Ramp Section Research Articles

Analysis of Drivers’ Workload States on Highways in High Elevation Regions

The low-pressure (and low-oxygen) environment in plateau regions affects drivers’ psychophysiological states and, thus, driving behavior and road safety. Six scenarios of expressway exit ramps were constructed based on the UC/win-road simulator to quantitatively analyze the effect of the plateau environment on workload state. A total of 50 participants in Nanjing (altitude 50 m) and 50 participants in Lhasa (altitude 3,650 m) were recruited for the simulation experiments. Based on the principal component analysis, a sample entropy index (SEI) was constructed to reflect the drivers’ psychophysiological levels by combining the sample entropy of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals β%, β/(α+θ), β/α, and heart rate (HR). Meanwhile, the pupil area change rate and the percentage of fixation time and duration within the region of interest were analyzed to characterize the drivers’ visual workload. Based on the psychophysiological and visual load, the differences in workload states among plain and plateau drivers were analyzed using a regression model and a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. At the same time, the changing trends of the drivers’ workload states in the curved section of the exit ramp under different scenarios were analyzed. The plateau drivers experienced a higher level of mental stress and greater psychological load. Furthermore, the higher radius of horizontal curves reduced the visual load level for drivers when traveling on the highway exit ramp sections. These findings should serve as a valuable reference for refining the design of plateau expressway exit ramps and providing a theoretical basis for improving driving safety in plateau areas.

Optimizing Load Capacity Predictions in Gas Foil Thrust Bearings: A Novel Full-Ramp Model

Gas film thickness significantly influences the performance prediction of Gas Foil Thrust Bearings (GFTB). However, the Classical Model (CM) for GFTBs exhibits inaccuracies in describing gas film thickness. In this paper, we explore the differences in the details of gas film thickness modeling and propose a Parallel Segmentation Model (PSM), which fixes the errors of the CM in describing the gas film thickness in the ramp section, and a Full-Ramp Model (FRM), to which a more realistic description of the gas film in the flat section is also added. Comparative analysis, utilizing a publicly available test dataset based on the open-source GFTB structure, establishes that the FRM surpasses the CM and PSM in accurately predicting load capacity. In-depth analysis shows that the location of the minimum gas film thickness for determining the load capacity is located at the innermost circle of the free end of the top foil, whereas the FRM is subjected to the same load with a larger film thickness at this location, which may be due to the unique geometry of the top foil of the FRM. Subsequently, employing the FRM, a parametric study explores load capacity in GFTB, considering variables such as ramp height, top foil thickness, bump foil stiffness, ramp section extent, and top foil area. The results demonstrate that GFTB load capacity exhibits a linear increase with the expansion of the top foil area. Moreover, the load capacity increases with augmented top foil thickness and bump foil stiffness, albeit at a decreasing rate. Additionally, an increase in ramp section extent initially enhances load capacity, reaching a maximum value before declining. Similarly, an increase in ramp height initially augments load capacity, attaining a maximum before subsequent diminution.

Stratigraphical and sedimentological controls on the distribution of Cloudina bioclastic accumulations in the terminal Ediacaran Tamengo Formation (Corumbá Group), Brazil

The appearance of the early biomineralized skeletons during the latest Ediacaran was one of the most important evolutionary gains for the ancient animals' lineage. This evolutionary innovation likely represents a pivotal shift in ecology and the interactions between the geosphere and biosphere. Among these fossils, Cloudina stands out as the oldest macroscopic biomineralized metazoan that achieved widespread distribution. However, the complex interplay between sedimentation, preservation, and the vertical distribution of bioclastic accumulations in the Ediacaran strata remains unexplored. The Ediacaran Tamengo Formation (Western Brazil) records thick shallow water deposits and preserves several stratigraphic intervals that contain bioclastic-rich beds formed by Cloudina remains. This unit represents a window for investigating the role of the earliest truly and their impact on Ediacaran marine environments. Our investigation aims to examine the sedimentology and taphonomy of Cloudina within the Tamengo Formation in Brazil to test the hypothesis that the emergence of skeletal hard parts influenced sedimentary depositional processes. To achieve this goal, we combine bioclastic remains and facies/microfacies analysis, taphonomy, and sequence stratigraphy. Our approach involves analyzing the distribution of bioclasts in correlation with stratigraphy and microfacies. By doing so, we aim to forecast the presence of bioclastic accumulations across a mixed siliciclastic–carbonate ramp section. Our findings reveal variability in bioclast sizes among different sites, suggesting a correlation with environmental factors. Furthermore, our study underscores the significance of comparing bioclast accumulations between Precambrian and Phanerozoic deposits, emphasizing their broad utility in understanding evolutionary and environmental shifts over time.

