-frequency features of the profile and, consequently, provides a better representation of the profile characteristics. The application of DWT in the development of new ride indices is also discussed.
Development of a Crack Type Index
Authors: Lee Hosin (David) , Kim Jungyong (Joe)
Published: May 2018

Many automated systems for crack analysis have been developed to measure the extent and severity of pavement cracking objectively. However, the accuracy of such an automated crack analysis system has not been satisfactory. This paper presents a crack type index (CTI) that can be easily adopted to determine the crack type objectively as longitudinal, transverse, and alligator cracking. The CTI is based on the spatial distribution of the image tiles rather than image pixels, where a tile is defined as a subimage of a whole digital image. The spatial distribution of image tiles is analyzed vertically and horizontally, with a resulting single index, which can be used to identify a spatial orientation of cracking. To determine the accurate CTI threshold values for longitudinal, transverse, and alligator cracks, 150 pavement images were captured with a digital video camera mounted on a sport-utility vehicle: 50 images for each of three types of cracking. These 150 images were analyzed automatically to compute the CTI values that correlate with crack types. To validate the CTI system, another 150 pavement images were captured. The CTI system identified 150 images as proper crack types with an 86% accuracy for alligator cracking, 92% accuracy for transverse cracking, and 94% accuracy for longitudinal cracking. The CTI system is further validated against images of block cracking and multiple cracks. The validation result against block cracking and multiple cracks indicates that the proposed CTI system in conjunction with UCI is robust and can be extended to identify block cracking and multiple cracks. The CTI method can be used to determine crack types from the digital images automatically without any human intervention.
Superaccelerated Pavement Testing on Full-Scale Concrete Slabs
Authors: Suh Chul , Lee Jeffrey L. Y. , Fowler David W. , Stokoe Kenneth H.
Published: May 2018

Several full-scale rigid pavement slabs were constructed and tested under constant cyclic loading for fatigue. To provide the comparable maximum applied stress to number of cycles to failure ( S-N) relationships for the full-scale field slabs, laboratory beam fatigue testing was conducted before field testing with the use of the same concrete mix designs. The superaccelerated pavement testing technique that was developed at the University of Texas was used in the field. The stationary dynamic deflectometer (SDD) was used to load the full-scale concrete slabs. To monitor the response of the rigid pavements, accelerometers and linear variable differential transformers were installed, and dynamic and permanent displacements of slabs were recorded during the entire testing period. All test slabs reached fatigue failure under the interior loading configuration using the SDD. This field loading system was found to be a practical and effective tool for testing the full-scale rigid pavement system. During fatigue loading, cracks began at the bottom of the slabs at the loading locations and propagated along the bottom of the slab centerline, which was the maximum stress path. Vertical crack propagation at the edge and stress redistribution occurred for the part of the slab's fatigue life. The concept of equivalent fatigue life was applied to correct the effect of the different stress ratios between the field and the laboratory testing. The laboratory beams and full-scale field slabs showed an almost identical S-N relationship after the correction for the variance of stress ratio.
Rut Initiation Mechanisms in Asphalt Mixtures as Generated under Accelerated Pavement Testing
Authors: Gokhale Salil , Choubane Bouzid , Byron Tom , Tia Mang
Published: May 2018

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) conducted an experiment to address the effects of polymer modifiers on the performance of Superpave® mixes by using a heavy vehicle simulator. Two fine-graded Superpave mixes were considered. One mix included a virgin binder meeting the requirements of PG 67-22, and the other contained a styrene– butadiene–styrene polymer (SBS)-modified binder meeting those of PG 76-22. Both respective mixes contained the same effective binder content, aggregate components, and gradation. The mixes were designed for 10 million to 30 million equivalent single-axle loads with the use of the standard Superpave mix design methodology. During placement of these mixes, all standard FDOT density requirements and acceptance criteria were applicable. The subsequent investigation showed that the sections with SBS-modified mixture significantly outperformed those with the unmodified mixture. It was also determined that rutting in the unmodified mixture was primarily a function of shear flow, whereas rutting in the SBS-modified mixture was caused mainly by densification. This paper presents a description of the testing program, the data collection effort, and the subsequent analyses and findings, focusing primarily on the initiation mechanisms of rutting in asphalt mixtures as generated and observed under accelerated pavement testing.
Assessment of Aging at FHWA's Pavement Testing Facility
Authors: Al-Khateeb Ghazi , Qi Xicheng , Shenoy Aroon , Stuart Kevin , Mitchell Terry
Published: May 2018

