Engineering Commons^™

Development Of Closed Loop System Evaluation Equipment And Procedures, Eric J. Nelson, Montasir Abbas, Gary E. Shoup, Darcy M. Bullock

JTRP Technical Reports

Modern traffic control systems are complex entities whose performance should be thoroughly quantified prior to deployment. However, many of the advanced features available with this control equipment, such as preemption and real-time control strategies, are typically proprietary in nature, and therefore not incorporated into standard simulation models. Since it is not desirable for the engineer to learn in a field environment, under live traffic conditions, this research presents a rational procedure for evaluating and validating such control strategies in a laboratory setting. This document explores three aspects of traffic signal systems, which include the advanced control settings for single controller …

Evaluation Of Lightweight Non-Contact Profilers, Amit Mondal, Adam J. Hand, David R. Ward

JTRP Technical Reports

Pavement smoothness was recently identified as the most significant factor the motoring public uses to judge the quality of our Nations roadways. A new generation of lightweight profilers has recently been developed, which have the potential of providing nearly instantaneous smoothness measurements, providing contractors with a tool to identify and address process control issues promptly and cost effectively. The new technology was co-operatively evaluated by a team of Purdue University and Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) researchers to assess the repeatability and reproducibility of the devices, as well as the potential for their use in Indiana. A successful field test …

Optimal Design Of Freeway Incident Response Systems, Raktim Pal, Kumares C. Sinha

JTRP Technical Reports

Several states have introduced service patrol programs to curb the growing adverse impacts of freeway incidents. An efficient patrol program configuration design is needed to ensure appropriate resource allocation. This research seeks to devise a scheme for determining optimally such system characteristics as hours of operation, fleet and crew sizes, dispatching policies, areas of operation, and routing patterns, so that the efficacy of the program is maximized. The interaction of randomly occurring incidents with time-varying traffic adds to the complexity of the problem. The problem is solved using dynamic simulation approaches combined with optimization techniques to incorporate the non-linear impact …

Performance Of Bridge Decks And Girders With Lightweight Aggregate Concrete, J. A. Ramirez, J. Olek, Eric Joseph Rolle, Brian J. Manlone

JTRP Technical Reports

Structural lightweight concrete is a very versatile material and Haydite and Minergy lightweight aggregates can be utilized in the mixture development of concrete for use in girders and decks in bridges. More widespread use of lightweight aggregates (LWA) would result in savings in construction cost due to considerable dead load reduction. The materials phase of this research study evaluated the fresh concrete properties (slump, unit weight, and air content), the mechanical properties of hardened concrete (compressive strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, static and dynamic modulus of elasticity, Poisson’s Ratio, and temperature development), and durability related parameters (air void distribution, freeze-thaw …

Providing Real-Time Traffic Advisory And Route Guidance To Manage Borman Incidents On-Line Using The Hoosier Helper Program, Srinivas Peeta, Jorge L. Ramos, Shyam Gedela

JTRP Technical Reports

This study addresses the issue of whether the message content of variable message signs (VMS) can be used as a control variable to favorably influence traffic conditions in real-time. The focus is on the level of detail of information displayed on the VMS, and not human factor issues. It implies an understanding of driver sensitivity to information content. Also, for real-time implementation, the displayed information should be consistent, timely, and reliable. A framework is developed for optimizing system performance under incidents using the VMS message content as the primary control parameter. It consists of: (i) an efficient control strategy to …

The Development Of A Speed Monitoring Program For Indiana, Darren L. Jorgenson, Kumares C. Sinha

JTRP Technical Reports

From the passage of the National Maximum Speed Limit (NMSL) of 55 mph in 1974 through its repeal in 1995 speed monitoring programs have been mandated by the federal government. The speed-monitoring program was primarily intended to provide reliable data to be included as a part of the State’s annual certification in order to be approved for Federal Aid highway projects. The repeal of the NMSL in 1995 not only authorized states to set their own speed limits, it also allowed states to develop their own speed monitoring programs. The goal of this research is to provide the framework for …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Second Phase Study Of Changes In In-Service Asphalt (Vol 2: Appendices), Khaled A. Galal, Thomas D. White, Adam J. Hand

JTRP Technical Reports

In response to the need to improve asphalt pavement performance, the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) was initiated in 1987. Products from SHRP included performance-based specifications for asphalt binders and performance-based mix design tests and criteria for asphalt mixtures. The superpave asphalt binder specification addresses performance of in-service pavements for given environmental and traffic conditions. During the 1985 paving season in Indiana, the original asphalt binder and HMA (truck mix samples) from a number of pavements were sampled and retained. Cores were also taken from these pavements after seven or eight years of service. Conditions surveys were performed on these …

Second Phase Study Of Changes In In-Service Asphalt (Vol 1: Main Report), Khaled A. Galal, Thomas D. White, Adam J. Hand

