Heterogeneous Lanes’ Saturation Flow Rates at Signalized Intersections

AbstractCorrect saturation flow rates are very important for the calculation of delays and level of service at intersections. However, the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) procedure and the related studies assumed ideal conditions and cannot be applicable under mixed traffic circumstances. A traffic survey on 36 signalized intersections inside the Beijing's 5th Ring was conducted and a large number of experimental data with different lane types were statistically analyzed in this paper. Results show that the saturation headways approximately follow the normal distributions and the following base saturation flow rates are appropriate for Beijing intersections: 1380 passenger cars per hour per lane (pc/h/ln) of the right-turn lane, 1520 pc/h/ln of the left-turn lane, 1535 pc/h/ln of the through lane, 1457 pc/h/ln of the through-right lane and 1411 pc/h/ln of the through-left lane. These results have been used and verified in the real-time traffic information systems of Beijing Traffic Management Bureau

Optimal Piezoelectric Actuators and Sensors Configuration for Vibration Suppression of Aircraft Framework Using Particle Swarm Algorithm

Numbers and locations of sensors and actuators play an important role in cost and control performance for active vibration control system of piezoelectric smart structure. This may lead to a diverse control system if sensors and actuators were not configured properly. An optimal location method of piezoelectric actuators and sensors is proposed in this paper based on particle swarm algorithm (PSA). Due to the complexity of the frame structure, it can be taken as a combination of many piezoelectric intelligent beams and L-type structures. Firstly, an optimal criterion of sensors and actuators is proposed with an optimal objective function. Secondly, each order natural frequency and modal strain are calculated and substituted into the optimal objective function. Preliminary optimal allocation is done using the particle swarm algorithm, based on the similar optimization method and the combination of the vibration stress and strain distribution at the lower modal frequency. Finally, the optimal location is given. An experimental platform was established and the experimental results indirectly verified the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method

Creating A Better Competitive Edge Through Environmental Sustainability: A Case Study of Panasonic

This paper investigates Panasonic's strategies for its better competitive edge through environmental sustainability. The study analyzed the data collected from the company's websites, customers' personal experiences, and questionnaires. The surveys on customers' feedback on Panasonic products and services were carried out. This study's literature contribution value lies in its investigation of how Panasonic's environmental sustainability has led the company to a competitive advantage. The findings of this paper have significant importance since people today are more concerned about environmental sustainability. Strategies and practices that create a sustainable world economy were discussed

Properties of Crushed Red-Bed Soft Rock Mixtures Used in Subgrade

Slaking red-bed soft rocks are widely distributed in the south of Anhui Province, China, and several highways will go through this area. It is important to evaluate their physical and mechanical characteristics for the purpose of using this kind of soft rocks as materials for road construction. In this paper, the compacting tests, the resilient modulus tests, the California bearing ratio (CBR) tests, and permeability tests have been carried out on crushed red-bed soft rock mixtures. The test results showed that, for a given degree of compaction, the resilient modulus decreases linearly with the increase of moisture content. For a given moisture content, the resilient modulus and CBR values increase linearly with the increase of compaction degree, while the soaking swelling, water absorption capacity, and permeability coefficient decrease linearly. In other words, the strength and water stability are enhanced with the increase of the degree of compaction. The results demonstrate that the crushed red-bed soft rock mixtures can be directly used as materials for the highway construction by taking corresponding measures