Engineering Commons^™

Nondestructive Evaluation Of Steel Bridges: Methods And Applications, Theodore Hopwood Ii, Christopher Goff, Jared Fairchild, Sudhir Palle

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods can be used to assess in-service steel bridges for problematic conditions caused by factors such as design, manufacturing, fabrication, and the service effects of traffic and corrosion. This report discusses typical NDE test methods used on bridges, including penetrant testing, magnetic particle testing, eddy current testing, ultrasonic testing (including phased array testing), radiography, and acoustic emission testing. NDE operations such as flaw location, characterization, and sizing are covered as well. Results of a national survey of departments of transportation’s (DOTs) use of NDE are presented. A simple procedure for using NDE to address DOT bridge concerns …

Thin Film Concrete Coatings, Bobby W. Meade, Danny Wells, Theodore Hopwood Ii, Sudhir Palle

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

KTC researchers obtained eight types of concrete coatings to assess their performance and resistance to chloride penetration. Researchers evaluated eight of the systems in the field and seven in the laboratory. In the field, coatings were applied to a bridge pier that had suffered degradation and chloride contamination. This site will undergo long term monitoring in order to thoroughly evaluate the coating systems. Adhesion of all products in both field and laboratory application was sufficient to provide a durable coating, and ranged from approximately 500 psi to 1,600 psi. Researchers also tested color and gloss changes, which are early indicators …

Chloride Contamination Remediation On Steel Bridges, Bobby W. Meade, Christopher Goff, Sudhir Palle, Theodore Hopwood Ii

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Researchers evaluated 32 steel surface preparation methods to determine how effectively they remove chloride from corroded chloride-contaminated steel panels. Wet methods proved more effective than dry methods. The three most effective wet methods injected mineral slag abrasives in a water stream and resulted in less than 1% chlorides remaining. Most dry surface preparation methods left significantly more chloride contamination after surface preparation. The three most effective dry methods used multiple blast cleaning cycles. These methods approached the effectiveness of the best wet methods, with 1.6 to 2.0% chlorides remaining. The least effective surface preparation was a single abrasive blast cleaning …

Bridge End Settlement Evaluation And Prediction, Jiwen Zhang, Timothy R. Taylor, Roy E. Sturgill

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

A bridge approach is usually built to provide a smooth and safe transition for vehicles from the roadway pavement to the bridge structure. However, differential settlement between the roadway pavement that rests on embankment fill and the bridge abutment built on more rigid foundation often creates a bump in the roadway. Previous work examined this issue at a microscopic level and presented new methods for eliminating or minimizing the effects at specific locations.

This research studies the problem at a macroscopic level by determining methods to predict settlement severity; this assists designers in developing remediation plans during project development to …

Transportation System Vulnerability And Resilience To Extreme Weather Events And Other Natural Hazards: Report For Pilot Project — Kytc District 1, Benjamin L. Blandford, Scott Schurman, Candice Y. Wallace, Sarah M. Mccormack

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This research’s objective is to assist the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) in its efforts to develop strategies to address natural hazard vulnerabilities and improve the resiliency of Kentucky’s transportation infrastructure. Recent federal legislation calls for state transportation agencies to develop a risk-based asset management plan for National Highway System (NHS) assets that includes consideration of natural hazards. Similarly, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) calls for state transportation agencies to identify potential vulnerabilities associated with extreme weather events and climate change, and to incorporate these findings into transportation planning, design, and maintenance practices.

Analysis Of Traffic Crash Data In Kentucky (2011-2015), Eric R. Green, Kenneth R. Agent, Jerry G. Pigman, Michael A. Fields

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report documents an analysis of traffic crash data in Kentucky for the years of 2011 through 2015. A primary objective of this study was to determine average crash statistics for Kentucky highways. Rates were calculated for various types of highways and for counties and cities. Difference criteria were used for exposure.

Analysis Of Farm Vehicle Crashes And Safety Belt Usage, Kenneth R. Agent, Eric R. Green, Michael A. Fields

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The use of safety belts and child safety seats has been shown to be an effective means of reducing injuries to motor vehicle occupants involved in traffic crashes. There have been various methods used in efforts to increase safety belt and safety seat usage. Past efforts have included public information campaigns, local followed by statewide legislation, and enforcement of the legislation.

