PURPOSES : The purpose of this study is to statistically analyze the meteorological factors that contribute to the formation of road surface icing based on actual cases of icing accidents and provide directions for improving icing evaluation criteria. METHODS : In this study, we collected cases of domestic road icing accidents by searching news articles with the keyword ‘icing collision accidents’. Subsequently, we determined the latitude, longitude, and altitude of accident locations using satellite map service. We applied the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) method and temperature lapse rate to estimate meteorological data at each location. Finally, statistical analysis was conducted for temperature, humidity, and precipitation occurrence using probability density functions. RESULTS : As a result, road icing accident data points with identifiable location coordinates were collected. Among these, temperature, humidity, and precipitation occurrence from Automated Weather Stations (AWS) data were selected for analysis. During the process of correcting meteorological factors using the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) method, the optimal Weighting Exponent (p) that minimizes the error was determined and applied. The results showed that accidents occurring in the morning indicated the highest accident occurrence rate. The average temperature at the time of the accidents was -1.4°C, with a humidity level of 85.1%. Precipitation was observed at the time of the accident in 19 cases. CONCLUSIONS : Icing on pavement can occur not only under extreme weather conditions but also under typical meteorological conditions. Typically, icing can occur when the relative humidity is above 70%. Accordingly, for future improvements in the evaluation criteria for icing-prone areas by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, it is possible to incorporate the temperature and humidity ranges that generally lead to icing, taking into account climate characteristics.

PURPOSES : The purpose of this study was to improve the performance of concrete pavements by decreasing measurement deviations using an Internet of Things (IoT)-based air content measurement device. METHODS : We calculated the properties of concrete which varied according to the air content. For a low measurement deviation, the concrete pavement performed according to the design standard. To confirm the difference in the performance of the concrete pavement for various air contents, we verified the change in the relative dynamic modulus according to the number of freeze–thaw cycles for each value of the air content. In addition, we analyzed the number of durability cracks according to the freeze–thaw cycles in the field. RESULTS : We confirmed that IoT-based measurement equipment improved the performance of pavements without changing their mixing designs or specifications. We confirmed that the performance of concrete pavements changed even with variations in air content within the range of quality standards. Using IoT-based air content management, we confirmed the reduction in concrete pavement durability cracks without changing the mixing design. CONCLUSIONS : We confirmed that IoT-based air-content management improved pavement performance. The feasibility of extending this concept to manage other concrete properties such as the chloride content should be acknowledged. Future research will require laboratory tests to understand the variation in concrete properties with varying air contents and to consider diverse load conditions.

PURPOSES : This study aims to understand the effect of defective dowel bar installation on jointed concrete pavement (JCP), which can cause joint freezing, spalling, cracking, and faulting and finally shorten the lifespan of the pavement. METHODS : A comprehensive field survey was undertaken at an expressway construction site in South Korea to assess dowel bar installation conditions. In addition, finite element (FE) analysis was used to simulate JCP behavior with both vertical and horizontal dowel misalignments. Different temperature conditions, including a change of -55 °C and gradient of -0.1 °C/mm, were integrated into the FE model to examine horizontal slab contraction and simultaneous slab curling. RESULTS : The analysis revealed pronounced slab behaviors under specific temperature changes, particularly when combined with dowel misalignments. The simultaneous effects of horizontal contraction and slab curling owing to temperature changes and gradients became more evident in the presence of dowel misalignments. CONCLUSIONS : The results confirmed that dowel bar misalignment considerably affected the behavior of the JCP, thereby emphasizing the importance of the proper installation of dowel bars.

PURPOSES : The purpose of this study was to improve the performance of concrete pavements by measuring the unit-water content with an Internet-of-Things (IoT)-based unit-water content measurement device at an increased precision compared with that of existing measuring equipment. METHODS : We calculated the properties of concrete that varied according to variations in the unit-water content. To confirm the change in the performance of concrete pavements, we compared and analyzed the fatigue cracking rate and international roughness index of concrete pavements at the 20-year point of public use according to the changes in properties using the Korea Pavement Research Program(KPRP). RESULTS : We confirmed that IoT-based measurement equipment can improve the performance of pavements without changing their mixing designs or specifications. We confirmed that the performance of the concrete pavements changed significantly, even with unit-water content variations within the range of quality standards. According to IoT-based unit-water content management, we confirmed that the performance of the concrete pavement (fatigue cracking rate and international roughness index) improved without changing the mixing design. CONCLUSIONS : We confirmed that by using IoT-based unit-water content management, pavement performance can be improved. It is necessary to consider whether the application of this concept to other concrete property management items, such as the chloride content, is possible. Considering the changes in concrete properties according to the unit-water content based on laboratory tests and considerations of various load conditions will be necessary for future research.

