Conventional Roads Research Articles

Distributed Intelligent Vehicle Path Tracking and Stability Cooperative Control

To enhance the path tracking capability and driving stability of intelligent vehicles, a controller is designed that synergizes active front wheel steering (AFS) and direct yaw moment (DYC), specifically tailored for distributed-drive electric vehicles. To address the challenge of determining the weight matrix in the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) algorithm during the path tracking design for intelligent vehicles on conventional roads, a genetic algorithm (GA)-optimized LQR path tracking controller is introduced. The 2-degree-of-freedom vehicle dynamics error model and the desired path information are established. The genetic algorithm optimization strategy, utilizing the vehicle’s lateral error, heading error, and output front wheel steering angle as the objective functions, is employed to optimally determine the weight matrices Q and R. Subsequently, the optimal front wheel steering angle control (AFS) output of the vehicle is calculated. Under extreme operating conditions, to enhance vehicle dynamics stability, while ensuring effective path tracking, the active yaw moment is crafted using the sliding mode control with a hyperbolic tangent convergence law function. The control weights of the sliding mode surface related to the center-of-mass lateral declination are adjusted based on the theory of the center-of-mass lateral declination phase diagram, and the vehicle’s target yaw moment is calculated. Validation is conducted through Matlab/Simulink and Carsim co-simulation. The results demonstrate that the genetic algorithm-optimized LQR path tracking controller enhances vehicle tracking accuracy and exhibits improved robustness under conventional road conditions. In extreme working conditions, the designed path tracking and stability cooperative controller (AFS+DYC) is implemented to enhance the vehicle’s path tracking effect, while ensuring its driving stability.

Factors determining roadkills in a mammal carnivore are road-type specific

Roads threaten the conservation of many wildlife species. Carnivores are one of the most susceptible groups due to their habitat requirements. We explored the roadkill patterns of European polecats (Mustela putorious) on motorways and roads to investigate if these patterns depend on road type, a research topic frequently neglected in the literature. We studied 85 roadkills on motorways and 73 on roads, and the corresponding number of random points with no roadkills in every road type. We characterized them with 7 habitat and 7 road-related variables. Roadkill sites were significantly associated with the abundance of rabbit burrows. However, this effect was stronger on motorways, as they provide more suitable habitat for the establishment of prey species on their wider rights-of-way, or on the road interchange islands, which provide wide unused spaces. In contrast, road interchange islands on conventional roads that are simple intersections and have narrower rights-of-way. Furthermore, roadkills occurred in areas with lower agricultural cover. Thus, natural habitats on roadsides could act as alternative foraging areas for this carnivore increasing their roadkill risk. Our results showed the need to consider the characteristics such as the availability of prey or the surrounding habitat, as well as intrinsic characteristics of the road type when studying wildlife roadkills as the road-type-mediated patterns demand-specific mitigation measures.

External Human-Machine Interfaces for Automated Vehicles in Shared Spaces: A Review of the Human-Computer Interaction Literature.

Given the rise of automated vehicles from an engineering and technical perspective, there has been increased research interest concerning the Human and Computer Interactions (HCI) between vulnerable road users (VRUs, such as cyclists and pedestrians) and automated vehicles. As with all HCI challenges, clear communication and a common understanding-in this application of shared road usage-is critical in order to reduce conflicts and crashes between the VRUs and automated vehicles. In an effort to solve this communication challenge, various external human-machine interface (eHMI) solutions have been developed and tested across the world. This paper presents a timely critical review of the literature on the communication between automated vehicles and VRUs in shared spaces. Recent developments will be explored and studies analyzing their effectiveness will be presented, including the innovative use of Virtual Reality (VR) for user assessments. This paper provides insight into several gaps in the eHMI literature and directions for future research, including the need to further research eHMI effects on cyclists, investigate the negative effects of eHMIs, and address the technical challenges of eHMI implementation. Furthermore, it has been underlined that there is a lack of research into the use of eHMIs in shared spaces, where the communication and interaction needs differ from conventional roads.

Mechanical properties of the semi-rigid subgrade of roads for the replacement cement with pyrolysis residues of oil sludge

The pyrolysis residues of oil sludge, as the industrial solid waste of the oil extraction process, have a large output. There are also social and environmental problems of piling and pollution. Pyrolysis residues of oil sludge contain many active ingredients, which can partially replace cement and be added to road building materials for application. However, the mechanical properties are unknown for the replaced subgrade of roads. Through physicochemical and mechanical tests, the effect of the pyrolysis residues of oil sludge was studied based on the mechanical properties of road subgrade by replacing the proportion of the base cement of cement stabilized macadam (CSM) (10 %, 20 %, and 30 %). The recommended alternative ratio was proposed for replacing the cement of oil sludge stabilized macadam (COSM) base based on the correlation between mechanical indices and the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). The results suggest that an appropriate alternative ratio can optimally enhance the mechanical properties of the semi-rigid subgrade of conventional roads. Pyrolysis residues of oil sludge are easily excited in an alkaline environment, and its porous structure and carbon nanotube composition contribute to the combination with cementitious products to form a nail-carrying effect. Moreover, the hydration promotion effect on cementitious materials can increase the cleavage strength of materials. The replacement of cement with pyrolysis residues of oil sludge can enhance the mechanical properties of the material and increase the toughness of the material. The optimal moisture content of the material is positively correlated with the alternative ratio, and the maximal dry density is negatively correlated with the alternative ratio. The low alternative ratio is conducive to the increase of the early cementing effect of the material, and the high alternative ratio contributes to the increase of the later cementing impact of the material and the improvement of the later strength of the material. The range of alternative ratios to adjust the material to a reasonable range of the pressure-resistant resilience modulus was obtained as 12.6 %–31 %. The correlation analysis and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution method suggest that the reasonable alternative ratio of the pyrolysis residues of oil sludge is 10 %–30 % for the cement of stabilized macadam base, and the comprehensive mechanical properties of the 10 % replacement ratio are better than those of the control group. The results of this study can provide a reference for applying the pyrolysis residues of oil sludge in roads.

From Deterministic to Random Models: An Analysis of the New Spanish Overtaking Traffic Law

The purpose of the research is to analyze the new Spanish law of Traffic, which no longer permits exceeding by up to 20 km/hour the generic speed limits when overtaking on conventional roads. In this research, deterministic and random models are developed to analyze the associated safety risks. The deterministic model highlights the importance of dimensional analysis and provides dimensionless abacuses to analyze the problem. Next, Bayesian networks and Bayesian models are used to build a random model from the previous one, providing a general method to convert deterministic into random models. In addition, the problems of ignoring the dimensions of the variables and parameters are discussed, a common mistake to be corrected. Some examples and multidimensional graphics illustrate the huge reduction in safety and the need to review the existing end of prohibition signs, most of which must be removed. Shortly, the research results show that the distance required for overtaking with safety increases drastically.

A comprehensive study & outlook on integrated structural health monitoring and C-intelligent transport system for pavement condition assessment

Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) projects have been a trending topic of research in the last decade. However, even with positive results, ITS and SHM projects struggle to compete with conventional roads and transport infrastructure projects. The standalone systems encounter many limitations which motivate to have integrated ITS and SHM systems. Nevertheless, SHM combined with ITS could be an interesting approach to expand single-minded systems into systems with multiple functions. Both ITS and SHM are vast fields involving complex technology and data management systems, but using an integrated approach could increase the efficiency of a standalone system. This research focuses on doing a literature survey and identifying the shared aims and limitations of standalone ITS and SHM systems. This would help in developing an integrated framework to mitigate the limitations of individual systems and help expand the projects beyond their initial used cases. It would also improve the applicability of these projects.

A novel adaptive vehicle speed recommender fuzzy system for autonomous vehicles on conventional two‐lane roads

AbstractThis paper presents an intelligent speed adaption system for vehicles on conventional roads. The fuzzy logic based expert system outputs a recommended speed to ensure both safety and passenger comfort. This intelligent system includes geometrical features of the road, as well as subjective perceptions of the drivers. It has been developed and checked with real data that were measured with an instrumental system incorporated in a vehicle, on several two‐lane roads located in the Madrid Region, Spain. Along with the road geometrical characteristics, other input variables to the system are external factors, such as weather conditions, distance to the preceding vehicle, tire pressure, and other subjective criteria, such as the desired comfort level, selected by the driver. The expert system output is the most suitable speed for the specific road type, considering real factors that may modify the category of the road and thus, the appropriate speed. This information could be added to the adaptive cruise control of the vehicle. The recommended speed can be a very useful input for both, drivers and the autonomous vehicles, to improve safety on the road system.

Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions in NW of Spain

Wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVCs) in many places have a significant impact on wildlife management and road safety. The COVID-19 lockdown enabled the study of the specific impact that traffic has on these events. WVC variation in the Asturias and Cantabria regions (NW of Spain) because of the COVID-19 lockdown reached a maximum reduction of −64.77% during strict confinement but it was minimal or nonexistent during “soft” confinement. The global average value was −30.22% compared with the WVCs registered in the same period in 2019, but only −4.69% considering the average throughout the period 2010–2019. There are huge differences between conventional roads, where the traffic reduction was greater, and highways, where the traffic reduction was lesser during the COVID-19 lockdown. The results depend on the season, the day of the week and the time of day, but mainly on the traffic reduction occurring. The results obtained highlight the need to include the traffic factor in WVC reduction strategies.

Plastic Bituminous Roads: A Sustainable Technology – For Better Handling Distresses

The present era, in particular, the last 3 to 4 decades can be easily named the “Plastic Age” and dealing with plastic waste has always been a challenging affair for Urban local bodies. Plastic roads are bituminous roads or pavement that have a waste plastic blended mix for their wearing courses. Plastic bituminous roads being a sustainable technology are becoming very popular nowadays as a substitute for conventional bituminous roads in India and other parts of the World. Evaluation of pavement is important to plan its maintenance strategy timely to avoid the complete deterioration of the pavement. In the present study, plastic bituminous roads and normal bituminous roads are evaluated for their various distress parameters and are compared based on distress parameters over the years. This paper tries to answer a basic question of whether Plastic Bituminous Roads are definitely sustainable but are they also better in handling the distresses. The study has also revealed that plastic bituminous roads perform better in early deterioration as compared to normal bituminous roads which will encourage field professionals and Urban Local bodies to use this sustainable technology.

Plastic Bituminous Roads: A Sustainable Technology – For Better Handling Distresses

The present era, in particular, the last 3 to 4 decades can be easily named the “Plastic Age” and dealing with plastic waste has always been a challenging affair for Urban local bodies. Plastic roads are bituminous roads or pavement that have a waste plastic blended mix for their wearing courses. Plastic bituminous roads being a sustainable technology are becoming very popular nowadays as a substitute for conventional bituminous roads in India and other parts of the World. Evaluation of pavement is important to plan its maintenance strategy timely to avoid the complete deterioration of the pavement. In the present study, plastic bituminous roads and normal bituminous roads are evaluated for their various distress parameters and are compared based on distress parameters over the years. This paper tries to answer a basic question of whether Plastic Bituminous Roads are definitely sustainable but are they also better in handling the distresses. The study has also revealed that plastic bituminous roads perform better in early deterioration as compared to normal bituminous roads which will encourage field professionals and Urban Local bodies to use this sustainable technology.

Infrastructure costs and benefits of European high-speed rail

The development of new technologies has significantly influenced railways modernization and has caused the appearance of high-speed rail which represent a safe, comfortable and ecologically sustainable way of transportation. The high-speed rail present a big step in a relation to conventional railways, where the biggest difference is speed which even entails a change of other organizational and operational parameters, better utilization of trains, higher performance of manpower and better service to users. That is visible in many cities around the world where high-speed trains are used by billions of users. In the EU there is no unique high-speed railway network, besides that in many EU member countries various operational models are applied. The future of the high-speed railways market depends on political, economical and technical factors and challenges as high infrastructure costs, various rates of return on investment and the negative effects of economic crises. The main objective of the paper is to analyze infrastucture costs of high-speed rail in Europe and benefits such us time savings, higher reliability, comfort, safety, reducing pollution and the release of capacity in the conventional rail network, roads and airport infrastructure.

A spatial analysis of demand patterns on a bicycle sharing scheme: Evidence from London

This paper investigates the spatial demand for bikesharing through the application of a series of trip generation models for the London Bicycle Sharing Scheme (LBSS). The production of trips from and the arrival of trips at scheme stations are evaluated in reference to how they connect with features of the built environment, demographics of the resident and workplace populations, and attributes of the scheme's structure. A spatial econometrics approach is taken to specify the models, with four different time windows considered throughout the day for all trips taken during 2016. The built environment features show a consistent pattern of results in the model, indicating that proximity to cycling infrastructure, rail stations, parks, university facilities, as well as the density of shops and conventional roads in the vicinity of stations is linked with trip generation rates. The presence of males and Caucasians are associated with higher station demand, aligning with other work on the introduction of new mobility solutions elsewhere, though we do find that greater distances to work tend to depress use. Trip generation is also reduced at the minority of stations located south of the River Thames, indicating that the presence of natural barriers can affect the operation of schemes. The results carry implications for scheme integration in other cities.

Perbandingan Perencanaan Tebal Perkerasan Jalan Paving Block Metoda Analisa Komponen (MAK) 1987 dengan MAK 2002

Concrete blocks are an alternative surface coating for road construction made of a mixture of cement, filler and water. The road that will be redesigned with pavement thickness is the DR. Moh. Hatta section of Pasar Baru - Gate of Unand Padang. This road has an uphill contour so that conventional roads are unable to withstand the flow of water falling down, causing puddles that can damage the road construction. Pavement thickness planning for paving block roads on Jalan DR. Moh. Hatta Padang uses the 1987 component analysis method and the 2002 component analysis method by entering the road planning parameters: the carrying capacity of the soil is obtained from the CBR value of the subgrade, the traffic load is obtained from the average daily traffic. With a subgrade CBR of 5.25%, 8 cm thick paving blocks with K-300 quality, 100% CBR crushed stone foundation layer, and 70% CBR gravel bottom foundation layer. So from the 1987CAM results obtained a surface layer with a thickness of 8 cm, 10 cm lean concrete, 15 cm top foundation layer, and 10 cm bottom foundation layer. While 2002 CAM obtained a surface layer of 8 cm thick, 10 cm of lean concrete, 10 cm of top foundation layer, and 10 cm of bottom foundation layer.

Public-Private Partnerships in Transportation Infrastructures: A Tool to Overcome the Post-Covid-19 Economic Crisis in Spain

An indicator of the economic crisis generated by COVID-19, provided by the National Institute of Statistics is the decrease in the numbers of passengers in collective transport and international tourists arriving in Spain in 2020. To overcome this economic crisis, this paper analyzes, by using exploratory research methodology, the implementation of new passenger transportation infrastructures through public-private partnerships. With this approach, it will be possible to mobilize private capital, create jobs, obtain tax return and generate economic activity. We propose that priority actions related to the areas of collective public transport, urban mobility and road safety on conventional roads, should be carried out by the Association of Construction Companies and Infrastructure Concessionaires and the Spanish Association of Engineering, Consulting and Technological Services.

Differences in the risk profiles of drunk and drug drivers: Evidence from a mandatory roadside survey

BackgroundThe study assesses the prevalence rates of alcohol- and drug-involved driving in Catalonia (Spain). MethodDrivers were randomly selected for roadside testing using a stratified random sampling procedure representative of all vehicles circulating on non-urban roads. Mandatory alcohol and drug tests were performed during autumn 2017. A sample of 6860 drivers were tested for alcohol use, of these 671 were also tested for drugs. Standard procedures were employed by traffic officers to detect alcohol and drug use. Alcohol breath tests were performed with breathalyser devices and on-site drug screening systems were used to test for drugs. ResultsThe prevalence of alcohol use above the legal limit and drug use were 1.2 % (95 % CI: 0.9–1.5 %) and 8.3 % (95 % CI: 5.8–11.2 %), respectively. The most frequent drugs detected were THC (5.6 %, 95 % CI: 3.7–8.0 %), cocaine (3.5 %, 95 % CI: 2.0–5.5 %) and amphetamines (1.6 %, 95 % CI: 0.6–3.4 %). Alcohol use was detected more frequently on conventional roads, at weekends and during night-time hours. Drug use was detected more frequently in young males during daytime hours. ConclusionsDriver risk profiles associated with alcohol use and drug use differ. Positive alcohol use is not a predictor of drug use when controlling for all other factors.

BARRIER AND GUARDRAIL EXTRACTION AND CLASSIFICATION FROM POINT CLOUDS

Abstract. In the recent years, the modelling of infrastructures has been receiving increasingly attention due to the importance of transport infrastructures for global economy, traffic safety and for the generation of high definition maps, essential to autonomous vehicles. This paper presents a simple method for the segmentation and classification of concrete barriers and guardrails in road surroundings. First steps of the method are aimed to delimit the region of the point cloud outside the driving lanes in which barriers and guardrails are installed. The purpose is to significantly reduce the size of point clouds in order to improve further processing. Then, barrier segmentation and classification are designed as parameter-dependent processes because the geometric features of roads and barriers and guardrails are mostly regulated by norms and standards. Results show a good performance in terms of classification in comparison of other state of the art methods. Better results were obtained for guardrails than for concrete barriers. The method has been tested in a set of point clouds acquired with a Mobile Laser Scanner from conventional roads and highways.

Analysis of vehicle CO and NOx road emissions test based on PEMS

ABSTRACT To provide a corresponding preparation and foundation for the implementation and testing of China 6, as well as provide a strong reference for the formulation of China automotive test cycle (CATC) in the future, portable emission measurement system (PEMS) was applied to carry out CO and NOx emissions test on conventional roads for a light-duty gasoline vehicle (Toyota Levin) and a heavy-duty diesel vehicle (KING LONG bus) in Nanjing. The results showed that the CO emission rate of the Toyota car was mainly determined by the speed. As the vehicle speed increased, the CO emission rate increased rapidly while it was below 0.035 g/s. The CO emission rate of KING LONG bus accelerated with the increase of the vehicle speed at the lower speed and began to decrease when the speed reached 60 km/h. In terms of NOx emission rate, as the vehicle speed increased, the NOx emission rates of both vehicles increased. The CO and NOx emission factors of the two models showed similar patterns, both of which decreased significantly as the vehicle speed increased. Compared with the corresponding emission limits, the CO emission of both vehicles was higher, especially for light vehicle, and it was more than 3 times the limit. The NOx emission of both vehicles met the corresponding emission standards. The CO and NOx emission rates of light vehicles were positively correlated with specific power of vehicle (VSP). When VSP was less than 16, the two pollutants emission rate variation with VSP of heavy vehicle showed the same trend, while it was different when VSP was more than 16.

ULTRA-HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGING OF FACADES AND VERTICAL INFRASTRUCTURE BY CARBORNE SAR AND AIRBORNE CSAR

Abstract. In this paper we propose a strategy to focus ultra-high resolution single channel carborne SAR and airborne circular SAR (CSAR) data to image facades and vertical infrastructure. We illustrate the related theoretical background and the design of an optimal focusing geometry for carborne SAR applications while using backprojection focusing techniques. Of particular interest is thereby the determination of the minimum distance and orientation of the facade to the radar sensor. Potential image distortions due to a wrong choice of these parameters are illustrated. Effects on the final resolution of the data due to the rotation of the focusing geometry compared to typical airborne SAR are discussed. We validated the strategy by driving on conventional roads illuminating facades with an experimental mobile radar mapping (MRM) sensor operating at 300 GHz. We further present an adapted version of the proposed strategy to focus vertical infrastructure in CSAR data sets. By extracting the center coordinate and the principal orientation of an object from GiS data, the focusing plane is designed arbitrarily in the 3D space. For the CSAR data set, a radar sensor particularly designed for circular flight trajectories operating at 94 GHz was evaluated. An electrical pylon was chosen as potential target. In both applications, the final images show a high level of detail. The combination of proposed strategy and radar sensor with very high bandwidth is capable of subcentimeter imaging of facades. The height, shape and dimensions of objects can be extracted directly from the image geometry at very high accuracy.

Mobile Radar Mapping—Subcentimeter SAR Imaging of Roads

In this paper, we present a strategy for focusing ultrahigh-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data for mobile radar mapping. We illustrate the related theoretical background and required extensions on the imaging method based on backprojection techniques. The influence of potential errors in estimating a correct geometry with respect to the imaging quality is investigated in detail by point target simulations. As backprojection techniques require precise knowledge of the topography in close range, the new strategy instantly uses the GPS/INS data of the trajectory to define a suitable digital elevation model of the illuminated scene. We have tested the strategy by driving on conventional roads with an active frequency-modulated continuous wave radar system operating at 300 GHz. Different reference targets were placed in the scene, and the accuracy of the method was evaluated. The results experimentally reveal that the lower terahertz band is capable of subcentimeter SAR imaging in mobile mapping scenarios at very high quality. We have shown that narrow cracks in the asphalt of roads can be detected and fine-scale objects on millimeter size can be displayed. Geometric distortions in the SAR images are significantly reduced allowing the measurements of infrastructure. The output data can at last be transferred to the conventional 3-D Point Cloud Software for further processing.

Effects of emergency medical services times on traffic injury severity: A random effects ordered probit approach

Objective: Emergency medical services (EMS) play a vital role in the postcrash effort to reduce fatalities by providing first aid treatment and transportation to medical facilities. This study aims to analyze the time required for crash reporting and EMS arrival in fatal traffic crashes and to explore the effects of EMS time on the traffic injury severity.Methods: The time required for EMS reporting, arrival, and transport to hospital was calculated by location type and roadway functional classification using 2016 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data. Subsequently, an ordered probit model was developed to identify factors contributing to injury severity considering EMS time.Results: The average time for the crash–reporting duration is 5.38 min, the reporting–scene arrival interval is 10.52 min, and the scene–hospital interval is 34.72 min. The average crash reporting and reporting–scene arrival intervals were the longest on conventional roads in rural areas and the shortest on conventional roads in urban areas. The average scene–hospital interval was longest in conventional rural areas and the shortest on freeways/expressways in urban areas. The developed random effects ordered probit model shows that prolonged reporting–scene arrival and scene–hospital intervals result in more severe injuries. The result also presents that crash type, violation, age, location, lighting condition, and alcohol/drug involvement have significant effects on injury severity.Conclusions: The key findings from this study indicate that EMS times differ according to urban/rural location and road functional classification and that reporting–scene arrival and scene–hospital intervals have significant effects on injury severity along with various factors. It is expected that the findings from this study can be used to develop effective and practical strategic plans to minimize EMS reporting, arrival time, and transport to hospital and therefore decrease the traffic injury severity.