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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Bridge Load Posting Prediction, Sabarethinam Kameshwar, Md. Manik Mia, Sai Bandaru Dec 2021

Bridge Load Posting Prediction, Sabarethinam Kameshwar, Md. Manik Mia, Sai Bandaru

Publications

There are approximately 13,000 bridges in Louisiana facilitating movement of people, goods, and services. At present, about 12% of the bridges are load posted, i.e., they are deemed to lack the strength to safely carry all legal loads. With time bridges will age and deteriorate; at the same time, legal loads might increase. Load posted bridges disrupt the movement of goods and commerce. Therefore, objective of this research was to estimate the number of load posted bridges in Louisiana over the next 50 years. For this purpose, herein, a data based approach was used. For a given bridge type, the …


Catalyst Regeneration Of Rap-Binder In Asphalt, D. Spivak, Subramanian Balamurugan Dec 2021

Catalyst Regeneration Of Rap-Binder In Asphalt, D. Spivak, Subramanian Balamurugan

Publications

Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) binders are difficult to reuse because they often contain associated/aggregated molecules with very high molecular weights. This is due to the polarity gained during oxidative aging, causing the aggregation to occur. These high molecular weight components are responsible for RAP binder’s increased viscosity and certain deteriorated rheological properties. One strategy to reuse RAP binder is to mix it with virgin asphalt binder and use this partially recycled mixture in asphalt. The RAP binder is usually improved before mixing by the addition of rejuvenators, softening agents, softer binders, and antioxidants to the asphalt binder mix to rebalance …


Smart Battery Management System For Electric Vehicles: Selflearning Algorithms For Simultaneous State And Parameter Estimation, And Stress Detection, Avimanyu Sahoo, Samir Ahmed Dec 2021

Smart Battery Management System For Electric Vehicles: Selflearning Algorithms For Simultaneous State And Parameter Estimation, And Stress Detection, Avimanyu Sahoo, Samir Ahmed

Publications

The project proposes to develop parameter-varying SOH-coupled models for lithium-ion battery and self-learning algorithms to learn the model for simultaneous state and parameter estimation and fault detection. The traditional battery models use constant parameters, limiting their accuracy for predicting the state of the charge and health over the complete life-cycle. In practice, the battery parameters vary with the change in the state of charge and state of health. SOH-coupled models can be used to estimate the state of charge and health accurately. Further, obtaining the model parameters is also a challenging task for designing filters or observers for state estimation. …


Expanding The Concept Of Comprehensive Area Ratio Parameter To The South-Central States: Towards Simplifying The Structural Evaluation Of Flexible Pavements At The Network Level, Mena Souliman, Samer Dessouky, Nitish R. Bastola Dec 2021

Expanding The Concept Of Comprehensive Area Ratio Parameter To The South-Central States: Towards Simplifying The Structural Evaluation Of Flexible Pavements At The Network Level, Mena Souliman, Samer Dessouky, Nitish R. Bastola

Publications

The surface deflection bowl data collected through falling weight deflectometer (FWD) test is utilized by highway agencies in assessing the performance of the flexible pavement. However, a robust method to evaluate pavement sections utilizing FWD data from all the sensors is seldom developed. There is always a need for DOTs and highway agencies to have a simplified procedure, which can be directly implemented in agencies' databases. This study focuses on expanding and validating the concept of previously developed area ratio parameters towards the pavement section of South-Central States (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas) in effectively analyzing the pavement …


Field Implementation And Monitoring Of An Ultra-High Performance Concrete Bridge Deck Overlay, Craig Newtson, Brad Weldon, William Toledo, Andres Alvarez, Mark Manning Dec 2021

Field Implementation And Monitoring Of An Ultra-High Performance Concrete Bridge Deck Overlay, Craig Newtson, Brad Weldon, William Toledo, Andres Alvarez, Mark Manning

