Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Right Of Way Process Review (Phase I), Christopher W. Van Dyke, Bryan Gibson, Robin Baskette, Jeff Jasper, Candice Y. Wallace, Steven Douglas Kreis

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

From the Executive Summary:

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) is responsible for planning, developing, constructing, and maintaining a prodigious inventory of roadway and bridge assets throughout the state. Project development is a complex process involving the coordination of numerous divisions and preconstruction disciplines across the Cabinet. On many projects, right-of-way (ROW) acquisition presents many challenges. Frequently, the ROW process is found on the critical path, meaning that it effectively governs a project’s overall duration. In some cases — especially on more complex projects — acquiring the ROW may take several years. Recognizing the need to shorten the duration and improve …

Recent Shrinkage And Fragmentation Of Bluegrass Landscape In Kentucky, Bo Tao, Yanjun Yang, Jia Yang, S. Ray Smith, James F. Fox, Alex C. Ruane, Jinze Liu, Wei Ren

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

The Bluegrass Region is an area in north-central Kentucky with unique natural and cultural significance, which possesses some of the most fertile soils in the world. Over recent decades, land use and land cover changes have threatened the protection of the unique natural, scenic, and historic resources in this region. In this study, we applied a fragmentation model and a set of landscape metrics together with the satellite-derived USDA Cropland Data Layer to examine the shrinkage and fragmentation of grassland in the Bluegrass Region, Kentucky during 2008–2018. Our results showed that recent land use change across the Bluegrass Region is …

Effect Of Socioeconomic Factors On Kentucky Truck Driver Crashes, Nikiforos Stamatiadis, Shraddha Sagar, Samantha Wright, Aaron Berry Cambron

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Kentucky crash data for the 2015-2016 period reveal that per capita crash rates and increases in crash-related fatalities in the state outpaced the national average. To explain why the U.S. Southeast sees higher crash rates than other regions of the country, previous research has argued the region’s unique socioeconomic conditions provide a compelling explanation. Taking this observation as a starting point, this study uses an extensive crash dataset from Kentucky to examine the relationship between highway safety and socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. Its focus is single- and two-unit crashes that involve commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) and automobiles. Using binary logistic …

Full-Depth Reclamation Of Asphaltic Concrete Pavements, Tony L. Beckham, Brad W. Rister, Charlie Sun

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) has used a full-depth reclamation (FDR) process over the past few years to rehabilitate asphalt pavements exhibiting widespread base failures. FDR transforms existing hot-mix asphalt (HMA) pavement and underlying granular materials into a stabilized base layer. The stabilized layer is then overlaid with a new pavement surface layer. Until now, deciding when and how to use the FDR process has not been well specified in Kentucky — the Cabinet has commonly used a Special Note for Cement Stabilized Roadbed as guidance and relied on the contractor for acceptable materials design. Previous research conducted by the …

Potential Effect Of Cable Median Barriers On Commercial Vehicle Crossover Crashes, Nikiforos Stamatiadis, Shraddha Sagar, Samantha Wright, Eric R. Green, Reginald R. Souleyrette, Michael A. Fields, Teng Alex Wang

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

In 2016, commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) were involved in 4,079 fatal crashes in the U.S., representing 11.8 percent of all fatal crashes. State of Kentucky crash data for 2015-2016 show that per capita crash rates and increases in crash-related fatalities exceeded the national average. Crossover crashes occur when a vehicle leaves its intended path and veers into the path of oncoming traffic, typically resulting in head-on or sideswipe opposite direction crashes. Cable median barriers are a countermeasure which can potentially be used to mitigate crossover crashes. This research investigated the potential effectiveness of cable median barriers on CMV crashes. Analysis …

Evaluation Of Alternative Rumble Strip Designs, William Nicholas Staats, Kenneth R. Agent, Brian K. Howell

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Since Kentucky’s initial rumble strip designs were adopted, there has been additional research and experimentation in other states with alternative designs as a response to complaints from the public about noise pollution caused by rumble strips. The new research indicates that other rumble strip designs might provide increased interior noise/vibration with decreased exterior noise. Application of these alternative designs in Kentucky could result in improved rumble performance, reduced damage to new pavement, decreased noise pollution, installation on roadways with lower speed limits, and allow reinstallation of rumbles on thin overlays/microsurfacing.

