Engineering Commons^™

Evaluation Of The Use Of Lithium Compounds In Controlling Alkali-Silica Reactivity In Concrete Pavement, Christopher Y. Tuan, Michael T. Kelly, Mark E. Buss

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Lextran Support Project: Strategic Planning Support For Lextran Visioning, Lenahan O'Connell, Ted Grossardt

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

In October 2003, LexTran, the City of Lexington’s public transportation provider, was undergoing a management transition. It sought the assistance of the Kentucky Transportation Center for strategic planning and visioning. This project produced four deliverables: (1) a series of public meetings facilitated by the Kentucky Transportation Center on rider and other stakeholder attitudes toward LexTran and its general performance; (2) an environmental scan comparing LexTran to similar transit providers on operating efficiency, ridership, funding sources, and other characteristics; (3) A GIS database containing census data and other information useable for the analysis of proposed routes; and (4) a PowerPoint presentation …

Statewide Planning Scenario Synthesis: Transportation Congestion Measurement And Management, Doug Kreis, Brian Howell, Lenahan O'Connell

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This study is a review of current practices in 13 states to: (1) measure traffic congestion and its costs; and (2) manage congestion with programs and techniques that do not involve the building of new highway capacity. In regard to the measures of congestion, the findings suggest two broad conclusions: (a) the most popular measures are not LOS or volume to capacity ratios; but rather the direct measures of either average time to traverse the distance between two points, or the average speed of vehicles. These are sometimes used to construct estimates of delay during peak traffic periods. (b) Five …

Corrosion Evaluation Of Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls, Tony L. Beckham, Liecheng Sun, Tommy C. Hopkins

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Numerous reinforced walls and slopes have been built over the past four decades in Kentucky, the United States, as well as worldwide. Tensile elements used in constructing low-cost reinforcing walls and slopes consist of metal polymer strips or grids. Although reinforced structures have been used extensively, the effects of corrosion on the metal tensile elements are unknown. Mechanically stabilized earth walls are expected to remain stable for many decades. An examination of the effects of corrosion of metal tensile elements used to construct these walls can provide invaluable data regarding the longevity of reinforced walls and slopes. Four mechanically stabilized …

Investigating Binder Flushing Of Sp-2 Mixes, Magdy A. Abdelrahman

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Long-Term Maintenance Needs Planning, Doug Kreis, Lenahan O'Connell, Brian Howell

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This research contributes to Kentucky’s knowledge base of long-term maintenance needs in two parts. Part 1 presents an estimate of the average revenue needed to maintain four categories of highway in the first fifteen years after each is built or resurfaced. Total maintenance costs per mile for four types of facilities in five AADT volume categories were estimated. The results suggest that Kentucky is not resurfacing all its roads in a timely manner. Part II presents background information on preventive maintenance programs in the states. A review of the states found two recurring themes. The first was the widespread adoption …

Optimal Speed Limit For Shared-Use Roadways, Yongqiang Yang

Dissertations

Motor vehicle crashes are a serious social problem in the United States. Each year a large number of motor vehicle crashes occur and many people are killed or injured, resulting in substantial economic costs. To minimize economic costs, it is necessary to determine optimal speed limits on roadways because of the strong relationship among posted speed limit, crash frequency, and crash injury severity.

A comprehensive literature review about the relationship among posted speed limit, crash frequency, and crash injury severity level was conducted. Crash frequency prediction models and crash injury severity models are developed to obtain crash frequency and injury …

Effect Of Warning Devices On Curve Operating Speeds, Adam Vest, Nikiforos Stamatiadis, Adam Clayton, Jerry G. Pigman

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objective of this study is to evaluate the use of several warning signs and warning methods to identify those that have the greatest impact on reducing vehicle speeds when traversing a horizontal curve. Three sites were selected from a list of proposed sites for the testing of the various warning methods. Each warning treatment was installed and a five-day waiting period was allowed before operating speeds for the treatments were measured. The results of the various warning methods were mixed, however, some warning treatments were able to reduce operating speeds on a consistent basis. The most effective of these …

