Engineering Commons^™

Investigation Of Kentucky For-Hire Requirements, Andrew Martin, Valerie J. Keathley, Jennifer R. Walton

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This study analyzes the costs and benefits of the Kentucky For-Hire operating authority, which is issued to all carriers who pick up and drop off freight in Kentucky on a for-hire basis. It reviews current statutory and regulatory requirements, calculates the costs and benefits of administering Kentucky For-Hire, reviews the legal history of trucking regulation and deregulation, reports on a survey of other states about their practices with intrastate operating authority, and proposes three alternatives to current policies. The primary benefit of Kentucky For-Hire is that it enables the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to verify carriers have commercial liability insurance. Several …

Improving The Quality Of Traffic Records For Traffic Incident Management, Reginald R. Souleyrette, Mei Chen, Xu Zhang, Eric R. Green, Shraddha Sagar

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Traffic incidents in US roadways cause 25 percent of all delays experienced by users. The resulting congestion may lead to secondary crashes, increasing economic costs and further risking the lives of travelers. Traffic Incident Management is a process that detects, responds to, and clears traffic incidents as quickly as possible so that traffic flow is restored safely. This project analyzes the three TIM performance measures: Roadway Clearance Time, Incident Clearance Time and Secondary Crashes of Kentucky to identify a baseline for performance which may indicate potential for improvement. The study pinpoints different data sources, tools and technologies that can be …

Waterproofing Options For Bridge Decks, Danny Wells, Sudhir Palle, Theodore Hopwood Ii

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Due to the increasing use of deicing chemicals and the subsequent intrusion of chlorides into bridge decks, it is necessary to expand the use of available protective measures, including waterproofing materials. Waterproofing options that fall into three categories; 1) membranes (liquid and sheet systems), 2) friction polymers (laminates), and 3) polymer asphalts. This study assessed the waterproofing characteristics of these products. Prior to this study, no common test had been established to compare the performance of waterproofing products. A test method was developed that closely follows ASTM D5084, “Standard Test Methods for Measurement of Hydraulic Conductivity of Saturated Porous Materials …

2018 Safety Belt Usage Survey In Kentucky, Erin Lammers-Staats, Kenneth R. Agent, Eric R. Green

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objective of the survey summarized in this report was to establish a statewide safety belt usage rate in Kentucky for 2018. This rate can be compared to those determined from previous surveys. The 2018 statewide survey documents the continued increase in usage associated with the change in the law to allow primary enforcement and related education and enforcement.

Analysis Of Traffic Crash Data In Kentucky (2013-2017), Eric R. Green, Kenneth R. Agent, Jerry G. Pigman, Paul A. Ross

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Executive Summary

This report documents an analysis of traffic crash data in Kentucky for the years of 2013-2017. A primary objective of this study was to determine average crash statistics for Kentucky highways. Rates were calculated for various types of highways and for counties and cities. Difference criteria were used for exposure.

Average and critical numbers and rates of crashes were calculated for various types of highways in rural and urban areas. These rates used crashes identified on highways where traffic volumes were available. Improved methods of identifying crash locations have resulted in higher rates for the last couple of …

Improvement Of Fatal Crash Analysis And Follow-Up, William Nicholas Staats, Jerry G. Pigman, Kenneth R. Agent, Paul A. Ross

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Executive Summary

Fatalities resulting from traffic crashes in Kentucky increased from a low of 638 in 2013 to 834 in 2016 (a 31% increase), and there is not a full understanding of the underlying causes for this trend. This study analyzes fatal crashes using data from both Kentucky’s crash reports and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) to identify countermeasures to combat increasing fatal crash rates. In addition, this study compares Kentucky’s crash reports to the fatal crash data in FARS to identify data inconsistencies and recommend procedures to eliminate these inconsistencies.

Emphasis was …

Evaluation Of Roadway Lighting Practices, Brian K. Howell, William Nicholas Staats, Austin William Obenauf, Jerry G. Pigman

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Adequate roadway lighting allows better driver visibility during nighttime conditions. Research studies show that lighted roadways on average experience 28 percent fewer vehicles crashes on all roadway types. Most state DOTs have historically used High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) lights for their roadside lighting programs due to their wide availability and relatively low purchase costs. However, the short lifespan of HPS results in frequent replacement, leading to high life cycle costs. Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lights consume less energy, demonstrate improved performance, and require less overall maintenance due to their longer lifespans. Over time, this translates into maintenance cost savings for stateDOTs. In …

Sloped And Mitered Concrete Headwalls, Kean H. Ashurst Jr., Brad W. Rister, Eileen Grady, Jason K. Ward

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) currently uses several pipe culvert end treatments, including standard headwalls, slope and flared headwalls, sloped and parallel headwalls, and safety metal ends. These treatments, however, can pose a safety hazard to motorists and those performing landscaping work (e.g., mowing). Crash statistics from 2012 through 2016 for Kentucky reveal that 49 fatalities and 148 incapacitating injuries occurred in incidents where culverts/headwalls were coded as the first harmful event on the police report. One solution to the safety hazards associated with standard pipe culvert headwalls is to use sloped and mitered concrete headwalls instead. To evaluate the …

Us 31w Jefferson County Pavement Surface Treatment Evaluation, Tim C. Scully Jr.