JTRP Technical Reports

In response to the need to improve asphalt pavement performance, the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) was initiated in 1987. Products from SHRP included performance-based specifications for asphalt binders and performance-based mix design tests and criteria for asphalt mixtures. The Superpave asphalt binder specification addresses performance of in-service pavements for given environmental and traffic conditions. During the 1985 paving season in Indiana, the original asphalt binder and HMA (truck mix samples) from a number of pavements were sampled and retained. Cores were also taken from these pavements after seven or eight years of service. Condition surveys were performed on these …

Wireless Local Area Network For Its Communications Using The 220 Mhz Its Spectral Allocation, J. V. Krogmeier, Ness Shroff

JTRP Technical Reports

The objective of this project was to design a radio architecture using the ITS spectral allocations in the 220-222 MHz Land Mobile band which provides a multi-mode operation optimized for point-to-point, mobile, and multiple access communications. A radio performance goal was to achieve greater than 3 bits/second/Hz transmission efficiency for mobile applications, and greater than a 5 bits/second/Hz transmission efficiency for point-to-point applications. An additional important goal of this project was to explore potential ITS applications of the modem technology particularly as applied to an application in sensor telemetry concentration. The fixed point modem will be deployed for remote surveillance …

Indiana Lane Merge System - Warrants For Use, Andrzej P. Tarko, Shyam Venugopal

JTRP Technical Reports

The entry to a work zone is critical for traffic smoothness and safety because of the discontinuation of one or more lanes. The Indiana Lane Merge System (ILMS) was designed to implement dynamic lane change control at work zone entries by encouraging drivers to switch lanes well upstream of the discontinuous lane taper, thereby reducing the number of aggressive lane changes at the taper. At the time of this research, the ILMS had not been implemented on a large scale at rural freeway work zones. The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) wanted to do a complete safety and capacity evaluation …

Defects In Reinforced Concrete Due To Environmental Conditions And Concrete Treatment: A Case Study At The University Of Dar Es Salaam, A. Rubaratuka

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Concrete is produced by mixing together cement, water and aggregates (i. e. sand and coarse aggregates) in specified proportions. It can do well with compressive forces but it is very weak under tensile forces. To overcome this problem, steel reinforcement are normally added to produce reinforced concrete which can also withstand tensile forces. Experience shows that environmental conditions may have a negative impact on the durability of reinforced concrete structures resulting in development of defects if not properly assessed and appropriate measures adopted to arrest the same at the design and construction stages.

The severity of damages for the investigated …

Evaluation Of Extreme Wind Speeds In Relation To The Design Of Coastal Structures In Tanzania, Alfonse Dubi

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Five distribution functions, FT-I and Weibull with the exponent k = 0.75, 1.0, 1.4 and 2.0 respectively, have been applied to 25-year wind data collected between 1972 and 1996 at Tanga, Dar Es Salaam, Zanzibar and Mtwara Meteorological stations. One maximum value for every year from the full data record was drawn to constitute the annual maxima series for each station. For each of the stations, 2-, 50- and 100-year return wind speeds with corresponding 90% confidence intervals were computed. The distribution functions were fitted to the data by the Least Squares Method. Results from the study show that FT-I …

Mathematical Modelling Of Road Bumps, E. S. Massawe

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

In this paper, a general mathematical model that may be used for construction of a road bump on an inclined road is developed. It is shown that if the parameters for the inclination are set to zero, the resulting model reflects the special case of a flat road. Existing experiences are briefly highlighted and a case study was done on different locations along the University Road to demonstrate the developed model.

The Behaviour Of Reinforced Block-Work Walls In Axial Tension, Laurent Shirima

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Reinforced blockwork with horizontally laid reinforcing bars is used for walls in liquid retaining structures in developing countries. This is the case where, the level of technology in terms of skills and equipment is not in a position to allow successful construction of reinforced concrete walls. Blockwork walls are very sensitive to cracking which cannot be prevented by reinforcement. The major problem for designers is the behaviour of such walls in tension caused by hydrostatic pressure of the stored liquid. This paper reports results of a research work to study the behaviour of reinforced blockwork walls in tension. It was …

Application Of Vibrational Techniques In Determination Of Dynamic Properties Of Agricultural Products-State Of The Arton Of Vibrational Techniques In Determination Of Dynamic Properties Of Agricultural Products-State Of The Art, Silas Kajuna

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Vibration is one of the techniques employed in the determination of dynamic properties of fruits and vegetables. It entails generation of a mechanical or acoustic vibrational signal which is propagated through the flesh of the agricultural material. A transducer is either attached or held close to the specimen to monitor the propagation of the signal through the specimen. The manner in which the signal is transmitted through the material is analyzed, and the dynamic properties of the specimen which relate to its firmness or its internal being are derived. The technique has been around for the past 30 years or …

