Transportation Engineering Commons^™

A Comprehensive Reliability-Based Framework For Corrosion Damage Monitoring And Repair Design Of Reinforced Concrete Structures, Homero Castaneda, Aydin Karsilaya, Ayman Okeil, Mahmoud Reda Taha

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17STLSU03. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"In this work, we developed a comprehensive framework for corrosion management of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. This framework includes critical steps of an effective approach to quantify the damage evolution as well as providing the timeframe for effective maintenance/repair strategies for corrosion assessment in RC structures. The framework included several activities including the use of indirect and direct inspection tools, theoretical development for damage prediction, experimental measurements and theoretical development of repair time based on reliability. The uniqueness of the framework is …

Development Of A Standard Test Method For Characterization Of Asphalt Modifiers And Aging-Related Degradation Using An Extensional Rheometer, Nazimuddin Wasiuddin

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17BLSU01. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"An extensional deformation test method using a Sentmanat Extensional Rheometer (SER) fixture inside a Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) is developed in this study to investigate the degradation of the polymer due to aging and to investigate the effect of modifier type. A relationship between different percentages of modifier and ductility of the modified binder is also investigated. The sample geometrics used in this study are 1 mm  0.72 mm and 3 mm  0.72 mm. A total of one hundred and …

Prediction And Rehabilitation Of Highway Embankment Slope Failures In Changing Climate, Navid Jafari, Anand Puppala

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17GTLSU04. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"Highway slopes constructed with clayey soil are prone to desiccation cracks due to wetting and drying weather cycle, which allows greater moisture infiltration into the embankment from precipitation. Fissures formed due to extended wetting and drying cycles allow water to seep deeper into the soil than surficial wetting and increase the water content. This increases the moisture content in the soil and results in reduction in shear strength to the fully softened strength. On the other hand, development of desiccation cracks and …

Bridge Deck Overlays Using Ultra-High Performance Concrete, Craig Newtson, Brad Weldon

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17CNMS01. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"This study investigated the use of a locally produced ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) as an alternative to typical overlay materials. Several bond strength tests including slant-shear, splitting tension, and direct tension tests were performed to assess the bond strength between UHPC and normal strength concrete (NSC) substrate with varying surface textures. Tests were also conducted to assess the early-age and longer-term shrinkage behavior and coefficient of thermal expansion of the UHPC as well as rapid chloride permeability testing. Good bond between UHPC …

Modeling Sulfate Attack In Modern Concrete For Building Sustainable And Resilient Infrastructure, Zachary Grasley

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17CTAM01. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"External sulfate attack is a complex phenomenon and is manifested in the form of large expansion, cracking, and spalling depending on the exposure solution and material constituent properties. Several models were developed in the past to demonstrate sulfate attack mechanisms that account for the diffusion of sulfate ions into the porous concrete and the successive deformation triggered by the chemical reaction and precipitation of expansive agents. However, none of these models accounts for the effect of the migration of solvent water from …

Use Of Rice Hull Ash (Rha) As A Sustainable Source Of Construction Material, Zahid Hossain, Ashraf Elsayed

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17CASU02. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"With the imminent shortage of natural resources, the need to find sustainable development is the highest in recent history. Therefore, this study examines the potential uses of Rice Hull Ash (RHA) as a sustainable cementitious material (SCM) in preparation of concrete. This study also assesses the use of RHA as an alternative of commonly used polymers in preparing high-grade asphalt binders. RHA is a potential sustainable solution because it is currently being treated as an agricultural waste material, yet its high silica …

Bridge Inspecting With Unmanned Aerial Vehicles R&D, Paul Darby, Vijaya Gopu

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17STLSU11. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"The project achieves through research including literature, on site interviews, and experimentation: 1) a recommendation for a UAV-based system to practically assist in routine bridge inspection work in the State of Louisiana, 2) the identification and description of advantages, disadvantages, and limitations in the use of UAVs for routing bridge inspection work in Louisiana, and 3) provided recommendations for future work. The Yuneec H520 aircraft and its E90 camera are recommended, as is the need for a boat to be included as …

Simplified Approach For Structural Evaluation Of Flexible Pavements At The Network Level, Mena Souliman, Stefan Romanoschi, Samer Dessouky

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17PUTA02. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"Currently, there are few available simple procedures to identify structurally weak pavement sections utilizing Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) data at the network level (e.g., city, state or province). A simple method is required to determine the structural condition of pavement sections that can be directly implemented and automated in current pavement databases. The objective of this research study is to develop a simple analysis method to determine the structural condition of pavement sections utilizing the currently available non-destructive testing (NDT) deflection measurement …