Scheduling optimization of underground mine trackless transportation based on improved estimation of distribution algorithm

The trend in underground mine development is trackless transportation, and the scheduling optimization of underground mine trackless transportation is a current research hotspot. This paper proposes a truck scheduling optimization method for underground mine trackless transportation based on an improved estimation of distribution algorithm to address the truck scheduling problem in the underground mine trackless transportation process. The transportation process of transport trucks in underground mines is analyzed. The dispatching model of transport trucks in underground mines is constructed based on the requirements of reducing transportation costs and increasing transportation efficiencies, taking into account the truck meeting situation in the ramp section and minimizing the total shift transportation distance and the total waiting time of transport trucks as the objective functions. The improved estimation of distribution algorithm is used to solve the truck scheduling model, resulting in the optimal ore blending and scheduling schemes. The comparative analysis employs a genetic algorithm, particle swarm optimization algorithm, and immune algorithm. The results demonstrate that, compared to other algorithms, the improved estimation of distribution algorithm proposed in this paper has superior performance in terms of convergence speed and the search for the optimal solution. The total number of transportation tasks associated with the optimal ore allocation scheme is at least 82, and the waiting time associated with the optimal scheduling scheme is reduced to 7.5 min. The operation time chart of transport trucks calculated by the optimal dispatching scheme can clearly depict the location of each transport truck at any time during a shift's working time, which has significant guiding significance for the actual truck transportation in the mine.

Thermo-tectonic evolution of the Neoarchaean Southern Marginal Zone of the Limpopo granulite Complex (South Africa)

Abstract Combined geophysical, structural geological, metamorphic, geochronological, and stable isotope information is employed to elucidate the Neoarchaean thermo-tectonic evolution of the Southern Marginal Zone (SMZ) within the Limpopo Complex (South Africa) during the Limpopo orogeny (2.72 to 2.62 Ga). The complex evolutionary history of the SMZ was controlled by an allochthonous SMZ granulite nappe that was extruded from a rising granulite diapir through a process of mid-crustal heterogeneous channel flow. This granulite nappe with its embedded structures (steeply plunging reclined folds and steep shear zones) was formed during emplacement of the diapir to mid-crustal level (6 kbar, 20 km depth) from where it was thrust south-westwards along the Hout River shear zone (HRSZ) sole thrust against the Kaapvaal Craton (KVC) at 2.72 to 2.69 Ga. Evidence for the thermo-tectonic interaction of the granulite nappe with the KVC includes (1) thrust complexes (referred to as hot-iron zones) that are developed at the frontal ramp sections of the HRSZ juxtaposed against the granite-greenstone belts of the KVC, and (2) strike-slip shear deformation associated with the lateral ramp section of the HRSZ, which developed against the KVC devoid of greenstone belts. The emplacement of the post-tectonic Matok granitic pluton at ~2.68 Ga into the SMZ signified the end of the thermo-tectonic event that established the regional fold- and shear deformational framework of the granulite facies SMZ. Post-Matok secondary shear zones reflect evidence for HRSZ-linked tectonism that continued intermittently to 2.65 to 2.62 Ga. Low H2O-activity fluids (H2O activity of 0.1 to 0.3) released from devolatilisation of underthrust greenstone material passively infiltrated and interacted with the overlying cooling granulites. This established a retrograde anthophyllite-in isograd at ~6 kbar and ~620°C that subdivides the SMZ into a northern granulite domain and a southern retrograde hydrated granulite domain. Simultaneously, gold-bearing fluids focused into these minor shear zones established shear zone-hosted orogenic gold mineralisation at 2.65 to 2.62 Ga. Emplacement of the post-tectonic Palmietfontein granite at ~2.46 Ga and associated sub-volcanic granitic dykes into both the retrograde hydrated granulite domain and the granulite domain signifies the end of all thermo-tectonic activity in the SMZ. A Palaeoproterozoic thermal overprint at ~2.1 Ga is recorded by Rb-Sr biotite and phlogopite ages derived from various rocks from the SMZ and adjacent KVC. This thermal event is not associated with deformation and did not result in the formation of new mineral assemblages. Integrated data presented and discussed in this paper contradict the interpretation of age and petrological data utilised to support alternative models for the evolution of the SMZ, including a proposed ~2.1 Ga Palaeoproterozoic polymetamorphic amphibolite-grade thermo-tectonic event.