Evaluation Of Soil Conservation Measures: A Case Study In Mbinga District, Ruvuma Region, Tanzania, S. Y. Thadei

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

A study on soil conservation measures was conducted in two villages, Tukuzi and Mahenge, in Mbinga District, Ruvuma Region, Tanzania. The results showed that the ngoro farming system was effective in controlling soil erosion by water on both steep and gentle slopes. Sediments collected from ngoro had high concentrations of plant nutrients such as available phosphorus (P), total nitrogen (N), organic carbon (OC) and exchangeable bases. This was probably due to nutrients released from decomposed grass bundles buried in the soil. In preventing soil erosion, ngoro and bench terraces were equally effective, while contour ditches were as effective as ridges …

Concrete Cracking In Coastal Areas, S. R. Mpinzire

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

The paper discusses cracking and corrosion of reinforced concrete (RC) structures in coastal zones where aggressive action of salt burdened air is the primary cause of concrete deterioration. Case studies are presented, along with discussion of possible remedies including local demolition, reconstruction and epoxy injection as well as concrete treatment.

The Development Of Groundwater For Water Supply, C. F. Mhilu

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

ABSTRACT This paper presents results of groundwater investigations carried out at Yombo Dovya Village, Temeke District in Dar es Salaam Region. The study has included hydrogeological and geoelectric resistivity sounding survey data obtained at the test site in Yombo village. The results of this investigation based on the application of vertical electrical sounding probe predictions have indicated the existence of reasonable amounts of groundwater resource for development. To verify these results borehole drilling tests were also conducted at the same site (Borehole No. DSM 79/99), and the results obtained by this method compares very well with those obtained earlier by …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Water Resources Systems Analysis - Course Notes, A Bruce Bishop, Trevor Hughes, Mac Mckee

All ECSTATIC Materials

Water resources systems analysis course notes for CEE 6410 taught at Utah State University. Coverage includes:

Chapter 1 - Concepts and methods

Chapter 2 - Linear programming-introduction and graphical methods

Chapter 3 - Linear programming - simplex method

Chapter 4 - Linear programming - applications to simple water problems

Chapter 5 - Dual LP and post optimality analysis

Chapter 6 - Integer programming

Chapter 7 - More applications of integer programmign

Chapter 8 - Piecewise linearization

Chapter 9 - Other types of LP models

Chapter 10 - Dynamic programming

Chapter 11 - Gradient-based nonlinear optimization methods

Chapter 12 - Genetic …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Long Term Risks Associated With Brownfield Containments, Shailesh Shirish Chirputkar

Dissertations

The sites at which the development is hindered by real or perceived contamination are called as Brownfield sites. It is a common trend in industry to develop these types of sites with surface and peripheral containments. It might prove unwise to develop the sites in this manner from a long term perspective without considering the associated risk. Because of this, a model has been proposed for long term risk assessments of brownfield containments.

Objectives of this study were to develop a contaminant transport model for flow of contaminants towards the surface and peripheral containments inside the site, a model for …

Physical And Geotechnical Characterization Of Water Treatment Plant Residuals, Swamy C. Basim

Dissertations

The study of Water Treatment Plant (WTP) residuals is of recent origin and very little information is available in literature regarding these residuals. These waste materials have high solids contents, even in the mechanically dewatered condition, making it difficult to handle. These, along with stringent environmental regulations have forced the water utilities to look for new disposal options for these residuals. For this purpose as well as for evaluating suitable options for the beneficial reuse of residuals, it is essential to characterize WTP residuals.

As the dewatered residuals are plastic, the researcher may be prompted to treat these materials as …

Development Of Computer Model And Expert System For Pneumatic Fracturing Of Geologic Formations, Brian Michael Sielski

Dissertations

The objective of this study was the development of a new computer program called PF-Model to analyze pneumatic fracturing of geologic formations. Pneumatic fracturing is an in situ remediation process that involves injecting high pressure gas into soil or rock matrices to enhance permeability, as well as to introduce liquid and solid amendments. PF-Model has two principal components: (1) Site Screening, which heuristically evaluates sites with regard to process applicability; and (2) System Design, which uses the numerical solution of a coupled algorithm to generate preliminary design parameters.

Designed as an expert system, the Site Screening component is a high …

In Situ Enhancement Of Well Recovery By Pneumatic Media Injection, Michael Thomas Galbraith

Theses

The objective of this thesis was to develop a new process for enhancing recovery wells at hazardous waste sites. The process, known as an extended radius well (ERW), involves injection of ceramic beads directly into groundwater plumes to create drainage paths for liquid contaminants. This is a variant of Pneumatic Fracturing, which is a patented in situ remediation process developed to increase permeability of soil and rock formations by injection of high pressure gas.

The research study comprised laboratory investigations, engineering scale tests, and a field pilot demonstration. The laboratory investigations examined the properties of several candidate media to determine …