Relationship Between Road Network Characteristics And Traffic Safety, Hatim Sharif, Samer Dessouky

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17ITSTSA01. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"The Transportation and Capital Improvement of the City of San Antonio, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and other related agencies often make several efforts based on traffic data to improve safety at intersections, but the number of intersection crashes is still on the high side. There is no one size fits all solution for intersections and the City is often usually confronted with doing best value option analysis on different solutions to choose the least expensive yet more advancements. The goal of …

Development, Training, Education, And Implementation Of Low-Cost Sensing Technologies For Bridge Structural Health Monitoring (Shm), Fernando Moreu, Chris Lippitt, Dilendra Maharjan, Marlon Aguero, Roya Nasimi

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17STUNM02. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"Transportation infrastructure needs continuous monitoring. However, traditional inspections cost money and are conducted visually. New technologies for bridge monitoring are expensive and complex. This project involved developing cost-effective sensor technologies that can be applied towards the maintenance of railroad bridges by recording reference-free transverse displacement. More specifically, this project developed new applications of new technologies (Arduino, wireless smart sensors, drones, Hololens) and promoted workforce development with an emphasis on outreach of high-school students. This project was carried out in three main phases: …

Evaluation Of The Performance And Cost-Effectiveness Of Engineered Cementitious Composites (Ecc) Produced From Region 6 Local Materials, Gabriel Andres Arce Amador, Tyson Rupnow, Marwa Hassan

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17CLSU05. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"The project objective is to develop cost-effective Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) with locally available ingredients in Region 6 to address the deficiencies observed in ordinary concrete materials. The study explored the utilization of two types of river sands (coarse and fine), two types of PVA fibers (long and short), four levels of cement replacement with Class F fly ash, and the implementation of recycled crumb rubber in the performance of ECC materials. A total of 24 mix designs were prepared and evaluated …

Impacts Of Moisture On Asphalt Properties, Zahid Hossain

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17BASU03. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"Stripping related moisture damage has been recognized as one of the major pavement distresses since the early 1990s. The main objective of this study is to establish an effective test protocol to quantify moisture susceptibility of asphalt pavements. To this end, selective test methods (Texas Boiling test, Tensile Strength Ratio, Retained Stability, and Hamburg Wheel Test), and procedures based on surface chemistries and molecular-level mechanistic properties have been investigated in this study. Firstly, a comprehensive list of literature related to moisture damage …

Integrated Health Monitoring And Reinforcement Of Transportation Structures With Optimized Low-Cost Multifunctional Braided Cables, Ibrahim Karaman, Darren Hartl

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17STTAM04. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"Corresponding data set for The objective of this research study is to design, fabricate, and characterize multifunctional high strength and self-sensing braided cables and structures using novel Fe-based shape memory alloys (SMAs). The system exploits unique properties of recently developed low-cost super-elastic FeMnAlNi SMAs, which enables excellent super-elastic properties, high strength, and self-sensing in structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. This novel material technology can be coupled with modeling efforts that allow for accurate prediction of both the materials and structural response during …

Investigating Problem Of Distracted Drivers On Louisiana Roadways, Xiaoduan Sun

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17SALSU10. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"Due to the escalating usage of cellphone and social networking, distracted driving is and will remain as one of the most serious problems faced by Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and law enforcement agencies. Under the aim of in-depth investigation of distracted driving crashes in Louisiana, the specific objectives of this study are: (1) reviewing the crash reports for the quality of distracted driving crash reporting, (2) analyzing distracted driving-related crashes through regression model and data mining algorithm to link the severity of …

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 …

Evaluation Of Bike Boxes And Protected Intersections With Bicycle Signal Treatments For Improving Safety And Multimodal Mobility At Urban Signalized Intersections, Odai Al Houz

Masters Theses

With the dramatic increase of non-motorized transportation users, more people are concerned about the non-motorized traffic safety. Unfortunately, bicyclist and pedestrian are prone to more severe injuries when involved in a crash. For bicycle crashes, failing to yield/disregarding traffic control device, and lack of non-motorized facilities were identified to be the main causes of bicycle crashes in urban intersections. This research investigated the effectiveness of two bicycle crash countermeasures with bicycle signal treatments at urban signalized intersections. The two countermeasures are the bike boxes and the protected intersections. The bicycle signal treatments are the leading bicycle interval and the exclusive …

Service Learning Through Extracurricular Activities: Development And Implementation Of A Transportation Engineering Learning Module, Karla Diaz Corro

