Gravel Roads Research Articles

Performance of Bitumen Emulsion Mixtures utilized as Gravel Road Base incorporating Lateritic Clay Soil and Calcined Sugarcane Bagasse Ash Filler

Performance of Bitumen Emulsion Mixtures utilized as Gravel Road Base incorporating Lateritic Clay Soil and Calcined Sugarcane Bagasse Ash Filler

Do gravel highways affect water quality and invertebrate communities in Arctic lakes?

ABSTRACT Gravel roads are a common feature in developed areas of Canada’s Arctic. These roads can be a source of calcareous dust that drifts to roadside lakes, causing significant changes in conductivity, calcium, and pH levels. In this study, we examined if road proximity was associated with differences in water quality and invertebrate communities in lakes along the Dempster and Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highways in the Northwest Territories, Canada. We collected biological and water quality data from 18 lakes selected using a stratified random sampling design, with distance from the road (0–300 m, 300–600 m, and >600 m) and region of study (boreal forest, tundra) as the two factors. We hypothesized that lakes closer to the road would exhibit differences in water quality and invertebrate communities associated with road dust pollution and other stressors caused by roads. We found no clear differences in water quality or invertebrate communities among lakes based on distance from the highways. In addition, while there were differences between regions, these did not appear to be related to the effects of the roadways. Our results suggest that variability in lake morphometry and water quality in this region might be more important than the influence of roads.

Automatic detection of loose gravel condition using acoustic observations

Maintaining gravel roads is crucial, as loose gravel poses safety risks and increases vehicle costs. Current methods used by the Swedish road administration, Trafikverket, are subjective and time-consuming. Road agencies need a cost-effective, efficient, and unbiased approach to assess gravel road conditions. Studies show human ratings are error-prone and inconsistent. This study aims to develop an automatic method for estimating loose gravel using audio recordings from inside a vehicle, capturing the sound of gravel hitting the car's bottom. These recordings were classified into four classes based on Trafikverket regulations. Sound features were extracted and analysed using supervised machine-learning methods. The Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) achieved the highest classification accuracy of 0.96, with an F1 score, recall, and precision of 0.97. Results indicate that audio data can effectively classify loose gravel conditions.

Magnitude and determinants of road traffic accidents in North Gondar Zone; Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Background Road traffic accidents are a severe health concern in Ethiopia. This study aims to examine the primary contributing variables of road traffic accidents in Ethiopia, North Gondar Zone, under 24 administrative wereda’s. Methods This study utilized secondary data collected from both the werda-level and North Gondar central-level offices within the study areas. The sector police typically submit reports to the zonal-level offices annually. Information regarding crashes, fatalities, and injuries during the study period was extracted from these police reports. The research focused on analyzing the frequency and severity of traffic accidents attributed to various factors of drivers, vehicles, road conditions, pedestrians, and environmental influences. Results In a sample of 603 aggregate road traffic accidents, the data reveals that the majority of damage results are attributed to young drivers, accounting for 58% of the cases, with junior grade level drivers contributing 29.4%. Driving without a license was a significant factor, representing 87%, while accidents involving recruited driver stood at 63.2%. Vehicles with small to articulated trucks contributing to 39%. Mechanical failures were prevalent, with an unknown diagnosis rate of 48.3%. Vehicles in service for 2-5 years accounted for 29.4%. Road surface conditions were 46%, while rural roads saw a higher percentage at 51.2%. Weather conditions played a role also influential, as dry asphalt and gravel roads under main access ownership were linked to of accident, with 91.2% occurring during visible daylight hours between 8:00-12:00 and 15:00-17:00. The victims were predominantly farmers at 49.6%, followed by students at 23%. Conclusions To reduce road traffic accidents in the study area, it is essential to manage causative factors such as driver and road users, vehicles, roads, pedestrians, and environmental behaviors. The study suggests the development of a successful, up-to-date traffic accident database system regionally within respective offices.