Publications

This project focused on field implementation of an ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) overlay during rehabilitation of an existing concrete bridge (No. 7032) deck in Socorro, New Mexico, USA. Bridge 7032 is a two-lane bridge that is approximately 300 ft. (91.4 m) long and 54 ft. (16.5 m) in width. Rehabilitation of bridge 7032 included removal of deteriorated concrete from the existing deck, installation of a high-performance deck (HPD) leveling course, and installation of a 1 in. (25 mm) UHPC overlay. An UHPC mixture with a 19.5 ksi (134 MPa) compressive strength developed in previous research was selected for this project. …


Durability Of Concrete Produced With Alternative Supplementary Cementitious Material, Craig Newtson, Brad Weldon, Judit Garcia, Seyedsaleh Mousavinezhad, William Toledo Nov 2021

Durability Of Concrete Produced With Alternative Supplementary Cementitious Material, Craig Newtson, Brad Weldon, Judit Garcia, Seyedsaleh Mousavinezhad, William Toledo

Publications

Historically, Class F fly ash has been chosen as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) in concrete for its ability to mitigate alkali-silica reaction (ASR). However, future availability of fly ash is uncertain because the energy industry has been investing in renewable energy production and removing coal burning generating stations from operation. Consequently, there is a growing need to find new, cost effective and environmentally friendly alternatives to fly ash. This study investigated a locally available natural pozzolan mined from a pumicite deposit near Espanola, NM for its ability to mediate ASR. Concrete and mortar mixtures included SCM contents ranging from …


Calculating Pile Downdrag: Experimental And Numerical Investigations, Hai Lin, Shengli Chen, Hussein Alqrinawi Oct 2021

Calculating Pile Downdrag: Experimental And Numerical Investigations, Hai Lin, Shengli Chen, Hussein Alqrinawi

Publications

Piles can be exposed to significant settlement (i.e., downdrag) and compressive force (i.e., dragload) if embedded in consolidating ground. Downdrag has been included in the design of piles, but there is uncertainty about how downdrag and dragload are efficiently considered in the pile design due to the differences in the existing design methods (e.g., AASHTO and FHWA). Although several field monitoring programs were successfully conducted on pile downdrag, fully instrumented pile model tests are still needed to investigate the responses at the soil-pile interface to improve the design of pile downdrag. This research focused on investigating the downdrag and skin …


Developing Notification And Enforcement Systems To Communicate And Administer Bridge Load Postings, Hany Hassan, Hisham Abdu Kunnah Oct 2021

Developing Notification And Enforcement Systems To Communicate And Administer Bridge Load Postings, Hany Hassan, Hisham Abdu Kunnah

Publications

State and local law enforcement agencies in the US strive to enforce weight restrictions on trucks and heavy vehicles travelling on public roads as a matter of public safety and as a way of safeguarding vital transportation infrastructure. This research aimed to identify plausible notification systems that can effectively communicate bridge load postings to dispatchers and drivers, investigate and suggest possible approaches to communicate potential detour routes, and identify corresponding enforcement methods required to successfully administer bridge load postings. This report discusses the current practices of bridge load posting notification and enforcement systems. Also, it presents an overview of the …


Exploring Traffic Safety Problems And Challenges Of Older Roads’ Users In Louisiana: Causes And Countermeasures, Hany Hassan Ph.D, Saba Doulabi Oct 2021

Exploring Traffic Safety Problems And Challenges Of Older Roads’ Users In Louisiana: Causes And Countermeasures, Hany Hassan Ph.D, Saba Doulabi

Publications

It is well established that older pedestrians and drivers with 65 years and above are among the most vulnerable road users. As the number and proportion of older road users (as drivers and pedestrians) grows in many countries, as well as their share in pedestrians’ and drivers’ crashes and injuries, it behooves transportation researchers to further investigate the safety and mobility challenges of older road users. This study aims mainly to provide a comprehensive investigation of older pedestrians’ and drivers’ safety challenges. To this end, a three-fold research approach is designed to thoroughly examine older road users’ safety challenges as …