Upper Changhsingian to lower Anisian conodont biostratigraphy of the Datuguan section, Nanpanjiang Basin, South China

The Great Bank of Guizhou (GBG) of South China is an important area for the study of Lower Triassic conodont biostratigraphy, but few studies have concerned the clastic facies of this region. The Datuguan section in Luodian County, southern Guizhou Province, is a typical clastic ramp section, preserving a relatively complete conodont succession from the uppermost Permian to lower Middle Triassic. A total of nearly 4000 P1 elements were obtained from this section, and 48 conodont species belonging to 16 genera have been identified, including a new species, Gladigondolella luodianensis sp. nov. 12 conodont biozones have been recognized, namely, the Clarkina yini Zone, the C. meishanensis Zone, the Hindeodus postparvus Zone, the Novispathodus waageni Zone, the Discretella discreta Zone, the Nv. pingdingshanensis Zone, the Icriospathodus collinsoni Zone, the Triassospathodus homeri Zone, the Tr. symmetricus Zone, the Tr. triangularis Zone, the Tr. sosioensis Zone, and the Chiosella timorensis Zone in ascending order. These conodont zones improve the resolution of correlation with other sections in this region, as well as globally. Based on the conodont successions and correlation of lithology, the Permian–Triassic boundary (PTB) and the Griesbachian–Dienerian boundary (GDB) are temporarily placed at the middle of Bed 8, 7 m below the top of the Linghao Formation, and the top of Bed 12, 15 m above the bottom of the Luolou Formation, respectively. The Induan–Olenekian boundary (IOB), the Smithian–Spathian boundary (SSB), and the Olenekian–Anisian boundary (OAB) are drawn at Bed 15–1, Bed 27–1, and Bed 42–2, in terms of the first occurrences (FOs) of Nv. waageni sensu lato, Nv. pingdingshanensis, and Ch. timorensis sensu stricto respectively. The conodonts and ammonoids from the Datuguan section supplement the materials of the Guandao section, which is an important reference section for the definition of OAB. In addition, the distribution of segminiplanate conodonts from the platform margin to the basin center has been determined in the Nanpanjiang Basin, revealing that segminiplanates migrated to equatorial region four times and preferred a narrow mid-depth setting during relatively cooler periods of the Early Triassic, in addition to occupying the more oxygenated deep-water basin at other time.

Development of Functional Scenarios for Automated Vehicle Assessment : Focused on Tollgate and Ramp Sections

Development of Functional Scenarios for Automated Vehicle Assessment : Focused on Tollgate and Ramp Sections

Localization Method and Finite Element Modelling of the Mid-Point Anchor of High-Speed Railway Distributed in Long Straight Line with Large Slope

In order to ensure the safe and reliable operation of a high-speed railway, the precise positioning of the mid-point anchor in the catenary is very important. In view of the two problems in the calculation of the mid-point anchor position of the catenary in a long ramp section, the calculation accuracy is low, and the calculation of the central anchor clamp position is lacking. In this study, the predetermined location of the mid-point anchor is chosen based on the mid-point anchor location principle and the line condition, and the range of the allowable error of the mid-point anchor setting is determined according to the predetermined position of the mid-point anchor. Secondly, by considering the impact of the line ramp and using the measured span length, the tension difference of the clue in the direction of the line is calculated. Then, the theoretical location of the mid-point anchor clamp is determined using the downhill component and the tension difference. Finally, the theoretical position of the clamp is corrected according to the setting of the dropper to obtain the corrected position of the clamp. An FEM (finite element method) of the catenary is established in ANSYS software to calculate the height difference between the messenger cable and the contact wire at the point of the mid-point anchor setting, and then the length of the mid-point anchor rope is obtained. Through the calculation of actual case data, the maximum value of the relative error of the location of the mid-point anchor obtained by this proposed method is very small compared with the actual position, which verifies the effectiveness of this method.

로지스틱회귀모형을 이용한 위험물수송차량 교통사고확률 분석 연구

Hazardous materials transport vehicle crashes on highways occur steadily with an average of 30 cases per year, and leakage of Hazardous materials due to traffic accident causes enormous socioeconomic losses. Studies related to truck safety have been conducted for a long time in Korea, but studies on traffic accidents and influencing factors of hazardous materials transport vehicles have not received attention from researchers. Therefore, this study aims to predict the cause of hazardous materials transport vehicle accidents on highways and the probability of accidents. For this purpose, the highway crash dataset from 2007 to 2020 provided to the Korea Expressway Corporation was collected, and we extracted hazardous materials transport vehicle accidents from the dataset. The logistic regression model was applied for predicting crash probability by selecting four types of crashes, such as fatal and injury, human factor, night-time, and ramp section. As a result of this study, fatal and injury crashes of hazardous materials transport vehicles were derived the most from driver

PERENCANAAN GEOMETRIK JALAN TOL CIBITUNG – CILINCING INTERCHANGE TAMBELANG KABUPATEN BEKASI

The regencies of Bekasi, Karawang, and Purwakarta are experiencing rapid economic growth,because they are the center of the largest industrial area in West Java. This condition causes an increase intraffic on the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road to Jakarta or vice versa so that congestion often occurs. To overcomethese problems, it is necessary to build a toll road that can break down congestion on inner city toll roads, theCibitung - Cilincing toll road is made to reduce congestion on inner city toll roads because freight cars can godirectly to the port without having to go through the inner city toll road. . The purpose of this study is to planthe geometry of the toll road, especially in the access ramp section to and from the toll road. Geometricinterchange planning methodology by following the 2001 AASHTO standard, Procedures for GeometricPlanning for Inter-City Roads no. 038/TBM/1997, Geometric Planning Standards for Urban Roads 1992. Fromthese geometric plans selected 1 ramp located at the Tambelang interchange, the geometric planning analysisincludes vertical alignment, horizontal alignment the bend types used in the design include FC, SCS bends, andfor vertical alignments are concave and convex.

Cobble substrate in a surface bypass reduces bypass acceptance by common roach Rutilus rutilus

Historically, ecological engineered solutions for fish passage across anthropogenic barriers in rivers has mainly focused on facilitating upstream passage for long-migrating diadromous fish, such as salmonids. More recently, passage solutions have shifted their focus to a more holistic ecological perspective, allowing passage for species with different swimming capacity, both upstream and downstream. This experiment investigated whether the addition of cobble in the passageway of a surface bypass could facilitate downstream movement of a cyprinid fish, the common roach Rutilus rutilus. Surface bypasses were constructed in large experimental flumes and roach were released into the flumes and monitored for bypass passage using PIT-telemetry through 11-h night-trials. Behavior was scored using four continuously-recording video cameras at the bypass construction. There was a negative effect of substrate-treatment on the passage rate through the bypass. The majority of the fish in the No substrate treatment had successfully passed within 4 h, while a lesser proportion of the fish in the Substrate treatment had done so (additional fish in the latter treatment passed later in the trials). Fish exposed to cobble substrate in the bypass passageway showed more avoidance-like behaviors at the ramp section of the bypass and tended to return back upstream more often than the fish in the no-substrate control trials. When reaching the passageway, the substrate-exposed fish expressed no behaviors that could be indicative of reduced passage success, as compared to controls. We conclude that passage was not hindered by the presence of cobble substrate, but passage was delayed due to avoidance behavior at the bypass ramp when cobble substrate was present. Based on these results, the addition of cobble substrate in a surface bypass cannot be recommended as a measure to facilitate the downstream passage performance of the common roach through surface bypasses.