Research on Bifurcated Origami Hydraulic Dampers for Real Road Vibration Loads

Cylindrical hydraulic dampers are commonly utilized to mitigate vibrations in machinery and structural applications. These devices generally feature a single linear stroke and are often linked to rotary joints to handle complex loading conditions. However, their installation in confined spaces, such as vehicle suspensions, poses considerable difficulties. In this research, we introduce an innovative bifurcated origami hydraulic damper with nonlinear damping capabilities. Initially, we formulated the collapsible conditional equations essential for the design of the bifurcated origami hydraulic dampers. We then examined the fluid dynamics within the damper and its flow channels, determining that the damping force is proportional to the square of the velocity. Furthermore, we developed motion equations based on the derived damping force and suggested vibration analysis methods using the Runge–Kutta approach. For the mass-spring vibration system, we created an experimental setup with the bifurcated origami hydraulic damper and performed vibration tests using noise signals recorded from a vehicle traveling on a gravel road, thus validating its damping performance and efficacy. Additional tests, which varied the orifice size at the end of the origami structure, as well as the type and temperature of the internal fluid, showed that the orifice size had a more pronounced effect on damping efficiency than the fluid type and temperature. This confirmed the vibration-damping effectiveness of the bifurcated origami hydraulic damper.

Next generation gravel road profiling – The potential of advanced UAV drone in comparison with road surface tester and rotary laser levels

Over the last decades, significant progress has been made and new approaches have been proposed for efficient collection of road condition data. Gravel roads are crucial for connecting urban and rural areas in Sweden, constituting a significant portion of the road network. Therefore, this study addresses the use of a developed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-based digital imaging system focusing on efficient collection of surface condition data over gravel roads.The study focuses on in-situ profile measurements of a gravel road located in Trosa, Sweden, using three different profiling methods: UAV drone with RTK technology, Road Surface Tester (RST), and Rotary Laser Level (RLL) to explore the agreement between these methods.The UAV drone, equipped with Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) technology, captures high-resolution images to produce detailed 3D surface models, overcoming the challenges posed by adverse weather conditions. Notable outcomes reveal RTK technology's stability, maintaining a steady 3D position accuracy below 2 cm. To enhance synchronization and comparison between different profiling methods, efforts should be made to standardize coordinate systems and measurement analysis software.Minimum average absolute differences of 1.1 cm, 1 cm, and 0.7 cm were recorded for all profiles (from 1 m left to 1 m right of the road centerline) in the comparisons between UAV drone – RST, UAV drone – RLL, and RST – RLL methods, respectively. This underlines the significant advancement in UAV drone technology, enabling remarkably accurate measurements of vertical offsets for profiling the tested gravel road despite the high altitude at which the UAV drone operates.

Examination of the Impact of Value Engineering Implementation on the Overall Maintenance Performance of Gravel Roads Maintenance Projects in Tanzania

Examination of the Impact of Value Engineering Implementation on the Overall Maintenance Performance of Gravel Roads Maintenance Projects in Tanzania

Increased Metabolic Demand During Nighttime Walking in Hilly Forest Terrain While Wearing Night Vision Goggles.