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Reflective cracking inevitably occurs when asphaltic concrete (AC) is placed over an existing unfractured Portland cement concrete (PCC) pavement. However, manufacturers state their products will mitigate reflective cracking, therefore extending the pavement life cycle.

To evaluate the performance of each manufacturer’s product, an experimental test section consisting of a southbound and northbound segment was established on US 31W in Louisville, Kentucky. The funding for this project will help track the performance of each product from the construction phase through the long-term monitoring phase. Hall Construction performed all work.

Optimizing Available Surveying Technology To Streamline Project Delivery, Christopher Van Dyke, Adam J. Kirk, Steven Waddle, Steven Douglas Kreis

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) Project Managers bear responsibility for preparing all phases of highway projects, from initial concept to letting, while Section Engineers manage all phases of highway construction projects, from letting to completion. To perform the activities for which they are responsible, these stakeholders require knowledge of best practices for leveraging current surveying methodologies and equipment. With survey technologies having advanced significantly over the past 15-20 years, staff attrition at the Cabinet depleting its in-house surveying expertise, and contractors frequently undertaking their own surveying, acquiring this knowledge has become increasingly difficult. Drawing on a series of interviews with KYTC …

Impact Of Seasonal Tree-Cutting Restrictions On Construction Bids, Christopher W. Van Dyke, Steven Waddle, Bryan Gibson, Sarah M. Mccormack, Steven Douglas Kreis

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Many of the maintenance and construction projects undertaken by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) span late spring to early fall (April–October), with this period’s long days, abundant sunshine, and relatively dry conditions being ideal for performing work and minimizing delays from inclement weather. But this compressed timeline for accomplishing work introduces other challenges. Specifically, many of KYTC’s maintenance and construction activities can potentially impact summer habitat of the Indiana bat, which is listed as an endangered species. Removing trees classified as Indiana bat habitat is allowed, however, to do so the Cabinet is required to pay a mitigation fee. The …

Transportation System Vulnerability And Resilience To Extreme Weather Events And Other Natural Hazards — Final Results Of Vulnerability Assessment Of National Highway System For All Kytc Districts, Benjamin L. Blandford, Scott Schurman, Candice Y. Wallace

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Recent federal legislation and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have directed state transportation agencies to identify potential vulnerabilities associated with extreme weather events and climate change, develop a risk-based asset management plan, and incorporate findings into transportation planning, design, and maintenance practices. The Kentucky Transportation Center and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet developed and led district-level workshops to elicit local expert knowledge on asset vulnerabilities to natural hazards. Combining the results of these workshops with analysis of available data on assets and hazards, they then performed a natural hazard vulnerability assessment of the state’s National Highway System (NHS) for each of Kentucky’s …

Developing Knowledge Management Strategies, Bryan Gibson, Candice Y. Wallace, Steven Douglas Kreis

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Retirements and other staff changes have led to a loss of institutional knowledge across public agencies. These changing workforce dynamics have highlighted the study of knowledge management, and how organizations can best retain their core knowledge bases. Key to understanding knowledge management is how organizations have approached the issue and the most effective methods and processes they have used to retain, store, and disseminate knowledge. Part of the knowledge management discussion includes core competencies, or what basic knowledge and skills are essential to an organization’s mission. Also, considering the impacts of outsourcing on public employment, is another key to understanding …

Redefining Commercial Vehicle Permitting And Credentialing Violations, Andrew Martin, Jennifer R. Walton, Valerie J. Keathley

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objective of this study was to analyze enforcement and adjudication of common commercial vehicle tax, credentialing, and safety offenses. This study examined violations of the International Fuel Tax Agreement and the Kentucky Intrastate Tax, Kentucky’s weight distance tax, Unified Carrier Registration, Kentucky size and weight laws, and federal safety regulations from 2004 to 2013. Statistical analysis showed declining conviction rates, increasing dismissal rates, and a drop in collections of court costs and fines associated with these offenses. In addition, adjudication varied significantly from district court to district court, which is creating an equity issue for motor carriers and the …

Longer Lasting Bridge Deck Overlays, David Q. Hunsucker, Kean H. Ashurst Jr., Brad W. Rister, David L. Allen, Eileen Grady