Field cores were taken in 1995 and 2002 from eight asphalt pavements constructed in 1993 at FHWA's pavement testing facility to evaluate in situ pavement aging. Dynamic mechanical properties of these cores were evaluated by using the Superpave® shear tester. The moduli of aged pavements were also predicted from binder, aggregate, and mixture properties with available prediction models, and the aging severity levels of all pavements were compared between the lab-measured and model-predicted. Eight pavements with two polymer-modified and six unmodified binders were evaluated in this study. Polymer-modified asphalt pavements showed comparatively lower aging than unmodified asphalt pavements. For unmodified asphalt pavements, stiffer asphalts tended to have higher aging indices. The binder aging index was found to be inversely proportional to the loading frequency, and differences between the aging indices for different binders were higher at lower frequency. Comparison of lab-measured and model-predicted binder aging indices showed similar rankings for all binders. Low stiffness binders, for example, AC-5, showed higher aging indices than high stiffness binders, for example, Styrelf. Pavement depth significantly affected binder aging. The aging index near the surface (6.35 mm) was found to be about four to five times the aging index at a depth of 139.7 mm in pavement. Comparison of lab-measured and model-predicted mixture aging indices showed large variations, from overpredicted to quite underpredicted, depending on the binder type and nominal maximum aggregate size.
Methodology for Developing Transit Bus Speed–Acceleration Matrices for Load-Based Mobile Source Emissions Models
Authors: Yoon Seungju , Li Hainan , Jun Jungwook , Ogle Jennifer H. , Guensler Randall L. , Rodgers Michael O.
Published: May 2018

An emissions model for transit bus based on road load estimates emissions as a function of transit bus power demand for given transit bus activities and environmental conditions. Transit bus speed and acceleration rates are key activity parameters and are the most important parameters in the estimation of transit bus power demand, also known as engine load. Once the transit bus engine load is calculated for a given speed and acceleration, emissions in grams per vehicle hour can be calculated with grams per brake-horsepower hour emission rates. However, collecting speed and acceleration data on various road types and times of day requires extensive efforts for use in load-based mobile source emissions models. To quantify Atlanta regional transit bus speed and acceleration rates, the Georgia Institute of Technology research team installed trip data in a transit bus operated by the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. The team collected second-by-second speed and location data for 3 weeks on a variety of routes and created speed–acceleration matrices by roadway facility type and time of day. This paper focuses on developing a methodology to create transit bus speed–acceleration matrices for use in load-based modal emissions models for the Atlanta metropolitan area. Once a bus service route is specified by roadway facility type and time of day, engine power demand for each speed–acceleration matrix bin can be calculated, weighted by activity frequency on each corresponding matrix bin, and then multiplied by baseline emissions rates that can be obtained from engine dynamometer or chassis dynamometer test results.
Evaluating the Ability of Global Positioning System Receivers to Measure a Real-World Operating Mode for Emissions Research
Authors: Jackson Eric , Aultman-Hall Lisa , Holmén Britt A. , Du Jianhe
Published: May 2018

This paper evaluates the ability of Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers to determine accurately the second-by-second operating mode of a vehicle in the real-world transportation network. GPS offers the ability to obtain second-by-second velocity directly and to obtain acceleration data indirectly from a vehicle traveling in the real-world traffic network. Although GPS has been used successfully in travel behavior and route choice surveys, the uncertainty in accuracy of velocity and acceleration data obtained from the GPS warrants further investigation to gain a better understanding of the range and spatial distribution of vehicle emissions. In this study, data from two GPS receivers and a ScanTool were collected over five repetitions of a 65-mi route. The results indicate that GPS receivers perform as well as the ScanTool when measuring velocity. Furthermore, the GPS receivers determined the 1-s operating mode of the vehicle successfully when measured against the ScanTool. These results will aid in the future development of vehicle emissions models and allow for an analysis of real-world emissions based on real-world operating mode data.
On-Road Vehicle Emission and Activity Data Collection and Evaluation in Houston, Texas
Authors: Qiao Fengxiang , Yu Lei , Vojtisek-Lom Michal
Published: May 2018