Analysis of immersed tunnel settlement under complex load and multiple kinds of compound foundations

The silt typed soil thickness is up to 3~18m laying at bottom of foundation trench of ramp section at west island of SZ-Link and the surface silt is of extremely low strength subject to the influence of sand disturbance. The island cut and cover section tunnel foundation is improved with PHC and the settlement is relatively small. To accommodate the coordinated deformation of the immersed tunnel the soft foundation of the tunnel needs special treatment. Through options comparison and selection, the solution for foundation of tunnel element E1 is advance gravel cushion and compacted blocky stone layer and DCM outside the island and high pressurized jet grouting pile in the island. To accurately analyze the settlement characteristics of the element E1, determine its settlement amount and to achieve smooth rigidity transition of immersion tunnel and cut and cover section the settlement analysis of element E1 under complex loads and multiple kinds of foundations were carried out in combination with testing researches of all kinds of foundations. The primary research work comprises: (1) conduction of laboratory model experiment of gravel cushion, blocky stone compaction experiment, DCM laboratory triaxial test and provision of deformation computation parameters for given different foundation improvement solutions; (2) conduction of 3D finite element numerical analysis for element E1, analysis of immersed tunnel settlement deformation characteristics and provision of the law of E1 settlement distribution.

Determination of Instability Critical Speed of Articulated Vehicle on Ramp Section Based on Response Surface Method

In order to improve the driving safety of vehicles on the ramp section, aiming at the lateral instability problems such as sideslip and rollover in the corner driving of semi-trailer trains, the six-axis articulated vehicle, which is the representative model of current highway freight transportation in China, is selected as the research object. The TruckSim simulation software is used to establish the vehicle dynamic model of nonlinear articulated vehicle, and the orthogonal simulation test of different loading quality and different road adhesion coefficient is designed. The vertical reaction force and lateral displacement of the wheel are taken as the evaluation indexes of vehicle sideslip and rollover, and the critical speed of instability under various road conditions is obtained. On the basis of surface function fitting, combined with the simulation experimental data, the response surface mathematical model of instability critical speed, road adhesion coefficient and loading quality is established. The comparison calculation shows that only 2.23% of the calculation error of the mathematical model reduces the error of the traditional model and improves the calculation accuracy of the model. The results show that the critical speed threshold of instability decreases with the increase of loading mass. With the increase of road adhesion coefficient, the threshold of instability critical speed increases. When the road adhesion coefficient reaches 0.6, the change of instability critical speed threshold tends to be steady. The research results can provide a reference for the evaluation of rollover and sideslip during the turning of articulated vehicle and the determination of anti-instability warning speed of articulated vehicle crossing the ramp section safely.

Comparative Evaluation of Malaysian HCM 2011 and US HCM 2010: Ramp Merging Expressway

It is important for traffic engineers in Malaysia to comply with the relevant and appropriate standards and manuals to determine the performance of highway facilities that will provide accurate result reflecting the existing operation of highways. This paper provides the comparative study in performance evaluation of ramp segment between Malaysia Highway Capacity Manual 2011 (MHCM 2011) and US Highway Capacity Manual 2010 (USHCM 2010). The study was conducted by analyzing data collected, obtained by using Trax Apollyon Automatic Traffic Counter at Km 12, Grand Sepadu Expressway, Selangor. The evaluation of performance for ramp segment was measured by density.. Both densities measured using MHCM 2011 and USHCM 2010 were statistically compared with empirical data provided and the accuracy of both manual was calculated by using the root mean square error (RMSE) for each manual. Correspondingly,RMSE for MHCM 2011 showed lower value which was at 2.44 compared to 2.70 for USHCM 2010. Results showed that MHCM 2011 was more accurate in measuring the density for the ramp section as it has lower value.

Speed reduction on merging sections in mixed traffic: a case study

Driver behavioral studies on merging sections in mixed traffic conditions constituting weak lane discipline are not explicitly studied. This paper provides a case study on vehicle merging process and evaluates speed reduction at merging sections for different vehicle types with various vehicle compositions and flow levels. It provides a literature of research on merging traffic. Further, it explores parameters necessary to be adopted for mixed traffic conditions. Speed reduction on a 2 lane main road due to merging of a two lane ramp section in Navi Mumbai, India is studied by calculating traffic speed and flow levels at various sections before and after the merging. Vehicle type wise speed reduction is evaluated. The result indicated that traffic speeds on main road and ramps are significantly affected due to the increase in flow levels on the ramp. Further, increase in percentage of two wheelers also cause a reduction in speed. However, composition of heavy vehicles do not have a significant effect on speed reduction. Cars constitute the maximum reduction in speed among all vehicle types studied. The results of this study provide a measure of effectiveness of the merging section. Reduction in speed causes delays and affect travel times over a larger network, thus effective management of traffic on merging sections can include innovative ways to improve traffic speeds.