The objectives of the study were to collect data and review related Kentucky data to determine the following information:

• usage rate specifically for occupants of farm vehicles,
• the number of registered farm vehicles and their percentage of all registered …

Synthesis Of Kentucky’S Traveler Information Systems, Christopher W. Van Dyke, Jennifer R. Walton, James Ballinger

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

After the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a dedicated phone number for real-time travel information services, the abbreviated 511 dialing code was founded in July 2000. The FCC reasoned that 511 services could reduce traffic congestion, air pollution, and the inefficient use of fossil fuels. 511 would, in turn, improve traveler safety. In 2010, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) mandated a set of requirements for systems that deliver real-time traffic information to the public. States DOTs were asked to comply with this mandate by November 2014. Many states, in addition to …

2016 Safety Belt Usage Survey In Kentucky, Kenneth R. Agent, Eric R. Green, Michael A. Fields

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The use of safety belts and child safety seats is a proven means of reducing injuries to motor vehicle occupants involved in traffic crashes. There have been various methods used in efforts to increase safety belt and safety seat usage. Past efforts have included public information campaigns, local and statewide legislation, and enforcement of the legislation.

The objective of the survey summarized in this report was to establish a statewide safety belt usage rate in Kentucky for 2016. This rate can be compared to those determined from previous surveys. The 2016 statewide survey documents the continued increase in usage associated …

Development Of An Improved Method For Determining Advisory Speeds On Horizontal Curves, Eric R. Green, Kenneth R. Agent, Erin Lammers-Staats

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Horizontal curves are an integral part of the highway alignment. However, a disproportionately high number of severe crashes occur on them. One method transportation agencies use to reduce the number crashes at horizontal curves is the installation of curve warning signs which post an appropriate advisory speed. Appropriate curve advisory speeds can be determined using several methods. Some of these methods are time-consuming to perform and are error-prone. The purpose of this research was to find the most efficient and accurate data collection method for determining curve advisory speeds. Several processes were developed and tested. They were then validated against …

Estimation Of Average Daily Traffic On Local Roads In Kentucky, Reginald R. Souleyrette, Brian K. Howell, Eric R. Green, William Nicholas Staats

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) officials use annual average daily traffic (AADT) to estimate intersection performance across the state maintained highway system. KYTC currently collects AADTs for state maintained roads but frequently lacks this information on local roads. A method is needed to estimate local road AADTs in a cost-effective and reasonable manner. Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) researchers conducted a literature review on U.S. AADT models but found that none of them were suitable to Kentucky. Therefore, KTC developed an AADT model using non-linear regression to estimate AADTs on approaches to those intersections.

KTC developed a Poisson distributed, non-linear regression model …

Evaluation Of Alternatives To Provide Wet-Nighttime Delineation, Kenneth R. Agent

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objective of this study was to compare the performance of various types of materials, devices, and procedures that can potentially delineate roadways during wet, nighttime conditions. Snowplowable markers provide the most effective wet-nighttime delineation. Durability issues associated with the steel casting marker make the recessed marker preferable over the life of the pavement. Wet reflective tape placed in a groove provided both dry and wet-nighttime delineation and remained durable. The performance of thermoplastic material installed on the pavement surface supports its future use but will not provide wet-nighttime delineation. Inconsistent performance of inlaid tape argues against its expanded use. …

Cost Benefit Analysis: Applications And Future Opportunities, Bryan Gibson, Candice Y. Wallace

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA or Benefit Cost Analysis — BCA) is an evaluation tool that state transportation agencies can use to compare infrastructure project options across transportation modes and gauge if the discounted value of benefits exceed the costs. CBA lets policymakers compare alternative project proposals to a baseline scenario, or status quo case, under which no investments are made. CBA is used to select which proposal is the most sensible investment—ideally, the project that maximizes benefits while minimizing costs should be chosen. As the use of CBA to evaluate projects and grant applications (e.g., TIGER Discretionary Grants) continues to …

Evaluation Of The Use Of Painted And Unpainted Weathering Steel On Bridges, Theodore Hopwood Ii, Sudhir Palle, Bobby W. Meade, Rick Younce

