Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Research Articles

Progression of e-ticketing implementation for state transportation agencies for asphalt materials

E-ticketing, which has been promoted by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) “every day counts” (EDC) initiative, utilizes software applications to digitally track and store information regarding highway construction materials paid by state transportation agencies (STAs) by weight in unit bid contract structures. STAs often face implementation barriers such as institutional inertia, or the resistance by stakeholders to adopt changes from the status quo, including new technologies. The purpose of this paper is to determine the progression of STA e-ticketing policy adoption, specifically with a focus on asphalt paving operations, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To accomplish this research effort, previous FHWA data, National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) data, and other literatures are reviewed to determine an implementation baseline. Additional data is collected from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Committee on Construction to gain current feedback from STAs and their highway contractor partners after the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, a case study featuring the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), the Kentucky Association of Highway Contractors (KAHC), and the Plantmix Asphalt Industry of Kentucky (PAIKY) is performed to provide more in-depth analysis. The major finding includes a statistically significant result indicating increased implementation of e-ticketing for asphalt operations within the last two years, along with noting benefits including employee safety, task loading, and project documentation along with concerns regarding cellular connectivity and procurement responsibilities. These findings indicate the importance of STAs investing in partnership with contractors to improve stakeholder buy-in before proceeding towards e-ticketing adoption.

Evaluating and Incorporating Utility Coordination Practices into the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Project Development Process

Utility relocations have been identified as one of the leading causes of delays in transportation projects. Over time, national perceptions about how state transportation agencies (STAs) should work with utility companies (UCs) have changed. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), like other STAs, faces many challenges related to utility work. This paper presents the findings of a research project funded by KYTC, which aimed to evaluate the current KYTC utility coordination process to identify opportunities for improvement and propose a new approach for enhancing the alignment of this process and the highway design process. Researchers crafted this new approach based on the findings of a literature review, an evaluation of the current alignment between the utility coordination and highway design processes, and experiences and lessons learned from other STAs. This approach was developed iteratively in consultation with the project’s Study Advisory Committee. Research findings suggest viewing utility coordination as an opportunity to partner with UCs. In addition, the early identification of potential utility conflicts and minimizing utility-related project risks during the early stages of project development by avoiding, minimizing, and mitigating all utility conflicts when feasible are encouraged. Project findings were used to develop a guidance document to assist the implementation of a new approach and an associated Utility Coordination Training Program. This guidance document includes suggestions for identifying, managing, and mitigating utility-related risks using utility conflict management, provides information on the strategic use of subsurface utility engineering, and offers recommendations for managing consultant-led utility coordination.

Methodology for Conflating Large-Scale Roadway Networks

Transportation agencies are increasingly integrating third-party traffic data into their core business function areas such as system performance monitoring, project programming, traffic incident management, and safety analysis. However, linking private-sector data with agency asset inventory data has been a major challenge because the networks typically have different referencing systems, segmentation schemes, and representations of travel directions. This paper presents an effective conflation algorithm that associates spatial features between large-scale road networks. Instead of breaking lines into smaller pieces, which is a common technique in transportation applications, we use an intersection-based approach that leverages the inherent topological similarities between networks. The underlying uncertainty and imprecision in network geometries and road names are addressed through application of a fuzzy logic inference technique. We then implement an effective mechanism to handle differences in representations of divided roadways and travel directions in the two networks. The algorithm was tested on Kentucky statewide roadway networks and achieved a matching accuracy of over 99%. This approach has been successfully applied by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet in its project identification and prioritization process.

Impact of Improved Density on Pavement Design Response for Low-Volume Roads/Non-Primary Routes

Hughes said “Compaction is the single most important factor that affects pavement performance in terms of durability, fatigue life, resistance to deformation, strength, and moisture damage.” Past research studies have shown that a 1% decrease in air voids was estimated to improve the fatigue performance of asphalt pavements between 8.2% and 43.8%. Tran et al. quoted: “A 1% decrease in air voids was estimated to extend the service by conservatively 10% .” The objective of this research study is to show the impact of varying density properties using the concept of expected life difference. Fatigue life will be evaluated using the traditional fatigue life prediction equations and an advanced mechanistic empirical model (i.e., AASHTO Pavement ME). Dynamic modulus is the main input for conducting a pavement analysis and/or design when using AASHTO Pavement ME. The dynamic modulus data was generated from an extensive laboratory density study sponsored by Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. The air voids of the dynamic modulus samples varied from 11.4% to 3.9%. This study forms a framework for a highway agency, city, and county engineer if they are looking for an engineering solution as to why they should improve their in-place density specifications and what that impact is, using mechanistic empirical design procedures.

