Major Roads Research Articles

Factors Influencing the Performance of Department of Public Works and Highways Field Engineers: Input for Supervisory Project Management Plan

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) plays a critical role in shaping infrastructure projects in the Philippines, with field engineers at the forefront of any project execution. This study was conducted to determine the factors influencing the performance of field engineers at the DPWH, considering the individual, team, and organizational factors. Using a descriptive-correlational research design, the study was conducted at DPWH Eastern Samar District Engineering Office, with 30 field engineers who served as the respondents. Mean and standard deviation were used to analyze the data, while Pearson’s correlation was used to test the hypothesis. The key findings revealed that factors such as technical skills (r=0.306), experience (r=0.162), and motivation (r=0.332) have nothing to do with performance, with p-values higher than 0.05. On a team level- leadership and management (r=0.407) are critical to success. Sufficient resource allocation (r=0.356) drives better performance at the organizational level. The research stressed the importance of providing continuous professional development to field engineers to enhance their technical know-how and leadership capabilities. Likewise, supportive leadership that fosters collaboration and communication among teams is vital to achieving project goals. On an organizational scale, efficient resource management and well-defined policies are necessary for field engineers to perform effectively and efficiently. It is suggested that to improve project outcomes, the DPWH should implement targeted training programs, foster leadership that encourages teamwork, and ensure adequate resource distribution. Also, refining organizational policies can help create a more structured and supportive environment for field engineers to improve individual and team performance and ensure efficient use of resources, ultimately enhancing infrastructure development in the Philippines.

INFLUENCE OF PASSENGER ROUTE TRANSPORT ON TRAFFIC SAFETY ON THE STREET AND ROAD NETWORK

Abstract.The public transport comprises homogeneous vehicle movement. The motion of public transport passing through a road section exhibits signs of stationarity, hence formulating the stated scientific task. The paper proposes to assess the safety level of passenger public transport movement by deviations of the movement characteristics of public transport vehicles from the characteristics of the flow vehicles. The analysis conducted by the authors and the corresponding synthesis of the general conditions of passenger public transport movement in traffic flow on public roads allowed formulating a system of interaction between three elements: traffic flow, passenger transport vehicles, and road conditions. The provided criteria for deviation of the movement characteristics of passenger public transport vehicles from the characteristics of the traffic flow subsequently enable the evaluation of the danger level on the route. The proposed overall characteristic indirectly allows evaluating the safety level of passenger public transport movement on roads according to the provisions of traffic flow theory. To formulate general characteristics regarding the consideration of road safety at sections and nodes of the street-road network through which the route passes in the methodology of calculating urban bus transportation routes.

THROMBOPHLEBITE POST-TRAUMATIQUE : A PROPOS DE TROIS CAS POST-TRAUMATIC THROMBOPHLEBITIS: ABOUT A THREE CLINICALS CASES

Abstract Introduction: Cranial post-traumatic cerebral thrombophlebitis is a rare form of cerebrovascular event. It is a diagnostic and therapeutic emergency, often underdiagnosed. Patients and observations: We report below a retrospective study on clinical records of three patients, with extremes ranging from 15 to 70 years, without pathological history, all struck by cars on public roads and hospitalized for the management of benign head injuries. Computed tomography scan (CT) without injection was performed in the three patients objectifying post-traumatic cranial lesions: extradural hematomas, intraparenchymal hematomas, pneumocephaly and contusions with doubt on CT confirmed by CT with injection of contrast product. Treatment with low molecular weight heparins (60 IU/Kg/12 h) with anti-vitamins K relay with strict clinical, biological and radiological monitoring, associated with motor physiotherapy for one case, allowed good clinical improvement. Conclusion: The diagnosis of post-traumatic cerebral vein thrombosis remains difficult to confirm by brain imaging and poses a management dilemma between effective anticoagulation and post-traumatic bleeding lesions.

