Engineering Commons^™

Prestress Losses In Lightweight Self-Consolidating Concrete, Jared Bymaster

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While much research has been performed on lightweight concrete and self-consolidating concrete (SCC), the knowledge of prestress losses in lightweight self-consolidating concrete (LWSCC) is still limited. LWSCC has the benefits of increased flowability, reduced placement labor, and decreased shipping cost compared to conventional concrete. This research program included the study of 14 SCC beams cast with expanded clay, expanded shale, and limestone aggregates. Strains in the beams were measured with vibrating-wire strain gages, and the measured prestress losses were compared with current AASHTO methods for calculating prestress losses. The AASHTO approximate method better predicted actual losses than did the AASHTO …

Implementing Conductive Concrete With Photovoltaic Energy To Develop Anti-Icing Airfield Runways, Adam Benjamin Osweiler

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Snow and ice accumulation on airport runways force airports to cancel or significantly delay flights. Winter weather can also drastically affect airport safety during times of aircraft takeoff and landing. During these times, countless dollars are used to remove snow and return airports to their functional conditions. In this thesis, a conductive concrete solar energy system will be examined in order to prevent snow and ice accumulation. The objective of this research is to implement a conductive concrete overlay system on airport runways in conjunction with photovoltaic energy so that no frost precipitation accumulates on the runway surface.

Evaluation Of The Environmental Impacts Of Bridge Deck Runoff, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Lauren Swadener, Ekizabeth G. Jones

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Bridges are located in very close proximity to receiving waters, and regulatory agencies often require specific stormwater control measures for bridge deck runoff. While there is some information available on roadway runoff, few studies have focused on bridge deck runoff. Currently, there is no information available regarding the impacts of bridge deck runoff on receiving waters in Nebraska. Due to the cost, maintenance, and design issues associated with implementing structural controls for bridge deck runoff, it is important to develop a better understanding of the relationship between bridge deck runoff and potential impacts to receiving streams. The objectives of this …

Characteristics Of Fatigued Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers -- A Preliminary Investigation, Aemal Khattak, Carrie Mohlman

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

The goal of this research was to identify and correlate easily observable characteristics of drivers to different levels of fatigue, thus enabling state patrol officers to make more judicious decisions related to driver fatigue. A literature review was conducted pertaining to the characteristics of fatigued drivers. Next, a nationwide survey was administered to state patrol agencies to assess their practices regarding fatigue-involved driving. To explore relationships between state patrol agency practices and vehicular safety, data collected from the telephone survey were merged with data from different states on fatigue-involved vehicle fatalities and vehicle miles traveled. Analysis revealed that states with …

Cable Median Barrier Failure Analysis And Prevention, Dean L. Sicking, Cody S. Stolle

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Cross-median crashes have been identified as one of the highest injury or fatality risk crash types. Although crossmedian crashes account for only 2% to 5% of all median crash events, they are disproportionately represented in the number and frequency of fatalities on interstate roadways. Many states have utilized cable median barriers to reduce the risk of cross-median crashes, frequently with great success. However, cable median barriers are also fixed obstacles to errant vehicles. Cable median barriers can place occupants at increased risk of severe injury or fatality if the barrier fails to adequately contain and redirect errant vehicles, resulting in …

Dynamic Testing Of Mgs W6x8.5 Posts At Decreased Embedment, Robert W. Bielenberg, Karla A. Lechtenberg, Ronald K. Faller, John D. Reid, Tyler L. Schmidt, Mario Mongiardini

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Determination Of The Maximum Mgs Mounting Height Phase Ii Detailed Analysis, Ramen D. Julin, Ronald K. Faller, John D. Reid, Mario Mongiardini

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Experimental Tests And Numerical Analyses Of Steel Truss Bridge Gusset Connections, Christopher Higgins, Peter Dusicka, Michael Scott

TREC Final Reports

The collapse of the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota has raised questions regarding the performance and possibly safety of steel truss bridges. The failure investigation indicated that the collapse was due to a design error in the gusset plates used to connect the truss members. The findings also recommend that evaluation of truss connections will be needed, which is a deviation from past practice where only members were considered. Gusset plates connect individual steel truss bridge members together at a node. In 10% of the 200,000 steel bridges in US in 2008, failure of a single truss or connection could …

Evaluation Of A Non-Proprietary, High-Tension, Four-Cable Median Barrier On Level Terrain, Karla A. Lechtenberg, Robert W. Bielenberg, Ronald K. Faller, Dean L. Sicking, Scott K. Rosenbaugh, Daniel M. Homan, Leah R. Kampschnieder, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Development And Deployment Of Aluminum Bridge Decks, Ching Chiaw Choo, Abheetha Peiris, Issam E. Harik

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report contains the analysis and retrofit of a steel truss bridge on KY 974 over Howard Creek in Clark County, Kentucky. The bridge had major corrosion and damage to the steel stringers, along with cracking and leaching occurring in the concrete bridge deck. The retrofit involves the replacement of the corroded steel stringers and the damaged concrete bridge deck. The original concrete deck was removed and replaced by light-weight high-strength aluminum deck panels. The aluminum deck panels, each 2-m wide, were assembled at the site and connected to each other and to the bottom steel stringers using special clamps …

Tools For Applying Constructability Concepts To Project Development (Design), Nikiforos Stamatiadis, Paul Goodrum, Emily Shocklee, Chen Wang

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The purpose of this report is to document the activities of Phase I of the research effort and present the development of the Constructability Review Database developed for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. 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.