The research team reviewed national and state guidelines for conventional …

Traffic Incident Management Dashboard, Xu Zhang, Reginald R. Souleyrette, Alex Wang, Paul Ross, Eric R. Green, Mei Chen

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Traffic incidents remain all-too-common events on Kentucky’s roadways. They negatively impact the safety of the traveling public and emergency responders and cause significant traffic delays. Congestion associated with incidents can instigate secondary crashes, exacerbating safety risks and economic costs. Traffic incident management (TIM) provides an effective approach for managing highway incidents and reducing their occurrence and impacts. This report discusses the establishment of and methods of calculation for five TIM performance measures that can be used by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) to improve incident response. The measures are: Roadway Clearance Time, Incident Clearance Time, Secondary Crashes, First Responder Vehicle …

Kytc Maintenance Field Operations Guide Supplement, Bryan Gibson, Candice Y. Wallace, Nancy Albright, Christopher W. Van Dyke, Steven Douglas Kreis

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) is tasked with managing an asset portfolio that includes over 27,500 miles of roadway and 9,000 bridges. Keeping these assets in sound condition demands significant effort from KYTC’s Division of Maintenance, which includes activities ranging from mowing and litter pickup to cleaning out culverts and performing emergency roadway work. Despite the immense responsibilities shouldered by Maintenance personnel, until this project the Cabinet’s 12 districts lacked a systematic method for capturing and recording maintenance activities. Through a series of workshops held in each KYTC’s district with Section Engineer and Maintenance Supervisors, researchers at the Kentucky Transportation …

Crash Modification Factor Recommendation List, Reginald R. Souleyrette, Riana Tanzen, Eric R. Green, William Nicholas Staats, Federico Valentin Lause Iii

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Practitioners use Crash Modification Factors/Functions (CMFs) to calculate the number of crashes expected once a countermeasure has been implemented. When evaluating design alternatives, CMFs can be used in conjunction with safety performance functions (SPFs) to derive crash predictions. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) maintains the CMF Clearinghouse as a repository for CMFs. Contributions are submitted by researchers across the U.S., Canada, and throughout the world. Typically, multiple CMFs are associated with a single countermeasure. Some CMFs only apply to specific facility or crash types. Furthermore, CMF quality varies, and some only apply to specific facility and/or crash types, regions, or …

Structural Reinforcement, Reinforced Structural Member And Related Method, Issam E. Harik, Nisal Abheetha Peiris, Drew Christian Thompson, David Cambron Murray, Clayten Nicholas Greenwell

Civil Engineering Faculty Patents

A structural reinforcement includes a plurality of individual reinforcing elements. Each of the plurality of reinforcing elements includes a first end segment, a second end segment and an intermediate segment between the first and second end segments. A support engages the plurality of individual reinforcing elements along the intermediate segments and holds the elements in parallel.

Investigation Of Driver License Issuance Alternatives, Steven Andrew Martin, Abraham Najarzadeh, Jennifer R. Walton

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This study develops an alternative model for issuing driver licenses and personal identifications in Kentucky. Under the current model, most licenses are distributed by circuit court clerks at 142 offices across the state while the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) provides central and regional support for specific license types. Given the cumbersome administrative structure and impending REAL ID requirements, both circuit clerks and KYTC administrators would like to explore an alternative distribution model. Researchers at the Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) projected the costs of transitioning from the current issuance model to a centralized DMV model where licenses are distributed at 18 …

Effect Of Socioeconomic Factors On Crash Occurrence, Nikiforos Stamatiadis, Shraddha Sagar, Samantha Wright, Aaron Berry Cambron

