Transportation Engineering Commons^™

Truck Route Access Evaluation: Hopkinsville Industrial Park, Off Us 41 South Of Hopkinsville, Site #41, Kenneth R. Agent, Brian Aldridge, Lisa Aultman-Hall, David Cain, Nicole Lefever, Nikiforos Stamatiadis, Joel M. Weber

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Freight Movement and Intermodal Access in Kentucky Study (SPR 98-189) is being conducted on behalf of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). There are two major objectives of the study: evaluation of the access for trucks between intermodal or other truck generating sites and the National Highway System (NHS); and furthering the understanding of freight commodity flows throughout the state. This report summarizes the access evaluation for one cluster of facilities located in Christian County in the Pennyrile Area Development District (ADD) and KYTC Highway District# 2. The location of the site is shown in Figure I. Work on other …

Evaluations Of Wall Structures In Kentucky (Kyspr-85-107), L. John Fleckenstein, Brad W. Rister, David L. Allen

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Approximately 209 retaining wall structures were visually evaluated under this study for long-term performance. The inspection included concrete crib, single-barrel and double-barrel culvert wing, metal bin, Gabion, rigid concrete, Keystone block, tiedback, mechanically stabilized earth (M.S.E.), Tech Wall, and sound walls. Significant structural distress was observed in several of the wall systems. This report discusses the performance of each wall system and makes recommendations on the future use of these systems.

Kentucky Traffic Accident Facts 1998 Report, Kentucky Transportation Center, Kentucky State Police

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

KENTUCKY’S TRAFFIC ACCIDENT FACTS report for 1998 is based on accident reports submitted to the Accident Unit housed in the Kentucky State Police Information Services Branch, Records Section. 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 date on traffic accidents” for such purposes as will improve the traffic safety program in the Commonwealth.” Data contained in …

1997 Safety Belt Usage Survey And Evaluation Of Effectiveness In Kentucky, Kenneth R. Agent

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objective of this study was to establish 1997 safety belt and child safety seat usage rates in Kentucky. The 1997 survey documents the continuing results from enacting a statewide mandatory safety belt law in 1994. Data were collected at 100 sites and combined based on vehicle miles traveled for a given type of highway, rural or urban location, and county population category. Also included in the report is an analysis of accident records evaluating the effectiveness of safety belts.

The data show that the usage rate has stabilized at a level slightly below the high value which occurred in …

Legislation Review And Recommendations To Reduce Evasion Of Kentucky Road Fund Revenues, Dwight V. Denison, Merl M. Hackbart, Robert J. Eger Iii

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Kentucky, like other states, is facing fiscal challenges in providing expanding public services demanded by citizens. One danger of constrained fiscal resources and shortsighted political horizons is the tendency to neglect the investment and maintenance of long-term infrastructures like highways. The Kentucky road fund protects against these dangers by providing earmarked resources for the state's roadways, insuring that basic infrastructure needs are met. However, evasion of road fund revenues decreases the funds available to meet the needs of Kentucky's transportation infrastructure. For these reasons, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is interested in developing policy recommendations intended to mitigate evasion of road …

Evaluation Of Speed Limits In Kentucky (Kyspr 96-172), Kenneth R. Agent, Jerry G. Pigman, Joel M. Weber

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objectives of this study were to examine current criteria and procedures used for setting speed limits on public roads and to recommend appropriate maximum speed limits for various types of roads. The study involved three major areas. These were: review of literature, collection and analysis of speed data, and collection and analysis of accident data. The speed data included collecting data on various highway types using the “moving” radar mode, use of data from speed monitoring stations, comparison of spot speed data before and after speed limit changes, and both moving and spot speed data at construction zones. Accident …

Kentucky Traffic Accident Facts 1997 Report, Kentucky Transportation Center, Kentucky State Police

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

KENTUCKY’S TRAFFIC ACCIDENT FACTS report for 1997 is based on accident reports submitted to the Accident Unit housed in the Kentucky State Police Information Services Branch, Records Section. 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 date on traffic accidents” for such purposes as will improve the traffic safety program in the Commonwealth.” Data contained in …

