Engineering Commons^™

Perspectives On Past And Present Mutcds, David Boruff

Purdue Road School

This session will describe the history of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Prime focus will be on the Indiana version, including the procedures that have been and those that are currently used to adopt Indiana’s manual. Pending it’s adoption prior to Road School, a summary of the significant changes in next edition of the MUTCD will also be presented.

White County Highway Garage Project Development And Outcomes, Dan Zuerner, Mike Kyburz

Purdue Road School

In this presentation we will discuss the conducted project needs assessment; site search and selection process; ancillary benefits to the county and the surrounding communities; site challenges; design development strategies and lessons learned; the anticipated time line to duplicate this project; and the contractual methods used to deliver the project. We will then wrap up with a photographic campus tour of the final outcomes and improvements.

Integrated Mobile Observations - Future Of Mobile Observation Data Technologies, Tony Coventry

Purdue Road School

Mobile observations have become an integral part of snow and ice programs. In this session we will learn about the FHWA IMO (integrating mobile observations) initiative; how mobile sensors have evolved; and what these new units are capable of doing. Discussion will include how this technology can help both the operator and the agency, how the data is visualized and used, and how agencies and airports have implemented these units.

Fhwa Updates In Highway Safety, Derek Troyer

Purdue Road School

There have been numerous changes to the safety program over the years. The past year in particular has brought new challenges and opportunities. The recent infrastructure bill introduced new areas of emphasis and a renewal, and updates to programs, such as the Focused Approach to Safety and Proven Safety Countermeasures, have recently been published. Find out what all this means for traffic safety at the local, state, and federal level in this session.

Roadhat D, Version 4.1 - Changes From Roadhat 3, Thomas E. Ford

Purdue Road School

This session will describe the subtle and not-so-subtle changes between the new RoadHAT version 4 and previous versions and also discuss some recommended choices in using RoadHAT 4 for the various road facility types.

Big Data Applications: Public Involvement Tools For Public Involvement, Amy L. Livingston, Houssam Ghandour

Purdue Road School

Using big data to better understand origin-destination and regional travel patterns is critical to project development. Tools such as passive geographically based data lead to improved definitions for traffic analysis zones (TAZs), which, in turn, help inform public involvement plans for a more targeted approach and improved equity. This presentation will highlight future planning applications in Indiana and other case examples where we have used big data to aid the plan development of public and stakeholder engagement.

To Lead Or Not To Lead?, Matt Sagstetter

Purdue Road School

Why doesn’t the flashing arrow work anymore? The green arrow doesn’t turn on, is there something wrong? These questions and more will be answered in a discussion about the operation, implementation, and education of flashing yellow arrows (FYAs) at signalized intersections. Case studies of specific intersections in Indiana will be used to show the crash history and risk analysis used to make decisions related to overall signal operation and driver safety.

Missed That! Roadway Drainage Lessons Learned, Michael Mills

Purdue Road School

Intersection improvements and downtown beautification projects are common essential improvements that benefit motorists and residents of urban communities. When scoping, it is easy to disregard drainage in order to minimize cost and reduce staffing needs. However, sometimes big problems can happen when roadway drainage is not assessed. Come take a deep dive into a few examples of drainage oversights and how they were remedied.

A Safe System Approach To Transportation Planning And Implementation, Nicole Waldheim, Kendra Schenk

Purdue Road School

Planners, engineers, and designers all have a role to play in the Safe System Approach (SSA). This presentation will highlight how to address safe road users, safe vehicles, safe speeds, safe roads, and post-crash care during planning and programming. Specifically, it will describe: (1) what a safe system is using real world examples, (2) system benefits and challenges, and (3) specific implementation ideas based on lessons learned.

Accommodating Rapid Development In Design Level Forecast A Regionally Minded Methodology, Randy Kill

Purdue Road School

Rapid large-scale development presents challenges for traffic engineers to accurately forecast design-year traffic volumes. Prevailing forecasting methods, such as the ITE Trip Generation Manual, tend to exaggerate local traffic impacts on large developments and do not account for regional influences. This presentation outlines the methodologies for developing the design level forecast of two large freeway projects amid largescale private developments. This approach provides significant improvements over traditional trip generation methods and model-based forecasts.