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objective of this report is to determine the most effective method for bridge deck overlay construction and repair by assessing current practices; examining new products and technologies; and reviewing NCHRP (National Cooperative Highway Research Program) guidelines, state standard specifications, ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) infrastructure ratings, and original bridge core chloride penetration data. Based on the review, this report offers the following conclusions. Latex modified concrete (LMC) overlays perform well, provide a long service life, and are the most commonly used method of bridge deck rehabilitation. Ohio considers microsilica concrete (MSC) overlays as state of the art due …

Review Of State Transportation Funding Initiatives, Bryan Gibson, Christopher W. Van Dyke, Steven Waddle, Steven Douglas Kreis

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Despite significant cutbacks to the funding allocated to state departments of transportation (DOTs), demand for accessible and reliable transportation has increased even as existing transportation infrastructure has continued to age. Falling gasoline tax revenues resulting from increasing fuel efficiency and technological advancements have prevented state DOTs, including the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), from funding and financing much-needed transportation projects. Meanwhile, the Federal Highway Trust Fund, which provides funding to states and is tied to the federal gas tax, routinely receives cash infusions from the Federal General Fund to remain solvent—the federal gas tax has not been increased since 1993. Needing …

Overview Of Performance Based Practical Design, Christopher W. Van Dyke, Jeff Jasper, Adam J. Kirk

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

State transportation agencies (STAs) have increasingly turned to practical design and performance based practical design (PBPD) to inform project development and implementation — and to reduce project costs while optimizing systemwide benefits. PBPD is a design-up philosophy that encourages agencies to formulate projects to meet the purpose and need rather than adhering to ostensibly immutable design standards. This paper reviews practical design and PBPD concepts and initiatives and their application in a variety of contexts. It also summarizes best practices STAs can use to develop a PBPD program. As a holistic approach to project design, PBPD underscores context sensitive solutions …

Utilization Of Light Detection And Ranging For Quality Control And Quality Assurance Of Pavement Grades, Brad W. Rister, Levi Mcintosh, Gabriel B. Dadi, Ruigang Yang, Eileen Grady

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar) technology is a useful tool that can assist transportation agencies during the design, construction, and maintenance phases of transportation projects. To demonstrate the utility of Lidar, this report discusses how Lidar data can be used while performing quality control and quality assurance (QC/QA) of pavement grades along road segments where safety concerns have been identified (e.g., increased crash rates due to water ponding on the roadway). Researchers modeled surface runoff using Lidar data for several roadways that had experienced significant crash increases during wet-weather events. Based on this modeling, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) undertook …

Kentucky Traffic Collision Facts 2017, Eric R. Green, Paul A. Ross, Christopher L. Blackden, Kentucky State Police

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

KENTUCKY’S TRAFFIC COLLISION FACTS report 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 and judgements …

Fiscal Year 2017 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 …

Applicability Of Zipper Merge Versus Early Merge In Kentucky Work Zones, Erin Lammers-Staats, Jerry G. Pigman, Brian K. Howell, Adam J. Kirk

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

In an effort to improve work zone safety and streamline traffic flows, a number of state transportation agencies (STAs) have experimented with the zipper merge. The zipper merge differs from a conventional, or early, merge in that vehicles do not merge into the lane that remains open immediately after being notified of a lane closure. Rather, vehicles continue to occupy all lanes until they reach the taper, at which point — and directed by signage — vehicles take turns merging into the open lane, creating a zipper pattern. At the request of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), Kentucky Transportation Center …

In-Place Recycling And Reclamation Of Asphaltic Concrete Pavements In Kentucky, David Q. Hunsucker, David L. Allen, R. Clark Graves

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Full-depth reclamation has been defined by the Asphalt Recycling and Reclaiming Association as a “rehabilitation technique in which the full thickness of the asphalt pavement and a predetermined portion of the underlying material (base, subbase, and/or subgrade) is uniformly pulverized, blended and compacted to provide an upgraded, homogeneous material resulting in a stabilized base course.” The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has utilized the full-depth reclamation (FDR) process as a method to address asphalt pavements exhibiting widespread base failures. The FDR process transforms the existing hot mix asphalt (HMA) pavement and underlying granular materials into a stabilized base layer. The stabilized layer …

Accelerated Innovation Deployment (Aid) Demonstration: Kytc — Roundabout Installation Project In London, Kentucky, Jeff Jasper, Adam J. Kirk

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This document serves as the final report on the construction and opening of the Roundabout Project in London, Kentucky (Kentucky Item Number 11‐904.1). This project (hereafter referred to as the London Roundabout) was constructed on the authority of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), which received an Accelerated Innovation Deployment (AID) Demonstration grant of $1 million to offset project construction costs. The AID Demonstration program requires that award recipients submit a final report to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) within six months of project completion. The purpose of this report is to document the project delivery and construction processes, benefits, and …