2005 Safety Belt Usage Survey In Kentucky, Kenneth R. Agent, Eric R. Green

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objective of this study was to establish 2005 safety belt and child safety seat usage rates in Kentucky. The 2005 survey continues to document the results after enactment of a statewide mandatory safety belt law in 1994 and safety belt enforcement campaign. Data were collected at 200 randomly selected sites spread across Kentucky. Data from the individual sites were combined into a statewide percentage considering roadway functional classification, geographic region, and vehicle miles traveled. The data show that the usage rate in 2005 (66.7 percent) was slightly higher than that in 2004 (66.0 percent). This compares to 65.5 percent …

Meeting Kentucky’S Transportation Needs And Priorities: Citizens’ Perceptions And Recommendations, Donald L. Hartman, Merl Hackbart, Juita-Elena (Wie) Yusuf, Candice Y. Wallace

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This study was designed to (1) consider the role of public input in the transportation planning process; (2) obtain citizen perceptions of system needs and develop priorities in the state of Kentucky; and (3) use that experience (and the experiences of other states) to provide recommendations for ways to enhance the role of public input in Kentucky’s transportation planning. Telephone survey of Kentucky adults and focus groups of community leaders were utilized to gauge the public’s attitudes and perceptions regarding Kentucky’s transportation needs, issues and priorities, and system satisfaction. The findings from the survey and the focus groups were compared …

Analysis Of Traffic Crash Data In Kentucky (2000 – 2004), Eric R. Green, Kenneth R. Agent, Jerry G. Pigman, Monica L. Barrett

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report documents an analysis of traffic crash data in Kentucky for the years of 2000 through 2004. A primary objective of this study was to determine average crash statistics for Kentucky highways. Average and critical numbers and rates of crashes were calculated for various types of highways in rural and urban areas. These data can be used in Kentucky’s procedure to identify locations that have abnormal rates or numbers of crashes. The other primary objective of this study was to provide data that can be used in the preparation of the problem identification portion of Kentucky’s Annual Highway Safety …

Ndor Regression Equations, Branden J. Strahm, David M. Admiraal

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of State Road Fund Debt Limits: An Empirical Analysis, Michael Moody, Merl Hackbart

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

States have been gradually increasing their reliance on debt financing to meet their transportation funding needs. Increased reliance on debt financing has been driven by the slow growth of highway and Road Fund revenue sources, resistance to tax expenditures, and restrictions placed on the use of General Fund revenue, in many states, for transportation projects. In light of states’ increasing reliance on debt financing for transportation, state officials and policy makers have shown greater interest debt management practices. One dominant practice across the states is the use of debt limitations. Debt limit policies vary widely from state to state. There …

Baseline Modeling Of The Maysville Cable-Stayed Bridge Over The Ohio River, Issam E. Harik, Jindong Hu, Suzanne Weaver Smith, Wei-Xin Ren, Tong Zhao, Jennie E. Campbell, Clark Graves

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report presents the baseline modeling of the Maysville cable-stayed bridge which connects Maysville, Kentucky and Aberdeen, Ohio over the Ohio River. The objective of this study is to establish the bridge baseline model via the dynamics-based technique and finite element method. The scope of research includes finite element modeling and modal analysis, field free vibration testing, finite element model calibration using field test results, and cable dynamic testing and modeling. It is demonstrated that a cable-stayed bridge is a highly pre-stressed structure. The stress stiffening of cable elements plays an important role in both static and dynamic analysis. The …

Evaluation Of Kentucky’S “Buckle Up Kentucky: It’S The Law & It’S Enforced” 2005 Campaign, Kenneth R. Agent, Eric R. Green, Ronald E. Langley

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objective of this report was to document the results of the “Buckle Up Kentucky: It’s the Law & It’s Enforced” 2005 campaign in Kentucky. The campaign involved a combination of earned media, paid media, and enforcement. The earned media started two weeks prior to Memorial Day 2005and continued through the enforcement period. Two separate paid media campaigns were conducted.One dealt specifically with pickups while the other was a general campaign for all drivers. The pickup campaign started four weeks prior to Memorial Day and lasted two weeks. The general campaign was for the two weeks prior to Memorial Day. …

Innovative Rapid Construction/Reconstruction Methods, Paul M. Goodrum, Yinggang Wang, Chris N. Jones, Philippe C. Fenouil, Donn E. Hancher

