Transportation Engineering Commons^™

Signal Processing And Data Analysis For Real-Time Intermodal Freight Classification Through A Multimodal Sensor System., Enrique J. Sanchez Headley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Identifying freight patterns in transit is a common need among commercial and municipal entities. For example, the allocation of resources among Departments of Transportation is often predicated on an understanding of freight patterns along major highways. There exist multiple sensor systems to detect and count vehicles at areas of interest. Many of these sensors are limited in their ability to detect more specific features of vehicles in traffic or are unable to perform well in adverse weather conditions. Despite this limitation, to date there is little comparative analysis among Laser Imaging and Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) sensors for freight detection …

Comparison Of The Resistance Of Belitic Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement And Portland Cement To Sulfate Attack And Sulfuric Acid, Rilye Dillard

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Microbially induced corrosion (MIC) is a fairly common concrete deterioration mechanism with many negative effects. MIC is a complex chemical and biological process that occurs in sewage systems and is nearly impossible to replicate in a laboratory setting. For this study, sulfate and sulfuric acid attack on concrete were studied to mimic two stages of the MIC process. The ASTM C1012, Standard Test Method for Length Change of Hydraulic-Cement Mortars Exposed to a Sulfate Solution and a modified ASTM C1012 accelerated method were used to compare the sulfate resistance of belitic calcium sulfoaluminate (BCSA) cement, portland cement (PC), and PC-fly …

Development Of An Ultraviolet Absorbance Assay To Estimate Air Entrainer Dosing For Concrete Containing Fly Ash, James Spencer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fly ash is a coal combustion byproduct that can be used as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) in concrete, offering benefits such as increased workability, durability, and strength. Fly ash can be used as a partial replacement to cement, reducing concrete productions costs and decreasing disposal in landfills. However, variability of fly ash properties (e.g., carbon content, adsorption site density) confounds estimates of the air entraining admixture (AEA) dose needed to achieve a specified air content in concrete. Air entrainment is needed to improve freeze-thaw resistance and limit concrete cracking. The foam index (FI) test is currently used to estimate …

Improving Logistics Efficiency Through Collaborative Truck Routing, Patrick Dougherty

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The logistics industry is among the world’s largest and most essential. Specifically, trucking is a massive component of the modern logistics system. In 2012, truck transportation carried 68% of all freight tonnage in the U.S. However, trucking currently faces significant problems with efficiency and sustainability. Of all miles driven by trucks yearly in the U.S., 25% are driven with empty loads and 36% are driven with underutilized loads. In addition to this economic inefficiency, the industry faces social and environmental challenges. Driver turnover rates are near 100%, and trucking accounts for a significant level of greenhouse gas emissions. One potential …

Analysis Of Shear-Strength In Weathered Shale Strata Along A Highway Slope Failure Site In Northwest Arkansas, Olivia Overton

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Slope failures cost millions of dollars per year to repair and can be deadly. Accurate modeling of slope conditions, including soil parameters, water table locations, and depth to bedrock, are essential to determining the overall stability of a slope. This project is a continuation of the work completed in 2019 by a former University of Arkansas researcher, Vanessa LeBow. LeBow RocScience used Slide2 modeling software to model two highway embankment slopes in Northwest Arkansas that experienced slope movement to determine whether increased use of geophysical data could increase the accuracy of slope stability models. A parametric study of shear strengths …

Cement Stabilized Crushed Stone Base Course Strength And Stiffness Analysis, Andrew Deschenes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 70 – 80% of state departments of transportations (DOTs) utilize the 1993 AASTHO Guide for Design of Pavement Structures (1993 AASHTO) [1] for structural design of pavements. A growing portion of DOT’s are beginning to implement the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG), referred to as AASHTOWare Pavement ME [2]. The 1993 AASHTO flexible guide applies empirically derived unitless strength values referred to as structural layer coefficients and structural numbers (SN) to pavement thickness and pavement types. The 1993 AASHTO rigid flexible guide utilizes the depth and strength of the concrete pavement, with the composite spring constant (kc), which is …

