International Conference on Transportation and Development 2016: Projects and Practices for Prosperity

Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) was the first major airport in the United States to incorporate warm mix asphalt (WMA) into asphalt concrete specifications for both runway and non-runway locations. With the increase in wide-body aircraft in the 1990s, rutting of the airside pavements at BOS became a problem. From 1995 to 2003, attempts were made to address the rutting problem by “stiffening” the asphalt mixes. This led to moisture-sensitive mixes, and in the early 2000s, stripping of the asphalt became an issue. Several WMA projects were completed at BOS between 2006 and 2015. Initially, non-WMA control sections were used in critical locations to provide a baseline for evaluating the rutting performance of WMA sections. The first WMA project, in 2006, was the placement of a WMA binder course on the Terminal C alleyway. In 2007, a 150-mm-thick (6-inch-thick (alternating 2-75 mm (2-3 inch) and 1-150 mm (1-6 inch lift)) WMA test strip was included as part of a mill and overlay research project on Taxiway A. In 2008, 24,000 tonnes (26,000 tons) of WMA was used as a part of the rehabilitation of Runway 22L. This project consisted of a 200-mm (8-inch) inlay on the outboard sections of the runway. In 2009, a larger project—50,000 tonnes (55,000 tons)—was constructed for rehabilitation of Runway 9-27, which consisted of a WMA overlay 75 to 175 mm (3 to 7 inches) thick. The ease of WMA compaction was demonstrated along with reduced emissions and energy savings. Also in 2009, WMA was used in the extension of Taxiway Delta at Logan, 36,000 tonnes (40,000 tons). Additionally, new Taxiway G had 250 mm (10 inches) of WMA placed on newly constructed portions of the taxiways, and existing Taxiway C received a 75-mm (3-inch) inlay of WMA. All of the projects at BOS used Sasobit technology and also incorporated from 15 to 20 percent reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). The WMA was placed and compacted in maximum 100-mm (4-inch) lifts, whereas 75-mm (3-inch) lifts are typical. A PG 64-28 virgin binder with 4 percent latex modifier and 1.5 percent Sasobit by weight of binder was used for all projects. An anti-stripping additive consisting of 1 percent lime was added to the mixture to alleviate prior issues with moisture sensitivity. This paper describes the process used to evaluate the potential of WMA for airside pavements, along with the lessons learned from asphalt production and placement. The results of condition monitoring from a variety of production sections are presented along with recommendations for the successful use of WMA.

The number of flight is increasing sharply with sustainable development of civil aviation enterprise in China, which causes a lot of fuel consumption and pollution emissions in the process of launching control, aircraft taxiing and taking off. Unreasonable waiting arrangement will also reduce the comfort of the passengers, which leads to the economic losses of air transport. By analyzing the process of flight, it was found that each flight would experience the queuing twice before entering the taxiway and at the end of the taxiway, respectively. In this study, a few key time parameters were determined to calculate the arrival rate and service time during the two queuing process, including flight pushback time (FPT), taxiway entrance service time (TEST), arrival time of taxiway queue (ATTQ), and runway service time (RST). The statistical distribution fitting test was conducted to determine the best distributions for the four key time parameters mentioned above. By putting corresponding formula of arrival rate and service time in tandem queuing basic model, the calculation formula of average waiting time, average service time and average residence time of two-level tandem queuing system were also inferred. Based on the optimization theory, this paper established a flight waiting time threshold optimization model. The optimization goal of this model is minimize the upper and lower bounds of the threshold value. And the constraint conditions of this model include wake turbulence separation and taxiway length, which setting concerned with the scale of the airport, the airport land arrangement, taxiway capacity, and number of flights and so on. The genetic algorithm was applied to solve this model. A case study showed that flight waiting time was obviously reduced after optimization.

The commercial spaceport business continues to evolve as new commercial spaceports in the United States receive their FAA launch site operator licenses. The current mix of commercial spaceports provide a range of launch opportunities and can support a myriad of commercial space missions. Current spaceports include those capable of supporting horizontal launch, vertical launch, or both. With launch locations either on the coast or inland, each spaceport has certain limitations on the types of missions they may be able to support, whether they are suborbital or orbital in nature. The author has been a leading consultant on numerous commercial spaceports including those in Florida, Virginia, Texas, Hawaii, and the United Kingdom. This paper will provide a historical context for commercial spaceports to review where spaceports are now and what will come next.

Adequate planning for airfield pavement preservation is required for efficient mitigation of pavement deterioration due to loading and environmental conditions. Large airports generally have trained staff for managing their pavement network and a significant budget for routine maintenance. However, there are many general aviation (GA) airports in the U.S. which may lack these resources. Therefore, technical rules for pavement preservation need to be simplified for GA airport managers. While the typical approach to managing these pavements is reactive, which requires costly rehabilitation/reconstruction, proactive preservation uses more frequent, low-cost treatments. In this paper, a tool for the selection of durable and cost-effective treatments for pavement preservation, and steps and database used for development of this tool are introduced. This tool can be used by non-technical decision makers in general aviation. The results for selection of treatments vary depending on different climate zones and airport traffic reflected on airport categories.

Four flexible pavements were constructed on the north side for Construction Cycle 7 (CC7) at the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) National Airport Pavement Test Facility (NAPTF) to develop flexible perpetual pavement design criterion and validate/refine/modify the fatigue model for asphalt concrete (AC). H-Bar asphalt strain gauges (ASG) were installed in four test sections to measure transversal and longitudinal strain at the bottom of the AC layer. Fiber optic strain gauges (FOSG) were also installed in one of the test sections (8-inch thick asphalt concrete layer). Full-scale tests were performed on these pavement test sections under heavy aircraft gear loads using the National Airport Pavement Test Vehicle (NAPTV). Three traffic speeds, four gear configurations and three wheel loads were used to evaluate the mechanical response of the AC layer. It was found that response of fiber optic strain gauges is comparable to the asphalt strain gauge. The effects of traffic speed, gear configuration, and wheel load on the asphalt concrete strain were investigated. Strain basins were established based on five wander positions.

Application of super ice/water-repellent materials on pavement surfaces has increasingly drawn attention as a smart and cost-effective method for ice and snow removal. This study focused on fabricating and evaluating icephobic coatings on asphalt concrete pavements for obtaining ice- and snow-free biomimetic icephobic surfaces. After a statistical design, the layer by layer (LBL) method was used for spray depositing the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) on the asphalt concrete at variable dosages of PTFE and different spray times. The degree of hydrophobicity/icephobicity of the coated asphalt concrete was characterized through measuring the water contact angles. Statistical analysis proved the significance of design variables. In addition, skid resistance measurements on the PTFE coated surfaces were compared with those from uncoated surfaces to evaluate the effect of PTFE coating on pavement slipperiness of asphalt surface. A slight decrease in skid resistance of the PTFE coated surface was negligible in comparison to the drastic reduction in skid resistance caused by presence of ice/snow.

This paper will discuss managing international operations in a 25-year old facility while implementing construction projects to accommodate new Group VI aircraft, accepting new international carriers with corresponding passenger growth, maintaining and keeping the facilities up to operating standards and planning for capital development program to replace and improve the facilities. This paper will present the interface among operations, finance, safety, and development with corresponding challenges and techniques adopted and planned for to the satisfaction and sometimes not, of stakeholders. Within this context, a discussion of landside to airside including FIS (federal inspection services) and baggage operations will be presented focusing on findings and solutions.

The new Parallel Runway Project (Runway 17L-35R) at Calgary International Airport (YYC) became operational on June 28, 2014. It is a new 14000 ft x 200 ft runway and dual parallel taxiway system with over 1.2 million yd² of concrete paving and an overall investment of $590 million. The new runway provides the airport with a Group VI (ICAO Code F) CAT IIIA all-weather airport runway to satisfy the air travel accessibility and economic needs of the Calgary region with direct flight capability to Asia. The construction of a new parallel runway was planned since the early 1970s when the land was acquired by the government of Canada and land use around the airport has been controlled by the city since that time. This paper describes key milestones and events in the initial planning, program management, preliminary and detailed designs and construction management strategy as well as key implementation decisions that were adopted for the new runway. The runway work was also heavily integrated with other projects that were carried out simultaneously including the new 22-gate international terminal, new control tower and 6-lane tunnel under the runway. The integration of these projects is summarized as are the key lessons learned on the project including the initial framework study and life cycle cost analysis that set the parameters for the contracting strategy for this successful project.

Climate is assumed by pavement engineers to have an effect on pavement performance. The United States Air Force (USAF) has measured the pavement condition of their airfield pavements using Pavement Condition Index for over 20 years, resulting in a good record of pavement performance for various pavements world-wide. Most pavement sections have been inspected multiple times, resulting in over 17,000 data points. This research used these data to determine if a statistically significant relationship existed between the distresses observed on a pavement and the climate region in which the pavement was located. The specific climate factors examined were moisture (wet, dry) and temperature (freeze, no freeze). Two-factor testing was performed using the data to determine the main effects and the interaction effect of the factors on the types and quantities of distresses exhibited by pavement. Results of the analysis indicated that there was a relationship between climate type and certain distresses, while other distresses were unaffected by climate type.

Utilization of the precast concrete slabs can potentially provide expeditious solutions for repairs of damaged rigid pavements. The work presented in this paper was performed mainly to analyze the influence of temperature variation during one day in the performance of three installation techniques using two different leveling materials. The synergistic influence of material properties and construction techniques on the performance of the repaired sections were evaluated by comparing three identical repaired patches installed differently with no traffic prior to testing. The repaired patches were subjected to heavy weight deflectometer (HWD) for back-calculations of the layer moduli and the orthogonal load transfer efficiencies at the two sides of joints for all permutations of the experiment design. Analysis of load transfer efficiencies between the repaired sections and the pre-existing slabs at different temperatures provided valuable insight on the temperature sensitivity and load transfer devices importance in the performance of the repaired sections.

The FAA has released new tools in 2015 for the FAA Airports GIS Program that have significant benefits to airports. These tools include the surface analysis and visualization tool for airports to electronically coordinate with regional flight procedure teams to review, visualize, analyze, and mitigate obstacles that are penetration to 20:1 design surfaces. Another tool is the modification of standards tool that allows airports to submit electronic requests for modification of construction and design standards and get electronic approvals. The most significant tool is the electronic airport layout plan that allows airports to submit survey and planning data to have the Airports GIS Program generate six standard sheets for, approval and generate a PDF. In addition, the FAA has migrated to authoritative sourcing of digital and geospatial data for airport data. When fully implemented the data submitted by airports will be used as the authoritative airport data in all lines of business within the FAA and will be used for instrument procedure development and aeronautical charting publications.

In this study, the Minneapolis–St. Paul International airport (MSP) in Minnesota, a representative large-hub airport (1% of total U.S. enplanements), was selected to assess the relative economic benefits of using heated pavement systems (HPS) for snow removal. Two approaches were adopted for defining the boundary conditions for economic assessments: (1) installation of HPS only in apron and ramp areas which represent the busiest part of the airside operations where ground vehicles and airplanes share the same space, and (2) considering the entire airport as one entity for installation of HPS. Based on the available data collected during a site visit to MSP, interviews and email surveys, the economic feasibility of HPS at MSP was assessed by employing two economic analysis techniques, including the net present value (NPV) and benefit cost ratio (BCR). The analysis procedure and results are discussed highlighting the economic benefits and tradeoffs of installing heated pavements over conventional ice and snow removal strategies.

Driverless cars are coming. Driverless transit is already here in the form of driverless trains, people movers, and automated transit networks (ATN). This paper examines two different potential future scenarios. In the car-centric scenario, the mode split between cars and transit remains more or less static. In the transit-centric scenario, there is a strong swing to transit modes enabled mostly by ATN. The paper compares the two scenarios with regard to factors such as safety, capacity/congestion, infrastructure, severance, energy use, cost, greenhouse gases, walkability, and real estate. It suggests methodologies for determining which scenario is publically preferred and what might be done to help a preferred scenario emerge.

A finite element model of the CRTS II slab track with different elasticity modulus of cement asphalt mortar has been presented. Utilizing the model, the influence of the elasticity modulus of CAM on the temperature induced warp stress and deformation distribution of CRTS II slab track has been investigated. Numerical results indicate that the elasticity modulus of CAM has a certain influence on the temperature stress, especially on the longitudinal stress along lateral direction and the maximum difference among the different elasticity modulus, from 7000 MPa to 10000 MPa, is about 8%, while it have a negligible effect on the vertical deformation. It is avail to choose a CAM with a smaller elasticity modulus in the range of 7000 MPa to 10000 MPa to decrease the temperature stress distribution gradient of the slab.

