Abstract

Proposals for a Portsmouth and Solent Region proposed mainline rail strategy. "br/"How Portsmouth and the Solent region with other south of England ring cities can inform future transportation strategy and development, to improve connectivity, sustainability and economic benefit. Document type: Book

Abstract

Summary Although Britain is relatively rich in natural aggregate reserves, planning approvals to develop new quarries are running at about half the rate of aggregate extraction. This paper reports on a property study of crushed concrete and demolition debris with a view to using these materials in construction instead of natural aggregate. One of the objects of the research, on which this paper reports, was to accumulate data which would be a basis for the production of a British Standard for recycled materials in construction. Document type: Part of book or chapter of book

Abstract

Technical communication is an extremely important soft skill for civil engineers at the workplace. Due to globalization trends this technical communication often should be performed in English. If we join the fact that undergraduate engineering programs in Spain have been taught exclusively in Spanish, with which in addition, in rare cases those programs provide intentionally placed discipline-specific technical communication experiences, this all amounts to a major problem, regarded as an obstacle that limit undergraduates’ opportunities to work abroad. Aware of this problem, some schools provide their students with a brief course on “Technical English”. However, this course does not cover all the skills that the student would need in the labour market, such as speaking and listening abilities.

This paper promotes an innovative teaching methodology that allows Spanish Civil Engineering students to hone English communication skills through “Lunch&Movies” sessions. In each session a documentary about technical Civil Engineering topics is shown. After the screening, students work in small inter-cohort groups with a guiding lecturer. These groups debate on different questions related to the video, encouraging participation, and fostering their self-confidence to talk about technical English topics in public. Different surveys were developed to demonstrate the students’ interest in learning technical English, and to evaluate the benefit for the attendees and their achievements. The results show that the students are conscious of the importance of technical English for their future careers, and most of them improved their initial level as the sessions progressed and they gained confidence in the foreign language. Also, through a pilot subject in English, it was demonstrated that the participants of the “Lunch&Movies” sessions obtained better oral qualifications than those who did not participate. In fact, the overall results indicated that Lunch & Movie sessions can improve students' technical oral skills as well as their own perceptions of their abilities.

Abstract

Many agencies nationwide have adopted video vehicle detection technology as an alternative to inductive loops. While many product evaluations have been performed, the majority of these evaluations have concentrated on freeway applications where speed and volume were the primary evaluation criteria. At an actuated intersection, the metrics of speed and volume do not necessarily represent how well a device will operate as a presence detector. Video detection was evaluated at two signalized intersections in West Lafayette, Indiana and Noblesville, Indiana. A camera on each approach was located at the vendor recommended position, at a height of 40 feet and offset so that the camera was approximately inline with the lane line dividing the left-turn lane and through lane. Two additional cameras were located on each approach at less optimal horizontal and vertical locations. Additionally at the West Lafayette site, a fourth camera was located directly above the stop bar so that it looked down onto the detection zone. Inductive loops were used as baseline data to screen for discrepancies. Each time the loop detectors were not in agreement with a specific video detector, a discrepancy was noted. A digital video recording was later observed to determine whether the video detector or the loop detector was in error. An analysis of the data showed video detection was found to produce statistically significantly more false detections and missed detections than the loop detectors on most phases. Generally, only very small variations in video detector performance were observed at the different camera locations. The video detection was also evaluated in terms of its’ consistency of detector turn-on and turn-off times. The video detection displays an undesirable inconsistency between night periods and day periods where it tends to activate 1 to 3 seconds earlier during the night period due to headlight reflections on the pavement. However, the camera at West Lafayette located directly above the stop bar displayed very consistent behavior between the night and day periods.

