Small Projects Year 4 (2015-2016)
Towards Development of Asphalt Materials to Resist Studded Tire Wear to Mitigate Hydroplaning
PI: Balasingam Muhunthan (WSU), muhuntha@wsu.edu
Dates: 12/16/2015 – 12/15/2016
Status: Completed
UTC Project Information
Final Technical Report
This proposed study deals with the PacTrans theme of “Developing Data Driven Solutions and Decision-Making for Safe Transport.” Currently, all four northwestern states, including Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, allow the use of studded tire. Studded tire can dig into asphalt pavement and pick out the small aggregate and eventually result into pavement rutting (1). Read More
Guidelines for Pervious Concrete Sidewalks, Parking Lots, and Shared-Use Paths to Improve Drivers, Bikers, and Pedestrian Safety
PI: Somayeh Nassiri (WSU), snassiri@wsu.edu
Dates: 12/16/2015 – 12/15/2016
Status: Completed
UTC Project Information
Final Technical Report
Objectives of this study are:
1: Test safety aspects of pervious concrete sidewalks/parking lots/bike lanes in winter conditions,
2: Develop additional best-practice guidance for winter maintenance of pervious concrete installations. Read More
Benchmarking and Safety Assessment for Modified Lateral Spreading Design Procedure Using Three-Dimensional Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis
PI: Christopher R McGann (WSU), christopher.mcgann@wsu.edu
Dates: 12/16/2015 – 12/15/2016
Status: Completed
Project Information
Final Technical Report
The purpose of this proposed project is to verify the safety of bridge foundations designed with an improved/modified lateral spreading design procedure using nonlinear 3D finite element models. The current design procedures used for liquefaction-induced lateral spreading are often overly conservative due to the simplifying assumptions involved in their use. A modified design procedure (Martin et al., 2002; Zha, 2004; Boulanger et al., 2006; Ashford et al., 2011) that is part of the focus of this proposed work has been developed as a means to more appropriately consider the relevant aspects of the laterally-spreading bridge-foundation-soil system. This procedure has been shown to be effective in its intended purpose of reducing some of the excessive conservatism associated with more simplified design approaches, however, there has only been limited testing and analysis to verify and benchmark the relative safety of the resulting design solutions for a wide range of bridges, foundations, and soil conditions. Read More
Identifying High-Risk Built Environments for Severe Bicycling Injuries
PI: Qing Shen (UW), qs@u.washington.edu
Dates: 12/16/2015 – 12/15/2016
Status: Completed
UTC Project Information
Final Technical Report
The rise of eco-friendly lifestyles has contributed to the increasing popularity of bicycling in the US. However, cyclist crash injuries remain as a serious public health problem. While the number of deaths in traffic crashes has declined significantly over the past four decades (The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2012a), the number of injured cyclists increased from 45,000 in 2001 to 49,000 in 2012. The percentage of cyclist fatalities among total traffic deaths increased from 1.7% to 2.2% in the same period (The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2012b). Thus, it is important to understand what factors are associated with cyclist injuries, especially severe injuries. Read More
Analysis of Roadway Safety under the Alternative Project Delivery Systems
PI: Ahmed Abdel Aziz (UW), amaziz@uw.edu
Dates: 12/16/2015 – 12/15/2016
Status: Completed
Project Information
Final Technical Report
In the United States, most highway projects were developed using the traditional design‐bidbuild delivery system. Following to regular conditions assessment, maintenance of a road is performed based on the availability of funds and the priorities established for road maintenance. With the scarcity of maintenance funds, serviceability of roads is impacted, which affects road safety. Read More
