Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

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.

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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.

2012 Safety Belt Usage Survey In Kentucky, Kenneth R. Agent, Eric R. Green

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objective of this study was to establish 2012 safety belt and child safety seat usage rates in Kentucky. The 2012 survey continues to document the results after enactment of the original “secondary enforcement” statewide mandatory safety belt law in 1994 and the subsequent change to “primary enforcement” which was enacted in 2006. Data were collected at 160 randomly selected sites in 18 counties across Kentucky. Data from the individual sites were combined into a statewide percentage considering roadway functional classification, county and vehicle miles traveled.

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.

Seismic Hazard Assessment Of Oregon Highway Truck Routes, Peter Dusicka, Selamawit Tesfayesus Mehary

TREC Final Reports

This research project developed a seismic risk assessment model along the major truck routes in Oregon. The study had adopted federally developed software tools called Risk for Earthquake Damage to Roadway Systems (REDARS2) and HAZUS-MH. The model was the first time REDARS2 has been adopted and used in research outside of the original development team, presenting a number of unique challenges. The development of the model was a complex, intensive process that required a significant research effort, manipulation and adjustment of data. Furthermore, limitations of the software tools themselves had been identified that prevented the inclusion of important aspects such …

Safety Improvements At Highway-Railroad Crossing For Pedestrians And Bicyclists And The Assessment Of Long-Term Effects Of Centerline Curbing, Aemal Khattak, Zheng Luo

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Research On Roadway Performance And Distress At Low Temperature, Yong-Rak Kim, Soohyok Im, Hoki Ban

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

This research project investigated the performance and damage characteristics of Nebraska roadways at low-temperature conditions. To meet the research objective, laboratory tests were incorporated with mechanistic numerical modeling. The three most common pavement structures in Nebraska were selected and modeled considering local environmental conditions and pavement materials with and without truck loading. Cracking of asphalt overlay was predicted and analyzed by conducting finite element simulations incorporated with cohesive zone fracture. Parametric analyses were also conducted by varying pavement geometries and material properties, which could lead to helping pavement designers understand the mechanical sensitivity of design variables on the overall responses …

Temporary Flood Barriers, Sarah M. Mccormack, Chris Vandyke, Ashley Suazo, Doug Kreis

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report investigates the use and effectiveness of temporary flood barriers (TFBs) to mitigate the impacts of flood waters on Kentucky’s roadways. TFBs are structures, usually filled with sand, which are constructed along the edges of roadways and thus serve as a buffer against rising waters. In doing so, they can protect the structural soundness of roads, and ensure that roads remain open to traffic during flood events. The report is divided into four main sections. The first chapter introduces the concept of TFBs and notes situations in which they have been effectively deployed. The second chapter surveys the different …

Kentucky Department Of Vehicle Regulation Internet Applications Study, Andrew Martin, Jennifer Walton

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The study identified 107 unique interactive services, and 13 unique information services on state vehicle regulation agency web sites. The average state has roughly 15 percent of all existing services. States with larger populations, number of registered vehicles and drivers tend to have more total services and transaction services. The general flow of the data indicates a fast level of growth, as companies and individuals embrace the efficiency and flexibility of online transactions. The W3C Unicorn Validator, Link Sleuth, Web Accessibility Checker and Hubspot Marketing Grader scores were combined to generate a web design score for each state. Washington received …

Efficiency In Transportation - Optimal Transit Networks For Vermont, James Sullivan, Jennifer Kenyan, Richard Watts

University of Vermont Transportation Research Center

In previous work, TRC researchers surveyed transportation-system efficiency measures, trends in Vermont, and policy & education strategies that might encourage increased transportation-system efficiencies. In this report, researchers focus on investigating the relationships between (1) Rideshare lots and fixed-route transit routes for the state, (2) An idealized fixed-route transit network and the existing fixed-route transit routes in the state. The intent is to identify relationships that will help planners strategically recommend new transit routes, site future rideshare lots, and explain under-utilization of existing services.

Improved Models Of Cable-To-Post Attachments For High-Tension Cable Barriers, Robert W. Bielenberg, Cody S. Stolle, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Improved Models Of Cable-To-Post Attachments For High-Tension Cable Barriers, Robert W. Bielenberg, Cody S. Stolle, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Computer simulation models were developed to analyze and evaluate a new cable-to-post attachment for high-tension cable barriers. The models replicated the performance of a keyway bolt currently used in the design of a high-tension cable median barrier being developed at the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility. Component tests of the keyway bolts were simulated and compared to the component test results. Accurate friction, fracture strain, and stress-strain material properties were determined for a solid element model of the keyway bolt by applying actual load curve measured from the test to a simulated pull cable. By simulating the material properties of the …