Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Risk-Taking Characteristics As Explanatory Variables In Variations Of Fatality Rates In The Southeastern United States, Jodi Anne Godfrey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Traffic fatalities accounted for 1.24 million lives lost in 2013 worldwide, and almost 33 thousand of those fatalities were in the U.S. in 2013. The southeastern region of the nation stands out for continuously having higher fatality rates per mile driven than the national average. If one can establish compelling relationships between various factors and fatality rates, then policies and investments can be targeted to increase the safety on the network by focusing on policies that mitigate those factors. In this research effort risk-taking characteristics are explored. These factors have not been as comprehensively reviewed as conventional factors such as …

Integrated Multi-Criteria Signal Timing Design For Sustainable Traffic Operations, Rui Guo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Traffic signal systems serve as one of the most powerful control tools in improving the efficiency of surface transportation travel. Traffic operations on arterial roads are particularly complex because of traffic interruptions caused by signalized intersections along the corridor. This dissertation research presents a systematic framework of integrated traffic control in an attempt to break down the complexities into several simpler sub-problems such as pattern recognition, environment-mobility relationships and multi-objective optimization for multi-criterial signal timing design.

The overall goal of this dissertation is to develop signal timing plans, including a day plan schedule, cycle length parameters, splits and offsets, which …

Effects Of Mix Design Using Chloride-Based Accelerator On Concrete Pavement Cracking Potential, Daniel Aaron Buidens

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cracked pavement slabs lead to uncomfortable and eventual unsafe driving conditions for motorists. Replacement of cracked pavement slabs can interrupt traffic flow in the form of lane closures. In Florida, the traffic demands are high and pavement repairs need to be carried out swiftly typically using concrete with high cement contents and accelerators to create rapid setting and strength gain. The concrete used in these pavement replacements is usually accompanied by a high temperature rise, making the replaced slabs susceptible to cracking. Cracking is a result of developed tensile stresses in the concrete, which exceed the concrete's tensile strength capacity. …