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Road traffic crashes are a leading cause of death in the United States. In Kentucky, per capita crash rates and crash-related fatalities have outpaced the national average for over a decade. Wanting to explain why the U.S. Southeast sees higher crash rates than other regions, researchers have argued the region’s unique socioeconomic conditions provide a compelling explanation. Taking this observation as a starting point, this study examined the relationship between highway safety and socioeconomic characteristics using an extensive crash dataset from Kentucky. This research sought to identify at-risk drivers based on the socioeconomic and demographic attributes of the zip codes …

Construction-Ready Digital Terrain Models, Rachel Catchings, Steven Waddle, Hala Nassereddine, Gabriel B. Dadi, Makram Bou Hatoum, Walter Johnson

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Since 2009, Kentucky has made its 3D design data available as a supplemental reference to bidders through the project delivery process. This research discusses methods for ensuring electronic engineering data (EED) — and specifically the proposed digital terrain model (DTM) — support modern construction management methods at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). Researchers performed a literature review, surveyed KYTC construction and design staff, engaged with Cabinet staff and industry members to understand the current state of practice, and evaluated quality- related attributes of the EED through case studies. The report presents a set of targeted recommendations for improving KYTC processes …

Social Justice Mitigation In Transportation Projects: Why And How Lexington Fayette Urban County Government Can Support The Lexington Community Land Trust’S Path To Self-Sustainability, Pamela Clay-Young, Steven Douglas Kreis

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The city of Lexington has reached a critical shortage of affordable housing available to families earning 80% - 50% of area median income (AMI). This study focuses on how to grow the Lexington CLT into self-sustainability while also narrowing the affordable housing gaps in Fayette County. Current research offers support for the city’s affordable housing program to adopt the community land trust model (CLT). The research recommends using tools such as the Lexington CLT, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Landbank Authority (LFUCLA), and Lexington’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, along with new development incentives, to develop a housing strategy that is cost …

Developing A Baseline For Customer Satisfaction In The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's Department Of Vehicle Regulation, Steven Andrew Martin, Christopher W. Van Dyke, Jennifer R. Walton, Jeeyen Koo, Valerie Keathley Helil, Brian K. Howell

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Among the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) business units, the Department of Vehicle Regulation (DVR) has the most interactions with members of the public and other government agencies. Given its high profile and public visibility, it is critical for the department to provide high-quality customer service. Lacking data on customer perceptions of DVR’s level of service, the department commissioned researchers at the Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) to conduct a baseline and rebaseline customer satisfaction surveys. Along with administering surveys to external customers, KTC’s research team also polled DVR staff to gauge employee morale and identify areas which could be improved. Approximately …

Analysis And Assessment Of The Reimbursement Rates And Mechanisms For Kentucky’S Publicly Funded Ferries, P. Gayle Marks, Bryan Gibson, Andrew Martin, Steven Douglas Kreis

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) reimburses publicly operated ferries, including when they cease operations due to severe weather or unforeseen events. Reimbursement procedures are not codified in law and are largely based on historical practice. To determine how the Cabinet should handle reimbursement, funding, oversight of ferry services moving forward, the Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) reviewed practices adopted by 10 other states and conducted a detailed analysis of Kentucky’s current approach. Of the states KTC examined, only Tennessee reimburses ferry operations for closures (at 50 percent of the normal hourly rate for a period up to 48 hours). Half of …

Effect Of Temporal Instability Of Factors Contributing To Single-Vehicle Crash Severity--A Mixed Logit Approach, A. M. Hasibul Islam

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

This study investigates the factors associated with single-vehicle crash injury severity using five years (2014 – 2018) of crash data from Kentucky, USA, using a mixed (random-parameter) logit model. We also explore the temporal heterogeneity of the correlated factors across different times of the day. Most crash-severity models assume that the estimated parameters remain temporally stable. For instance, the effect of light conditions on crash severity may differ based on the time of the crash occurrence—noon vs. dusk. The temporal instability of the factors due to the time-of-day variation can lead to (under) overestimating the parameters that influence the development …

Holistic Resilience Quantification Framework Of Rural Communities, Amanda Melendez

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Communities need to prepare for anticipated hazards, adapt to varying conditions, and resist and recover rapidly from disturbances. Protecting the built environment from natural and man-made hazards and understanding the impact of these hazards helps allocate resources efficiently. Recently, an indicator-based and time-dependent approach was developed for defining and measuring the functionality and disaster resilience continuously at the community level. This computational method uses seven dimensions that find qualitative characteristics and transforms them into quantitative measures. The proposed framework is used to study the resilience of rural communities’ subject to severe flooding events. Harlan County in the Appalachian region is …

Effect Of Socioeconomic And Demographic Factors Of Driver Residence On Crash Occurrence, Shraddha Sagar

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

In the U.S., road traffic crashes are a leading cause of death. Crash data from the state of Kentucky shows that the per capita crash rates and crash-related fatalities were higher than the national average for over a decade. In effort to explain why the U.S. Southeast experiences higher crash rates than other regions of the country, previous research has argued the region’s unique socioeconomic provide a compelling explanation. Taking this observation as a starting point, this study examines the relationship between highway safety and socioeconomic characteristics using an extensive crash dataset from Kentucky.

The primary goal of this research …

The Relationship Between Roadway Homogeneity And Network Coverage For Network Screening, Riana Tanzen

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

In the context of transportation safety engineering, network screening is a method of identifying and prioritizing high-risk locations for potential safety investment. Since its release, the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) has facilitated the adoption of Safety Performance Functions (SPF) to predict the number of crashes for the network screening of any facility type. The predictive model becomes more reliable when developed from crash data with homogeneous roadway segments and this homogeneity can be attained by applying specific geometric attributes to the dataset. The caveat to this method is the requirement of adjustment factors (AFs) to adjust the predicted estimate for …

Fluvial Sediment Organic Matter Degradation Identified With Elemental And Isotopic Fate During Laboratory Incubation, Brenden Riddle

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Fluvial sediment is well recognized as a critical factor in both carbon and nutrient budgets within stream systems. However, we find very few studies of reactivity and isotope enrichment for stream water from agricultural and urban streams and the class of substrate known as fluvial sediment organic matter. This study investigated the hypothesis that fluvial sediment is subject to degradation even though many previous studies have considered this class of substrate generally inert. Therefore we qualify that elemental and isotopic signatures of fluvial sediment organic matter should be considered potentially non-conservative when used in tracer studies. Methods applied to this …

Adaptive Tracking Controller For Real-Time Hybrid Simulation, Alejandro Palacio-Betancur

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Real-time hybrid simulation (RTHS) is a versatile and cost-effective testing method for studying the performance of structures subjected to dynamic loading. RTHS decomposes a structure into partitioned physical and numerical sub-structures that are coupled together through actuation systems. The sub-structuring approach is particularly attractive for studying large-scale problems since it allows for setting up large-scale structures with thousands of degrees of freedom in numerical simulations while specific components can be studied experimentally.The actuator dynamics generate an inevitable time delay in the overall system that affects the accuracy and stability of the simulation. Therefore, developing robust tracking control methodologies are necessary …

Probabilistic Approach To Water, Sediment, And Nutrient Connectivity For Advancing Watershed Modelling, David Tyler Mahoney

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

The goal of this dissertation is to represent the spatial and temporal domains of water, sediment, and nutrient flux and pathways within fluvial and watershed settings. To complete this goal, we integrate connectivity theory into watershed model structures to simulate water, sediment, and nutrient movement at the fundamental unit they occur. Fluvial-based sediment and nutrient flux is an important driver of global sediment and nutrient budgets, and the quantification of which serves as an ongoing challenge to limnologists, engineers, and watershed managers. Watershed models have been richly developed over the past century, but are currently restrained by problems related to …

Effects Of Hydrologic Variations On Hydraulic And Deformational Characteristics Of Unsaturated Soils, Majid Mahmoodabadi

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Constitutive models that can provide useful insight into the deformational mechanism induced by hydrologic variations are vital for design and analysis of structures where unsaturated regime predominates. An accurate description of unsaturated soils’ behavior not only requires a vigorous constitutive model, but essentially is achievable using real-time mechanical (e.g. small-strain shear modulus) and hydrologic data sets. The main objective of this research was to develop a robust constitutive scheme that is compatible to quick fluctuations in hydrologic conditions.