Kentucky Traffic Accident Facts 1996 Report, Kentucky Transportation Center, Kentucky State Police

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

KENTUCKY’S TRAFFIC ACCIDENT FACTS report for 1996 is based on accident reports submitted to the Accident Unit housed in the Kentucky State Police Information Services Branch, Records Section. 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 date on traffic accidents” for such purposes as will improve the traffic safety program in the Commonwealth.” Data contained in …

Use Of Class Aa Concrete Modified With A High-Range Water Reducing Admixture In A Full-Depth Bridge Deck Slab Us 127, Lincoln County, David Q. Hunsucker, Michael D. Stone

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Because it is desirable for bridge deck concrete to be strong and durable, the Kentucky Department of Highways chose to use a high-range water reducer to modify the properties of a conventional Class AA concrete mixture to be placed in a full-depth concrete bridge deck on US 127 in Lincoln County. A high-range water reducer is a chemical admixture that when added to low-to-normal slump concrete produces a high slump to flowing concrete. The higher slump enhances placement properties in areas of closely spaced and congested reinforcing steel such as that encountered in the corners of a skewed bridge structure. …

Ballast Size For Safe Working Conditions In Railroad Yards And Terminals In Kentucky, Jerry G. Rose

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

During the 1994 Regular Session of the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, House Resolution No. 58 was introduced by Representative J. Dorsey Ridley on Monday, February 28. It basically directed the Transportation Cabinet "to identify the more appropriate grade of rock used as surface material in railroad beds and walkways" and that "any remedy proposed... be reported to the Legislative Research Commission no later than August 1, 1995." A copy of the Resolution is contained in Appendix A.

The issue was forwarded to the Transportation Cabinet and subsequently to the Kentucky Transportation Center …

Kentucky Traffic Accident Facts 1995 Report, Kentucky Transportation Center, Kentucky State Police

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

No abstract provided.

Kentucky Traffic Accident Facts 1994 Report, Kentucky Transportation Center, Kentucky State Police

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

KENTUCKY'S TRAFFIC ACCIDENT FACTS report for 1994 is based on accident reports submitted to the Accident Unit housed in the Kentucky State Police Information Services Branch, Records Section. 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 date on traffic accidents" for such purposes as will improve the traffic safety program in the Commonwealth." Data …

Kentucky Traffic Accident Facts 1993 Report, Kentucky State Police

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

KENTUCKY'S TRAFFIC ACCIDENT FACTS report for 1993 is based on accident reports submitted to the Accident Unit housed in the Kentucky State Police Information Services Branch, Records Section. 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 accidents" for such purposes as will improve the traffic safety program in the …

Kentucky Traffic Accident Facts 1992 Report, Kentucky State Police

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

KENTUCKY'S TRAFFIC ACCIDENT FACTS report for 1992 is based on accident reports submitted to the Accident Unit housed in the Kentucky State Police Information Services Branch, Records Section. 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 accidents" for such purposes as will improve the traffic safety program in …

Kentucky Traffic Accident Facts 1991 Report, Kentucky State Police

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

KENTUCKY'S TRAFFIC ACCIDENT FACTS report for 1991 is based on accident reports submitted to the Accident Unit housed in the Kentucky State Police Information Services Branch, Records Section. 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 accidents" for such purposes as will improve the traffic safety program in …

Kentucky Traffic Accident Facts 1990 Report, Kentucky State Police

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

KENTUCKY'S TRAFFIC ACCIDENT FACTS report for 1990 is based on accident reports submitted to the Ken­tucky Accident Reporting Unit housed in the Kentucky State Police Information Services Branch, Records Section. 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 accidents "for such purposes as will …

Fly Ash Stabilized Bases In Kentucky, Gary W. Sharpe, Larry Epley

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

With the escalating costs of materials and construction for highways and streets, many agencies charged with the responsibility of designing and constructing highways are utilizing byproduct stabilized (pozzolanic) materials. Low-strength (pozzolanic) materials have been used fairly extensively in some areas of the United States as well as abroad. In general, pozzolanic materials have been used to stabilize an aggregate base or subbase by addition of fly ash and a source of lime to develop a cementitious reaction. Additionally, portland cement or cement kiln dust have been used to stabilize aggregate subbase and (or) base materials.

