Transportation Engineering Commons^™

Improving Vehicle Trip Generation Estimations For Urban Contexts: A Method Using Household Travel Surveys To Adjust Ite Trip Generation Rates, Kristina Marie Currans

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this research is to develop and test a widely available, ready-to-use method for adjusting the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Handbook vehicle trip generation estimates for urban context using regional household travel survey data. The ITE Handbook has become the predominant method for estimating vehicle trips generated by different land uses or establishment, providing a method for data collection and vehicle trip estimation based on the size of the development (e.g. gross square footage, number of employees, number of dwelling units). These estimates are used in traffic impact analysis to assess the amount of impact …

Exploring Data Quality Of Weigh-In-Motion Systems, Chengxin Dai

Dissertations and Theses

This research focuses on the data quality control methods for evaluating the performance of Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) systems on Oregon highways. This research identifies and develops a new methodology and algorithm to explore the accuracy of each station's weight and spacing data at a corridor level, and further implements the Statistical Process Control (SPC) method, finite mixture model, axle spacing error rating method, and data flag method in published research to examine the soundness of WIM systems. This research employs the historical WIM data to analyze sensor health and compares the evaluation results of the methods. The results suggest the new …

Evaluation Of Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls For Bridge Ends In Kentucky; What Next?, Charlie Sun, Clark Graves

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report summarizes the nationwide survey results on MSE wall abutment status. Many of handy features on MSE Wall Abutment Inspection/Rating In KY web application are highlighted, and various graphical user interfaces of the web application are illustrated and described. The inspection/rating results for fifty-six (56) existing MSE wall abutments are presented and discussed.

Development Of A New Energy-Absorbing Roadside/Median Barrier System With Restorable Elastomer Cartridges, Ronald K. Faller, Dean L. Sicking, Karla A. Lechtenberg, Robert W. Bielenberg, Scott K. Rosenbaugh, James C. Holloway, John D. Reid, Jennifer D. Schmidt

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Structural Reliability Analysis Of Corroded Steel Girder Bridge, Mohammed Shaalan Al Badran

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The natural aging, environmental impact, and appropriate design are certainly playing a serious role in safety of the bridges function. The functional safety of bridge constitutes a prime element of the transportation system serving commuters, passengers and freight. According to Federal Highway Administration, the steel bridges share represents a large amount of the United States’ bridges. In last century, the collapse of both the Silver Bridge at Point Pleasant, West Virginia over the Ohio River on December 15, 1967 and over the Mianus River Bridge in Connecticut on June 28, 1983 showed that steel corrosion has been the leading reason …

Cable Median Barrier Failure Analysis And Remediation Phase Ii, Cody S. Stolle, Dean L. Sicking, Ronald K. Faller, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Cable median barrier crashes from a total of 12 states were analyzed. Crash data included scene diagrams, photographs, and field measurements, crash narratives, although the availability of data in each crash varied.

Major contributors to penetration crash propensity were identified: diving underride, in which the front end of the vehicle dropped below the bottom cable; prying, in which the vehicle profile caused cable separation or lifting; override; bouncing override, in which the vehicle rebounded after contact with the back slope and bounced over the top of the barrier; system failure, in which one component failure or design failure prevented the …

Pavement Quality Indicators, Connor Villanueva, Wayne Jensen

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Alternative Snowplowable Markers And Snowplowing Procedures, Kenneth R. Agent, Jerry G. Pigman

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objectives of this study were to investigate viable alternatives to the currently approved snowplowable raised pavement marker and alternative methods and equipment used to snowplow roadways. The study included evaluating any potential durable and effective pavement marker that is not disruptive to snowplowing operations and alternative snowplowing procedures and equipment that do not damage pavement delineation and pavements. Implementation possibilities resulting from the research project include a recessed snowplowable marker and improved/alternative snowplowing procedures and equipment.