An Investigation Into The Effects Of Fly Ash On Freeze-Thaw Durability Prediction, Yancy Schrader

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Air is purposefully entrained into concrete primarily to improve resistance to freeze-thaw deterioration while saturated with water. Air entraining admixtures (AEAs) are chemical admixtures designed to entrain air into the concrete to provide adequate resistance to the effects of freezing and thawing. One of the challenges associated with air entrainment in concrete is the interaction of an AEA with supplementary cementitious materials present in the concrete, particularly fly ash. Fly ash is a by-product of the coal fired electrical generation industry, and often contains residual unburned carbon and other components that can increase the AEA demand of a particular concrete …

Effect Of Citric Acid On Slump, Compressive Strength, And Setting Time Of Belitic Calcium Sulfoaluminate Concrete, Israel Aguilar Rosero

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Belitic calcium sulfoaluminate (BCSA) cement has well established advantages related to fast setting time, fast strength gain, long-term strengths, shrinkage, and sustainability. Due to its fast setting and hardening, this type of cement has historically been used to repair concrete structures, highways, and runways. This work provides much needed guidance on establishing mix design criteria for BCSA cement. Guidance is also given on the effects of set retarders on strength, slump, and setting times. Citric acid and a phosphonic acid-based admixture were tested as retarders for different concrete mixtures. Three studies were performed. In the slump study five different water …

Using Bcsa Cement To Repair Waterway Transportation Structures, Anazaria Johanis Ortega Gonzalez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many maritime structures (e.g., locks, dams, ports) in the US are either reaching or are past their design lives, and there are limited funds for the necessary maintenance activities which can lead to repairs that requires closures. These structures are not easy to detour and often require dewatering before repairs can be made, closures can cause delays and business-related losses which can have a large effect on the nation’s economy. Thus, it is advantageous to reduce the repair time for maritime structures. BCSA (belitic calcium sulfoaluminate) cement is a promising material to perform this type of repair due to its …

Application Of Percentage Within Limits Concepts On A Balanced Mix Design Of Asphalt Mixtures, Elvis Alexander Castillo Camarena

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many agencies have incorporated rutting, and more recently cracking, laboratory test requirements in the design process of asphalt mixtures. The objective of each additional specification is to produce a balance between the stability and durability of the final product. Although a performance-engineered mixture design (PEMD), denoted here as a balanced mix design (BMD), offers compelling benefits, there is concern regarding the compatibility of the BMD with current construction practices. The objective of this work is to correlate a BMD method with realistic binder content construction tolerances by applying the concepts of a percent-within-limits (PWL) approach to field QC/QA. First, Chapter …

A Methodological Framework To Evaluate Community Perceptions Of Economic And Safety Impacts Attributed To Highway Bypass And Widening Projects, Karla Diaz-Corro

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Transportation practitioners have proposed the construction of highway bypass and widening projects in rural communities to address traffic-related problems that include noise pollution and congestion, among others. In the past, the construction of bypass projects has led community residents to raise concerns about potential decreases in business activity for businesses located along the bypassed road. For transportation organizations, it is essential to understand the economic, social, and safety impacts of transportation projects in terms of public perceptions as public input is a required part of the project planning phase. Moreover, it is recommended that agencies perform retrospective analyses of project …

Exploring The Variability In The Gray Scale Imaging Process Of Asphalt Samples, David Oluwawade Olatunji

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Gray scale image analysis is a powerful tool for testing asphalt concrete materials. From material composition to surface properties, gray scale analysis has shown evidence as a non-invasive way to obtain information from asphalt samples. Casillas et al. used a gray scale analysis to measure the Representative Volume Element of three asphalt sample geometries to understand the minimum size at which an asphalt sample is representative of a larger homogeneous mixture [1]. While the gray scale analysis used in this experiment yielded results, there were unknown factors in the image capturing process. Particularly, not much was known about the effect …

