Transportation Engineering Commons^™

Quantifying The Impact Of Weather Events On Travel Time And Reliability, Xu Zhang, Mei Chen

Kentucky Transportation Center Faculty and Researcher Publications

It is of practical significance to understand the specific impact of weather events on the operating condition of the surface transportation system so that proactive and reactive strategies can be quickly implemented by transportation agencies to minimize the negativity resulted from adverse weather events. Many studies have been conducted on quantifying such effects yet suffer from limitations such as subjectively defining a time window under uncongested conditions and not being able to account for the severe impact from weather events which result in travel time unreliability. To overcome those shortcomings in existing literature, an integrated data mining framework based on …

Development Of A Laboratory Test For Evaluation Of Geogrid Materials, Charlie Sun, R. Clark Graves

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Two test methods have been developed in this project. The first test method is a compression test of a cylinder constructed out of geogrid material and filled with crushed stone. This test is simple and can be easily performed. Only a compression loading machine is needed for this test. The sample preparation is straightforward. However, multiple tests must be run to analyze geogrids with different ultimate tensile strength or different grid aperture size on machine direction and cross machine direction. The second test method is Geogrid Bearing Ratio (GBR) test. This test was developed to measure the effect of geogrids …

Process Analysis For Disposal Of Surplus Property, Bryan Gibson, Christopher Van Dyke, Candice Y. Wallace, Jeff Jasper, Steven Douglas Kreis

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) frequently acquires property to secure the right of way for transportation projects. Some property may eventually be declared excess and deemed surplus, enabling the Cabinet to dispose of it. Excess property can be declared surplus by an official order of the Secretary or Commissioner of the Department of Highways. Current law and policy require that KYTC undertake a 21-step process to dispose of surplus property, including reviews by the Governor, Finance and Administration Cabinet, and several KYTC personnel. The Cabinet lacks the personnel required to undertake the lengthy disposal process. This report provides background on …

Aid Project Summary Report For Intelligent Compaction, David Q. Hunsucker, Kean H. Ashurst Jr., Brad W. Rister

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This study reviews data from five roadway construction projects on which intelligent compaction (IC) techniques were used to achieve the more uniform compaction of road-building materials. Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) researchers looked at IC data collected from these projects — resulting in the production of eight analyzable data sets — to determine whether they complied with the special construction note included in contract documents. The report also compares the intelligent compaction measurement value (ICMV) collected on each project to traditional laboratory results. Researchers used Veta software to analyze geospatial data collected from IC machines during construction work. Of the data …

The Use Of 3-D Highway Differential Geometry In Crash Prediction Modeling, Kiriakos Amiridis

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

The objective of this research is to evaluate and introduce a new methodology regarding rural highway safety. Current practices rely on crash prediction models that utilize specific explanatory variables, whereas the depository of knowledge for past research is the Highway Safety Manual (HSM). Most of the prediction models in the HSM identify the effect of individual geometric elements on crash occurrence and consider their combination in a multiplicative manner, where each effect is multiplied with others to determine their combined influence. The concepts of 3-dimesnional (3-D) representation of the roadway surface have also been explored in the past aiming to …

Quantifying The Impact Of Transportation Network Companies (Tncs) On Traffic Congestion In San Francisco, Sneha Roy

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

This research investigates whether Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), such as Uber and Lyft, live up to their stated vision of reducing congestion by complementing transit and reducing car ownership in major cities. The objective of this research study is to answer the question: are TNCs are correlated to traffic congestion in the city of San Francisco? If found to be so, do they increase or decrease traffic congestion for the case of San Francisco? If and how TNC pickups and drop-offs impact traffic congestion within San Francisco? And finally, how does the magnitude of this measured command of TNCs on …

Evaluate Probe Speed Data Quality To Improve Transportation Modeling, Fahmida Rahman

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Probe speed data are widely used to calculate performance measures for quantifying state-wide traffic conditions. Estimation of the accurate performance measures requires adequate speed data observations. However, probe vehicles reporting the speed data may not be available all the time on each road segment. Agencies need to develop a good understanding of the adequacy of these reported data before using them in different transportation applications. This study attempts to systematically assess the quality of the probe data by proposing a method, which determines the minimum sample rate for checking data adequacy. The minimum sample rate is defined as the minimum …

E-Construction Technologies For Efficient Highway Construction Inspections, Dhaivat Patel

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Over recent years, organizations such as the Federal Highway Administration and Departments of Transportation across the United States have showed interest in automating highway construction processes. The addition of e-Construction and other advanced technologies can significantly improve the efficiency and safety of highway paving operations, specifically paving inspections. Activities such as collecting load tickets, tracking pavement lay-down temperatures, and monitoring roller movement are antiquated practices that DOT inspectors perform during paving operations. E-Ticketing, Paver Mounted Thermal Profiling, and Intelligent Compaction were proposed to automate paving inspections and were recently tested in two resurfacing pilot projects in the state of Kentucky. …

Kentucky Traffic Collision Facts 2018, 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 …

Inventory Of Hazardous Materials Shipments Moving Into Fayette County, Kentucky, Candice Y. Wallace, Bryan Gibson, Steven Douglas Kreis

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Each day, significant quantities of hazardous materials are transported through Fayette County. The bulk of the materials pass through without incident, but some vehicles carrying them are involved in roadway incidents and/or accidents. However, first responders and management personnel lack clear knowledge of what hazardous material commodities are on central Kentucky’s roads. This project was designed to provide a high level analysis of hazardous material commodity flows in Fayette County.