An Innovative Thermo-Energy Harvesting Module For Asphalt Roadway Pavement, Seyed Amid Tahami, Samer Dessouky Oct 2021

An Innovative Thermo-Energy Harvesting Module For Asphalt Roadway Pavement, Seyed Amid Tahami, Samer Dessouky

Publications

The importance of green technologies for generating renewable energy and sustainable development is widely accepted. Road surfaces are exposed to solar radiation that generates thermal gradients and heat flow in the pavement layers. The heat stored can be harvested providing an untapped source of renewable energy. This report presents the design, construction, and assessment of an improved thermoelectric energy prototype for harvesting heat energy from roadway pavements. To accomplish this, various prototype designs were simulated using Finite Element (FE) analysis, followed by design construction and laboratory testing of the most promising prototypes to evaluate their power harvesting capabilities. The main …


Urban Transportation Infrastructure And Cyclist And Pedestrian Safety, Hatim Sharif, Samer Dessouky Oct 2021

Urban Transportation Infrastructure And Cyclist And Pedestrian Safety, Hatim Sharif, Samer Dessouky

Publications

The goal of this project was to perform a comprehensive evaluation of crash causes and risk factors to identify the root causes of crashes involving bicyclists and pedestrians in San Antonio, TX. The research included the development of a database of bicycle and pedestrian crash reports in the target area, calculation of crash counts and rates, identifying road segments and intersections with highly concentrated bicycle and pedestrian crashes, and the development of effective safety countermeasures. Several variables and factors were analyzed, including driver characteristics such as age and gender, road-related factors, and environmental factors such as weather conditions and time …


Coupling Novel Soil Moisture-Suction Sensors And Uav Photogrammetry Technology To The Performance Of Highway Embankments, Navid Jafari, Anand Puppala, Xinbao Yu, Surya Sarat Chandra Congress Oct 2021

Coupling Novel Soil Moisture-Suction Sensors And Uav Photogrammetry Technology To The Performance Of Highway Embankments, Navid Jafari, Anand Puppala, Xinbao Yu, Surya Sarat Chandra Congress

Publications

The movement of water plays a critical role in the mechanical performance and service life of transportation infrastructure, especially for pavement subgrades and highway embankments consisting of high-plasticity, expansive soils that saturate and ultimately lead to infrastructure distress. Shallow slides along highway embankments are ubiquitous across Region 6 because long-term wetting and drying cycles considerably weaken these compacted soils. In the aftermath of heavy rains, pore-water pressures increase to a critical threshold such that a failure occurs. The implications of embankment failures range from repeated maintenance repairs to long-term road closures. A comprehensive approach to model highway embankments comprising of …


Rapid Repair Of Cracks On The Embankment Slopes Using Bio-Cement, Hai Lin, Guantao Cheng Oct 2021

Rapid Repair Of Cracks On The Embankment Slopes Using Bio-Cement, Hai Lin, Guantao Cheng

Publications

This research explored the feasibility of using Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation (MICP) to improve fine-grained soil mechanical properties, seal the soil cracks, and assess the improvement of MICP on slope stability. The conducted research tasks include (1) direct shear tests to investigate the mechanical behavior and biogeochemical reactions of low-plasticity silt treated by MICP, (2) cyclic wetting-drying tests to assess the feasibility of using MICP to seal and waterproof the soil cracks, and (3) SLOPE/W modeling of a slope treated by MICP. Direct shear tests were used to evaluate the shear responses of the low-plasticity silt under different overburden pressures …


Autonomous Vehicle Communication Strategies Modeled In Virtual Reality, Nick N. Ferenchak Ph.D Sep 2021

Autonomous Vehicle Communication Strategies Modeled In Virtual Reality, Nick N. Ferenchak Ph.D

