Transportation Engineering Commons^™

Pavement Condition Survey Using Drone Technology, Lerose Lane, Dingxin Cheng

Mineta Transportation Institute

Timely repairs of pavement defects are essential in protecting both public road and highway systems. Identification of pavement distresses is necessary for planning pavement repairs. This has previously been performed by engineers surveying the roadways visually in the field. As drone usage has progressed, it has become clear that drones are a valuable tool to enhance visual documentation, improve project communication, and provide various data for processing. The use of drone technology has improved both the speed and accuracy of capturing data. Available software has allowed the data to be processed and analyzed in an office environment. This report summarizes …

Optimal Domain-Partitioning Algorithm For Real-Life Transportation Networks And Finite Element Meshes, Jimesh Bhagatji, Sharanabasaweshwara Asundi, Eric Thompson, Duc T. Nguyen

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

For large-scale engineering problems, it has been generally accepted that domain-partitioning algorithms are highly desirable for general-purpose finite element analysis (FEA). This paper presents a heuristic numerical algorithm that can efficiently partition any transportation network (or any finite element mesh) into a specified number of subdomains (usually depending on the number of parallel processors available on a computer), which will result in “minimising the total number of system BOUNDARY nodes” (as a primary criterion) and achieve “balancing work loads” amongst the subdomains (as a secondary criterion). The proposed seven-step heuristic algorithm (with enhancement features) is based on engineering common sense …

Inventory, Operations, And Safety At Free Right-Turn Ramps, Aemal Khattak, Jonathon Camezind, Mm Shakui Haque

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

This research focused on traffic safety and operational performance of rural, minor approach stop-controlled intersections with free right-turn (FRT) ramps. The objectives of the research were to:

• Create a statewide inventory of rural FRT ramp intersections and provide to the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT),
• Using NDOT 10-year crash data, conduct statistical safety analysis of rural FRT intersections extending ¼-mile in each direction from the intersection,
• Study vehicular operations at rural intersections with and without FRT ramps including a comparison of vehicular conflicts, and
• Develop guidelines for operations and safety tradeoffs to assist with NDOT projects on maintaining similar locations, …

Nebraska Balanced Mix Design – Phase I, Farzad Yazdipanah, Mahdieh Khedmati, Hamzeh Haghshenas

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Balanced mix design (BMD) is an alternative concept for designing asphalt mixtures that mainly focuses on performance of mixtures rather than only volumetric analysis. Using this concept, it would be possible to account for the incorporation of recycled asphalt mixtures, warm technology, polymers, rejuvenators, and other foreign additives, as well as external effective factors on the mix design such as environmental effects. This project sought to investigate performance-based methodologies for the asphalt mix design by taking a step to develop a preliminary Nebraska BMD framework. With that, selection of appropriate performance tests, finding a functional laboratory aging protocol, and defining …

Columbus, Nebraska: Southern Housing Development Design Proposal, Ryan Weyers, Caiden Dynek, Alex Papa, Brexton Robertson, Kaden Perala

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The following paper proposes the design and creation of a new housing development in the city of Columbus, Nebraska in a lot to the south of the city and directly north of the Columbus wastewater treatment plant. The goal of this proposal is to provide readers with confidence that our company is the most qualified to complete the project and will create the safest, most comfortable, most efficient, and most cost-effective final design. This proposal seeks to offer a solution to the lack of affordable housing for the growing workforce in Columbus. In order to arrive at this solution, each …

Equity In Transportation: Data Driven Analysis Of Transportation Services And Infrastructures, Javad Jomehpour Chahar Aman

Civil and Environmental Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Achieving equity in transportation is an ongoing challenge, as transportation options still vary tremendously when it comes to marginalized populations. This dissertation addresses this challenge by conducting a comprehensive review of existing transportation equity literature and identifying two critical gaps: the lack of data-driven approaches to studying spatial mismatch between transportation supply and demand, and limited information on women's perceptions and expectations towards emerging transportation services.

Chapter two introduces the concept of transportation "deserts," specifically transit deserts and walking deserts, and develops data-driven frameworks to identify and investigate neighborhoods with limited transportation service supply but high demand. The frameworks compare …

The Effect Of Four Decades Of Deregulation On Competition And Productivity Of The U.S. Freight Transportation Industry, Seungjae Shin

Theses and Dissertations

This study reviews the competition and productivity of the U.S. freight transportation industry for the past 41 years. This study investigated the trends of HHI market concentration index values and labor productivity values of rail and truck sectors and tried to find any relationships between the two values in the separate periods before and after the abolishment of the ICC. This study also investigated how the existence of a regulatory body impacted productivity of the freight transportation industry by using a Cobb Douglas production function on annual financial statement data in the U.S. stock exchange market. This study found that: …

