Engineering Commons^™

Investigating The Interaction Of Ndot Hot-Pour Pcc Joint Sealant And Penetrating Concrete Sealers, Bruce Barrett, Dale Byre, Wally Heyen, Lieska Halsey, David Hansen

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Based on the field observations on NE-83, PCS potentially impacts the bond between the concrete and hot-pour sealant after application. If penetrating sealers break the interfacial bond after application, concrete pavements could become compromised and subject to freeze-thaw damage, chloride attack, and other deleterious effects.

The results show that discoloration occurred when applying the five PCS products to the NE-3405 hot-pour sealed testing blocks. All three test methods of application; spraying, 1-min, and 5-min soaks, caused discoloration. The level of discoloration increased with the duration of contact with the PCS. Despite discoloration, none of the five PCS products caused de-bonding …

Research On High-Rap Asphalt Mixtures With Rejuvenators - Phase Ii, Hamzeh Haghshenas, Gabriel Nsengiyumva, Yong-Rak Kim, Kommidi Santosh, Soroosh Amelian

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

A previous study by the authors have demonstrated effectiveness of three rejuvenators: R1 (triglyceride/fatty acid: agriculture-tech based), R2 (aromatic extract: petroleum-tech based), and R3 (tall oil: green-tech based) on rejuvenating properties of the aged binder. In that study, it was observed that the rejuvenators made high-RAP mixtures softer and more compliant, which may increase the rutting potential, while they simultaneously improve cracking resistance of the high-RAP materials. Research outcomes and findings from the previous study resulted in consequential research needs for more specific investigation of high-RAP mixtures with rejuvenators in order to achieve realistic implementation into future high-RAP paving projects …

Validation Of The Mechanical Rocker Test Method For Ice Melting Capacity (Mrt-Imc), Lieska Halsey, David Hansen

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

The anti-icing and deicing industry has interest in the development of an objective, repeatable test procedure for the evaluation and comparison of anti-icing and deicing products. Pursuant to this goal, the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) funded research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) to investigate methods for evaluating deicing products, beginning in 2011[1]. Researchers at UNL developed the procedure for the Mechanical Rocker Test for Ice Melting Capacity (MRT or MRT-IMC) in 2014[2].

From 2017-2019, NDOT evaluated the MRT-IMC procedure for validity and suitability as a standard test procedure for assessing deicer performance. NDOT also explored opportunities to improve …

Cpt-Based Pile Design, Chung R. Song, Seunghee Kim, Binyam Bekele, Jingtao Zhang, Alex Silvey

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

The geotechnical design of a pile foundation is concerned with the determination of the safe magnitude of an external load that the foundation can carry without jeopardizing the stability of the supported structure. In recent years, in-situ sounding tests are becoming a more attractive method to predict pile capacity due to the rapid development of testing instruments, improved understanding of their mechanics and interpretation, and cost efficiency. The cone penetration test (CPT) and its upgraded version, the piezocone penetration test (PCPT), are the most widely used in situ sounding tests to predict pile capacity. This research report compared eight CPT-based …

Modeling Changes In Public Transit And Private-For-Hire Usage When Implementing A Spatial Tax, Ty Lazarchik

REU Final Reports

Private-for-Hire (PfH) transportation options, such as Uber, Lyft, and taxicabs, are consistently growing in popularity. With this expanded utilization, cities are struggling to maintain usage of their public transit systems. While PfH transportation has been heavily researched, there is a need to further study how its effects on transit usage may be minimized. In this paper, previous work in traffic modeling and analysis of transit and PfH differences are expanded to develop an agent-based decision model in order to simulate and analyze the effectiveness of implementing a location-based tax in and around the city center of Portland, Oregon. The results …

Autonomous Vehicles, Sarah Flis

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Some research objectives to be considered in this paper will include: What are the general advantages and disadvantages of having fully autonomous vehicles? What research has been done on the safety of them and what needs to be done to improve that safety? In order to have the safest and most efficient system for autonomous vehicles, will there be a place for older vehicles that require a human to operate in this new transportation system? Where does Ohio stand in the development of autonomous vehicles and what steps are they taking to prepare for such technology?

Another important research objective …

Understanding And Modeling Taxi Demand Using Time Series Models, Sabiheh Faghih

Dissertations and Theses

The spatio-temporal variations in demand for transportation, particularly taxis, are impacted by various factors such as commuting, weather, road work and closures, disruption in transit services, etc. Identifying the factors that influence taxi demand and understanding its dynamic provide planners with the information necessary to improve the transportation systems and also help drivers to reduce their vacant time.

This dissertation focuses on important factors affecting the demand. In the beginning, the impact of price changes on the demand is studied. Chapter One discusses how the seasonal effects and trends are removed from the demand, and then price elasticity for demand …

Designing An On-Demand Dynamic Crowdshipping Model And Evaluating Its Ability To Serve Local Retail Delivery In New York City, Shirin Najaf Abadi

Dissertations and Theses

Nowadays city mobility is challenging, mainly in populated metropolitan areas. Growing commute demands, increase in the number of for-hire vehicles, enormous escalation in several intra-city deliveries and limited infrastructure (road capacities), all contribute to mobility challenges. These challenges typically have significant impacts on residents’ quality-of-life particularly from an economic and environmental perspective. Decision-makers have to optimize transportation resources to minimize the system externalities (especially in large-scale metropolitan areas). This thesis focus on the intra-city mobility problems experienced by travelers (in the form of congestion and imbalance taxi resources) and businesses (in the form of last-mile delivery), while taking into consideration …

Investigating The Effects Of Rainfall On Traffic Operations On Florida Freeways, Lucia Andrew

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rainfall affects the performance of traffic operations and endangers safety. A common and conventional method (rain gauges) for rainfall measurements mostly provide precipitation records in hourly and 15-minute intervals. However, reliability, continuity, and wide area coverage pose challenges with this data collection method. There is also a greater likelihood for data misrepresentation in areas where short duration rainfall is predominant, i.e., reported values may not reflect the actual equivalent rainfall intensity during subintervals over the entire reporting period. With recent weather and climate patterns increasing in severity, there is a need for a more effective and reliable way of measuring …

Evaluating Mobility And Safety Benefits Of Freeway Service Patrols: A Case Study Of Florida's Road Rangers, Jimoku H. Salum

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Florida’s Road Rangers monitor the freeways for incidents to minimize their adverse impacts on traffic. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the extent to which Road Rangers reduce incident clearance duration (ICD), incident-induced traffic delays (IITDs) and secondary crashes (SCs).

Since ICD distributions are often right-skewed, the study applied quantile regression to relate ICD to influencing factors. Data skewed to the right is usually a result of lower bounds in a data set being extremely low relative to the rest of the data. Data from 28,000 incidents that occurred on freeways in Jacksonville, Florida were analyzed. Of …

Marine Quay Crane Scheduling Using A Combined Modified Genetic Algorithm And Priority Rules Approach, V. H. Nguyen, D. T. Nguyen

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Quay crane scheduling problem (QCSP) is the problem of the allocation of quay cranes to handle the unloading and loading of containers at seaport container terminals and defining the service sequence of vessel bays of each quay crane. The treatment of crane interference constraints and the increased in vessel size make the problem difficult to solve. Due to the growing interest in applied research for this problem, many researchers have used different algorithms and methods to obtain some solutions. This paper will propose a modified genetic algorithm combined with priority rules to deal with it. The advantage of the proposed …

An Analysis Of Hydroacoustic Transmission Loss Associated With Marine Pile Driving, Jonathan Paul Berube

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There has been a growing concern in recent years about the effects of anthropogenic noise due to marine pile driving on underwater wildlife. Current guidelines for mitigating hydroacoustic effects associated with these events are based upon relatively simple transmission loss formulations. The advantage to these guidelines is that computing transmission loss using their prescribed methods is not labor intensive, but their disadvantage is that they may not take all variables into account. Because of this, it may be possible to improve transmission loss computations. To better-characterize marine pile driving sound transmission loss, a unique in-water instrumentation system was developed. This …

Simulation Exploration Of The Potential Of Connected Vehicles In Mitigating Secondary Crashes, Mike Alvin Soloka

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Secondary crashes (SCs) on freeways are a major concern for traffic incident management systems. Studies have shown that their occurrence is significant and can lead to deterioration of traffic flow conditions on freeways in addition to injury and fatalities, albeit their magnitudes are relatively low when compared to primary crashes. Due to the limited nature of crash data in analyzing freeway SCs, surrogate measures provide an alternative for safety analysis for freeway analysis using conflict analysis. Connected Vehicles (CVs) have seen compelling technological advancements since the concept was introduced in the 1990s. In recent years, CVs have emerged as a …

The Short-Term Effects Of Interstate Highways On Small Rural Communities: A Case Study Of I-39, I-49 And I-72, 1990 To 2000, John Paul Metelko

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The presence of interstate highways in rural areas improves access to nearby rural

communities and changes those communities’ spheres of influence. Research into

understanding how improved access from interstate highways affects rural communities

is needed. This case study was designed to investigate how rural communities changed

on the basis of population, vacancy, median home value, and median contract rent in the

short term after an interstate highway was completed nearby in the early 1990s.

The communities included in this study are incorporated cities, towns, villages

and census-designated places in non-metropolitan counties with at least one incorporated

city, town, village and …

Synthesis Of Fault Traces In Se Louisiana Relative To Infrastructure, David Culpepper, Elizabeth Chinn Mcdade, Nancye Dawers, Mark Kulp, Rui Zhang

Publications

Geological faulting has been implicated as a contributor to subsidence, coastal land-loss and submergence of marshlands in southern Louisiana. This report reviews whether fault motion, either by slow creep or more sudden slip, can cause deformation of engineered structures resulting in increased infrastructure maintenance and repair costs. The impact of surface, or near-surface, geologic faulting on critical infrastructure is insufficiently documented in southeastern Louisiana, but the state has a vast amount of energy-sector subsurface data that to date has been under-utilized for transportation and other near-surface engineering applications. Recent and on-going work by research groups at Tulane University, University of …

Evaluating The Performance Of Cooperative Merging Assistance System For Aging Drivers, Flavius Matata

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Freeway merging maneuvers demand considerable attention by drivers and are among the more complex operations drivers must perform on freeways. Aging drivers, a growing population in the United States, face added challenges when merging. This study utilized Vissim models created in a previous study that modeled the behavior of aging drivers during freeway merging. An algorithm for Cooperative Merging Assistance System (CMAS) that utilizes Connected Vehicle (CV) technology was developed in this study. The Vissim models were created for two interchanges on I-75 in Fort Myers, Florida, each with different geometric characteristics. Acceleration lane lengths of 1000ft and 1500ft were …

The Use Of Real-Time Connected Vehicles And Here Data In Developing An Automated Freeway Incident Detection Algorithm, Hendry Nyanza Imani

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Traffic incidents cause severe problems on roadways. About 6.3 million highway crashes are reported annually only in the United States, among which more than 32,000 are fatal crashes. Reducing the risk of traffic incidents is key to effective traffic incident management (TIM). Quick detection of unexpected traffic incidents on roadways contribute to quick clearance and hence improve safety. Existing techniques for the detection of freeway incidents are not reliable.

This study focuses on exploring the potential of emerging connected vehicles (CV) technology in automated freeway incident detection in the mixed traffic environment. The study aims at developing an automated freeway …

The Operational And Safety Effects Of Heavy Duty Vehicles Platooning, Ahmed Alzahrani

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Although researchers have studied the effects of platooning, most of the work done so far has focused on fuel consumption. There are a few studies that have targeted the impact of platooning on the highway operations and safety. This thesis focuses on the impact of heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) platooning on highway characteristics. Specifically, this study aims at evaluating the effects of platooning of HDVs on capacity, safety, and CO₂ emissions.

This study is based on a hypothetical model that was created using the VISSIM software. VISSIM is a powerful simulation software designed to mimic the field traffic flow …

17-06 Public Vs Private Transportation Network Accessibility And Maternal-Infant Health Outcomes Across The Urban-Rural Boundary In Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Kathleen Baker

Transportation Research Center Reports

This project is twofold. The first part of the project deals specifically with the benefits of multimodal transportation modeling to understand community structure of public health access in a community. Maternal risk and infant outcomes are examined in Kalamazoo County, MI with respect to transportation network accessibility by public transit and private vehicle across the urban-rural continuum. Infants born to mothers just outside the urban core had a higher rate of poor outcomes. Maternal risk factors, by contrast, were associated with the accessible rural areas – areas outside the city proper, but within 30 minutes by car to services. When …

17-05 Effects Of Safe Bicycle Passing Laws On Drivers' Behavior And Bicyclists' Safety, Ron Van Houten, Jun-Seok Oh, Valerian Kwigizile, Ahmad Feizi, Majid Mastali

Transportation Research Center Reports

This report identifies the effect of passing distance laws on drivers’ behaviors and bicyclist’s safety during an overtaking maneuver. Using an instrumented bicycle and driver survey, the study measured bicycle passing in a naturalistic field experiment using video recording, an ultrasonic distance measuring device, and a LiDAR. In order to evaluate the effect of passing distance laws, the study examined jurisdictions with a three-foot passing law, with a five-foot passing law, and without a passing law. The experiment required a bicyclist to ride the instrumented bicycle in two-lane and three-lane roads to capture the distance between the bicycle and the …

Determination Of The Carrying Capability Of The Basis Of The Support Of A Contact Network Of The Railways And Vertical Force, Acting On The Base, K.S. Lesov, A.Kh. Mavlyanov, U.E. Ergashev

Journal of Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineers

The variant workings and calculations are executed on fixing of supports of contact trackage. Structural-technical decisions are Given on building of supports of contact network on earthen linen from sandy soils.

Model Of Search For The Placement Of Warehouses Of Tarnet-And-String Cargo Depending On The Cargo, Avaz Mirsultanovich Merganov

Journal of Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineers

To determine the feasibility of warehouses for packaged goods, it is necessary to understand the main volumes of cargo traffic, as well as to determine the optimal placement of these objects. These questions are developed and solved in this study

The Principles Of Calculation Of Preliminary-Stressed Reinforced Concrete Elements Of A Tripping Structure Under Dispersed Arming, Ch.S. Raupov, E.T. Yahshiyev, A.B. Karimova

Journal of Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineers

It is known that the basic principle of the use of reinforcement in the cross section of building structures is associated with ensuring their strength under the action of bending, tensile loads and impacts and the need to reinforce concrete elements that do not have sufficient structural strength for tension and bending. Depending on the purpose and features of the building structures, there are different types of reinforcement and ways to strengthen the elements.

Model Of Search For The Placement Of Warehouses Of Tarnet-And-String Cargo Depending On The Cargo, Avaz Mirsultanovich Merganov

Journal of Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineers

To determine the feasibility of warehouses for packaged goods, it is necessary to understand the main volumes of cargo traffic, as well as to determine the optimal placement of these objects. These questions are developed and solved in this study

Ways Of Rational Enhancements Of Passage And Transportable Ability On Railways Jsc "Uty", S.K. Xudayberganov, A.A. Svetashev, Sh.Sh. Kayumov

Journal of Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineers

The constant increase in the number of passenger trains has led to the fact that the semi-automatic blocking does not cope with the timely passing trains through the section. This article discusses the carrying capacity of railway section "N-B". The reserve capacity of this section is practically absent, the removal rate of passenger trains increases, which negatively affects the work of the entire railway section. Disposable and required carrying debility is determined. The method of increasing the capacity is chosen for each line depending on the given dimensions of movement, local conditions and technical and economic efficiency of different options.

Walker, Dorian (Fa 1240), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 1240. Collection of oral history interviews with railroad employees, locals, and historians recorded on Betacam and Betacam SP for Dorian Walker’s 1995 film Beauty of the Southland. Portions of the interviews were also used for a 2010 miniseries, All Aboard.

Development Of Anti-Icing Airfield Heated Pavement Systems Using Solar Energy, Joseph Daniels

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation analyzes developing and assessing the viability of an anti-icing airfield heated pavement system using solar energy. This study includes two components, a field experimentation component and a numerical analysis component. Field experimentation investigates two systems: (1) an electrical heated pavement system with a photovoltaic energy system as its power source, and (2) a hydronic heated pavement system with a solar water-heating system as its heating source. The systems operate under an automated thermostat heating sequence for operation optimization and energy conservation. Study results found the solar systems capable of supplying enough energy to maintain pavement surface temperature above …

Early Life Flexural Performance And Behavior Of Reinforced Bcsa Concrete Beams, Gabriel Cook

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Belitic calcium sulfoaluminate cement (BCSA) is a hydraulic, rapid setting alternative to ordinary portland cement (OPC) with reduced energy demands and CO2 emissions. BCSA cement has numerous current and potential applications including transportation repair and precast manufacturing. Currently, limited research exists regarding the structural performance of CSA cements, restricting its potential implementation. Thus, the purpose of this research is to provide insight into the flexural performance and behavior of reinforced BCSA concrete beams. Overall, BCSA concrete had similar cracking and loading behavior to the OPC beams, with increased moment capacity for compression controlled specimens. Furthermore, BCSA concrete showed increased tensile …

Integrating Crash, Hospital, And Roadway Data To Investigate The Effect Of Cable Median Barriers On Injury Severity, Michael D. Singleton, Eric R. Green, William Nicholas Staats, I-Chen Chen

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Executive Summary

• In median-involved crashes, the odds of a police-reported injury were estimated to be 42% lower on road segments with a cable median barrier (CMB) than on road segments with a concrete median barrier, and the difference was statistically significant [odds ratio 0.58, 95% confidence interval (0.43, 0.78)].
• In median-involved crashes, the odds of having an injury severity score of 8 or greater were estimated to be 34% higher on road segments with a CMB than on road segments with a concrete median barrier; however, the difference was not statistically significant [odds ratio 1.34, 95% confidence interval (0.67, 2.66). …

Detection Of Multiple Flaws In Concrete Bridge Decks Using Ultrasonic Wave Propagation, Ece Erdogmus, Eric Garcia, Michael Schuller, Donald Harvey, Kelsey Stithem, Monica Houck

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.