Learning The Ropes With Stormwater Management, Jeffrey E. Kuhn

Purdue Road School

This presentation will touch on topics and skills learned by a newly employed Stormwater Engineer working for the City of West Lafayette. Topics include erosion control methods and theory, the minimum controls measures (MCMs) for Indiana’s local municipalities, the Tippecanoe County Partnership for Stormwater Quality, Wabash River infrastructures, construction-site and outfall inspections, and much more.

Greenfield District Creates A Traffic Project, Luis Laracuente

Purdue Road School

Each year INDOT funds safety and mobility driven projects. There is yearlong internal process to identify the needs, define the problems, and plan the projects. This presentation aims at explaining this process from a district perspective and reveal our planning and funding process. We also discuss the shifting in planning philosophy and the ever-growing goal to plan and build multi-modal, self-enforcing, safe, and efficient intersections and streets.

Rail: Yesterday, Today, And Tomorrow In Indiana, Indiana State Rail Plan, Vanetta Keffe, Keith Bucklew

Purdue Road School

The Indiana State Rail Plan is focused on improving the mobility, safety, economic development, and environmental stewardship of the state’s multimodal freight system. As the Crossroads of America, Indiana is home to 50 railroads, which deliver freight and Hoosiers to their destinations daily. This session focuses on the development of Indiana’s State Rail Plan and strategies to balance rail, trucking, and inland waterways as complementary modes that together represent the future of cost-efficient freight transportation.

Pavement Marking Updates, Joseph Bruno

Purdue Road School

Significant changes to pavement markings are under- way to improve the safety and service life of roads and to assist vehicles with lane departure warning systems. This presentation will provide an update on changes to the Indiana Design Manual, Standard Specifications, and Standard Drawings for the use of 6-in. lines as the normal line width, RPM usage and spacing changes, and increasing the use of durable marking materials. The presentation will also include other pavement marking topics, such as contrast markings and orange pavement markings for work zones.

Low Impact Roundabout Conversion, Brian W. Craig, Jay Vorisek, Johnathon Nail

Purdue Road School

Low Impact Roundabout Conversion—This presentation describes the planning, design, and construction of a $527,000 compact roundabout for the City of Westfield at 171st Street and Carey Road. This stopcontrolled intersection was converted to a roundabout by constructing a center island, splitter islands, and minor pavement widening within the general footprint of the intersection. The existing pavement was re-used by placing wedge and level to achieve the roundabout’s designed grades.

Rehabilitation Of I-70 Composite Pavement Using Peel And Stick Strip Membrane & Geosynthetic Paving Fabric Interlayer, Kumar P. Dave, Pankaj G. Patel

Purdue Road School

I-70 composite (asphalt over concrete) pavement is being rehabilitated using peel and stick membrane and geosynthetic paving fabric. The innovative rehabilitation technique is the first time peel and stick membrane is being used with geosynthetic paving fabric on the existing concrete pavement of the interstate. This combination retards reflective cracking and acts as a moisture barrier, which extends the service life of the treatment.

Evaluation Of The Impact Of Queue Trucks With Navigation Alerts Using Connected Vehicle Data, Rahul Suryakant Sakhare, Jairaj C. Desai, Justin Mahlberg, Jijo K. Mathew, Woosung Kim, Howell Li, John D. Mcgregor, Darcy M. Bullock

Purdue Road School

No abstract provided.

Life Cycle Integration Of Building Information Modeling In Infrastructure Projects, Xingzhou Guo, Chi Tian, Jinwu Xiao, Yunfeng Chen, Jiansong Zhang

Purdue Road School

No abstract provided.

Cognitive Attention And Its Application In Countermeasures On A Curve Section, Hongyue Wu, Yunfeng Chen, Junan Shen, Weinan Gao, Mohammad Ahad, Osahon Iroghama

Purdue Road School

No abstract provided.