Manhattan, the economic heart of New York City, is the most densely populated place in USA with diverse economic activities. It is also one of the most polluted and congested cities. Manhattan heavily relies on trucks for the delivery of goods, which contributes to congestions and intern makes the delivery of goods and doing business costly. If Manhattan has to maintain sustained economic growth and ensure the quality of city life, efficient and cost economic freight delivery arrangements need to be made. Based on the review of literatures, it is identified that a freight consolidation and distribution strategy along with the utilization of cleaner motorized and non-motorized vehicles could be a potential solution to the problem as it would help increase the roadway capacity while potentially reducing the number of delivery vehicles on city streets. Furthermore, a vehicle may be used for a shared delivery of goods to multiple businesses/consumers. To further evaluate the strategy and to develop a comprehensive logistical and management solutions to the problem, it is recommended that the city administration leads the effort to collaborate with the private sector stakeholders including trucker’s/carriers, businesses and consumers.

When an infrastructure fails prematurely because of poor workmanship, the developer of a public private partnership (P3) project incurs a significant cost that typically could have been prevented if a more systematic attention to higher risk requirements had of been in place. This practice paper will demonstrate how a risk based requirements verification system has been applied on a number of major transportation P3 projects as a way of addressing just such a problem. By using a total digital approach to design review and construction inspection, and by applying a systematic risk profiling approach, more and better performance verification data can be collected to clearly and objectively depict the status of the project. With this approach, developers can move beyond just saying they want a high quality project, they can actually determine with a measured level of confidence, what the level of performance is being observed. A lower level of performance is a predictor of possible future failures. The traditional approach of describing the scope of a transportation project has been by writing text in paragraph format or creating a series of books that read somewhat like a novel. The scoping of the work can be greatly improved by capturing all the expectations or requirements within a relational database structure. With each requirement identified, any number of attributes can be related, such as risk, owner, phase, cost, method of verification and observed performance. As the design effort is completed, the applicable design input requirements can be verified to ensure that they have been appropriately incorporates into the design. The performance of the design team to meet the requirements when the design is reviewed can be measured and the result used to identify areas or disciplines that are under-performing. Similarly when the design is realized on the worksite, the performance of the construction forces can be measured to objectively identify strong performers and underperforming efforts. Poor performance can be addressed early in the life of the project and not later when the cost impact can be multiple times higher.

The overlay tester (OT) is considered by several highway agencies as an index test to evaluate the cracking resistance of asphalt mixtures in the laboratory. The OT simulates the reflective cracking mechanism of the opening and closing of joints and/or cracks. The repeatability of the number of cycles to failure measured with the OT is expressed as a concern in reliably characterizing the potential of hot mix asphalt (HMA) mixes to cracking. The work presented in this paper was performed mainly to analyze the repeatability of the number of OT cycles to failure and the fracture energy (FE) measured with the cyclic and monotonic OT methods. The load-displacement curves from the cyclic and monotonic OT tests were compared to select the promising alternative parameters that could serve as surrogate cracking parameters. The performance of the OT test may improve if alternative parameters, such as the maximum load and fracture energy are used to estimate the cracking resistance of the HMA mixes.

Automated and semi-automated pavement distress surveys are being used increasingly to collect pavement condition data. This data, along with other information, is used to measure pavement performance and support pavement maintenance, preservation, and rehabilitation decisions. Generally, these automated and semi-automated systems consist of image capturing technology (i.e., hardware) and image processing and analysis algorithms (i.e., software). This paper provides a review of quality assurance practices for automated and semi-automated pavement condition surveys, including quality of images, accuracy and repeatability of measurements, data delivery requirements, equipment calibration, and control and verification sites. The information on these practices was obtained through a review of seven request for proposals (RFPs) issued by seven state departments of transportation (DOTs) between 2010 and 2015, and supplemented by a review of three manuals for these surveys.

Airports, and in particular terminal buildings, present a real challenge for security and protective design engineers. The requirements for excellent accessibility, via road and rail connections, results in significant explosive threat vectors with few opportunities to provide adequate stand-off distances. Indeed, in terms of transportation infrastructure, airports present some of the most complex threat environments and present a real and credible target for malevolent attack, as has been proved by numerous case studies over the last few decades. When this complex threat environment is combined with architectural drivers to maintain accessible and open spaces to ease passenger flow and provide interesting and iconic structures, the headache for protective design engineers becomes more acute. This paper will present the state-of-the-art analysis methodologies and tools to design blast resistant airport structures and describe how their application can reduce human vulnerability, structural damage, and operational disruption. These tools include the employment of engineering-scale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes for the calculation of airblast loads, with the ability to model propagation through failing surfaces and complex external and internal geometries, including the potential effects of channeling. The paper will discuss the development of effective analysis tools to characterize contact and near-contact detonations against critical structural elements, as well as fast running models (FRMs) to facilitate analysis and protective design for these extremely challenging scenarios. Finally, a discussion of innovative design and retrofit options to increase the blast resistance of airport structures will be detailed, with a description of the testing programs used to validate these technologies.

When an intersection becomes congested, the traditional way of increasing capacity is to widen the road and add lanes. This approach introduces more conflicts at the intersection and its effect is limited. In recent years, the concept of alternative intersection design is gaining recognition among practitioners and more implementations. This method increases capacity by adding auxiliary intersections that re-route certain traffic movements. By doing so, it reduces the number of conflicts at the main intersection and enables more simultaneous traffic movements, often without the need of widening the roadway. However, it does force drivers on certain approaches to travel extra distance to achieve better intersection level of service. This paper introduces a new concept called system intersection, in which a portion of the traffic demand at a congested intersection is dynamically diverted to a nearby intersection that has spare capacity, and traffic diversion is needed only during the peak period.

Wind energy serves as one of the most sustainable sources of energy, typically harvested by very large turbines. The combined weight of the turbines may exceed 1,000,000 pounds and are typically installed in land areas serving as agricultural developments or currently underdeveloped altogether. These areas, mostly with county roads, do not have robust transportation infrastructure and are not capable of accommodating the increased truck traffic, used to haul the components and materials involved in a wind farm development. A simple yet scientific approach to evaluate the structural and functional capacity of the pavements is presented in this study. Once the haul routes are established, the projected truck traffic is converted in terms of an equivalent single axle load (ESAL) for future improvement (overlay) requirements of the pavements, if any. Dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP), coring and falling weight deflectometer (FWD) testing are performed to assess the in-situ subgrade conditions and current structural capacity of the pavements. Condition rating surveys (CRS) are conducted from geo-referenced images of the pavement network to evaluate the surface condition of the pavements. The last step is to determine the scope of required improvements to the pavement structure. Additionally, mechanistic pavement design checks are performed using layered elastic analysis (LEA) techniques to insure the validity of the structural capacity and overlay design calculations. This procedure will serve as ‘insurance’ for pavements used for developing the wind farms and will prove to be an efficient and cost-effective methodology.

The purpose of transportation asset management (TAM) is to provide a required level of service of transportation infrastructure assets in the most cost-effective manner, while providing safe transportation options to all users. In urban areas these users include not only motorized vehicles, but also pedestrians, cyclists, aging users and well as users with disabilities. It is crucial that the TAM decision-making incorporates the needs of all users using the transportation infrastructure, in order to promote transportation options that foster healthy life-style, improve quality of life as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions and inequity. This paper discusses how maintenance decisions for roadway assets are influenced by traffic safety information including vehicle crash data and road safety audits. Preventive maintenance, rehabilitation, and reconstruction events throughout the asset life-cycle are paired with safety improvements on high-risk road segments or crossings to provide a transportation network that is accessible and safe for vulnerable road users.

For many communities, infrastructure improvements, especially transportation related can be a blessing, helping to drive the shape of development, and setting a tone that describes livability and attractiveness. On the other hand, there are notorious examples where the “wrong projects” built for the “wrong reasons” have negatively and severely impacted communities and individual neighborhoods. In some cases, the deterioration of communities and neighborhoods brought about by infrastructure projects have further accelerated social and economic degradation arising from other causes. In response, the ideas of social and environmental justice have been promoted to prevent new cycles of deterioration and to address problems created in the past.

Since the year 2000, Villanova University has been working to make the university a more eco-friendly institution. To further promote this movement, in the year 2007, President Father Peter Donohue signed the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) and a new committee, the President’s Environmental Sustainability Committee (PESC), was formed to help address the responsibility of becoming a carbon neutral campus. This study introduces a transportation working group whose missions are focused on identifying and exploring ways to promote: A quality pedestrian campus environment by improving both bicycle and pedestrian transportation. Use of public transportation for commuting such as, investigating possible subsidies/partnerships through Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Safe, efficient local transportation services for the University community. Greater fuel efficiency of Villanova’s vehicle fleet. More specifically, this study presents: (1) the results of the transportation survey that was conducted for both staff and students in 2008 and 2014 to better understand the survey respondents’ travel patterns; and (2) the application of the survey results to identify areas in which PESC could reduce single occupant vehicle transportation. With partnerships among the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Parking Office and the Sustainability Office, Villanova University has applied the transportation survey data to recognize real carbon saving through the institution of new programs and improved advertisement of existing programs.

As part of the Asian Highway and Trans-Asian Railway Networks, and also as a member country of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), Bangladesh can able to expand trades with neighboring countries as well as other Asian nations by developing well connected and integrated multimodal transportation networks. However, currently Bangladesh lacks well developed integrated multimodal transportation networks. Due to a disproportionately high investment in the road sector, road becomes the dominant mode of transport with a modal share of over 70 percent, while the investments in the railway and inland waterway sectors (though, they are relatively safe, cost economic and environmentally friendly modes) are consistently very minimal. Being a riverine country with nearly 700 rivers including tributaries, the waterways could be developed well. In Bangladesh, transport infrastructure projects (e.g., rail, road, and inland waterways) are identified and selected independently along modal lines through separate ministries in association with the Ministry of Planning without a comprehensive, coordinated and continuous multimodal transportation planning process and the selected projects are funded under the annual development program (ADP) in each fiscal year. Due to very limited financial resources for the infrastructure development projects, Bangladesh heavily relies on international development partners (e.g., World Bank, Asian Development Bank, International Monitory Fund, etc) to bridge the fiscal gap while compromising the development priorities and needs. In light of the above discussions, this paper addresses key issues and challenges toward developing integrated multimodal national transportation networks with an emphasis to regional connectivity. Particularly, the paper addresses issues with the planning process, governance, and institutions, funding/financing, and integrated multi-modal development.

Infill development is considered one of the effective countermeasures to reduce urban sprawl. It aims at creating walkable and livable communities, in which jobs are accessible by transit service or walk, and thus infill development can reduce travel delay and vehicle emissions at a regional level by moving people from suburban areas to the infill lands in urban areas. However, infill development may generate more traffic and vehicle emissions in those infill sites and surrounding areas due to higher population density. Pervious studies show that vehicle emissions are associated with adverse health effects. This paper reviewed the definition, benefit and challenges of infill development in a systematic way, and proposed a framework to quantify the health impacts of air pollution attributable to changes of traffic caused by infill development. This framework integrates traffic simulation, vehicle emissions models, roadway dispersion models, exposure assessment and risk assessment, and includes five components: (1) defining linkages between infill development and transportation planning; (2) identifying traffic activity information through simulation for case studies; (3) evaluating dispersion of vehicle emissions for different infill development patterns by linking emission models with roadway dispersion models; (4) quantifying public health effects of infill development by conducting exposure and risk assessments; and (5) recommending warrants for buffer zones. This framework will improve the understanding of the impacts of infill development, and inform decision makers to prepare suitable buffer zones to eliminate their negative impacts on environment and public health.

India and other major countries of the world need immediate addressing of fast growing needs of transportation. If not, it may have stress on available resources. Recent studies indicate that by 2030, 590 million people will live in cities and need more than trillion dollars of investment on infrastructure. To meet the demand of such huge population, sustainable transportation planning is required. Rail based mass rapid transit system (MRTS) seems to be one of the sustainable solution. Commuters can save travel time. In India, metro rail constructions have been taking place massively. The present paper, deals with environmental factors and other critical issues pertaining to MRTS. The study considers the effect of MRTS on Bengaluru, India using spatial techniques. Two factors are considered for spatial analysis viz. environmental, and economical. The parameters are analyzed for emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), noises, and air quality and that for economical factor are commercial and residential land value. The data generated is used to estimate the present trend in comparison with emission standards. Geographical information system (GIS) is used to indicate the point to point effect. The results show the effect of construction of metro in the study area.