The newly developed on-road emission measurement device OEM-2100 was used to collect emissions in the Houston, Texas, area. The device can measure second-by-second fuel consumption and emissions of nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and particulate matter. A total of 459.0 mi of on-road tests and 813.9 min of idling tests were conducted on three passenger cars and two trucks under 170 different test conditions (170 bags placed). Global Positioning System data were recorded simultaneously in line with the emission data. Data were analyzed by a six-step data processing procedure. The bag-based analysis indicated that vehicle emissions varied strongly, not only with vehicle activity data but also with roadway facility types and vehicle specifications. Spatial distributions of tested emissions illustrated how the emissions altered along the driving routes. The tested vehicle emissions were compared with the MOBILE6.2 estimates, and significant differences were found for all vehicles and for most testing conditions. Among the roadway facility types, the largest difference was on arterial roads, where the tested on-road emissions were higher than MOBILE6.2 estimates. As for idling conditions, the tested emissions were much higher than MOBILE6.2 estimates and indicates a need for further investigation of idling emissions. The large amount of emission and vehicle activity data collected initiated a useful database in Houston with promising potential uses. More on-road vehicle emission tests are necessary to obtain more accurate and reliable local vehicle emission individuality and to establish a richer on-road emission database.
Impact of Regional Simulation on Emission Estimates
Authors: Roden David B.
Published: May 2018

This paper examines the impact of a regional simulation model on estimating vehicle emissions. The TRANSIMS software was used to simulate traffic for the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area. Network and trip table data from the Portland METRO regional model were converted to TRANSIMS and calibrated against traffic counts. The TRANSIMS microsimulator was then used to generate detailed speed and volume information for 30-m link segments at 15-min intervals throughout the day. Second-by-second vehicle speeds were summarized with six speed bins (0, 16.8, 33.5, 50.3, 67.1, and 83.8 mph). The detailed simulation results were aggregated in various ways to produce the input data required by the MOBILE6 emission inventory software. MOBILE6 was also applied with specific parameters to test the impacts of various assumptions with regard to analysis year, seasons, vehicle types, facility types, and inspection and maintenance programs. The total emissions from each aggregation method were compared with the emissions estimated with the use of MOBILE6 with METRO's EMME/2 volumes and speeds. The analysis indicates that the emission estimates generated with simulation data are significantly different from the emission estimates produced by traditional modeling techniques. If simulation data are aggregated to levels that are more consistent with traditional regional outputs, the magnitude of the difference is minimized. In general, using the more detailed information produced by TRANSIMS or other simulation models will result in higher emissions than are currently estimated by using aggregate methods.
Travel Characteristics of Urban Freight Vehicles and Their Effects on Emission Factors
Authors: Protopapas Annie , Chatterjee Arun , Miller Terry , Everett Jerry
Published: May 2018

This study collected local commercial vehicle data in Knox County, Tennessee, from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and two companies engaged in package pickup and delivery (PUD). Another urban commercial vehicle data set with a wider spectrum of freight companies was obtained from North Carolina for comparative analysis. The two data sets were analyzed to develop two sets of values for input parameters for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's MOBILE6 model. Statistical tests permitted four aggregated vehicle usage classes to be formed. Two runs of MOBILE6 modeled the two commercial vehicle data sets in their entirety. Four additional runs modeled each vehicle usage class individually through the use of average speed and starts per day specific to the driving pattern of each class. Differences between the values of input parameters and emission factors based on data collected by this study and those based on the default values of MOBILE6 are discussed. Commercial vehicles examined by this study indicated higher annual mileage accumulation rates than the default values. Also their vehicle miles traveled and engine start distributions by hour of day varied considerably from the default values, occurring primarily between the two daily peak traffic periods (morning and evening). The study found higher volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxide emission factors than in default runs for USPS vehicles, whose driving pattern resulted in lower-than-default average speed. Higher VOC and CO emission factors were found for gasoline and diesel package PUD vehicles due to lower-than-default average speeds and higher-than-default starts per day.
Energy and Emissions Impacts of Operating Higher-Productivity Vehicles
Authors: Tunnell Michael A. , Brewster Rebecca M.
Published: May 2018

