Ohio Department Of Transportation Research Articles

Performance of Soil-bearing Spread Footings Supporting Highway Structures

Background Soil-bearing spread footings (SBSF) are emerging as an increasingly attractive option for supporting highway structures. SBSF offers numerous benefits compared to deep foundations, including cost-effectiveness, accelerated construction, straightforward design, environmentally friendly characteristics, and reduced maintenance requirements. Objective The primary objective of this study is to assess the performance of highway structures that SBSF supports at four specific locations in Ohio. The findings from this assessment will serve as valuable recommendations for the future application of spread footings while identifying potential usage constraints. Methods The project team conducted a comprehensive review of documented performance data, assessed the effectiveness of existing footings, and compared these assessments against established structural performance criteria. Additionally, the team analyzed calculated settlements, provided an estimate of acceptable structural settlement, compared measured settlements with predicted values, and examined the relationship between performance and soil conditions. Results The data gathered, and field assessments conducted at all four sites encompassed in this investigation affirm that SBSF structures function as designed, displaying no signs of settlements or cracks associated with rideability. Both measured and calculated settlements fall within acceptable tolerances. While all structures exhibited acceptable levels of differential settlement, one encountered a differential settlement of approximately 54 mm between substructures, attributed to cohesive soil (A-6) in deeper layers. Conclusion SBSF structures were constructed by the manuals and guidelines established by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and exhibited satisfactory performance. This paper also offers recommendations for settlement monitoring methods and plan notes that should be incorporated into the Ohio Department of Transportation's practices.

Optimizing Machine Learning Algorithms for Improving Prediction of Bridge Deck Deterioration: A Case Study of Ohio Bridges

The deterioration of a bridge’s deck endangers its safety and serviceability. Ohio has approximately 45,000 bridges that need to be monitored to ensure their structural integrity. Adequate prediction of the deterioration of bridges at an early stage is critical to preventing failures. The objective of this research was to develop an accurate model for predicting bridge deck conditions in Ohio. A comprehensive literature review has revealed that past researchers have utilized different algorithms and features when developing models for predicting bridge deck deterioration. Since, there is no guarantee that the use of features and algorithms utilized by past researchers would lead to accurate results for Ohio’s bridges, this research proposes a framework for optimizing the use of machine learning (ML) algorithms to more accurately predict bridge deck deterioration. The framework aims to first determine “optimal” features that can be related to deck deterioration conditions, specifically in the case of Ohio’s bridges by using various feature-selection methods. Two feature-selection models used were XGboost and random forest, which have been confirmed by the Boruta algorithm, in order to determine the features most relevant to deck conditions. Different ML algorithms were then used, based on the “optimal” features, to select the most accurate algorithm. Seven machine learning algorithms, including single models such as decision tree (DT), artificial neural networks (ANNs), k-nearest neighbors (k-NNs), logistic regression (LR), and support vector machines (SVRs), as well as ensemble models such as Random Forest (RF) and eXtreme gradient boosting (XGboost), have been implemented to classify deck conditions. To validate the framework, results from the ML algorithms that used the “optimal” features as input were compared to results from the same ML algorithms that used the “most common” features that have been used in previous studies. On a dataset obtained from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), the results indicated that the ensemble ML algorithms were able to predict deck conditions significantly more accurately than single models when the “optimal” features were utilized. Although the framework was implemented using data obtained from ODOT, it can be successfully utilized by other transportation agencies to more accurately predict the deterioration of bridge components.