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) administers the Renewed Measure M (M2) half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements throughout Orange County, California. M2 is a national example of a unique, highly successful funding program that also provides competitive funds to Orange County cities and the County of Orange to improve water quality. This has been achieved through an optimized and transparent cost-benefit analysis, providing multiple benefits to County taxpayers. There will be over $15 billion of gross revenues anticipated for M2 over the next 30 years (2011 through 2041). The M2 Environmental Cleanup Program (ECP) component has a two-tiered funding structure. Tier 1 supports the development of highly distributed and localized projects aimed at reducing visible forms of pollutants (e.g. trash) generated from roadways; additional projects funded under Tier 1 reduce potable water use—a critical issue in Southern California. Examples of such projects include filters, catch basin inserts, and smart irrigation. Tier 2 funds regional, capital-intensive projects such as constructed wetlands, detention/infiltration basins, and bioswales to address heavy metals, organic chemicals, sediment, nutrients, and visible pollutants. The ECP is expected to receive 2 percent of the M2 gross revenues, which under current estimates, will be over $300 million. To date, the Tier 1 Program has funded 122 projects, providing trash reduction benefits to all 11 major Orange County watersheds. The Tier 2 Program has funded 22 projects in 7 major watersheds. Once completed, these projects have the potential to treat approximately 9,310 hectares (23,000 acres) of mixed land use and potentially augment the local groundwater supply by 600 million liters (160 million gallons) per year.

Widespread adoption and acceptance of pervious concrete systems in new areas using local materials and equipment are dependent on having information on the efficacy of the mix and their longterm needs for rehabilitation. In Porto Alegre, Brazil recent governmental mandates include incorporating permeable pavements into projects. This study expanded on research into the effectiveness of using readily available aggregate for adequate hydraulic performance and clogging resistance of pervious concrete to also determine the effectiveness of maintenance procedures. Laboratory specimens from three mixes with differently screened aggregate were cast and infiltration rates evaluated initially, post clogging, after sweeping and after powerwashing. The results indicate that all three mixes maintain similar hydraulic functionality after rehabilitation, and that powerwashing is more effective in rejuvenating infiltration capabilities than sweeping. In addition, it is recommended to perform infiltration testing twice after maintenance, as there is a slower rate measured on the second test, probably due to dislodged debris re-entering the system during the first test. Similar laboratory methodologies for mix design and maintenance evaluation might effect a faster and more efficient incorporation of this sustainable low impact development technology in other regions.

Generally speaking, compact development, with high population and employment density, good street connectivity, and access to transit have been shown to be associated with lower vehicle miles traveled (VMT). The objective of this study was to examine whether the latest published metric for evaluating the sprawl of metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) is correlated with VMT and delay, as predicted by the relationships reported in the literature. Using linear regression analysis, the latest sprawl index was found to be negatively related to VMT, such that VMT decreased for less sprawling MSAs. The relationship suggests that on average those who live in less sprawling areas tend to drive less by almost 1.6 miles per day. The annual hours of travel delay was also found to be negatively related to the sprawl index, such that the annual hours of travel delay decreased for less sprawling MSAs.

Being able to pinpoint locations on the roadway network that have abnormally high frequency of severe crashes is the first step in developing a strategic plan that ensures high returns on safety investments. This paper presents a refined two-step spatial screening method that can quickly narrow down statewide crash data into a few 0.25 -square-mile areas that have the highest crash frequencies or cost for a selected type crash. The locations identified after the 2-step process are small and specific enough to afford detailed crash causation analysis. The process is simple and intuitive and quickly reveals the spatial trends of the crashes. This paper illustrates the methodology using statewide crash data from Washington, with examples of identifying high value locations in total crashes, rural area crashes, crash costs, and crashes involving teenager drivers.

Following the 2014 adoption of a strategic and proactive council motion supporting stormwater management and low impact development in public streets and rights of way, the City of Los Angeles (City) Bureau of Sanitation (LASAN) initiated development of a program supporting stormwater management practices for public streets. These practices will be implemented through an ordinance and policy to prioritize multi-benefit solutions and address key infrastructure needs that include: a) drainage capacity/flood mitigation; b) stormwater infiltration feasibility; and c) water quality improvement. The water quality components support compliance with municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) national pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES) permit requirements, and specifically provisions described in enhanced watershed management programs (EWMPs) city-wide. The needs are established though a geospatial evaluation of city-wide characteristics, including physical geologic conditions and water quality needs for permit compliance. The practices build off the city’s recently updated low impact development (LID) handbook, and include design criteria and conceptual design elements (typical schematics, plan, profile, sections) and narrative specifications.

One of the methods for providing private parking is to use the mechanized parking within neighborhoods or housing units that are common in today’s world. But, unfortunately, due to lack of appropriate rules and technical, administrative and legal guidelines, this approach has not yet been used. Hence the necessity of investigating and formulating laws, programs and specific criteria for mechanized private parking in terms of legal, technical, traffic, urbanization aspects (location, neighborhood, architecture, building standards and national regulations, economic aspects, etc.) have been a motivation for conducting this study. In this research, after studying and investigating previous related research, basic perspective of research was formulated based on various aspects affected by and affecting the subject. In the following, using a questionnaire SWOT analysis table was prepared for providing purposes of the study and in the end, the overall program and strategic documents by providing parking in Tehran based on the proposed structure in different administrative parts were provided. The results of this research were formulation of specific laws, programs and regulations in the field of private parking, with the emphasis on mechanized parking in different urbanization (locating, neighborhood, architecture), legal (standards and regulations), economic and social aspects; that the most important result of it will be providing laws and regulations for preparing parking in the historical boundaries and eroded texture of Tehran city. The methodology proposed in this research has the ability to be generalized to other cities with similar conditions.

In the last two decades, a variety of rating systems have been developed to gauge the sustainability of transportation systems, including their environmental, economic, and social impacts. Some of these rating systems have focused on particular modes of transportation, while others have provided frameworks for an area such as a city or urban corridor; still others have examined the strategies for developing such rating systems. It had been several years since a review of these practices has been published, and the field is changing rapidly. This paper draws upon an annotated bibliography on sustainable transportation rating systems, created from an extensive literature review on the subject. A multidimensional rubric was developed for analyzing the existing work. This analysis has identified overlap and gaps in the existing literature, and opportunities to address these gaps through future research, development, and adoption of both established and emerging practices.

This paper will explore the need for increased collaboration and cooperation in regional rail systems through a case study of New York Pennsylvania Station, a major hub station in New York City and the busiest transportation facility in the United States. As a node that connects two major commuter rail systems, urban public transit, and intercity rail, Penn Station is a physical manifestation of the necessity for intermodal collaboration and integrated governance to achieve the maximum benefit for the region. These four operators compete for financial resources and space at Penn Station and in the metropolitan area. This competition has led to limited regional connections and limited opportunities for business development outside of Manhattan. Future transport developments such as high-speed rail (e.g., in the Northeast Corridor of the U.S.) may soon decrease the perception of distance, bringing major urban centers temporally closer together and facilitating business and social relationships. Current regional governance structures are weak and function poorly across state lines. Improved regional and mega-regional governance and collaboration between public and private actors can help spur regional economic growth through larger employment sheds and new development opportunities. Our study of Penn Station allows us to consider these concepts in a less abstract manner.

Transportation infrastructure management systems (TIMS) are used to model the performance and preservation of transportation infrastructure. The decision and optimization tools used in many of the traditional TIMS are based on Markov decision processes (MDP). The Markov decision process has a ‘memoryless’ property, which assumes that the sojourn times in each state are exponential. This study looks at a decision and optimization tool that is based on semi-Markov decision processes (SMDP), which is less restrictive than the MDP counterpart. The Weibull distribution was the assumed distribution of the sojourn time in each condition state. The maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) of the Weibull distribution parameters were determined based on historical condition data. In the SMDP model, dynamic programming was used to determine the optimal long-term maintenance and rehabilitation costs for bridge elements in particular condition states, which was compared against the traditional MDP. The results obtained from this study indicated that the SMDP model is feasible and is a more flexible model than the traditional MDP model for modeling the preservation of transportation infrastructure.

Over the years, studies presented on shock wave model optimization have been limited to the proposal of optimization control policies using queue length constraints in oversaturated conditions, and also finding the optimum cycle time and green splits based on either a known cycle time from the field or an optimum cycle time obtained from other methods. To our best knowledge, we can say after reviewing the literature that no attempt has been made to use the shock wave model to find the optimum cycle time for a general isolated intersection, because minimizing this model generates very small values, close to zero for an optimum cycle time, which is unacceptable. In this paper, we propose an optimization model that provides the optimum cycle time and green splits when the total average delay at a general isolated signalized intersection is minimized for all vehicles present. To do so, we model the lost time effect in the shock wave delay model, which creates the most desirable optimum cycle time values. In our optimization process, the key strategy is to keep both approaches in the undersaturated condition. Therefore, our model works when the total amount of volume-to-capacity ratio of both approaches is less than 2.0; otherwise, where both approaches are oversaturated, other control policies should be considered and utilized. A comparison of the results with a widely-used formula in the literature reveals that our model is superior.

The quality of railway track geometry has a critical influence on the safety and comfort of train operations. In order to assess track geometry quality more effectively, the factor of track geometry wavelength should be considered. In this paper, a novel approach of assessment of track geometry quality based on intrinsic mode function (IMF), which derived from the measured data of track geometry by their characteristic wavelength scales, is presented. For this purpose, the frequency spectrum and the energy of each IMF of track geometry are calculated via fast Fourier transform method. The energy coefficient of each IMF of track geometry is defined as the ratio of each energy of IMFs to the total energy of the track geometry, and then the new parameter index is obtained with the corresponding calculation. In comparison with track quality index (TQI) which is the main management method of track geometry in China, the new approach has been proved to be a general form of TQI. Finally, the track geometry data collected by track recording vehicles from Hefei-Wuhan high speed railway is studied using the new parameter index. The statistic analyzing results indicate that the new parameter index is the development and extension of track quality index and can assess the track quality accurately and effectively.

Passenger rail services provide many transfer route options, but it is difficult for a passenger to choose the best one to meet his travel need. This paper aims to develop a transfer route choice model for railway passengers that maximizes passenger utility, based on their income levels. First, we simplified the design of the passenger transfer service network according to the train time table, then established a passenger utility function; next, we extracted the problem of transfer options to the short path problem, based on the transfer service network. This paper analyzes travel time, travel cost, comfort level, and departure and arrival times. It uses a quantitative approach to measure each factor, and devises a transfer service choice model based on the utility maximization. The model algorithm is solved by the K-short-path. Finally, the model is proved feasible and effective using a real-world problem.

Based on the theory of vehicle–track coupled dynamics, this paper used vehicle–track coupled dynamic models to simulate the dynamic performance of CRH3 (China Railway Highspeed Series Type 3) high-speed train running on different types of CRTS (China Railway Track System) series ballastless tracks. Straight line and curve running conditions were chosen for simulation, and power spectrum density of ballastless track irregularities of high-speed railway was applied as the excitation input of the vehicle–track coupled system. The simulation results indicate that CRH3 high-speed train shows excellent dynamic performance while running on CRTS-I slab track, CRTS-II slab track, CRTS-III slab track and double-block track. The running smoothness and safety indices increase as the vehicle speed increases, and there are sufficient margins before these indices reach the limits. There exists a suitable speed which alleviates the lateral interaction between wheel and rail when vehicle passes a certain radius curve. In general, dynamic performance of CRH3 high-speed train does not have obvious differences due to different types of ballastless tracks.

Railway condition survey is limited by available time, particularly for high-speed railway due to the need to use its full capacity every day. Therefore, railway condition survey at high-speed at high-automation level becomes necessary. In addition, different from highway pavement condition assessment, safety is the primary factor for railway condition survey. The railway survey frequency is usually daily or weekly, while highway or runway pavement surveys are commonly conducted on annual basis. Rail profile measurement in the transverse direction, missing or broken fastener detection and slab surface crack identification are three primary railway survey items. Currently, manual or semi-automated methods are becoming feasible for railway condition surveys, but most of the applications are based on low resolution of data and have poor precision and accuracy. The repeatability and reliability of their analysis results cannot be assured. Based on the successful applications of 3D laser imaging for highways and runways, the team is developing a 3D digital railway surface evaluation system. This system consists of high-performance 3D laser profilers to acquire surface details in 3D of rail tracks and supporting elements and structures at resolutions finer than 1mm. A computer vision framework is being developed to acquire and process various positioning and visual data streams in a synchronous approach. This paper discusses the status of current railway survey technologies and limitations, presents the planned implementation of new 3D laser imaging technology for high-speed and complete coverage, and possible solutions to detecting rail surface defects. Especially, fastener inspection algorithm is being developed and tested. Preliminary results reveal that the proposed 3D system under development and the fastener recognition algorithms are substantially more capable in terms of high data quality and automation level for data analysis. The objective is to initially supplement and ultimately replace traditional methods of rail safety and condition evaluation.

