PURPOSES : The increasing heat wave warnings during the summer season in Korea have significant impacts on daily life and industry as a whole, especially in urban areas (such as areas with asphalt and sidewalk pavements). Heat waves directly affect urban heat island and heat dome phenomena. Various urban temperature reduction measures are being discussed to reduce urban heat islands and heat dome phenomena and to improve citizen safety against summer heat waves; suggestions include thermal packaging, rooftop greening, and expansion of vegetation areas. There is a lack of analysis on the methodology for increasing the road spraying effect during summer heat waves (e.g., there is no systematic engineering study on the effect from reducing the temperature of the road spraying during a heat wave in the city) and on the types of road pavements in the city. In addition, as the asphalt pavements of roadways and block pavements installed in sidewalks account for a considerable portion of all pavements, this study provides a more systematic and scientific approach and procedures for reducing temperatures through road spraying in the city by tracking the effects of heat waves.
METHODS : In this preliminary experiment, four types of road pavement materials were selected as test specimens: asphalt test specimens (AP- 300 mm × 300 mm × 50 mm), concrete test specimens (CP-300 mm × 300 mm × 50 mm), impermeable blocks (IB-200 mm × 200 mm × 60 mm), and self-permeable blocks (PB-200 mm × 200 mm × 60 mm). As a test method to evaluate the size and duration of each spray effect package type, the surface temperature of each specimen was measured using thermal imaging cameras every 20 min after spraying at the maximum temperature point of each specimen, and the average surface temperature was analyzed based on the collected temperature data. In addition, to conduct a quantitative analysis of the effect of reducing the surface temperature of road pavements by road spraying in summer, field tests were conducted on asphalt roads and watertight blocks for sidewalks.
RESULTS : As a result of the comparative analysis of the spray effect under a 36 ℃ air temperature based on a heat wave warning, the surface temperatures were, from high to low, the asphalt (68.8 ℃), concrete (59.1 ℃), impermeable block (57.3 ℃), and permeable block (58.7 ℃). The asphalt pavement had the greatest effect on the heat island and heat dome phenomena. From measuring the temperature reduction effect and sustainability of each type of road pavement, the surface temperature reduction effects were ranked in the following order: water-permeable block (Δ18.0 ℃), asphalt test piece (Δ17.5 ℃), concrete test piece (Δ12.2 ℃), and water-permeable block (over 240 min). In the report pitching block, the average road surface temperature reduction between the pore recovery and treatment was expected to continue to decrease by approximately -4.3 ℃ on the day of work and approximately -2.4 ℃ on the next day. The expected effect of the temperature reduction owing to simple spraying on the surface of the pore block was evaluated to be limited to the day.
CONCLUSIONS : In the road spray effect analysis conducted on the common asphalt road, there was a slight difference in the initial temperature reduction size as the test specimen was measured, but the surface temperature difference between the non-spray section and spray section tended to be approximately Δ3°C after 140 minutes of spraying. Therefore, it was determined that the asphalt pavement temperature reduction plan through road spraying in urban areas in summer would be the most effective if it was repeated twice or more in an hour (between 13:00 and 14:00) on the day of the heat wave.
PURPOSES : The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of dust removal by dust removal vehicles by the measuring dust load and PM10 concentrations on the sidewalks of block pavements.
METHODS : Field experiments were conducted to determine a dust removal method suitable for the sidewalk conditions, as identified through a literature review. Data collection was followed by the evaluation of the sidewalk dust load with removal vehicles and analysis of the PM10 content within a service road. Moreover, an economic analysis was conducted based on the social costs of dust reduction.
RESULTS : When cleaning a sidewalk block by spraying water, the contaminants in small gaps in the block pavement could be reduced, providing a potential solution to void clogging. The dust on the surface of the sidewalk was suspended from a paved road with a high level of traffic volume. Using sidewalk dust removal vehicles with sweeping, spraying water, and inhalation reduced the dust load and PM10 contents by more than 2 and 0.07g/m2, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS : According to the economic analysis of the development of dust removal vehicles for sidewalks, the cost-benefit analysis method shows an input effect of 0.4, but if the reduction amount of fine particles such as PM2.5, further experiments are necessary to address the atmospheric fine dust concentrations resulting from cleaning sidewalk block pavements.
