Perceived Barriers of Urban African American Students: A Group Study

Urban African American students are forced to deal with obstacles to success. Researchers have concluded that there are many barriers that urban students must overcome in order to achieve their educational and career goals. The following study provides a look at the effects of group therapy on the perceived barriers experienced by urban African American adolescents. An eight week group therapy intervention was implemented with a sample of 11 African American eighth grade students in an urban school district. The results reveal that group therapy has a positive effect on barriers to postsecondary education, anticipated barriers, and the belief that the individual will be able to overcome barriers that inhibit him or her to achieve career goals. Limitations and Implications for future research are discussed

Pavement Deflection Test Database

Pavement deflection measurements have been collected on various pavement types by both research and the Pavement Management Branch of the Transportation Cabinet for several years. This report outlines the establishment of a data base of deflection measurements which have been collected. A index program has been developed to search the available data base for pavement sections which meet given criteria. This data base will provide up-to-date information which may be used for both research and pavement management activities. The presence of historical data will assist in evaluating the structural performance of various pavement types. It will also provide additional information for life-cycle-cost analysis of pavements

Experimental Maintenance Painting by Overcoating on the I-64, I-71 and KY-22 Bridges

In 1995, KYTC let three experimental maintenance-painting projects. Two of those projects involved the painting of multiple bridges along interstate routes. Those projects encompassed four mainline steel bridges on 1-64 in Franklin County, 16 mainline and overpass steel bridges along 1-71 in six counties, and 660 steel rockers on 36 concrete bridges on 1-71. The steel projects included mainline deck girder structures on the 1-64 project and a mix of mainline and overpass deck girder structures and steel bearings on concrete bridges in the 1-71 project. The third project entailed the painting of a single steel truss bridge, KY -22 over the Licking River at Falmouth, KY. All of those bridges had existing lead based paint. The condition of the existing paint varied from extremely poor on the KY-22 bridge to fair-to-good on the 1-64 and 1-71 structures. Each of the projects was awarded to a different contractor. These projects incorporated the then current KYTC practice of non-invasive painting. Surface preparation procedures were specified that were intended to avoid generation of hazardous wastes. The resulting specifications did not incorporate mechanical surface preparation procedures. However, to provide more efficient cleaning of the existing paint, the washing pressure on the three projects was increased (1,500 psi for the 1-71 project, 2,500-psi for 1-64 project and 3,500 psi for KY-22 project) over previous experimental projects. Polyurethane paints were employed on all three projects. This was due to the good performance achieved by that type of coating in previous experimental projects. The paint systems used on the 1-64 and 1-71 projects were compositional specifications provided by KYTC. The paint system for the 1-64 project employed both spot and full prime coats of aluminum-pigmented moisture cure polyurethane followed by a two-component aliphatic acrylic high-gloss polyurethane topcoat. The paint system for the 1-71 project used a spot prime coat of an aluminum- and micaceous iron oxide (MIO)-pigmented moisture cure polyurethane and a two-component aliphatic acrylic high-gloss polyurethane topcoat. Different paint manufacturers supplied paint for the 1-64 and 1-71 projects. A proprietary polyurethane coating system from a third manufacturer was used for the KY-22 project. The spot and full prime coats consisted of aluminum-pigmented moisture cure polyurethane paint followed by a two-component aliphatic acrylic high-gloss polyurethane topcoat. On all three projects, the primer was to be applied by brushing. The contractor on the 1-64 bridges was allowed to apply the intermediate coat by rolling. The contractors could use brushing, rolling or spraying to apply the topcoats. The contractor on the 1-64 project sprayed on the topcoat. The contractor on the 1-71 project brushed and rolled topcoat on the overpass bridges and sprayed topcoat on the mainline ones. The contractor on the KY-22 Bridge elected to use paint mitts to apply all three coats of paint due to the close proximity of houses to the structure