Rerounding of Deflected Thermoplastic Conduit in Well-Graded Aggregate Backfill

Rerounding is a technique for remediating excess deflection in thermoplastic pipe using a pneumatic device vibrating along the vertical axis and pushing against the inside crown and invert to restore the original pipe shape and redistribute the surrounding backfill. Since the process has not been evaluated on high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe outside of a few reports, and the method is routinely used by contractors to remediate deflected thermoplastic pipes, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) wanted to evaluate the technology as a lower-cost and less disruptive alternative to the removal and reinstallation of deflected pipes. Three 36-in. HDPE pipes were installed in a well-graded crushed stone aggregate, sand, or AASHTO #57 open-graded aggregate (ODOT Structural Backfill, Types 1, 2, and 3, respectively), and two 18-in. pipes were installed in Types 2 and 3 Structural Backfill. Pipes were intentionally installed with substantial deflection (10% or more) and then rerounded. The pipe conditions were measured and monitored by collecting profiles, measuring vertical deflections and monitoring soil pressures, backfill characteristics, and the depth of pipe corrugation before and after rerounding. This paper focuses on Test Pipe 1 installed in Type 1 Structural Backfill, which was the most resistant to rerounding. Pressure data were consistent with the redistribution of backfill particles, particularly fines.

Pavement texture characterisation using wavelets analysis in relation to pendulum skid tester

ABSTRACT Pavement texture is an important characteristic affecting user safety and satisfaction. Despite the large number of studies on pavement texture, there is still a need to further explore the models relating texture to tyre-pavement interaction. In this study, 29 cores were extracted from 15 different pavement surfaces and tested in the laboratory by Ohio department of transportation. The data set includes high density texture scans, modified mean texture depth (MMTD) values estimated using a modified sand patch test, and friction measurements acquired using dry and wet British pendulum (BP) testes. The texture scans were characterised using the mean profile depth (MPD) and wavelets energy. The correlation between MPD values and the coefficients of friction (COF) estimated using BP tests were not as strong as the correlation between the wavelet energies and the wet and dry COFs. Statistically significant models were derived using the wavelet energies to predict the MMTD (R 2 = 0.94) as well as the dry and wet COF (R 2 Dry = 0.49/R 2 Wet = 0.60). The principle component analysis was used to decorrelate the wavelet energies and overcome the multicollinearity, while the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator was used to reduce the number of variables in the model.

What Does Diggs Do For Me? Better, Faster, Cheaper Is the Goal!

For the past decade, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has been at the forefront of advancing geotechnical data management associated with its investment and leadership related to DIGGS (Data Interchange for Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists). DIGGS is a robust, open standard, XML-based format for sharing with project partners a wide variety of geotechnical data related to site investigations. It’s currently being expanded to handle other types of geotechnical data from sources such as pile load testing, performance monitoring instrumentation, and geo-environmental site monitoring. DIGGS is compliant with industry standards and best practices for exchanging data.

Structural Performance of Deteriorated Metal Culverts Rehabilitated Through Invert Concrete Paving

Corrugated metal culverts have been used to convey surface drainage under local streets and major highways all over North America. Inverts of these culverts often deteriorate over time as they are constantly exposed to potentially harsh flow conditions. Invert concrete paving has been a traditional treatment used by roadway departments to rehabilitate metal culverts of which the bottoms are heavily rusted and beginning to perforate. The benefit of this rehabilitation method is clear from the hydraulic aspect but not from the structural aspect. A study was carried out recently for the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) by the authors to examine how much the invert paving helps the deteriorated metal culverts structurally. To make the study comprehensive, the authors conducted a literature review, gathered the state-of-the-practice information from many state departments of transport (DOTs), performed computer simulations, and carried out full-scale field load tests. The data gathered in the study repeatedly demonstrated that invert paving can restore the deteriorated metal culverts structurally, especially if the amount of metal lost through deteriorations is regained by welding reinforcement bars to the invert plates before concrete paving. Armed with this positive outcome, an engineering procedure was proposed.

Unsuccessful bids: Coefficient of variation of bids as indicator of project risk

Abstract Although unsuccessful bids are usually discarded once the bids are opened under the typical lowest-price sealed-bid project award auction environment, considering efforts and resources expended by responsive and responsible bidders, it is likely that not only a successful bid but also unsuccessful bids can convey important information about the project at hand. This article documents an effort to answer the question that whether projects that receive more dispersed estimates at the bidding stage are more likely to experience greater project cost changes. Taking collective intelligence as the theoretical framework, a total of 210 projects conducted by the Ohio Department of Transportation between 2008 and 2018 were analyzed to investigate the relationship between the coefficients of variation of bids and project final costs. It was found that large projects with above-average coefficients of variation of bids showed greater deviations from original award amounts than large projects with below-average coefficients of variation. The finding enables project owners to study the projects before execution by recouping valuable insights from the community of bidders on the possibility of greater project cost changes faced by the planned projects without complex and mathematically rigorous models.