The American Transportation Research Institute and Cummins, Inc. teamed up to investigate the energy and emissions impacts from operating commercial vehicles at weights equal to or greater than existing federal limits. Six vehicle configurations and four gross vehicle weights (GVWs) were modeled over a representative route to estimate fuel usage and corresponding tailpipe emissions. The results provide a comparative estimate of the potential energy and emission impacts from operating different vehicle configurations at various weights. When six configurations were modeled over a representative route with the Cummins, Inc., vehicle mission simulation model and a simplified algorithm to estimate emissions, fuel consumption and emissions generally decreased for each ton-mile of freight transported when compared with two standard configuration vehicles at 80,000 lb GVW. With the exception of one configuration, decreases in fuel consumption and emissions per ton-mile were 4% to 19% at 100,000 lb GVW, 15% to 22% at 120,000 lb GVW, and 27% at 140,000 lb GVW. The lone exception was for the heaviest vehicle, which experienced an increase in fuel consumption and emissions per ton-mile at a GVW of 100,000 lb when compared with the two standard configurations. At this weight, the added payload weight was insufficient to offset the additional fuel consumption demands of the heavier vehicle. Other than this exception, operating higher-productivity vehicles to accommodate higher GVWs can be expected to decrease fuel consumption and emissions on a ton-mile basis when compared with standard configuration vehicles at 80,000 lb GVW.
Causal Analysis of Hydrogen Acceptance
Authors: Molin Eric
Published: May 2018

This paper presents and discusses a structural equation model on hydrogen acceptance. This model unravels the direct and indirect effects among personal characteristics, knowledge about hydrogen, perceptions, attitudes, and willingness to use hydrogen applications. In addition, indicators of differently colored information that can be provided by mass media have been included as explanatory variables. The estimated model indicates that colored information directly influences perceptions of hydrogen and indirectly influences attitudes about hydrogen and willingness to use it. In particular, negatively colored information decreases hydrogen acceptance, which cannot be counterbalanced by providing positively colored information. Furthermore, the model suggests that more factual knowledge about hydrogen increases its acceptance. The paper further discusses the likely development of hydrogen acceptance in the future and how practitioners can influence this.
Streamlining Success of Southeast Arkansas Interstate 69 Connector Project
Authors: Smith Timothy J. , Butler Marion
Published: May 2018

Streamlining the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and FHWA's transportation planning process is a goal of all state departments of transportation as well as a presidential goal and directive (Executive Order 13274, Environmental Stewardship and Transportation Infrastructure Project Reviews). One section of the nationally designated Interstate 69 (I-69) corridor, the proposed north–south interstate from Canada to Mexico, used a project study process that combined innovative geographic information system (GIS) technology with early, proactive coordination with state and federal resource agencies, Native American tribes, and the public to expedite the NEPA project development process. The Southeast Arkansas I-69 Connector Project (I-69 connector) successfully integrated the development and management of a project-specific GIS with early and continuous stakeholder outreach. This approach fostered a cooperative project atmosphere in which alternatives were developed that responded to the concerns of all stakeholders. This approach proved invaluable in consensus building and in achieving concurrence in a compressed time frame from the public and regulatory resource agencies on the ultimate location of the new facility.
Accuracy of a Traffic Noise Model Using Data from Machine Vision Technology
Authors: Herman Lloyd , Nadella Sunita
Published: May 2018