PURPOSES : The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of concrete pavement behaviors and performance depending on the group-axle types of heavy vehicles, such as single-, tandem-, and tridem-axles.
METHODS : The concrete pavement performance indices (such as the rate of fatigue cracking and surface smoothness) according to the different group-axle types of heavy vehicles were predicted using the Korean pavement design program. It was assumed that the load magnitude was the same for each axle, and that the equivalent single-axle traffic volumes were the same for the different group-axle types. The concrete pavement stresses depending on the different group-axle types of heavy vehicles were also analyzed using a finite element analysis program. RESULTS : Based on the design criteria, the concrete pavement performance was the highest under tandem-axle traffic and lowest under single-axle traffic, although the difference in performance was not significant. Based on the structural analysis criteria, the tensile stress of the concrete pavement was the largest under the single-axle load and smallest under the tridem-axle load when the load magnitude of each axle was the same.
CONCLUSIONS : Based on the results obtained from considering both the design and analysis criteria, it was concluded that the groupaxle types (such as the tandem- and tridem-axle configurations of heavy vehicles) would not increase the stress or decrease the performance of concrete pavements relative to the single-axle configuration.
PURPOSES : The aim of this study is to review freeze-and-thaw testing apparatuses, develop a freeze-and-thaw testing setup with a test protocol, test the freeze-and-thaw properties of soils collected from different parts of South Korea, and suggest an index for frost susceptibility criteria for soils found in South Korea.
METHODS : Based on a literature review, a new freeze-thaw testing setup was developed. In addition, a test protocol was developed for freeze-thaw testing. Soils collected from different parts of South Korea and bedding sand used for block pavements were tested to determine whether the measurements from the newly developed test setup could capture important freeze-thaw characteristics of the soils. Finally, to develop local frost susceptibility criteria, a parameter including both the vertical deformation and thermal conductivity characteristics of the soils was suggested.
RESULTS : The results from the laboratory experiments indicate that the newly developed freeze-and-thaw setup captures the required parameters to quantify the responses of soils subjected to cyclic freeze-and-thaw testing. In addition, a vertical deformation of up to 2.437 mm is measured. Moreover, seven soils out of the nine tested soils are classified as having a medium frost susceptibility, whereas the remaining two show low frost susceptibility. The bedding sand experiment also shows that there is a possibility of having a frost susceptible condition based on the moisture content. When submerged, the bedding sand is classified as having a medium frost susceptibility.
CONCLUSIONS : The "HEART" freeze-thaw testing setup was able to capture the parameters required for evaluating the frost susceptibility of soils. This setup and testing procedure could be further used to test and prepare criteria for classifying the frost susceptibility of soils found in South Korea.
PURPOSES : Roller-compacted concrete pavement (RCCP) is a superstiff-consistency concrete pavement that exhibits excellent strength development owing to a hydration reaction and interlocking aggregates owing to the roller compaction. A zero-slump concrete mixture is generally used. Hence, it is important to control the consistency of the RCCP mixture to prevent the deterioration of the construction quality (such as material separation during paving). The workability of the RCCP is characterized by its consistency and controlled by the Vebe time, whereas a conventional concrete pavement is controlled based on the slump test. The consistency of the RCCP changes over time after concrete mixing owing to delivery, construction time delays, etc. Thus, it is necessary to use the optimum Vebe time to achieve the best construction quality. Therefore, this study aims to develop a Vebe time prediction model for efficiently controlling the consistency of RCCPs according to random time variations.
