Transportation Engineering Commons^™

Performance Evaluation Of The Permanent New Jersey Safety Shape Barrier – Update To Nchrp 350 Test No. 4-12 (2214nj-2), Karla A. Polivka, Ronald K. Faller, Dean L. Sicking, John R. Rohde, Robert W. Bielenberg, John D. Reid, Brian A. Coon

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

Based on the proposed changes to the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report No. 350 guidelines, NCHRP Project 22-14(2) researchers deemed it appropriate to evaluate permanent safety shape barrier systems prior to finalizing the new crash testing procedures and guidelines. For this effort, the permanent New Jersey Safety Shape barrier was selected for evaluation. One full-scale vehicle crash test was performed on the longitudinal barrier system in accordance with the Test Level 4 (TL-4) requirements presented in the Update to NCHRP Report No. 350. For the permanent barrier testing program, a 10000S single unit truck was used.

The permanent …

Development Of Multiple Growth Strategies For Use In Developing Traffic Forecasts: A Robustness Approach, Deogratias Eustace, Eugene R. Russell, E. Dean Landman

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Faculty Publications

Decisions that may be based on misleading forecasts may lead to a misallocation of funds and to under-performing projects during construction and operation. Poor projections of demographic and socioeconomic data are usually cited as the major source of poor traffic assignment projections and hence, unfavorably conceived planning and construction of street and highway infrastructure facilities.

This report evaluated the accuracy of long range projections by using a transportation study done the in 1970s, projecting transportation demand 20 years into the future. The projected travel model inputs were compared with what actually happened after the horizon year had been reached and …

Review Of The Product Development Process And Information Flow In The Manufacturing Industry: Problems And A Possible Wav Forward, E Opiyo

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

No abstract provided.

Development And Evaluation Of A Tie-Down System For The Redesigned F-Shape Concrete Temporary Barrier, Karla A. Polivka, Ronald K. Faller, John R. Rohde, James C. Holloway, Bob W. Bielenberg, Dean L. Sicking

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

Often, temporary barriers are used in applications where it is desired that their deflection during vehicular impact be limited. One such application is in the installation of temporary barriers placed adjacent to the edge of a concrete bridge deck in order to maximize lane width. Acceptable tie-down systems for temporary barriers have previously been developed, but there are concerns when the barriers and tie-down systems are used on bridges that are reconstructed in stages and where very little tolerance in barrier deflection is allowable. Therefore, a rigid tie-down system was developed that minimizes barrier deflections. For this system, the original …

Safety Performance Evaluation Of Michigan’S 4x5 Portable Sign Support, Ronald K. Faller, James C. Holloway, John R. Rohde, Dean L. Sicking

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

A wide variety of traffic controlling devices are used in work zones, some of which are not normally found on the roadside or in the traveled way outside of the work zones. These devices are used to enhance the safety of the work zones by controlling the traffic through these areas. Due to the placement of the traffic control devices, the devices themselves may be potentially hazardous to both workers and errant vehicles. The impact performance of many work-zone traffic control devices is mainly unknown and to date limited crash testing has been conducted, under the criteria of National Cooperative …

Performance Analysis Of Welch Products Recycled Rubber Spacer Block, Bob W. Bielenberg, Ronald K. Faller

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

The Midwest Roadside Safety Facility was contracted by Will Stein of the Iowa Department of Transportation to conduct dynamic bogie testing of a recyclable rubber guardrail spacer block manufactured by Welch Products, Inc. The scope of the work included the setup of both a standard, wood guardrail post blockout and the Welch Products recycled rubber blockout on a standard W150x13.5 steel post, as well as two component tests using a bogie vehicle. The bogie tests were conducted in accordance with previously accepted procedures to evaluate the performance of guardrail post blockouts made of non-standard materials.

Development Of Standards For Placement Of Steel Guardrail Posts In Rock, Jason Herr, John R. Rohde, Dean L. Sicking, John D. Reid, Ronald K. Faller, James C. Holloway, Brian A. Coon, Karla A. Polivka

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

A steel post W-beam guardrail system was developed for installation in rock-soil foundations. The guardrail system was constructed with a 2.66-mm (12-gauge) thick W-beam rail, 53.34 m in length. The W-beam guardrail was supported by twenty-seven W152x13.4 by 1,346-mm long steel posts, spaced at 1,905 mm on center. The posts were installed in drilled holes in concrete, constructed by drilling three 203-mm diameter holes on 165- mm centers to a depth of 610 mm. The drilled holes were backfilled with compacted ASTM C33 coarse aggregate, size no. 57.

