Small Projects
NDE System for Determining Wood Guardrail Post Integrity
University: Small Projects Year 2 (2013-2014), Washington State University
PI: Donald A. Bender (WSU), bender@wsu.edu
Dates: 07/01/2013 – 7/31/2015
Final Project Report: PacTrans-31-WSU-Bender
Wood guardrail posts degrade over time due to decay, insects and weathering, and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) needs an inspection system to determine the condition of posts along our highways to effectively prioritize future investments in guardrail upgrades. There are approximately 1.5 to 2 million guardrail posts on the state highway system. Post inspection methods at WSDOT have never been uniformly defined, and the inspection opportunities have normally been associated with pavement preservation projects. Read More
Optimizing Asphalt Pavement Performance for Climate Zones Within Washington State
University: Small Projects Year 2 (2013-2014), Washington State University
PI: Haifang Wen (WSU), haifang_wen@wsu.edu
Dates: 07/01/2013 – 8/31/2015
Final Project Report: PacTrans-34-WSU-Wen
The pavements in the State of Washington witnessed great differences in performance, depending on the climatic zones. The climate west of the Cascade (referred to as West) is generally mild with wet winters. The climate in east of the Cascade (referred to as East) is drier with more extreme temperatures which often drop below freezing during winter. Studded tires are widely used in this area during winter time, creating additional damage (rutting and abrasion) to the hot mix asphalt (HMA) pavements. Read More
Enhancing the Resilience of Idaho’s Transportation Network to Natural Hazards and Climate Change
University: Small Projects Year 2 (2013-2014), University of Idaho
PI: Tim Frazier (UI), tfrazier@uidaho.edu
Dates: 07/01/2013 – 7/31/2015
Final Project Report: PacTrans-52-UI-Frazier
The goals of this research are to determine both the process (i.e., methodology) and the technology (i.e., models) through which the vulnerability science community may provide value on critical and pervasive hazard risk-related issues to state and regional decision makers in Idaho for the purpose of transportation infrastructure resilience enhancement. To achieve the research goals, this study will conduct a probabilistic risk and vulnerability assessment of the state’s transportation network to current and future hazards with a special focus on increased flooding and landslide hazards associated with climate variability and change. Read More
Modeling Passing Behavior on Two-Lane Rural Highways: Evaluating Crash Risk under Different Geometric Condition
University: Small Projects Year 2 (2013-2014), University of Idaho
PI: Michael Dixon (UI)
Dates: 07/01/2013 – 7/31/2015
Final Project Report: PacTrans-47-UI-Dixon
Passing maneuvers on rural two-lane highways are a complex task with a significant effect on safety, capacity, and service quality. This maneuver, which involves driving in the lane of the opposing traffic, is associated with simultaneously increasing crash risk and increasing the driver’s speed. Understanding drivers’ passing behavior and their decision-making on two-lane rural highways can significantly contribute to accurately predicting risk and service quality. Only limited research has been conducted to capture and document drivers’ perception of when they need to pass and passing decision-making. This is partly because it is difficult to collect detailed data on driver perceptions and passing behavior in the real-world environment. Read More
A Framework for Improved Safety and Accessibility through Pedestrian Guidance and Navigation
University: Small Projects Year 2 (2013-2014), University of Idaho
PI: Denise Bauer (UI), dbauer@uidaho.edu
Dates: 07/01/2013 – 7/31/2015
Final Project Report: PacTrans-30-UI-Bauer
With the changes in America’s demographics comes a need to provide improved accommodation of individuals with reduced capabilities. To date, our research has focused upon assistive pedestrian signal technologies for pedestrians with impaired vision. Such individuals must learn to cross complex intersections safely using a range of sensory inputs, including auditory cues from traffic surge and beaconing systems. Unfortunately, reduced vehicle noise, particularly for hybrid or electric vehicles, combined with increases in background sound levels, reduces the effectiveness of this approach. Read More