METHODS : A Vebe time prediction model was developed using a multiple linear regression analysis. A dataset of 131 samples was used to develop the model. The collected data consisted of variables with large potential effects on the consistency of the RCCP, such as the water-cement ratio (W/C), sand/aggregate ratio (S/a), water content (ω), water content per unit volume (W), cement (C), fine aggregate (S), coarse aggregate (G), water reducing admixtrue (PNS), air-entraining admixture (AE), delay time (T), air temperature (TEM), and humidity (HUM). In the multiple linear regression analysis, the mentioned parameters were used as the independent variables, and the Vebe time was the dependent variable. The Vebe time prediction models were evaluated by considering the adjusted R2 and p-values. The selection of the model was based on the largest R2 value and an acceptable p-value (p<0.05).
RESULTS : The Vebe time prediction model achieved an adjusted R2 value of 64.14% with a significance level (p-value) of less than 0.05. This shows that the predictive model is adequately described for the dependent variable, and that the model is suitable for Vebe time predictions. Moreover, the significance level of the independent variables is less than 0.05, indicating significant effects on the Vebe time (i.e., the dependent variable).
CONCLUSIONS : The Vebe time prediction model developed in this study can be used to estimate Vebe times with an R2 of 63.33% between the measured and predicted values. The proposed Vebe time prediction model is expected to be effectively utilized for the quality control of RCCP mixtures. Moreover, it is expected to contribute to achieving good RCCP construction quality.
PURPOSES : In this study, an existing speed-controlled Marshall stability tester was systemized as an Internet of Things(IoT) system. The Marshall stability test data were transmitted to the cloud in real-time, and an IoT optional-controlled board capable of additional load and displacement control was proposed.
METHODS : The IoT systemization was built based on an improvement of an IoT height measuring system, the re-verification of standard samples for comparative analysis, and the development of a wireless IG-IoT board. The developed wireless Induk-GeoTS(IG)-IoT board was compared with existing commercial data logger using displacement- and load- calibration equipment. After the conformity of the developed wireless IoT board was established, a urethane standard sample was reproduced and verified using the recipe presented in a previous study to conduct a round-robin test. In addition, the adequacy of the speed, load, and displacement control tests for the optional-controlled characteristics was verified. the round-robin test for the Marshall stability and deformation strength and the comparative test of indirect tensile strength with the existing Marshall tester were performed using the re-verified standard sample.
RESULTS : The improved two-point IoT height measurement system reduced the average relative error by 2.11% relative to the one-point measurement. From the re-verification results of the regenerated urethane standard sample, it was suitable with relative error of 3.65% in the loading elastic modulus and 4.07% in the unloading elastic modulus, compared to the existing standard sample. From the comparative analysis of the developed wireless IG-IoT board and existing commercial data logger, it was confirmed that the wireless IoT board could be reliably used, based on the average relative error of the wireless IoT board, 0.64% and that of the data logger, 3.79% in terms of the displacement(flow value) and an average relative error of 0.78% for the wireless IoT board and 0.79% for the data logger in terms of the load(stability). By analyzing the optional-controlled characteristics, it was found that the Marshall stability speed control conditions were satisfied based on the error results, with an average relative value of 2.96% under deformation strength test condition of 30mm/min, 3.23% under the indirect tensile strength test condition of 50mm/min, and 2.6% under the Marshall stability test condition of 50.8mm/min. It was also found that proper control characteristics were obtained, with an average relative error of 0.72% within the experimental load range in the load control conditions, and an average relative error of 2.4% in the experimental displacement range in the displacement control conditions. The results from the round-robin Marshall stability and deformation strength testing to verify the applicability of the IoT optional-controlled board show that the data were reliable based on the 3σ quality control method. In addition, by comparing the results of the indirect tensile strength tests, the usability of the wireless IG-IoT board was verified, with an average relative error of 0.96%. CONCLUSIONS : The IoT height measuring system was improved, and a wireless IG-IoT board that can transmit test data to a cloud platform was developed. The usability of the developed wireless IoT board was verified by round-robin testing using a re-verified urethane specimen. The IG-IoT optional-controlled board extends the verified wireless IG-IoT board, it was developed and validated for not only the existing speed control, but also for load, and displacement control.