Interdisciplinary Education Outreach With Traffic Sensor Build Kits, Sarah V. Hernandez, Mariah B. Crews

Civil Engineering Teaching and Learning

The goal of this project was to attract K-12 students to transportation engineering careers through STEM outreach programs. To accomplish this goal, the object of the project was to design and implement maritime freight oriented educational outreach activities centered on traffic sensing technologies for middle, high school, and first-year college students. In MarTREC Project 5011 (Evaluating the Performance of Intermodal Connectors), the research team designed a low-cost, easily implementable LiDAR and Bluetooth sensor bundle that was capable of detecting, characterizing, and tracking freight trucks as they traveled to and from inland waterway port areas. The sensor provided data necessary to …

Examining The Effects Of Reducing The Cement Content Of Portland Cement Concrete Pavement, Bryan Casillas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Portland cement is a significant component in a concrete mixture. For concrete used in portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP), the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) specifies a minimum cementitious material content of 564 lb/yd3 and a maximum water-cementitious material ratio of 0.45. Prior research conducted at the University of Arkansas, TRC 0603, indicated concrete mixtures used in five bridge decks throughout Arkansas achieved the required 28-day strength at seven days, and the measured compressive strength at 28 days was 30% greater than required. The use of high strength concrete in pavements throughout the state can increase cracking and consequently reduce …

Quantifying Workability, Compactability, And Cohesion Gain Of Asphalt Emulsion Cold In-Place Recycling, Sadie Casillas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To maximize the life and quality of a pavement, proper maintenance and rehabilitation are essential. Strategies for pavement rehabilitation with many sustainable benefits are pavement recycling. This dissertation focuses on two types of in-situ pavement recycling: Cold in-place recycling (CIR) stabilized with asphalt emulsion and full depth reclamation (FDR) stabilized with asphalt emulsion or foamed asphalt. One white paper (Chapter 2), two accepted peer reviewed journal articles (Chapters 3 and 4), and one submitted peer reviewed journal article (Chapter 5) are presented in this document to create better understanding of the unique material characterization of asphalt emulsion cold recycled materials, …

Verifying The Calcium Oxychloride Threshold In Cementitious Pastes, Fatoumata Traore

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Calcium oxychloride (CAOXY) formation is a serious deterioration mechanism known to cause joint damage in concrete pavements. CAOXY is the product of a chemical reaction between calcium chloride (CaCl2) or magnesium chloride (MgCl) deicing salts and calcium hydroxide in the cementitious matrix. Currently, the accepted CAOXY threshold at which deterioration is mitigated in cementitious paste is 15 g/100 g paste (15 oz/100 oz paste); however, this limit was developed using flexural strength testing. For this investigation, the current threshold was evaluated using compressive strength and mass change over time in paste specimens exposed to CaCl2. Fly ash is used to …

Commodity-Based Freight Activity On Inland Waterways Through The Fusion Of Public Datasets For Multimodal Transportation Planning, Magdalena I. Asborno

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Within the U.S., the 18.6 billion tons of goods currently moved along the multimodal transportation system are expected to grow 51% by 2045. Most of those goods are transported by roadways. However, several benefits can be realized by shippers and consumers by shifting freight to more efficient modes, such as inland waterways, or adopting a multimodal scheme. To support such freight growth sustainably and efficiently, federal legislation calls for the development of plans, methods, and tools to identify and prioritize future multimodal transportation infrastructure needs. However, given the historical mode-specific approach to freight data collection, analysis, and modeling, challenges remain …

Numerically Modeling Steel Continuous Bridges For Early Age Concrete Deck Cracking, Abdul Aziz Nabil Salah

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Early age bridge deck cracking is a common problem throughout the United States. Early age cracking develops shortly after the deck is poured. It reduces the serviceability and lifespan of bridges. Early age cracking can be typically attributed to either of two factors, 1) construction practices, and 2) shrinkage. The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) has experienced early age bridge deck cracking. ARDOT currently specifies a sequence deck pour on most of their bridges; however, contractors prefer continuous deck pours because of ease and construction time. During the period of this TRC1903 research project, ARDOT has only approved a few …