One full-scale vehicle crash test, using a 3⁄4-ton pickup truck, was performed …

Guidelines For Attachments To Bridge Rails And Median Barriers, Eric A. Keller, Dean L. Sicking, Ronald K. Faller, Karla A. Polivka

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

Highway agencies are often presented with the need to add attachments of various configurations to the top or backside of crashworthy traffic barriers. Although, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report No. 350 offers guidance for the safety performance evaluation of traffic barriers, it offers no guidance toward the evaluation of attachments on or near these barriers. The objective of the research project was to collect crash test data relating to bridge rails and median barriers, to collect information about common attachments to traffic barriers, and to evaluate this information for the purpose of developing guidelines for the design …

Development Of A Low-Profile Bridge Rail For Test Level 2 Applications, Karla A. Polivka, Ronald K. Faller, Dean L. Sicking, John R. Rohde, John D. Reid, James C. Holloway

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

A low-profile bridge rail was developed for installations where pedestrians and/or site restrictions prevent the use of conventional bridge rails with transitions. The bridge rail design was constructed using a 22.86-m long reinforced concrete parapet. The entire system measured 508-mm high by 356-mm and 279-mm wide at the top and bottom surfaces, respectively.

The research study included one full-scale vehicle crash test, using a 3⁄4-ton pickup truck. The full- scale test, impacting at a speed of 70.0 km/hr and an angle of 27.1 degrees, was conducted and reported in accordance with the requirements specified in National Cooperative Highway Research Program …

Bridge Rails And Transitions For Pedestrian Protection, Nicholas R. Hiser, Ronald K. Faller, Dean L. Sicking, John R. Rohde, John D. Reid, Karla A. Polivka

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

It is desirable to protect pedestrians on bridges from motor vehicles. However, transition problems arise at the ends of bridges where the bridge rail, bridge rail end treatment, and pedestrian walkway compete for the limited available space. The objective of this study was to identify the most common scenarios in which the protection of pedestrians on bridges is desirable, and then to develop bridge rail and bridge rail end treatment configurations to accommodate those situations. The objective was achieved by performing a field investigation, a survey of state transportation agencies, and a literature review. Recommendations for the placement and general …

Application Of Robustness Analysis For Developing A Procedure For Better Urban Transportation Planning Decisions, Deogratias Eustace, Eugene R. Russell, E. Dean Landman

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Faculty Publications

This paper shows that robustness analysis is a technique with a potential for aiding decision makers in choosing transportation investment projects. In this paper, it has been demonstrated that it can be successfully used in urban transportation planning in conjunction with urban travel demand software. The robustness analysis procedure emphasizes the need, under conditions of uncertainty, to make early decisions in a time-phased sequence, while preserving future options that currently seem attractive. The results of the robustness analysis from the case study used in this paper indicate that the method is simple to understand, easy to use, minimizes future surprises …

Potential For Use Of Sand In Road Construction In Dar Es Salaam And Coast Regions, Mfinanga A

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Coarse aggregates for use in road construction in Dar es Salaam and Coast regions are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive while sand, which is cheaper, is readily available in the two regions. This research aimed at evaluating the possibility of using quarry sands in the two regions as a major constituent material in bituminous road pavement layers. First, the use of sand in sand-bitumen bases for low and medium trafficked roads was studied. The study then continued with the preliminary evaluation of the possible use of the sands in hot rolled asphalt mixes. Results show that Mbagala sand can be …

Sustainable Data Acquisition Methods For Road Maintenance Management In Developing Countries, N. K.M. Mushule

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Whilst it may be argued that manual methods of pavement data collection are subjective, unsafe, involve high personnel costs and have low repeatability, the initial costs of acquiring automated systems coupled with the technology required to operate and maintain them can be prohibitive for most developing countries. Moreover, automatic measurement of surface distress has proved to be a difficult challenge to instrument designers. In many cases, manual methods are the only ones that can be employed. A research project was carried out to design a sustainable data collection scheme for network level management system for developing countries. A simple procedure …

Cable Barrier Literature Review, Brian A. Coon, Ronald K. Faller, John D. Reid

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

A literature review of cable barrier systems.

Pedestrian Reaction To Crossing Signal Delay, Deogratias Eustace

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Faculty Publications

Pedestrians with experience at a certain intersection learn the length of signal cycle, the phase change pattern of the signal, and the order in which traffic flow is released. These pedestrians have a higher chance of noncompliance with traffic signals. Most of the noncomplying pedestrians save a small amount of time, less than 18 seconds, by crossing the road shortly before the onset of the WALK signal indication. The study agrees with other studies done in the past that pedestrians ignore the traffic signals. They do so in order to reduce their own time delays.