PURPOSES : Currently, the domestic construction industry is dominated by large-scale projects such as roads, ports, airports, and buildings. Construction on such projects is generally conducted simultaneously, but the process and quality management are led by a small number of responsible managers. In the case of road pavements, owing to rapid industrial development, economic growth, and the expansion of social overhead capital investment in the road construction industry, highways and general national roads have been constructed on a large scale. Therefore, this study aimed to improve and develop domestic concrete production and construction quality management by improving the reliability and transparency of production quality management and simplifying business processes. This was accomplished through the development of an Internet of Things (IoT)-based cement quality management system capable of automated design and build (D/B) construction and real-time monitoring.
METHODS : The "IQ" system is a quality management system for enabling real-time monitoring of D/B quality at the time of concrete production and according to the designated age by utilizing quality test equipment developed with an LTE-Bluetooth function. It is possible to immediately identify and respond to quality problems through real-time monitoring, secure a reliable quality D/B because the quality test results cannot be arbitrarily manipulated, and to simplify the work process through the automatic D/B construction. In addition, improved quality control can be achieved through real-time information sharing and feedback system operations between contractors, managers, and personnel involved in construction. The quality control test items for developing the IQ system are the compression and flexural strengths, as these can be used to determine the design standard strength of pre-curing concretes (such as their slump and unit quantity) and the adequacy of the workability and durability, as well as the air volume to predict the durability, and the chloride content in the sections where reinforcement is used.
CONCLUSIONS : This study identified difficulties and limitations in quality management according to the operation method in the domestic quality management systems, and in the real-time monitoring between managers and contractors. Thus, it was necessary to establish an improved systematic and reliable quality management system. The IQ system was developed to solve this problem.
PURPOSES : Aiming to evaluate the consistency of road markings at night, the luminance values of road markings at night were compared for merging and diverging areas.
METHODS : To evaluate the consistency of road marking at nighttime in merging and diverging areas, the highway geometric structures and luminance of the road markings were collected and analyzed together at the merging and diverging areas. "Luminance" in this study referred to the overall luminance of the road markings as reflected together from surrounding lights, such as moonlight or artificial lights. The luminance of the road markings 90 m ahead of the driver were used. The measured luminance values were analyzed based on the difference ratios and an analysis of variance.
RESULTS : Based on a grouping of three categories (interchanges (ICs), merging, and diverging areas), it was found that the difference ratios and analysis of variance values from the ICs and merging and diverging areas were not consistently acceptable.
CONCLUSIONS : After evaluating the consistency of road markings at night in the merging and diverging areas, it can be concluded that there is a need for more consistency in the luminance on merging and diverging areas on highways. To enhance consistency, more dedicated lighting guidance for merging and diverging areas on highway areas may be necessary.
PURPOSES : Speed management is essential for enhancing children’s safety in school zones. The objectives of this study are to analyze how digital-based school zone signs and newly proposed signage for increasing visibility influence speed reductions and how the new system facilitates drivers obeying the speed limits.
METHODS : A before/after analysis technique with comparison groups (widely used to evaluate safety effects) was employed. To effectively capture the safety effects of the new system, two significant measures were selected as the measures of effectiveness: the rates of change in space mean speeds and speed limit compliance.
RESULTS : With three target sites and three comparison sites, the mean space speeds after installing the new systems were found to be slightly reduced for all target sites (the reduction rates of the space mean speed were found to be 5% for site A, 1% for site B, and 6% for site C). The lack of a constant tendency in speed reduction effects at all sites might be owing to the fact that the speed data collection was conducted before the driver's system adaptation was sufficiently performed. Regarding the speed limit compliance rate, significant increases were observed at two sites (10% for site A and 51% for site C), but site B did not show an increasing effect. The reason for the absence of this effect is that the installation of crosswalks and speed bumps at the target site affected the driver's compliance with the speed limit.
CONCLUSIONS : An insufficient amount of evaluation results was obtained for the new guidance system. However, the new guidance system method provides an alternative approach to improving children's safety, i.e., by inducing drivers to actively slow down in school zones.
PURPOSES : There are significant differences in traffic accident rates depending on various road conditions and environments. However, the current traffic accident rates on national highways are classified relatively simply, and it is also difficult to accurately calculate the crash modification factor. Therefore, this study aimed to improve the traffic accident rates on national highways by presenting an algorithm for categorizing the traffic accident rates of national highway into four types (older and modern roads, and urban and rural roads).
METHODS : The problems in the current rate of traffic accidents were derived, Traffic accident analysis system(TAAS) was used for the traffic accident data, and the road traffic volume statistical yearbook was used for the traffic volume data. After dividing the national highways into older and modern roads and urban and rural roads, the rates of traffic accidents were calculated and compared with the current accident rates.
RESULTS : The accident rate of modern roads was found to be lower than that of older roads, and was lower in rural areas than in urban areas. From comparing the results of this study with Korea development institute(KDI) guidelines, older roads and urban roads exceeded the value in the KDI guideline, whereas the rates of modern roads and rural roads were lower than the KDI value.
CONCLUSIONS : The accident rate accuracy was improved by subdividing the accident rates into four types. Therefore, it is expected that the accuracy and reliability of economic analysis on road projects will be improved.
PURPOSES : Presently, it is impossible to evaluate the actual number of operational plans and punctuality of bus routes. In this study, a methodology for separating bus stops and sorting departure orders was developed using city bus operation information, and its field applicability was examined.
METHODS : Based on current bus data, the "moving speed (km/h)," "Lag data," and "Lead data" were generated. The number of stops was classified based on the location where the order of the stops changed for each vehicle, and an arbitrary ID was assigned for each number of stops. In the case of a preceding vehicle, for each rotation information, a time interval was calculated based on the same point, and the rotation with the smallest time interval was determined as the preceding vehicle.
RESULTS : An evaluation was conducted on Bus Route 201 in Daejeon. The vehicles were classified based on the operation data of the previous day. From analyzing the operation time and distance for each operation based on the last stop and starting point, it was found that both the number of operation plans and performance were consistent. The punctuality was analyzed and was found to be inversely proportional to the difference between the stop arrival time and preset arrival time, preset dispatch interval, and actual dispatch interval. The on-time(regularity) ratio was determined as 98.0% and the early departure ratio was 99.3%, indicating very good regularity. CONCLUSIONS : The research results can be used by local governments with insufficient levels of public transportation-based data management, and can be used as basic data for establishing public transportation policies. The results of this study can be referred to when evaluating the transparency of financial support for public transportation operators and operations, with the aim of enhancing public transportation services.
PURPOSES : In this study, the main factors affecting the severity of traffic accidents among elderly drivers were reviewed, and accident factors with a high accident risk were analyzed. This provided basic data for preparing a traffic safety system for elderly drivers and establishing policies.
METHODS : Based on machine learning, the major factors influencing accident severity (from the analysis of traffic accident data for elderly drivers) were analyzed and compared with existing statistical analysis results. The machine learning algorithm used the Scikit-learn library and Python 3.8. A hyperparameter optimization process was performed to improve the safety and accuracy of the model. To establish the optimal state of the model, the hyperparameters were set (K = 5) using K-fold cross-validation. The hyperparameter search applied the most widely utilized grid search method, and the performance evaluation derived the optimal hyperparameter value using neutral squared error indicators.
RESULTS : The traffic laws, road sections of traffic accidents, and time zones of accidents were analyzed for accidents involving elderly drivers in Daejeon Metropolitan City, and the importance of the variables was examined. For the analysis, a linear regression model, machine learning-based decision tree, and random forest model were used, and based on the root mean square error, the random forest accuracy performance was found to be the best. Ultimately, 18 variables were analyzed, including traffic violations, accident time zones, and road types. The variables influencing the accident severity were the speed, signal violation, intersection section, late-night driving, and pedestrian protection violation, with the relative importance of the variables in the order of speed (0.3490966), signal violation (0.285967), and late-night driving (0.173108). These can be seen as variables related to the expansion of life damage owing to physical aging and reduced judgment abilities arising from decreases in cognitive function.