Research And Application Of Dynamic Compaction Treatment Method For Highway Subgrade In Karst Development Area, Liu Xiaoming, Wang Yigang, Zhao Minghua

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

This paper utilizes discrete-continuum coupled numerical simulation to investigate the failure modes of karst cave roofs with varying spans under specific compaction energy levels. The relationship between the span of the cave roof and the compaction energy required to cause roof collapse is established, providing an estimation method for the maximum unsupported span of cave roofs within the subgrade area. Based on this, the stability of karst cave foundations under the influence of subgrade loads can be evaluated. Depending on the results, a double-layer reinforced continuous concrete slab can be installed in the pavement base to enhance stability and mitigate …

Comparative Analysis Of Asphalt Pavement Performance Prediction Models Based On Gamma And Markov Processes, Ma Shibin, Chen Yonghao

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Pavement performance prediction is a critical component of pavement management systems, serving as an essential basis and prerequisite for decision-making in asphalt pavement maintenance. This paper introduces the relevant theories of Gamma and Markov stochastic processes to construct asphalt pavement performance prediction models and address uncertainties related to pavement degradation. The results show that stochastic process models are effective in predicting pavement performance degradation and service life. Matlab programming was used to predict asphalt pavement performance and lifespan, yielding pavement degradation curves that significantly improve prediction accuracy and reliability. Finally, taking a test road section in Hebei Province as an …

Study On Interlayer Bonding Properties And Influence Factors Of Cape Seal, Li Yan, Zhang Chengxue, Qiu Yeji, Zhang Haijun

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

To address pavement issues such as shoving and rutting caused by insufficient bonding strength in cape seal layers, this paper investigates the interlayer bonding properties and influencing factors of cape seal. Mechanical tests were conducted using a pavement interlayer shear-pull testing device. Through interlayer pull-off, direct shear, and torsional shear tests, the maximum tensile force, shear force, and torque at failure were obtained. The interlayer bonding performance of cape seal was analyzed in terms of gravel coverage rates, as well as upper and lower layer combinations. The results show that when the gravel coverage rate is 80%-90%, and the cape …

Fracture Mechanics‐Based Fatigue Study Of Corrugated Steel Webs, Li Haidi, Yang Lei

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

To develop fatigue analysis and evaluation methods for corrugated steel web structures, constant-amplitude fatigue load tests were conducted on experimental beam models, supplemented by fatigue test data from domestic and international studies. The finite element submodeling method was employed to obtain stress distribution functions at structural details, and the weight function method was used to derive the stress intensity factor at the crack tip. The Paris law in fracture mechanics was applied to derive the S-N curve for corrugated steel web structures. Comparative analysis with fatigue test results shows that when the initial crack depth is set as a0=t/20 (accounting …

Research On Multi‐Source And Heterogeneous Data Integration Of Large Bridge Health Monitoring System, Wang Daijun, Zhou Tiantu, Fu Junmin, Chen Xing, Lu Shuai, Yu Zheng

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Large bridge health monitoring systems are characterized by numerous sensors, diverse types, various communication methods, and flexible network configurations. The multi-source heterogeneous nature of the data poses significant challenges for data integration. To address the application requirements of bridge health monitoring, this paper designs a multi-source heterogeneous data integration scheme. The scheme achieves structured storage of multi-source heterogeneous data and introduces the concept of “structured communication.” This enables structured communication configuration, unified communication control, and flexible data processing, standardizing and simplifying communication configuration management in data acquisition systems. These improvements enhance code simplicity, maintainability, and the overall integration level of …

Selection And Design Of Anchorage For Suspension Bridge In Downhill Area Under Complex Geological Conditions, Chen Yongliang, He Shiyong, Xia Zhixian, Wu Wenxiang

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Due to the complexities of design and construction, long-span single-tower suspension bridges are rarely applied in practice. The main bridge of the Jinsha River Bridge at Tiger Leaping Gorge adopts a 766 m single-span single-tower steel truss suspension bridge. On the Lijiang anchorage side, complex geological conditions posed significant challenges due to geological structures, while the reservoir level of the planned hydropower station created adverse hydrological conditions for waterproofing and durability of the anchorage system. The selection of an appropriate anchorage type was therefore particularly challenging. This paper first details the selection process for anchorage under complex geological conditions. It …

Study On Countermeasures And Genetic Analysis Of Sloping Bridge Pile Hole Wall Failure, Yang Hua, Yin Xiaotao

