How the interpretation of drivers' behavior in virtual environment can become a road design tool: a case study

Driving is the result of a psychological process that translates data, signals and direct/indirect messages into behavior, which is continuously adapted to the exchange of varying stimuli between man, environment and vehicle. These stimuli are at times not perceived and at others perceived but not understood by the driver, even if they derive from tools (vertical signs, horizontal marking) specifically conceived for his safety. The result is unsafe behavior of vehicle drivers. For this reason, the road environment needs to be radically redesigned. The paper describes a research, based on real and virtual environment surveys, aimed to better understand drivers' action-reaction mechanisms inside different scenarios, in order to gain informations useful for a correct organization (design) of the road space. The driving simulator can help in developing, from road to laboratory, the study of new road design tools (geometrical, compositional, constructive ones, street furniture, etc.), because it can be used to evaluate solutions before their usefulness is proved on the road

Aeroporti e Territorio, oppure Territorio e Aeroporto?

Gli Aeroporti rappresentano una componente importante del sistema dei trasporti di una nazione moderna. Essi influenzano direttamente lo sviluppo economico e sociale di tutte le comunit\ue0 che collegano. Allo stesso tempo per\uf2 subiscono gli effetti delle variazioni del tessuto urbano e delle connessioni che si instaurano nell\u2019area di influenza dello scalo. Esiste quindi una forma di impatto reciproco tra un aeroporto ed il territorio che lo ospita, ed in effetti si pu\uf2 dire che essi siano complementari. La forza di questo legame \ue8 un indice che descrive il modello economico e i fattori di stimolo del sistema locale: in alcuni casi \ue8 il territorio a giustificare l\u2019esistenza dell\u2019infrastruttura, in altri casi accade il contrario. Comunque sia, gli scenari economici e sociali si intrecciano in modo eterogeneo con l\u2019obiettivo di rendere questi sistemi dinamici commercialmente sostenibili a qualsiasi livello geografico (regionale, nazionale ed internazionale)

Definition and validation of a new methodological approach for friction evaluations of dropped-on products for road markings

Road safety is well known to rely on a combination of the components man, vehicle and environment. The latter plays an important role through the geometric design of the infrastructure, but the road markings and signs are also highly strategic in reducing accidents, especially in the more unfavourable driving conditions, i.e. nighttime or when it is raining or foggy. As part of a study on the contribution to road safety of high-visibility road markings with dropped-on materials, a new test protocol has been defined in order to verify the surface friction requirements, at the same time studying which parameter might be most effective and representative of the in situ performances of the products, depending on the maintenance state of the pavement. This has led to the identification of more effective criteria of judgement than those reported in the current European standards (EN 1436:2008)

The Impact of Simulated Road-Space Perception on Driver\u2019s Behavior

The paper presents the results of a study developed in order to highlight the effect of a visual stimulus on driving behavior. One bidirectional route and three different lighting conditions were monitored: a reference scenario with light evenly spread; a second and a third scenario, with an attenuation of light. The results highlighted the role of the environmental rightness on driving behavior, all other conditions being equal. In particular, the effect of darkness on drivers\u2019 actions displayed the difficulties that arise in the interpretation of volumes, spaces and distances when the perception of the road environment worsens

The Human Factor In The Evaluation Of Road Layout In Virtual Environment: A Case Study

The paper discusses the mechanisms based on visual stimuli that influence driver behavior and, subsequently, vehicle speed and trajectory. Road layout (i.e. the alternation of curves and tangents) must be designed in regard to a correct perception of the perspective sight. In order to consider the road from this point of view, experimental surveys have been conducted in a virtual environment (driving simulator), where real layouts have been reproduced and submitted to changes in their geometry (radii, tangent length, etc). Driver reaction in different environments has been monitored. Attention was particularly paid to the vehicular speed (always higher than the legal speed), because this parameter modifies the sight and hides layout variations, inducing a poor understanding of the limits of the occupied lane. The driving simulator proved to be a tool that can be used for the laboratory reproduction of risk situations

Mechanical properties of asphalt mixes with steel slags

The paper discusses the results of a laboratory study, aimed to evaluate the suitability of electric arc furnace steel slags (EAF), obtained from different Italian plants, to be recycled in the lithic skeleton of bituminous mixtures, for road flexible pavements. The research involved a preliminary evaluation of the chemical, physical and mechanical properties of the steel slags; it was followed by a characterization of both traditional and high performance bituminous mixtures (porous asphalt, stone mastic asphalt, high modulus mixes) made with steel slags. The Marshall methodology, integrated by the indirect tensile test, was used to identify the optimum bitumen content of the mixtures. The performances of the asphalt mixes were checked by means of the stiffness modulus test and the repeated load axial test. Since the requisites for acceptance in the Italian Specifications and Standards have been satisfied (Marshall Stability and Quotient and Indirect Tensile Strength up to 2,170 daN, 778 daN/mm and 3.2 MPa, respectively, depending on the mixture) and given the positive mechanical performances, it has been verified that the steel slags can be used as partial substitution (up to 51% on the weight of the aggregate) of the lithic materials in the road constructions