Best Practices For Asphalt Emulsion Particle Size Analyses Using A Coulter Counter, Logan P. Kiihnl

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As asphalt pavements develop distresses, pavement preservation, maintenance, and rehabilitation treatments are used to mitigate distresses and extend the life of the pavement. Many of these treatments utilize asphalt emulsion. Previous research has linked particle size to material properties including viscosity and storage stability. General statements have also been made about particle size influencing emulsion performance while other researchers have identified a trend between particle size and prime coat penetration. Even though literature discusses the importance of particle size, there is little guidance on the best practices of asphalt emulsion particle size analyses, specifically with a Coulter counter.

Data collected …

Development Of Multi-Axial Fatigue Retrofits For Lock Gate Components, Logan Verkamp

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lock gates are essential infrastructure components to the United State (US) supply chain. They create large cost savings and environmental benefits when compared with traditional methods of transport (freight and rail). Because of the large quantity of goods and dependence on these shipping chains, the US economy can be drastically affected by an unexpected gate closure. Unfortunately, many lock gates within the US have reached or exceeded their designed life. Due to the intensity of cyclic loads and the environment, fatigue cracks have become a prominent issue. Developed cracks near the pintle region (a joint which the gate rotates and …

Understanding Workability In Belitic Calcium Sulfoaluminate Concrete Mixtures, Caleb W. Chesnut

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Belitic Calcium Sulfoaluminate cement (BCSA) is an emerging technology in the concrete industry. BCSA has similar hardened properties to portland cement (PC) but can set in under 20 minutes and reach 4,000 psi in less than 2 hours. Portland cement accounts for 8% of the world’s CO2 emissions, BCSA cements require less energy to produce. Studies have shown that 40% less CO2 is emitted during the production of BCSA cement than portland cement. This environmental benefit also makes it a very promising PC alternative. Before a new material can be used, designers need to understand the material’s properties. The goal …

Countermeasures For Pedestrian-Involved Accidents On Interstate-Highways, Anna C. Hunter

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Pedestrian access to the Interstate is prohibited, but many pedestrian-involved accidents still occur on the Interstate in the United States. This project is a case study of West Memphis, Arkansas, which has the second highest occurrence of pedestrian-involved accidents on the Interstate in Arkansas. The study site location includes a segment of Interstate I-40 which is at- grade. The surrounding area contains several different land-uses, which is believed to be the primary generator of these accidents. The goal of this project is to determine the primary causes of these accidents and determine potential countermeasures to reduce the crash rate for …

Applying Performance Engineered Mixture Design To Permeable Concrete, Rachel Pohl

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The scope of research and application related to permeable pavements has recently broadened. The desire to significantly reduce the environmental impact of large paved areas makes the permeable pavement concept more desirable (American Concrete Institute, 2018). Although research and interest are increasing, the actual application of permeable pavement is still very limited and has not reached the airfield arena. In airfields, permeable pavement could possibly be used for aircraft aprons - which currently require substantial measures to control stormwater runoff. Permeable pavements are typically used in low-traffic-volume / lightly loaded applications; questions remain regarding a permeable pavement’s ability to hold …

Evaluation Of Concrete Deck Curing Regimens Using Capillary Pressure Sensing System, Samuel Spann

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Early-age plastic shrinkage cracking is a common problem with the construction of concrete bridge decks due to the high surface area-to-volume ratio and exposure to potentially detrimental environmental effects. Curing regimens are utilized to mitigate cracking risk during the plastic stage of the concrete; the curing regimens evaluated for this study were wet burlap-polyethylene sheeting, two acrylic curing compounds, and one lithium compound. Capillary pressure in the water filled pores has been shown to correlate to the plastic shrinkage cracking risk of concrete. A new portable system has been developed to measure the capillary pressure that could potentially be used …