Port Management Improvement Strategies Based On Simulation Model, Wen-Chih Huang, Tu-Cheng Kuo, Ching-Tsyr Wu, Cheng-Chen Kuo

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

Management performance of container terminal is an important factor of port competitiveness. In the past, ports had often increased performance by expanding the number of berths and equipment. However, recent global recession has significantly dampened the growth of the international trade. Thus, port authority must seek effective utilization of the capacities of its container terminals. Most ocean carriers in the Port of Kaohsiung in Taiwan rent multiple berths that are often dispersed to different container terminals, resulting in inefficient handling. Establishing terminal operators to optimize berth assignment may resolve this problem. The objective of this research is to construct a …

Fluorescing Coatings For Improved Inspection During Bridge Maintenance Painting, Bobby W. Meade, Theodore Hopwood Ii, Sudhir Palle

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Optically active pigments (OAPs) fluoresce under light exposures with wavelengths (nm) producing emissions in the visible spectra (380 to 740 nm). They are used as paint pigments to aid visual inspection of applied coatings for defects such as pin-holing and incomplete coverage. OAP coatings are widely used in various industries outside of bridge maintenance painting.

This study addressed the laboratory evaluation and field trial of an OAP coating for KYTC bridges. OAP coatings were evaluated for inspectability and accelerated weathering performance in a laboratory test program. After successful laboratory performance, OAP coatings were specified for a KYTC bridge painting project …

New Coatings For Bridges (Over-Coat Systems), Sudhir Palle, Theodore Hopwood Ii, Bobby W. Meade

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

KYTC sought to identify new coatings technologies consistent with overcoating that offer enhancements in terms of ease of application and performance. KYTC contacted paint manufacturers to obtain sample coating systems for characterization by the KYTC Division of Materials and accelerated performance testing by Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC). A total of 14 coating systems from five manufacturers underwent performance testing according to ASTM D5894.

From Titanic To Costa Concordia — A Century Of Lessons Not Learned, Jens-Uwe Schröder-Hinrichs, Erik Hollnagel, Michael Baldauf

Journal Publications

The recent foundering of the Costa Concordia in January 2012 demonstrated

that accidents can occur even with ships that are considered masterpieces of

modern technology and despite more than 100 years of regulatory and technological

progress in maritime safety. The purpose of this paper is, however, not to speculate

about the concrete causes of the Costa Concordia accident, but rather to consider

some human and organizational factors that were present in the Costa Concordia

accident as well as in the foundering of the Titanic a century ago, and which can be

found in many other maritime accidents over the years. …

Analysis Of Traffic Crash Data In Kentucky (2007-2011), Eric R. Green, Kenneth R. Agent, Jerry G. Pigman

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report documents an analysis of traffic crash data in Kentucky for the years of 2007 through 2011. A primary objective of this study was to determine average crash statistics for Kentucky highways. Average and critical numbers and rates of crashes were calculated for various types of highways in rural and urban areas. These data can be used in Kentucky’s procedure to identify locations that have abnormal rates or numbers of crashes.

Optimizing Feeder Bus Network Based On Access Mode Shifts, Zhaodong Huang

Dissertations

The methodology introduced in this dissertation is to optimally find a feeder bus network in a suburban area for an existing rail system that connects the suburban area with the Central Business District (CBD). The objective is to minimize the total cost, including user and supplier costs. Three major access modes (walk, feeder bus, and auto) for the rail station are considered and the cost for all modes makes up the user cost. The supplier cost comes from the operating cost of the feeder bus network. The decision variables include the structure of the feeder bus network, service frequencies, and …

A Proposal On Standard Rudder Device Design Procedure By Investigation Of Rudder Design Process At Major Korean Shipyards, Hyun-Jun Kim, Sang-Hyun Kim, Jung-Keun Oh, Dae-Won Seo

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

Recently, a very large vessel’s maneuvering performance, rudder performance and rudder design’s importance are considered to be an important subject. However, there have been few studies on the design process of rudder device before. The aim of this paper is to investigate a design process of rudder device and to propose a generalized design process of rudder device. Firstly, we investigated the rudder device design process of Korean major shipyards. And the differences of a torque calculation method, rudder section design, maneuvering performance examination method, etc. were analyzed theoretically. Secondly, the design process of rudder device was divided into concept …

Safety Stock Estimation Of Unit Load Devices For International Airline Operations, Hua-An Lu, Chien-Yi Chen