Foot-borne soldiers sometimes carry out nighttime operations. It has previously been reported an elevated metabolic demand and impaired walking economy during outdoor walking on a gravel road in darkness wearing night vision goggles (NVG), compared with wearing a headlamp. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of wearing NVG while walking in a hilly forest terrain and compare the results between experienced and inexperienced NVG users. At nighttime, two different groups, inexperienced (five men and six women) and experienced (nine men) NVG users, walked 1.1 km at a self-selected comfortable pace in a hilly forest. Part I was mainly uphill, and Part II was mainly downhill. Walks were performed wearing a headlamp (light), monocular NVG (mono), binocular NVG (bino), or mono with a 25 kg extra weight (backpack). Walking economy calculated from oxygen uptake in relation to body mass and covered distance (V̇O2 (mL/[kg · km])), heart rate, gait, and walking speed were measured. In both groups, walking economy was deteriorated in all three conditions with limited vision (mono, bino, and backpack) compared to the light condition, both during Part I (mono/bino, experienced: +26/+25%, inexperienced: +34/+28%) and Part II (mono/bino, experienced: +44/+46%, inexperienced: +63/+49%). In the backpack condition, the relative change of walking economy was greater for the inexperienced group than the experienced group: Part I (experienced: +46%, inexperienced: +70%), Part II (experienced: +71%, inexperienced: +111%). Concurrently, the step length was shorter in all three conditions with limited vision during Part I (mono/bino/backpack, experienced: -7/-7/-15%, inexperienced: -12/-12/-19%) and Part II (mono/bino/backpack; experienced: -8/-8/-14%, inexperienced: -17/-15/-24%) than in the light condition. The experienced NVG users walked faster during all conditions, but there was no difference in heart rate between groups. Despite that foveal vision using NVG is adequate, it appears that the mechanical efficiency during nighttime walking in hilly terrain was markedly lower while wearing NVG than with full vision, regardless of whether the soldier was an experienced or inexperienced NVG user. Moreover, the walking economy was even more affected when adding the 25-kg extra weight. It is probable that the deteriorated mechanical efficiency was partly due to the shorter step length in all three conditions with limited vision.

Use of linear features by mammal predators and prey in managed boreal forests

In managed boreal forests, logging operations maintain high levels of anthropogenic disturbance in the ecosystem. The establishment of permanent anthropogenic linear features such as logging roads in the landscape may be a major factor in the predator-prey system. Logging roads may potentially improve the numerical and functional response of predators. Using camera traps, our objective was to explain according to local and landscape factors how the number of uses by wolves, black bears, lynx and moose, varies along different natural and anthropogenic linear features during the snow-free season. In western Quebec (Canada), the managed forest south of Val-d’Or encloses an isolated caribou population facing extinction that requires active restoration of their habitat. In this site, we used stratified random selection of gravel forest roads (n = 33), winter forest roads (n = 28) and riparian areas (n = 19) to compare their characteristics and number of uses by the four species. For wolves, black bears, and lynx, positive differences in lateral cover between the surroundings and the linear feature mainly explained their number of uses. Number of uses by wolves and lynx were positively related to use by their respective prey species (moose and snowshoe hare). Gray wolf use was also positively affected by distance to a higher forest road class and negatively affected by distance to the nearest urban area. Gravel forest roads had the highest number of uses by all species, as they showed greater positive differences in lateral cover as compared to the surroundings area due to their limited vegetation growth and by frequent maintenance activities. We recommend that restoration efforts aimed at forest road closures should target roads with a high value of difference in lateral cover, which is particularly the case in most gravel roads. Lower lateral cover on these linear feature as compared to their surroundings area favors the movement of predators and alternative prey. Our results thus suggest that investing in gravel roads restoration can benefit conservation efforts in caribou habitat.

Responses of nesting greater white‐fronted geese to oil development in the Arctic

AbstractOil and gas exploration and development is expanding across the Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) of Alaska, USA. To examine the effects of industrial development on greater white‐fronted geese (Anser albifrons), we monitored nests and nesting behavior within a 4‐km2 study area within 4 km of gravel roads and pads during pre‐development, construction, and operation activities at a new oil development in the National Petroleum Reserve‐Alaska in 2013−2019. We examined distribution, incubation constancy, and nest survival in relation to distance to gravel roads or pads, year and status of development, presence of an ice road the previous winter, and land cover type. Nest density increased throughout the study period, which was consistent with surveys of this species in other regions of the ACP. There was no direct evidence that oil extraction infrastructure and the associated human activity adversely influenced the abundance, distribution, or daily nest survival of greater white‐fronted goose nests. Geese avoided nesting in the alignments of ice roads from the previous winter, and land cover type influenced their nest distribution. Nest age and incubation constancy were important predictors of daily nest survival. The incubation constancy of successful nesters (98.5 ± 0.1% [SE]) was significantly greater than for failed nesters (94.7 ± 0.6%) for all years combined and tended to be greater during the pre‐construction and construction years of 2014 and 2015, compared to when oilfield operations began in 2017 and 2019. Greater‐white fronted geese appear to be tolerant of some levels of industrial activities and the presence of gravel roads did not have a significant effect on nest distribution, incubation constancy, or nest survival. We recommend, however, that indirect effects from ice roads should be explicitly considered in impact assessments because white‐fronted geese avoid nesting in the footprints of the previous winter's ice roads and pads.

Enhance Road Detection Data Processing of LiDAR Point Clouds to Specifically Identify Unmarked Gravel Rural Roads

Abstract Gravel roads lack standardized features such as curbs or painted lines, presenting detection challenges to autonomous vehicles. Global positioning service (GPS) and high resolution maps may not be reliable for navigation of gravel roads, as some roads may only be width of the vehicle and GPS may not be accurate enough. Normal distribution transform (NDT) LiDAR scan matching may be insufficient for navigating on gravel roads as there may not be enough geometrically distinct features for reliable scan matching. This paper examined a method of classifying scanning LiDAR spatial and remission data features for explicit detection of unmarked gravel road surfaces. Exploration of terrain classification using high resolution scanning LiDAR data of specific road surfaces may allow for predicting gravel road boundary locations potentially enabling confident autonomous operations on gravel roads. The principal outcome of this work was a method for gravel road terrain detection using LiDAR data for the purpose of predicting potential road boundary locations. Random decision forests were trained using scanning LiDAR data terrain classification to detect unmarked gravel and asphalt surfaces. It was found that a true-positive accuracy for gravel and asphalt surfaces was 75% and 87%, respectively, at an estimated rate of 13 ms per 360 deg scan. Overlapping results between manually projected and actual road surface areas resulted in 93% intersecting gravel road detection accuracy. Automated post-process examination of classification results yielded an true-positive gravel road detection rate of 72%.

Long-Term Volumetric Change Estimation of Red Ash Quarry Sites in the Afro-Alpine Ecosystem of Bale Mountains National Park in Ethiopia

The Bale Mountains National Park (BMNP) in Ethiopia comprises the largest fraction of the Afro-Alpine ecosystem in Africa, which provides vital mountain ecosystem services at local, regional, and global levels. However, the BMNP has been severely threatened by natural and anthropogenic disturbances in recent decades. In particular, landscape alteration due to human activities such as red ash quarrying has become a common practice in the BMNP, which poses a major environmental challenge by severely degrading the Afro-Alpine ecosystem. This study aims to quantify the long-term volumetric changes of two red ash quarry sites in the BMNP using historical aerial photographs and in situ data, and to assess their impact on the Afro-Alpine ecosystem. The Structure-from-Motion multi-view stereo photogrammetry algorithm was used to reconstruct the three-dimensional landscape for the year 1967 and 1984 while spatial interpolation techniques were applied to generate the current digital elevation models for 2023. To quantify the volumetric changes and landscape alteration of the quarry sites, differences in digital elevation models were computed. The result showed that the volume of resources extracted from the BMNP quarry sites increased significantly over the study period from 1984 to 2023 compared with the period from 1967 to 1984. In general, between 1967 and 2023, the total net surface volume of the quarry sites decreased by 503,721 ± 27,970 m3 and 368,523 ± 30,003 m3, respectively. The extent of the excavated area increased by 53,147 m2 and 45,297 m2 for Site 1 and 2, respectively. In terms of habitat loss, major gravel road construction inside the BMNP resulted in the reduction of Afro-Alpine vegetation by 476,860 m2, ericaceous vegetation by 403,806 m2 and Afromontane forest by 493,222 m2 with associated decline in species diversity and density. The excavation and gravel road construction have contributed to the degradation of the Afro-Alpine ecosystem, especially the endemic Lobelia rhynchopetalum on the quarry sites and roads. If excavation continues at the same rate as in the last half century, it can threaten the whole mountain ecosystem of the National Park and beyond, highlighting the importance of preventing these anthropogenic changes and conserving the remaining Afro-Alpine ecosystem.

