Impact of Multilane Median Openings Zone on Travel Speed

Thispaperaims to assess the impact of median openings zone of travel speed. Median openings or Midblock U-turn facilities are often constructed to provide motorists with detour option in circumstances where traffic conflict manoeuvres are eminent and prevalent. In previous studies, it has been shown that median openings will reduce the number of conflicts at relevant intersection.Hence median openings were built on multilane highways in Malaysia.Theirconstruction provoked debate on safety and traffic flow impediment issues. Based on the hypothesis that multilane median openings would cause travel speed reduction; an impact study was carried out at selected sites in Johor, Malaysia during daylight and dry weather conditions. Traffic volume, speed, and vehicle types were collected per road section for two directions continuously for eight weeks. The survey data were supplemented with highway design information culled from the Malaysian Public Works Departments manual. Travel speeds at median opening zone were estimated for both directional traffic flows. Results show significant decrease in travel speed of up to54.2% at the diverging section of the median openings zone. A slight drop of about 5% resulted from median openings zone at the merging section. The paper concluded that median openings zone facilities irrespective of their traffic conflicts minimisation merits will trigger significant travel speed reduction.

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Investigating the Impact of Rainfall on Travel Speed

Jurnal Teknologi ◽

10.11113/jt.v71.3756 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 71 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nordiana Mashros ◽

Johnnie Ben-Edigbe ◽

Hashim Mohammed Alhassan ◽

Sitti Asmah Hassan

Keyword(s):

Empirical Studies ◽

Heavy Rain ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Travel Speed ◽

Operating Conditions ◽

Speed Reduction ◽

Light Rain ◽

Rainfall Condition ◽

Adverse Weather ◽

The Impact

The road network is particularly susceptible to adverse weather with a range of impacts when different weather conditions are experienced. Adverse weather often leads to decreases in traffic speed and subsequently affects the service levels. The paper is aimed at investigating the impact of rainfall on travel speed and quantifying the extent to which travel speed reduction occurs. Empirical studies were conducted on principle road in Terengganu and Johor, respectively for three months. Traffic data were collected by way of automatic traffic counter and rainfall data from the nearest raingauge station were supplied by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage supplemented by local survey data. These data were filtered to obtain traffic flow information for both dry and wet operating conditions and then were analyzed to see the effect of rainfall on percentile speeds. The results indicated that travel speed at 15th, 50th and 85th percentiles decrease with increasing rainfall intensities. It was observed that allpercentile speeds decreased from a minimum of 1% during light rain to a maximum of 14% during heavy rain. Based on the hypothesis that travel speed differ significantly between dry and rainfall condition; the study found substantial changes in percentile speeds and concluded that rainfalls irrespective of their intensities have significant impact on the travel speed.

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Analysing the impact of traffic incidents on express road traffic flow using FREEVAL

MATEC Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/matecconf/201823101008 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 231 ◽

pp. 01008

Author(s):

Eliza Ciszewska-Kulwińska ◽

Aleksandra Romanowska ◽

Wojciech Kustra

Keyword(s):

Travel Time ◽

Road Traffic ◽

Simulation Software ◽

Vehicle Speed ◽

Traffic Incidents ◽

Speed Reduction ◽

Road Section ◽

Time Extension ◽

Location Type ◽

The Impact

Traffic incidents occurring on motorways or express roads cause disruptions and deteriorate traffic conditions. The impact will differ depending on the type of incident, its duration and space blocked on the roadway and can be measured with e.g. average speed reduction, extension of travel time, time lost or overall costs of traffic disruptions. The aim of the paper is to analyse this impact, based on data from the Tri-City Ring Road (Poland). The analyses were conducted on a macroscopic level, with the use of a simulation software FREEVAL. The analysed road section was divided into homogeneous basic, merge and diverge segments. Particular traffic disturbances were introduced into individual segments, in order to represent a traffic accident or short-term road works leading to a blocked shoulder, closure of 1 lane or 2 lanes for the duration of 15 to 60 minutes. The total of 150 scenarios were analysed. The results of the analyses helped to assess how travel time and vehicle speed change depending on the location, type and duration of the traffic incident. It was found, for example, that in the case of right shoulder blockage, travel time will not change significantly (up to 3%) while the closing of 1 of 2 or 2 of 3 lanes will cause significant travel time extension (by over 500%).

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Design of Cross-Section on Roads Through Built-Up Areas

Archives of Civil Engineering ◽

10.2478/v.10169-012-0015-y ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 58 (3) ◽

pp. 243-257

Author(s):

M. Kiec ◽

M. Tracz ◽

S. Gaca

Keyword(s):

Cross Section ◽

Road Traffic ◽

Travel Speed ◽

The Road ◽

Suburban Areas ◽

Road Section ◽

Traffic Performance ◽

Before And After ◽

Section Type ◽

The Impact

Abstract The research into the use of less costly modifications of road links and networks, and changes in the service of road surroundings aimed at ensuring an improvement of through traffic performance in suburban areas, and on roads passing through built-up areas as small localities, with application of simulation model, is presented in this paper. From among possible designs, the authors investigated and presented the effectiveness of two, i.e. implementation of an additional multifunctional median lane in the road cross-section, and construction of service roads with different locations of intersections (end or middle of the road section).The analysis is focused on the impact of such changes on traffic performance and road safety. The authors analysed travel speed, delay and share of platoon traffic on a uniform sections of the road for different types of road surroundings service. The study presents the results of analyses of road network before and after modification, and the assessment of:• impact of access points density and level of their use on road traffic performance,• impact of driving through road sections in built-up area on building platoon traffic,• impact of change in the cross-section type on traffic performance.

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OPERATING SPEED OF VEHICLES DURING RAINFALL AT NIGHT: CASE STUDY IN PONTIAN, JOHOR

Jurnal Teknologi ◽

10.11113/jt.v78.9466 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 78 (7-2) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sitti Asmah Hassan ◽

Lavine Wong ◽

Nordiana Mashros ◽

Hashim Mohammed Alhassan ◽

Nur Sabahiah Abdul Sukor ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Traffic Management ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

Monsoon Season ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Speed Reduction ◽

Rainfall Condition ◽

Road Users ◽

Water Accumulation ◽

Traffic Management System ◽

The Impact

Speed is one of the important parameters of traffic flow that can be used to determine the performance of driver’s behaviour under various scenarios. Changes in weather conditions caused changes in drivers’ speed due to various reasons. In Malaysia, there is slightly high number of road accidents at night. Rainfall at night does not only cause poor visibility to drivers, but it also gives a sense of insecurity especially as there is a significant reduction in the visibility of the object in front. Improper road conditions can worsen the situation, for example, rainfall can cause water accumulation on road surfaces which can increase skidding problem, potholes and hydroplaning effect. In relation to these situations, hence it is crucial to understand how the abrupt situation affect response of driver’s in terms of the macroscopic behaviour. These unpredictable environmental changes seem like portraying a very unpleasant journey for drivers especially to travel under rainfall condition at night. Therefore, there is a need to observe how individual vehicles react in terms of speed adjustment and response to the different rainfall intensities downpour at night. Hence this study was conducted to determine the impact of different rainfall intensities at night on vehicles’ speed. Traffic data was obtained using automatic traffic counter at a cross section of a road at Pengkalan Raja, Pontian for about three months during monsoon season. Rainfall data report was obtained from the Department of Drainage and Irrigation, Pontian. From this study, it was found that there is a speed reduction from the dry condition regardless of rainfall intensities at night. As rainfall intensities at night higher, the speed reduction is higher as well except for heavy rainfall condition. The mean speed, 15th percentile and 85th percentile of vehicles decrease with the increase in rainfall intensity at night. It can be concluded that rainfall have impact on vehicle’s speed irrespective of their intensities. Findings from this study can be used to help local authorities and transport planners in planning an efficient traffic management system for a safer travel experience to road users in Malaysia.

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The Measurement of Mobility-Based Accessibility—The Impact of Floods on Trips of Various Length and Motivation

ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information ◽

10.3390/ijgi8120534 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (12) ◽

pp. 534

Author(s):

Marta Borowska-Stefańska ◽

Michał Kowalski ◽

Szymon Wiśniewski

Keyword(s):

Flood Risk ◽

Travel Speed ◽

External Effects ◽

The Road ◽

Digital Terrain ◽

Terrain Models ◽

Road Section ◽

The Impact ◽

Source Materials ◽

The Eu

The main purpose of this article was to develop a method of researching accessibility in the event of a flood through the application of measurement based on mobility. In the course of the research, it has been proven that changes in mobility (and the related travel speed) are too significant to be ignored when studying accessibility in unusual circumstances. The vast majority of existing accessibility studies rely primarily on speed models, which – in the event of a flood – do not indicate the external effects of the natural disaster. On the basis of the conducted research it has been stated that the occurrence of a flood has a significant impact on changes in the spatial distribution of traffic and its related speeds. Such changes vary depending on the particular means of transport. With the most commonly applied methods of measuring accessibility, which are customarily based on speed models, the changes we observed would not be recorded. The application of mobility-based research in the analyses of accessibility – especially in the event of a flood – indicates the disaster’s influence on the capacity of the road network, and thus, it allows for more effective flood-risk management. Furthermore, this article also demonstrates the possibility of applying source materials available in most member states of the EU, i.e., flood-risk maps and digital terrain models (NMPT), for the purposes of analysing and identifying road section closures within the transport network after the occurrence of a flood.

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Prospects of spring wheat cultivation in the conditions of arid Volga region

The Agrarian Scientific Journal ◽

10.28983/asj.y2020i5pp28-33 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 28-33

Author(s):

Valery Genadievich Popov ◽

Andrey Vladimirovich Panfilov ◽

Yuriy Vyacheslavovich Bondarenko ◽

Konstantin Mikhailovich Doronin ◽

Evgeny Nikolaevih Martynov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spring Wheat ◽

Soil Layer ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Volga Region ◽

Mineral Fertilizers ◽

Climate Conditions ◽

Wheat Cultivation ◽

Forest Belts ◽

Clear Differentiation ◽

The Impact

The article analyzes the experience of the impact of the system of forest belts and mineral fertilizers on the yield of spring wheat, including on irrigated lands. Vegetation irrigation is designed to maintain the humidity of the active soil layer from germination to maturation at the lower level of the optimum-70-75%, and in the phases of tubulation-earing - flowering - 75-80% NV. However, due to the large differences in zones and microzones of soil and climate conditions and due to the weather conditions of individual years, wheat irrigation regimes require a clear differentiation. In the Volga region in the dry autumn rainfalls give the norm of 800-1000 m3/ha, and in saline soils – 1000-1300 and 3-4 vegetation irrigation at tillering, phases of booting, earing and grain formation the norm 600-650 m3/ha. the impact of the system of forest belts, mineral fertilizers on the yield of spring wheat is closely tied to the formation of microclimate at different distances from forest edges.

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Socio-Technological Aspects of Automation in Public Works Activities

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1987.0243 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 19 (3-4) ◽

pp. 633-643

Author(s):

William F. Garber

Keyword(s):

Industrial Revolution ◽

Work Force ◽

Public Works ◽

Human Society ◽

Training Problem ◽

Total Employment ◽

The Usa ◽

History Of ◽

Complete Automation ◽

The Impact

The history of human society is replete with examples of advances in technology overrunning the ability of societal organizations to efficiently handle the resulting massive societal dislocations. The social impacts of the “Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th Centuries” illustrate how profound such effects can be. The automation-computer-robotics revolution now underway also has the potential for serious societal changes. In this regard public works activities are subject to increasing amounts of automation with impacts upon current and net total employment and training needs. To evaluate the present status of automation in the USA, questionnaires were sent to public works authorities in 110 cities or agencies. The current degree of automation, the impact upon employment and the skills now needed by public works employers were queried. It was found that in most cases automation was just starting; but that as complete automation as was possible was inevitable given the increasing complexity of the tasks, the demands of the public and the long term prospects for public works funding. In many cases the candidates now in the work force were not properly trained for automation needs. Retraining and changes in the educational system appeared necessary if the employees now needed were to be continuously available. Public works management as well as several labor organizations appeared to be aware of this need and were organizing to handle the training problem and the changes in employment qualifications now necessary. It appeared to be a consensus that the larger societal effects of automation should be handled by society as a whole.

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Energy Performance Assessment of Innovative Building Solutions Coming from Construction and Demolition Waste Materials

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma14051226 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (5) ◽

pp. 1226

Author(s):

Beatriz Fraga-De Cal ◽

Antonio Garrido-Marijuan ◽

Olaia Eguiarte ◽

Beñat Arregi ◽

Ander Romero-Amorrortu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thermal Insulation ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Energy Savings ◽

Flow Analysis ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Energy Performance ◽

Construction And Demolition Waste ◽

The European Union ◽

Demolition Waste ◽

The Impact

Prefabricated solutions incorporating thermal insulation are increasingly adopted as an energy conservation measure for building renovation. The InnoWEE European project developed three technologies from Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) materials through a manufacturing process that supports the circular economy strategy of the European Union. Two of them consisted of geopolymer panels incorporated into an External Thermal Insulation Composite System (ETICS) and a ventilated façade. This study evaluates their thermal performance by means of monitoring data from three pilot case studies in Greece, Italy, and Romania, and calibrated building simulation models enabling the reliable prediction of energy savings in different climates and use scenarios. Results showed a reduction in energy demand for all demo buildings, with annual energy savings up to 25% after placing the novel insulation solutions. However, savings are highly dependent on weather conditions since the panels affect cooling and heating loads differently. Finally, a parametric assessment is performed to assess the impact of insulation thickness through an energy performance prediction and a cash flow analysis.

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Earthworm Abundance Changes Depending on Soil Management Practices in Slovenian Vineyards

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11061241 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1241

Author(s):

Stanko Vršič ◽

Marko Breznik ◽

Borut Pulko ◽

Jesús Rodrigo-Comino

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Human Impacts ◽

Soil Layer ◽

Soil Management ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Soil Tillage ◽

Soil Biodiversity ◽

Straw Mulch ◽

Green Cover ◽

The Impact

Earthworms are key indicators of soil quality and health in vineyards, but research that considers different soil management systems, especially in Slovenian viticultural areas is scarce. In this investigation, the impact of different soil management practices such as permanent green cover, the use of herbicides in row and inter-row areas, use of straw mulch, and shallow soil tillage compared to meadow control for earthworm abundance, were assessed. The biomass and abundance of earthworms (m2) and distribution in various soil layers were quantified for three years. Monitoring and a survey covering 22 May 2014 to 5 October 2016 in seven different sampling dates, along with a soil profile at the depth from 0 to 60 cm, were carried out. Our results showed that the lowest mean abundance and biomass of earthworms in all sampling periods were registered along the herbicide strip (within the rows). The highest abundance was found in the straw mulch and permanent green cover treatments (higher than in the control). On the plots where the herbicide was applied to the complete inter-row area, the abundance of the earthworm community decreased from the beginning to the end of the monitoring period. In contrast, shallow tillage showed a similar trend of declining earthworm abundance, which could indicate a deterioration of soil biodiversity conditions. We concluded that different soil management practices greatly affect the soil’s environmental conditions (temperature and humidity), especially in the upper soil layer (up to 15 cm deep), which affects the abundance of the earthworm community. Our results demonstrated that these practices need to be adapted to the climate and weather conditions, and also to human impacts.

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