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

Unit load devices (ULDs) are used to load air cargo and passengers’ checked baggage for wide-bodied aircraft operations. Since ULDs are reusable at the destination, airlines can invest in an appropriate fleet size for their requirements. The estimation of safety stock levels for every operating airport is a premeditated task because airlines must prepare enough devices for the outbound consignments of each flight. The variance of the number of used devices for each arrival and departure flight will influence the stock level of an airport. For scheduled international services, this study proposes an analytic method based on a cyclically time-sequenced …

Wheel Path Wandering Based On Field Data, Wenting Luo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The position and width of wheel path on a pavement lane is an important consideration in conducting pavement distress survey, especially for distinguishing longitudinal cracking from fatigue cracking. Currently, the widely used wheel path definition is derived from the LTPP distress manual with fixed width and position, in which the influence of traffic wander on wheel path was overlooked. This thesis attempts to develop a new wheel path definition based on the lateral placement investigation of heavy vehicles' wandering in the field. Generally, the factors influencing vehicle lateral placement can be divided into seven categories, but only four factors are …

Risk Analysis And Reliability Improvement Of Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design, Xingqiang Danny Xiao

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Reliability used in the Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) is a congregated indicator defined as the probability that each of the key distress types and smoothness will be less than a selected critical level over the design period. For such a complex system as the MEPDG which does not have closed-form design equations, classic reliability methods are not applicable. A robust reliability analysis can rely on Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS). The ultimate goal of this study was to improve the reliability model of the MEPDG using surrogate modeling techniques and Monte Carlo simulation.

To achieve this goal, four tasks …

Application Of E-Navigation To Support Ship Operation In Emergency And Routine Situations, Michael Baldauf, Sebastian Klaes, Knud Benedict, Sandro Fischer, Michael Gluch, Matthias Kirchhoff, Michaele Schaub

Journal Publications

No abstract provided.

L&D Manual Turn Lane Storage Validation/Update, Deogratias Eustace, Sowjanya Ponnada

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Faculty Publications

Queuing occurs at intersections mostly due to overflow or inadequacy of turn bays. The ODOT L&D Manual Volume 1 has storage requirements for both signalized and unsignalized intersections. Figures 401-9E and 401-10E of the L&D Manual provide the required turn lane storage lengths which should be compared with the real world conditions to check for adequacy of these lengths as a measure of ensuring that accesses to the left turn lanes are not blocked. In addition to the projected turn lane volume, ODOT’s methodology incorporates both deceleration (based on the speed of the roadway) and potential blockage from the adjacent …

Optimization Models And Algorithms For Truckload Relay Network Design, Hector Andres Vergara Arteaga

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Driver turnover is a significant problem for full truckload (TL) carriers that operate using point-to-point (PtP) dispatching. The low quality of life of drivers due to the long periods of time they spend away from home is usually identified as one of the main reasons for the high turnover. In contrast, driver turnover is not as significant for less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers that use hub-and-spoke transportation networks which allow drivers to return home more frequently. Based on the differences between TL and LTL, the use of a relay network (RN) has been proposed as an alternative dispatching method for TL transportation …

2012 Driver Attitudes And Awareness Survey, Kenneth R. Agent, Eric R. Green, Ronald E. Langley

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

A basic set of questions were developed that could be used in periodic surveys that track drivers attitudes and awareness concerning impaired driving, seat belt use, and speeding issues. The objective of the survey was to learn the knowledge, views, and behaviors of drivers in these areas. This report documents the results of the 2012 survey with comparison to the 2011 survey as well as the 2010 baseline survey.

Operational Guidance For Bicycle-Specific Traffic Signals In The United States, Christopher Monsere, Miguel A. Figliozzi, Sam Thompson, Kirk Paulsen

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The research consisted of two phases: 1) a synthesis of practice and 2) and 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 bicyclespecific signals. This report summarizes research of cyclist behavior at signalized intersections in Portland, Eugene, Corvallis, Beaverton and Clackamas County, OR. These signals had both bicycle-specific indications and vehicle-only signals. A total of 4,673cyclists were observed. For each cyclist observed arriving on red, a set of descriptive variables were collected (e.g., age, sex, helmet use, presence of …

Cost-Effective Safety Treatments For Low-Volume Roads, Kevin D Schrum, Karla A. Lechtenberg, Cody S. Stolle, Ronald K. Faller, Dean L. Sicking

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Test Matrices For Evaluating Cable Median Barriers Placed In V-Ditches, Ronald K. Faller, Scott K. Rosenbaugh, Mario Mongiardini, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Kentucky Safety Belt Methodology, Kenneth R. Agent, Eric R. Green, Ronald Langley

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued new Uniform Criteria for State Observational Surveys of Seat Belt Use. The final rule was published in Federal Register Volume 76, Number 63. Following is a summary of the methodology Kentucky will use to comply with the criteria described in the final rule. The methodology considers the experience of the past 30 years of safety belt data collection in Kentucky along with the guidelines contained in the final rule. The new methodology will be implemented beginning with the 2013 statewide survey.

Development And Recommendation For A Non-Proprietary, High-Tension, Cable End Terminal System, Ryan J. Terpsma, Ronald K. Faller, Dean L. Sicking, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.