Public Education For Work Zone Safety, Ricardo Chahine, Prince Adu Gyamfi, Nandhesh Subash Babu, Wonsang Cho, Krista Kelley, Stacey Connaughton, Nadia Gkritza

Purdue Road School

This project aims to help improve work zone driver safety in Indiana through driver education and public awareness campaigns. The project focused on two specific objectives: (1) to design a public awareness campaign to increase drivers’ knowledge and influence positive attitudes about work zone driver safety practices; and (2) to prepare educational materials to be incorporated into driver’s education or training curriculum prior to taking driving test and getting a driver’s license issued. The campaign was informed by formative research, conducted using a survey to assess public knowledge and attitudes. Based on these results, campaign messages were designed. The effectiveness …

Forecasting Electric Vehicle Adoption At A Local Level, Jonathon Sinton

Purdue Road School

The Biden administration has recently stated as a major policy goal that 50% of all new vehicle sales will be electric by the year 2030. However, current electric vehicle (EV) uptake sits at about 2.4% of current vehicle sales. Additionally, the administration’s goal is more ambitious than current forecasts predict will occur. Given the gap between the administration’s goals and the current EV trends, it is necessary to better forecast how current trends will progress and better understand what factors influence these trends. The purpose of this research is two-fold: to create better forecasts of EV adoption at the zip …

Inventing The Baby Saver: An Activity Systems Analysis Of Applied Engineering At The High School Level, Jessica Gale

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Extant research and engineering education frameworks call for students to engage in personally meaningful engineering projects; however, there are few case studies documenting the work of young engineers working to design solutions to real-world problems that matter to them. This qualitative case study describes the work of a purposively selected group of high school engineering students (the InvenTeam) (n = 15) as they devote a school year to a particularly ambitious invention project: designing and prototyping a device to mitigate deaths occurring when children are left unattended in hot cars. Utilizing cultural historical activity theory as a theoretical and …

Vapor-Selective Active Membrane Energy Exchanger With Mechanical Ventilation And Indoor Air Recirculation, Andrew J. Fix, Bryan C. Pamintuan, James Braun, David M. Warsinger

School of Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

It is widely known that increasing outdoor air ventilation rates in buildings can help improve indoor air quality and mitigate the spread of diseases. However, cooling and dehumidifying outdoor air requires significantly more energy than treating indoor recirculated air. Recent developments in water vapor-selective membranes, which use a vapor partial pressure gradient to remove water vapor from air, offer a unique opportunity to provide highly efficient dehumidification in HVAC systems that can justify high outdoor air ventilation rates without drastic increases in energy consumption. This work presents an analysis of a novel membrane HVAC system referred to as the Active …

Observing Empathy In Informal Engineering Activities With Girls Ages 7–14, Susan M. Letourneau, Dorothy T. Bennett, Changchia Liu, Yessenia Argudo, Kylie Peppler, Anna Keune, Maggie Dahn, Katherine Mcmillan Culp

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Empathy is a critical part of the engineering design process. It allows engineers to more deeply understand their clients’ perspectives and design solutions that meet the needs of diverse stakeholders. Studies also show that reframing engineering education to prioritize empathy for others can counteract stereotypes of engineering as impersonal and invite a wider range of identities into the field. This approach can help to address persistent gender disparities in engineering, which reflect a need for engineering education to increase its efforts to include girls’ perspectives. Informal learning environments have developed strategies for framing engineering problems in human-centered ways, but more …

Micelles Inhibit Electro-Oxidation Degradation Of Nonylphenol Ethoxylates, Yangyuan Ji, Junfeng Niu, Yuhang Fang, Alliyan Tan Nou, David M. Warsinger