BUILDING SAFE ROUTES TO AGE IN PLACE THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH AGE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES

Participation in active transportation by older persons has been associated with higher quality of life and longevity. Efforts across the United States to increase active transportation (walking, biking and fixed route transportation) by older adults have lacked meaningful input by older adults, are non-theoretical and have had inconclusive results. This paper describes the findings from Phase 1 of the Safe Routes to Age in Place project, a collaboration between Age-Friendly Franklin County, The Ohio State University (OSU) and the University of Texas-Arlington (UT-A), funded by the Ohio Department of Transportation. The aim of the study is to increase the options and safe utilization of active transportation by older persons in three pilot neighborhoods in Franklin County, Ohio utilizing community-based participatory action research strategies with a customized data collection app, MyAmble. The purpose of Phase 1 was to engage city and regional planning students, government officials and older adults to identify “hot spots” in the three pilot neighborhoods. Heat mapping of community data including locations of densely-populated vulnerable older adults, fixed transportation routes, bus stop signage and benches, shared bike stations, bike routes, paratransit routes and pedestrian crash data was completed. Maps were used to identify areas of focus and discussions with municipal leaders and older adult residents further refined target areas to be used in the second phase of the study. Older residents completed walk audits using the MyAmble app and identified issues with sidewalks, crosswalk timers and bus stops. Implications related to age-friendly communities and active transportation are offered.

Characterization and structural performance of hybrid fiber-reinforced composite deck panels

This paper presents the experimental and analytical investigation on the behavior of hybrid fiber-reinforced composite deck made up of glass and jute fibers embedded in vinyl ester matrix. Finite element evaluation of the flexural performance of the composite decks was carried out using ANSYS, FE software. It was observed that analytical evaluation underestimates the value of deflection of deck panels 1 and 2 by 10.91% and 18.57%, respectively, when compared to the experimental results. However, the value of strain obtained by FEA is appreciably higher than that observed during the experiment. The analytical evaluation of deck panels was further extended to HYFRP and GFRP (glass fiber-reinforced polymer) decks with varied cross sections obtained by changing the location and shape of stiffeners. The specifications stipulated by Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), USA, for FRP decks were used for evaluating the performance of deck panels. The values of maximum deflection and strain experienced by the deck panels with stiffeners at the web-flange joint were found to be less than that of deck panels provided with stiffeners at the center of top flange of each cellular unit. Out of the various configurations examined, the performance of decks with V-shaped stiffeners and combination of U- and V-shaped stiffeners at top and bottom web-flange joint were found to be best with substantially lower deflection and strain.

Role of Route Optimization in Benefiting Winter Maintenance Operations

For winter maintenance purposes, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) deploys a fleet of approximately 1,600 snowplow trucks that maintain 43,000 lane miles of roadway. These trucks are based out of 200 garages, yards, and outposts that also house a combined total of 650,000 tons of salt. The deployment of such a large number of trucks over a vast maintenance area creates an operational problem in determining the optimal maintenance routes and fleet size. Traditionally, ODOT has used county borders as maintenance boundaries for ODOT garages. However, by removing these borders and optimizing the snowplow routes, ODOT may benefit from significant time and cost savings. The results of this project provide ODOT a tool to determine the minimum number of trucks needed to maintain the necessary roadways within Districts 1, 2, and 10. In addition, the project recommends to ODOT a tool to assign assets to specific facilities and the most optimal routes for each truck in a district. This research indicates the possibility of reducing the fleet size within Districts 1, 2, and 10 by a total of 29 trucks while maintaining the same level of service. Apart from fleet size reduction, the route optimization can decrease the amount of time in which to treat each road in the three districts by 17 hours for one iteration.