The FHWA Traffic Noise Model is used in a variety of applications to predict noise levels at locations of interest in the vicinity of streets and highways. The model's traffic noise source characterization process requires the user to supply the volumes and speeds for each vehicle class for each lane of roadway to be modeled. Using these parameters, along with algorithms developed from typical vehicle pass-by data, the program calculates the vehicle noise emission levels for each vehicle class. The accuracy of the user-supplied traffic parameters, therefore, affects the final noise level prediction. Automated traffic data collection technologies offer an attractive alternative to manual data collection for high-volume roadways. The accuracy of noise model predictions was investigated for the machine vision technology, which uses video-based traffic detection with a procedure developed to determine the effect of video equipment setup parameters on traffic data acquisition accuracy, and the range of expected errors was found to be ± 12%. It was found that the range of traffic volume errors produced a range in predicted noise level error of less than ±0.6 dB and that the range of traffic speed errors produced a range in predicted noise level error of less than ±1.0 dB. The results of the study provide a procedure to help machine vision users establish camera position parameters with specific reference points to limit noise prediction errors to acceptable values.
Basics of Noise Generation for Pavement Engineers
Authors: Bernhard Robert J. , McDaniel Rebecca S.
Published: May 2018

This paper is intended as a brief basic primer on tire–pavement noise generation and measurement. It is particularly directed toward pavement and materials engineers who are aware that noise is an issue of concern to the public but have not been able to invest the time needed to investigate and learn about noise control fundamentals. This paper defines sound and noise, illustrates the public's growing awareness of noise issues, explains the units of measurement and measurement techniques, outlines some of the mechanisms of noise generation at the tire–pavement interface, and briefly discusses how pavements can help to mitigate noise problems. Significant progress has been made to reduce tire–pavement noise, and, with more applications and an increased understanding of noise generation and propagation, economical pavements are possible that control noise while maintaining safety and durability.
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Texas with High-Volume Fly Ash Concrete
Authors: Estakhri Cindy K. , Saylak Donald
Published: May 2018

The objective of this study was to determine the potential for reductions in carbon dioxide emissions in Texas by substituting high volumes of fly ash in concrete production and to identify the resulting benefits and challenges. Researchers reviewed the literature and determined that high-volume fly ash can improve the properties of both fresh and hardened concrete. It can improve workability, heat of hydration, strength, permeability, and resistance to chemical attack. Researchers compiled data from 18 power plants located throughout Texas and determined that 6.6 million tons of fly ash are produced annually in Texas and about 2.7 million tons (or 40%) are generally sold for use in concrete or other end products. Researchers estimated the production of concrete in Texas and determined that if 60% of the portland cement used in Texas concrete production were replaced with fly ash, carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by 6.6 million tons annually by the year 2015. More education is needed for design engineers and for the concrete industry regarding the performance and environmental benefits that can be realized through increased use of fly ash in concrete.
North Carolina's Ecosystem Enhancement Program
Authors: D'Ignazio Janet , McDermott Kathryn , Gilmore Bill , Russo Chris
Published: May 2018

Even before FHWA's focus on ecosystem conservation as part of its vital goals, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) had begun to examine how and where compensatory mitigation was being implemented in the state. Over the past 4 years, NCDOT, the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers–Wilmington District have partnered to redesign the mitigation process with one goal in mind: to create a compensatory mitigation program that delivers guaranteed environmental benefits. The result of these efforts is the Ecosystem Enhancement Program (EEP). Instead of focusing on individual highway project impacts, the EEP concept revolves around watershed plans and considers cumulative impacts associated with a given watershed. Accordingly, EEP provides cumulative mitigation for cumulative impacts. It was clear from the start that EEP was going to change fundamentally the goals, approach, and structure of providing mitigation in North Carolina. Although the mitigation experts knew how the mitigation process needed to change, they lacked expertise in how to manage that change. Not surprisingly, this has presented several hurdles that the sponsoring agencies are still trying to scale today. As implementation moves forward, many valuable lessons are being learned, which are laying the groundwork for successful change. This paper describes the origins of the EEP concept, outlines the implementation processes, discusses “change barriers” experienced and lessons learned, and provides an EEP progress report 2 years into the program's implementation.
Pile Driving and Barotrauma Effects
Authors: Hardyniec Sara , Skeen Sarah
Published: May 2018