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This project developed an easy to implement, low-cost learning module. The module has students compare and contrast the challenges of gathering comprehensive and quality transportation data through advanced technologies and traditional approaches while introducing traffic engineering topics like traffic signal timing. The modules target middle through high school students and first and second year undergraduate engineering students. The learning modules introduce transportation engineering using an engaging open-source computer simulation game adapted by students at the University of Arkansas, as part of a capstone project. The activities in the learning modules require off-the shelf, low-cost computer hardware, making it easy for …

Nebraska Specific Slope Design Manual, Chung R. Song, Yong-Rak Kim, Hossein Bahmyrai, Layal Bitar, Soroosh Amelian

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

This study introduces proper design and retrofitting techniques to mitigate slope failure in Nebraska based on experimental and analytical research. The geological history, unique soil properties, failure mechanisms and potential new design/retrofitting methods are accounted for in this study. The following are the key findings.

Nebraska is covered by glacial tills, loess/sands, and shales with expansive clay minerals. Loess and shales are often highly overconsolidated due to the high overburden from Laurentide ice sheet which covered North America between 0.1 M to 0.02 M years ago. Overconsolidated expansive shale clays often exhibit time dependent strength reduction, and collapsible loess often …

Relationship Between Road Network Characteristics And Traffic Safety, Hatim Sharif, Samer Dessouky

Publications

The Transportation and Capital Improvement of the City of San Antonio, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and other related agencies often make several efforts based on traffic data to improve safety at intersections, but the number of intersection crashes is still on the high side. There is no one size fits all solution for intersections and the City is often usually confronted with doing best value option analysis on different solutions to choose the least expensive yet more advancements. The goal of this project was to obtain the relationship between road network characteristics and public safety with a focus on …

Use Of Ultra-High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (Uhp-Frc) For Fast And Sustainable Repair Of Pavements, Shih-Ho Chao

Publications

This research presents a new methodology, which enables streets, roads, highways, bridges, and airfields to use an advanced fiber-reinforced concrete material, which can delay or prevent the deterioration of these transportation infrastructure when subjected to traffic and environmental loadings. The major problem of concrete is its considerable deterioration and limited service life due to its brittleness and limited durability. As a result, it requires frequent repair and eventual replacement, which consumes more natural resources. Ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHP-FRC) introduces significant enhancement in the sustainability of concrete structures due to its dense microstructure and damage-tolerance characteristics. These characteristics can significantly reduce …

Simplified Approach For Structural Evaluation Of Flexible Pavements At The Network Level, Mena Souliman, Stefan Romanoschi, Samer Dessouky

Publications

Currently, there are few available simple procedures to identify structurally weak pavement sections utilizing Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) data at the network level (e.g., city, state or province). A simple method is required to determine the structural condition of pavement sections that can be directly implemented and automated in current pavement databases. The objective of this research study is to develop a simple analysis method to determine the structural condition of pavement sections utilizing the currently available non-destructive testing (NDT) deflection measurement devices at the network level that can be directly implemented and automated in the database of a typical …

A Comprehensive Reliability-Based Framework For Corrosion Damage Monitoring And Repair Design Of Reinforced Concrete Structures, Homero Castaneda, Aydin Karsilaya, Ayman Okeil, Mahmoud Reda Taha

Publications

In this work, we developed a comprehensive framework for corrosion management of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. This framework includes critical steps of an effective approach to quantify the damage evolution as well as providing the timeframe for effective maintenance/repair strategies for corrosion assessment in RC structures. The framework included several activities including the use of indirect and direct inspection tools, theoretical development for damage prediction, experimental measurements and theoretical development of repair time based on reliability. The uniqueness of the framework is the integration of deterministic modeling of corrosion damage evolution by using mechanistic analysis with statistical modeling on corrosion …

Effect Of Particle Breakage On Ballast Permanent Deformation — A Study Using The Discrete Element Method, Beema Dahal

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The ballast layer comprises relatively large (often as large as 63 mm) angular particles that mainly function to dissipate train-induced stresses from crossties to the underlying subgrade soils and to provide rapid drainage for surface water. Moreover, the ballast layer is also critical towards ensuring a smooth riding track profile, dampening dynamic loads, as well as providing lateral, longitudinal and vertical resistance against excessive track deformations. Under train loading and during track maintenance processes like tamping, individual ballast particles can undergo significant breakage leading to fouling of the ballast layer. The fouling mechanism leads to gradual deterioration in ballast shear …

Ridership Ramp-Up For Fixed-Guideway Transit Projects: An Evaluation Of Initial Ridership Variation, Jill Elizabeth Shinn

