Digital Commons Network^™

Nchrp Synthesis 499: Alternate Design/Alternate Bid Process For Pavement-Type Selection. A Synthesis Of Highway Practice, Douglas D. Gransberg, Ashley F. Buss, Ilker Karaca, Michael C. Loulakis

Ilker Karaca

Highway administrators, engineers, and researchers often face problems for which information already exists, either in documented form or as undocumented experience and practice. This information may be fragmented, scattered, and unevaluated. As a consequence, full knowledge of what has been learned about a problem may not be brought to bear on its solution. Costly research findings may go unused, valuable experience may be overlooked, and due consideration may not be given to recommended practices for solving or alleviating the problem. There is information on nearly every subject of concern to highway administrators and engineers. Much of it derives from research …

Planetizen Blog Posts- First Half Of 2019, Michael Lewyn

Michael E Lewyn

How Suburbia Happened In Toronto, Michael Lewyn

Michael E Lewyn

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Contribution Of Highway Investment To National Economic Growth: Comments On Mamuneas’S Study, Randall W. Eberts

Randall W. Eberts

This paper reviews and summarizes current literature by Theofanis P.Mamuneas (2008) and Mamuneas with M. Ishaq Nadiri (2003) on the returns to highway investments. This paper first provides an overview of the conceptual relationship between highways and output. The next section describes the highway capital stock estimated by Fraumeni and used by Mamuneas. Next, the paper describes the study conducted by Mamuneas and analyzes the results for consistency within the modeling framework and in context with other studies. The paper then briefly summarizes the broad range of estimates from the literature to offer additional context. Finally, the paper offers an …

Highway Infrastructure: Policy Issues For Regions, Randall W. Eberts

Randall W. Eberts

No abstract provided.

Performance And Prediction Of Surcharge And Vacuum Consolidation Via Prefabricated Vertical Drains With Special Reference To Highways, Railways And Ports, Buddhima Indraratna, Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn, Xueyu Geng

Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn

Much of the world’s essential infrastructure is built along congested coastal belts that are composed of highly compressible and weak soils up to significant depths. Soft alluvial and marine clay deposits have very low bearing capacity and excessive settlement characteristics, with obvious design and maintenance implications on tall structures and large commercial buildings, as well as port and transport infrastructure. Stabilising these soft soils before commencing construction is essential for both long term and short term stability. A system of vertical drains combined with vacuum pressure and surcharge preloading has become an attractive ground improvement alternative in terms of both …

2014 Cnu Blog Posts, Michael Lewyn

Michael E Lewyn

Markov Random Fields For Abnormal Behavior Detection On Highways, Son Lam Phung, Philippe L. Bouttefroy, Abdesselam Bouzerdoum, Azeddine Beghdadi

Professor Salim Bouzerdoum

This paper introduces a new paradigm for abnormal behavior detection relying on the integration of contextual information in Markov random fields. Contrary to traditional methods, the proposed technique models the local density of object feature vector, therefore leading to simple and elegant criterion for behavior classification. We develop a Gaussian Markov random field mixture catering for multi-modal density and integrating the neighborhood behavior into a local estimate. The convergence of the random field is ensured by online learning through a stochastic clustering algorithm. The system is tested on an extensive dataset (over 2800 vehicles) for behavior modeling. The experimental results …

Advanced Sensing For Detection Of Hidden Defects In Concrete Structures, Sara Wadia-Fascetti

Sara J. Wadia-Fascetti

No abstract provided.

2012 Cnu Blog Posts, Michael Lewyn

Michael E Lewyn

2010 Planetizen Blog Posts, Michael Lewyn

Michael E Lewyn

The (First) American State Litter Scorecard (2008), Stephen [Steve] L. Spacek

Stephen [Steve] L Spacek

ABSTRACT Littering is an American environmental crime, creating a danger to public health and safety. Experts nationwide have done little research on litter’s impingement upon state jurisdictional environmental degradation. Unfortunately, the 50 American states do not collect uniform litter data measures, such as volumes of waste collected, total litter eradication expenditures, the number of persons injured or killed by litter/dumping-related incidents. For the first time, a "litter scorecard" is created, measuring each state’s environmental quality indicators and litter eradication programs. The research first examines salient social and political mores that influence littering and statewide environmental degradation through a review of …

Five Myths About Sprawl , Michael E Lewyn

Michael E Lewyn

In Sprawl: A Compact History, Robert Bruegmann, an art historian, has painted a superficially convincing case for the status quo, asserting that sprawl is “a natural result of affluence that occurs in all urbanized societies.” Bruegmann's book has generated glowing media publicity. This article suggests that Bruegmann overestimates the universality of sprawl, by overlooking the differences between pedestrian-friendly cities with some sprawling development and cities in which automobile-dependent sprawl is the only choice available to most consumers. In addition, Bruegmann understates the harmful social effects of sprawl, especially the effect of automobile-dependent development upon non-drivers. Bruegmann also consistently underestimates the …

The Case Against Roads, Michael E Lewyn

Michael E Lewyn

Criticizes proposals for a new outer beltway highway near Jacksonville, FL.

How City Hall Causes Sprawl - A Case Study, Michael E Lewyn

Michael E Lewyn

A book review addressing the city of Atlanta's pro-sprawl transportation, zoning and urban renewal policies.

Car Czars Won't Yield To Transit Alternatives , Michael E Lewyn

Michael E Lewyn

Despite their libertarian rhetoric, highway lobby supporters have "auto-totalitarian" ambitions: They wish to create a dictatorship of the automobile, a society where government, by building roads to develop places without transit and then slashing bus service in the places that already have transit, makes it impossible to work without a car.

Campaign Of Sabotage: Big Government's War Against Public Transportation , Michael E Lewyn

Michael E Lewyn

This article discusses a variety of state, federal and local policies which have reduced transit ridership, such as unfunded mandates, anti-transit zoning policies, and highway funding policies that shifted development to areas with minimal or nonexistent transit service.

Why Sprawl Is A Conservative Issue , Michael E Lewyn

Michael E Lewyn

This speech argued that conservatives should fight sprawl as a threat to conservative values such as limited government, freedom, lower taxes, and social stability. I explained how sprawl is the direct result of big government, education policies, and housing regulations that still favor suburban construction on previously undeveloped land. He will also discusses policies that could limit or mitigate sprawl and yet be consistent with conservative and libertarian values such as individual choice and free market activity.

Suburban Sprawl: Not Just An Environmental Issue, Michael E Lewyn

Michael E Lewyn

Explains why conservatives should be concerned about suburban sprawl, and how market-oriented solutions can mitigate sprawl.