Redefining Construction “As-Built” Plans To Meet Current Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Needs, Victoria Lynn Lasley

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

As-built drawings are the traditional method used by the construction industry to record changes made during construction. As-builts provide valuable information for new design projects as well as rehabilitation and remediation projects. The completeness and accuracy of these plans are essential for transportation industries and their success. While the importance of as-builts is widely recognized, the process of creating them has proven to be difficult. It is a time consuming process and entities often lack the resources necessary to complete accurate and detailed as-builts. After an investigation of current as-built operations within State Transportation Agencies, recommendations have been made to …

An Assessment Of Historical Traffic Forecast Accuracy And Sources Of Forecast Error, Jawad Mahmud Hoque

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Transportation infrastructure improvement projects are typically huge and have significant economic and environmental effects. Forecasts of demand of the facility in the form of traffic level help size the project as well as choose between several alternatives. Inaccuracy in these forecasts can thus have a great impact on the efficiency of the operational design and the benefits accrued from the project against the cost. Despite this understanding, evaluation of traffic forecast inaccuracy has been too few, especially for un-tolled roads in the United States. This study, part of a National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) funded project, bridges this gap …

Connected And Autonomous Vehicles Effects On Emergency Response Times, Austin William Obenauf

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Emergency response times have been shown to be directly correlated with mortality rates of out-of-hospital patients. Studies have been conducted to show the relationship between time and mortality rates until patients receive the proper treatment. With more cardiac arrests and other life threatening illnesses occurring in the United States, more emergency calls will be required as well. As of today, technological advancements have been made to reduce response times, but human factors still require certain procedures, causing delays in the run time and increasing the rate of mortality. Here we show the results of emergency response times with the market …

Adapting Crash Modification Factors For The Connected And Autonomous Vehicle Environment, Federico Valentin Lause Iii

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

The Crash Modification Factor (CMF) clearinghouse can be used to estimate benefits for specific highway safety countermeasures. It assists safety professionals in the allocation of investments. The clearinghouse contains over 7000 entries of which only 446 are categorized as intelligent transportation systems or advanced technology, but none directly address connected or autonomous vehicles (CAVs). Further, the effectiveness of highway safety countermeasures is assumed to remain constant over time, an assumption that is particularly problematic as new technologies are introduced. For example, for the existing fleet of human-driven vehicles, installation of rumble strip can potentially reduce “run-off-road” crashes by 40%. If …

Improving Bicycle Infrastructure With The Use Of Bicycle Share Travel Data, Jennifer Mintao Weast

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Bicycling as a mode of transportation has been increasing in recent years due to its environmental and health benefits. The availability of bicycles through bicycle share programs has made bicycling a more viable option. With this increase, there is a need for complementary improvements of bicycle infrastructure. Many local and regional transportation agencies are recognizing this need and developing a master plan or safety action plan to improve the city’s bicycle and walking facilities. This study examines bicycle travel demands and travel patterns in Lexington, Kentucky as generated by SPIN bicycle share users. It is hypothesized that the SPIN users …

Deterioration Modelling Of Bridges On Brm 5.2.3, Sudhir Palle, Theodore Hopwood Ii

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) initiated the study KYSPR 17-532, “Deterioration Modelling of Bridges on BrM 5.2.3,” so it could receive assistance identifying and employing bridge deterioration and cost forecast modeling for its bridge maintenance program. The Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) was to help coordinate KYTC in adapting BrM 5.2.3’s deterioration and cost modelling features and update the existing guide material to reflect all changes for BrM 5.2.3. This study included acquiring access and becoming familiar with AASHTO Bridge Management (BrM 5.2.3) software. It was also to explore opportunities for any training on BrM and BrM 5.2.3’s deterioration and cost …

Investigating The Use Of In-Place Lateral Pull Off Tests To Determine The Compressive Strength Of Structural Concrete, Charlie Sun

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s current practice for determining the compressive strength of structural concrete consists of two methods. Both methods require that samples be delivered to an off-site facility for testing. Accordingly, affected parties on the project site must wait for the delivery of samples to the off-site facility, the performance of tests and analysis of test data, and the return of test results to the project site. Analysis of existing structural concrete requires core samples to be taken from the structural element in question. As a result, sample locations must be patched and repaired. Sampling can also potentially damage …

Integrating Crash, Hospital, And Roadway Data To Investigate The Effect Of Cable Median Barriers On Injury Severity, Michael D. Singleton, Eric R. Green, William Nicholas Staats, I-Chen Chen

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Executive Summary

• In median-involved crashes, the odds of a police-reported injury were estimated to be 42% lower on road segments with a cable median barrier (CMB) than on road segments with a concrete median barrier, and the difference was statistically significant [odds ratio 0.58, 95% confidence interval (0.43, 0.78)].
• In median-involved crashes, the odds of having an injury severity score of 8 or greater were estimated to be 34% higher on road segments with a CMB than on road segments with a concrete median barrier; however, the difference was not statistically significant [odds ratio 1.34, 95% confidence interval (0.67, 2.66). …

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 …

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 …

Tncs & Congestion, Joe Castiglione, Drew Cooper, Bhargava Sana, Dan Tischler, Tilly Chang, Gregory D. Erhardt, Sneha Roy, Mei Chen, Alex Mucci

Civil Engineering Reports

From the executive summary:

This document:

• Identifies common measures of roadway congestion;
• Discusses factors that contribute to roadway to congestion; and
• Quantifies the relative contributions of different factors, including population, employment, road network changes and TNCs, to observed changes in congestion in San Francisco between 2010 and 2016, by location and time of day.

The report utilizes a unique TNC trip dataset provided to the Transportation Authority by researchers from Northeastern University in late 2016, as well as INRIX data, a commercial dataset which combines several real-time GPS monitoring sources with data from highway performance monitoring systems. These data are …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …