Road Course Research Articles

Thomas Hallock, A Road Course in Early American Literature: Travel and Teaching from Atzlán to Amherst

Thomas Hallock, <i>A Road Course in Early American Literature: Travel and Teaching from Atzlán to Amherst</i>

Boids Flocking Algorithm for Situation Assessment of Driver Assistance Systems

Driver assistance systems are increasingly becoming part of the standard equipment of vehicles and thus contribute to road safety. However, as they become more widespread, the requirements for cost efficiency are also increasing, and so few and inexpensive sensors are used in these systems. Especially in challenging situations, this leads to the fact that target discrimination cannot be ensured which may lead to false reactions of the driver assistance system. In this paper, the Boids flocking algorithm is used to generate semantic neighborhood information between tracked objects which in turn can significantly improve the overall performance. Two different variants were developed: First, a freemoving flock whereby a separate flock is generated per tracked object and second, a formation-controlled flock where boids of a single flock move along the future road course in a pre-defined formation. In the first approach, the interaction between the flocks as well as the interaction between the boids within a flock is used to generate additional information, which in turn can be used to improve, for example, lane change detection. For the latter approach, new behavioral rules have been developed, so that the boids can reliably identify control-relevant objects to a driver assistance system. Finally, the performance of the presented methods is verified through extensive simulations.

Feasibility of automated in-vehicle technologies on volunteers' driving performance.

Automated in-vehicle technologies, specifically in-vehicle information systems (IVIS) and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), are increasingly common in today's cars. Previous studies illustrate benefits of using IVIS and ADAS to improve safety, convenience, and comfort in healthy older drivers. However, research is sparse on the feasibility of such technologies for medically at-risk drivers, such as those with Parkinson's disease (PD). This study enrolled healthy volunteer drivers to examine the feasibility of the procedures and measures for evaluating the effects of IVIS and ADAS on their driving performance. During this feasibility study researchers compared drives completed with and without support of IVIS and ADAS, as participants drove a 2019 Toyota Camry XLE. The test vehicle was equipped with IVIS, ADAS, cameras, a telematics system, and sensors. Participants drove the road course supervised by a Driver Rehabilitation Specialist (DRS). Overall study procedures and vehicle equipment were feasible and provided sufficient data collection for measuring the impact of IVIS and ADAS on driving performance. Data observation by the DRS combined with data captured from cameras and telematics, facilitated comparisons to increase data reliability and validity. Feasibility study findings informed a randomized clinical trial, examining the use of IVIS and ADAS technologies as an intervention to support drivers with Parkinson's disease.

VALIDATION OF PARAMETRIC OPENDRIVE ROAD SPACE MODELS

Abstract. The standard OpenDRIVE is widely used for exchanging road space models in order to simulate the traffic of a city or individual driving situations. For modeling continuous road courses at lane level, OpenDRIVE utilizes its own parametric geometry model. However, violations of continuity requirements due to geometric leaps or kinks can cause the vehicle dynamics simulation to fail when testing vehicle components. But also defective lane predecessor and successor relations can result in an OpenDRIVE dataset not being usable as a reference map for vehicle navigation. Since these geometric, topological, and semantic constraints go beyond the rules encoded in the schema, this article presents a framework and a first implementation for validating OpenDRIVE datasets. As the lane widths are defined parametrically relative to the reference line of the respective road, lane connectivities at road transitions are evaluated using explicit geometries derived from the parametric geometry representations. Moreover, a derived CityGML representation enables a visual inspection of the parametric models to identify unexpected but visible defects. The implemented framework is applied to examine a total of 99 OpenDRIVE datasets, where significant lane gaps were detected in the explicit representation for about 20% of the datasets.

RCT protocol for driving performance in people with Parkinson's using autonomous in-vehicle technologies

IntroductionDriving is an essential facilitator of independence, community participation, and quality of life. Drivers with Parkinson's Disease (PD) make more driving errors and fail on-road evaluations more than healthy controls. In-vehicle technologies may mitigate PD-related driving impairments and associated driving errors. Establishing a rigorous study protocol will increase the internal validity and the transparency of the scientific work. MethodsWe present a protocol to assess the efficacy of autonomous in-vehicle technologies (Level 1) on the driving performance of drivers with PD via a randomized crossover design with random allocation. Drivers with a PD diagnosis based on established clinical criteria (N = 105), referred by neurologists, are exposed to two driving conditions (technology activated or not) on a standardized road course as they drove a 2019 Toyota Camry. The researchers collected demographic, clinical, on-road data observational and kinematic, and video data to understand several primary outcome variables, i.e., number of speeding, lane maintenance, signaling, and total driving errors. DiscussionThe protocol may enhance participant adherence, decrease attrition, provide early and accurate identification of eligible participants, ensure data integrity, and improve the study flow. One limitation is that the protocol may change due to unforeseen circumstances and assumptions upon implementation. A strength is that the protocol ensures the study team executes the planned research in a systematic and consistent way.Following, adapting, and refining the protocol will enhance the scientific investigation to quantify the nuances of driving among those with PD in the era of automated in-vehicle technologies. Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04660500.