GPS-based transit signal priority (TSP) has advantages in providing flexible and conditional signal priority to transit vehicles. This study compared the effectiveness of different combinations of operational patterns and TSP strategies and assessed their impacts on side-street traffic operations. Micro-simulation analytical tools were applied to two testbeds of Utah Transit Authority’s Bus Route 33 and bus rapid transit (BRT) Line 35 MAX. Eight scenarios were created for Route 33 that included the existing conditions and combinations of regular/BRT operational patterns with traditional TSP, GPS-based TSP, conditional TSP implementations. Three scenarios were created for 35 MAX, also considering the existing traditional TSP condition, GPS-based TSP, and conditional TSP implementations. Results confirmed similar operational effectiveness of GPS-based TSP when compared to traditional TSP. Conditional TSP had smaller impacts on side-street traffic while providing transit vehicles considerable amounts of delay reduction and travel time saving.

In an effort to increase the productivity of the Trenton Line in eastern Pennsylvania, CSX sought to improve the minimum vertical clearance along the railroad by removing restrictions to the movement of double stack container cars. The Trenton Line is a critical segment along CSX’s heavily utilized I-95 corridor, providing goods movement through Philadelphia to other major East Coast ports. For this project, CSX improved the vertical clearance at 16 obstructions, broken into 8 contracts within a 22 mile long rail corridor through Philadelphia and Bucks Counties. Contract 1 is located in the highly urban North Philadelphia area and was the largest contract in the project. This site spanned 1.3 miles through dense industrial and residential neighborhoods and included significant track improvements including the construction of 2 new interlockings and 3 miles of new track. Track was lowered up to 5 feet in some areas below and adjacent to century-old bridges and buildings. To avoid impacts to these structures, the design included the construction of nearly 2,500 LF of solider pile and lagging walls and shotcrete footing protection. The design also addressed lowering track over large, shallow sewer and water lines that required protection measures to maintain their integrity and avoid impacts to the surrounding urban community. The site was already known to experience severe flooding problems prior to track lowering. To resolve these issues, the design incorporated a coordinated network of stormwater management facilities including a detention basin, and a pump station which can handle a capacity of 15,000 GPM. This paper will present the details of the engineering design as well as the challenges during the 22-month construction phase for the Contract 1 portion of this project.

Congestion is the major challenge facing transportation engineers; it occurs when demand exceeds the existing road infrastructure capacity. Park-and-ride facilities have become a key strategy in congestion reduction. These facilities encourage transit use by providing travelers an option to park their vehicle and use a high occupancy travel mode. This paper deals with the concept park and ride which is aimed to make every day travel economical and make the public transportation more accessible. The analysis is made to the level of census tract. The population characteristics of various census tracts are analyzed for potential customers for the park and ride facility. In addition to that, the availability of land for park and ride optimal lots and traffic information are also considered to derive at potential sites for park and ride facility.

The aim of the paper is to estimate the effective (functional) radius at the tangent point, and to demonstrate its use to compute the track construction tolerances and speed on a non-spiraled curve. The existence of lateral acceleration at transition point between tangent and curved track indicates that the radius at the tangent point must have some functional finite value. The effective radius is estimated by using the principle adopted in BS EN 13803-2:2006 to determine the effective radius at the switch point of a turnout placed on a tangent track. A method is suggested to estimate the construction tolerance of a new track and speed on a non-spiraled curve from the concept of the effective radius. The concept of effective radius seems to have useful applications.

The purpose of the paper is to propose a test set-up for bending fatigue of rail on the basis of theoretical analysis. The proposed set up may be used with the knowledge of the representative effective wheel load on a system only. It may be used to determine the allowable bending fatigue stress/load of rail experimentally without resort to use of the fatigue test on the standard fatigue test specimen, and validate the currently available allowable bending fatigue stress/load. Thus, the paper reviews and discusses bending fatigue test parameters of a rail section such as test span, stress ratio, test load, loading cycle, loading frequency, and deflection. In literature, there exists a variation in the test span length which calls for a theoretical investigation to determine a basis of the test span. It is shown that a test span equal to the characteristic length of the track is a sensible technical choice for which the test load becomes equivalent to the representative effective wheel load on the system, and as such bending fatigue test is possible even without the knowledge of the allowable bending fatigue stress. Thus, the characteristic length of the track and the representative effective wheel load on a track system open a venue to determine the allowable bending fatigue stress of a rail section experimentally. In a paper by the author, the maximum possible stress ratio in a continuously welded rail track has been determined to be (-) 0.438. On the basis of this stress ratio, and suggested test span, a fatigue test set-up is proposed. Under the proposed test set up, the span is close to that of AREMA test set up which might render the proposal unnecessary. Thus, the reasons for the proposal are explained in details. The test loads for different rail sections are estimated by using the allowable bending fatigue stress formula by the author. The test loads are compared with the effective wheel load and test loads proposed by AREMA and discussed. Review of AREMA test load is suggested.

Intercity travel has been on the rise in the last few decades, resulting in severe congestion on intercity freeway corridors. Existing modes such as air, rail, and bus services have respective limitations and have not been effective in alleviating the present and future intercity travel challenges. “Flexpress” is a flexible and high-speed intercity transit service that is conceived and designed to accomplish three major operating characteristics: high speed, high capacity and high accessibility. It is a 20-passenger tire-based electric vehicle that is equipped with CACC (cooperative adaptive cruise control) technology to virtually chain up with vehicles of the same type, forming a self-driving high-speed platoon on a dedicated guideway. Upon reaching an urban area, this platoon breaks up into individual vehicles driven by human drivers, and each vehicle heads to a different terminal, bringing passengers closer to their final destinations. This paper presents the concept and service design of Flexpress as well as some preliminary findings from a demand analysis that in addition to provide individual preferences, help investigate the overall potential market in the U.S.

In dynamic wheel/rail models, the Hertzian contact stiffness is an important parameter. A track structure and wheel set connected by means of a Hertzian spring is used to describe high frequency vertical vibrations. Unfortunately the Hertzian contact stiffness has been a subject of some dispute by various authors e.g., Hertz, Jenkin, Ahlbeck, Roark, etc. The paper uses Bousinesque equation for vertical deformation of rail under the center of a circular loaded surface to derive a linearized Hertzian contact stiffness formula and compares different approaches available in literature. The values obtained from proposed formula are compared with the values from literature for the purpose of validation.

Developments in text mining now allow useful information to be automatically extracted from text. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) publishes a database of railroad equipment accidents. These accident records contain numeric data describing the accident and a text description of the accident. This paper will discuss how latent Dirichlet analysis (LDA), a text-mining algorithm, can be used to identify major recurring accident topics from the text in the FRA reports. Equipment accident reports from 2005 to 2015 were studied. This analysis identified railroad grade crossing accidents with large trucks, shoving accidents, and hump yard accidents as major topics in the accident reports. An alternative method of analyzing the text, text clustering, was also used to study the FRA data. Visualizations of the text also provide useful information about the major types of railroad accidents.

Often times ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance is not met on existing or new track crossings, or unsafe conditions exist for bicyclist or wheelchairs as roadway are changed. Unfortunately, these non-compliant issues, or hazardous conditions, can be expensive to correct, and the design or function of the areas frequently interrupted to maintain safe and compliant conditions. New innovative materials developed to perform under track crossing conditions, and their performance properties that lead to their success in these conditions, is discussed. Future opportunities to provide improved safety and compliance with evolving standards and roadway still exist with these innovative materials.

Advances in measuring the intangible costs and benefits of transportation are being made but economic cost-benefit models used to analyze transportation infrastructure projects have not kept up. There are new benefit categories that existing transportation cost-benefit models do not include. One example is the benefit of travel time reliability. This paper summarizes the results of 30 studies of reliability and synthesizes them into a reliability ratio that can be used in transit cost-benefit analysis. By interpreting and standardizing reliability research the paper shows how cutting edge transportation research can be made available to engineering and planning professionals in their planning and design decisions. The value of reliability is implemented in a cost-benefit and risk analysis model and is freely available as a spreadsheet from the authors.

The focus of this paper is to research the relationship between dependent variables (bus travel delay and travel time per mile) and explanatory variables (road network, bus route and traffic characteristics), and develop models to estimate bus travel time from a bus-stop to the next bus-stop along a route. Three different types of bus travel delay models and one travel time per mile model were developed, evaluated and compared by time period (morning peak, mid-day off-peak, and evening peak) to assess the applicability of these models for improved arrival prediction. The three bus travel delay models are based on free flow travel time, travel time based on the Bureau of Public Roads (BPR) equation (default parameters) and travel time based on BPR equation (local parameters from regional transportation network model). Automatic vehicle location (AVL) data obtained from the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina was used to extract data for 81 links along 15 bus routes and develop models using multivariate linear regression analysis. Data for seven links that are not used for modeling were then used for validation. Results obtained indicate that bus travel time per mile model has better predictive capability than the bus travel delay models. The hourly traffic volume, number of bus-stops per mile, signalized intersections per mile and two-way stop controlled approaches per mile tend to have a statistically significant effect on bus travel time and delay.

After the recent deepwater gas discoveries in the eastern Mediterranean countries that share the same geological offshore basin with Lebanon, Lebanon’s government estimates that there are potential natural gas reserves of around 25 trillion cubic feet, located in its offshore territory. This potential has risen hope for a future with greater energy independence and lesser urban pollution within the two main sectors power generation and transportation. In this realm, this paper presents an ex-ante evaluation of shifting transit vehicles fleet from the current practice of gasoline fuel into natural gas fuel. The evaluation is done through probabilistic cost benefit analysis (CBA). The various options and scenarios for this shift is established taking into consideration the type of natural gas fuel, type of deployment, and stages of deployment. Costs associated with each scenario are estimated and include costs of required infrastructure and refueling stations, capital cost for vehicles, NG converters, fuel costs, life cycle vehicle operating costs and emissions. Expected benefits include direct user savings, emissions reductions, and health benefits. Scenarios of the effects of fuel price fluctuations will be addressed within the CBA analysis using the probabilistic approach. A Monte Carlo simulation will be applied to capture the variability and sensitivity of each of the input parameters, in specific the economic parameters, the interest rate and inflation rate. Results of comparing the costs, outcomes/benefits, strengths and weaknesses of the considered options are provided for the short and long terms.

Unlike those of many countries, railways in the United States are largely in private ownership and operation. For many years, the relationship between the public sector and the railways was mainly one of regulation rather than investment. Recently, this is changing and the public sector—particularly at the state level—has a rich body of programs aimed at supporting rail transportation. While regulation is still one focus, public programs today recognize and promote rail for a variety of other reasons, including economic development, environmental benefits, congestion relief, and sustainability. This paper describes the results of recent research into the scope, objectives, funding source, and benefit delivery mechanisms of public sector rail programs. The data were collected through an inventory process accompanied by a survey and targeted interviews. The research findings may be useful for public agencies seeking to establish new rail programs and for railroads exploring public-private partnerships.

The effect on the solution of dynamic link journey time was investigated under various levels of discretization of dividing link into several segments. The outflow was given by using of the widely used model of relationship between whole link journey time and link flow in dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) models based on given inflows. Under the condition of traffic flow satisfying the rule of first in and first out (FIFO), a link was divided into a few segments, based on whole link journey time model, the discretized journey -time model and the discretized outflow model of every segment was deduced, and whose solutions were proved closely approximating the LWR solutions. Finally, Case 1 numerically compare the precision in calculation of solution of discretized journey-time model under different levels of discretization, and in Case 2 the journey time simulation method was given by use of detected traffic flow.

A critical element of the planning process for high-speed intercity passenger rail (HSR) investments is the development of ridership estimates for new services as well as projecting the impacts of new travel options (i.e., HSR) on existing modes of transportation. This paper presents a review of existing research on HSR ridership and the impacts of HSR development on the broader transportation system. Global ridership is estimated to be in excess of 1 billion annual trips. Direct “before and after” evidence from several HSR corridors reveals additional detail of how HSR impacts traveler mode choice. The findings from this review are applicable to a broad range of HSR planning and policy development activities that require an understanding of the ridership and transportation system impacts of HSR.

