Engineering Commons^™

Customer Relationship Management And Firm Performance: An Empirical Study Of Freight Forwarder Services, Kuo-Chung Shang, Chin-Shan Lu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study empirically identifies customer relationship management (CRM) and examines its impacts on firm performance in the context of freight forwarder services. Using data collected from a survey of 144 freight forwarding firms in Taiwan, a structural equation modeling exercise was conducted to identify crucial CRM dimensions and their influences on the perceived financial performance. Results indicated that CRM dimensions such as customer response and profit interaction are found to have significantly positive effects on the perceived financial performance aspects of profit and growth rate. This research not only investigates crucial CRM but also proposes a model for empirical studies …

Fuzzy Decision On Optimal Collision Avoidance Measures For Ships In Vessel Traffic Service, Chien-Min Su, Ki-Yin Chang, Chih-Yung Cheng

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This article proposes a new collision avoidance decision method for ships, allowing ships at risk of collision to take timely collision avoidance measures to ensure safe passage. Through vessel traffic service (VTS) collision alert system, an analysis can be made for the probability of a ship collision and an early warning can be issued. For ships in potential collision danger, the proposed method will use Microsoft Visual Studio to establish a knowledge base of international regulations for preventing collisions at sea. Thus, based on an analysis of the situation when encountering other ships, the knowledge base will suggest an appropriate …

Phase I Development Of An Aesthetic, Precast Concrete Bridge Rail, Scott Rosenbaugh, Ronald K. Faller, Robert W. Bielenberg, Dean L. Sicking, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Railroad Subgrade Support And Performance Indicators: A Review Of Available Laboratory And In-Situ Testing Methods, Michael T. Mchenry, Jerry G. Rose

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The quality and support of the subgrade portion of a railroad trackbed are vital to the overall performance of the track structure. The subgrade is an integral component of the track structure and its performance properties must be considered in order to effectively assess its influence on subsequent track quality. European and Asian railways are particularly advanced in implementing subgrade performance indicators into their track designs and assessments. As train speed and tonnage increase in the U.S., the evaluation and influence of subgrade performance will become even more paramount. There are numerous means of measuring and predicting subgrade performance. Both …

Sustainable Transportation At The University Of Central Florida: Evaluation Of Ucf Rideshare Program, Zimride, Joseph Patrick Defrancisco

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the second-largest university in the United States, UCF has experienced the largest enrollment in its history. A more densely populated campus has in turn caused increased traffic congestion. Despite increased parking permit fees and newly constructed parking garages, traveling and parking on campus is unpredictable. In effort to reduce congestion on campus, a rideshare program was implemented in Summer 2010. Several universities across the nation have successfully used carpooling as a viable alternative mode to manage traffic and parking demand. This thesis evaluates the UCF rideshare program, Zimride, using stated- and revealed-preference surveys. Preliminary results indicate most students prefer …

A Comprehensive Severity Analysis Of Large Vehicle Crashes, Haluk Laman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this thesis is to determine the contributing factors affecting severe traffic crashes (severe: incapacitating and fatal - non-severe: no injury, possible injury, and non-incapacitating), and in particular those factors influencing crashes involving large vehicles (heavy trucks, truck tractors, RVs, and buses). Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) crash reports of 2008 have been used. The data included 352 fatalities and 9,838 injuries due to large vehicle crashes. Using the crashes involving large vehicles, a model comparison between binary logit model and a Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID) decision tree model is provided. There were …

Development Of Performance Measures And Revenue Projections For State Highway Transportation Systems, Dwight V. Denison, Christopher Jepsen, Bryan Gibson, Candice Wallace, Doug Kreis

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The purpose of this report is to develop a pilot model that demonstrates how metrics can be identified and reported in a “dashboard” format to be used to monitor the progress of a transportation system in efficiently meeting established priorities. An additional component of this research is to examine the revenue implications of a shift away from the traditional funding mechanism on the financial viability of state transportation systems.

Kentucky Traffic Collision Facts 2012 Report, Kentucky Transportation Center, Kentucky State Police

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

KENTUCKY’S TRAFFIC COLLISION FACTS report for 2012 is based on collision reports submitted to the Kentucky State Police Records Branch. As required by Kentucky Revised Statutes 189.635, “every law enforcement agency whose officers investigate a vehicle accident of which a report must be made...shall file a report of the accident...within ten days after investigation of the accident upon forms supplied by the bureau.” The stated purpose of this requirement is to utilize data on traffic collisions for such purposes as will improve the traffic safety program in the Commonwealth. Data contained in this report are based solely on the observations …

Project-Risk Management And Decision Analysis In Maritime Maintenance And Repair, Michael C. Plumb, C. Ariel Pinto, Rafael Landaeta, Resit Unal, Thomas Murphy

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to provide insights regarding the implementation of using Project Risk Management (PRM) and Decision Analysis (DA) in managing projects for complex systems such as maritime vessels. The PRM approach apprehends many forms of risk both internal and external within a given project and assists the manager in determining the level of importance of each individual project phase and component to optimize project success. Ship Maintenance and Repair project decision-making requires that risk management and risk analysis techniques be applied in order to guide management in making better decisions to meet ship service life perspective. …

Distribution Analysis Of Freight Transportation With Gravity Model And Genetic Algorithm, Jun Duanmu, Peter Foytik, Asad Khattak, R. Michael Robinson

VMASC Publications

The application of a gravity model in freight modeling work on both short-haul and long-haul trips is discussed. A commodity-based gravity model was developed to assess the distribution of freight by long-haul trucks in southeastern Virginia. Although gravity models have been used extensively in transportation studies, little work has been done to address the special characteristics of freight transportation, such as the definition of friction factors and the differences between long-haul and short-haul trips. Results of a recent study of these and similar problems provide valuable insight into freight distribution modeling. A new calibration method that used a genetic algorithm …

Impact Of Intercity Tolls In Portugal – An Environmental Perspective, Jorge Bandeira, Margarida Coelho, Miguel Pimentel, Asad Khattak

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Alternative road pricing schemes are promising strategies to alleviate congestion and other environmental problems related to urban and regional road transportation. However, in practice, environmental issues are not often taken into account, especially at regional level. In 2010, due to the financial crisis in Portugal, several tolls were introduced in some motorways that were previously financed by the government. One of these cases was the A29 motorway, which connects the cities of Aveiro and Oporto. After the introduction of tolls about 50% of the Average Daily Traffic shifted to alternative routes or modes. This paper discusses the impact that tolls …

Evaluation Of Ice-Melting Capacities Of Deicing Chemicals, B. M. Gerbino-Bevins, Christopher Y. Tuan, M. Mattison

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Common deicing chemicals include sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, calcium magnesium acetate, potassium acetate, potassium formate, and corn or beet-based deicer solution. Liquid deicers are commonly used for pre-wetting road salt, sand or other solid deicers, or mixed with salt brine as liquid deicer. Although manufacturers provide performance data under specific conditions, a standardized test is very much needed. Samples of sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, potassium acetate, and beet juice-based chemical deicers were selected for performance evaluation. The SHRP Ice-Melting Capacity Test has been used in many research projects, but the results do not always correlate well …

Climate Change Impact Assessment For Surface Transportation In The Pacific Northwest And Alaska, John Macarthur, Philip Mote, Miguel A. Figliozzi, Jason Ideker, Ming Lee

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The states in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska region share interconnected transportation networks for people, goods, and services that support the regional economy, mobility, and human safety. Regional weather has and will continue to affect the physical condition and serviceability of these networks, yet the nature of climate changes and their potential impacts on the regional transportation system and its use are very poorly understood. The world’s leading climate scientists, such as the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change, have reached consensus that global climate changes are being observed and will continue into the future, particularly increasing temperatures. Given this fact, …

Evacuee Route Choice Decisions In A Dynamic Hurricane Evacuation Context, R. Michael Robinson, Asad Khattak

VMASC Publications

Very high traffic volumes may lead to extensive congestion during hurricane evacuations. Evacuation planners reduce this congestion by careful planning for multiple hurricane scenarios and assignment of evacuation routes and timing. This planning may be for naught if obstructions block key roadways. An advanced traveler information system (ATIS) may be used to guide evacuees to alternate routes, but how effective will that guidance be? Should the use of alternate routes be encouraged? How are drivers likely to respond to delays and information? Will information shorten or improve the reliability of travel times in emergency conditions? Integration of a dynamic evacuation …

Phase I Development Of A Non-Proprietary, Four-Cable, High Tension Median Barrier, Mitchell J. Wiebelhaus, Dean L. Sicking, Ronald K. Faller, Karla A. Lechtenberg, John R. Rohde, Robert W. Bielenberg, Scott Rosenbaugh, Erin A. Johnson, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Influence Of Recycled Asphalt Shingles On Asphalt Binder Content, Mixture Stiffness, And Laboratory Rutting Performance, Joshua David King

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) is a technology in which pavement costs can be reduced significantly and pavement properties may be enhanced. Also, incorporating shingles into pavements reduces the impacts of waste shingles in landfills, preserving our environment. However, for this new technology to be practical for implementation, a better understanding of how the ground shingles affect the properties of the asphalt is necessary. The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of recycled asphalt shingles on asphalt binder content, mixture stiffness, and laboratory rutting performance. For this project, shingles were added to hot mix asphalt mixtures at 2.5, …

Evaluation Of The In-Service Safety Performance Of Safety-Shape And Vertical Concrete Barriers, Francisco Daniel Benicio De Albuquerque, Dean L. Sicking

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Long-Term Pavement Marking Performance, Eric R. Green, Kenneth R. Agent

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objective of the investigation was to evaluate the useful life of pavement markings. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) provides general guidelines for the application and installation of pavement markings. However, performance requirements for various types of pavement markings are not included. Retroreflectivity data were collected throughout Kentucky on various longitudinal pavement markings using mobile and manual techniques. Data were collected on one-year, two-year and three-year-old lines. The retroreflectivity levels were analyzed and the several recommendations were made. Minimum levels of retroreflectivity should be set for determining what roads to restripe annually. These values should be lower …

Fiscal Year 2011 Fhwa-536 Report For The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Steven Douglas Kreis, Candice Y. Wallace, Bryan Gibson, Sarah M. Mccormack

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requires state transportation agencies to submit a biennial report on local highway finances. The purpose of these reports is to provide FHWA with the data it needs to capture the financing of highway activities at the local level. Based on this information, it can identify trends in revenue, expenditures, investments, and program development, and in turn make decisions about future investments. The report, FHWA-536, asks agencies to report on four areas of local highway finance: 1) disposition of highway-user revenues; 2) revenues used for roads and streets identified by source and funding type; 3) road …

Development Of A State Of The Art Traffic Microsimulation Model For Nebraska, Justice Appiah, Bhaven Naik, Laurence Rilett, Yifeng Chen, Seung-Jun Kim

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Ndor's Actuated Advance Warning Systems, Justice Appiah, Laurence Rilett, Zifeng Wu

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Pedestrian Countdown Timers On Safety And Efficiency Of Operations At Signalized Inersections, Anuj Sharma, Jacob Schmitz

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Integrated Planning For Rural Rail Transportation, Jeffrey Cohan Gwaltney

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Population growth in rural areas has led to new interest in rail transportation. Planning a passenger rail system involves numerous difficult decisions, most representing a trade-off between customer service and cost. In this work, we attempt to integrate many of these planning decisions. We consider strategic decisions such as station location and vehicle procurement, as well as tactical issues that include vehicle scheduling. Our integrated model exploits the linear network structure that best suits many rural American communities, including Northwest Arkansas. Due to the intractability of the integrated rail planning problem, we have developed a customized heuristic approach to solve …

The Relationship Between Vmt And Economic Activity, B. Starr Mcmullen, Nathan Eckstein

TREC Final Reports

Vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the U.S. have exhibited an upward trend over time similar to that observed for gross domestic product (GDP) and personal income (PI). While conventional wisdom suggests that economic growth leads to more driving and thus higher VMT, it is theoretically possible that the causation could also be the other way around. If causation is from VMT to GDP, then legislation such as the Federal Surface Transportation Policy and Planning Act of 2009’s directive to annually reduce national per capita VMT could potentially have an adverse impact on overall economic activity.

This study uses times series …

Guidelines For Road Diet Conversions, Nikiforos Stamatiadis, Adam Kirk, Chen Wang, Andrea Cull, Nithin Agarwal

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The purpose of this report is to document the development of the guidelines for the road diet conversions prepared for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. The guidelines consider operational and safety aspects of the conversions to assist in the preliminary determination of whether a road diet conversion is appropriate for a given roadway segment. The guidelines provide suggested cross section designs, transition to and from the road diet section and a flow chart for determining the appropriate actions.

States’ Support Of Non-Highway Modes Of Transportation: Investigation And Synthesis, Chuck Knowles, Candice Y. Wallace, Benjamin L. Blandford, Timothy J. Brock, Andrew Martin

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objective of this study was to determine how Kentucky and other selected states support and assist non-highway transportation modes and to identify leading and innovative initiatives. For the purposes of this study, the non-highway modes are aviation, public transportation, rail, and waterways. This summary will briefly discuss the rationale, objectives, and methodology for this study. It also provides an overview of the outcomes of the study and the modal matrices.

Development Of Alternative Wood-Post Mgs Approach Guardrail Transition, Scott K. Rosenbaugh, Kevin D. Schrum, Ronald K. Faller, Karla A. Lechtenberg, Dean L. Sicking, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Refining Greenstep: Impacts Of Vehicle Technologies And Its/Operational Improvements On Travel Speed And Fuel Consumption Curves, Kelly Clifton, Alexander Y. Bigazzi

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report describes analysis undertaken to establish a method for incorporating traffic operations and ITS strategies into the GreenSTEP model. We first discuss operations impacts on fuel economy and delay from the literature. Then, an investigation of delay adjustments in GreenSTEP shows that different methods of representing delay changes lead to similar (and small) impacts on fuel economy. From this result we establish average speed adjustment by congestion level as the preferred method for incorporating delay effects from operations improvements. An investigation of aggregate traffic operations impacts produces estimates of base speeds without operations improvements, maximum speeds with full operational …

Future Flooding Impacts On Transportation Infrastructure And Traffic Patterns Resulting From Climate Change, Heejun Chang, Martin Lafrenz, Il-Won Jung, Miguel A. Figliozzi, Rolando Melgoza, David Ruelas, Deena Platman, Cindy Pederson

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study investigated potential impacts of climate change on travel disruption resulting from road closures in two urban watersheds in the Portland metropolitan area. We used ensemble climate change scenarios, a hydrologic model, stream channel survey, a hydraulic model, and a travel forecast model to develop an integrated impact assessment method. High-resolution climate change scenarios are based on the combinations of two emission scenarios and eight general circulation models. The Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System was calibrated and validated for the period 1988-2006, and simulated for determining the probability of floods from 2020-2049. We surveyed stream cross sections at five road crossings …

Model For Predicting The Impact Upon Economic Development Resulting From Highway Improvement Projects, Eric Thompson, Kanou Comlavi, Mallory Dimmit

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

The Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) has an interest in integrating state economic development impact as another factor in prioritizing transportation investments. Such efforts require the development of a comprehensive model that can be used to estimate a consistent final measure of economic development impact that can be readily integrated into existing prioritization formulas. This report summarizes the efforts of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Bureau of Business Research (UNL-BBR) to develop such a model, by measuring the impact of expressway, viaduct, and other major investments projects around the state. Specifically, UNL-BBR developed an economic model to predict the economic impact …