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Innovative construction and reconstruction methods provide the opportunity to significantly reduce the time of roadway projects while maintaining the necessary quality of workmanship. The need for these “rapid” methods stems from the increase in traffic on Kentucky roadways coupled with the rise in conventional road and bridge construction methods. Conventional construction methods cannot maintain the demand for progress necessitated by the future needs of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, especially the current philosophy of “Get In, Get Out, and Stay Out.” This research documents a series of case studies that examined past projects which used innovative rapid construction methods. This document …

Long Term Monitoring Of A Steel Bridge Constructed Using Phase Constructoin, Aaron Jon Yakel, Paulo Marchon, Atorod Azizinamini

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Steel Bridge System - Simple For Dead Load And Continuous For Live Load, Atorod Azizinamini, Aaron Jon Yakel, Mohammadreza Farimani

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Pavement/Sub-Grade Condition Assessment I-65 Approximate Milepost 97.5 To 102.5 (Transition From Asphalt To Concrete) To (Ky 313 Overpass), Brad Rister, Clark Graves

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report summarizes the condition assessment of the pavement structure on I-65 between 97.5 to 102.5. Three types of equipment were used to evaluate the present condition of the pavement: falling weight deflectormeter, ground penetrating radar, and coring machine, Results indicated that durability of the existing concrete surface appears to be the most detrimental problem encountered in this survey. Load-transfer across transverse joint appear to be in acceptable ranges. Limited areas were identified to have less than four inches of D.G.A. beneath the concrete pavement. These areas have also been experiencing the most differential settlement. In addition several areas are …

Outsourcing Of Kytc Project Delivery Functions, Donn E. Hancher, April Brenneman, Robin Meagher, Paul M. Goodrum

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The rise in daily travelers on highways due to population growth, and higher quality and service expectations of the public, are putting increased demands on DOTs today. These demands, combined with decreasing staff sizes and changing resources, are causing DOTs to investigate alternative methods for accomplishing their essential functions. A major option is to contract out more of their work to external parties, commonly called “outsourcing .” The purpose of this project was to evaluate the potential effectiveness, benefits, concerns and implementation requirements of outsourcing by the Kentucky Department of Highways.

This report looks at current outsourcing practices in other …

Enhancing Kentucky’S Transportation Funding Capacity: A Review Of Six Innovative Financing Options, Merl Hackbart, Juita-Elena (Wie) Yusuf, Michael J. Moody, Candice Y. Wallace

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Kentucky faces several challenges in meeting the funding needs for its transportation infrastructure. The state currently relies on a revenue stream based on road user taxes and fees. However, the structure of these taxes and fees are such that revenues have not kept up with the growth in the number of licensed drivers and motor vehicle travel. In addition, inflationary pressures, coupled with the Road Fund’s low growth rate, have diminished the purchasing power of Road Fund revenues. It is increasingly clear than Kentucky will not be fiscally capable of meeting its transportation investment needs if steps are not taken …

Evaluation Of Methods To Limit The Time Taken To Investigate Crash Sites, Jennifer R. Walton, Monica L. Barrett, Kenneth R. Agent

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Highway crashes have significant direct and indirect costs associated with them. Substantial sources of indirect costs are the congestion and delays that result from lane blockages or road closures while the crash is being investigated and the site cleared. In many cases, vehicles could be moved and roadways reopened very quickly, but this does not occur because of the need (or perceived need) to conduct a detailed investigation of the crash scene. The objective of this study was to identify opportunities to reduce the time required to investigate and clear crash scenes. This project includes a review of state and …

Bearing Capacity Analysis And Design Of Highway Base Materials Reinforced With Geofabrics, Tommy C. Hopkins, Liecheng Sun, Mikhail E. Slepak

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The primary objective of this study was to develop and implement mathematical bearing capacity models originally proposed by Hopkins (1988, 1991) and Slepak and Hopkins (1993; 1995). These advanced models, which are based on limit equilibrium and are operated together, can be used to analyze the bearing capacity, or stability, of early construction of loads on a single layer of material, two-layered problems involving a layer of base aggregate and subgrade, and a foundation involving multiple layers of different materials, such as a flexible asphalt pavement. A Prandlt-type shear surface is used in the model analyses of layered foundations. In …

Cost Comparison Of Existing Coatings For A Hypervelocity Test Rail, Mark A. Blomer