Ballast is an essential layer of railroad substructure that facilitates drainage and load distribution and is constantly subjected repeated train loadings. Both size distribution and morphological properties of the ballast aggregates therefore impact significantly the overall performance of railway track substructure in terms of strength, modulus and permanent deformation. It is crucial to have reliable inspection methods that can quantitatively assess the ballast condition with respect to the aggregate size and shape properties as part of ballasted track design and maintenance strategies. This paper introduces a prototype of non-intrusive track ballast inspection system based on smartphone platform such that engineer or inspector can take photos of ballast aggregates with a smartphone-like mobile device to assess the ballast condition. The analyses are performed based on cloud-based photogrammetry processing, which is enabled by (1) cloud computing server (for image processing and analyses of the aggregate photos) and (2) smartphone (to take photos of ballast aggregate and communicate with the server by sending the photos and receiving the analysis results) or similar mobile device. The system utilizes mobile device hardware, i.e., built-in camera and global positioning system (GPS), to add location and time information into fetched ballast aggregate images, analyzes size and shape properties and evaluates ballast condition. All collected data are entered in a database in the cloud computing server such that the engineers can exploit the spatial-temporal information as well as the analyzed ballast aggregate condition whenever needed. The initial results with the ballast inspection system are presented in this paper to demonstrate its certain significant advantages over the commonly used ballast inspection techniques.

The dynamic amplification of stiffness or stiffness ratio is used as a qualification and production test for the procurement of direct fixation fastener (DFF) to ensure vibration isolation and reduce impact load to the concrete invert. According to AREMA design criteria, stiffness ratio should not be greater than 1.5. As per TCRP, the limit is 1.3. There should be a basis to set the upper limit of stiffness ratio. In this paper, an analysis on dynamic amplification of stiffness of a ballasted track is done to formulate stiffness ratio which is used to determine the stiffness ratio of a DFF, because a DFF track is simulated to have the resiliency of a ballasted track. It is demonstrated that the stiffness ratio is not linearly related with the damping, and a damping ratio over 0.5 is preferable for a track. Finally, stiffness ratio of a DFF is suggested.

Stray current leakage and the corrosion caused by direct current (dc) traction power systems has been found to be a concern in slab/embedded tracks. Embedded tracks typically run through dense traffic areas, urban commercial centers, inner city areas, tunnels, and tread between utility lines that require the rail to be continuously isolated. This isolation of the embedded tracks is necessary to provide adequate track-to-earth resistance. Compared to embedded tracks, ballasted tracks have lower stray current leakage since the entire rail does not require continuous isolation from earth and separation is only needed at the contact points which are generally insulated. Stray currents can cause safety risks, thus stray current mitigation is an important element of the overall design of a rail transit system. This paper presents and evaluates the isolation and mitigation method(s), their effectiveness, and the existing testing and maintenance plan for the Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO). The stray current isolation methods adopted by METRO, supplemented by an effective maintenance plan, have been successful in containing stray current, have eliminated loss of public infrastructure, and minimized recurring cost of repairs.

Population growth in western North Dakota from those seeking employment in the oil industry has led to substantial increases in personal income and transit ridership. Local survey findings noted that population growth has impacted the quality of life by increasing pressure on infrastructure and increasing feelings of insecurity that stem from demographic shifts and not knowing who is living in local communities. The housing market has also struggled to keep pace. For example, the housing market in the Minot-Williston region is severely tight owing to net in-migration and a dearth in housing for sale. Transit livability index measures showed an increase in recent years. The combinations of increased ridership and household income have been the two main catalysts for this change. More workers utilizing transit has also led to fewer workers commuting alone to work. However, an increasing mobility needs index and a lack of transit vehicles to meet demand are becoming evident as many of the transit livability indexes are showing smaller increases during the past one to three years compared to earlier gains. A major finding of this research shows that if the oil boom continues similar to its current pace during the next five years, transit agencies, along with policy makers, should consider expanding services to provide more hours of service along with a larger coverage area to meet new demand. Another major finding is the need for more transit vehicles in the region as well as updating vehicles in current fleets that are beyond their useful life. Increased funding is needed so that transit agencies can improve service levels and meet increasing demand.

The confluence of five major freight and passenger rail routes brings more than 100 trains through Tower 55 daily, making Fort Worth’s interlocker one of the nation’s busiest. The congestion required staging trains as far as 150 miles away and causing 90-minute delays, resulting in operational, economic and environmental impacts. Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway assembled a public-private partnership to detangle the web with innovative surface improvements. Using advanced modeling and economic analysis, they demonstrated project benefits to help secure TIGER Grant funding. Intricate construction sequencing and efficient design reduced the budget, schedule and risk to the partnership. The project returned $1.1 billion in public benefits, including $30 for every federal dollar invested. Improvements allow 40 percent more rail traffic to traverse Tower 55, avoiding $996 million in additional supply chain costs. Eliminating at-grade crossings improves safety and reduces motorist and pedestrian delays by 100,000 hours annually. Other important benefits include fuel savings and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

With the recent development of advanced laser imaging technology, 3D pavement surface data can be collected at highway speed up to 60mph at 1-mm resolution. There is a need for pavement engineers and researchers to visualize the 3D data sets and understand the extent and level of pavement deterioration. To visualize such large amount of pavement data sets requires rendering of many gigabytes of raw data in a short period of time, such as less than 1 second. It is a challenging task and related research is lacking. In this paper, the geometry clipmap based algorithm, a 3D level-of-detail (LOD) technique, is implemented to visualize long 3D pavement surfaces with 1-mm data. This algorithm caches pavement height data in a set of nested grids to render long pavement surfaces, and provides visual continuity and uniform frames rate for steady rendering. As a result, the data size uploaded to video memory is reduced dramatically, while the detailed high-resolution 1mm pavement surface data remains. With a high performance graphic card, GPU based technique is subsequently implemented in the geometry clipmap framework to dramatically reduce the offloading work of CPU. In addition, the vertex normal calculation based on OpenGL Shading Language (GLSL) is applied in this paper to further decrease the data size required for 3D rendering. Finally, the visualization results and statistics of frames per second (FPS) are provided to demonstrate the visual performance and efficiency of the geometry clipmap based algorithm for long pavement visualization. This research can aid decision makers to better visualize pavement and airport runway surface to identify surface deterioration, check data continuity, assess data quality, and prepare data for pavement condition evaluation.

Is moss with associated floras a feasible solution for application to vertical infrastructure? Studies in green roofs, a similar but not identical technology, hint that these types of structures have a lower NPV over 20 to 30 years, and produce measurable sound and radiant heat reduction. Other studies show mosses produce valuable ecological benefits from reducing erosion, to aiding in nutrient and water deposition, to sequestration of harmful particulates. Moss sequester as much and in some cases, more than grasses. Moss can handle dryer periods and survive desiccation to re-bloom. Various methodologies in this exploratory and supporting tests determined substrate needs, water quantities and pH ranges. Additional tests showed moss favor growing environments with fertilizers low in nitrogen. It is not very acidic, has a symbiotic relationship with flora. The addition of moss is a superior landscape design for sound and retaining walls in narrow and heavily traveled road corridors.

As the U.S. population, economy and global trade continue to grow, the demand for travel on our limited capacity highways will continue to increase steadily. Currently, many of the highways surrounding major urbanized areas are operating at or near capacity during the rush hours causing chronic congestion, wasting of fuel and further polluting the air. In recent decades with fiscal deficit and financial constraints, the major focus of highway agencies across the nation had been and will continue to be the cost effective traffic management and elimination of major bottlenecks along busy highway corridors. Busy interchanges are often the cause of chronic congestion at corridor and network level that are required to redesign for the operational and capacity improvement purpose. However, given the demands and travel patterns, identification of a rightly configured interchange for a particular location is the key to improve the interchange capacity and system performance. In this study, three different interchange configurations (namely full cloverleaf, all directional with shared ramps, and all directional with independent ramps) are simulated using CORSIM micro-simulation model. In an exploratory nature, various levels of throughputs and ramp flows are modeled by establishing the relations among throughput volume, roadway capacity, vehicle composition, and entrance and exit ramp volumes. The strengths and weaknesses of the three selected interchange configurations are then identified from an operational prospective. It is expected that the findings of this study would assist the transportation planners/traffic engineers to identify the most suitable interchange type for a newly build interchange or redesign an existing interchange under a set of demand conditions toward eliminating the major highway bottleneck.

The State of Oklahoma, long considered geologically stable with little to no detected seismicity, has become seismically active in recent years. In 2014 the rate of occurrence of earthquakes with magnitudes M_w 3 and greater in Oklahoma exceeded that in California. The damaging M_w 5.7 record earthquake occurred near Prague Oklahoma in November 2011 with swarms of aftershocks including two M_w 5.0 earthquakes. The unexpected sharp increase in seismicity over a broad region of central Oklahoma has raised concerns regarding its potential hazard to local communities and civil infrastructure systems. This paper uses the HAZUS-MH earthquake module developed by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to generate three scenario earthquakes at M_w 5.0, M_w6.0, and M_w7.0 and investigate the impacts of the seismic activities on transportation infrastructure systems in Oklahoma City area. The seismic hazard and the likelihood of various states of damage to the transportation infrastructure are assessed and evaluated, and direct and indirect losses resulting from this damage estimated. The simulation results could aid decision makers in identifying the most critical and vulnerable transportation assets so that mitigation strategies can be developed to minimize the negative impacts of seismic activities on public safety, property loss, and state economic development.

Backcalculating the pavement layer properties is a well-accepted procedure for the evaluation of the structural capacity of pavements. The ultimate aim of the backcalculation process from nondestructive testing (NDT) results is to estimate the in-situ pavement material properties. Using backcalculation procedure, flexible pavement layer thicknesses together with in-situ material properties can be estimated from the measured field data through appropriate analysis techniques. In this study, the wavelet-neuro (WN) models were developed for backcalculating the pavement layer thickness and elastic moduli from deflections measured on the surface of the flexible pavements. Experimental deflection data groups from NDT were used to show the capability of the WN approaches in backcalculating the pavement layer thickness and moduli and compared NN models. When the WN and NN models are examined, it has been shown that the WN model gave higher R² values than the NN models.

Geocell is a cellular confinement system made from polymer materials often used to stabilize the soft soils by providing confinement that reduces the lateral movement of the soil particles. In pavements, the geocells have been used in base course to increase bearing capacity of subgrade course by distributing load. Although studies have been conducted that documented the benefit of geocell, the mechanism leading to load distribution and stiffening of base course is not fully understood and is focus of this study. To identify benefits of geocells, a parametric study using finite element analysis was carried to analyze the benefits of geocells when used as reinforcement of base course by applying different loading conditions and using different pavement material properties. In addition, different material models were evaluated. The benefits provided by geocell-reinforcement depended on the pavement structure, particularly when used to reinforce poor quality materials.

Non-tracking tacks are introduced to improve the bonding of pavement layers by preventing the tracking problems associated with conventional tacks. However, the evaluation of the non-tracking tacks has not been well-established as compared with the traditional tack coats. The goal of this research was to measure the rheological properties, the bonding potentials and tack properties of non-tracking tack materials. For this purpose, the dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) frequency sweep test was performed on the tack residues for investigating their rheological properties. Also, a pneumatic adhesion tester was used to measure the pull-off strength of the interaction between the residues and aggregate. The DSR tackiness test was conducted to identify the tracking resistance and quantify the tack energy. Three non-tracking tack coats and a traditional tack coat were used. The results of the DSR frequency sweep test showed that the non-tracking tack materials are stiffer than the traditional tack coat. The results from the pull-off testing and the DSR tackiness test demonstrated that the effect of tack type on the bond strength and tackiness was significant. Furthermore, it was shown in the tackiness test that the testing temperature had a major impact on the change of tack energy for the non-tracking tacks.

Traffic flow on urban arterial streets controlled by traffic signals, create platoons at the exit, which tend to disperse as they progress along the arterial. The platoon characterizing variables such as platoon size, intra-platoon headway, inter-platoon headway, and platoon speed have been studied extensively under homogeneous traffic conditions, but similar studies have not been conducted adequately considering the diversity of traffic and lack of lane discipline exhibited under heterogeneous traffic conditions. This study enables better understanding of platoon characterizing variables under heterogeneous traffic conditions facilitating enhanced safety and better operation. Data were collected using video graphic survey technique. It was analyzed for each platoon upto 420 m at every 30 m interval. The analyses represented the trend and dispersion of platoons of vehicles and locations where initial and higher platoon diffusion occurred at downstream of traffic signals based on the variations exhibited by the platoon characterizing variables.

Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) uses vehicle type, load spectra and number of axle to characterize traffic inputs for the pavement designs, as an alternate of the previously used equivalent single axle load (ESAL). Long term pavement performance (LTPP) study has 8 sites in New Mexico (NM) which collects the weigh-in-motion (WIM) data all over the year. These WIM collected data can be used as the traffic inputs for a reliable pavement design using the MEPDG. In this study the LTPP traffic data were extracted and then clustering technique was used to find out the similarities between different sites. Then the traffic data from different cluster was compared to the default values in the MEPDG software. The monthly adjustment factors (MAF), vehicle class distribution (VCD) and axle load distributions for different cluster deviated from the MEPDG’s default values. The effect of these differences on the pavement performance for New Mexico conditions was established through a sensitivity analysis. It was found that longitudinal cracking is mostly sensitive to MAF. Alligator cracking is found sensitive to axle load distribution. Whereas rutting was found sensitive to all the variables studied, however IRI was not significantly affected by any of the variables in this study.

This study presents the evaluation of the compaction process on a lime-stabilized clayey subgrade soil using the intelligent compaction (IC) technology. Two test beds with similar clayey subgrade soil were constructed with and without in-situ lime stabilization. These test beds were evaluated using several in situ nondestructive testing devices and an IC-equipped vibratory roller. The results from the study showed significant spatial variability in the in-situ test results and the roller measurements. In comparison to the untreated subgrade, the lime-stabilized test sections demonstrated a reduction in the variability of the roller measurements. The roller measurements on the stabilized section were influenced by the testing time and the underlying support conditions. The laboratory results and the field measurements using the roller and in-situ devices pointed to the improvement in the soil properties after stabilization. The moduli of the stabilized subgrade soil increased by almost two times. Statistical analyses demonstrated the influence of the underlying support condition, the moisture content and the lift thickness variations on the roller measurements.

Crash prediction models for curved segments of rural two-lane two-way highways were developed. The modeling effort included the calibration of the predictive model found in the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) as well as the development of Utah-specific models developed using negative binomial regression. The data for these models came from randomly sampled curved segments in Utah, with crash data coming from years 2008-2012. The calibration factor for the HSM predictive model was determined to be 1.50 for the three-year period and 1.60 for the five-year period. A negative binomial model was used to develop Utah-specific crash prediction models based on both the three-year and five-year sample periods. The significant variables were average annual daily traffic, segment length, total truck percentage, and curve radius. The main benefit of the Utah-specific crash prediction models is that they provide a reasonable level of accuracy for crash prediction yet only require four variables.

Moisture intrusion can potentially result in the degradation of the adhesive bonds between the aggregate and mastic, and cohesive bonds within the mastic resulting in deterioration in mechanical performance of asphalt concrete pavements. The motivation for this research was to characterize the variations in such mechanical properties in asphalt mixes when subjected to cyclic moisture intrusion. Each permutation of the experiment design was subjected to moisture conditioning using a moisture induced stress tester (MIST) at three different levels; 500 cycles, 5000 cycles, and 10000 cycles. Additionally, dynamic modulus tests and indirect tensile tests were performed on both unconditioned and moisture conditioned specimen to identify the influence of cyclic moisture on the mechanical properties of the continuum. The analysis of the indirect tensile tests underscores the role of moisture to increase the degree of nonlinearity of the asphalt specimen. Additionally, the loss in stiffness properties evidenced by the reduction in the dynamic modulus values of moisture conditioned specimen were more prominent at lower loading rates in the dynamic modulus tests. This study can provide valuable insights on the dynamic variations of the pore water pressure in asphalt mixes and its relevance to the mechanical performance of dense graded asphalt mixes.

To evaluate environmental impacts of pavement, life cycle assessment (LCA) approach has been proposed by the Federal Highway Administration. Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) is a vital step within LCA that transforms various emissions into meaningful environmental and human impacts. The LCIA is a four step process: classification, characterization, normalization, and weighting. Due to subjectivity associated with normalization and weighting, International Organization for Standardization proposed to use only first two steps in LCIA. However, normalization helps decision maker(s) in interpreting the environmental impacts of pavements by comparing them to common reference that are understandable and recognizable and ignoring them can lead to biasness in decision making. Therefore, the focus of this study is to propose a normalization method that minimizes subjectivity associated with currently available methods. A normalization method that combines fuzzy preference relations and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was evaluated and the evaluation results are reported in this paper. Although evaluation results are promising, more research work is needed before it can be implemented.

Variability in vehicle mix necessitates the use of passenger car units (PCU), the widely accepted common measure in the estimation of saturation flow. Previous research works show that PCU for a vehicle is not static, but it varies with the level of interaction among vehicles. This study proposes a methodology based on area occupancy for the estimation of PCU. Number of standard car spaces (N_cs) corresponding to a vehicle category is determined based on area occupancy of subject vehicle category and occupancy time of equivalent homogeneous traffic stream. The variations in dynamic PCU values of vehicles with respect to traffic characteristics, control conditions and approach width are studied and it is found that all the cars in the traffic stream do not have PCU value one. It is also observed that PCU values of all categories of vehicles except small cars exhibit a decreasing trend with increase in its own proportion. In order to facilitate easy and quick estimation of dynamic PCU values, mathematical models are developed incorporating the effect of traffic composition and saturation flow.

Intelligent compaction (IC) is an emerging technology for quality management of compacted pavement layers. Data collected by a vibration sensor and translated to a stiffness-based parameter is usually called the IC measurement value (ICMV). The ICMVs are coordinated with the global positioning system (GPS) data to assess the geospatial distribution of compacted layer properties. The IC rollers can be equipped with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) systems that are provided by the vendors. However, with the recent introduction of the after-market or retrofit IC kits, it is possible to collect IC data with most regular vibratory rollers. Even though the use of the IC retrofit kits has been gaining popularity, its performance during the field operation has not been documented extensively. In this study, two dynamic vibratory rollers equipped with the OEM IC systems were employed along a test section. A retrofit kit was also installed on one of the rollers to collect the IC data during the same field operation simultaneously with the OEM system. The geospatial distribution of the ICMVs between the two types of systems for the most part was comparable. However, the magnitudes of the ICMVs among rollers and IC systems were somewhat different. These differences in the ICMVs were attributed to the differences in the vibration sensors and their installation as well as the data reduction algorithms among different systems. The reliability of the results from the OEM systems and retrofit kits seemed to be dependent on the proper installation of the vibration sensors as well as the accurate calibration of the GPS unit prior to the field data collection. A validation system and a standard protocol are needed to harmonize the performance of the IC rollers.

Pavement skid resistance plays an important role in reducing fatalities and injuries from crashes. High friction surface treatment (HFST), initiated by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), has been installed at numerous horizontal curves with demonstrated capability in improved pavement friction and roadway safety. Many research has been conducted to demonstrate the reduction of traffic fatalities on HFST, while few focused on HFST surface evaluation in the longer term and at a wider scale due to the limitations of traditional data collection devices. This paper evaluates pavement surface characteristics of 21 HFST sites located in 10 states. Pavement cracking, rutting, macro-texture (in terms of mean profile depth) are measured using the 1mm PaveVision3D laser imaging technology while pavement friction is tested by continuous fixed-slip friction tester respectively at the posted highway speed at one-pass data collection. The measured surface characteristics before, on, and after the HFST sites are compared and paired t-test statistical analyses performed to determine the impacts of HFST on these properties. The results exhibits strong evidence that the HFST sections have statistically significant higher MPD and skid resistance than those on the adjacent pavements without HFST. In addition, the potential application of using PaveVision3D technology to estimate HFST loss and roadway geometry calculation is discussed. The analysis results demonstrated PaveVision3D laser imaging technology can aid state agencies in managing HFST to restore and maintain skid resistance on pavements with high-crash rate.

Transportation engineers face many problems in using sand dunes available in huge quantities through the desert areas in Iraq as construction materials for roads. This study consists of using sand dunes as local material in road construction. Two approaches are adopted to achieve this goal; the first is carrying out laboratory tests through simulation of three layers of paved road, using a steel box model where subgrade layer represented by sand dunes at relative density 55.7% (in situe value). The study oriented as well to the improvement of sand dunes through using reinforcement with two types of geosynthetic material. Two models were studied, one of which is reinforced by single layer of geotextile at subbase- subgrade interface and the other using single layer of geogrid at the same depth to improve the subgrade, grouting technique is used through the injection of the subgrade with a mixture of cement, bentonite, and water. Using of geotextile and geogrid, leads to increase the number of passes 108.53%, 78.05% respectively. The using of injection technique increase the number of passes about 18.29%. FE approach using abaqus program was applied to find out displacement distribution through build pavement structure model. The results obtained from both laboratory and finite elements are very much encouraging with using sand dune as construction materials for roads. However, using reinforcement in between subbase- subgrade interface also satisfied the minimum stability requirements for roads foundation structure with sand dunes as subgrade layer.

A single-lane roundabout is modeled with various bicycle/pedestrian crosswalk alternatives to safely accommodate heavy volumes of bicycle/pedestrian traffic. A microsimulation considers experimental origin-destination balanced flow scenarios with three bicycle/pedestrian volumes and four bicycle/pedestrian crosswalk alternatives: bicycles and pedestrians share a crosswalk; bicycles and pedestrians use separate crosswalks; bicycles travel in the road as vehicles; bicycles travel in a dedicated lane separate from the vehicle lane, while pedestrians use a crosswalk. The crosswalk alternatives are compared to no bicycle/pedestrian accommodation. Simulated controlled right-turning traffic volumes for a roundabout approach range from 50 to 500 vehicles per hour. Results indicate that average vehicle delay of a roundabout is sensitive to changing bicycle/pedestrian volumes and type of crosswalk alternative, before oversaturation occurs. As expected, results indicate crosswalk usage affects potential for pedestrian-vehicle conflicts, bicycle-vehicle conflicts, and roundabout average delays.

The overlay tester (OT) is a relatively new testing procedure that characterizes the fatigue cracking resistance of asphalt mixtures by evaluating the number of cycles to failure of a specimen. The uncertainty of the results has been a concern to some transportation agencies. A careful experimental evaluation of the OT test protocol reveals the complex stress and strain distributions that should be understood before improving the test. Thus, a study was conducted using the digital image correlation (DIC) and finite element analysis (FEA) methods to analyze the OT testing process and results. The DIC technology can be used to visualize the loading responses of the asphalt specimen and correlate them with the experimental results. The FEA, in addition to predicting the behavior of the HMA, can be used to validate the DIC. Thus, the use of these two methods leads to a better understanding of the OT procedure.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Report System, approximately 25 percent of fatal crashes on the U.S. highway system occur on horizontal curves. High friction surface treatments have the potential to greatly contribute to the safety of this alignment and overall traffic safety goals with modest cost, schedule, and environmental impact. This research involved a comprehensive review of crash data to identify the correlation between pavement skid number, roadway curvature, crash rate, and crash severity. Dataset analysis revealed that lower skid numbers correlated to a higher percent of wet road crashes, and around a skid number of 60, an increase in skid number no longer resulted in decreased crash rates. Also, greater injury occurred on higher degrees of curvature. The goal is to use the correlations from this research to integrate pavement friction and horizontal curvature into the Highway Safety Manual performance function.

Safety is always an essential consideration when planning an infrastructure system. Hence, it would undoubtedly be beneficial to design roadways in a manner that prevents crashes and reduces the severity of the crashes that still occur within the intersection. This study aims to identify the safety benefits of converting a standard intersection into a roundabout. Crash data from fourteen selected Pennsylvania intersections was used to compare the injury severity level and crash type statistics of crashes from before and after the roundabout’s implementation. The aforementioned crash data comparisons demonstrate that the conversion of a standard intersection into a roundabout leads to significant reductions in the severity of injuries during crashes. The results from the comparison also indicated a large decline in the frequency of angle and rear-end crashes, with a corresponding increase in hit-fixed-object crashes. Furthermore, economic and comprehensive crash costs of each injury severity level were acquired, and a before-after analysis determined that the fourteen intersections had saved a combined $35.6 million in comprehensive costs that include economic costs to society and the impact on driver’s quality of life. Based on the Pennsylvania roundabouts within this study, the results indicate the safety benefits of converting standard intersections into roundabouts. Future work would include expanding the analysis dataset to include multiple states to create a more statistically significant and confident conclusion.

A recent Illinois Center for Transportation (ICT) research project at the University of Illinois has aimed at evaluating the use of falling weight deflectometer in the assessment of structural conditions of in-service low volume roads that are in need of rehabilitation. Ten different pavement sections were selected from four counties in Illinois with varying structural and traffic characteristics to conduct falling weight deflectometer (FWD) tests. A neural-network based pavement analyzer, ANN-Pro, previously developed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign based on ILLI-PAVE finite element program solutions, was used to analyze the FWD data in order to determine and monitor the structural adequacies of existing pavement sections. This paper presents a new mechanistic-empirical (M-E) overlay design method that was introduced as part of the ICT research project to adequately assess the structural conditions of existing pavements and subsequently recommend required overlay thickness values from critical pavement responses computed from FWD field deflections. The M-E overlay design methodology compares the critical pavement responses to threshold values for the pre-established fatigue and/or rutting damage algorithms.

The objective of this paper is to develop a generic mathematical methodology that can carry out the available sight distance calculation of a roadway directly in 3-D space and in a fully automatic manner. The presented methodology overcomes the conventional approach of studying the 3-D road configuration separately and sequentially in its horizontal and vertical alignment. As far as the road surface is concerned, it is modeled as a 3-D B-spline surface. Moreover, the road centerline as well as the right and left borderlines which play a crucial role in the sight distance calculation are mathematically defined by modeling them as 3-D B-spline curves; therefore, their mathematical formulation is well determined. In addition, the cut and fill slopes of the road are also modeled as 3-D surfaces, and finally, the road surface and its corresponding cross sections are realized as one strictly defined and unified 3-D mathematical surface. This is particularly important since integrated 3-D geometric information is obtained, meaning that all calculations are applied in the real 3-D space where the road construction actually exists. Eventually, all the concepts that are incorporated in the respective equations and formulas are applied in the natural 3-D geometry of the road surface. The main competitive advantages of this methodological approach compared to other 3-D models proposed, is that the whole 3-D geometric information of the road construction is taken into account, and additionally, the available sight distance can be calculated for any potential trajectory followed by a vehicle. In addition, the methodology allows for universal adjustment that is not constricted by regional idiosyncrasies (i.e., existing design guides and policies). Finally, the computational part of this methodology is attained by expressing the functions in code through the programming language offered by the software Mathematica, whereas the whole process is demonstrated as a case study. It is noted that all the algorithms and codes appear in a fully automatic manner and parametric form, allowing the user each time, to set the corresponding and required input values to the algorithm.

The Utah Department of Transportation has recently developed the Signal Performance Metrics System (SPMS) to evaluate the performance of signalized intersections dynamically. This system currently provides data summaries for several performance measures, one of them being turning movement volume counts. As this system became public, there was a need to evaluate the accuracy of the data collected by microwave sensors for the SPMS. UDOT considered first that sensor position, number of approach lanes, and volume level would affect the accuracy. Later, speed limit was added as another factor. Data were collected manually and compared with volume count data reported by the system. A mixed model analysis of variance was employed to analyze the effect of each factor on the accuracy of traffic volume counts. The volume level and number of approach lanes factors were found to have a statistically significant effect on the accuracy of traffic volume counts by microwave sensors.

Engineers often make recommendations for project alternatives that affect multiple stakeholders. Collaborative decision-making for project alternatives can become challenging for engineers because of the many opinions — the client, owner, public, architects, and other agencies and stakeholders, all with different and often conflicting priorities. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP), a multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) technique, offers a structured approach to decision analysis in a multiple-criteria, multiple-stakeholder environment. AHP begins with setting a goal, developing alternatives that may be able to meet that goal, and then evaluating each alternative based upon its ability to meet the stakeholders’ criteria. AHP is utilized in many different fields, including economics, politics, finance, resource allocation, conflict resolution, design, architecture, and transportation. A hypothetical case study for a grade separation design for the California high-speed train project using AHP is applied in this paper to determine the best possible design alternative.

Imbalance between the available resources and the number of center-lane miles that warrants lighting has limited the agencies from installing lighting system throughout the roadway network. Further, resource limitations have led public agencies to explore public private partnerships (PPP) or hire private firms to work on projects and meet their desired goals. State departments of transportation (DOTs) such as North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) currently design and maintain the interchange lighting system while construction is done by a private firm or contractor. Privatizing design and/or maintenance in addition to construction of the interchange lighting system may be an equally viable (economical) option. The focus of this paper is to research, explore options and evaluate if privatizing design, construction and maintenance of the interchange lighting system will result in monetary benefits (economically viable option). Results obtained indicate that the current practice (base case) of interchange lighting system design and maintenance by NCDOT and construction by a private firm is an equally viable option as maintenance by NCDOT and interchange lighting system design and construction by a private firm. Interchange lighting system design by NCDOT and construction and maintenance by a private firm is as economical as privatizing design, construction and maintenance of the interchange lighting system. Adopting any of these above two scenarios would result in a marginal increase in costs to NCDOT. The results from sensitivity analysis (10% increase or decrease in costs) support those obtained from the economic analysis. A 10% decrease in NCDOT construction cost (if the private firm construction cost remains constant) may bring down the total cost to lower than the base case. The benefits, however, in this case are marginal. On the other hand, obtaining competitive bids and lowering private firm construction cost will lower the overall cost and maximize benefits to NCDOT.

The flow number in dynamic creep tests is a criterion used for estimating the permanent deformation potential in hot mix asphalt (HMA) mixtures. Different procedures have been introduced as standard test methods to assess the flow number of HMA mixtures. They vary in specimen size and geometry as well as the loading pattern that is applied on the specimens. The present study investigates the effects of specimen dimensions and loading pattern on the creep behavior of three different asphalt mixtures in unconfined repeated load creep tests. Identical asphalt concrete samples were tested in different unconfined dynamic creep tests and the results were compared to the ones in Hamburg wheel tracking test. Based on the above findings, a phenomenological relationship between the creep test results and the rut depth of asphalt concrete mixtures is presented and the most appropriate testing protocol is introduced.

There is a perception that asphalt pavements utilized for highways and parking lots are contributing to increased temperatures in urban areas known as the urban heat island effect. Due to its dark color, asphalt is known to have low albedo, but the research conducted to determine the daily heating and cooling has been limited. The majority of research conducted to date has focused on freshly paved asphalt samples without accounting for changes in age, wearing, lift thickness, or aggregate types associated with different asphalt mix designs. Each of these parameters are known to affect the amount of light reflected, the amount of heat absorbed, and the amount of heat retained. This paper will show results from a revised methodology to simultaneously test repeatable one meter samples which can be easily conducted in other laboratories to help compare results evenly.

The application of multi-function road surface (MRS) in the anti-skid maintenance of steel deck of Zhongshan Guangming Bridge was introduced and the mechanical properties of MRS binder and the high temperature stability, water stability, adhesive property of MRS overlay were comprehensively studied. The results indicated that MRS binder had excellent bond strength and durability; MRS overlay had excellent high temperature stability, water stability, adhesive properties, and the skid resistance of the steel deck was improved significantly. The bond strength of MRS binder to steel and tensile lap-shear strength of MRS binder were 19.2 MPa and 17.6 MPa, respectively, After exposure to damp heat for 20 days, the bond strength of MRS binder was 3.2 MPa. After 5 high-low temperature cycles, the bond strength of MRS binder was 3.3 MPa. And all breaks of the samples were found in concrete. The dynamic stability of MRS overlay was 25245 times/mm under the temperature of 70°C and the pressure of 0.9 MPa, and its immersion Marshall residual stability was 95.4%, and the bond strength of MRS overlay was 4.4 MPa. The British pendulum number of the deck under dry and wet condition was increased from 60 to 97 and 36 to 86 respectively. And the water permeability coefficient of the MRS overlay was 0 ml/min.

To aid the Utah Department of Transportation in meeting their goal of zero fatalities the Civil and Environmental Engineering and Statistics Departments at Brigham Young University have worked collaboratively in developing analysis tools for safety. The most recent of these tools is the Utah Crash Prediction Model that utilizes hierarchical Bayesian models integrated in a geographic information system framework to analyze safety on roadways. This research focuses on the enhancement of the framework for highway safety mitigation in Utah by developing a methodology for accomplishing the areas of network screening, diagnosis, and countermeasure selection. This methodology, “Hot Spot Identification and Analysis,” consists of seven steps: (1) identify problematic segments with safety concern; (2) identify problem spots within the segments; (3) micro analysis of problematic segments and spots; (4) defining the segment; (5) defining the problem; (6) evaluation of possible countermeasures; and (7) selection and recommendation of feasible countermeasures.

Emergency evacuation plans for metropolitan areas frequently rely on transportation simulation models to predict evacuation durations. Previous work frequently assumes drivers will demonstrate similar aggressiveness during an evacuation as during peak hour commuting. On the contrary, several studies suggest driving behavior is different during evacuations. The objective of this study was to find if changing driver aggressiveness will significantly impact the expected duration of a no-notice evacuation. In this study, the authors used microscopic traffic simulation software to model travel demand for a no-notice evacuation scenario in the St. Louis metropolitan area and represented driver aggressiveness by adjusting headway, following distance, and other parameters. This model included the traffic volumes predicted by the regional planning agency and the route diversions and freeway service patrol operations expected by the local state Department of Transportation. Although the findings suggested that changes in driver aggressiveness will not significantly change the evacuation duration; for key evacuation routes, a significant reduction in travel time and delay was found when driver aggressiveness decreased, compared to the observed normal peak hour driver behavior. These findings suggest that traffic engineers and emergency managers should carefully consider the wording of evacuation information provided to drivers in an attempt to reduce anxiety and prevent aggressive driving during a no-notice evacuation. Further, research should attempt to capture driver behavior during future evacuations so modelers can model travel behavior more accurately.

Reduction of tire/pavement noise, has been considered a possible solution to help mitigate highway noise near the source. Quiet pavements have been developed, such as open-graded pavements, but as with all pavement types, are known to become louder with age. An evaluation of tire/pavement noise, utilizing the on-board sound intensity method has been conducted over the last five years to determine the magnitude of the noise increase, the rate of that change, and how the spectral frequency changed in quiet pavements over time. The increase in low frequency variability associated with each of the pavements was attributed to pavement distress as the pavement ages, which is the dominant contributor to overall level increases. This paper will discuss measured overall noise levels, evaluate the change in one-third octave band frequency levels, and show the rate of the noise level increase for NJ quiet pavements.

Rumble strips implementation has shown a constant increase due to its safety benefits. Rumble strips are milled into the roadway shoulder to produce noise and vibrations when driven on. With the milling process, the shoulder depth is being decreased and could ultimately impact the shoulder pavement performance. The pavement performance is expected to be negatively impacted, though not mathematically quantified, by the decreased depth. Using methods defined by the Long Term Pavement Performance Program, the severity of the shoulder site’s distresses, with and without shoulder rumble strips, will be quantified and compared. The quantification of this impact would allow for a design to compensate for this expected negative impact. The full utilization of roadways becomes increasingly important each year and understanding every aspect that may possibly harm the roadway needs to be studied. This study aims to quantify this impact of rumble strips on the performance of the roadway pavement.

In a recent study, Zhang, et al, demonstrated that stable relationships exist between the number of fatal crashes and all other reported crashes using statewide crash data from Texas and Virginia. The authors derived estimation models for all severities of non-fatal crashes based on the frequency of fatal crashes in the same region, and presented equations for estimating the corresponding economic cost of roadway crashes. In this research, the authors expand this work to additional states using the newly available data from the SHRP2 naturalistic driving study and develop the same relationships for the SHRP2 states; Florida, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington. This paper presents models for estimating frequencies of any type of non-fatal crashes from the frequency of fatal crashes and the resulting estimated costs by crash severity. Similarities and differences between the state models are discussed as are the differences between the costs as estimated by the models and calculated from the detailed crash data. At a sketch planning level, the results provide useful information for understanding the magnitudes of economic and social consequences of crashes within a state when the only available information is the number of fatal crashes.

Designing to operate at a minimum cycle length that is practically feasible, referred to as “reduced cycle length (RCL) strategy” in this paper, may decrease intersection delay, queue length and the total number of stops. It could also improve safety (decrease the number of crashes) and lead to a more organized movement of system users. The objective of this research paper is (1) to evaluate the effect of RCL strategy on operational performance measures through the comparison of before-after field data; (2) to compare the number of crashes before and after the implementation of RCL strategy; and (3) to examine the effect of RCL strategy over time. Monroe Rd and Wendover Rd in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina were selected to study the effect of RCL strategy. Selected signalized intersections along these corridors were re-designed to operate at a practical minimum cycle length - 120 seconds during the morning peak hour and 70 seconds (half-cycle) or 140 seconds during the evening peak hour. Findings based on the comparison of data collected before and after the implementation of RCL strategy showed a decrease in the average intersection delay, the number of stops and the maximum queue length at three out of the four selected signalized intersections. An increase in pedestrian activity and a decrease in pedestrian delay was observed at most of the selected signalized intersections. A decrease in the number of crashes was also observed after the implementation of RCL strategy. No specific trend in operational performance or safety was observed at the selected signalized intersections over time (year 2014 compared to year 2009).

