CE 3400: Transportation Infrastructure Design CE 3402: Transportation Infrastructure Design Laboratory Spring 2015 Instructor Professor Byungkyu Brian Park, Ph.D. Office: Room THN D205 E-mail: bpark@virginia.edu Office Phone: 924-6347 Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:45 11:45 AM in THN D205, other times by appointment Teaching Assistant Seongah Hong Email: sh3zm@virginia.edu Office: D-101 Office Hours: TBD CE 3400 Lecture Hours and Location: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30 AM to 10:45 AM, THN D-221 CE 3402 Laboratory Hour and Location: Fridays 12:00 12:50 pm, THN D-221 Course Description Transportation infrastructure is vital to sustain economic growth and to improve quality of life. In this course, you will learn (i) how to design a roadway such that road is safe and comfortable to drive (ii) how to design a traffic light such that it will minimize delay and improve fuel consumption, and (iii) how to design pavement structure and management schedule to minimize traffic impact and maintenance cost. These are a few of key transportation infrastructure elements traffic engineers need to properly address to improve quality of life and to sustain economic growth. Goals At the end of course, you should be able to (i) articulate transportation infrastructure design, operation and maintenance, and (ii) apply transportation infrastructure design principles for roadway geometry design, traffic signal control, and pavement management. Objectives 1. Describe fundamental principles and identify factors affecting the roadway geometry design and apply AASHTO geometry design specifications for vertical and horizontal curves [F & A] 2. Acquire techniques used in the evaluation of capital investment (e.g., roadway construction and design) and assess economic impacts of geometry designs/alternatives [L & I] 3. Identify an intersection (in Charlottesville area) requiring improvement and develop data collection plan for analyzing intersection performance [L & C] 4. Analyze a traffic signalized intersection using a software tool and recommend an improvement strategy 5. Synthesize a position paper by comparing articles in a controversial topic (e.g., asphalt vs. concrete pavements), and recommend your point of view with justifications [C, H & L] 6. Describe AASHTO standard in pavement design guide, and implement the guide for a set of selected segments 7. Develop a framework evaluating pavement maintenance schedule and implement it to maximize economic benefits [F, A, & I] Textbook: Traffic and Highway Engineering, 5 th Edition by N.J. Garber and L.A. Hoel Earlier editions contain outdated standards and should not be used Be sure to obtain English unit version 1
Class Participation I expect your active participation in this class. This will involve reading materials before the class, answering questions at the beginning of class (via online survey), sharing your thoughts during the class within group activities, and providing learning reflections at the end of class (via Google Docs). You ll not receive participation points by just coming to class. Learning Activities & Assessments CE 3400: Synthesis Paper Learning objective: Synthesize a position paper by comparing articles on asphalt vs. concrete pavements, and recommend your position with justifications. Acceptable evidence of learning: Each student (i) identifies credible articles and assesses its value, (ii) considers multiple factors (e.g., economical, greenhouse gas emissions, lifecycle assessment, etc.) making their recommendation, and (iii) produces a professionally written executive summary. Assessment: You as an expert in transportation infrastructure design, Virginia Senate Transportation Committee (http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?141+com+s11) Chair, Mr. Deeds, personally asked you to provide him with your assessment on the use of asphalt vs. concrete paving in Virginia s highways. He has referenced to the following article, and asked you to conduct in depth research by utilizing at least 4 additional articles covering both sides. In finding scholarly articles, you can consult with a librarian at Science and Engineering library. I would suggest searching articles from http://scholar.google.com or http://trid.trb.org. http://www.pwmag.com/paving/choosing-between-asphalt-and-concrete-pavement.aspx As requested, summarize each article and discuss any flaws and/or arguments that are not strong, and provide an executive summary report less than 2 pages including introduction/background, key components of pros and cons of concrete and asphalt pavements, and recommendations based on your assessment. To help you better prepare your executive