The alternative snowplowable markers included in the evaluation were the current steel casting marker and a recessed marker. The evaluations confirmed past research …

Evaluation Of Wet-Nighttime Delineation, Kenneth R. Agent

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objective of the research was to evaluate the alternative methods which could potentially provide effective and durable delineation of roadways during wet-nighttime conditions. Following is a summary of conclusions for future procedures and materials which should be considered as a method to provide effective lane delineation during wet-nighttime conditions.

• Snowplowable raised pavement markers should continue to be used on interstates and parkways. The installation process must ensure the markers are not placed on or adjacent to the pavement joint.
• Lenses in the steel casting raised pavement markers should be replaced on a three-year cycle. The condition of the castings …

Exploring Factors Contributing To Injury Severity At Freeway Merging And Diverging Locations In Ohio, Worku Y. Mergia, Deogratias Eustace, Deo Chimba, Maher Butros Qumsiyeh

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Faculty Publications

Identifying factors that affect crash injury severity and understanding how these factors affect injury severity is critical in planning and implementing highway safety improvement programs. Factors such as driver-related, traffic-related, environment-related and geometric design-related were considered when developing statistical models to predict the effects of these factors on the severity of injuries sustained from motor vehicle crashes at merging and diverging locations. Police-reported crash data at selected freeway merging and diverging areas in the state of Ohio were used for the development of the models. A generalized ordinal logit model also known as partial proportional odds model was applied to …

Optimized Aggregates Gradations For Portland Cement Concrete Mix Designs Evaluation, Wally Heyen, Lieska Halsey, Robert Rea, Mick Syslo

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Developing Crash Modification Factors For Operational Parameters On Urban Freeways, Eugene Vida Maina

Dissertations

Studies have shown that, roadway safety has become an intensively investigated topic with the objective of improved understanding of the factors that cause crashes to occur. However, it has been shown that as traffic volumes continue to increase across the United States, 52% of drivers feel less safe on the roads today more than they did five years ago and that the American public feels that traffic safety is a serious problem that needs both the government and media to pay more attention to this issue.

In response to these public and driver grievances, State and National transportation agencies have …

Mitigating Shrinkage Cracking Of Concrete In Bridge Decks Through Internal Curing, Daniel Robert Goad

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the need for durable, long lasting infrastructure increases, new methods and techniques are being explored to prolong the service life of roads and bridges. One method to reduce shrinkage and early age cracking in concrete is internal curing. Internal curing supplies water to concrete, using pre-wetted lightweight aggregate (LWA), as needed throughout the process of hydration to reduce self desiccation, which leads to cracking. This research project analyzed two types of coarse LWA, expanded clay and expanded shale. The mixtures were developed specifically for use in bridge decks and adhered to specifications of the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation …

Variability In The Hydraulic Conductivity Of A Test Pad Liner System Using Different Testing Techniques, Matthew Jonathan Nanak

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Historic methods (the time lag approach, the velocity approach, and the Z-t approach), utilized to reduce two stage borehole test data, were evaluated. Two of the historic methods provided viable results and were used for this research project. Additionally, these two methods are recommended for reducing two stage borehole test data in the future.

Flexible wall permeameter and soil index laboratory testing were conducted on the soil used to construct three environmentally controlled compacted clay liners (test pads) to develop a zone of acceptance (placement window). Using the results from the laboratory testing, two acceptance criterions were evaluated, while one …

Return To Traffic Of Full Depth Reclamation Pavements, Robert Benjamin Hill

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Full-Depth Reclamation (FDR) is a cost-effective rehabilitation treatment for deteriorated pavements. However, when using asphalt emulsion based rehabilitation techniques one of the most challenging aspects of FDR is determining when traffic can be returned to the rehabilitated pavement surface. Since asphalt emulsion mixtures need ample time for curing, they cannot be sealed with a surface layer until the water has evaporated from the rehabilitated layer. It is often not possible to keep the road closed until all of the water has evaporated and the surface layer is placed, therefore, at some point the traffic needs to be returned to the …