Abstract

The need to replace deteriorating underground utility infrastructure and to expand utility services increases the need for utility conduits to intersect roadways. Open-trench method is currently the most widely used method for installation of underground pipelines and conduits of all sizes. However, open-cut construction has several shortcomings, chief amongst which are: health and safety concerns of workers, surface disturbance, disruption to vehicular/pedestrian traffic and reduction of pavement life. Today, other cost-effective alternatives exist to traditional open-trench construction. These methods are categorized as "trenchless technologies" as they require minimum trenching (excavation). While the benefits of trenchless technology are quite apparent when compared to the conventional open-cut process, it is necessary to carefully evaluate the suitability and appropriateness of trenchless technologies on a project-by-project basis through due consideration of site conditions such as access, right-of-way, geotechnical conditions, etc. Unfortunately, this is not always done due to the lack of a proper evaluation tool that takes into account all the project-specific criteria in a systematic fashion. Consequently, in some instances, the improper use of trenchless technologies has resulted in failures such as heaving or subsidence of the pavement, damage to nearby utilities and facilities, and even fatalities. The primary objectives of this study included the following: a) Development of a Decision Support System for the selection and performance of trenchless technologies for the installation of conduits under roadways; b) Development of specifications for selected trenchless construction methods; and c) Development of a multimedia educational tool to train Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) engineers. All these objectives were accomplished. The deployment of the specifications and tools developed as part of this study will be undertaken by the INDOT.

Abstract

Traffic congestion has become an increasing problem on major surface arterial roadways. Demand for accessibility to adjacent land uses yields increased vehicular turning movement activity at driveways and intersections. As turning and cross-road traffic volumes increase, the need for traffic signalization will eventually be warranted. When numerous, independently operating traffic signals are present on a given arterial roadway, adverse effects can result. First, continous movement along the arterials at a desirable speed may not be assured. Second, vehicular delay will increase because of the slower operating speeds and increased number of stops. Third, safety can be threatened as poor traffic flow (i.e. increased number of stops, etc.) may lead to potential vehicular conflict. Fourth, vehicle emissions may increase as a result of poor traffic progression and can have unfavorable consequences to the local air quality. Lastly, increased fuel consumption is possible as traffic waits along poorly timed arterials. Of the five effects mentioned, travel delay is the most conspicuous and readily measured. to offset these effects, advanced traffic control systems have been developed to effectively and efficiently coordinate traffic flow along an arterial roadways or throughtout an area. In this study, a review of the most current technolgies in Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) for surface arterial roadways was performed. An emphasis was placed on new and developing technologies which are likely to be available for use within the next five years. In addition, advanced traffic control systems presently within Indiana were covered. Finally, recommendations for surface arterial ATMS were made including a proposed application for major arterial roadways in the metropolitan Indianapolis area. Furthermore, the cost-effectiveness of a surgace arterial ATMS was discussed. This included the consideration of the initial construction, maintenance, and operation costs of the system hardware and software as well as roadway user fenefits and costs. A comparison of before and after surface arterial ATMS user benefits was made.

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to develop a method for synthesizing urban travel patterns through an evaluation of various factors which affected travel characteristics in 14 different urban areas. The study included an investigation of travel characteristics in standard metropolitan statistical areas (SMSAs) less than one million in population. This population classification was chosen because of the possible homogeneity in the factors affecting transportation facilities. Statistical analyses of data from the 14 cities were made to evaluate correlations in urban travel characteristics. Urban vehicular trip patterns, truck trips, and traffic generation of the central business district were among the characteristics investigated.

Abstract

Urban sprawl creates serious traffic congestion. Alternative land use patterns may be the best solution. New Urbanists claim that, by placing frequently-visited sites within walking distance of homes and creating a pleasant walking environment, people are more willing to choose non-motorized transportation mode to do such activities. Part I of this study investigated the ability of travel demand models to estimate the impacts of alternative land use patterns. Part II conducted an economic viability analysis for a mixed land use neighborhood and collected land use preferences at meetings of neighborhood associations. The objective in Part III was to evaluate the feasibility of implementing mixed land use neighborhood, based upon public acceptance, actual impacts on travel behavior and observed trip making patterns. Surveys were conducted and analyzed for this report. A brief summary of the principal findings of this study will be posted on a website – either JTRP or INDOT. The findings will include brief numerical examples of the analyses that led to the report’s conclusions. Figures and photos will be used to illustrate the alternatives and performance measures that support the project’s findings.

Abstract

The important results of earlier phases of this research - (1) correlation of accident rates and selected roadway design and traffic engineering factors; (2) utilization of a team approach to field evaluation of accident types, causal factors and countermeasures at high accident sites and (3) the use of a simulation program to analyze possible countermeasures for high accident locations - are summarized in this report. In addition 18 high accident intersections in Indiana selected by the Indiana State Highway Commission are individually analyzed using the results of the earlier phases of this Study, and recommended countermeasures for reduction of the accidents at these sites are presented.