CONCLUSIONS : Restricting the driving of the elderly on the expressway and at night is reasonable, but specific standards for driving restrictions should be prepared based on individual driving capabilities.
PURPOSES : Snow removal is one of the principal components in winter road maintenance. The two commonly used methods are mechanical removal and chemical removal. Mechanical removal pushes accumulated snow off the roadway using snow plows. Chemical removal involves the application of chemicals such as NaCl2 (salt), CaCl2, MgCl2, etc., to liquefy the snow on the road. However, chemicals are known to pose negative effects on the environment and road infrastructure, so it is emphasized that only an appropriate amount of chemicals should be applied. Hence, in this study, extensive field experiments were performed to determine the appropriate amounts of chemicals required for each road surface temperature group.
METHODS : The experiments were carried out at a road weather proving ground, located in Yeoncheon where road weather (including snowfall) can be artificially created. Four surface temperature groups were predetermined, according to the characteristics of de-icing chemicals on snow. For each temperature group, four different amounts of pre-wetted salt were applied to find the optimal rate for each group.
RESULTS : As a consequence, the amount of recommended chemicals for each temperature group was found to be an average of 27.2g/ m2, which is 7.7g/m2 (22%) lower than the corresponding amount presented in the current Korean guidelines.
CONCLUSIONS : Applying the results of this study to snow and ice control tasks enables the minimization of the negative impacts of de-icing chemicals, but still maintaining road safety and mobility.
PURPOSES : The "Super-Bus Rapid Transit" (S-BRT) standard guidelines recommend installing physical facilities to separate bus lanes, so as to remove possible conflicts with other traffic when using an existing road as an S-BRT route. Based on a collision simulation, we reviewed the protective performance and installation method of a low-profile barrier, i.e., one that does not occupy much of the width of the road as a physical facility and does not obstruct the driver's vision.
METHODS : The LS-DYNA collision analysis software was used to model the low-profile barrier, and a small car collision simulation was performed with two different installation methods and by changing the collision speeds of the vehicle. The installation methods were divided into a fixed installation method based on on-site construction and a precast method, and collision speeds of 80 and 100 km/h were applied. The weight of the crash vehicle was 1.3 tons, and the segment lengths of the low-profile barriers were 2.5 and 4.0 m, respectively. The lowprofile barriers were modeled as precast concrete blocks, and the collision simulation for a fixed concrete barrier was performed by fixing the nodes at the bottom of the low-profile barrier. The low-profile barrier comprised a square cross-section reinforced concrete structure, and the segments were connected by connecting steel pipes with varying diameters to wire ropes.
RESULTS : From comparing and analyzing the small car collision simulations for the changes in collision speeds and installation methods of the low-profile barrier, a significant difference was found in the theoretical head impact velocity (THIV) and acceleration severity index(ASI) for the 2.5-m barrier at a collision speed of 80 km/h. However, the differences in the installation method were not significant for the 4.0-m barrier. The occupant safety index with a collision speed of 80 km/h was calculated to be below the limit regardless of the installation method, and the length of the segment satisfied the occupant protection performance. At a collision speed of 100 km/h, when the segment length of the 2.5-m barrier was fixed, the THIV value exceeded the limit value; thus, the occupant protection performance was not satisfied, and the occupant safety index differed depending on the installation method. The maximum rotation angle of the vehicle, which reflects the behavior of the vehicle after the collision, also varied depending on the installation method, and was generally small in the case of precast concrete.
CONCLUSIONS : Low-profile barriers can be installed using a fixed or precast method, but as a result of the simulation, the precast movable barrier shows better results in terms of passenger safety. Therefore, it would be advantageous to secure protection performance by installing a low-profile barrier with the precast method for increased safety in high-speed vehicle collisions.