Analysis of E-Ticketing Technology for Inspection Performance and Practicality on Asphalt Paving Operations

E-construction is becoming increasingly attractive in the highway construction industry as the industry faces reductions in staffing and resources. Specifically, the addition of e-construction methods can offer a boost in efficiency and safety in resurfacing projects. Electronic ticketing (e-ticketing), paver-mounted thermal profiling, and intelligent compaction were recently incorporated into a study coordinated by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, United States, to assess these e-construction technologies on two resurfacing projects. This study aimed to investigate the accuracy of the data collected and the time savings that come with the incorporation of technology in construction. This manuscript focuses explicitly on the performance of e-ticketing, since it showed the most promising results during the study. An analysis of the data shows that e-ticketing offers the same data typically collected from traditional tickets. E-ticketing reduced the amount of time needed to retrieve material tickets and facilitated comparisons of theoretical tonnages to actual tonnages, in the same manner as traditional approaches. Inspectors also reduced their exposure to hazardous jobsite conditions through the use of e-ticketing, while contractors strengthened their operational efficiency. It is crucial that all stakeholders involved in e-ticketing projects practice partnering and collaboration to take advantage of the benefits of this emerging technology. This paper’s primary contribution is to document lessons learned and to evaluate the performance of e-ticketing technology in relation to safety, time savings, remote inspections, and accuracy compared with traditional practices on an asphalt paving project.

Collection, Analysis, and Reporting of Kentucky Traffic Incident Management Performance

Traffic incidents remain all too common. They negatively affect the safety of the traveling public and emergency responders and cause significant traffic delays. Congestion associated with incidents can instigate secondary crashes, exacerbating safety risks and economic costs. Traffic incident management (TIM) provides an effective approach for managing highway incidents and reducing their occurrence and impacts. The paper discusses the establishment and methods of calculation for five TIM performance measures that are used by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) to improve incident response. The measures are: roadway clearance time, incident clearance time, secondary crashes, first responder vehicle crashes, and commercial motor vehicle crashes. Ongoing tracking and analysis of these metrics aid the KYTC in its efforts to comprehensively evaluate its TIM program and make continuous improvements. As part of this effort, a fully interactive TIM dashboard was developed using the Microsoft Power BI platform. Dashboard users can apply various spatial and temporal filters to identify trends at the state, district, county, and agency level. The dashboard also supports dynamic visualizations such as time-series plots and choropleth maps. With the TIM dashboard in place, KYTC personnel, as well as staff at other transportation agencies, can identify the strengths and weaknesses of their incident management strategies and revise practices accordingly.

Rapid Diagnostic Framework for Assessing Bridge and Culvert Sensitivity to Hydraulic Forcing

Flooding, intense scour, and bank erosion often contribute to the failure of bridges and culverts. While geomorphic assessment techniques have been devised to evaluate whether structures are vulnerable to the effects of high-magnitude flooding, they generally require prolonged onsite appraisals. Because of financial constraints, however, many state transportation agencies cannot hire staff dedicated solely to geomorphic assessments. As such, agencies can benefit enormously from having access to a simple, holistic, and robust method for quickly evaluating the sensitivity of bridges and culverts to severe hydraulic forcings—one that leverages data gathered during existing inspection routines and accounts for the condition of structures and their criticality. This paper outlines the development and application of the Bridge and Culvert Sensitivity Index (BCSI), which was originally created on behalf of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Using information from the National Bridge Inventory and Cabinet-specific inspection data points, the BCSI (when combined with geostatistical methods and dynamic mapping) facilitates a multilevel hierarchical analysis of bridge and culvert inventories, allowing agency personnel to quickly appraise the performance of structures from the district level down to the level of individual structures. Applying the BCSI in Kentucky identified clusters of bridges and culverts in the western, eastern, and north-central parts of the state that exhibit heightened sensitivity to hydraulic forcings.