An Overview Of U.S. Commuter Rail, Timothy J. Brock, Reginald R. Souleyrette

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Planners view commuter rail as a means of managing urban sprawl, stimulating economic development and reducing the environmental impacts of transportation. Commuter rail systems, which use shared rights-of-way to connect suburban hubs with downtown urban centers, are beginning to have a large impact on the way people and freight move through US cities. Currently, there are 26 commuter rail systems operating in 29 major U.S. metropolitan areas. However, there is confusion among the general public and disagreement among transportation organizations as to what constitutes a commuter rail system and how to classify some rail systems. This research establishes a complete …

Multimodal Alternative Evaluation Us 60 (Versailles Road) Lexington, Ky: Final Report, Adam J. Kirk

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Versailles Road corridor is a major arterial into the heart of Lexington, KY, connecting the Bluegrass Airport, Keeneland, and the Bluegrass Parkway with downtown. In addition, the corridor serves as the most heavily used transit route within the city. Heavy pedestrian and bicycle usage also exist on the corridor making it one of the most vibrant and diverse multimodal corridors in the city if not the state. However, few improvements have been made for either automobile or other modes of transportation in recent years leading to a poor condition of some facilities and the need for improved and expanded …

Commuting In Portland, Oregon: The Advantages Of Living Within A Transit Oriented Development Community Compared To Traditional Suburban Development By Comparing Environmental, Economic And Health Factors, Kyle Simpson

HIM 1990-2015

Transportation is a function that affects nearly all life decisions, but is often not given much thought by the average individual throughout their daily routines. Most of this complacency streams from the mainstream development patterns in the United States that have changed little from the end of World War II. During the immediate post-war years a perfect mix for suburban living came together: the mass production of automobiles, guaranteed mortgages from the federal government through the G.I. Bill, and in 1956 the passage of the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act. These factors, along with the dominate social paradigm that …

Life-Cycle Assessment Of Nebraska Bridges, George Morcous

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Cost-Effective Treatment Of Existing Guardrail Systems, Mitchell J. Wiebelhaus, Karla A. Lechtenberg, Dean L. Sicking, Ronald K. Faller, Scott K. Rosenbaugh

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Reducing Seismic Risk To Highway Mobility: Assessment And Design Examples For Pile Foundations Affected By Lateral Spreading, Scott A. Ashford, Michael H. Scott, Deepak Rayamajhi

TREC Final Reports

Damage in pile supported structures due to liquefaction and liquefaction induced deformation were reported in past earthquakes around the world (e.g., Ansal et al. 1999; Seed et al. 1990; EERI 2010, EERI 2011; GEER 2010a, GEER 2010b, GEER 2011). For example, a reconnaissance report from a recent subduction zone event, the 2010 Chile earthquake (Mw=8.8), showed the pervasive nature of liquefaction and liquefaction-induced lateral spreading damage to bridge foundations (GEER 2010a, Yen et al. 2011). In terms of seismic hazard, the Pacific Northwest shares similar conditions from a Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) earthquake source with the expected earthquake magnitude of …

Development, Deployment, And Assessment Of A New Educational Paradigm For Transportation Professionals And University Students, Christopher M. Monsere

TREC Final Reports

Traditionally, engineering coursework has been delivered in a lecture-based format with accompanying exercises assigned for time outside of class. The activity-based approach to learning aims to keep students engaged in and responsible for their own learning processes. This approach has been shown to be more effective than conventional teaching approaches in terms of long-term retention of the educational material.

The Role Of Proximity In Reducing Auto Travel: Using Vmt To Identify Key Locations For Development, From Downtown To The Exurbs, Robert B. Case

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to discover the VMT impact of each level of proximity in order to help government identify key locations for housing development, and thereby lower VMT and reduce dependence on foreign oil. By discovering the VMT impact of each level of proximity, this dissertation provides a) the first known means of calculating the proximity-based VMT benefit of subject locations by individual proximity level, and b) the new finding that it is likely that high VMT benefit can be achieved at moderate proximity levels acceptable to many households, enabling representative governments to be politically successful while …