Truck Activity Pattern Classification Using Anonymous Mobile Sensor Data, Taslima Akter

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To construct, operate, and maintain a transportation system that supports the efficient movement of freight, transportation agencies must understand economic drivers of freight flow. This is a challenge since freight movement data available to transportation agencies is typically void of commodity and industry information, factors that tie freight movements to underlying economic conditions. With recent advances in the resolution and availability of big data from Global Positioning Systems (GPS), it may be possible to fill this critical freight data gap. However, there is a need for methodological approaches to enable usage of this data for freight planning and operations.

To …

Study Of Internal Strains Developed In Concrete Decks At Early Ages In Steel Continuous Bridges, Fernando R. Benitez Ortiz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) has identified bridge deck cracking shortly after concrete decks are placed and prior to applying traffic loads. Previous researchers have confirmed improper construction practices and design methods can lead to deck cracking. Currently, many contractors throughout Arkansas are using continuous deck pours. This construction approach may restrict the concrete slab from movement during early age shrinkage, causing tensile stresses to develop. The final stresses at the end of construction must be lower than the concrete tensile strength, if not cracking issues will develop. Eventually, these cracks may enlarge due to service load stresses and …

Weigh-In-Motion Auto-Calibration Using Automatic Vehicle Identification, Fu Ren Zhang Zhang Durandal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) sensors are installed on mainline lanes at highway locations to record vehicle weights, axle spacing, vehicle class, travel speed, vehicle length, and traffic volume. These data elements support effective transportation planning, infrastructure design, and policy development. Therefore, it is important that WIM sensors supply accurate data. After initial installation and calibration, WIM systems may experience measurement drifts in weight and axle detection. Recalibration takes two general forms: (a) On-site calibration involving running trucks of known weight over WIM scales and (b) Auto-calibration methods involving comparisons to assumed reference weights. Auto-calibration can be more cost and time effective than …

Evaluation Of Fracture Principles In Asphalt Concrete Utilizing The Sc(B) Geometry, Airam Marlee Morales Vega

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since cracking is one of the principal distresses to be considered in asphalt concrete, multiple fracture tests and geometries have been used to quantify cracking resistance. One of the most popular geometries that have been used in fracture tests is the Semi-Circular bend (SC(B)). However, for this geometry, most of the fracture test methods use different parameters such as thickness, testing temperatures, and loading rates. Thus, the purpose of this research was first to evaluate fracture energy by performing a ruggedness test based on ASTM E1169. Then, to apply fracture mechanics concepts to evaluate three specimen thicknesses (25, 50, and …

Fractional Order State Feedback Control For Improved Lateral Stability Of Semi-Autonomous Commercial Heavy Vehicles, Rasheed Mazen Abdulkader

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the growing development of autonomous and semi-autonomous large commercial heavy vehicles, the lateral stability control of articulated vehicles have caught the attention of researchers recently. Active vehicle front steering (AFS) can enhance the handling performance and stability of articulated vehicles for an emergency highway maneuver scenario. However, with large vehicles such tractor-trailers, the system becomes more complex to control and there is an increased occurrence of instabilities. This research investigates a new control scheme based on fractional calculus as a technique that ensures lateral stability of articulated large heavy vehicles during evasive highway maneuvering scenarios. The control method is …

Auto-Calibration Of Wim Using Traffic Stream Characteristics, Johnson Baker

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project evaluates the performance of Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) auto-calibration methods used by the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT). Typical auto-calibration algorithms compare the WIM measured weights of vehicles from the traffic stream to reference values, using five-axle tractor-trailer configured trucks for comparisons, e.g. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Class 9. Parameters of the existing algorithms including the Front Axle Weight (FAW) reference value, the sampling frequency required to update the calibration factor, and thresholds for Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) bins were evaluated. The primary metric used to estimate algorithm performance was Mean Absolute Percent Error (MAPE) between the WIM and static …