School of Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NEPOs) are widely used as nonionic surfactant in the industry, which pose a threat to environment and human health. In this study, we conducted kinetic experiments and chemical analysis to investigate the effects of NEPOs micelles on degradation kinetics and electro-oxidation degradation mechanism. The electro-oxidation degradation of NEPOs followed pseudo-first order kinetics and more than 92% of NEPOs was degraded. Furthermore, the hydroxyl radicals generated by the Ti4O7 anode contributed to 41% of degradation performance. During the entire degradation process, the micelles of NEPOs undergo growth, and the steric hindrance phenomenon of micelles prevents NEPOs from being attack …

Blast Analysis Of Steel-Plate Composite Slabs: Sdof And Fem Analyses, Joshua R. Harmon, Amit H. Varma

Bowen Laboratory Research Reports

Steel-plate composite (SC) members have emerged as competitive construction methods for tall buildings and nuclear power plants. Detailed design guidance has been created for these functions and design of these members is now covered in AISC 341-16 and ASIC N690-18. However, SC members are emerging for use in protective structures to withstand blast and impact loads. Although experimental tests of SC members for blast resistant design have been conducted, design of SC members for blast loads has not been addressed in existing design references for blast loadings (UFC 3-340-02). This report details a general design philosophy for blast loaded SC …

Qualitative Findings From The Practice Of Outsourcing By The Aviation Technical Services Industry In Northern Europe: Comparison With Literature, Jukka Holkeri

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

The outsourcing of maintenance and other technical services is a trend in both military and civil aviation. This article uses input from real outsourcing cases in Northern Europe to verify previous literature findings and to introduce new viewpoints to fill an identified research gap.

Interviews of deeply involved individuals from six cases were selected and analyzed using the Delphi method. The findings were synthesized using a framework that articulates contexts, observed outcomes, and generative mechanisms.

Many of the key literature findings were verified by this case analysis, but there were also some contradictions and new observations that had not been …

Assessing Unstabilized Approaches: A Phenomenology Study Of The Risk Perceptions And Decision-Making Thought Process Of Collegiate Aviation Pilots, Shlok Misra, Jorge L.D Albelo, Victor Fraticelli Rivera

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

The Federal Aviation Administration emphasized the need to focus on and develop human factors training as early as 1993 in official Human Factors Policy Order 9550.8. The purpose of this study was to conduct a detailed qualitative phenomenological analysis of the risk perceptions and decision-making model of collegiate aviation pilots for unstabilized approaches. The study focused on understanding how collegiate aviation pilots perceive unstable approaches, the risk associated with unstable approaches, and the factors that trigger pilots to execute a go-around. The International Air Transportation Association warns that continuing an unstabilized approach can lead to runway excursions, hard landings causing …

Eye-Gaze-Controlled Hmds And Mfd For Military Aircraft, Lrd Murthy, Abhishek Mukhopadhyay, Somnath Arjun, Varshith Yelleti, Peter Thomas, Dilli Babu Mohan, Pradipta Biswas

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

Eye-gaze-controlled interfaces allow the direct manipulation of a graphical user interface by looking at it. This technology has great potential in military aviation, in particular, operating different displays in situations where pilots’ hands are occupied with flying the aircraft. This paper reports studies on analyzing the accuracy of eye-gaze-controlled interfaces inside aircraft undertaking representative flying missions. We report that using eye-gaze-controlled interfaces, pilots can undertake representative pointing and selection tasks at less than two seconds on average in a transport aircraft. Further, we analyzed the accuracy of eye-gaze-tracking glasses under various G load factors and analyzed the failure modes. We …

Characteristics Of Unmanned Aircraft System (Uas) Sightings And Airport Safety, Cheng Wang, Sarah M. Hubbard

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

This paper presents the characteristics of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) sightings and discusses these characteristics in the context of airport safety using airport operational data. An unmanned aircraft in the vicinity of a commercial airport may be a potential threat to aircraft operations, and may result in operational and economic impacts if it causes an airport delay or shutdown. To ensure a record of UAS activity, the Federal Aviation Administration collects and publishes a UAS Sightings Report. This study analyzed UAS sightings and found that they vary by time of year and time of day, with more sightings in the …