High-capacity driven pipe piles have recently been shown to be a viable alternative to pile groups in terms of economy and strength. A complication has emerged for the construction of bridge foundations with large-diameter pipe piles, however–-the injury and mortality of fish from sound pressure waves produced from pile driving, otherwise known as barotrauma. Even though this issue has been prevalent in California, regulators have started to restrict other states. This has caused confusion as to how to avoid unexpected increases in construction costs while following environmental laws. After several trials, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) engineers have implemented solutions to this problem, including driving windows, cofferdams, and a few different versions of air bubble curtains. This paper presents an accumulation of knowledge from engineers, biologists, and sound experts. It is to serve as an avenue for informing those who may soon be affected with pile-driving and fish barotrauma issues to minimize harmful effects and costs in the future.
Conceptual Model of a Self-Organizing Traffic Management Hazard Response System
Authors: Bronzini Michael S. , Kicinger Rafal
Published: May 2018

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, have sparked renewed interest in developing effective policies and strategies for evacuating densely populated areas. The current analytical tools for dealing with such evacuations are sorely lacking in both theory and practice. The conceptual model presented joins the technical areas of cellular automatons, evolutionary computation, and transportation science with some recent research on infrastructure security to make significant progress in traffic management and hazard response systems. The overall goal of this research is to develop a fundamental understanding of the evolutionary and emergent behavior of transportation systems that are operating under emergency evacuation conditions. This new knowledge can be used to develop more effective operational strategies and consequently more robust hazard response systems. Furthermore, the specific research objective is to investigate the formulation and application of cellular automaton models of metropolitan transportation systems, with a focus on systems operating under emergency evacuation conditions. The basic context is evacuation of a defined urban area, such as the urban core of Washington, D.C., under terrorist attacks. The conceptual model proposes the use of evolutionary algorithms to search the space of the evacuation control strategies and determine the most successful strategies for a given urban area.
Framework for Analysis of Security Measures within On-Airport Cargo Facilities
Authors: Rountree Carla D. , Demetsky Michael J.
Published: May 2018

Most attention on aviation security since September 11, 2001, has focused on airline passengers, luggage, and carry-on items. At the same time, air cargo security has been relatively neglected. The need for improved security screening guidelines for air cargo was the focus of this research project, which was accomplished through surveys, a case study at an air cargo facility, and computer simulations testing various setups of security technologies to screen cargo within a facility. Information on security measures used for cargo and personnel, as well as the frequency of cargo screenings and information on the size and layout of cargo facilities, was obtained through the survey. A case study was performed at a major U.S. airport to gather data pertinent to the simulations used to test security setups. This information included the frequency of truck arrivals, the number of flight destinations, and security measures in place, as well as the general facility layout. The simulations, conducted in Arena 7.01, tested the effectiveness and cargo throughput of four security cases. Each case used a different combination of security measures proved suitable for an air cargo environment. The security setups were evaluated on the basis of the security systems’ costs, the overall effectiveness of catching high-risk cargo, and the average amount of time taken to process cargo through the facility. Government and aviation officials can use this framework as a step toward achieving a well-rounded plan for ensuring the safety and security of U.S. air cargo.
Security Awareness and Alertness Training in State Departments of Transportation
Authors: Chen Xin , Nof Shimon Y. , Partridge Barry , Varkonyi Irvin , Nakanishi Yuko J.
Published: May 2018

A summary is presented of a survey of how state departments of transportation train their employees for security awareness and alertness. Eighteen states are included in the survey, which began in 2004. The purpose of this survey was the development of recommendations for a comprehensive training program and associated training materials for transportation security.
Marginal Cost Pricing of Railway Infrastructure Operation, Maintenance, and Renewal in Sweden
Authors: Andersson Mats
Published: May 2018

