Sound and Vibration Analysis of Alternative Rumble Strips

Roadway departure crashes accounted for 18,275 fatal crashes in 2017 across the United States (Jones et al. 2017). Rumble strips (RS) provide audible and haptic interior alert when a vehicle is departing the roadway reducing run-off-the road crashes. Although inexpensive to install, and easy to maintain, RS are not installed on many roadways due to noise concerns. This Dissertation evaluated using a shallower sinusoidal RS as a quieter alternative to rounded milled RS. Rumble strip strikes by the passenger car and van generated less exterior noise with the sinusoidal than with the rounded design. To be an effective safety countermeasure, the RS must generate an interior alert, through an increase in the interior noise and haptic feedback. The sinusoidal and rounded RS do generate a sufficient interior sound alert across passenger vehicles. The radio and climate control were tested, showing that these typical ambient conditions did increase the ambient interior noise reducing the interior alert to only a detectable level. The haptic feedback during all strikes generated a sufficient amount of vibration for all vehicle types. The heavy vehicle bridged its dual-tires over the narrower rounded RS, while the wider sinusoidal RS generated sufficient interior alert. Quieter sinusoidal RS installed in more locations extends the benefits of this safety countermeasure reducing roadway departure crashes. The feasibility of using shallower epoxy-filled transverse rumble strips (TRS) as a quieter alternative for traditional TRS was also evaluated. Compared to the traditional TRS, the shallower epoxy filled TRS had a detectable reduction in roadside noise during probe vehicle strikes. Paving over the TRS clearly reduces roadside noise, but does not provide any driver alert

Quantifying the Performance of Low-Noise Rumble Strips

SPR 800Shoulder or centerline rumble strips (RS) generate noise and vibration to alert drivers when they are departing the lane of travel. Although inexpensive to install, easy to maintain, and very long-lasting, RS are not installed on many roadway segments primarily due to noise concerns of nearby property owners. This study evaluated the feasibility of using sinusoidal RS as a substitute for rounded milled RS on roadway segments in Oregon with lane-departure crash problems. Exterior and interior sound levels and interior vibrations generated by rounded and sinusoidal RS strikes were compared to baseline and no-strike sound levels for 3 vehicle classes (passenger car, van, and heavy vehicle) to establish sound generation and alerts of the 2 designs. A total of 114 vehicle strikes of RS were recorded. Rumble strip strikes by the passenger car and van generated less exterior noise with the sinusoidal than with the rounded design. Interior noise generated by striking the sinusoidal design generated a clearly noticeable alert, suggesting that the sinusoidal rumble strip is still an effective countermeasure. Based on thresholds of human perception for vibration, both rumble strip types generated sufficient vibration to alert the driver. Results for the heavy vehicle were complicated due to bridging of the harrower rounded rumble strip by the tires. The wider cut of the sinusoidal RS generated a clearly detectable increase in exterior roadside noise for the Heavy Vehicle. Likewise, the sinusoidal design created a noticeable interior alert for the HV but the rounded design did not

Priority species to support the functional integrity of coral reefs

Ecosystem-based management on coral reefs has historically focussed on biodiversity conservation through the establishment of marine reserves, but it is increasingly recognised that a subset of species can be key to the maintenance of ecosystem processes and functioning. Specific provisions for these key taxa are essential to biodiversity conservation and resilience-based adaptive management. While a wealth of literature addresses ecosystem functioning on coral reefs, available information covers only a subset of specific taxa, ecological processes and environmental stressors. What is lacking is a comparative assessment across the diverse range of coral reef species to synthesise available knowledge to inform science and management. Here we employed expert elicitation coupled with a literature review to generate the first comprehensive assessment of 70 taxonomically diverse and functionally distinct coral reef species from microbes to top predators to summarise reef functioning. Although our synthesis is largely through the lens of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, a particularly data-rich system, it is relevant to coral reefs in general. We use this assessment to evaluate which taxa drive processes that maintain a healthy reef and whether management of these taxa is considered a priority (i.e. are they vulnerable?) or is feasible (i.e. can they be managed?). Scientific certainty was scored to weight our recommendations, particularly when certainty was low. We use five case studies to highlight critical gaps in knowledge that limit our understanding of ecosystem functioning. To inform the development of novel management strategies and research objectives, we identify taxa that support positive interactions and enhance ecosystem performance, including those where these roles are currently underappreciated. We conclude that current initiatives effectively capture many priority taxa but that there is significant room to increase opportunities for underappreciated taxa in both science and management to maximally safeguard coral reef functioning