Publications

We sought to better understand how autonomous vehicle (AV) communication strategies impact human road users’ perceptions and behaviors. More specifically, we explored the impact of different external human-machine interface (eHMI) designs on understanding, task load, comfort, trust, acceptance, and reaction time. To accomplish this, we created virtual reality (VR) scenarios where human participants interacted with AVs. Participants experienced biking, driving, and pedestrian simulators and were brought back after initial testing to explore acclimation and learning effects. In terms of perceptions, the presence of an eHMI was the strongest predictor of understanding, comfort, trust, and acceptance outcomes in the statistical models …


Development Of Novel Ultra-High Performance Engineered Cementitious Composites (Uhp-Ecc) For Durable And Resilient Transportation Infrastructure, Gabriel A. Arce, Marwa Hassan, Daniel E. Game Sep 2021

Development Of Novel Ultra-High Performance Engineered Cementitious Composites (Uhp-Ecc) For Durable And Resilient Transportation Infrastructure, Gabriel A. Arce, Marwa Hassan, Daniel E. Game

Publications

The objective of this study was to develop novel UHP-ECC materials utilizing readily available ingredients in Region 6 for the construction and repair of transportation infrastructure. Phase one of this study focused on the development of ultra-high strength cementitious matrices by evaluating the effects of ingredient selection and mixture proportioning on the materials’ compressive strength. Variables evaluated included the mass ratios of silica fume to fly ash (SF/FA), supplementary cementitious materials to cement (SCMs/C), and ordinary sand to microsilica sand (OS/MS). Phase two of the study focused on the development of UHP-ECC materials. To this end, based on the knowledge …


Multifunctional Corrosion Control System As A Sustainable Approach For Reinforced Concrete Elements, Homero Castaneda, Miladin Radovic, Brendy Rincon, Oladis Troconis, Arturo Montoya, Changkyu Kim, Loreto Dacio Sep 2021

Multifunctional Corrosion Control System As A Sustainable Approach For Reinforced Concrete Elements, Homero Castaneda, Miladin Radovic, Brendy Rincon, Oladis Troconis, Arturo Montoya, Changkyu Kim, Loreto Dacio

Publications

Corrosion inhibitors can be utilized to decrease the corrosion kinetics and therefore increase the durability of reinforced concrete structures. Recently, a green synthesized organic compound, 1-benzyl-4-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole (BPT), was shown to be a successful green organic corrosion inhibitor for mild steel. Studies suggested that the BPT adsorbs chemically onto the steel and acts as a mixed inhibitor, suppressing both the anodic and cathodic corrosion kinetics of steel. In addition, microcapsules have shown to be an efficient way for a controlled inhibitor release in reinforced concrete structures. On the other hand, geopolymers (GPs) comprised of a long range of covalently bonded alumino-silicates, …


Efficient, Low-Cost Bridge Cracking Detection And Quantification Using Deep-Learning And Uav Images, Chao Sun, Xiangyu Meng, Joshua O. Ogbebor, Shaopan Guo Sep 2021

Efficient, Low-Cost Bridge Cracking Detection And Quantification Using Deep-Learning And Uav Images, Chao Sun, Xiangyu Meng, Joshua O. Ogbebor, Shaopan Guo

Publications

Many bridges in the State of Louisiana and the United States are working under serious degradation conditions where cracks on bridges threaten structural integrity and public security. To ensure structural integrity and public security, it is required that bridges in the US be inspected and rated every two years. Currently, this biannual assessment is largely implemented using manual visual inspection methods, which is slow and costly. In addition, it is challenging for workers to detect cracks in regions that are hard to reach, e.g., the top part of the bridge tower, cables, mid-span of the bridge girders, and decks. This …


Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based Project Prioritization For Rapid Post-Disaster Recovery Of Transportation Infrastructure Systems, Yongcheol Lee, Kunhee Choi Ph.D, Pedram Ghannad Sep 2021

Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based Project Prioritization For Rapid Post-Disaster Recovery Of Transportation Infrastructure Systems, Yongcheol Lee, Kunhee Choi Ph.D, Pedram Ghannad

