Transportation Engineering Commons^™

Nebraska Balanced Mix Design - Phase Ii, Farzad Yazdipanah, Mahdieh Khedmati, Jamilla Teixeira, Hamzeh Haghshenas

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

This study aimed to propose a performance-based framework to evaluate highly recycled asphalt mixtures containing polymer-modified binders for potential use in a balanced mix design (BMD) specification in the state of Nebraska. For that, loose and compacted mixtures were directly collected from plant and field projects within a benchmarking study, subjected to an extensive experimental program. The laboratory investigation employed different monotonic tests recommended in BMD Phase 1, as well as the dynamic modulus test. Three long-term aging protocols were investigated in terms of their impact on the mechanical, rheological, and chemical characteristics of asphalt mixtures and binders. Moreover, field …

Evaluation Of The Effects Of Various Types Of Inert And Active Fillers On Asphalt Mixture Performance, Mohammad Hadizadeh Pirbasti

LSU Master's Theses

Abstract:

The performance of asphalt mixtures is significantly influenced by the type and characteristics of fillers used as a replacement for filler part of the aggregates’ batching. According to this research investigation the performance along with durability characteristics of asphalt mixtures are evaluated through different inert and active fillers. The fillers used include Fly Ash, Cement, steel slag powder, and additional filler. These fillers incorporate into two types of asphalt mix design of Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA) and a surface mix. Fillers are categorized according to their reactive properties alongside their physical attributes leading to active fillers strengthening bond formation …

Airfield Pavement Management Framework Using Advanced Modeling Techniques, Heena Dhasmana, Marwa Hassan, Elise Mansour

Publications

Airport authorities constantly collect pavement condition data and utilize life-cycle cost analysis to select construction and maintenance alternatives. The current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Advisory Circular 150/5380-7B recommends using Pavement Condition Index (PCI) to assess airfield pavement condition for planning of Maintenance and Rehabilitation (M&R) treatments. However, structural and functional performance might not be fairly represented by solely one indicator, the PCI. The latter might mask the root cause of the pavement deterioration and lead to inadequate M&R recommendations. Furthermore, the regression nature of the existing airfield pavement assessment models is not adequate for establishing pavement performance prediction as a …

Optimizing The Sustainability Of Asphalt Pavements Through Incorporating Crumb Rubber In High-Modulus Asphalt Concrete (Hmac) Mixtures In Louisiana, Heena Dhasmana, Marwa Hassan, Mohamed Abdelmageed

Publications

Asphalt mixtures are traditionally produced using the Superpave mix design method, which emphasizes volumetric properties; however, current research is shifting toward performance-based and sustainable approaches. Within this context, the French High Modulus Asphalt Concrete (HMAC) design focuses on achieving specific performance criteria for workability, stiffness, rutting resistance, and fatigue behavior, employing a hard binder with higher asphalt content and fewer air voids than Superpave mixes. In this study, HMAC mixtures were developed using crumb rubber and locally sourced Louisiana materials. Five HMAC mixes using PG 76-22 and PG 67-22 binders with 10% and 20% crumb rubber were prepared, along with …

Hickory Street Square Revitalization, Spencer Knight, Grace Dungan, Tim Kula, Evan Lauritsen, Lindsey Mennenga

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The Hickory Street Square Revitalization Project seeks to transform a central public space in Sidney, Nebraska into a dynamic, community-oriented area that supports local events, economic activity, and cultural heritage. The project addresses six core objectives: 1) convertible street design, 2) parking lot reconfiguration, 3) public amenities, 4) event flexibility, 5) lighting and signage, and 6) old electric plant renovation. A conceptual design was developed by the design team (S.T.E.E.L. Sentinel Solutions) by synthesizing the most effective features of three preliminary alternatives, shaped further through community feedback and evolving project constraints. The final project design minimizes disruption to existing activity …

Stop Design: Rethinking The Approach To Public Transit's Architecture, Elizabeth M. Nielsen

Architecture Masters of Science Program: Theses

Public spaces are the foundation of our social health and wellbeing, but are often designed without considering the needs of the public, creating spaces that people do not feel encouraged to use. Just as public space design as a whole often falls short of serving the public, the same can be said for a subset of public space design, public transit stops. While they are public spaces created for the purpose of waiting, their design rarely reflects this.