Theses and Dissertations

This study compared the relative costs, to the Department of Defense, of two different coatings used to protect a high speed test rail. Each coating was compared to the case of an uncoated rail with test conditions that caused catastrophic failure just after the test sled reached its maximum velocity. The total cost was finalized on a per test basis in order to sum cost of various expenditures that may only happen once every few tests. To compare the protective properties of each coating, various coated and uncoated samples were tested via a cylinder specimen Taylor Impact Test. Each coating's …

Virtual Transshipments And Revenue-Sharing Contracts In Supply Chain Management, Zhaoqiong Qin

Dissertations

This dissertation presents the use of virtual transshipments and revenue-sharing contracts for inventory control in a small scale supply chain. The main objective is to maximize the total profit in a centralized supply chain or maximize the supply chain's profit while keeping the individual components' incentives in a decentralized supply chain.

First, a centralized supply chain with two capacitated manufacturing plants situated in two distinct geographical regions is considered. Normally, demand in each region is mostly satisfied by the local plant. However, if the local plant is understocked while the remote one is overstocked, some of the newly generated demand …

Development Of Kentucky’S Highway Incident Management Strategic Plan, Monica L. Barrett, Joseph D. Crabtree, Jerry G. Pigman, Jennifer R. Walton

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Even though Kentucky has undertaken many initiatives to improve specific aspects of incident management, there has never been a plan that establishes an overall framework for a systematic, statewide, multi-agency effort to improve the management of highway incidents. The objective of this project was to develop a strategic plan that provides a vision and strategy for significantly improving all aspects of incident management. This report identifies the current and best practices for highway incident management in the United States and in Kentucky and establishes a vision for the future of highway incident management in Kentucky. The Plan developed through the …

Evaluation Of Auto Incident Recording System (Airs), Eric R. Green, Kenneth R. Agent, Jerry G. Pigman

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Auto Incident Recording System (AIRS) is a sound-actuated video recording system. It automatically records potential incidents when activated by sound (horns, clashing metal, squealing tires, etc.). The purpose is to detect patterns of crashes at intersections for use in implementing relevant improvements. Videos of incidents and near-incidents were obtained after AIRS was placed in service at an intersection in Louisville, Kentucky on July 22, 2001. Crash reports were obtained from January 1998 through September, 2004 to; a) compare to the available data from AIRS videos, and b) compare the crashes before and after various improvements were made. A traffic …

Speed Estimation For Air Quality Analysis, Mei Chen, Huafeng Gong

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Average speed is an essential input to the air quality analysis model MOBILE6 for emission factor calculation. Traditionally, speed is obtained from travel demand models. However, such models are not usually calibrated to speeds. Furthermore, for rural areas where such models are not available, there has not been a reliable method for estimating speed.

In this study, a procedure was developed based on the Highway Economic Requirement System (HERS) speed model to estimate average speed using as input various data such as roadway characteristics and traffic conditions. This procedure was coded in MS Excel macro and can be attached to …

Kentucky’S Highway Incident Management Strategic Plan, Monica L. Barrett, Joseph D. Crabtree, Jerry G. Pigman, Jennifer R. Walton

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Kentucky ’s Highway Incident Management Strategic Plan consists of a mission statement, 4 goals, 16 objectives, and 49 action strategies. The action strategies are arranged by priority and recommended time frame for implementation. When implemented, the action strategies will help Kentucky achieve its primary goals for incident management: 1) improved safety of responders, highway workers, and motorists; 2) reduced traffic delay; 3) improved motorist awareness; and 4) improved responder and highway worker preparedness.

Context Sensitive Design – Thinking Beyond The Pavement: Documentation Of Workshop Development And Training, Jerry G. Pigman, Donald L. Hartman, Theodore Hopwood Ii, Kenneth R. Agent, Lenahan O'Connell, Nikiforos Stamatiadis, Patrick Tyndall

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report documents the development and presentation of the workshop titled “Thinking Beyond the Pavement – A Workshop on Context Sensitive Design”. Work began on the workshop development in 1998 after the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet was selected as one of the pilot states to implement a training program for context sensitive design. The Kentucky Transportation Center at the University of Kentucky was selected to develop and deliver the training to state personnel and consultants who were commonly involved with project development. The training course was comprised of the following four modules:

• Facilitated Communication and Public Involvement,
• Environmental Issues,
• Liability Issues, …