Estimating, appraising and establishing blast exclusion zone at Huni pit - A case study

The issue of accidental flyrock has the tendency to develop safety concerns for commuters around the main public road as mining progressed from 960 ​m reduced level (RL) to 912 ​m RL at Huni pit in Ghana. An evaluation was carried out using empirical models and an artificial neural network to assess and determine the safest blast exclusion zone. The calculations showed that the flyrock could travel a maximum of 220 ​m and 277.45 ​m horizontally for blast hole diameters of 115 ​mm and 127 ​mm, respectively, with the same stemming length of 2.0 ​m. The distances to the public road are much farther than these projected maximum horizontal distances. An artificial neural network (ANN) was also employed to predict the flyrock distance and it was found that the ANN model has the best root mean squared error (RMSE) value of 0.0012 and the highest coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.99 for the flyrock throw prediction. Hence, the blast exclusion zone has been reduced to 500 ​m all around the pit from the pit crest satisfying the recommendation suggested by the Minerals Commission of Ghana. With the new blast exclusion zone, travelling from Damang through Akyempim to Twifo Praso, Takoradi, Cape Coast, and Accra during blasting times is no longer a bother.

Demand Side Perception on Success Factors for Implementing Public Road Construction Projects

Cost and schedule overruns, as well as substandard works, are common factors that fail organisations’ objectives within the construction industry. Particularly, these factors affect public road construction projects and cost taxpayers. Researchers continue scanning the environment to establish why construction projects are ever behind schedule and over budget with substandard works and contract variations to identify significant factors for successful project implementation. This study expands the debate by looking at demand side perception in establishing success factors for implementing public road construction projects motivated by governments’ high expenditure on construction projects without meeting objectives. A cross-sectional research design with a structured self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain views from three public entities representing the demand side. Results were analysed following partial least square structural modelling (PLS-SEM) in Smart-PLS3. The research design enabled statistical tests to be conducted on validity, reliability, normality, multicollinearity, correlations and regression. The PLS algorithm and bootstrapping resampling approach were employed to determine the relationship between variables by estimating path coefficients and significance. Path coefficients helped to determine strength, direction and significance, and examine the variance of dependent variables explained by combined independent variables. Results revealed that the professionalism of the staff, compliance with the public procurement regulatory framework, monitoring activities and contractors’ resistance to non-compliance are significant success factors in enhancing public road implementation. Hence, adopting these factors would be a game changer in implementing complex road construction projects. In addition, complex construction projects in a dynamic construction industry require continuous scanning to establish more factors and cope with industry dynamics.

Analysis of procedures for assessing the technical condition of passenger car bodies after post-accident repairs

The rapid development of the automotive industry is associated with a large number of motor vehicles on public roads. As the number of active road users increases, the probability of a road accident increases. As a result of a collision, cars have minor or major damage, often related to damage to the vehicle's body structure. The paper discusses issues related to the assessment of the quality of post-accident repairs and their impact on the technical condition of the post-accident vehicle in further operation.

Variation of the levels of the ground microtremors: the effect of the urbanization and the distance from major roads.

Variation of the levels of the ground microtremors: the effect of the urbanization and the distance from major roads.

Evaluating the economic and climate adaptation benefits of land conservation strategies in urban coastal regions of the U.S. and China

Land conservation has been recognized as a multifunctional adaptive strategy to tackle climate change as it includes the ability to mitigate risk and enhance biodiversity. However, limited empirical studies focus on the climatic adaptive functions of land conservation. Employing various geospatial and statistical techniques, including remote sensing, logistic regression, and landscape metrics, we investigate the effects of land conservation’s spatial characteristics. These characteristics affect the functional efficacy of climate adaptation in urban coastal regions, influencing regional economic vitality in the United States and China. Empirical results indicate that regional economic vitality is positively affected by parks and grassland, patch growth patterns, higher urban density, and closer proximities to coastlines and major roads. In contrast, the core growth form of land conservation has a negative economic effect. Among the estimated variables, we find that the patch growth form of land conservation and closer proximity to higher urban density have the largest positive effects on economic vitality across the study sites. Our findings contribute to both land conservation policy and the climate change literature by uncovering the spatially explicit effects of land conservation related to climate change adaptation.

A Street Guide Map of Biu using a Geospatial Technique In Biu Town Borno State Nigeria

The aim of this project is to produce a street guide map that will ease navigation within the study area. While the objectives are; digitize details of features within the study area, create and link the attribute table with the spatial data and to produce guide map of the study area. Satellite image (2023) downloaded from the Google earth pro was used to extract the road network of Biu and transferring the data to ArcMap for detailed analysis. The street names were obtained through questionnaires. 146 Roads were within three classes of Road Network Namely Major Road (5), Tarred Street (88) and Untarred Street (53). This field work revealed that some of the Road was not tarred and the new constructed ones were not documented. It shows that some of the Road was not named according to the standard and some were not named at all. From this study, I recommend that the naming system should be standardized across the study area and that recommended that provision should be made for street map revision on a yearly basis so as to account for changes.