Employment of Mechanical Testing to Evaluate the Effect of Density on Asphalt Pavement Performance

Abstract Considering the budget allotted to construct and maintain roadway surfaces, a 5 to 10 % increase in their performance could potentially yield annual savings of billions of dollars. Considering this, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) launched a project to better understand the effect of in-place density on the durability of their hot-mix asphalt (HMA) pavements. In-place density is known to be a crucial factor in HMA performance. The Asphalt Institute in cooperation with the KYTC embarked upon the research and collected numerous HMA samples from five pavement construction sites in Kentucky. An experimental laboratory plan was developed to examine potential improvement in the mixtures’ performance if they were compacted to a desired higher density. The laboratory test plan consisted of flow number, flexural beam fatigue, and disk-shaped compact tension tests to evaluate the mixtures’ performance with respect to rutting, fatigue cracking, and low-temperature cracking. A statistical analysis of the results was performed to evaluate the effect of density on the durability of each of the pavements. The results showed that the service life of the pavements could improve considerably by achieving a target density of 92 %. The compactibility of the HMA mixtures was also investigated through their compaction characteristic curves by using the Superpave gyratory compactor. Based upon the compactibility analysis, the mixtures could be better compacted in the field by increasing their lift thickness.

Snow and Ice Removal Route Optimization in Kentucky

This research describes a geographic information system-based methodology developed for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) to improve the efficiency of Kentucky’s snow and ice removal program. The state’s program uses a system of snowplow routes that must factor in the location and attributes of trucks, facilities, materials, and roadways. Although functionally effective, the program had never been evaluated for efficiency. Researchers at the Kentucky Transportation Center used ArcGIS to assess the performance of KYTC’s current snowplow routing procedures and identify strategies for optimizing them. The research established optimized routings for four counties located in two of the state’s highway districts. Esri’s Network Analyst and the vehicle routing problem toolset were used for this process. Early models were county-based, meaning that trucks were assigned to routes within counties based on truck type and route priority. These early models achieved some optimization but it was limited and routes were overly complex. In subsequent models, researchers devised more optimal results by modeling routes at the multi-county or district level. These successful models eliminate nine snowplow trucks across four counties, resulting in savings of US$225,000 per year. In addition to cost savings, optimizing the routing system can improve efficiency, increase safety, and reduce the amount of time needed to treat roadways. This report documents the challenges, successes, and lessons learned from this research. Specific examples are provided to demonstrate the advantages of route optimization. Subsequent research will expand upon the four successful counties and attempt to optimize snow and ice removal throughout the state.

Assessing Transportation Assets for Vulnerability to Extreme Weather and Other Natural Hazards

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) and Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) at the University of Kentucky developed and performed an assessment of the vulnerability of the state’s national highway system (NHS) to extreme weather events and natural hazards. The assessment was designed as a hybrid process that 1) gathered and analyzed existing and available quantitative data on natural hazards, including meteorological hazards and geological hazards; 2) executed a series of workshops at KYTC districts throughout the state to elicit local expert knowledge on transportation system vulnerabilities; and 3) incorporated all data into a single vulnerability assessment. The workshops involved several facilitated exercises, including map-based discussions and keypad exercises to identify vulnerabilities along highway segments. Data from the mapping and keypad exercises were gathered in a geographic information system (GIS) and combined with the other hazard data to identify vulnerabilities for each highway segment. FHWA’s Vulnerability Assessment Scoring Tool (VAST) was used to process all the data into a single and ultimate assessment. Results from this analysis include a district-level prioritized ranking of NHS segments based on their vulnerability to extreme weather and natural hazard events. Additionally, a district vulnerability assessment report for each district highlighted the most vulnerable assets in the district and discussed their vulnerabilities in detail. This research is intended to aid KYTC in identifying at-risk infrastructure and direct the implementation of preparedness and resilience measures, thus helping to protect the integrity of the transportation system and the sound investment of taxpayer dollars.

Developing a Pre-Task Safety Briefing Tool for Kentucky Maintenance Personnel

The dangerous work environment in the construction industry and the inherent high risks associated with its work make it the focus of safety training and regulations. Highway construction and maintenance has unique hazards but seemingly less directly applicable safety standards, regulations, and programs. Department of Transportation (DOT) employees working in highway maintenance are exposed to a variety of unique hazards specifically associated with their work and not relating to the adjacent traffic. Highway site safety does not receive sufficient attention in terms of safety research and programs. As part of the efforts of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) to improve safety for their employees, this paper describes the data-driven design of a pre-task safety briefing tool. By analyzing previous incident data of KYTC maintenance workers and identifying frequent hazards present within their typical work operations and the reasons behind such hazards, the final product of this study is a tool that is relatable and relevant to KYTC maintenance workers. The tool presents these hazards along with the associated reasons and the appropriate safety practices to avoid or mitigate the associated risk. The data analysis of this study highlighted that human factors and ergonomics play a significant role in the injuries related to the subject population, yet there is little guidance or standards for addressing these factors. The goal of this safety tool is to improve the safety performance of KYTC maintenance crews by increasing workers’ safety awareness.