Performance Comparison Of A Roundabout Versus Two-Way Stop Controlled (Twsc) Intersections, Deogratias Eustace

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Faculty Publications

The superior safety record of modern roundabouts is well known in Western Europe, Australia and in most British-influenced countries around the world. The experience from a single modern roundabout installed in the City of Manhattan, Kansas, some three years ago, also shares the same experience. A major study of the performance of Manhattan, Kansas, modern roundabout was conducted at Kansas State University (KSU) and was co-sponsored by Mac-Blackwell National Rural Transportation Study Center, Kansas State University, and the City of Manhattan. The study examined three intersections, one modern roundabout and two Two-Way Stop Controlled (TWSC) intersections with similar traffic conditions. …

Crash Testing Of Michigan's Type B (W-Beam) Guardrail System - Phase Ii, Karla A. Polivka, Dean L. Sicking, John A. Rohde, Ronald K. Faller, James C. Holloway

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

Michigan Department of Transportation's Type B (W-beam) longitudinal barrier system was constructed and crash tested. The barrier design was constructed with a 2.66-mm (12-gauge) thick W-beam rail totaling 53.34 m in length. The W-beam rail was supported by twenty-five W152.13.4 steel posts, each measuring 1,830-mm long, and four standard BCT posts, each measuring 1,080-mm long. Each of the steel posts had a 152.203 by 360-mm long standard wood offset blockout. Post spacings were 1,905-mm on center.

The research study included full-scale vehicle crash testing, using a 3/4-ton pickup truck. The test vehicle impacted at a speed of 99.8 km/hr and …

Application Of Vibrational Techniques In Determination Of Dynamic Properties Of Agricultural Products-State Of The Arton Of Vibrational Techniques In Determination Of Dynamic Properties Of Agricultural Products-State Of The Art, Silas Kajuna

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Vibration is one of the techniques employed in the determination of dynamic properties of fruits and vegetables. It entails generation of a mechanical or acoustic vibrational signal which is propagated through the flesh of the agricultural material. A transducer is either attached or held close to the specimen to monitor the propagation of the signal through the specimen. The manner in which the signal is transmitted through the material is analyzed, and the dynamic properties of the specimen which relate to its firmness or its internal being are derived. The technique has been around for the past 30 years or …

Mathematical Modelling Of Road Bumps, E. S. Massawe

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

In this paper, a general mathematical model that may be used for construction of a road bump on an inclined road is developed. It is shown that if the parameters for the inclination are set to zero, the resulting model reflects the special case of a flat road. Existing experiences are briefly highlighted and a case study was done on different locations along the University Road to demonstrate the developed model.

Compliance Testing Of Iowa’S Skid-Mounted Sign Device, Karla A. Polivka, Ronald K. Faller, John R. Rohde, James C. Holloway, Dean L. Sicking

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

A wide variety of traffic control devices are used in work zones, some of which are nont ormally found on the roadside or in the traveled way outsideofthe work zones. These devices are used to enhance the safety of the work zones by controlling the traffic through these areas. Due to the placement of the traffic control devices, the devices themselves may be potentially hazardous to both workers and errant vehicles. The impact performance of many work zone traffic control devices is mainly unknown and to date limited crash testing has been conducted under the criteria of National Cooperative Highway …

Development Of A 7.62-M Long Span Guardrail System – Phase Ii, Karla A. Polivka, Robert W. Bielenberg, Dean L. Sicking, Ronald K. Faller, John R. Rohde, Eric A. Keller

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

A 7.62-m long span guardrail system was developed for use over low-fill culverts. The long span design was constructed with two 2.66-mm (12-gauge) thick nested W-beam rails totaling 30.48 m in length. The nested W-beam rail was supported by sixteen W150x13.5 steel posts and six standard CRT posts, each with two 150x200x360 wood blockouts. Each post measured 1,830-mm long. Post spacings were 1,905-mm on center except for the 7.62-m spacing between the two CRT posts surrounding the unsupported span.

The research study included full-scale vehicle crash testing, using a 3⁄4-ton pickup truck. The test, impacting at a speed of 102.9 …

Development Of A Tl-3 F-Shape Temporary Concrete Median Barrier, Ronald K. Faller, John R. Rohde, Barry T. Rosson, Richard P. Smith, Kenneth H. Addink

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

A temporary concrete median barrier (CMB) was designed and tested for compliance under the Test Level 3 (TL-3) guidelines specified in the Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features, National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report No. 350. The barrier is built to the new metric standards and has a traditional pin and loop configuration for interconnection. The objective of this research project was to develop and evaluate a standardized, temporary concrete barrier design while addressing the concerns for safety, economy, structural integrity, constructability, ease of installation, and maintenance. The resulting F-shape barrier segment is 3,800-mm …

Concrete Beam Design Optimization With Genetic Algorithms, Siripong Malasri, D. A. Halijan, M. L. Keough

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

This paper demonstrates an application of the natural selection process to the design of structural members. Reinforced concrete beam design is used as the example to show how various chromosomes representing a design solution can be formulated. Fitter chromosomes (or better solutions) have a better chance of being selected for cross over; this in turn creates better generations. Random mutation is used to enhance the diversity of the population. The evolution progresses through several generations, and the best solution is then used in the design. The method gives reasonable results, but sometimes a local (as opposed to the global) optimized …

Effect Of Reduced Plate Width On The Structural Behaviour Of A Triangularly Folded Plate Barrel Vault, S Manyele

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Various methods of analysis have been employed to predict the  structural behaviour of the Triangularly Folded Plate Barrel  Vault, with conflicting results. A review of past analytical  and experimental investigations carried out on the structure  show that theoretical analysis based on a smaller effective  width rather than the overall plate width is capable of closely  predicting the deflection behaviour of the structure.  This paper presents an experimental study of the behaviour of  a triangularly folded plate barrel vault with physically reduced  plate width.  It is found that physical reduction of the plate width to  correspond to ‘theoretical’ effective width weakens …

Freight Transport Management In India Railways Through Improved Wagon Utilization, T Krishna Kumar, D M Pradyumna, R D Saklani

IIMB Management Review

Application of management concepts and tools to the service sector, particularly in the public sector, is of very recent origin. Such applications to rail freight transport, particularly in developing countries, are very few. This paper presents such an application to the problem of freight transport management in Indian Railways. The problem considered is that of efficient utilization of the scarce rolling stock -wagons. The plan of the paper is as follows. Section 2 gives a brief background of Indian Railways. A brief review of freight management models is presented in Section 3. The same section also gives a description of …

A Software Package For Time-Tabling And Scheduling Of A City Transport System, V B Kaujalgi, A K Rao, T A S Vijayaraghavan

IIMB Management Review

The planning control and implementation of an urban transportation
system is a complicated decision process. In practice, due to its complexities,
the problem has to be divided into sub problems considering only certain
aspects of such a system. Hence the focus of the present paper is on the
vehicle time-tabling and scheduling aspects of a city transportation system. A
computer software package for an urban road transport manager in his
day-to-day operations is developed. It can also be used for planning purposes.
The transport sector in any city is generally managed by public sector
organizations. Such systems are very complex. …

Mass Transit Study, Jacksonville Community Council, Inc.

Jacksonville Community Council, Inc.

A study to determine if mass transit is a current need in Jacksonville. Includes current user needs, ridership patterns, fare structures, potential sources of financial support, transportation modes used elsewhere and existing city transportation policies. Identifies major problems and recommends development of a varied mass transit system. PALMM

The Engineer Speaks: Memoirs Covering Five Decades Of Highway Problems In Duval County, Arthur Neyle Sollee Sr

Arthur N. Sollee, Sr. Textual Materials

Published in 1982, this book details the history and problems creating the Jacksonville we know today. PALMM.

Cross Florida Barge Canal Restudy Report Summary, Department Of The Army Jacksonville District Corp Of Engineers

Waterways and wildlife

The objective of this study was to prepare a Restudy Report including an environmental assessment and analysis, engineering and cost studies, and updated economic studies on various alter natives for the Cross Florida Barge Canal Project. Detailed engineering, economics and environmental results are presented in separate documents and summarized herein. An environmental impact statement was prepared to accompany the Restudy Report. The basic framework for the studies was regional in scope and included baseline conditions as well as future conditions expected with and without the alternatives studied. Study area delineation was based upon the economic , social, and environmental systems …

Sun, Sand And Water: A History Of The Jacksonville District U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers 1821-1975, George E. Buker

Books

A history of the Jacksonville district of the U. S. Army Corp of Engineers and their challenges to develop Jacksonville as a viable harbor and intracoastal waterways from 1821-1975