Cost Effective Maintenance Contracting -- A Literature Review

Faced with ever increasing maintenance needs and constrained resources for meeting those needs, government agencies are searching for the most cost effective means of conducting highway maintenance. One alternative being used is contracting highway maintenance to private agencies. This report includes the findings of a literature search of articles pertaining to contract maintenance. Review of the articles acquired in the literature search indicates that contract maintenance is increasing in usage and is a cost effective alternative

Study of Loads on Four Box Culverts on the Alexandria - Ashland Highway

Culverts on the Alexandria - Ashland Highway (AA Highway) were designed with modifications recommended in a 1984 report titled Analysis of Loads and Settlements For Reinforced Concrete Culverts . In 1986, the Kentucky Department of Highways requested the Kentucky Transportation Center monitor selected culverts on the AA Highway. The objectives of this study were to compare predicted loads on the culverts to measured loads and to monitor differential settlement of the embankment near the culvert. Four culverts with varied box dimensions and embankment heights were selected. Each of the four culverts was instrumented with earth pressure meters on the sidewalls and top slab. Settlement monitoring instruments were placed in the embankment at each culvert. Design loads for each culvert sidewall and top slab were calculated. Design loads and dead loads due to the weight of the embankment were compared to the measured loads. The new design method used by the Department of Highways was found to be very accurate for predicting top slab loads on positive projecting culverts on unyielding foundations. The Department of Highways method significantly underpredicted the top slab load for a culvert on a yielding foundation. The Department of Highways does not include charts from the 1984 report for predicting sidewall loads. Charts from the 1984 report appear to be reasonably accurate, especially as sidewall loads increase

Evaluating the Design and Effectiveness of Subsurface Drainage Layers

In recent years, the subject of open-graded drainage layers, often referred to as drainage blankets , has been utilized increasingly for pavement drainage. This study addresses the use of drainage blankets in Kentucky. Study efforts have focused on construction, performance, materials, and design considerations of drainage blankets. Study findings are that the Number 57 gradation provides the optimum drainage and structural stability of the standard gradations evaluated. Asphalt treated aggregate provides greater stability and a better working platform than untreated aggregate. Maintenance of collector system outlets is very poor. Daylighting of drainage blankets appears to be feasible. Drainage blankets can be given structural value in pavement design but the structural coefficient, especially for untreated material, has not been satisfactorily established at this time. There is no clear evidence that drainage blankets extend pavement life as constructed and maintained

Basic Principles of Bankruptcy and State Reclamation

Symposium - An Analysis of Developments in Bankruptcy La

Cost Effective Maintenance Contracting

Increased emphasis on highway maintenance and the need to accomplish the maintenance programs as efficiently as possible, prompted this study. The objectives of the study addressed herein are the identification of maintenance activities performed by contract, determination of equivalent levels of service between contract performed and in-house performed activities, cost comparison of those activities, and recommendations to implement the findings. Findings are that activities routinely performed by contract are cost efficient. A formal make-versus-buy decision making process should be developed. The process should be made available to District personnel and the make-versus-buy decision made at that level. Decision making processes have been developed by other agencies and one is reviewed herein

Pavement Distresses at Intersections

Asphaltic concrete pavements at intersections and their approaches, where traffic is required to stop and start, exhibit several types of distress. Among the more prominent forms of these distresses are deep rutting, pushing and shoving, and severe wash boarding. Prior research in this area has shown the leading causes of pavement failures at these locations are primarily materials related. Meaningful amounts of funds allocated for maintenance operations are exhausted each year to rehabilitate intersection pavements that have become safety hazards as a result of simple traffic action. Significant savings may be realized if intersections and their approaches are designed and constructed to accommodate the shear stresses as well as fatigue to which they are subjected. The overall purpose of this study has been to understand the factors that influence these distresses and determine procedures that may be implemented economically to significantly reduce the costly and repeated rehabilitation of intersection pavements. This report examines several innovative techniques used to accommodate higher stresses realized at these locations including whitetopping with Portland cement concrete, high-density plastic geogrids, and polymer-modified asphalts