Until recently, the use of …

Strain Gage Installation On The I-75 Bridge At Covington, Kentucky And Subsequent Data Analysis, Theodore Hopwood Ii, Jesse G. Mayes

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

In June 1984, the Kentucky Transportation Research Program (KTRP) was requested by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to install strain gages on structural members of the I-75 (Brent Spence) Bridge at Covington. This work was to be part of a renovation/modification project on that structure.

Seasonal Variations In The Skid Resistance Of Pavements In Kentucky, James L. Burchett, Rolands L. Rizenbergs

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Frequent measurements of skid resistance were made on 20 pavements in common use in Kentucky. Tests were conducted from November 1969 through 1973. Principal analysis involved relating changes in skid resistance to day of the year and relating skid resistance to temperature at the time of test, to average antecedent temperatures, and to average rainfall.

Seasonal variations exhibited an annual sinusoidal cycle. The changes in sand-asphalt and bituminous concrete surfaces under higher volumes of traffic were about 12 skid numbers. The changes in portland cement concrete and bituminous concrete under lower volumes of traffic were about 5 skid numbers. The …

Kentucky’S Pavement Management System, James H. Havens, Eugene B. Drake

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Pavement management concepts are discussed, and a method is presented illustrating the required data and its use to accumulate EAL's annually for comparison with the design EAL. This method can be used to determine overlay priorities, overlay design thicknesses, and financing schedules. A discussion of automatic feedback of field data is presented. Pavement condition reports should be analyzed separately to prevent improper adjustments in the design system due to causes of failure other than normal fatigue.

An overlay, whether for extending service life or improving skid resistance, provides an additional structural thickness and will modify the design life.

Preparation of …

Traffic Conflicts As A Diagnostic Tool In Highway Safety, Charles V. Zegeer, Robert C. Deen

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Because of the shortcomings in accident data, such as incomplete reporting and inaccurate information on accident reports, a need was found for indicators of accident potential. Nearly half of the 209 locations identified in Kentucky as hazardous by accident criteria were found to be falsely identified due to random accident occurrences. Accident repeatability from one year to the next was found to be poor at 60 intersections (r = 0.64) and 170 spot locations (r = 0.59). Up to two years of accident data were found to be necessary to obtain a reliable base of accident data.

Conflict counts were …

Identification Of Hazardous Locations On City Streets, Charles V. Zegeer, Robert C. Deen

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The purpose of this study was to develop an effective method for identifying hazardous locations in Kentucky cities (over 2,500 population). Methods used in 45 other states were reviewed. Accident information for 69 of the 97 cities over 2,500 population was used to develop criteria for an identification method.

A Number Method was selected for initial identification of midblocks and intersections on arterial-collector streets and on urban freeways. A Rate-Quality Control Method was included in the form of a critical rate factor computed for each location. A set of critical rate curves was constructed for easy determination of hazardous locations. …

Pedestrian Accidents In Kentucky, Charles V. Zegeer, Robert C. Deen

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Pedestrian accident data in Kentucky were analyzed for 1972 and 1973 on a rural, urban, and statewide basis. Results showed that about 1500 pedestrian accidents occur in Kentucky each year. About 30 percent of the pedestrian accidents in rural areas and four percent in urban areas are fatal. Although about 78 percent of Kentucky's pedestrian accidents occur in urban areas, over 62 percent of the pedestrian fatalities occur in rural areas. Specific characteristics of pedestrian accidents were identified and related to human, environmental, and time factors. Highway and street improvements and safety measures generally considered to be effective in minimizing …

First-Year Effects Of The Energy Crisis On Traffic In Kentucky (Rural Highways), Kenneth R. Agent, Donald R. Herd, Rolands L. Rizenbergs

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Arab oil embargo in mid-October 1973 curtailed availability of gasoline. Fuel conservation measures resulted in reduced travel and decreased traffic speeds. On March 1, 1974, posted speed was set at 55 mph (88 km/h) on rural highways in Kentucky. Traffic volumes, speeds, and accidents for the rural highway during the period known as the "energy crisis" and its after effects were compared to the corresponding period a year earlier.

Traffic volumes began to decline in December 1973 and continued through September 1974. Total travel in the 12 months through November 1974 decreased by 2.3 percent; traffic increased by five …

Vehicle Noise Survey In Kentucky, Kenneth R. Agent, Rolands L. Rizenbergs

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Individual noise measurements were obtained on 10,500 motor vehicles operating on Kentucky highways. The roadways were selected to represent varied geometric and environmental conditions and posted speed limits. Percentages of automobiles and trucks exceeding a given level of noise were determined. As expected, noise levels of trucks were significantly higher than for automobiles, and larger trucks produced higher noise levels than smaller trucks. For any vehicle type, noise increased with an increase in speed limit.

Skid Resistance Studies In Kentucky (An Overview – 1974), James H. Havens, James L. Burchett, Rolands L. Rizenbergs

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

"To free Kentucky of slick roads" is the high goal toward which Kentucky has been striving since 1950's. A very capable fellow engineer used to say that there was more satisfaction in being able to take down a Slippery When Wet sign than in erecting one.

Considerable effort has been devoted to the development and adaptation of improved methods of skid resistance testing and to the standardization of testing devices (1, 2, 3, 4). Methods of tests have included the NCSA friction wheel (bicycle wheel), automobile deceleration, skewed-wheel (skewed front-wheels of an automobile), skidding automobile, and the skid-test …

Auto-Utility Trailer Combinations On Rural Highways In Kentucky, Bruce S. Siria, Robert C. Deen

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

An analysis of accident records indicated that auto-utility trailer (A-UT) combinations are involved in a disproportionately high number of traffic mishaps. Locations which have a history of accidents involving A-UT vehicles indicated that differential crosswinds and unanticipated driving maneuvers contribute to the driver's loss of control. A-UT combinations contributed to the fatigue loss in pavement life approximately 50 percent as much as single-unit, two-axle, six-tire trucks (per vehicle). In general, this vehicle type constituted approximately three percent of the total traffic stream. Analysis of speed distributions indicated an equivalency factor for A-UT combinations equal to that for trucks for similar …

Kentucky Cbr’S And The Soil Support Value, Tommy C. Hopkins, Robert C. Deen

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Several ASTM and Kentucky CBR tests were performed at different molding moisture contents and compactive energies on the AASHO embankment soil, four representative Kentucky soils, and one soil from Ohio. These data were compared to CBR data previously reported by Shook and Fang. For CBR's ranging from about 4 to 12, a relationship was developed between Kentucky and ASTM CBR's. Within this range, Kentucky and ASTM CBR's are approximately equal. Molding specimens under the static pressure of 2000 pounds per square inch as used in the Kentucky CBR procedure produced specimens with initial dry densities that averaged about 6 percent …

Operational Effects Of Auto-Utility Trailer Combinations On Rural Highways In Kentucky, Bruce S. Siria

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

An analysis of accident records indicated that A-UT combinations are involved in a disproportionately high number of traffic mishaps. Locations which have a history of accidents involving A-UT vehicles indicated that differential crosswinds and unanticipated driving maneuvers contribute to driver loss of control. A-UT combinations contributed to the fatigue loss in pavement life approximately 50 percent as much as single-unit, two-axle, six-tire trucks (per vehicle). In general, this vehicle type constituted approximately three percent of the total traffic stream. Analysis of speed distributions indicated an equivalency factor for A-UT combinations equal to that for trucks for similar roadway types and …

Engineering Geognosy Of Warren County, Jerry G. Pigman, Tommy C. Hopkins

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Engineering soils and geologic maps are proving to be invaluable to engineers, industrial leaders, community planners, and administrators during the preliminary stages of planning and site selection. Quantitative engineering data on soils and geological formations, and the interpretation of these data, are important factors to consider in developing the best land-use plans and providing stable foundations for highways, buildings, and other structures, such as dams. Information of this type, when available, is being used by public and private organizations in planning urban development. Engineering soils and geologic maps can be used to great advantage in four major ways by planners …