Solid Waste Challenges and Management in a Traditional Sahelian City: A Case Study of Sokoto, Nigeria

This study assessed the solid waste generation, management, and consequences in the traditional city of Sokoto. The utmost challenges facing this Sahel region include scarcity of modernized and control measures of waste resulting from daily hectic impacts on the community. In this city, solid waste is characterized by inefficient control, insufficient coverage of collection system and improper disposal methods. The increasing population of residents has accelerated more pollution of all categories, and the consequence is a dearth of hygienic standards. This work further sampled different materials from heaps of waste such as; the level of sub-soils at 0-30 cm (at random) from each of the dump sites to determine the extent of heavy metal concentrations and for fertility supplement in comparison with the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA). Fifty structural questionnaires were administered randomly to selected residents around dumping sites and the staff of Sokoto Waste Management &Planning Board to solicit relevant information that can assist the governments, stakeholders, and waste control agencies. Also, Landsat data was utilized to map out the waste sites for spatio-temporal analysis. Results indicated that 89% of respondents agreed that Sokoto metropolis is characterized by untidiness with masquerades of biodegradable wastes, while major streets especially in the congested areas which displayed a lot of drains and channels remain blocked.

Proximity Analysis using Weighted Product Method: Case Study for Fast-Food Restaurants

This study aims to analyze the proximity between fast-food restaurant locations and several factors to consider in opening outlets, including public facilities, roads, transportation facilities, community mobility, and distance to industrial areas. The method used in this study is the Weighted Product Method. The Geographic Information System tools are used to obtain location data and perform spatial data settings based on the reference system, as well as calculate the distance matrix between locations. The Weighted Product method is used to provide an assessment analysis regarding the factors to be considered in opening an outlet at a location.

Application of Italian Guidelines for structural-foundational and seismic risk classification of bridges: the Fabre experience on a large bridge inventory

The recent issuance of Guidelines for the classification and management of risk, safety assessment, and monitoring of existing bridges has standardized the methodology for analyzing the safety and managing bridges at a national level. The Guidelines propose a multi-level analysis approach, where the assessment of structures is conducted with increasing levels of detail and complexity. This paper describes the work carried out by the Fabre Consortium, the Italian scientific alliance on risk assessment and monitoring of civil infrastructural systems, together with ANAS s.p.a., one of the major Italian road authorities, for the implementation of the Italian Guidelines to a large bridge inventory distributed over the Italian territory. This paper is specifically devoted to structural-foundational and seismic risk classification. The results of the application of the methodology to a large database is presented together with statistical analyses on parameters determining hazard, vulnerability and exposure and with the definition of the most recurrent typological bridge classes within the bridge inventory.

Road Safety Assessment of Banda Aceh - Krueng Raya (Krueng Cut - Baitussalam Toll Gate) Based on User Perception

The Banda Aceh-Krueng Raya Road is a national road and a major arterial road that plays a role in the economic growth of Aceh. The existence of this road is vital because it is the main access to the Sibanceh Toll Road (the end of the Trans Sumatra Toll Road) from urban areas and supports the smooth distribution of goods through the Malahayati seaport. Based on previous research, the cause of accidents on the Banda Aceh - Krueng Raya Road section is a combination of physical and environmental factors. This study aims to determine the geometric conditions and perceptions of motorists who have passed or live around the road section both before and after the Baitussalam Toll Gate became operational. The research used geometric surveys and distributed questionnaires to 290 respondents. The questionnaire data were processed using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) factor analysis modeling method using SPSS software. The results of the observation obtained road geometric conditions in most of the reviewed segments are not in accordance with road safety standards. Data analysis obtained factors that greatly affect the accident according to the perception of the driver is driving skills factor, potential damage and maintenance of road facilities factor, driving behavior and habits factor vigilance and concerns about traffic conflicts factor, and finally driving awareness factor.

A Survey of Awareness and Compliance With Occupational Safety and Health Programs Among Contractors and Field Workers in Negros Oriental

The study aimed to determine the contractors’ and field workers’ awareness of and compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Programs (OSH) in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). This study employed a descriptive-correlational design. The respondents were eight (8) contractors and fifty-six (56) field workers from randomly selected contractors. The study is descriptive as it aimed to illustrate the level of the respondents’ awareness of and compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Programs. It is also correlational as it investigated the relationship between two variables: (a) the extent of the field workers’ awareness of and compliance with OSH Programs and (b) OSH compliance and accident rates in the construction site. The researcher used a validated questionnaire and applied statistical tools such as weighted mean, percentage, and Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation to treat the data. The findings underscore commendable levels of awareness among the personnel, although challenges leading to noncompliance are identified. Notably, many field workers attribute non-compliance to discomfort with wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). Considering these insights, the study offers recommendations aimed at enhancing safety practices for both the implementing office (DPWH) and contractors.

A Survey of Awareness and Compliance With Occupational Safety and Health Programs Among Contractors and Field Workers in Negros Oriental

The study aimed to determine the contractors’ and field workers’ awareness of and compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Programs (OSH) in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). This study employed a descriptive-correlational design. The respondents were eight (8) contractors and fifty-six (56) field workers from randomly selected contractors. The study is descriptive as it aimed to illustrate the level of the respondents’ awareness of and compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Programs. It is also correlational as it investigated the relationship between two variables: (a) the extent of the field workers’ awareness of and compliance with OSH Programs and (b) OSH compliance and accident rates in the construction site. The researcher used a validated questionnaire and applied statistical tools such as weighted mean, percentage, and Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation to treat the data. The findings underscore commendable levels of awareness among the personnel, although challenges leading to noncompliance are identified. Notably, many field workers attribute non-compliance to discomfort with wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). Considering these insights, the study offers recommendations aimed at enhancing safety practices for both the implementing office (DPWH) and contractors.

Contractors' Perception of Success Factors for Implementing Public Road Construction Projects

The Construction industry faces challenges and is increasingly failing to meet organizational objectives. This is evidenced by unsuccessful project implementation. Project failure oscillates between cost and schedule overruns and low-quality work, with construction organizations continuously failing to meet targets and losing significant funds annually. The public road construction subsector, which is currently in the spotlight for procurement irregularities, is equally challenged by the failures. Reports show that public road construction projects are not completed on time and within estimated budgets because of shoddy work and contract variations that negatively affect the government's goal attainment. This has resulted in several administrative reviews and investigations aimed at restoring sanity to successfully implement construction projects and meet government objectives. Studies are sprouting in the construction industry to determine successful project implementation factors that motivated this study's contribution. Based on the contractors' perception, this study aims to establish success factors for implementing public road construction projects. A cross-sectional research design using a structured self-administered questionnaire was adopted, and data was analysed in SPSS version 24 software. Findings reveal that monitoring activities and sanctions on staff are significant success factors in enhancing public road construction project implementation. At the same time, compliance with the public procurement regulatory framework, familiarity with this regulatory framework, professionalism among staff and perceived inefficiency of the regulatory framework are insignificant.

Identifying Effective Biosecurity Measures for Preventing the Introduction of Classical Swine Fever in Pig Farms in Japan: Under the Condition of Absence/Presence of Observable Infected Wild Boar

The outbreak of infectious diseases in swine, such as classical swine fever (CSF), has become a significant concern in the pig‐farming industry. In Japan, after the re‐emergence of CSF in 2018, farms are now exposed to the risk of transmission from infected wild boar and CSF‐contaminated farms. This study aimed to identify biosecurity measures that were effective for the prevention of CSF introduction into farms during the period from the beginning of the CSF epidemic to the implementation of a vaccination campaign for domestic pigs at risk. The probability of virus introduction was assumed to be increased by the elevated risk from CSF‐infected wild boar and infected farms around the farm. The risk from infected wild boar was represented by the prevalence of CSF in wild boar or the occupancy of 1‐km grid cells with infected wild boar within 10‐km radii from a pig farm and the occurrence of CSF outbreaks on neighboring farms. Conversely, the probability of virus introduction was assumed to decrease in response to on‐farm biosecurity measures being implemented on each farm. The implementation of biosecurity measures on the farms and farm attributes were obtained through a questionnaire survey. Analyses were performed on each farm under the weekly situations where infected wild boar were both absent and present in the vicinity using a binomial generalized linear model. On farms where infected wild boar were not present around farms, daily washing and disinfecting of work clothing in pig houses was identified as the main measure to reduce the risk of CSF introduction into farms. On farms with infected wild boar in the vicinity, the absence of public roads on the farm and preventing wildlife intrusion into the areas where pig carcasses were stored were demonstrated to be effective in preventing CSF introduction. Based on the assumption that strict and comprehensive biosecurity measures are required to prevent CSF introduction, the implementation of these potentially effective measures is worth being prioritized.

МЕТОДИКА ИНТЕГРАЦИИ ПРОИЗВОДСТВЕННО-ТЕХНИЧЕСКИХ БАЗ ОБСЛУЖИВАНИЯ И РЕМОНТА ВЕДОМСТВЕННЫХ АВТОМОБИЛЕЙ

The relevance of this study lies in the fact that motor transport services of federal ministries and departments of the Russian Federation, agencies subordinate to them, law enforcement and supervisory authorities are carried out by departmental road transport. The operation of departmental road transport in modern conditions is based on documents developed for public road transport. In some cases, departmental acts on the organization of the work of vehicles and personnel in relation to the functions and tasks of the relevant department are not systematically used. The operation of departmental road transport is characterized by excessive dispersion of regional production and technical bases for the maintenance, maintenance and repair of a specialized fleet, as a rule, assigned to individual institutions. As a result, more material and technical resources, rolling stock and personnel are involved in the transportation process of departmental road transport than at public road transport. Increasing the efficiency of departmental road transport consists in the consolidation and centralization of regional production and technical bases, as well as in rationing the resource provision of the transport process. The subject of the study is the regularities of the functioning of the production and technical bases units of the departmental structure. The purpose of this study is to increase the efficiency of departmental road transport operation due to the territorial integration of production and technical bases. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve a number of tasks, the specifics of which are determined by the features of a specialized departmental road transport on the example of the divisions of the regional Department of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Rostov region, concluded: a) in the collection, grouping and processing of statistical information from divisions by type, model, number and costs of operation and performance of transportation in the field of transport by specialized rolling stock; b) determination by geographical coordinates of the location of divisions in the region; c) the compilation of an adjacent matrix of distances between divisions. The methodology of the study includes a methodology for the territorial integration of production and technical bases of regional units of departmental road transport based on the «center of gravity» method, taking into account the costs of operating a specialized fleet and determining the head production and technical bases. The obtained research results can be used for other departments, divisions, organizations and services of departmental structures in which a specialized fleet is involved.

Design solutions for construction of autoelectric refueling stations in the conditions of rocky soils

In today’s world, the electric car is no longer a fantasy, but an ordinary vehicle that also requires a battery charging station. This is impossible without infrastructure development, especially in mountainous and rocky regions. The appearance of electric charging stations on public roads shows the development of the region, which affects the transportation system, namely its expansion and demand. Despite their simplicity, buildings on rocky soils are difficult to design and require special engineering solutions. The structures themselves should act, as one of the ideas of the electric car, as a picture of ecology, that is, they should be made of eco material and not harm the environment with harmful vapors and waste. If we take apart the design of electric refueling station, the charging stations can act not only as a place to replenish the charge to the battery, but also points of interest, such as: observation decks, places for recreation, etc., as well. Overall, the information raised in this article may help the future of the construction industry as possible designs will soon become ubiquitous.

Portfolio management: the case of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration

The interest in portfolio management has grown in time, especially due to the economical restrictions of the recent years. Selecting the best portfolio of projects and manage it to reach the strategic goals is therefore crucial, but the criteria to consider in the evaluation are getting more complex. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA) is one of the actors that operate in complex environment, dealing with different portfolios and different types of projects. In the management of these portfolios, the new strategic initiative is to bring sustainability among the set of criteria to be evaluated. This is creating a challenge where the importance in selecting the projects to form the portfolio and manage the existing portfolios actively has grown with the difficulty of handling inhomogeneous criteria, also difficult to measure. The structure of NPRA’s portfolios has been investigated, conducting semi-structured interviews and analyzing strategic and organizational NPRA’s documents and tools used for portfolio management. The paper describes the different portfolios for the NPRA and focuses on the actual system for the selection and management of the portfolio of projects, for chosen specific portfolios. For each of them, the strengths and weaknesses for the project portfolio selection and management in NPRA are discussed, with the focus on sustainability as evaluation criteria. Literature and portfolio practice is used to evaluate criticalities for the public agency and to suggest further work to develop a coherent and effective portfolio management focused on sustainability.