Snow and Ice Removal Route Optimization in Kentucky

This research describes a geographic information system-based methodology developed for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) to improve the efficiency of Kentucky’s snow and ice removal progr...

USING STATISTICAL MODELS BASED ON HISTORICAL PROJECT DATA TO ESTIMATE DURATIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS

Estimating the duration of highway transportation projects accurately has always been a challenge for State Transportation Agencies (STAs) in the United States (US) due to the differences in projects’ location, scope, nature, size, and goals. Inaccurate estimates of project durations by STAs can lead to a lack of commitment from contractors, not needing to invest their maximum effort to fulfill a project’s scope. STAs have used a variety of methods to estimate and set contract time, mainly relying on historical production rates in tandem with activity precedent logic programs. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has recently attempted to develop a statistical model which estimates contract times by using parametric modeling and historic contracting times with success. This paper attempts to build upon their findings, regressing historical data from Montana Department of Transportation projects using bid tabulations, engineers’ estimates, location, and type of project, among other factors as inputs. The model presented is still under development and is expected to increase in accuracy as it reaches its final state.

Modeling Long-Term Highway Staffing Requirements for State Transportation Agencies

State transportation agencies (STAs) across the country face many challenges in repairing and enhancing highway infrastructure to meet rapidly increasing transportation needs. One of these challenges is maintaining an adequate and efficient agency staff. To effectively plan for future staffing levels, STAs need a method for forecasting long-term staffing requirements. However, the methods currently in use cannot function without well-defined projects; therefore, making long-term forecasts is difficult. This paper seeks to develop a dynamic model that captures the feedback mechanisms within the system that determines highway staffing requirements. The system dynamics modeling method was used to build the forecasting model. The formal model was based on dynamic hypotheses derived from a literature review and interviews with transportation experts. Qualitative and quantitative data from literature and federal and state databases were used to support the values and equations in the model. The model integrates STAs’ strategic plans, funding situations, and staffing strategies and determines future staffing levels and will hopefully fill the absence of long-term forecasting tools at STAs. Standard system dynamics validation procedures were used to test the model, after which input data specific to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet were used to calibrate the model and to simulate an expected retirement wave and search for solutions to address temporary staffing shortages.

Benefits from Constructability Reviews

Abstract Constructability review is a process used during project design to infuse construction knowledge into the design process. There is industry impetus encouraging early construction involvement in project development. State transportation agencies often have to abide by legislation restricting these procurement methods leaving construability review as the only opportunity for early construction involvement. Staffing and budgetary constraints lead to state transportation agencies being very cautious in the practices and processes they implement that seemingly lie outside the main missions of project development and delivery. Without straightforward and documented savings of constructability review processes, these methods may also be eliminated. After streamlining the constructability review process for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, an effort was undertaken to estimate monetary benefits from such reviews. Constructability reviews were evaluated at the project level by comparing change order percentages on projects reviewed versus those not being reviewed. This approach showed a clear indication that there are monetary savings associated with constructability reviews resulting in a conservative estimate of 1.25 percent of the project budget. This estimate did not include the additional inherent savings in time, lessons learned or other aspects not readily quantifiable. The second method of evaluating constructability reviews was to quantify and qualify each constructability review comment. A model was developed to estimate the potential monetary gains from the comments indicating the presence of such gains but additional analysis is needed to improve model accuracy.

Using Parametric Modeling to Estimate Highway Construction Contract Time

Federal regulations require that state transportation agencies have written procedures for setting the construction contract time for highway projects. Since the institution of those regulations, state agencies have used a variety of methods to estimate and set contract time. FHWA recommends the use of methods based on production rate and activity precedence and logic in this process. For years, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet used a system based around these requirements and recommendations only to find that the system produced estimates varying widely from actual construction times. The use of parametric modeling and historic contract times produced a system that more accurately estimates contract times and with an associated Microsoft Excel–based tool is more user friendly. This approach used project cost and bid item quantity data in multivariate regression–based modeling to develop a set of equations that provide the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet with contract time estimates for projects in a matter of minutes by using data readily available at later design stages.