The first step towards accomplishing this aim involved proposing a novel methodology to estimate the small-strain shear modules with respect to the …

A Modeling Approach To Understanding Glyphosate Transport In The Belize River Watershed, Barbara Anmei Astmann

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide worldwide and is often transported from application areas to surface water when solubilized in runoff or sorbed to eroded sediment. There is evidence that suggests both glyphosate and its main metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) may pose a risk to human health, as well as cause adverse effects in the environment. However, consistent monitoring data is still limited, especially in developing countries. Belize is a developing nation with agriculture being a major sector of its economy and is heavily reliant on glyphosate. The widespread use of glyphosate in Belize may be resulting in glyphosate …

Design And Analysis Of A Pavement Marker Detection System, Timothy L. Johnson Ii

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Personal injuries and property damage due to the failure of snow-plowable pavement markers which detach from pavement surfaces has led to the development of new all-plastic pavement markers which are located entirely below the planar surface of the pavement. The new all-plastic design pushes existing solutions used to avoid striping over highway reflectors into obsolescence since current solutions operate using electromagnets to sense the metal housings of snow-plowable pavement markers. A replacement solution is currently sought by the highway maintenance industry and three different marker detection methods were developed and tested on real-world highways with both new and aging pavement …

Variance Decomposition Of Forecasted Water Budget And Sediment Processes Under Changing Climate In Fluvial And Fluviokarst Systems, Nabil Al Aamery

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Variance decomposition is the partitioning of different factors affecting the variance structure of a response variable. The present research focuses on future streamflow and sediment transport processes projections as the response variables. The authors propose using numerous climate factors and hydrological modeling factors that can cause any response variable to vary from historic to future conditions in any given watershed system. The climate modeling factors include global climate model, downscaling method, emission scenario, project phase, bias correction. The hydrological modeling factor includes hydrological model parametrization, and meteorological variable inclusion in the analysis. This research uses a wide spectrum of data, …

Investigation Into The Presence, Persistence, And Fate Of S. Aureus, And Its Mobile Genetic Elements, In Wastewater And The Surrounding Environment, Atena Amirsoleimani

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Currently, the world is engaged in a battle against very small parts of our environment that develop and share genes for resistance to multiple environmental conditions. Pathogenic infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria have been impacting animal and human health and life. Increasing incidences of methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections transmitted through the environment are rising faster than the discovery of new antibiotics. Multi-drug resistant S. aureus infections in healthy individuals without prior hospitalization have been increasing all around the world.

Many people carry S. aureus in their nose and on their skin, common niches for the bacteria to co-grow …

Reliability Assessment And Optimization Of Water Distribution Systems Explicitly Considering Isolation Valve Locations, Erika Hernandez Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Water distribution systems have changed the landscape of communities through two services: 1) providing water supply for domestic and industrial use, and 2) providing water required to fight fires. However, a substantial portion of the water infrastructure in the country, as many of other public assets built over 50 years ago, are now reaching the end of their useful life; which combined with rapid growth and changes in demographics have placed water distribution pipe networks at a state that requires revitalization. The aging infrastructure along with the growing threat of natural and man-made disruptions have led water utilities to place …

Soil Bulk Density Effects On Runoff Estimation, Colton Pugh

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Urbanization has long been a major factor in the hydrology of surrounding areas. Engineers are commonly tasked with mitigating the extra runoff that urbanization brings with it. The NRCS Curve Number (CN) method is a commonly-used approach to predicting the amount of runoff that will be experienced from a given area. However, this method is known to be highly simplified in model of the processes involved. This study focused on determining the relationships between soil bulk density, simulated rainfall events, hydrologic soil group (HSG) and runoff estimation (specifically via the NRCS CN method). It was determined that soil bulk density …