Systematic Procedures for the Analysis of Agency and User Costs of Bridge Repair Actions

A primary goal of bridge management systems is to identify maintenance, repair, and replacement (MR&R) strategies that maximize benefits and minimize losses, often expressed in terms of cost. A major factor that greatly impacts outcomes of these frameworks, that is, the most appropriate MR&R strategies, is the cost of implementation and associated consequences of performing such actions. Given that the inventory of bridges maintained by a state department of transportation (DOT) is significantly large, this study is aimed at developing a systematic procedure to reliably estimate the costs through effective utilization of DOTs’ databases. The considered costs include agency cost of administration, engineering, and mobilization; agency direct cost of performing MR&R actions; agency cost of maintenance of traffic; and user cost incurred from traffic delays, vehicle operation, and excess emissions. The study develops a set of models to estimate the duration of various MR&R work plans. These models are subsequently used to propose analytical formulations and algorithms for the estimation of the above costs. The proposed procedures are employed to estimate the agency and user costs associated with a series of light to extensive repair actions for three bridges in Ohio. Independent calculation of some of these costs by Ohio DOT engineers indicated good agreement with results obtained from the proposed systematic methods. The verified procedures for cost estimation developed in this study enable state DOTs and other entities to reliably estimate implementation costs of actions for their large inventory of bridges and identify the most cost-effective MR&R strategies and work plans.

Getting to Zero Deaths on Ohio’s Low-Volume Roads

Ohio faces the challenge, as do many other states, of how to utilize Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funding to improve safety on its low-volume roadways while meeting the data-driven safety funding requirements of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. Low-volume roads present unique challenges because data is rarely available and other factors, such as roadway ownership, affect the implementation of safety countermeasures on this system. Beginning in 2014, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) created a township safety signage grant program designed to address the issues with utilizing HSIP funding on low-volume roadways. The grant program’s goal was to drive down the number of fatalities, serious injuries, and overall crashes occurring on Ohio’s low-volume roads. ODOT took into consideration overriding issues regarding low-volume roads in how it structured the grant program. ODOT also utilized the direction from its Strategic Highway Safety Plan in choosing a safety countermeasure which met the needs of its roadway departure and intersection crash trends. The program has been actively engaged in by Ohio townships and now has a large enough amount of post-safety countermeasure installation data available to quantify its initial success. This paper presents the successful results by highlighting the human capital and comprehensive societal benefit/cost analyses for the first 24 townships with 12 months of post-grant completion crash data.

James A. Rhodes: Ohio Colossus by Tom Diemer, Lee Leonard, and Richard G. Zimmerman

Reviewed by: James A. Rhodes: Ohio Colossus by Tom Diemer, Lee Leonard, and Richard G. Zimmerman Herb Asher Tom Diemer, Lee Leonard, and Richard G. Zimmerman, James A. Rhodes: Ohio Colossus. Kent: Kent State University Press, 2014. 256 pp. $34.95. Of the numerous books I have read about Governor Rhodes, James A. Rhodes: Ohio Colossus is the best for a number of reasons. It is the most comprehensive book covering Rhodes' upbringing, his early political experiences, his four successful runs for governor and his unsuccessful 1986 campaign for a fifth term. The book also details the initiatives and accomplishments of the four Rhodes' administrations and discusses the occasional political and policy setbacks. The reader also gets an intimate sense of Rhodes' administrative and management style and of how important a few key staff aides were in keeping the administration on track. For Rhodes, the three key cabinet departments were the Ohio Department of Development, the Ohio Department of Transportation, and the Office of Budget and Management. These three were the departments most relevant to the governor's focus on jobs, economic development, and, often, capital construction bond issues to foster jobs and economic growth. For the other cabinet directors, it was generally sufficient to appoint good people and let them run their departments without much oversight or control—unless they messed up. Both as a candidate and as governor, Rhodes often operated separately from the Ohio Republican Party. The book also covers Rhodes's activities in the four years (1971–1974) between his terms as governor and his post gubernatorial career from 1982 on. The reader learns that Rhodes was an incredibly creative person with ideas galore, an entrepreneurial figure, a dreamer, and a savvy businessman. The [End Page 74] book does a masterful job capturing Rhodes' political philosophy or, perhaps better, his approach to government and politics. When he ran against his Democratic opponents, he would accuse them of having raised taxes and being tax and spend liberals. But after he was elected, he would happily spend these tax dollars on projects and programs. Critics of Rhodes attacked him as a "borrow and spend" governor because he routinely promoted bond issues to be on the ballot to build capital construction projects. The book is more than a descriptive history of the life of Jim Rhodes and the Rhodes era; it is also analytical and interpretive. One gets a good sense of what motivated the Governor. Rhodes understood that government impacted people and that many Ohioans were hurting economically. For Rhodes, the best remedy for that hurt was a job. Indeed, "jobs, jobs, jobs" and "jobs and progress" became the overarching rationale for Rhodes' successful and unsuccessful initiatives. Rhodes believed that Ohioans voted for hope. The book also details some of the problems and setbacks of the Rhodes administrations including the killing of four students at Kent State University during the era of Vietnam War protests. One of the major policy rejections the governor suffered was the overwhelming defeat of his proposed Ohio Bond Commission amendment to the Ohio Constitution. This proposal would have established a "gubernatorial-controlled development bank with the authority to raise, without a further vote of the people, capital improvement funds using long term mortgage financing" (50). This audacious proposal was rejected by the voters by a two to one margin in 1967, but that did not deter Rhodes from successfully advocating for future capital improvement bond issues. The authors treat Governor Rhodes a bit gently in a number of areas. Certainly their discussion of Rhodes' role in the Kent State tragedy is less critical of him than many other narratives on the topic. And repeatedly, the authors are somewhat soft on some of the aspects of development deals that the Governor promoted such as the successful attempt to attract Honda to Ohio. Often, as a facility or a manufacturing plant was being sited, it turned out that friends and supporters of the Governor "had the good fortune" to own land adjacent to these facilities, land which, of course, became much more valuable. And the treatment of how the Governor obtained his real estate license was probably too forgiving, although that story is now firmly...

Evaluation of Load-Rating Procedure for Metal Culverts under Shallow Soil Covers

AbstractA research study was carried out recently in Ohio to evaluate the current method employed by Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) for load rating corrugated metal culverts installed und...

Incorporating the Strength Provided by Subgrade Stabilization in the Flexible Pavement Design Procedures

Abstract Chemical stabilization has been successfully used to treat weak subgrade soil by permanently changing its physical and chemical properties, such as reducing plasticity and increasing stiffness and load bearing capacity, so it can serve as a construction platform during constructions and provide long-term structural stability. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has adopted a policy to globally stabilize the subgrade for new construction. However, the strength provided by subgrade stabilization has not been incorporated into the design procedures for flexible pavement. Therefore, in this study, the impact of subgrade stabilization on the stiffness and performance of pavement layers was investigated. In situ testing, including the falling weight deflectometer (FWD) and the portable seismic pavement analyzer (PSPA), was performed on 20 pavement sections within the state of Ohio to evaluate pavement sections constructed with stabilized subgrade. Backcalculation of pavement layers’ moduli was carried out on the FWD data collected. Finite element analysis was performed using ABAQUS to validate the pavement layers’ stiffness obtained from backcalculation. The validated layer moduli were used to determine structural numbers and layer coefficients of pavement layers. The result was used to investigate the effect of subgrade stabilization on pavement design procedures. Significant reduction in the pavement thickness and distress was obtained as a result of incorporating subgrade stabilization into pavement design procedures.

Evaluation of revised details of end zone of the prestressed concrete I-girders using finite element method

Prestressed concrete I-girders are becoming more widely used in bridges. However, the high prestressing force applied to these girders can lead to cracks in the end zone upon stress transfer. Recently, the standard drawing details for prestressed concrete I-girders were modified by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). The primary difference in the new drawings is the reinforcement details and usage of welded wire reinforcement at the end of the girders. In order to evaluate end cracking performance resulting from changes to the ODOT standard drawings, girders with various end reinforcement configurations were analysed using linear and non-linear finite element models. The strains and stresses at the end zone in the concrete and rebar were then evaluated. The non-linear finite element models were verified using available experimental data. After verification, the non-linear models were used to identify the location of the end zone cracks observed in the girders. The verified model was used to evaluate the revised details of end zone region. The results show that the modified details in the standard drawings meet the requirements of the AASHTO LRFD design specification. In addition, the end zone strains in the concrete and stresses in the reinforcement were reduced.

A Probabilistic-Based Approach to Evaluate Winter Maintenance Vehicle Wash Water Management Options

When locating new facilities, departments of transportation must consider how the wash water generated during routine winter operations will be managed. Previous research has shown that two options are likely to be the most cost-effective: (a) collecting and hauling off-site for disposal (CDISPOSE) or (b) connecting to an existing sanitary sewer system (CSAN). In this article, the cost-effectiveness of these two strategies for Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) maintenance facilities was evaluated probabilistically using Monte Carlo simulation. The probability CDISPOSE was the most cost-effective option was greater than 90% for existing ODOT facilities without sanitary sewer access if the sanitary sewer capital cost exceeded US$172,000. Considering all ODOT facilities, there was 90% probability CDISPOSE was the most cost-effective option if the sanitary sewer capital cost exceeded US$280,000. These results can be used to guide facilities management decisions regarding wash water management options for both existing and future facilities.

Assessing the Vulnerability of Winter Maintenance Material Storage Facilities

AbstractThis research examines the vulnerability of the winter maintenance salt supply to depletion and the associated risk costs in Ohio using Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT)-specific data pertaining to the amount of salt storage, number of trucks, and lane kilometers maintained by each county. These data were combined with the number of snowfall events in each county to determine the failure probability. The results indicated that the probability of exceeding the salt capacity ranged from less than 0.01 to 61%, with an average of 23.1%. Sensitivity and importance analyses were conducted to determine the change in probability of exceedance due to a one-unit change in each parameter and to examine the influence of each random variable in the reliability analysis on the variance of the limit state, respectively. The parameter with the highest importance was the salt applied during light snowfall, while the brine applied has a low importance. Annual risk costs were estimated using the purchase and ...

Temperature profile prediction for flexible pavement structures

ABSTRACTMost of the primary roads in the United States (US) are constructed using hot-mix asphalt (HMA). The stiffness and rutting performance of HMA are highly dependent on temperature due to the viscoelastic nature of asphalt binder. Thus, it is very important to accurately predict the temperature profile of asphalt surfaces. This work was based on the Asphalt Treated Base-90 (ATB-90) project that is located at the I-90 road in Ashtabula County, Ohio. Temperature probes (TP101) were embedded during construction to monitor the temperature profile within pavement structures. Two weather stations were installed in the project site to collect climatic data that includes air temperature, wind speed, wind direction, rainfall and solar radiation. The data collected from January 2006 to December 2007 at Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) section 304 were used to develop the regression models to predict the daily maximum and minimum pavement temperature profiles. On the other hand, the data collected from ...

Computerized decision tree for anti-icing/pretreatment applications as a result of laboratory and field testings

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) pretreats the roadways of Ohio two times a week with 23% NaCl at 40gal/lane∗mile application rate when weather conditions warrant. To be able to come up with the most effective anti-icing program for ODOT, field and laboratory investigation of pretreatment was studied on pavements.Brine decay was studied on highways ATH-50 PCC and PICK-23 AC versus time and traffic. The field tests for brine were conducted with modified versions of the SOBO 20 YSI BO and Wally BO.The laboratory part included the detailed investigation of issues encountered in the field due to the grooved texture of concrete and porous texture of asphalt pavements. Correction factors for the salt readings on porous asphalt and grooved concrete surfaces were developed. Based on lab data grooved and porous surfaces appeared to decrease the efficacy of pretreatment. Correction equations due to pavement–fluid temperature difference were developed.The modeling of the salt decay on state roads provided statistically good results with high R2 values. The laboratory data were integrated with the field study results by the construction of a decision tree which is the product of this research. This decision tree was also computerized by using C-Sharp Programming Language. Remaining salt density after certain time or traffic can be found from the decay equations for porous and grooved pavements and the freezing point temperatures can be obtained before an ice/snow event. By this way, the personnel can decide when to pretreat and can know to what temperature extent the salt on the pavement is effective.