Quantitative Analysis of State Transportation Agency’s Experience with Constructability Reviews

The project development process aims to deliver the most appropriate roadway project given its context. Past work has shown that significant gains are realized when construction expertise is integrated early and throughout the project-delivery process. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has initiated a process that reviews design documents prior to construction to address issues that may result in time delays and cost increases. However, these efforts are not utilizing a systematic review process that would allow detailed documentation of the issues identified and provide a lessons-learned database for future use. The study undertaken classifies the constructability issues that typically impact highway construction projects. This paper first identifies the common constructability categories through a national review and then quantifies the frequency and severity of constructability issues by comment type and category, review year, reviewer, and comment severity. The paper’s primary contribution to the body of knowledge is the determination that constructability issues are dynamic and change over time, there is a need for consistency among reviewers, and that team reviews are more appropriate than a single-reviewer approach.

A decision‐making system for accelerating roadway construction

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to show the way in which State Transportation Agencies throughout the USA are under increasing pressure to preserve and expand the nation's roadway infrastructure in the shortest possible time with only a finite pool of resources with which to meet a state's transportation needs. With this in mind, a rapid construction methods decision‐making system was developed, to be used during the preliminary and conceptual design stage of a roadway project.Design/methodology/approachThe research completed an extensive literature review and examined case studies to identify rapid construction methods and summarize valuable lessons learned. Designed for use by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, the research developed a series of conceptual road user cost (RUC) tables that reflect different socioeconomic conditions by varying the value of time based on average hourly per capita income and wages for different counties in Kentucky.FindingsThe case studies identified that the most effective mean for State Transportation Agencies to accelerate construction is through their construction contracts. Furthermore, determining RUC as outlined in the research way simplifies the method of calculating RUC by using fewer variables than would typically be available during the preliminary and conceptual design stage.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed decision‐making model is designed for State Transportation Agencies who are involved in the scenarios of determining the value of accelerating construction in both an urban and rural environments.Practical implicationsThe project's intent in determining conceptual road user costs is to support a decision‐making process to identify the need and type of rapid construction methods for any given project.Originality/valueA specific decision‐making process is proposed, and it uses the ratios of the Conceptual Road User Cost to the Maximum Allowable Road User Cost and a set of additional criteria based on project features to recommend a selection of rapid construction methods for a given highway project.

Bulldozers, Land, and The Bottom: Environmental Justice and a Rapid Assessment Process

In 2005, I was invited to meet with representatives from Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG), and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) to discuss the possibility of conducting a social needs assessment in a low-income, minority neighborhood. The Newtown Pike Extension (NPE) is a major road project that will significantly impact a low-income minority area in downtown Lexington, KY. As part of a major mitigation for environmental justice, a Project Team consisting of federal, state, and local stakeholders completed a social needs assessment in 2006. This paper describes the successful use of a qualitative, teambased, intensive applied approach to understand social needs from the community perspective. A rapid assessment procedure (RAP) was used that quickly revealed unanticipated barriers directly related to the unique culture of the community and beliefs about the project and stakeholders. Results were immediately useful in making positive changes in project decision-making.

Effectiveness of stream restoration following highway reconstruction projects on two freshwater streams in Kentucky

After new highway construction near or across a stream, the site often requires remediation to reestablish suitable habitat for local biota. This study addresses effectiveness of environmental mitigation efforts for these construction projects, and contributes to the development of a protocol for environmental mitigation to be adopted by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Effects of remediation on two small KY, USA, streams, Cedar Creek and Holts Creek, were assessed using U.S. EPA Rapid Bioassessment Protocols (RBP). Habitat assessments and fish species assemblage surveys (index of biotic integrity) were conducted for three sectors of each stream. A decrease in total habitat assessment scores was observed at the remediated sector in each stream. However, for both streams the IBI fish assemblage scores were similar for upstream and remediated sectors, indicating that habitat impact resulted in limited effects on fish assemblages. The overall score for the downstream reach of Cedar Creek also was similar to upstream and remediated sectors, but the downstream portion of Holts Creek scored lower, primarily because of reduced number of fish species and abundances. This was likely due to stream characteristics and lack of diversity. The U.S. EPA Rapid Bioassessment Protocols proved to be well suited for quantitative assessments of fish assemblages for small stream sectors with limited impacted areas. Although habitat quality scored somewhat lower in the remediated sectors of both streams, there were no major impairments of overall stream productivity and no apparent blockage of fish migration. The most apparent deficiencies in habitat restoration involved protective and riparian vegetation, resulting in diminished bank stability, increased prospects for bank erosion, moderate downstream siltation, and consequences of stream channelization.