Coaxing His Data From Mandli Pavement Scans, Eric R. Green, William Nicholas Staats, Erin Lammers-Staats, Teng Alex Wang

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) Division of Planning’s Highway Information Systems (HIS) database provides geometric information about horizontal and vertical curves, but its accuracy is unknown. An updated method of pavement analysis collects data by scanning the pavement as a van equipped with Mandli software drives the area of interest. The scans provide detailed information that can be used to calculate roadway geometry characteristics (e.g., curve radius, cross slope/superelevation, and grade). This study evaluated the ability of the Mandli data to support curve advisory calculations and find a way to utilize Mandli data to improve the existing HIS database. To …

Safety Concepts For Workers From An Osha Perspective, Zamaan Al-Shabbani, Roy E. Sturgill Jr., Gabriel B. Dadi

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Highway construction and maintenance workers face numerous hazards on job sites, many of which are unique by industry standards. Despite the exposure of state transportation agency employees and contractors to these hazards, there are few safety standards, regulations, programs that directly target the sector aimed at prevention and mitigation. To help the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) improve employee safety, researchers at the Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) analyzed the frequency and causes of workplace injuries for 10 essential Cabinet maintenance operations. Most incidents were attributable to human factors or ergonomics. Based on this analysis, the leading causes of incidents, and a …

Truck Routing Issues, Kenneth R. Agent

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Commercial vehicle drivers selecting inappropriate routes where the handling characteristics (e.g., off-tracking) and dimensions of their trucks are not consistent with a roadway’s cross section and geometrics can damage the vehicle, harm adjacent property, or result in crashes. Analysis of crashes that involve the use of inappropriate routes indicate a significant number are caused by drivers receiving faulty directions from in-truck GPS units or adhering to incorrect directions provided by their companies. The Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) investigated strategies to ensure truck drivers are given correct directions when traveling on Kentucky roadways. As part of this effort, this report reviews …

Streamlined Project Closeout For Construction At Kytc, Tyler A. Johnson, Dominic A. Michaels, Roy E. Sturgill, Timothy R. B. Taylor

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Project closeout is the period between the end of construction and when a contract is finalized. During closeout, resources are held in encumbered funds intended for the project and in the contractor’s bonding capacity. Although the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) stated goal is to close out projects within 240 days of their ending, in 2016 the average duration of project closeout was 366 days. This report analyzes the Cabinet’s project closeout procedures, summarizes project closeout best practices adopted by other state transportation agencies, and recommends ways to improve KYTC’s practices. Streamlining project closeouts would free up sufficient funds to resurface …

Cfrp Strengthening Of Ky 583 Over The Bluegrass Parkway Bridge In Hardin Country, Abheetha Peiris, Issam E. Harik

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The report details the planning, design, and construction of the retrofit measure on the KY 583 Bridge (047B00072N), which traverses the Bluegrass Parkway in Hardin County, Kentucky. Reinforced concrete girders within the span over the eastbound Bluegrass Parkway of the bridge had cracks that led to concrete delamination and deterioration of the girders.

To remedy the problem, triaxial carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) fabric sheets were selected to perform a retrofit due to their strength, conformability, and flexibility. The concrete surface, over which the fabric sheets were applied, were first prepared by removing all spalling and deteriorated concrete, which exposed …

Kytc Maintenance Overview And Budget Analysis, Nancy Albright, Bryan Gibson, Steven Douglas Kreis

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) manages over 27,500 miles of the state’s roadways and is responsible for preserving many assets in a good state of repair, including bridges, traffic signals, lighting features, traffic signs, and guardrails. The Cabinet’s Maintenance function, which encompasses maintenance (e.g., patching potholes, repainting roadway lines and markings, cleaning bridges, mowing) and operations (e.g., plowing and salting roadways; keeping signs, traffic signals, and roadway signals functional), had a budget in FY 2018 of roughly $350 million. This report describes core maintenance functions and reviews their importance for preserving Kentucky’s roadway network and analyzes trends in KYTC’s maintenance …

Quantifying Roadside Assessment For Highway Safety, Reginald R. Souleyrette, Michael A. Fields, Heather Hunt

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Many of Kentucky’s two-lane rural roads pose an above average risk for fixed object crashes. In Kentucky, run-off-road (ROR) collisions with fixed objects account for 18.9% of all crashes and 41.6% of fatal crashes. Accordingly, ROR crashes are a significant public safety hazard that must be addressed through judicious investments in safety improvements. Until recently, transportation engineers and planners have mostly leveraged qualitative metrics to prioritize safety investments, however, qualitative methodologies are problematic because they may rely excessively on subjective opinion and intuition. This study applied methodologies and software from the U.S. Road Assessment Program (usRAP) to develop quantitative, objective …