A New Definition Method of Wind Power Ramp Sections

A new definition method of ramp sections is proposed. Firstly, the extreme point extraction algorithm is designed. The results show that the extreme value sequence can not only achieve data compression, but also provide data for the definition of the ramp section. Secondly, several typical recognition methods of wind power ramp are compared. The results show that the ”event” as the unit of analysis is not possible to effectively distinguish between the ramp process and the transient process in the ramp event, which causes the prediction error of the ramp duration. Also, the non-representation of the threshold setting will also cause errors in the prediction and recognition of complex ramp events. In this article, the concepts of ramp section, slope point(SP) and stagnation point(STP) are introduced to realize the segmentation processing and analysis of ramp events, which can effectively distinguish the ramp process and transient process in ramp events and provide a strong guarantee for the accurate prediction of the ramp duration. In addition, the mathematical statistics method of cumulative probability is utilized to discuss the threshold setting. The ramp situation of a wind farm in Yunnan in 2014 is further identified and analyzed, and on this basis, the characteristics of the ramp sections are investigated, whose results show the applicability of this new definition.

Evaluating the HERO Ramp-Metering Algorithm with San Diego’s Integrated Corridor Management System Model

The FHWA project “Alternative Designs to Alleviate Freeway Bottlenecks at Merge/Diverge and Weaving Areas” aims at evaluating six different methods to mitigate merge impacts. In this paper, the following ramp-metering algorithms were tested: HEuristic Ramp metering coOrdination (HERO), Asservissement Linéaire d’entrée sur Autoroute (ALINEA), and San Diego Ramp Meter System (SDRMS). These were compared with a “do-nothing” base scenario. The algorithms were tested during a 5 h morning peak period simulation using the integrated corridor management system (ICMS) Aimsun network, a complete and wide-ranging network covering San Diego’s I-15 mainline corridor, on-off ramps and arterial roads. Whereas ALINEA is already included in the base distribution of Aimsun, a new implementation of HERO was programmed from algorithms found in the literature and adapted for use on such a network. Different measures of performance (MOP) were used to assess the efficiency of each algorithm and HERO was found to outperform all the other algorithms: gains of 1.5% over ALINEA and 4% over do-nothing on the mainline average travel time, and gains of 0.5% over ALINEA and 1.5% over do-nothing for the average weighted harmonic speed on all mainline and ramp sections. However, although tests showed that better results can be obtained on the mainline, careful calibration was needed to attain overall positive MOP and not penalize vehicles entering on ramps. The paper concludes with proposed improvements to the original algorithm.

Geometrical and Frictional Effects on Incomplete Rupture and Shallow Slip Deficit in Ramp‐Flat Structures

AbstractSeveral recent moderate‐magnitude (Mw > 7) earthquakes, such as the 2015 Gorkha, Nepal, ruptured only the deep (>15 km depth) portions of megathrust faults, leaving the updip sections unbroken. Here we investigate the effects of geometrical and frictional variations at depth on the stress accumulation and release in ramp‐flat structures using 2‐D finite element models. Our results show that ramp‐flat structures allow for faster but lower shear stress accumulation with increasing dip of the deep ramp section while increasing frictional strength of the faults allows more stress accumulation. These factors lead to earlier yet smaller failures of the ramp followed by larger and less frequent failures affecting the shallow section. Our models thus suggest that the dynamics of strain reservoirs are related to both the frictional strength and dips of ramp‐flat megathrust structures, and the failure time of the shallow fault section is affected by the stress regime at the deep fault segment.