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

The stability of slopes and the safety of bridge piles are interdependent, and ensuring the safety of sloping terrain is crucial for the safe construction of bridge piles. Based on three collapsed pile sections of the Huadizhai No. 2 Bridge, this paper utilized geological surveys to design initial terrain and altered terrain slope stability calculation conditions, along with horizontal compensation force calculation conditions under a safety standard of 1.35. By integrating geological analysis, slope stability assessment, and compensation force evaluations, the causes of pile hole collapse and corresponding countermeasures were analyzed. The results show that under the initial terrain, the …

Research On Gas Migration And Ventilation Disaster Prevention In Highway Tunnel, Wang Zhongqi, Lin Zhi, Feng Sen, Yang Hongyun, Chen Xiang, Liu Jiang

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

To understand the gas migration patterns and ventilation disaster prevention techniques during tunnel construction, this paper uses a real tunnel as the engineering context. A 3D transient ventilation physical model was established using Ansys Fluent, and the effects of ventilation on gas concentration were analyzed in combination with on-site monitoring data. The results show that the uneven diffusion of gas and airflow is prominent. Gas concentration and wind speed stabilize at a distance of 120 m from the tunnel face as ventilation time increases. During gas monitoring and prevention, special attention should be paid to the area between the tunnel …

Research On Influence Factors And Efficiency Analysis Of Expressway Maintenance Marketization, Zhong Wen, He Shoukui, Wang Xiaodong

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

To promote market-oriented reform of highway maintenance, this paper investigates its influencing factors and outcomes and proposes an evaluation model for assessing its effects. A panoramic analysis method within a three-dimensional framework was employed to determine the evaluation content. Drawing on the balanced scorecard concept, the analysis incorporates four dimensions: business, user, internal management, and learning and growth, with the innovative addition of a social responsibility dimension to construct an evaluation indicator system. Subsequently, a cloud-based extension model was developed to evaluate the effectiveness of expressway maintenance marketization and calculate the evaluation grade. Empirical analysis was conducted using data from …

Study On The Minimum Radius Of Vertical Curve Of Highway Main Line Entrance Section Based On Merging Sight Distance, Li Yang, Zhao Yemei, Chen Tianxing

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Given the limited research on the vertical curve radius of highway mainline entrance sections and the lack of differentiation between entrance and exit sections in existing studies, this paper identifies merging sight distance as the primary influencing factor for the vertical curve radius of entrance sections. Using merging sight distance as the control condition, the vertical curve radius of entrance sections was studied. A safety merging sight distance calculation model for highway mainline entrance sections was established by analyzing the traffic behavior characteristics of vehicles on the entrance mainline and considering drivers’ psychological and physiological characteristics. The sight distance model …

Inspection And Evaluation Of Load‐Bearing Capacity Of Hollow‐Box Arch Bridge, Song Zegang, Yang Min

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

The inspection and evaluation of the load-bearing capacity of in-service bridges are crucial for ensuring structural and operational safety. This paper investigates a 90 m span hollow-box arch bridge, assessing its damage condition, material properties, and state parameters to determine partial evaluation coefficients. The bridge’s ultimate limit state and serviceability limit state load-bearing capacities of the main arch ring were then evaluated using both the original design standards and the current code. The results show that, compared to the original design standards, the safety factor for the compressive load-bearing capacity of the main arch ring cross-section is significantly reduced when …

Application Research And Prospect Of Passive Battered Pile, Zhou Dequan, Wang Chuangye, Zhou Yi, Zhao Yadang

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Battered piles oriented in specific directions demonstrate superior horizontal load-bearing capacity compared to vertical piles. However, the working mechanism of battered piles remains inadequately understood, and corresponding design standards are yet to be established. These limitations hinder the effective utilization and application of the horizontal load-bearing and stability potential of battered piles. This paper comprehensively analyzes the soil-pile interaction mechanisms, horizontal displacement, and load-bearing behavior of passive battered piles and their composite systems under lateral unloading and lateral loading conditions, using model tests, numerical simulations, and theoretical analysis. In addition, it proposes future research directions aimed at advancing the study …

Study On Applicability Of Flexible Gabion Revetment In Soft Soil Subgrade In Lake District, Su Weiwei, Lei Mingxuan, Liu Guotian, Zhang Liujun, Liu Junyong

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Based on FLAC3D finite difference software, this paper conducts numerical simulations of both flexible gabion revetment structures and rigid revetment structures to compare their deformation and stress characteristics. The results indicate that the flexible gabion revetment structure demonstrates excellent applicability for soft soil subgrades in lake districts. Compared with rigid revetment structures, the gabion revetment structure improves overturning stability through coordinated deformation within the foundation. It significantly reduces the basal stress, thus lowering the bearing capacity requirements for the foundation, and ensures a more uniform stress distribution at the base, minimizing differential settlement and enhancing foundation stability. Moreover, the gabion …