The separation of infrastructure and train operations in Europe's railway sector has increased the importance of a transparent policy for pricing infrastructure use. This paper reviews the quality of data on the Swedish railway network to allow estimation of the marginal costs of railway track wear and tear. Information about costs, traffic, and infrastructure is examined and assessed in light of an econometric modeling approach. The review shows that the basic data necessary to estimate an econometric cost function are not always at hand. In particular, no extensive time series data are available, and there are instances of partially missing data. However, some problems can be overcome through the use of data imputation techniques. A database covering 749 track section observations from 1999 to 2002 was created. Cost functions were estimated via pooled ordinary least squares, and marginal costs were calculated. Separate charging regimes for operational and maintenance costs are suggested, but more research is needed before renewal costs can be recommended for inclusion.
New Stand-Alone and Advanced Earthquake Early Warning Systems Designed to Protect Railways
Authors: Odaka Toshikazu , Ashiya Kimitoshi , Tsukada Shin'ya , Miyauchi Toru
Published: May 2018

A new earthquake detection and warning system that uses single station records was designed. The system determines the location and magnitude of an earthquake and issues an alarm immediately after arrival of the P wave (primary wave or longitudinal waves). In the conventional system now in use with Shinkansen (“bullet”) trains, magnitude is first determined and then distance is evaluated. In the new system, the distance to an epicenter is initially determined, followed by the magnitude. Findings have shown that the initial rate of increase in P-wave amplitude is inversely proportional to the epicentral distance. This relation can be used to estimate the distance in a time interval as short as 2 or 3 s after arrival of the P wave. Then an estimate of magnitude can be made from the maximum amplitude observed within any given time interval after P-wave arrival. This method is preferable to the conventional one because larger earthquakes involve longer rupture times, and it is questionable whether magnitude can be estimated correctly in such a short time after arrival of the P wave. Another new system uses earthquake early warning (EEW) information. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), which has a seismic network that covers all of Japan, is responsible for routine earthquake and tsunami observations. The new system receives EEW information from JMA together with the information obtained by railway facilities, executes a risk assessment for the areas concerned, and issues an earthquake warning if necessary. The system could effectively cover most of Japan, and the reliability of the information provided may be far better than that produced by the standalone system. Also, the system could significantly improve outcomes to early adjustments of train operations in the event of an earthquake.
Effects of High-Speed Rail Service on Shares of Intercity Passenger Ridership in South Korea
Authors: Lee Jang-Ho , Chang Justin S.
Published: May 2018

Korean Train Express (KTX), the South Korean high-speed rail system, began offering commercial service in 2004. Although actual ridership rates have been approximately half those originally estimated, the number of KTX users has steadily increased. In addition, introduction of KTX has created significant changes in South Korea's intercity travel system. This paper describes changes in numbers of passenger trips for different travel modes and changes in modal shares of intercity passenger ridership between Seoul and other major cities. The total number of railway passengers and total rail shares increased between Seoul and cities with KTX service. Express bus ridership and numbers of air passengers decreased considerably on the Gyeongbu (Seoul–Busan) corridor. Modal shares of intercity passenger ridership were theoretically consistent in regard to the competitiveness level of each travel mode for trips between Seoul and the cities on the Gyeongbu corridor with direct KTX service. Results showed that the automobile is a significant travel mode for trips of short to medium distances and that KTX is the major travel mode for medium- to long-distance trips.
Improvements in High-Speed Ballasted Track Design
Authors: Teixeira P. F. , López-Pita A. , Casas C. , Bachiller A. , Robusté F.
Published: May 2018

Track design plays an important role in high-speed rail performance. Increases in high-speed traffic demand and maximum rail speeds will necessitate the development of new, low-maintenance structural solutions for high-speed ballasted tracks. This paper shows that use of tracks with optimum resiliency can reduce railway system operational costs. Use of an alternative to the conventional granular subballast is discussed. The results with Japanese and Italian high-speed lines showing the effectiveness of bituminous subballasts formed the basis for a study focusing on the viability of this option. With Spain used as an example, a theoretical analysis of the characteristics of the bituminous track design is presented. The results of this analysis showed that structural performance was good when a 12-cm to 14-cm conventional bituminous subballast layer was used in lieu of the usual granular layers. Also discussed are ways that a bituminous subballast can reduce track maintenance needs.