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

KTC researchers studied the use of unpainted weathering steel on bridges, using findings of inspections performed on Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) bridges constructed with both painted and unpainted weathering steel as well as laboratory testing. Laboratory tests were conducted on test panels of conventional and weathering grades of steel to determine the performance of barrier and zinc-based coatings over abrasive-blasted substrates of those steel types in both the new and corroded conditions. The report provides the following recommendations for the use of painted and unpainted weathering steel on Kentucky bridges based upon both the field and laboratory findings:

• KYTC should …

2016 Maintenance Customer Survey, R. Clark Graves, David L. Allen

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Kentucky Transportation Center, with the assistance of the University of Kentucky’s Survey Research Center, administered a telephone survey to 1,221 licensed drivers throughout the state to gauge their opinion of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) maintenance activities. Survey respondents were distributed throughout KYTC’s 12 highway districts. The survey focused on five areas of highway maintenance: roadside features, pavement surfaces, shoulders, drainage and signs/markings. Respondents indicated they were most satisfied with the current maintenance of signs, guardrail, and striping. Pavement surfaces and potholes, and shoulders and roadway drainage, received the lowest rankings — given that the driving public is very …

Experimental Rapid Renewal Project (Bridge Construction), Bobby W. Meade, Sudhir Palle, Theodore Hopwood Ii

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objectives of this study were to develop specifications and contract language and to monitor the implementation them to effectively use rapid reconstruction and extended service life concepts in new bridge construction. Through the use of A + B bidding, a duplex protective coating system using Hot Dipped Galvanizing (HDG) and paint, and preservation techniques such as concrete sealers and stains the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet attained those goals.

Kentucky Traffic Collision Facts 2015, Kentucky Transportation Center, Kentucky State Police

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

KENTUCKY’S TRAFFIC COLLISION FACTS report for 2015 is based on collision reports submitted to the Kentucky State Police Records Branch. As required by Kentucky Revised Statutes 189.635, “every law enforcement agency whose officers investigate a vehicle accident of which a report must be made...shall file a report of the accident...within ten days after investigation of the accident upon forms supplied by the bureau.” The stated purpose of this requirement is to utilize data on traffic collisions for such purposes as will improve the traffic safety program in the Commonwealth. Data contained in this report are based solely on the observations …

Phase I Inspection Of The Stay Cable System On The Us 231 William H. Natcher Bridge Over The Ohio River, Theodore Hopwood Ii, Sudhir Palle, Danny Wells, Bobby W. Meade, Jared Fairchild, Christopher Goff

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The US 231 Natcher Bridge was opened in 2002. By 2006 cracking was observed in the plastic piping that protected the stay cable strands from the environment at both the deck and tower anchorages. Over time the extent of cracking increased and an investigation was initiated to assess the types of deterioration impacting the cables, their causes and their impacts on the integrity of the stay cables.

From 2012-2015, a series of in-depth field inspections were performed using visual and nondestructive testing. Most of this work focused on the piping at the deck anchorages. The inspections disclosed voids in cable …

An Intermodal Network Model Of Coal Distribution In The United States And Its Economic Implications For The Inland Waterway System, Benjamin L. Blandford, Ted H. Grossardt, Michael Shouse, John Ripy

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This paper describes a GIS-based intermodal network model for the shipment of coal in the United States. The purpose of this research was to investigate the role played by railways, waterways, and highways in the movement of coal from its source area to point of use, and to highlight the implications these movements have for the U.S. economy. The project team modeled coal movements across the U.S. intermodal transportation network using the Energy Information Administration’s 2010 data, which provided detailed origin, destination, primary mode, and volume information for coal shipments. The model identifies the optimum routes for coal shipments based …

Commercial Driver’S License (Cdl) Workflow Study, Steven Andrew Martin, Candice Y. Wallace, Valerie J. Keathley, Jennifer R. Walton

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Kentucky uses federally funded, time-limited (FFTL) employees to handle some of the administrative work necessary to meet federal compliance standards for commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs). The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has decided not to continue funding FFTLs for these purposes, meaning that states will have to find other ways to meet CDL program requirements and maintain compliance. Given the potential ramifications of losing federal transportation and enforcement funding due to lack of compliance with federal standards, it is imperative that state lawmakers act to ensure KYTC has the resources to carry out its mandated functions. The study delineates …