Well-designed public transit stops are capable of both maintaining existing ridership and drawing in new riders. Most commonly, this design occurs at …

Impacts Of Cognitive Workload On Veteran Driver Reaction Time: Predictive Modeling Using Bayesian And Machine Learning Methods, Kenneth Ofosu-Kwabe

All Theses

In high-demand environments, the ability to manage cognitive workload can mean the difference between optimal or safe performance and critical failure or accidents. Veterans face an elevated risk of fatal motor vehicle accidents due to post-deployment stress, combat-related injuries, and challenges readjusting to civilian driving. This study explores how cognitive workload affects reaction time performance using a driving simulator by collecting and analyzing subjective workload ratings (using the NASA-TLX survey), physiological signals from eye-tracking and performance data from a sample of 28 Veterans.

We examined how task difficulty, cognitive indicators and personal attributes influence reaction times across an interactive driving …

Drainage Area Limitations Of Single Watershed, Peak Flow Estimates From Nrcs Methods, Timothy A. Maughan, Rollin H. Hotchkiss, Riley Hales

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Most state Department of Transportation roadway design sections predict peak flow for culvert design using, amongst other approaches, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) TR-20 technology. Even though this technology is more than 50 years old, there are no clear guidelines for how large a single watershed drainage area may be while remaining appropriate for predicting peak discharge with this method. Our objective was to identify the drainage area where TR-20 peak flow predictions significantly deviate from flow frequency predictions. We developed flow frequency estimates for 130 small-area stream gage sites in rural Nebraska and compared the calculated return period discharges …

Vibration-Based Algorithm For Diagnostic And Prognostic Condition Monitoring Of Railroad Bearings And Wheels, Jeffery Ray Pams

Theses and Dissertations

Bearing and wheel failure accounts for the majority of equipment-related train derailments on US railroads. Current wayside monitoring systems have been insufficient in the prevention of catastrophic derailments prompting the rail industry to explore the possible integration of onboard condition monitoring systems into their rail operations. The University Transportation Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS) in partnership with Hum Industrial Technology, Inc., has developed a wireless onboard system intended for the condition monitoring of railroad bearings and wheels. This thesis presents the development, evaluation, and implementation of an algorithm designed to be used in conjunction with these systems to provide railroad …

False Information Attack Detection In A Connected Vehicle Environment With Quantum Inspired Long Short-Term Memory, Jean Michel M. Tine

All Theses

Wireless communication Systems enabling Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) data exchange, supported by technologies such as Cellular-V2X (C-V2X), has introduced significant cybersecurity challenges, particularly the threat of false information attacks that can compromise traffic safety and efficiency. In this thesis, the author focuses on identifying false information cyber-attack on V2I, in which vehicles are sending Basic Safety Messages (BSMs) to a Roadside Unit (RSU) and RSUs are collecting, processing and communicating data back to Connected Vehicles (CVs) to support different CV applications. Despite advances in anomaly detection using Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks, these models often struggle with computational efficiency …

Comparison And Evaluation Of Overlay And Leveling Binder In Traffic Circle Construction, Pratik Neupane

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Traffic circles play a vital role in managing traffic flow and ensuring safety, yet their unique traffic conditions make them prone to early cracking and deformation. This study evaluated the performance of overlay and leveling binder asphalt mixtures for a reconstructed traffic circle at the University of South Alabama, using plant-mixed laboratory-compacted (PMLC) specimens. Volumetric analyses were performed to determine maximum specific gravity (Gmm), bulk specific gravity (Gmb), and air voids content. Laboratory tests were conducted on both the overlay and leveling binder layers using indirect tensile cracking test (IDEAL-CT) and indirect tensile rutting test (IDEAL-RT) to assess cracking tolerance …

Incorporating Recycled And Repurposed Plastic Into 100% Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement, Basant Bhatt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

The increasing awareness of sustainability in the asphalt industry has driven the use of recycled materials like reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and waste plastic. This study examines the incorporation of recycled polypropylene (rPP), recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE), and recycled low-density polyethylene (rLDPE) at 0.3%, 0.6%, and 0.8% dosages into 100% RAP, along with the warm mix asphalt additive Evotherm® P25. Laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the mechanical and durability performance of the modified asphalt mixtures while rutting and fatigue life were evaluated using mechanistic-empirical (ME) analysis in PerRoad software. Both plastic type and dosage had a statistically significant impact …

Enhancing Asphalt Mix Design Through Film Thickness And Bailey’S Gradation Method, Lydia Quinn

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Contemporary asphalt research aims to strike a balance between rutting and fatigue cracking to enhance pavement longevity. The performance of asphalt mixtures is influenced by factors such as aggregate gradation and asphalt film thickness. Although gradation typically adheres to the mid-gradation method, asphalt film thickness is included in certain mix designs, even though it is not universally regarded as an essential parameter. Nonetheless, no current method primarily addresses both gradation and asphalt film thickness together. In this research, aggregate gradations were designed using the principles of Bailey’s method along with various other criteria such as control points, the dust to …