Master's Theses

Performance-based planning and programming has increased in popularity for transit project funding in recent years. This methodology focuses on quantitative performance measures to inform decision making. For transit projects, projections or observed ridership is the most commonly used performance measure to evaluate project benefits. Conventional wisdom within the transit industry suggests that measuring the performance of a transit project immediately after project opening may not capture all the project’s benefits, since it takes time for a project to realize its short-term ridership potential, a process commonly referred to as ridership ramp-up. While this idea is both intuitive and appealing, especially …

Effect Of Subsurface Conditions On Flexible Pavement Behavior: Non-Destructive Testing And Mechanistic Analysis, Md. Fazle Rabbi

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The behavior of flexible pavements under traffic and environmental loading can be significantly affected by subsurface conditions. Inadequate support conditions under the surface can lead to excessive pavement deformations, often leading to structural and functional failure. This research effort focused on assessing the effects of base/subbase and subgrade layer conditions on flexible pavement behavior. The results of this study are presented in the form of two journal manuscripts.

The first manuscript focuses on utilizing pavement structural and functional evaluation data in making pavement rehabilitation decisions. Visual distress surveys and Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) testing are often carried out by agencies …

Establishing Delay-Based Criteria For Installing Traffic Signals At Two-Lane Roundabouts, Oluwaseun Ayomide Adegbaju

Masters Theses

A roundabout is a circular intersection where drivers travel counterclockwise around a center island in the United States. Roundabouts can be more beneficial than the conventional intersections because they increase the capacity of the intersection and reduce delays and crashes at the intersection. However, the performance of roundabouts can be severely affected by unbalanced traffic flows among the approaches. While the resulting delays can be mitigated by installing traffic signals, there is a lack of clear criteria on when to install a traffic signal at a roundabout. This research focuses on establishing criteria for installing traffic signals at two-lane roundabouts …

Evaluation Of Comparative Damaging Effects Of Multiple Truck Axles For Flexible Pavements, Stefan Romanoschi, Athanassios Papagiannakis

Publications

This study aims at evaluating the effect of overlapping flexible pavement strain responses from truck axles that are not part of multiple axle configurations (i.e., tandem, triple and quad). For this purpose, a newly constructed pavement was instrumented with strain gauges installed at the bottom of the asphalt concrete base layer on US-287 south of Mansfield, TX. This pavement structure is typically used for medium- to high-volume roads in the South-Central region of the United States. The strain gauges were used to measure longitudinal and transverse strains under several passes of a test vehicle. This was a class 6 truck …

Coastal Bridges Under Hurricane Stresses Along The Texas And Louisiana Coast, Adolfo Matamoros, Firat Testik

Publications

The main objective of this study is to develop a high-resolution model capable of simulating the response of bridge structures to hydrodynamic loads for hurricane design conditions (i.e., surge height, wave height, and frequency) expected in the Texas-Louisiana coast. The model relied on Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian (CEL) techniques where solids are simulated with Lagrangian meshes, while fluids are simulated using Eulerian meshes, and was calibrated using historical data from wave impact laboratory tests. Two high resolution models were created, the first of a tsunami wave impact test conducted at Oregon State University and the second of a bridge located in the …

Development Of A Self-Powered Structural Health Monitoring System For Transportation Infrastructure, Aydin Karsilaya, Samer Dessouky, Athanassios Papagiannakis

Publications

Roadways and bridges play an important role in the economic and social health of society by connecting commerce and people. Economic growth and population expansion pose considerable burden on the aging infrastructure (i.e., pavements and bridges). There is a pressing need to develop structural health monitoring (SHM) technologies capable of collecting infrastructure utilization data. Doing so inexpensively with self-powered systems will revolutionize infrastructure monitoring technology, and will improve decision making enabling roadway and bridge preservation. In this study, a self-powered battery-less structural health monitoring (SHM) system was developed. It is powered by a thermal energy harvester equipped with thermoelectric generators …

Mitigating Traffic Congestion On I-10 In Baton Rouge, La: Supply- And Demand-Oriented Strategies & Treatments, Samir Ahmed, Osama Osman, Julius Codjoe

Publications

The aim of this study is to develop a better understanding of the causes of traffic congestion on I-10 in the Baton Rouge, LA area, particularly at the I-10 Mississippi River Bridge, and to identify treatments and strategies to mitigate congestion at the bridge site. This study developed and calibrated a microsimulation model of I-10 (from Lobdell Highway in Port Allen to Highland Road, I-110 to Florida Street, and I-12 to Walker Road) and investigated several supply- and demand-oriented strategies. This includes: rehabilitation and utilization of the old Mississippi River Bridge on US-190 and the existing US-190/US-61 corridor, overall demand …