Large-Scale Incidents Modeling And Network Simulation, Yichi Zhang

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Traffic incidents on urban freeways are a major source of congestion and travel time uncertainty. In particular, large-scale incidents have longer durations and need more incident response resources. As such, large-scale incidents deserve more attention by practitioners and researchers. The objective of this study is to analyze large-scale incidents and explore their correlates and implications for traffic operations. An innovative analysis method, based on a 2008 incident data set from the Hampton Roads Traffic Operation Center (HRTOC) in Hampton Roads, Virginia was developed (N=59176). This study defined large-scale incidents as having a two hour minimum duration, based on guidance from …

Effective Criteria For Seismic Rehabilitation Planning Of Road Transportation Infrastructures, Mohammadreza Yadollahi, Rosli Mohamad Zin, Sadegh Asgari

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

While seismic rehabilitation process for road infrastructures has been traditionally based on seismic factors, consideration of non-seismic factors is necessary for reliable project ranking. Non-seismic factors include socioeconomic criteria, determining the value of a project to its users’ community. Based on the information obtained from a questionnaire survey and literature review, this paper identifies a set of effective rehabilitation criteria (ERC) for seismic rehabilitation decision-making to develop a priority index that is applied to determine the rehabilitation priority. The identified RC will then be weighted for four types of road structures including bridges, tunnels, retaining walls, and buildings. The results …

Protecting Bridges From Earthquake Damage, Peter Dusicka

TREC Project Briefs

Earthquake damage to bridges can have serious effects on a transportation network. When a bridge is out, the damage can go well beyond what is immediately visible: in addition to the cost of repairing it, the state must deal with short-term and long-term interruptions to traffic. These interruptions can delay repair and construction, as well as impacting post earthquake emergency response and causing the loss of valuable time for commuters and freight. To prevent this situation, older bridges (ones that are past an average construction life of about 50 years) should be retrofitted with stronger materials, especially in earthquake- prone …

Reliable Travel: Clearer Roads, Cleaner Air, Miguel Figliozzi

TREC Project Briefs

A project explores the importance of travel-time reliability for evaluating the performance of a road network in terms of emissions, traffic and commuters’ route choices.

Fatigue Risks In The Connections Of Sign Support Structures, Christopher M. Foley, Joseph A. Diekfuss, Baolin Wan

Transportation Reports with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

This research effort develops a reliability-based approach for prescribing inspection intervals for mast-arm sign support structures corresponding to user-specified levels of fatigue-induced fracture risk. The resulting level of risk for a particular structure is dependent upon its geographical location, the type of connection it contains, the orientation of its mast-arm relative to north and the number of years it has been in service. The results of this research effort indicate that implementation of state-of-the-art reliability-based assessment procedures can contribute very valuable procedures for assigning inspection protocols (i.e. inspection intervals) that are based upon probabilities of finding fatigue-induced cracking in these …

Simulation Modeling And Analysis Of Complex Port Operations With Multimodal Transportation, Mariam Kotachi, Ghaith Rabadi, Mohammad F. Obeid

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

World trade has been increasing dramatically in the past two decades, and as a result containers exchange has grown significantly. Accordingly, container terminals are expanding to meet this increase and new container ports have opened. Ports with one or more container terminals are considered complex systems in which many resources, entities and transporters interact to achieve the objective of safely moving containers delivered by ships inland as well as loading containers delivered by trucks and rail onto ships. Ports with multimodal transportation systems are in particular complex as they typically operate with ships arriving to one or more terminals, multiple …

Motor Carrier Tax Consolidation Study, Andrew Martin, Mark Bell, Jennifer Walton

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This study analyzed the tax and fee structure for Kentucky motor carriers and details a possible policy scenario for eliminating the weight-distance tax. The report starts out analyzing detailed revenue and rate information for the motor fuel tax, motor fuel surtax, weight distance tax, IRP registration fees, and intrastate registration fees. Consolidation policies in Idaho and Ohio were reviewed, as well as a previous consolidation proposal in Kentucky. A new consolidation framework was developed, where IRP and intrastate plate fees were increased by 129 percent and the weight-distance tax was eliminated. Projections for weight-distance tax and IRP fees (both current …