The Sterling Highway is a two-way, two-lane rural principal arterial located on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska that connects Homer to Soldotna and areas north, including Anchorage. Annual average daily traffic (AADT) in 2013 varied from 5,300 vehicles per day to 2,400 vehicles per day throughout the 70-mile study corridor; however, there is significant seasonal variation in traffic volumes such that typical summer time traffic is 150% to 200% of AADT. The Sterling Highway carries significant levels of recreational vehicles or vehicles pulling a trailer. Twenty-two slow vehicle turnouts (SVTs) were constructed on the 70-mile section of the Sterling Highway between Homer and Soldotna in the summer of 2014. Prior to this, there were no passing lanes or designated SVTs within the project area. Speed, volume, and gap data were collected in the project area both before and after construction of the slow vehicle turnouts. Prior to construction, the expected operational benefit was calculated in terms of change in percent impeded dependent upon the percentage of leading vehicles using the turnouts. This paper reports on the actual change in percent impeded and makes conclusions about the efficacy of slow vehicle turnouts for operational improvements.

Transportation authorities across the globe are encouraging people to take up cycling for their daily activities. Even though individuals are aware about the advantages of cycling, there are a few barriers, which restrict them to use bicycles for their everyday commute. One of them, is the risk of getting hit from the rear by a motor vehicle travelling in the same direction. This study proposes a measure called perception index towards cyclist safety (PICS), to represent the level of insecurity among individual road users travelling on a corridor. A structural equation modeling framework is applied to express the perception index towards cyclist safety in terms of observed variables like road, road user, and environmental characteristics. This value is further used to predict an individual specific behavior and a preferred minimum overtaking distance. The contribution of this study is towards providing traffic planners, with a tool to forecast the reasonable minimum overtaking distance, based on the observed data that serves both safe cycling and smooth traffic conditions.

Historically, asphalt mixtures in Minnesota have been produced with fine gradations. However, recently more coarse-graded mixtures are being produced as they require less asphalt binder. Thus, it is important that pavement performance for coarse gradations be evaluated. Within this research work, performance evaluation took place with the use of the dynamic modulus test in indirect tension mode on coarse-graded mixtures consisting of field cores from 9 different pavements located in five districts of Minnesota. From each pavement’s surface layer, 3 specimens were tested at three temperatures; 0.4°C, 17.1°C, and 33.8°C each at nine frequencies ranging between 0.1 Hz and 25 Hz. Additional volumetric characterization of the field mixtures was done to determine asphalt content, air voids, and blended aggregate gradations. Asphalt binders were extracted and recovered for use in determining binder shear complex master curves. Through this information the modified Witczak model was used to create |E*| master curves which were then compared against the indirect tension (IDT) test |E*| experimentally created master curves. From the results the modified Witczak model needs to be modified for IDT collected dynamic modulus data.

One of the important characteristics of developing countries is strengthening and modernizing transportation networks including land paths. This is not possible without using modern technology, new materials and its additives. Roller compacted concrete (RCC) is a usable material in making pavement of roads. As we know the strength and composition of roller compacted concrete is different from concrete. In this study roller compacted concrete is assessed by specified percentage of basalt fibers, reinforced recycled polyethylene and executive notes of this concrete. Then provided samples are tested with regard to flexural, tensile and compressive strength. According to the results, strength parameters of reinforced roller compacted concrete have increased. So, with regard to reducing thermal fracture, increasing flexural and tensile strength, this composition can be introduced as one of the modern ways in making composite pavements with less implementing thickness and longer life-time than traditional methods.

There have been many problems associated with the application of traditional methods such as use of sodium chloride (NaCl) for anti-icing asphalt binder in order to prevent asphalt icing. Among the disadvantages of using this type of materials is their incompatibility with the environment, which leads to drying the vegetation around the roads, corrosion of vehicles’ metal parts, and many damage to the structural parts of pavements. Consequently, the asphalt binder’s friction and resistance are reduced. Today, use of nano materials in asphalt and bitumen industries has attracted the attention of many researchers and scientists. In this paper, for hydrophobicity of the asphalt binder during rain, a type of bitumen coating modified with nano silica was used. The results of wheel-track testing and skin friction test on asphalt slabs with hydrophobic coatings showed that these coatings could generate hydrophobicity property and also reduce the rutting depth of asphalt mixtures. Moreover, its hydrophobicity property could prevent the formation of hydro-planting phenomenon of moving vehicles during rain, which itself is a factor contributing to road surface safety. Finally, by comparing this method with other conventional hydrophobicity methods in economic and technical terms, it can be introduced as a modern method with minimum negative impact on the environment.

Performance modelling of gravel roadways is required to predict the conditions in the future and provide information for optimal maintenance interventions. Roads are expensive asset and should be properly maintained regardless of their class or function to enhance their performance. Optimal maintenance interventions at the appropriate time to preserve the asset value are required. As improvement over previous methodologies, this paper modifies the logistic regression model by incorporating the ordinal nature of a dependent variable through defining the probabilities differently to develop improved gravel road performance models based on site specific data. The models reflect the history of gravel loss conditions to predict future performance for gravel roads in Botswana as a threshold to trigger optimal maintenance interventions. The input data for the models were generated from the triennial condition survey for Botswana carried out in 2002, 2005, and 2008. The developed improved gravel road performance methodologies are long term plans for preservation and maintenance as gravel road management systems in Botswana.

With an increased interest in low impact design and green infrastructure incentives, permeable pavements are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative pavement solution to minimize stormwater runoff and to improve water quality. Traditional shoulders are designed to provide a safety zone for emergency pull offs, provide a traffic lane during rehabilitation and maintenance operations, provide lateral support for the mainline pavement as well as providing a travel lane for other modes of transportation including buses, bicycles, etc. A permeable pavement shoulder system would provide all of these features as well as stormwater management benefits. The system would be designed such that surface water would flow across the pavement into the permeable shoulder into a stone reservoir. This stone reservoir would then temporarily store and treat the runoff. The stored water would then either infiltrate into the subgrade soils or be discharged to other stormwater outlet systems. Highway shoulder applications provide a unique set of considerations that need to be evaluated and properly designed for prior to constructing permeable shoulders. The design of permeable pavement shoulders requires a balance between providing a structurally sufficient pavement to withstand traffic loading as well as achieving the stormwater management/ hydrologic design goals. Construction techniques and proper maintenance of the permeable shoulders are critical to the success and the longevity of the permeable pavement shoulders. Permeable pavements are not suitable for every shoulder application, however, with the proper design, construction and maintenance, they provide a low impact and green alternative that may be considered. This paper outlines permeable shoulder feasibility decision criteria along with design, construction and maintenance details for the successful use of permeable roadway shoulders.

Potholes are a common pavement distress, particularly appearing during the spring freeze-thaw period in northern climates. Such holes reduce ride quality, and if left unrepaired can lead to rapid pavement deterioration. The reactive approach to repairing potholes can often be too late to prevent further pavement damage and also makes it difficult for repair crews to be scheduled in the most time and cost effective manner. In this study, four years of data from various pavements were collected and statistically analyzed. A model was developed to estimate the average number of potholes per lane mile due to traffic loads and weather conditions depending on the route type. Evaluation of the model showed that the estimated values are compatible with the actual repair data. However, including a comprehensive collection of pavement condition data and more precise records of existing pothole severities and locations could help the model to estimate with even higher precision.

Enhancements to the jointed plain concrete pavement (JPCP) transverse fatigue cracking model and the transverse joint faulting model in the AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design software based on corrected concrete coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) values are presented. The original cracking and faulting models were nationally calibrated in 2004 and again in 2007 under NCHRP projects 1-37A and 1-40D. Both of these models include the CTE as an input to various mechanistic-empirical models that affect thermal curling and joint opening/closing. The discovery of a systematic error in the CTE test procedure in 2009 by the FHWA required a recalibration of the fatigue cracking and faulting models. The correct CTE values were established for all LTPP sections in the database and some additional sections were also added. The cracking and faulting models were then recalibrated in 2011 with correct CTE values and revised national calibration coefficients obtained. Statistical tests for bias show that the cracking and faulting predictions are unbiased and match the field measurements well. Sensitivity analyses show that the significant reduction in the concrete CTE reduces its influence on design but CTE is still very significant. Since the 2007 and 2011 models were calibrated against the same field cracking and faulting data, the final models result in similar JPCP thickness designs before and after the CTE corrections with the appropriate corresponding set of model calibration coefficients. Further implementation studies in several states showed that the new calibration coefficients were unbiased and are used without making changes.

A truck and bus managed lane, a separate (exclusive) right-turn lane that lies adjacent to a modern roundabout, allows right-turning movements to bypass a roundabout, facilitates right-turn traffic flow, helps the heaviest used roundabout approach, reduces approach delay, and may reduce vehicle conflicts. A microsimulation assessment considers experimental balanced flow scenarios and three different bus and truck as managed lane traffic percentages (low: 5%, moderate: 45%, and high: 100%). Results show variations and sensitivity of roundabouts delay with managed lanes are due to variations of volumes. Also, the free-flow managed lane exit type provides significant reductions in total roundabout average delay. Consistent with expectations, the average delay of a roundabout with truck managed lane has a significant reduction on the average roundabout delay compared to the bus managed lane.

The present study investigates the asphalt concrete’s (AC’s) rutting potential at extreme hot (60°C) and cold (-30°C) pavement temperatures. Cylindrical samples were collected from the field and creep tests were performed at -15°C, 0°C, and 18°C. The viscoelastic material properties in terms of Prony series were determined for 60°C, 50°C, 45°C, 30°C, -20°C, and -30°C. A three-dimensional finite element method (FEM) model is developed using ABAQUS which uses the determined Prony series parameters to predict the rutting in AC pavement for both static and cyclic load. Considering 30°C as a reference temperature, the rutting under static loading at 60°C is 3.8 times higher than that at the reference. On the other hand, for same temperature variation but under cyclic loading, the rutting is observed to be 8.6 times higher.

In this investigation, the axle load data for a particular stretch of National Highway (NH-58) in India was collected and statistical analysis was carried out. A lognormal and Weibull distribution was found to fit the single axles whereas lognormal mixed distribution was found to fit the tandem axles. Analysis of the data revealed considerable amount of overloading. When front and rear single axles were considered, unimodal distribution was found to fit the data. When only the tandem rear axles were considered, two or more peaks were observed, the first peak signified the mean of axle loads below the legal limit and the other peaks signified the means of axle loads exceeding the legal limit. Using the moment statistics, the load spectra factor was calculated for various axle types. The sensitivity of overloading in the calculation of equivalent single axle load was quantified using the vehicle damage factor and truck factors.

Sustainable infrastructure often comes with the connotation that it uses future energy resources wisely during its performance. However, the construction phase of infrastructure sustainability should not be overlooked. Understanding the impacts of pavement type and pavement material selection can lead to more holistic decisions and preferences. The Illinois Tollway has embarked on their largest capital program in the history of the agency. Move Illinois, the tollway’s 15-year, $12.1B program, has been touted as the greenest capital program ever deployed since the tollway was established in 1958. To support their commitment to this claim, the tollway has developed life-cycle assessment (LCA) tools for each of five major components of pavement infrastructure construction: (1) pavements; (2) structures (bridges, noise walls, median barriers, etc.); (3) drainage; (4) landscaping; and (5) lighting.

Transportation agencies commonly use large size aggregates, often referred to as rock cap or aggregate subgrade, e.g., by Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), for stabilizing weak subgrades at wet of optimum moisture states. Adequate characterization of these large rocks is not possible in the laboratory with the use of standard tests. Accordingly, a cone penetration based strength index is the best field assessment tool since shear strength profile is closely linked to unbound aggregate or aggregate subgrade layer performance. To this end, an innovative variable energy dynamic cone penetration (DCP) device, popularly known as PANDA in France, was utilized in a recent Illinois Center for Transportation (ICT) research study involving the performance assessment of large size aggregates over soft subgrades. Twelve full scale working platform sections were constructed with six different types of virgin and recycled large size aggregate materials. Accelerated pavement testing (APT) was carried out on these sections to monitor the rutting progression with number of passes of a certain wheel load assembly. To evaluate layer properties and adequately relate them to rutting performance, PANDA tests were conducted along with traditional DCP soundings on the loading applied pavement test section centerlines. A geo-endoscopic probe was also used in the holes opened by the PANDA tests to identify layer interfaces and visually document subsurface moisture conditions. The PANDA and geo-endoscopy testing has proven very beneficial in the performance assessment of the large size aggregate subgrade materials under simulated traffic loading. This paper presents current detailed technical knowledge on the PANDA and geo-endoscopy test equipment and highlights field results associated with the recent ICT project soundings conducted in the pavement working platform test sections.