Publications

Among various natural hazards that threaten transportation infrastructure, flooding represents a major hazard in Region 6's states to roadways as it challenges their design, operation, efficiency, and safety. The catastrophic flooding disaster event generally leads to massive obstruction of traffic, direct damage to highway/bridge structures/pavement, and indirect damages to economic activities and regional communities that may cause loss of many lives. After disasters strike, reconstruction and maintenance of an enormous number of damaged transportation infrastructure systems require each DOT to take extremely expensive and long-term processes. In addition, planning and organizing post-disaster reconstruction and maintenance projects of transportation infrastructures are …


Effectiveness Of Softening Agents For Enhancing Properties Of Asphalt Mixes With High Rap Contents, Zahid Hossain, Ashraf Elsayed, Sumon Roy Aug 2021

Effectiveness Of Softening Agents For Enhancing Properties Of Asphalt Mixes With High Rap Contents, Zahid Hossain, Ashraf Elsayed, Sumon Roy

Publications

A high percentage of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in new asphalt concrete can lead to developing premature failure of asphalt pavements due to fatigue or low-temperature cracking. The use of softening agents in asphalt binders can resolve these problems. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of softening agents for enhancing the properties of asphalt mixes with high RAP contents. Two waste products, namely, waste cooking oil (WCO), and engine bottom oil (EBO) along with a commercially produced rejuvenator were investigated in this study. The following three types of Performance Grade (PG) binders, each collected from two …


Feasibility Assessment Of Warm Mix Asphalt In Arkansas, Zahid Hossain, Ashraf Elsayed, Mohammad Najmush Sakib Oyan Aug 2021

Feasibility Assessment Of Warm Mix Asphalt In Arkansas, Zahid Hossain, Ashraf Elsayed, Mohammad Najmush Sakib Oyan

Publications

The future of Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) technologies is promising in the U.S. However, the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) does not have any specific guidelines to implement them in the field. This research aims to provide necessary baseline data for WMA as a proof of concept. In this study, three ARDOT approved Performance Grade (PG) binders namely PG 64-22, PG 70-22, and PG 76-22 were investigated. Each of these binders was obtained from two different sources. They were modified by varying doses of four selected additives: Sasobit®, Advera®, Evotherm®, and Rediset®. Additionally, four different types of aggregates (sandstone, limestone, …


Evaluation Of Alternative Sources Of Supplementary Cementitious Materials (Scms) For Concrete Materials In Transportation Infrastructure, Gabriel A. Arce, Miladin Radovic, Zahid Hossain, Marwa Hassan, Sujata Subedi Aug 2021

Evaluation Of Alternative Sources Of Supplementary Cementitious Materials (Scms) For Concrete Materials In Transportation Infrastructure, Gabriel A. Arce, Miladin Radovic, Zahid Hossain, Marwa Hassan, Sujata Subedi

Publications

Fly ash is the most utilized supplementary cementitious material (SCM) in the US. Nonetheless, rapid decline in coal-fired power generation threatens its supply. The objective of this study was to evaluate alternative SCMs for concrete transportation infrastructure in Region 6. SCMs investigated included reclaimed fly ash (RFA), reclaimed ground bottom ash (GBA), metakaolin (MK), and conventional Class F fly ash (FA) as a reference. SCMs were characterized and the fresh and hardened properties of concrete incorporating different dosages (i.e., 10, 20, and 30% cement replacement by mass) of the individual SCMs (i.e., binary systems) and blended SCM systems of RFA-MK …


Development Of Decision Trees For The Selection Of Pavement Maintenance And Rehabilitation Activities In South-Central United States, Momen Mousa, Marwa Hassan, Daniel E. Game Aug 2021

Development Of Decision Trees For The Selection Of Pavement Maintenance And Rehabilitation Activities In South-Central United States, Momen Mousa, Marwa Hassan, Daniel E. Game

Publications

Over time, new pavements deteriorate under the combined effects of traffic loading and the environment, no matter how well-designed or constructed. In general, maintenance and rehabilitation activities are employed to slow down or reset the rate of pavement deterioration. Cement-Stabilized Full Depth Reclamation (CSFDR) is a common rehabilitation treatment used by transportation agencies, specifically in Louisiana. Likewise, Ultra-Thin overlay (UTO) is a pavement maintenance treatment that has increased in popularity in recent years in Region 6. Yet, several gaps exist in the literature regarding the long-term field performance and cost-effectiveness of these two treatments especially in hot and humid climates. …


Development Of Cost-Effective High-Modulus Asphalt Concrete (Hmac) Mixtures Using Crumb Rubber And Local Construction Materials In Louisiana, Momen R. Mousa, Marwa Hassan, Ibrahim A.I.E Elnaml Aug 2021

Development Of Cost-Effective High-Modulus Asphalt Concrete (Hmac) Mixtures Using Crumb Rubber And Local Construction Materials In Louisiana, Momen R. Mousa, Marwa Hassan, Ibrahim A.I.E Elnaml

Publications

One of the emerging solutions to enhance the durability of asphalt pavements is the use of a French asphalt mix known as “High-Modulus Asphalt Concrete (HMAC).” This mix uses a hard asphalt binder, high binder content (about 6%), and low air voids content as compared to Superpave mixtures. The key objective of this study was to develop a cost-effective HMAC mixture using crumb rubber and local materials in Louisiana. To achieve this objective, four HMAC mixtures were prepared using two asphalt binders (PG 82-22 and PG 76-22 plus 10% crumb rubber) and two Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) contents (20% and …


Network Analysis To Identify Critical Links For Relief Activities During Extreme Weather Events, Kate Kyung Hyun, Stephen P. Mattingly Ph.D, Mehrdad Arabi Aug 2021

Network Analysis To Identify Critical Links For Relief Activities During Extreme Weather Events, Kate Kyung Hyun, Stephen P. Mattingly Ph.D, Mehrdad Arabi

Publications

As one of the principal lifeline systems, transportation networks are crucial for evacuation and delivering essential resources and services during the response and recovery phases of extreme weather events and must remain intact to enhance regional resiliency. The conventional evaluation measures that estimate the vulnerability or criticality of road network based on travel time or link volumes do not capture the community impacts due to disruptions. This study seeks to develop a framework to evaluate road network infrastructure criticality during extreme weather events by introducing measures that evaluate the vulnerability of roads users, rather than the physical aspects of link …


Study On Hybrid Model Combining Super Learner And Physics-Based Models For Shm In Bridges Using Low-Cost Bwim, Suyun Ham Ph.D, Shih-Ho Chao, Kyeong Rok Ryu, Yin Chao Yu, Dafnik Saril Kumar David Aug 2021

Study On Hybrid Model Combining Super Learner And Physics-Based Models For Shm In Bridges Using Low-Cost Bwim, Suyun Ham Ph.D, Shih-Ho Chao, Kyeong Rok Ryu, Yin Chao Yu, Dafnik Saril Kumar David

Publications

The main objective of this project is to study and develop hybrid models of BWIM physics-based models incorporates with SHM inspection used by artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to predict structural damage. This study presents a comprehensive assessment of FE simulations leveraging contact method verified by vehicle-bridge interaction(VBI) theory and uses machine learning (ML) techniques to identify and predict structural damages from the structural response automatically. Bridges are a fundamental part of infrastructure management. The main challenge that we face is the aging of these transportation infrastructures without a tool to perform accurate structural assessments in a real-time manner. Unfortunately, this …


Resilient 3d-Printed Infrastructure With Engineered Cementitious Composites (Ecc), Maryam Hojati Aug 2021

Resilient 3d-Printed Infrastructure With Engineered Cementitious Composites (Ecc), Maryam Hojati