Chapter 5 Priority Species to Support the Functional Integrity of Coral Reefs

Ecosystem-based management on coral reefs has historically focused on biodiversity conservation through the establishment of marine reserves, but it is increasingly recognised that a subset of species can be key to the maintenance of ecosystem processes and functioning. Specific provisions for these key taxa are essential to biodiversity conservation and resilience-based adaptive management. While a wealth of literature addresses ecosystem functioning on coral reefs, available information covers only a subset of specific taxa, ecological processes and environmental stressors. What is lacking is a comparative assessment across the diverse range of coral reef species to synthesise available knowledge to inform science and management. Here we employed expert elicitation coupled with a literature review to generate the first comprehensive assessment of 70 taxonomically diverse and functionally distinct coral reef species from microbes to top predators to summarise reef functioning. Although our synthesis is largely through the lens of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, a particularly data-rich system, it is relevant to coral reefs in general. We use this assessment to evaluate which taxa drive processes that maintain a healthy reef, and whether or not management of these taxa is considered a priority (i.e. are they vulnerable?) or is feasible (i.e. can they be managed?). Scientific certainty was scored to weight our recommendations, particularly when certainty was low. We use five case studies to highlight critical gaps in knowledge that limit our understanding of ecosystem functioning. To inform the development of novel management strategies and research objectives, we identify taxa that support positive interactions and enhance ecosystem performance, including those where these roles are currently underappreciated. We conclude that current initiatives effectively capture many priority taxa, but that there is significant room to increase opportunities for underappreciated taxa in both science and management to maximally safeguard coral reef functioning

The development of the Princess Charlotte Bay chenier plain: new results and insights

Chenier plains record changes in the mode of coastal progradation between periods of mudflat accumulation and coarse sediment deposition. The geomorphic development of the Princess Charlotte Bay chenier plain was last considered in the 1980s and the conclusions have contributed to knowledge of muddy coastal morphodynamics. Obtaining new data through the use of luminescence dating techniques provided an opportunity to reassess previous findings. Data were obtained from the south western portion of the bay where the chenier ridges were most distinct whereas previous research had been concentrated on the far eastern periphery of the plain. Optically-stimulated luminescence age estimates and radiocarbon ages from eight of the 11 most seaward chenier ridges yielded a new depositional chronology. The recent chenier sequence in this area began forming with the establishment of the most landward chenier ridge (ridge 1) no more than 4000. yr BP. In the ~. 1500. years following this, two more chenier ridges were built (ridges 2 and 3, which were not sampled). Ridge 4 was being built at around 2400. yr BP, ridges 5 and 6 at around 2100. yr BP, ridge 7 at around 1900. yr BP, ridges 8 and 9 at around 1300. yr BP, ridge 10 (which was not dated) between 1300 and 820. yr BP, and ridge 11 at around 820. cal. yr BP. Comparing the new data to previous data and conclusions yielded new insights into the Holocene development of the chenier plain. These new insights may provide a means for Australian chenier plains to inform contemporary coastal morphodynamics more broadly

Building Next Generation Regulatory Performance: The Regulatory Capability Development Programme in 'Special Report on Next Generation Compliance'

The spectrum of regulatory delivery, including compliance and enforcement, involves a complex series of operations and processes. Effectively addressing the broad diversity of environmental regulatory and crime types requires a high level of coordination across these operations and processes. The Australian Government's Department of the Environment (DoE) has established the Regulatory Capability Development Programme (RCDP) as a means of achieving this coordination. The RCDP involves a cross-cutting, whole-of-agency, and multi-year series of projects. The intent is to build a new level of consistency and integration for the implementation and governance of DoE's fifteen pieces of environmental regulatory legislation

