· 2017
In Indiana, distracted driving and unexpected queues have led to an increase in the amount of back-of-queue crashes, particularly on approach to work zones. This report presents new strategies for the assessment of both transportation safety and traffic operations using crowd-sourced probe vehicle data and a speed laser vehicle re-identification scheme. This report concludes by recommending strategies for the placement of variable speed limits (VSL) adjacent to work zones and suggestions for future research.
The current profession of civil engineering often focuses education and training on code compliance rather than constructability and construction techniques. Also, it is well accepted that it takes a decade or more for engineers to develop a high-level project construction understanding, that and many state departments of transportation rely on in-field training for entry-level inspectors, with little or no education provisions for contractors. This research investigated the use of time-lapse photography to develop training and education material that will improve the understanding of project construction and crucial quality control specifications of an entry-level engineer, contractor, or inspector. Overall, the project team has deployed more than 160 time-lapse cameras to capture and document various construction activities since the project inception in May 2015 on over 25 construction sites throughout the state of Indiana.This document uses time-lapse photography and other media forms to monitor construction projects such as roadway construction on US 31 in Carmel and Westfield, construction of mechanically stabilized earth walls, roundabout construction, and bridge demolition in West Lafayette and Cedar Grove in order to develop educational and training materials for engineering students, construction inspectors, and contractors.This is accomplished in this document through construction case studies, time-lapse images, YouTube videos, and references to relevant INDOT Standard Specifications. Additionally, the project team has acquired quantitative data on the effectiveness of utilizing time-lapse photography to better educate in a classroom setting. The project team discovered that time-lapse photography did indeed enhance the lecture and following its use, students showed improvement.
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· 2019
State agencies have implemented weigh-in-motion (WIM) sensors for years to assess and monitor various aspects of highway commercial motor vehicle traffic. This study analyzes 3.5 years of WIM data from 33 WIM sites provided by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and compares systematic procedures to identify WIM locations with measurement errors. The following areas are examined: WIM accuracy and precision, class 9 front axle weight, left-right front axle residual, and impact of pavement smoothing on WIM performance. The statistical distribution of Class 9 truck's front axle weight as a performance metric is suggested for automated online software. This study also assessed the accuracy and precision of two WIM sites by direct comparison with weight data obtained at Indiana State Police certified weigh scales. A 5 month study on I-94 collected 564 static weights and found that 98% of the WIM weights were within ± 5% of the static weights. A second study on I-70 collected 262 static weights and found that 87% of the WIM weights were within ± 5% of the static weights after statistical adjustment.