Publications

Conventional construction of reinforced concrete structures is slow, labor-intensive, and expensive. 3D printing holds great potential to assist engineers and architects in constructing fast and economical yet complex representational infrastructures. One of the most significant barriers to the broader adoption of concrete 3D printing in civil infrastructure is the difficulty of providing printed structural components with reinforcement to achieve sound structural performance under different loading conditions. Hence, it is essential to design concrete that can be utilized as a rebar-free material by considering strength and ductility. Recently, the development of Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) has neared the possibility to achieve …


An Automated System For Inspecting Rock Faces And Detecting Potential Rock Falls Using Machine Learning, John Stormont, Fernando Moreu, Amir Bagherieh, Roya Nasimi, Solomon Atcitty Aug 2021

An Automated System For Inspecting Rock Faces And Detecting Potential Rock Falls Using Machine Learning, John Stormont, Fernando Moreu, Amir Bagherieh, Roya Nasimi, Solomon Atcitty

Publications

Rockfall is a hazard in mountainous areas threatening infrastructure and human lives. Rockfall hazards are often mitigated by manual inspections using pry bars. The inspector must access the rock face, hit the rock surface, detect, and remove the loose rocks. This method is very labor demanding, unsafe, and challenging. This research presents a method that automatize the inspection of rock blocks that are prone to rockfall events. A robot is developed to replace the manual hammer tap process and collect the sound data remotely; subsequently, the sound signal is used to identify different types of the discontinuity in rocks in …


Resource Guide For State Dot’S Maintenance Equipment Fleet Management Decisions, Yongwei Shan, Samir Ahmed, Lei Qiao Aug 2021

Resource Guide For State Dot’S Maintenance Equipment Fleet Management Decisions, Yongwei Shan, Samir Ahmed, Lei Qiao

Publications

This research created a guide for state Departments of Transportation fleet management on utilizing equipment fleet management system data to make informed fleet management decisions. The research team took the historical equipment fleet data from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and developed workflows, algorithms, and examples to demonstrate the use of historical equipment data for equipment decisions. Specifically, the research team demonstrated 1) the use of life cycle analysis and dynamic programming models for equipment replacement decisions; 2) developed algorithms to calculate equipment rental rates that can be used by the Department to forecast and allocate equipment operational budget among …


Evaluation Of Sustainable And Environmentally Friendly Stabilization Of Cohesionless Sandy Soil For Transportation Infrastructure, Miladin Radovic, Anand Puppala, Surya Sarat Chandra Congress, Jungyeon Jang, Oscar Huang Aug 2021

Evaluation Of Sustainable And Environmentally Friendly Stabilization Of Cohesionless Sandy Soil For Transportation Infrastructure, Miladin Radovic, Anand Puppala, Surya Sarat Chandra Congress, Jungyeon Jang, Oscar Huang

Publications

Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is generally used to stabilize cohesionless sandy soils that are often found in coastal areas. Due to its high carbon footprint, many studies are being conducted to identify a suitable green alternative for stabilizing cohesionless soils. Previous studies have shown that partially replacing OPC with waste materials such as nano-silica and coal waste reduces the overall carbon footprint without significantly impacting the performance. Geopolymer (GP) received a lot of attention in the past few decades owing to its similar properties to that of OPC yet with a lower carbon footprint. This study investigated the feasibility of …


Preventing Struck-By Hazards: Defying Risk-Habituation Via Virtual Accident Simulation, Changbum Ahn Aug 2021

Preventing Struck-By Hazards: Defying Risk-Habituation Via Virtual Accident Simulation, Changbum Ahn

Publications

Repeated exposure to struck-by hazards in road work zones generates workers’ habituation to risks related to those hazards, a key contributor to accidents in road work zones. Thus, analyzing the development of risk habituation and providing proper intervention are crucial to preventing accidents in road work zones. In this context, this study employs a virtual reality (VR) environment as a behavioral intervention tool to investigate its effect on mitigating a decline in workers’ vigilance with habituation to hazards in workplaces. A virtual environment that simulates a road maintenance task was developed and used to repeatedly expose subjects to struck-by hazards …