Bicycling Simulator Calibration: A Proposed Framework

This article is part of the Proceedings of the 6th Annual International Cycling Safety Conference held in Davis, California, USA on September 20th through 23rd in the year 2017.<br><br>Paper ID: 1

Mitigating Roadside Noise Pollution: A Comparison Between Rounded and Sinusoidal Milled Rumble Strips

Shoulder or centerline rumble strips (RS) generate noise and vibration to alert drivers when they are departing the travel lane. Although inexpensive to install, easy to maintain, and have documented safety benefits, RS are not installed on many roadway segments primarily due to noise concerns of nearby property owners. This study evaluated the feasibility of using sinusoidal RS as a substitute for rounded milled RS on roadway segments in Oregon (U.S.A.) with lane-departure crash problems. Exterior sound levels generated by rounded and sinusoidal RS strikes were compared to baseline sound levels for three vehicle types (passenger car, van, and heavy vehicle) to establish sound generation and alerts of the two designs. A total of 39 vehicle strikes of RS were recorded in a controlled field experiment. Rumble strip strikes by the passenger car and van generated less exterior noise with the sinusoidal (3.1 dBA) than with the rounded (passenger car: 5.4 dBA, van: 4.6 dBA) design. Results for the heavy vehicle were complicated due to bridging of the narrower rounded rumble strip by the tires. The wider cut of the sinusoidal RS generated a clearly detectable increase in exterior roadside noise for the heavy vehicle

Evaluating In-Vehicle Sound and Vibration During Incursions on Sinusoidal Rumble Strips

Rumble strips (RS) are a countermeasure used to reduce roadway-departure crashes by providing audible and haptic alerts to the driver when a vehicle is departing the roadway. This study evaluated the feasibility of using sinusoidal RS as a substitute for more traditional rounded RS. A van, a passenger car, and a heavy vehicle were equipped with sound and vibration sensors to measure the interior noise and haptic feedback of each RS design. A set of typical conditions (with interior climate control fan and radio turned on) were also tested. Data from 75 RS strikes were analyzed. Experimental results demonstrated that the rounded RS doubled interior noise for the passenger car and van (11.3 dBA, 10.0 dBA) but the sinusoidal RS also generated a clearly noticeable interior alert for the passenger car and van (5.8 dBA, 4.6 dBA). The haptic alert provided an increase over the human perception threshold of vibration for all vehicles. The sinusoidal RS interior alert was detectable and within the acceptable range, but not clearly noticeable (5 dBA) when the climate control and radio were active. Alert levels for the rounded RS were \u3e10 dBA, doubling the amount of interior noise for all ambient factor groups (11.2–14.4 dBA). Roadway-departure crashes accounted for 18,275 fatal crashes in 2017 across the United States. Many of these crashes are on rural highways. Rumble strips (RS) are a proven safety countermeasure that alerts drivers to a roadway-departure through noise and vibration caused by milled grooves or raised striping on the roadway. Shoulder rumble strips (SRS) have been shown to reduce fatal rural highway roadway-departure crashes by 33%. Similarly, centerline rumble strips (CLRS) have been shown to reduce lane-departure crashes by 30%. While RS are a proven safety countermeasure, they are also associated with highway noise concerns, especially from people living near roadways where they are installed. Long-term exposure to road noise has been shown to have negative health impacts, including disturbed sleep, annoyance, learning impairment, and hypertension ischemic heart disease. A new RS design that uses a shallower sinusoidal pattern has been shown to reduce roadside noise. However, the interior alert, or the noise and vibration generated from an incursion with the RS, must also be sufficient for the RS to remain an effective countermeasure. If the interior alert is adequate, sinusoidal RS could be installed in more locations where noise concerns have prevented their use. RS have a low cost per life saved ($320,000 per life), so extending the application of this countermeasure has the potential to reduce roadway-departure crashes. The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of using sinusoidal RS as a substitute for rounded milled RS on roadway segments with roadway-departure crash problems. In-vehicle noises and vibrations are quantitively and empirically compared between sinusoidal and rounded RS to indicate whether the sinusoidal pattern can potentially be used as a substitute for the rounded pattern. Thus, highway safety would be improved by reducing the rates of roadway-departure crashes and associated fatalities and injuries, while nearby residences would not experience as much roadside noise