Mapping Permafrost Variability and Degradation Using Seismic Surface Waves, Electrical Resistivity, and Temperature Sensing: A Case Study in Arctic Alaska

AbstractSubsurface processes significantly influence surface dynamics in permafrost regions, necessitating utilizing diverse geophysical methods to reliably constrain permafrost characteristics. This research uses multiple geophysical techniques to explore the spatial variability of permafrost in undisturbed tundra and its degradation in disturbed tundra in Utqiaġvik, Alaska. Here, we integrate multiple quantitative techniques, including multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW), electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), and ground temperature sensing, to study heterogeneity in permafrost’s geophysical characteristics. MASW results reveal active layer shear wave velocities (Vs) between 240 and 370 m/s, and permafrost Vs between 450 and 1,700 m/s, typically showing a low‐high‐low velocity pattern. Additionally, we find an inverse relationship between in situ Vs and ground temperature measurements. The Vs profiles along with electrical resistivity profiles reveal cryostructures such as cryopeg and ice‐rich zones in the permafrost layer. The integrated results of MASW and ERT provide valuable information for characterizing permafrost heterogeneity and cryostructure. Corroboration of these geophysical observations with permafrost core samples’ stratigraphies and salinity measurements further validates these findings. This combination of geophysical and temperature sensing methods along with permafrost core sampling confirms a robust approach for assessing permafrost’s spatial variability in coastal environments. Our results also indicate that civil infrastructure systems such as gravel roads and pile foundations affect permafrost by thickening the active layer, lowering the Vs, and reducing heterogeneity. We show how the resulting Vs profiles can be used to estimate key parameters for designing buildings in permafrost regions and maintaining existing infrastructure in polar regions.

Can the Impact of Gravel Roads on Organic Layer Thickness Explain the Distribution of Populus tremuloides along Road Networks in the Boreal Forest of Eastern Canada?

Roads are known to alter environmental conditions and the composition of road edge plant communities, particularly when exogenous materials are used as road surfacing. In this study, we evaluate the impact of gravel roads on the organic layer thickness (OLT) and aspen distribution in a boreal forest landscape of Eastern Canada. The OLT and aspen distribution were compared at different distances from the roads (0 m, 10 m, and >10 m) to determine whether a reduction in the OLT along the roads could explain the distribution of aspen along the road network, and in particular the role of the roads as habitat corridors. In addition, germination tests were carried out to determine whether mineral soil from the roads could promote aspen establishment, by comparing the germination rate of substrates consisting only of mineral soil or mosses, and substrates consisting of mosses covered with 0.5 cm or 2 cm of mineral soil. The presence of aspen in the study landscape is limited by thick organic deposits (≥50 cm). However, the thickness of these deposits is reduced to approximately 10 cm at the edges of gravel roads, in part by the transport of mineral soil from the roads. This reduction in the OLT facilitates the establishment of aspen and helps explain its distribution along the road network.

Unpaved road particulate matter emission rates and vehicle-induced transient plume characteristics.

Particulate matter (PM) emitted from unpaved rural roads presents a potential inhalation hazard to people living and working near them. In the absence of site-specific exposure data, plume dispersion modeling can be used to predict ambient particulate concentrations in the vicinity of the unpaved roads. Hourly averaged PM10 concentrations were measured near a gravel road using an EPA reference method resulting in a geometric mean of 50 μg m-3. With these ambient concentrations, the AERMOD plume dispersion model was used to derive a PM emission factor of 444 g/VKT (grams per vehicle kilometer travelled). This result was lower than the emission factor calculated using the EPA's AP-42 guidance for unpaved roads (795 g/VKT). The transient nature of the plume of PM concentrations due to road traffic was also evaluated using a direct-reading instrument. Vehicle speed and wind speed were found to be significant determinants of PM concentration, average PM concentration, and total PM mass for each plume. Each vehicle produced an average concentration of 4096 μg m-3 over the duration of the plume. Therefore, residents near the road are potentially exposed to substantially higher short-term concentrations from individual plumes than would be indicated by hourly averages.