Evaluation of the Traffic Performance Measure for Exclusive Motorcycle Lane at Merging Section

Exclusive Motorcycle Lane (EML) is defined as a roadway meant exclusively for motorcycles or can be stated as motorcyclists who are compelled by law to use it and other vehicles are prohibited by law from using it. It is physically separated from the mainstreams carriageway and is grade separated from the main carriageway at intersections, interchanges or points of conflicts. Merging is one of the parts of way that motorcycle deceleration the speed from main stream lane to enter the Exclusive Motorcycle Lane (EML) with safe. The urban expressways in Malaysia have serious problems regarding the safety, efficiency and comfort ability at merging sections of an EML because of the insufficient geometric due to limited land and the right of way design configuration condition. The increase of traffic volume and demand lead towards the degradation of motorcyclist performance while on their wheels. This research is performed in order to achieve the objectives, i.e. to obtain and analyze local empirical data, such as flow rate, headway and speed on exclusive motorcycle lane at merging section that reflects on the local traffic condition on Federal Highway Route 2, and to obtainregression modeling that relates to Flow Rate with regards to the Headway 1-3, Time Mean Speed and Length of Merging Ramp section, Lm on the merging section of EML and merging ramp section. Tworegression models have successfully been performed with R-Sq 94.8 % for EML section and 31.1 % for merging ramp section. Its also highlighted the attributes of EML.

Paired carbonate-organic carbon and nitrogen isotope variations in Lower Mississippian strata of the southern Great Basin, western United States

The Early Mississippian K-O (Kinderhookian-Osagean) carbon isotope (δ13C) excursion or TICE (mid-Tournaisian carbon isotope excursion) is one of the most prominent positive δ13C excursions of the Phanerozoic. Recent studies raise uncertainties about the representative shape (single vs. double spikes) and magnitude of this δ13C excursion (3‰ to ≥6‰ in South China; ≥5.5‰ in Europe; and ≥7‰ in North America) and the 3‰ unidirectional increase in nitrogen isotopes across the δ13C excursion, which is unanticipated considering the amount of organic carbon burial required to form the δ13C excursion and the resultant oxygen increase and global cooling. To test if stratigraphic completeness and spatial isotope variations caused such uncertainties, we have conducted paired carbonate carbon (δ13Ccarb), organic carbon (δ13Corg) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope analyses across the K-O interval in two well-exposed sections of the southern Great Basin, western United States. The two sections represent proximal shallow-water and distal deep-water depositional settings of a west-dipping carbonate ramp. In the distal ramp section where no exposure surface is present, both δ13Ccarb and δ13Corg show double spikes with peak δ13Ccarb values up to 7‰ and a negative shift down to 4‰ between the peaks. In the proximal shallower-water section where two karstic disconformities are observed, δ13Corg shows similar double spikes but δ13Ccarb displays only a single peak with the highest value of 5.5‰. The missing δ13Ccarb spike is likely caused by diagenetic alteration below a karstic disconformity that lowered δ13Ccarb but not δ13Corg values, resulting in smaller magnitude of the δ13Ccarb excursion. These features suggest that the 7‰ magnitude and double spikes are more representative of the K-O δ13C excursion in the southern Great Basin. The smaller magnitude of the K-O δ13Ccarb excursion in some sections of the Great Basin and the TICE in other sections globally may have overprinted with local environmental/diagenetic signal or resulted from stratigraphic hiatus/truncation, which needs to be clarified in future research.The δ15N across the K-O δ13C excursion in the distal ramp section is decoupled from δ13C, with the majority of δ15N values around 4±1‰ that do not show any obvious temporal trend. In contrast, δ15N values in the shallow-water section is coupled with the K-O δ13C excursion, with a 3‰ positive shift from 4‰ to 7‰ at the rising limb of the δ13C excursion and a negative shift from 7‰ to 1–2‰ at the falling limb of the δ13C excursion. The δ15N trend from the distal ramp section is, in some extent, comparable with that documented from a section in South China, while the coupled δ13C–δ15N pattern in the proximal section seems better explain the potential redox change across a prominent δ13C excursion. Considering the sensitivity of δ15N to redox conditions of depositional environments, a more comprehensive δ15N study in a broader paleogeographic context is required to better understand the interactions between carbon and nitrogen cycles across the K-O interval—a critical transition from the mid-Paleozoic greenhouse clime to Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA).