Urban Road Construction Research Articles

Impact of human activities on haze in Beijing based on grey relational analysis

Based on the grey relational analysis of haze components and the factors associated with socio-economic development in Beijing, this paper found that social development activities, such as energy consumption per GDP unit, urban road construction and urban greening, have great impact on haze, including both promotion and inhibition impacts. It should be noticed that human activities which gained much attention before, such as ownership of motor vehicles and residential energy consumption, do not have a strong effect on haze according to our study, which is contrary to previous studies and government reports.

Os impactes dos incêndios florestais nos bosques esclerófilos costeiros mediterrâneos do Chile. O caso da região de Valparaíso

Os bosques mediterrâneos do Chile estão muito alterados, sobretudo devido aos incêndios florestais. Uma das situações mais grave corresponde à das bacias costeiras que rodeiam as cidades de Valparaíso e Viña del Mar, cuja expansão avançou até às colinas circundantes, nas quais se destaca a presença de pequenos bosques esclerófilos que conservam una importante biodiversidade e, sobretudo, a palmeira endémica Jubaea chilensis (Moll) Baillon, a qual está permanentemente ameaçada pela alta combustibilidade da paisagem vegetal em que vive. Outros impactes antrópicos, como seja o avanço do habitat urbano, as obras de infraestruturação, o uso do fogo e a construção de estradas contribuem para a vulnerabilidade destes ecossistemas.

Analysis of changes in the land use structure of developed and urban areas in Eastern Poland

Abstract The development of housing, services and industry as well as the accompanying infrastructure leads to the intensification of urbanisation processes and changes in land use structure. The area of land characterised by urban use is increasing. The above trend is also observed in Eastern Poland despite its predominantly rural character and the absence of metropolitan areas exerting great pressure on the local landscape, contributing to regional development and enhancing the region’s competitiveness. The paper discusses changes in land use structure in developed and urban areas in Eastern Poland. The analysis includes five Polish voivodeships (Lubelskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Świętokrzyskie and Warmińsko-Mazurskie) characterised by the lowest GDP per capita in the EU-25. For this reason, Eastern Poland will receive aid as part of the ‘Development of Eastern Poland’ Operational Program 2007-2013. This is the only supra-regional program in the European Union which promotes social and economic growth in underdeveloped regions by co-financing projects in urban development, road construction and tourism promotion. The analysis of changes in the share of developed and urban areas in total land area as well as changes in local land use structure (subgroups) covers the period of 2007-2013. The data relating to land use structure was supplied by the Head Office of Geodesy and Cartography. It was used to determine the scale and rate of urbanisation in the analysed voivodeships (regions) and their constituent poviats (counties) with special emphasis on suburban areas. The results were presented in the form of cartograms and thematic maps with the use of GIS tools. The GIS tools support the visualisation of the spatial distribution of the analysed phenomena.

Survey of the Levels of some Heavy Metals in Roadside Dusts along Katima Mulilo Urban Road Construction, Namibia

Roadside dusts pollutions with heavy metals continue to attract attention as more anthropogenic activities including urban road construction impacted on the natural metal loads of the environment. This study employed analytical procedures to investigate the concentrations of arsenic, lead, chromium, cadmium, cobalt, copper, nickel, manganese, vanadium, iron and tin in the roadside dusts along Katima Mulilo urban road construction. Replicate dusts samples collected from three different areas of the road and a quiet residential area (control) were digested by EPA method 3050B followed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrophotometer (ICP: Perkin Elmer Optima 7000 DV) analysis. The results of levels of the heavy metals revealed that iron recorded the highest concentration of 7491.13±0.15 mg/kg along the road construction while tin recorded the lowest value (0.27±0.13 mg/kg). Similar trend was observed at the control area located 1.5 km away from the road: iron recorded the highest concentration of 2327.17±0.12 mg/kg while tin recorded the lowest concentration (0.20±0.10 mg/kg). The analysis of variance of the heavy metal concentrations across the sample locations were statistically significant (p > 0.05). However, the levels of the heavy metals recorded cross the sampling areas were less than their soil maximum permissible concentrations. There are strong positive inter-elemental correlations between the sampling areas while result of the soil enrichment factors showed significant enrichment; which are related to common and input from anthropogenically induced sources respectively. The results of single element pollution indexes of the heavy metals showed low contaminations but elevated levels of arsenic and cadmium in all the sampling areas. These could become a potential source of health concern following environmental accumulation and non-biodegradation of the heavy metals. Thus, it is recommended among others that an environmental impact assessment should be carried out on gravel sites to be used in urban road construction to limit heavy metal contaminations of roadside dusts following their usage.

Some trace metals content of atmospheric dusts deposition in Katima Mulilo metropolis, Namibia

Trace metals content of atmospheric dusts continue to attract global attention as more anthropogenic activities including urban road construction impacted on the natural metals load of airborne particulates. This study employed analytical procedures to investigate the concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, nickel, lead, vanadium, tin and manganese in atmospheric dusts deposition in Katima Mulilo metropolis, Namibia. Replicate samples were collected on five days interval under dry winter conditions from mid- August to mid-October, 2013. Samples were collected from within 40 m radius at selected locations along Katima Mulilo urban road construction and from a quite residential area; 2 km away from the road work. Processed samples were digested by EPA method 3050B followed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrophometer (ICP: Perkin Elmer Optima 7000 DV) analysis. The results obtained showed that manganese recorded the highest concentration in the dusts deposition collected within the urban road construction (155.67±2.52 mg/kg) and residential area (64.00±2.64 mg/kg) respectively. Tin recorded the lowest concentration with mean levels of 0.60±0.10 mg/kg along the road construction and 0.24±0.07 mg/kg in the residential area. T-test analysis of the variations in concentrations of the trace metals were statistically significant (p < 0.05). However, the levels of the trace metals recorded in this study were lower than their permissible concentrations recommended by Canadian soil quality guidelines for the protection of environment and human health. There is a very strong positive inter-elemental correlations and the metals enrichment factors showed moderate enrichment. These suggested common and input from anthropogenically induced sources respectively. Single element pollution indexes of the metals showed low contaminations but the levels of arsenic, cadmium, nickel and vanadium in the atmospheric dusts deposition could become source of health concern following environmental accumulations and non-biodegradation of the trace metals. Thus, it is recommended that periodic evaluation of the trace metals content of the atmospheric dusts deposition should be sustained to monitor future accumulation.

Study on Traffic Impact Assessment of Urban Road Construction Projects

Traffic impact assessment of urban road construction projects is important to ensure that road construction can meet the transport demand as far as possible. In view of this, from the evaluation object, influence scope, traffic surveys and demand forecasts, traffic impact assessment of urban road construction projects is studied. It provides a reference for this work to carry out.

A solution for urban road selection and construction problem using simulation and goal programming—Case study of the city of Isfahan

The aim of this paper is to propose a new hybrid method of urban road(s) selection and construction by using a combination of simulation and weighted goal programming (WGP) with different environmental and economical criteria. First, different scenarios were developed based on current and proved future urban land use and on feasibility. These scenarios then were simulated by applying EMME3 software for a scheduled year. The outputs for each scenario were used as input in weighted goal programming. By using the significance of goals which determined by opinion of experts, the pair-wise comparison procedure has been done. The results of WGP determine the scenario with the highest possible utility. This integrated methodology has been applied in the city of Isfahan (Iran). The selected scenario by the proposed methodology, improves the conditions of all six criteria in comparison with current traffic network. This methodology could be applicable for large-scale transportation networks.

SINGULARITIES OF A THEMPERATURE FIELD IN A ROAD CONSTRUCTION WITH AN UNDERGROUND HEAT PIPELINE

Results of experimental and theoretical researches of a temperature field in a ground around an underground heat pipeline laid under the urban road construction are given. The differential equation of a stationary thermal conductivity for an inhomogeneous multiply connected domain is solved by the finite element method. Results of a natural experiment are used for constructing the mathematical model.

A novel algorithm to identifying vehicle travel path in elevated road area based on GPS trajectory data

In recent years, the increasing development of traffic information collection technology based on floating car data has been recognized, which gives rise to the establishment of real-time traffic information dissemination system in many cities. However, the recent massive construction of urban elevated roads hinders the processing of corresponding GPS data and further extraction of traffic information (e.g., identifying the real travel path), as a result of the frequent transfer of vehicles between ground and elevated road travel. Consequently, an algorithm for identifying the travel road type (i.e., elevated or ground road) of vehicles is designed based on the vehicle traveling features, geometric and topological characteristics of the elevated road network, and a trajectory model proposed in the present study. To be specific, the proposed algorithm can detect the places where a vehicle enters, leaves or crosses under elevated roads. An experiment of 10 sample taxis in Shanghai, China was conducted, and the comparison of our results and results that are obtained from visual interpretation validates the proposed algorithm.

A Prediction of Vehicle Possession in Hunan Province Based on Principal Component and BP Neural Network

Prediction of car ownership has direct reference significance for the development of urban transportation and construction of urban roads. By analyzing the impact factors of urban auto possession, this paper first analyzes 8 indicators such as urban population, GDP, road passenger traffic and so on determined by some references, then establish BP neural network model to predict the vehicles possession in Hunan Province from 2006 to 2008. The figures of prediction is 989,300, 1,221,800 and 1,370,300 respectively in 2006, 2007 and 2008, which is very close to the real ownership of 946,400,1,217,200 and 1,426,700 respectively. It shows the prediction is very accurate. This suggests that the BP neural network has very strong learning and generalization ability and can be employed in prediction of vehicle possession effectively. The prediction of car ownership, as a foundational work for transportation planning,has direct reference significance on the development of urban traffic,its control and management and construction of urban road, etc.Early in 1940s this research has been started in foreign countries[1]. Many different models of prediction of car ownership have been developed.Many of them are developed mainly based on the factors such as urban economy, population network capacity, the land utilization and parking facilities.In China there are also some researches on this issue. They predicate the car ownership mainly by time series prediction, regression analysis and fractal theory and entropy method [2~6].However, these methods do not comprehensively describe the complex relationship between car ownership and other factors. The author of this paper chooses some car ownership-related factors and employ principal component method to analyze to obtain the main factors, then tries to find the relationship between BP neural networks and car ownership according to these factors so as to predict the car ownership in Hunan Province form 2006 to 2008, which will be greatly significant to the development of urban transportation, management and construction.

Recycled Technology of Urban Road Construction Waste and Miscellaneous Fill Used as Subgrade Fillings

Continuously increasing municipal renovation and roadbed excavation produced a considerable quantity of solid waste each year such us miscellaneous fill mixed with broken pavement fragments and brickbats, which resulted in a series of urban environment and soil resource issues. Comprehensive recycling technology for soil modification to attain the strength requirements of subgrade fillings from the related road construction codes is necessary and even urgent, since the usual soil replacement is not the economic and environment-friendly method. The field investigation and laboratorial tests hereby had been completed to confirm the application potentials of typical soil specimens selected from different locations. The experimental results indicate some of specimens can be reused as subgrade fillings in road construction immediately and others should be treated by soil amelioration. To further certify the practicality of this recycled technology and broaden its range of application, three typical reutilization and treatment techniques, cold recycling, soil solidification and dynamic consolidation are introduced into engineering projects.

Cavas históricas de ouro do Jaraguá: o que resta para se preservar?

The Historical “Jaragua Gold Caves” are vestiges of excavations in weathered rock, dating back to the Brazilian colonial times, situated NW of Jaragua peak, in the Sao Paulo municipality (SP). The areas were investigated to support historical preservation innitiatives. The excavations have lateral steep slopes and a narrow flat bottom zone, occupied by dense vegetation. The trace of the excavations is sinuous, trending N40-50W, in accordance to a transition zone of Neoproterozoic rocks: metapelites and metapsamites by the SW side and calc-silicate rocks and amphybolites at NE. The structural control results from three successive deformation phases. Urban expansion and road construction, during the last 30 years, have strongly impacted the areas: (I) Base of Quebra-Pe hill; (II) Jardim Britânia; (III) Morro Doce; (IV) Nova Anhanguera Park. A 5th site was disfigured by earthworks. The Jardim Britânia area is partly discharacterized by earthfills; this however does not impede further protection actions. This framework allows to recommend authorities: (1) to permit immediate preservation of these areas; (2) to develop programs to build an integrated site for scientific diffusion or an educational center for exhibition of rocks, ores and mineral samples; (3) to support the interest of some owners to preserve the area called “Morro Doce”, (4) to put forward a few proposals for educational use of the excavations, by production of field guides on the historic sites. The alternatives will help keeping alive the memory of mining in the Sao Paulo State.

Cavas históricas de ouro do Jaraguá: o que resta para se preservar?

The Historical “Jaragua Gold Caves” are vestiges of excavations in weathered rock, dating back to the Brazilian colonial times, situated NW of Jaragua peak, in the Sao Paulo municipality (SP). The areas were investigated to support historical preservation innitiatives. The excavations have lateral steep slopes and a narrow flat bottom zone, occupied by dense vegetation. The trace of the excavations is sinuous, trending N40-50W, in accordance to a transition zone of Neoproterozoic rocks: metapelites and metapsamites by the SW side and calc-silicate rocks and amphybolites at NE. The structural control results from three successive deformation phases. Urban expansion and road construction, during the last 30 years, have strongly impacted the areas: (I) Base of Quebra-Pe hill; (II) Jardim Britânia; (III) Morro Doce; (IV) Nova Anhanguera Park. A 5th site was disfigured by earthworks. The Jardim Britânia area is partly discharacterized by earthfills; this however does not impede further protection actions. This framework allows to recommend authorities: (1) to permit immediate preservation of these areas; (2) to develop programs to build an integrated site for scientific diffusion or an educational center for exhibition of rocks, ores and mineral samples; (3) to support the interest of some owners to preserve the area called “Morro Doce”, (4) to put forward a few proposals for educational use of the excavations, by production of field guides on the historic sites. The alternatives will help keeping alive the memory of mining in the Sao Paulo State.

야생동물 출현지점의 토지이용형태를 고려한 "우선보전연결구간" 선정

생태적 연결성을 확보하고 야생동물의 보전을 위해 생태적 연결통로에 대한 많은 연구가 진행되고 있지만, 현재 야생동물의 서식이 양호한 지점에 대한 보전 대책은 미비한 실정이다. 이번 연구는 생태적 연결성을 확보하는 측면에서 실제 다양한 야생동물이 서식하며 이들의 서식환경이 비교적 잘 보전되어 있는 지역을 선별하는 데 목적이 있으며, 일정 종수 이상의 야생동물이 다양하게 서식하고 서식지 주변의 토지이용특성을 분석하여 공통적 유형을 고르게 갖추고 있는 지점을 '우선보전연결구간'으로 지정하였다. 이를 위해 충청남도 당진군, 서산시, 예산군, 공주시, 부여군 등 5개 시 군을 대상으로 포유류의 다양한 서식이 예상되는 지점 500개를 우선 선정하고, 이 지점에 대해 2계절, 총 2회에 걸쳐 포유류 서식 현황을 조사하였다. 조사결과 492개 지점에서 총 12종의 포유류가 서식하고 있었으며, 각 지역별 평균 종수 이상의 종이 출현한 지점은 총 264개였다. 그리고 평균 종수 이상의 종이 출현한 저점에 대한 토지이용현황 분석을 한 결과, 산림, 논, 밭, 하천, 초지, 농촌형 건축물 등을 포함한 5~7개 유형을 가진 지점에서 높은 종 다양성을 보였다. 이를 토대로 평균 이상의 야생동물이 서식하고 공통적 유형을 지닌 지점을 "우선연결보전구간"으로 정의하였으며, 총 89개 지점을 선정하였다. The purpose of this study was to find ecologically stable areas involving the locations in which wildlife exist, and to earmark those places as "ecologically connected areas requiring preferential preservation," and through that, to reduce the perils that may occur due to urban development or road construction. The processes and the results of this study were as follows: 1. Selecting the spots in which wildlife may exist: The total study areas were analyzed by eight ecological indexes and then a total of 500 locations in study areas were selected. 2. Sorting the locations in which mammals exist: We surveyed each one of the 500 locations twice, and then confirmed that we found mammals at 492 of the 500 locations and analyzed 264 locations that the number of existing mammals was above average. 3. Analyzing the 264 locations with two indexes, the number and the frequency of the land use types: 5~7 types of land use were suitable. The types were forest, rice field, farm, river, and meadow, excluding building and road. 4. Selecting the locations that meet the above conditions: We sorted 89 locations and earmarked these points as "ecologically connected areas requiring preferential preservation" in order to expect continued existence of wildlife.

Research on Supply &amp; Demand Equilibrium in Urban Road Network with Section Method

AbstractSupply-and-demand dynamic equilibrium is a strategic goal in urban road network planning and construction. The supply of road network capacities of links, intersections and roads, and the traffic demand calculation are analyzed in the paper. Based on graph theory, the authors put forward a cross section method for supply-and-demand equilibrium analysis in urban road network and the principles and calculation process. Application of the method to Harbin urban road network was presented and based on the study on saturation of 58412 cross sections, suggestions for improvement are proposed. The results shows that method based on cross section can be used to analyze the supply-and-demand equilibrium and the results are consistent with the practical traffic status.

Fractal Dimension of a Transportation Network and its Relationship with Urban Growth: A Study of the Dallas-Fort Worth Area

A city and its transportation network are both complicated systems. Fractal geometry provides an effective way to describe the complex property of geographical features. This paper uses a modified box-counting method to describe the fractal property of urban transportation networks. Assuming that human settlements of different sizes are all operated by the same growth procedure, this paper investigates the relationship between the mass size of cities and the complexity of their road systems. The results confirm that, as cities grow from small to large, their transportation networks generally become more complicated—the urban spaces are filled up more densely by city roads and the locations within a city are more accessible. The quantitative relationship identified between the complexity of urban transportation network and city size provides an empirical guide for the planning and policymaking of urban development and road construction.

Health impact assessment of building and investment projects

For regional planning and approval procedures for building projects of a certain order of magnitude and power rating according to the German Federal Act on the Prevention of Emissions with Integrated Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the German public health departments, acting as public authorities, increasingly perform health impact assessments (HIA). The amended Act on Environmental Impact Assessment, the Decree on industrial plants which require approval (4th Federal Decree on Emission Prevention) and the Health Service Acts of the Federal States of Germany form the legal basis for the assessment of health issues with regard to approval procedures for building and investment projects. In the framework of the "Action Programme for the Environment and Health", the present article aims at making this process binding and to ensure responsibility and general involvement of the Public Health departments in all German Federal States. Future criteria, basic principles and procedures for single-case testing as well as assessment standards should meet these requirements. The Federal Ministry for the Environment and the Federal Ministry for Health should agree on Health Impact Assessment (HIA ) as well as on the relaxant stipulations in their procedures and general administrative regulations for implementing the Environmental Impact Assessment Act (EIA). Current EIA procedures focus on urban development and road construction, industrial investment projects, intensive animal husbandry plants, waste incineration plants, and wind energy farms. This paper illustrates examples meeting with varying degrees of public acceptance. However, being involved in the regional planning procedure for the project "Extension of the federal motorway A 14 from Magdeburg to Schwerin", the Public Health Service also shares global responsibility for health and climate protection. Demands for shortest routing conflict with objectives of environmental protection which should be given long-term consideration. Assessing the direct impact of projects on human beings should be rank first in the list of priorities. The Hygiene Institute supports the efforts of the Public Health departments by providing professional consultant services to ensure consistency in the application of procedures.

Urban labour-intensive road construction in South Africa

Urban labour-intensive road construction in South Africa