Research on the rational aggregation of a transport tractor

The results of studying the resistance to traction of a tractor train consisting of models Belarus 80.1 tractor and two 2PТС-4-793 trailers, and how this resistance depends on the number of trailers, the load weight Gt , and the speed of movement are specified in the article. Obtained figures indicate that, while the weight of each trailer n remains constant, the force in tractor’s attachment increases as number of trailers increases. Conversely, the resistance coefficient f of support surface's slope angle α and the rolling resistance of the wheels decreases. For investigating the force at tractor trains Рtf on soil and gravel roads, it is recommended to use the slope angle 6° of support surface and rolling resistance coefficient values for the specific surface types gravel - f =0.03 and asphalt - f =0.018. At a speed of 35 km/h, maximum traction resistance force for tractor train with total mass of 15720 kg and four trailers reached 2592 N. Usage degree of calculated traction force in Belarus 80.1 tractor and four-loaded trailers of 2PТС-4-793 type train was 17%.

Snow accumulation, albedo and melt patterns following road construction on permafrost, Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk Highway, Canada

Abstract. Roads constructed on permafrost can have a significant impact on the surrounding environment, potentially inducing permafrost degradation. These impacts arise from factors such as snow accumulation near the road, which affects the soil's thermal and hydrological regime, and road dust that decreases the snow's albedo, altering the timing of snowmelt. However, our current understanding of the magnitude and the spatial extent of these effects is limited. In this study we addressed this gap by using remote sensing techniques to assess the spatial effect of the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway (ITH) in Northwest Territories, Canada, on snow accumulation, snow albedo and snowmelt patterns. With a new, high resolution snow depth raster from airborne laser scanning, we quantified the snow accumulation at road segments in the Trail Valley Creek area using digital elevation model differencing. We found increased snow accumulation up to 36 m from the road center. The magnitude of this snow accumulation was influenced by the prevailing wind direction and the embankment height. Furthermore, by analyzing 43 Sentinel-2 satellite images between February and May 2020, we observed reduced snow albedo values within 500 m of the road, resulting in a 12-days-earlier onset of snowmelt within 100 m from the road. We examined snowmelt patterns before, during and after the road construction using the normalized difference snow index from Landsat-7 and Landsat-8 imagery. Our analysis revealed that the road affected the snowmelt pattern up to 600 m from the road, even in areas which appeared undisturbed. In summary, our study improves our understanding of the spatial impact of gravel roads on permafrost due to enhanced snow accumulation, reduced snow albedo and earlier snowmelt. Our study underscores the important contribution that remote sensing can provide to improve our understanding of the effects of infrastructure development on permafrost environments.

Design of Geotextile Reinforced Gravel Roads Using Giroud and Han Approach for Indian Condition

Abstract Sustainable pavement is the need of the hour using the mechanistic and robust pavement design approach, eliminating empiricism in the present IRC SP 72-2015 design guidelines, if any. Giroud and Han (2004) (GH) approach has confirmed existing empiricism in IRC SP 72-2015 design guidelines and permits the use of locally available material, thus saving transportation costs and reducing air pollution. IRC SP 72 – 2015 recommends design thickness only for the unreinforced condition in gravel roads for the maximum rut of 50mm. This paper presents the comparative study of an unreinforced and geotextile-reinforced gravel road design for Indian conditions with the rut as a vital design parameter using the GH method for subgrade classes with 2% to 5% CBR and the maximum traffic count of 100,000. The proposed unique equation provides Allowable Rut Depth (ARD) based aggregate thickness for 10,000 to 100,000 traffic count apart from simplifying the complex procedure of the GH approach for IRC SP 72-2015 data. The unique equation’s result reveals an increase of 22.65% in aggregate thickness is attributed to the increase in ARD of 30mm using locally available poor aggregates. This confirms the practical relevance of ARD in pavement design that may help in planning maintenance programs and road rehabilitation strategies. The results obtained from the unique equation match 85 to 100% with GH results. Saving up to 36.5% to 76.9% of costly aggregate is found in the case of geotextile-reinforced gravel roads in Indian conditions.