A Statistical Investigation Of The Parameters Influencing Rutting And Cracking Performance In Asphalt Mixtures, Alexis Light

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Durable pavement is essential for modern transportation infrastructure, especially in the United States of America which boasts over 8.5 million lane miles of roads and highways. Despite advanced construction techniques, asphalt pavements are susceptible to rutting and cracking, significantly affecting their performance and maintenance costs. Current methods for analyzing rutting and cracking in asphalt mixtures rely on various parameters, leading to measurement variability. This highlights the need for more rigorous analysis to explore the relationship between mix design variables and pavement performance. This research explores the IDEAL-CT and APA data from 171 mix designs collected by the Arkansas Department of …

Mash Crashworthiness Of Work Zone Devices And Breakaway Luminaire Poles, Mohammadreza Rajaee

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis presents a study on the crashworthiness of two commonly-used roadside safety devices: Type II barricades and luminaire poles supported by TB1-17 transformer bases. The first part focuses on designing and evaluating a non-proprietary, Type II barricade that meets MASH criteria. A validated LS-DYNA model, based on a previously-tested Type III barricade, was used to guide the design. The proposed Type II system was evaluated through simulation and confirmed with full-scale crash testing. The second part of the study investigates luminaire poles supported by the TB1-17 transformer base. A previously-developed LS-DYNA model was updated and validated using test No. …

Development Of Timber Bridge Railing And Approach Guardrail Transition, Aaron Lechtenberger

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Timber bridges with transverse and longitudinal bridge decks are increasingly utilized across the United States. However, limited research exists to develop bridge railing systems for high-service-level roadways that meet current vehicular impact safety standards. In response to this gap, the United States Department of Agriculture - Forest Service -Forest Products Laboratory (USDA-FS-FPL), in collaboration with the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility (MwRSF), initiated a research program to develop, crash test, and evaluate higher-service-level bridge railings and approach guardrail transitions (AGTs) compliant with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH).

This study continued …

User Acceptance Of Shared Autonomous Vehicles, Haotian Su

All Dissertations

A dissertation is proposed to explore user acceptance of shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs). SAVs are facing limited user acceptance. To systematically tackle the user acceptance barriers of SAVs, the main problem can be disintegrated into two sub-problems of user acceptance of autonomous vehicles (AVs) and ridesharing. The comfort of the ride experience in AVs is a determinant of user acceptance. Understanding the influential factors and developing methodologies to quantify human comfort in AVs are essential to facilitating future research to improve human comfort in AVs. The current pooled rideshare (PR) service closely resembles the anticipated future of SAVs. Understanding why …

Assessing A Solution For Ga Work Zone Safety Through Cross Classification, Asiah Lightfoot, Sunanda Dissanayake

Symposium of Student Scholars

Work zone safety is a health risk for drivers and construction workers. In Georgia, work zone crashes have decreased over the past 5 years, but the number of fatalities has still been over 1,000 each of those years. Studies have proven solutions such as lowering the speed limit or relying on current traffic control devices to be ineffective. The risks associated with these crashes must be recognized to improve upon previous solutions or innovate new ones from the results. The objective of this study is to utilize cross classification to identify factors that contribute to work zone crash deaths and …

Development Of A Microcontroller-Based Intelligent Traffic Light Control System For Vehicular Movement In T-Junctions, Frederick O. Ehiagwina

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

This research is devoted to the issue of regulating traffic congestion in major cities using light-dependent resistors coupled with the PIC16F877A microcontroller. This study proposes an intelligent traffic control system for T-Junctions, utilizing sensing and control to optimize traffic flow through dynamic phase adjustments and congestion reduction, enabled by a microcontroller-based decision-making system. The proposed system reduces traffic congestion, automates control, and enhances safety, minimizing accidents and lowering infrastructure costs. Under simulated environment, it demonstrates an average response time of 50 ms and achieves 99% accuracy in displaying the correct countdown. Finally, the number of state transitions handled per minute …

Comparative Analysis On Design Error Risks In Design-Bid-Build And Design-Build Construction Approaches, Eradius Edward Rwakarehe

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

This study was conducted to compare design errors risk in Design-Bid-Build (DBB) (traditional) and Design-Build (DB) methods in building projects. Several construction projects under both DB and DBB method were reviewed. On most of construction projects under DB method, it was found that there were over supply of floor area due to different reasons. Also, it was found that, clients’ requirements were changed during project execution, which resulted into change on schedule, contract value and project quality. It was also revealed that in most cases, designs were in accordance with the clients’ requirements as submitted earlier but during construction clients …