Assessment of Modulus Attenuation of Cement and Lime-Fly Ash Semi-Rigid Road Base Materials

For asphalt pavement structures, semi-rigid road base course has to sustain repeated high-axle load during its service life and the performance of semi-rigid road base materials directly influences the durability of pavement structures. The dynamic compressive resilience modulus of two commonly used semi-rigid road base materials, cement stabilized aggregates (CSG) and lime-fly ash stabilized aggregates (LFSG) were evaluated at different frequencies using a Universal Testing Machine (UTM). The results showed that LFSG had higher dynamic modulus than that of CSG and the load frequency had less influence on the dynamic modulus of these two semi-rigid road base materials. The four-point bending test was applied to measure the flexural-bending strength and the fatigue life of these two semi-rigid materials. A higher flexural-bending strength of LFSG indicated its better bearing capacity than that of CSG. The fatigue life of LFSG and CSG decreased with the increase of stress–strength ratio and the LFSG performed better in terms of fatigue resistance. The fatigue damage models of CSG and LFSG based on Stress-Life (S-N) curve are established. As per incremental-recursive mechanics, a general modulus degradation model was established and verified by the results of full-scale accelerate loading test. This model cannot only be used to predict the fatigue deterioration of semi-rigid road base materials under different stress levels, but is also able to calculate the current bending elastic modulus based on its initial modulus value.

A Road Course in Early American Literature: Travel and Teaching from Atzlán to Amherst by Thomas Hallock

Reviewed by: A Road Course in Early American Literature: Travel and Teaching from Atzlán to Amherst by Thomas Hallock Robert S. Levine (bio) A Road Course in Early American Literature: Travel and Teaching from Atzlán to Amherst thomas hallock University of Alabama Press, 2021 206 pp. When I was asked to review Hallock's Road Course in Early American Literature, I leaped at the opportunity. After all, I had been basically trapped at home for over a year and thought it would be fun to read about the days when we could go from place to place and pay homage to authors. In other words, I thought Road Course would offer the vicarious fun of travel to Emily Dickinson's Amherst, with additional visits to such places as Philadelphia (for Franklin), Concord (for Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne), and Mexico (for the Aztecs). Hallock does describe some car trips, but, as the book's subtitle suggests, it more complexly engages interconnections between travel and teaching, and it conceives of travel in the broadest sense as through time, personal experience, physical place, and the reading of literature. The book elaborates on the challenges of teaching early American literature in a survey class at a time when administrators' commitment to STEM has rendered our work tertiary, and he situates his work as a scholar and teacher in relation to the challenges (and joys) of having a career in literary studies. In that sense, Hallock's conception of travel involves following his professional arc from getting the PhD in English at NYU, falling in love with and marrying a fellow NYU PhD in English, trying to develop a career in tandem with his wife, getting that elusive first job at Valdosta State University, adopting a son, moving to Florida and taking on adjunct jobs, and eventually landing a tenure-track position. These life events are presented as part of Hallock's "road course," and I have to say that I enjoyed reading about Hallock's interactions with [End Page 589] his wife (Julie Buckner Armstrong, known for her work on the literature of civil rights) almost as much as I enjoyed reading about how travel informs his teaching of early American literature. All of which is to say: the eleven essay-like chapters of the book, which follow Hallock over an approximately twenty-year period, are both entertaining and illuminating about teaching and life. I came away from the book wishing that, way back when, I'd had someone "real" like Hallock as a teacher. One of the book's best chapters, "Oro de Oaxaca" (named after a highalcohol Mexican mezcal), is representative of Hallock's writerly method. The year is 2012, and Hallock is participating in a six-week National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) seminar on literary and historical connections between Mesoamerica and the southwestern United States. The chapter begins in Mexico City with Hallock and other NEH participants viewing from their hotel balcony a political rally in the central square—Tenochtitlán—where Cortés met Moctezuma II in 1519. "Past is present in Tenochtitlán" (107), Hallock writes, as he takes in the political tensions between the two leading parties in Mexico and reflects on past conflicts. Over the next several weeks, as he visits key sites in Mexico with his fellow seminarians, he starts to feel untethered from his familiar ways of knowing historical chronology, viewing the geographical area of Mesoamerica as it might more readily be understood by Mexicans. In symbolic recognition of his revised perspective, he plots with a graduate student to smuggle back into the United States a bottle of mezcal from Oaxaca. (He would have preferred smuggling hallucinogens, but they're not so easily available.) As he crosses the border, Hallock contemplates the 1846–48 war with the United States from the new perspective derived from his experience in the seminar, which leads to a meditation on the defining character of borders and a consideration of Mexico's massive loss of land through the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This leads Hallock to raise questions about Whitman's imperialistic embrace of the war with Mexico, and to view northern Arizona and Santa Fe...

&lt;i&gt;A Road Course in Early American Literature: Travel and Teaching from Aztlán to Amherst &lt;/i&gt; by Thomas Hallock (A Book Review)

Nathaniel R. Racine's review of A Road Course in Early American Literature: Travel and Teaching from Aztlán to Amherst by Thomas Hallock.

Mechanical properties of roads unbound treated with synthetic fluid based on isoalkane and tall oil

The unbound layers are an essential component of both highly trafficked and low-volume roads as their mechanical properties are of major importance when it comes to ensuring a well-performing pavement. However, as the aggregates employed as road construction materials naturally display a wide variation in the mechanical properties according to their geological origins, the pavement engineer may be interested in utilizing stabilization technologies to deliberately modify and adjust the behaviour of the road courses. This study sheds light on an innovative synthetic fluid technology composed of isoalkane and tall oil pitch. Repeated load triaxial tests investigate the resilient modulus and the deformation behaviour of samples treated with the synthetic system according to different percentages. Furthermore, cyclic triaxial tests are also performed after exposing stabilized specimens to a series of freeze–thaw cycles. The principle of the rolling bottle test is adopted to assess the integrity with stripping loss on loose aggregates coated by the product. The laboratory results show that evident variations in the mechanical properties can be attained once the aggregates are mixed with the synthetic agent and that a strong coating resistant to water and external actions is formed.

Gap between simplified and detailed calculation of the environmental impacts of road mixtures

In order to reach the COP21 objectives, solutions with low carbon contents must be used in road projects. However, the identification of the best materials to be implemented in the wearing course of roads is a daily problem faced by stakeholders. To overcome this knowledge gap, the present study demonstrates the environmental impacts of 120 mixtures calculated with simplified and detailed hypotheses and input data. Even though the variability of inputs significantly influences the impacts of the mixtures and do not allow for the identification of the best solutions, on average, warm mix asphalt presented lower impacts than hot mix asphalt or concrete.

Effect of Driver Distraction on Vehicle Speed Control

Performing a secondary task while driving impairs various performance measures, including speed control. Distraction is associated with reductions in driving speed; however, this is often based on global measures of performance, such as course completion time or mean speed. This study investigated how a secondary task affected granular speed variation. Participants (N=16, ages 18-43) performed a secondary task of mentally subtracting pairs of numbers while negotiating a simulated road course. Various driving performance measures were obtained but only results for longitudinal velocity are reported. The results reveal that drivers exhibited significant increases and decreases (&gt;2+/- SD) in vehicle speed under distraction, with participants showing a stronger tendency to decrease their speed (60% of the observed speed violations). This may explain why global measures of driving speed under distraction reveal a slowing down. These results may increase our understanding of the nuanced effects of distraction on driving and be useful for predicting/diagnosing distracted driving behavior.

PATH TRACKING FOR AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE DURING EMERGENCY CONDITION

An autonomous vehicle's primary function is detecting and tracking the road course precisely and correctly without a driver's assistance. As a result, implementing appropriate controllers is critical for improving the vehicle's stability and movement responsiveness. The performance of adaptive Stanley controlled is evaluated in this paper using numerical simulations. The Stanley controller's most common geometric controller for vehicle path tracking algorithms is compared based on their trajectory tracking analyses on various vehicle speed maneuvers. Stanley calculates steering based on the difference between the vehicle's lateral position and heading angle. The difference between desired coordinates and present coordinates of the vehicle along the path is used to calculate lateral, longitudinal, and vehicle heading orientation angle using the future prediction control technique. The results demonstrate that the Stanley controller outperforms the emergency trajectory with more consistent trajectory tracking and steady-state error.

Mechanistic and microstructural characteristics of roller compacted geopolymer concrete using reclaimed asphalt pavement

ABSTRACT Mechanistic and microstructural characteristics of roller-compacted concrete (RCC) produced from recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) and geopolymer cement binder (GPC) were evaluated and compared with mixtures produced from ordinary Portland cement (OPC). It was found that RCC using geopolymer binder exhibited higher unconfined compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, and flexural strength as compared to the mixture containing ordinary Portland cement. It was also discovered that the mechanical properties of the developed concrete depend on mixture constituents: sodium hydroxide molarity, the ratio of sodium silicate to sodium hydroxide, curing temperature, and gradation of RAP. The experimental results showed that RCC using geopolymer binder exhibited compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, and flexural strength in the range of 8.4–21.1 MPa, 18.3–35.0 GPa, and 2.9–4.1 MPa, respectively. On the other hand, RCC using 12% OPC presented similar mechanical strengths of 13.2 MPa, 32.8 GPa, and 3.32 MPa, respectively. Regression analysis was also performed to establish the relationship between mechanical characteristics and various mixture constituents. Morphological and microstructural analysis proved the formation of geo-polymeric compounds. Based on the mechanistic characteristics, the developed roller-compacted RAP-Geopolymer concrete could be used as a strong pavement base in composite pavement system or wearing course of low volume roads.

End-of-Life Tyres: Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Treatment Scenarios

Waste tyres and their accumulation is a global environmental concern; they are not biodegradable, and, globally, an estimated 1.5 billion are generated annually. Every year around 350,000 tons of end-of-life tyres (ELT) are managed in Italy, collected from cars, two-wheeled vehicles, trucks, up to large quarry vehicles and agricultural vehicles. ELTs are collected and sent for material or energy recovery, in line with the circular economy principles. This paper investigates the environmental impacts of two common scenarios of ELT treatments. Specifically, it is analysed the recycling of crumb rubber (CR, deriving from the tyre shredding) for the composition of bituminous mixtures for the wearing course of roads. This scenario is compared with the energy recovery route in a dedicated incinerator. To this aim the standardised methodology of Life Cycle Assessment (ISO 14040-44) is employed. Results shows that for most part of the impact categories analysed, the material recovery presents higher environmental benefits if compared with energy recovery.

Strategic analysis for Poland as a European hub for Belt and Road Initiative

Aim/purpose – This paper aims at determining the role of Poland in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and identifying an alternative course of the trail. However, there are still many variables that can significantly affect the extent of Poland’s participation in BRI. Design/methodology/approach – The paper was based on a literature query and inter- views with six experts of the Polish logistics environment closely connected to the con- cept of the New Silk Road. The interviews and the literature analysis allowed of the authors to define potential scenarios for the course of the New Silk Road. In addition, the SWOT analysis was used to identify the Poland’s role in BRI. Findings – The most important factors that can significantly contribute to Poland’s par- ticipation in BRI are a very convenient geographical location and a strong logistics sec- tor, whereas the main negative factors are the ambivalent attitude of the Polish author i- ties towards the Chinese party and the underdeveloped modern railway infrastructure. The study identified some potential scenarios for the route of the New Silk Road, i.e., Poland as a European hub, transit only, southern road and northern road (ro-ro neigh- bors). The first scenario is the most favorable for Poland – Poland as a European hub. This is due to the current course of the New Silk Road and the location of Poland on the most economically effective transport corridor. Research implications/limitations – The research findings allow for a relatively precise definition of possible scenarios of the BRI Northern Corridor through areas directly related to Poland. The results may contribute to raising knowledge and awareness about BRI, which may provide insights into an academic and social debate on this topic. The upshot is that the results may entail actual activities contributing to increasing the chances of Poland for being a European hub gate for BRI. Originality/value/contribution – Previous publications explored various route alterna- tives of the entire New Silk Road, whereas there was no analysis of the last stage of the transport corridor on which Poland lies. The paper is a response to this research gap. Keywords: Belt and Road Initiative, New Silk Road, Northern Corridor, logistics, inter- national trade. JEL Classification: E27, E61, F15.

Teaching reform and practice of Engineering Testing Course based on innovation and entrepreneurship ability cultivation

As the core course of road and bridge engineering technology major, the highway engineering testing course is specialized in the curriculum system. It takes curriculum theory and practice teaching as the carrier. The relationship between innovation and entrepreneurship concept and theoretical teaching and practical teaching of engineering testing course is explored through the reconstruction of course content resources, reform of assessment methods, cultivation of teachers' innovation and entrepreneurship ability, innovation and entrepreneurship training programs and skill competitions, and the innovation and entrepreneurship ability of students is improved through curriculum reform and practice.

En suivant le Camino de Na Bruniquel chez les Nitiobroges

For many years, a group of the Association des Archéologues de Lot-et-Garonne (AA47) has been working on roman roads in the Nitiobroges’ territory. This paper presents the results of research on the course of the Aginnum-Divona road, the only ancient one in Lot-et-Garonne to have delivered a milestone but which is not however mentioned in the Itineraries. Since the Middle Ages, it has been known as Camino na Bruniquel. The investigation was based on archives, ancient maps and cadastres and on the interpretations of aerial photographs and satellite images combined with field reconnaissance. This Camino has been systematically followed on its presumed course from Agen to the limit of the Nitiobroges’ territory, in order to locate the possible still existing sections of the roman road in situ. This work has been regularly transmitted in reports to the SRA.

Case Study on the Effect of Recycled Asphalt Layer Parameters on the Bearing Capacity of the Pavement

Numerous ways to use recycled asphalt (RA) in the road base course will provide both environmental and economic benefits, allowing to recycle and utilise this initially waste material in road or pavement reconstruction projects. However, the properties and parameters of RA necessary for the application of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in a new pavement structure in most cases are not detectable in the design stage, which complicates design and construction process. The purpose of this paper is to study possibilities for evaluating the performance and parameters of RA, as well as to review the possibilities, methods and applications for RA testing. Data for this case study were obtained from recently completed road structures in the form of FWD measurements, together with lab explored parameters of drilled pavement cores. Based on that data, the relationships between the main pavement structural parameters, such as modulus on the surface of the pavement, compressive strength of RA core segment, thickness of bound layers and back calculated modulus were examined. On the way to exploring different analytical approaches, two approximation models were developed and compared, using the obtained data: by directly approximating the obtained data and after processing them with artificial neural network (ANN).

Face and Content Validity of an Automated Vehicle Road Course and a Corresponding Simulation Scenario

Introduction: Automated vehicle use is rapidly expanding globally. Florida is one of the leading states for researching, testing, implementing, and operating automated vehicles. Although driving simulators may create an opportunity to assess user behaviors related to automated vehicles, their use in this context is not well-documented.Objectives: This study examined face and content validity of an on-road automated shuttle route and its congruence to a driving simulator scenario representing the on-road route.Methodology: Face validity (i.e., clarity, understandability, congruence) was examined directly by members of the Institute for Mobility, Activity, and Participation. Content validity was assessed via a content validity index (CVI) based on inputs from experts who represented a variety of disciplines. These included computer and information science, engineering, transportation engineering, rehabilitation science, industrial and systems engineering, experimental psychology, and driver rehabilitation science.Findings: Face validity resulted in feedback pertaining to traffic, environment, hazards, fidelity, and “other” recommendations. Six of the recommendations were used to enhance the simulator scenario. For content validity, the CVI scale was equal to 0.83 and was above the acceptable threshold of 0.80. However, on the item level, two items, i.e., traffic flow (I-CVI = 0.57) and seat direction (I-CVI = 0.67), were rated lower than anticipated. The ratings resulted in implementing enhancements to the driving simulator scenario.Conclusion: Automated vehicle on-road routes can be replicated in a driving simulator scenario but require a process of examining the face and content validity and refining the developed scenario as needed to ensure reasonable accuracy.

The Bearing and Breakage Characteristics of Crushed Stone Aggregates in the Bedding Course of Permeable Roads

The current study of permeable roads helps address urban flooding in Chinese cities caused by frequent heavy rainfall and build smart cities with sponge-like functionality. Crushed stone is widely used in constructing the bedding course of permeable roads because it has good water permeability. Experiments on the compaction of crushed stone were carried out by considering the impact of particle size and gradation to examine the strength and particle breakage characteristics of crushed stone and evaluate its use as the aggregate in the bedding course of permeable roads. The compaction process can be divided into two stages, i.e., the preliminary compaction stage and the particle crushing and intensive compaction stage. The latter consists of an alternating cycle of compacting and crushing. The particle size distribution after crushing can be described analogously to the Talbot continuous gradation equation. Single particle size samples are subject to earlier and stronger particle breakage than the mixed particle size sample, which are affected by both compaction level and loading speed. This study has important application value, and it provides experimental support for the study of materials for urban permeable roads.