Effects of road dust on vegetation composition and surface chemistry of three ombrotrophic peatlands in eastern Canada

Dust deposition can fertilize nutrient-limited peatlands and affect their plant assemblages and ecosystem functions, but the effects of local road dust on peatlands have seldom been studied. Here, we investigate the responses of vegetation composition and surface chemistry (vegetation, surface peat, and groundwater chemistry) at three ombrotrophic peatlands: Rivière-au-Tonnerre (RT), Chemin de l'Anse-de-la-Grande-Pointe (GP), and Kegaska (KEG) in eastern Québec, Canada, to varying levels of road dust deposition with differential chemical composition. At each site, a transect aligned with the dominant wind direction, starting at and perpendicular to the roadside, was sampled at increasing intervals up to 250 m away from the gravel (unpaved) road. We find that the ash content of surface peat is highest closest to the roads at all three sites and decreases exponentially with increasing distance up to 200 m away from the roads. At KEG, with the highest amount of, and the most phosphorus (P) rich, road dust deposition, the ash content is highest among the three sites, decreasing most rapidly with distance away from the road. The stoichiometric mass ratios of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and P, i.e., C:N, C:P, and N:P, in foliar tissues and surface peat increase significantly with distance away from the road at KEG, and mosses are found to be more responsive in terms of foliar chemistry than shrubs to the road dust deposition. A higher concentration of total dissolved phosphorus at KEG is found closer to the road. At GP, having a moderate amount of road dust deposition, significant increases in C:N, C:P, and N:P ratios with distance are found only in surface peat but not in foliar tissues. Due to the presence of carbonate minerals in the road dust of GP, the calcium (Ca) concentration and pH value of groundwater closer to the road are higher, leading to an obvious loss of vegetation coverage, especially mosses, and a consequent increase in NO3− leaching. In contrast, at RT, having the lowest amount of road dust deposition, only a few clear variation patterns in surface chemistry are found along the sampling transect. Overall, our results suggest that dust from gravel roads can be an important localized source of nutrients for adjacent peatlands and influence their vegetation composition and surface chemistry, depending on the amount of road dust and its chemical composition, especially its contents in Ca and P.

Evaluation of human exposure to vibration in the hand-arm system during motorcycle riding activities.

The majority of Indians prefer to drive by two-wheeler. Hands are the most important interface between the rider and bike while riding a motorbike. The vibration is transferred to the physical structure by the handlebar as it travels. Long-term exposure to the vibrations may have an impact on various bodily structures. To measure and analyse the human exposure to vibration in the hand-arm system while riding a motorcycle using a vibrometer. The several types of bikes based on their cc's were evaluated in three different road conditions during this investigation (tar road, concrete road, and gravel road). The subjective and quantitative data of each participant were recorded. The RMS A(8) values were supported for every combination of motorcycles and road conditions, and vibration intensity was evaluated using a tri-axial vibrometer. The exposure limit value for daily vibration exposure is 5 m/s2 according to the UK Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 standards.This study suggests that the bike with the least amount of vibration be used to prevent hand-arm vibration (HAV) syndrome. This study found that bike C had the least vibration across all three types of roads, which will benefit riders by reducing health issues as they ride. Therefore, it is further examined utilising the Taguchi method with various bike C age groups. Bike C with the lowest age had the least vibration when different bike C ages were compared, hence it was recommended for riding. The vibration level of each bike has a huge impact, which was measured using a tri-axial vibrometer. According to the results, bike C has the least vibration across three distinct types of roads and also provides riders with less health issues while riding bikes. As a result, a moped can drive in three different road circumstances with the least amount of vibration, delivering comfort and safety while lowering vibration levels.