summary report, I suggest you review the following: http://www.wikihow.com/write-an-executive-summary. It is noted that references should be added on a separate page (not counted for 2 pages). Assessment criteria: Your executive summary report will be assessed by its contents (40%), organization (30%) and writing quality (30%). CE 3402: Group Projects Group Project #1: Educational Podcast Describe the importance of transportation infrastructure using articles, statistics, facts, etc. Develop a short video Podcast (about 4 minutes) for educating/promoting the importance of transportation infrastructure Search and archive videos, photos, articles, statistics showing the importance of transportation infrastructure Develop Podcast synopsis to promote/educate the importance of transportation infrastructure Use a technological tool (e.g., imovie or windows movie maker) to develop a video Podcast Disseminate the video Podcast via social media (e.g., YouTube, Facebook, etc.) Assessment criteria: Podcast quality (visual 10%, contents 10%, organization 10%, script 10%), Interim submittals (20%), and peer evaluation (20% - within group; 20% by the class) 2
Group Project #2: Roadway Design Describe fundamental principles and identify factors affecting the roadway geometry design and apply AASHTO geometry design specifications for vertical and horizontal curves using AutoCAD Civil 3D software (available through HIVE) Acquire techniques used in the evaluation of capital investment (e.g., roadway construction and design) and assess economic impacts of geometry designs/alternatives Each group collectively creates Google Docs entry on the roadway geometry design fundamentals, and peer reviewed by other groups Group discussion session each group proposes at least two sketch-level geometry designs and evaluates these geometry designs using AutoCAD Civil 3D. Adjust vertical and/or horizon curves to meet the AASHTO design specification as well as project requirement and finalize two alternatives Identify factors affecting economic impacts and determine appropriate parameter values for those factors, and conduct economic analysis study Compare the alternatives in terms of cost and qualitative benefits, and recommend your roadway design Assessment criteria: Final report (contents 10%, organization 10%, writing quality 10%), Interim submittals (30%), oral presentation including PPT (30%), and peer evaluation (10%) Group Project #3: Traffic Signal Control Description: Chief of City of Charlottesville Public Works Department contacted to you develop a plan for improving traffic signal operations. You re asked to come up with a list of intersections that needs consideration for updating/upgrading intersection, and conduct field data collection and recommend new timing plans under existing and suggested geometry upgrade. You re also asked to consider economic impact using the cost involved in the geometry change, if applicable. Identify an intersection (in Charlottesville area) requiring improvement and develop data collection plan for analyzing the intersection performance Analyze a traffic signal intersection using a software tool (i.e., Synchro) and recommend an improvement Acceptable evidence of learning: How does student (i) identify issues at an intersection that you want to study, (ii) collect and reduce traffic data (e.g., data collection plan), (iii) implement the Highway Capacity Manual for evaluating existing condition and optimization, and (iv) justifying the use of performance measures. Identifying an intersection each individual prepares and submits a candidate intersection with photos and justifications [A] Present these intersections including # of submissions to students. Student Group is randomly formed using catme.org or by instructor, and each group decides which intersection they would study a summary report discussing traffic challenges of the selected intersection and potential remedies (such as geometry change or lane assignment) is prepared. [I, H] Each group develops data collection plan and discusses method to analyze existing intersection performance. [F, A, H] Develop a new timing plan through an optimization for existing geometry, and propose alternatives including changes in geometry and re-optimize them. Compare intersection performances under these cases, and make a recommendation [A, I, H, L] 3
Assessment criteria: Final report (contents 10%, organization 10%, writing quality 10%), Interim submittals (30%), oral presentation including PPT (30%), and peer evaluation (10%) Group Project #4: Pavement Management Describe AASHTO standard in pavement design guide, and implement the guide for a selected segment Develop a framework evaluating pavement maintenance schedule and implement it to maximize economic benefits? Acceptable evidence learning: How does student (i) develop a pavement deterioration function using pavement condition data, (ii) formulate an optimization to maximize effectiveness or minimize maintenance cost using Linear Programming or Nonlinear Programming, and (iii) make a professional report and presentation Each group reviews a set of data from multiple sites including pavement condition, pavement age, traffic volume, etc., and develops a pavement deterioration function by selecting parameters affecting pavement condition. After an optimization lecture class, each group collectively creates Google Docs entry on an optimization for pavement maintenance schedule with budget constraint, and peer reviewed by other groups Identify a choice of optimization tool (e.g., Matlab, S-plus, MS-Excel, etc.) and implement it to maximize effectiveness Assessment criteria: Final report (contents 10%, organization 10%, writing quality 10%), Interim submittals (30%), oral presentation including PPT (30%), and peer evaluation (10%) Grading Policy CE 3400 Class Participation 20% Facebook? Group Discussion 10% Homework 20% Synthesis paper 10% Exams 40% (3 @ 13.33% each) Grading Policy CE 3402 Laboratory Each project 25% (4 projects) Other Policies Cell Phones: Only permitted to participate in class poll survey (should be in vibration mode at the beginning of the class) Late homework: Homework should be turned in at the beginning of the class period identified by the instructor. No late homework will be accepted. However, the lowest homework grade will be removed. Make-up Exam: No make-up exam will be given! A student who has a conflict with the exam date should arrange to take it in advance. 4
CE 3400 Spring 2015 Schedule Date Topic Chapters Reading/Assignment 1/13 No Class (Transp. Research Board Annual meeting) Assignment #1 1/15 Infrastructure Issues in Charlottesville 1/20 Transportation Profession, Systems and Organization 1 and 2 pp. 3-22 & 25-48 1/22 Highway Earthwork 14 pp. 757-767 1/27 Functional classification and design standards 15 pp. 771-788 1/29 Geometric Design Vertical Curves 15 pp. 788-820 2/3 Geometric Design Vertical Curves 15 pp. 788-820 2/5 Geometric Design Horizontal Curves 15 pp. 788-820 2/10 Bicycle & Parking Facilities 15 pp. 822-829 2/12 Exam #1 2/17 Driver, Vehicle & Road Characteristics 3 pp. 53-88 2/19 Driver, Vehicle & Road Characteristics 3 pp. 53-88 2/24 Intersection Design 7 pp. 305-361 2/26 Intersection Design 7 pp. 305-361 3/3 Intersection Control Traffic Signal Timing 8 pp. 757-767 3/5 Intersection Control Intersection Capacity Analysis 8 pp. 895-922 3/10 Spring Recess 3/12 Spring Recess 3/17 Highway Capacity Analysis Traffic Signal Timing Manual 3/19 Synchro Traffic Signal Timing Optimization Tool 3/24 Class debate on Concrete vs. Asphalt pavements Synthesis Paper 3/26 Exam #2 3/31 Design of Flexible Pavements 19 pp. 1039-1084 4/2 Design of Flexible Pavements 19 pp. 1039-1084 4/7 Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guest Lecture (Dr. Ben Bowers) 4/9 Pavement Management 21 pp. 1175-1212 4/14 Pavement Management 21 pp. 1175-1212 4/16 Pavement Management 21 pp. 1175-1212 4/21 Advanced Topic(s) in Trans. Infrastructure Design Dr. Huanghui Zeng s Work 4/23 Review/Help session 4/28 Exam #3 Cumulative No Final Exam! 5
CE 3402 Spring 2015 Schedule Date Topic Activities 1/16 Podcast Project Educational Video Podcast (less than 4 minutes long) on Transportation Infrastructure (see: http://www.library.virginia.edu/blog/libraries/dml/) 1/23 Short presentation of Podcast Topic and Synopsis (up to 3 slides per group) 1/30 Project workday Introduction of imovie, Movie Maker and Digital Media Lab. Form a group of 4 and start working on a Podcast Topic 2/6 Podcast Evaluation Peer Evaluation Geometric Project overview 2/13 Geometric Design Project Design roadway using AutoCAD Civil 3D Civil 3D demonstration 2/20 Civil 3D earth work, vertical and horizontal curves; cost estimation 2/27 Project workday 3/6 Project Evaluation Each group makes PPT presentation Peer Evaluation Intersection Project overview 3/13 Spring Recess 3/20 Intersection Design Project Identify an intersection having potential issue(s) and improve its operation using Synchro Synchro demonstration 3/27 Project workday Site selection & field data collection 4/3 Project Evaluation Each group makes PPT presentation Peer Evaluation Pavement project overview 4/10 Pavement Management Project Formulate and solve MS-Excel based optimization mathematical problem optimizing pavement management system demonstration 4/17 Project workday 4/24 Project Evaluation Each group presents Peer Evaluation 6