Mechanistic-empirical equivalent single axle loads for urban pavements

The deregulation of the trucking industry in the mid-1980’s resulted in the growth of commercial vehicles not only in number, but also in weight, size and dimension. As a result, road agencies are finding their road networks being subjected to commercial vehicle load spectra greater than those initially projected. The augmented load spectra, combined with the aged state of many in-service roads, are resulting in the accelerated deterioration of our roadway infrastructure. Although much empirical evidence exists regarding the performance of rural pavements subjected to various types of loading, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the operation of commercial vehicles within the urban environment and their ensuing effects on urban roads. Urban municipalities are therefore beginning to realize the importance of identifying and quantifying the effects of commercial vehicle operations (CVO) on urban road assets, traffic congestion and motorist safety. Due to the limitations of conventional Equivalent Single Axle Loads (ESALs) when applied to urban pavements, this research aimed to investigate commercial vehicle load equivalencies for various classes of urban roadway in the City of Saskatoon. Urban load equivalencies were created by combining a traffic load spectra from a typical freeway in the City of Saskatoon with structural deformation and damage responses measured across several urban roadways. This established a framework for calculating the responses incurred from commercial vehicle loading across different types of urban roads. Based on the results of the mechanistic-empirical urban load equivalency analysis performed in this research, urban ESAL factors (ESALFs) for local-industrial roadways were found to range from 50 percent less than to 250 percent greater than conventional load equivalencies. Urban arterial ESALFs ranged from 20 percent to 260 percent greater than conventional load equivalencies. The primary response-based ESALFs for urban local and collector roadways ranged from 150 to 700 percent greater than conventional load equivalencies. The large range in mechanistic-empirical ESALFs across urban road classes indicated that typical urban roadways are much more sensitive to heavy vehicle loads than their rural highway counterparts. In a test urban traffic application, it was calculated that a typical low floor transit vehicle was capable of producing loads ranging from a minimum of nine ESALs on urban local-industrial roadways to a maximum of 140 ESALs on urban local and collector roadways

Why Transportation Mega-Projects (Often) Fail? Case Studies of Selected Transportation Mega-Projects in the New York City Metropolitan Area

This thesis explores the reasons why so few transportation mega-projects have been successfully implemented for nearly half a century in the New York City metropolitan area. Case studies of several major transportation projects are presented and analyzed. Interviews with project managers and other transportation professionals responsible for implementing mega-projects provided insight into some of the challenges faced by practitioners. This thesis suggests changes in project delivery methods and funding mechanisms that may help improve implementation of large, complex transportation projects that have a potential of providing significant public benefits. But, ultimately, fundamental institutional changes may be needed in order to effect meaningful improvements in mega-project delivery success rates and the type of mega-projects implemented. A key underlying planning/political economy issue is how to support the economic vitality of central cities in the face of an aging transportation system infrastructure and increasing competition for scarce funding resources while providing adequate protection of civil society and the environment

Natural and Technological Hazards in Urban Areas

Natural hazard events and technological accidents are separate causes of environmental impacts. Natural hazards are physical phenomena active in geological times, whereas technological hazards result from actions or facilities created by humans. In our time, combined natural and man-made hazards have been induced. Overpopulation and urban development in areas prone to natural hazards increase the impact of natural disasters worldwide. Additionally, urban areas are frequently characterized by intense industrial activity and rapid, poorly planned growth that threatens the environment and degrades the quality of life. Therefore, proper urban planning is crucial to minimize fatalities and reduce the environmental and economic impacts that accompany both natural and technological hazardous events

Evaluation of city and region planning techniques

The transportation and community planning effort in the United States has resulted in the expenditure of a great deal of time and money. However, the result of this effort has largely been unusable because of a lack of an effective formalized planning method. this thesis presents summarizations of the planning methods employed in ten plans which are typical of the U.S. Planning Effort. Each of these methods are critiqued in the light of a proposed planning method. The Federal Government has recently required the adoption of a Planning, Programming and Budgeting System (PPBS) in an effort to formalize a scientific approach to planning. As an approach to the implementation of PPBS this thesis presents the use of value analysis and objective setting as practiced by the fields of product and methods of engineering --Abstract, page ii

Modelling Non-residential Real Estate Prices and Land Use Development in Windsor with Potential Impacts from the Windsor-Essex Parkway

A study of non-residential land use in the Windsor, Ontario CMA was undertaken to examine possible local implications from construction of the Windsor-Essex Parkway. Two distinct model types were employed. The first consisted of price regressions for industrial, vacant, commercial, office, retail, restaurant, and plaza properties. The second set studied the discrete choice of land use types within commercial and industrial zoning. The commercial logit model had four alternatives: office, retail, restaurant, and other. The industrial logit model had three alternatives: warehouse, factory, and other. The results obtained from these models provide a useful account of interacting land use processes that can inform future transportation and land use policies. Moreover, the empirical analysis is particularly valuable given the larger amount of research into residential land use compared to non-residential. Finally, the models may be useful in the future as part of a more complex integrated urban model

International Conference on Civil Infrastructure and Construction (CIC 2020)

This is the proceedings of the CIC 2020 Conference, which was held under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani in Doha, Qatar from 2 to 5 February 2020. The goal of the conference was to provide a platform to discuss next-generation infrastructure and its construction among key players such as researchers, industry professionals and leaders, local government agencies, clients, construction contractors and policymakers. The conference gathered industry and academia to disseminate their research and field experiences in multiple areas of civil engineering. It was also a unique opportunity for companies and organizations to show the most recent advances in the field of civil infrastructure and construction. The conference covered a wide range of timely topics that address the needs of the construction industry all over the world and particularly in Qatar. All papers were peer reviewed by experts in their field and edited for publication. The conference accepted a total number of 127 papers submitted by authors from five different continents under the following four themes: Theme 1: Construction Management and Process Theme 2: Materials and Transportation Engineering Theme 3: Geotechnical, Environmental, and Geo-environmental Engineering Theme 4: Sustainability, Renovation, and Monitoring of Civil InfrastructureThe list of the Sponsors are listed at page 1

A Conceptual Collaborative Engagement Framework for Road Infrastructure Management in Nigeria

This study developed a conceptual collaborative engagement framework to overcome the challenges and contextual constraints associated with road infrastructure management in Nigeria