PURPOSES : For most local governments, including that of Gangwon-do, the establishment of an organized pavement management system is insufficient, resulting in problems such as inefficient distribution and use of maintenance budgets for deteriorated road pavements. In this study, we aimed to contribute to the establishment of a more reasonable road maintenance strategy by developing a model for predicting the annual international roughness index (IRI) change for national highway asphalt pavements in Gangwon-do based on big data analysis. METHODS : Data on independent and dependent variables used for model development were collected. The collected data were subjected to exploratory data analysis (EDA) and data preprocessing. Independent variable candidates were selected to reduce multicollinearity through correlation analysis and specific conditions. A final model was selected, and sensitivity analysis was performed. RESULTS : The final model that predicts annual IRI change uses independent variables such as annual temperature range, minimum temperature, freeze-thaw days, IRI, surface distress (SD), and freezing days. The sensitivity analysis confirmed that the annual IRI change was affected in the order of annual temperature range, minimum temperature, freeze-thaw days, IRI, SD, and freezing days. CONCLUSIONS : Road maintenance can be performed rationally by predicting future pavement conditions using the model developed in this study. The accuracy of the prediction model can be improved if additional data, such as material properties and pavement thickness, are obtained in future studies.

PURPOSES : In this study, the alkali aggregate reactivity and expansion characteristics of mortar mixed with waste glass (a recycled aggregate) were confirmed to verify the alkali-silica reaction (ASR) stability and review the appropriateness of the alkali aggregate reactivity test method following the replacement of recycled aggregate. METHODS : The alkali-aggregate reactivity of waste glass aggregates was measured using the chemical and physical methods described in KS F 2545 and ASTM C 1260, respectively. The reactivity was classified by comparing the results. Cement with a high-alkali content was used to simulate an environment that can induce ASR. Non-reactive fine aggregates, waste glass fine aggregates, reactive general aggregates, and Ferronickel slag aggregates were used as control groups. RESULTS : Waste glass fine aggregates were classified as reactive when applying the chemical method. In the physical method, they were classified as reactive at 100% and latent reactive at 1%, based on the mixing ratio. Additionally, we discovered that the reliability of the chemical method was low since the ASR of the aggregates was classified differently based on the evaluation method, while the results of the chemical and physical test methods were inconsistent. CONCLUSIONS : To determine the alkali reactivity of recycled aggregates, the complex use of chemical and physical methods and analysis based on the mixing ratio of the reactive aggregates are required. Small amounts of waste glass aggregate replacements affected the ASR. Because ASR reaction products can affect the long-term thermal expansion of the structure, further research is needed to use ASR aggregates in structures.

PURPOSES : The initial smoothness of concrete pavement surfaces must be secured to ensure better driving performance and user comfort. The roughness was measured after hardening the concrete pavement in Korea. When the initial roughness is poor, relatively large-scale repair works, such as milling or reconstruction must be performed. Hence, a method to measure the roughness of the concrete pavements in realtime during construction and immediately correct the abnormal roughness was developed in this study. METHODS : The profile of a concrete pavement section was measured at a construction site using sensors that were attached to the tinning equipment of the paver. The measured data included outliers and noise caused by the sensor and vibration of the paving equipment, respectively, which were further calibrated. Consequently, the calibrated data were input into the ProVAL program to calculate the roughness based on the international roughness index (IRI). Additionally, the profile of the section was re-measured using another method to verify the reliability of the calculated IRI. RESULTS : The profile data measured at the concrete pavement construction site were calibrated using methods, such as overlapped boxplot outlier removal and low-pass filtering. The outlier data from the global positioning system (GPS), which was installed to identify the construction distance, was also calibrated. The IRI was calculated using the ProVAL program by matching the measured profile and GPS data, and applying the moving average method. The calculated IRI was compared to that measured using another method, and the difference was within the tolerance. CONCLUSIONS : A method to measure the roughness of the concrete pavements in real time during construction was developed in this study. Hence, the performance of concrete pavements can be improved by enhancing the roughness of the pavement considerably using the aforementioned method.

PURPOSES : Local governments in Korea, including Incheon city, have introduced the pavement management system (PMS). However, the verification of the repair time and repair section of roads remains difficult owing to the non-existence of a systematic data acquisition system. Therefore, data refinement is performed using various techniques when analyzing statistical data in diverse fields. In this study, clustering is used to analyze PMS data, and correlation analysis is conducted between pavement performance and influencing factors. METHODS : First, the clustering type was selected. The representative clustering types include K-means, mean shift, and density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN). In this study, data purification was performed using DBSCAN for clustering. Because of the difficulty in determining a threshold for high-dimensional data, multiple clustering, which is a type of DBSCAN, was applied, and the number of clustering was set up to two. Clustering for the surface distress (SD), rut depth (RD), and international roughness index (IRI) was performed twice using the number of frost days, the highest temperature, and the average temperature, respectively. RESULTS : The clustering result shows that the correlation between the SD and number of frost days improved significantly. The correlation between the maximum temperature factor and precipitation factor, which does not indicate multicollinearity, improved. Meanwhile, the correlation between the RD and highest temperature improved significantly. The correlation between the minimum temperature factor and precipitation factor, which does not exhibit multicollinearity, improved considerably. The correlation between the IRI and average temperature improved as well. The correlation between the low- and high-temperature precipitation factors, which does not indicate multicollinearity, improved. CONCLUSIONS : The result confirms the possibility of applying clustering to refine PMS data and that the correlation among the pavement performance factors improved. However, when applying clustering to PMS data refinement, the limitations must be identified and addressed. Furthermore, clustering may be applicable to the purification of PMS data using AI.

PURPOSES : The purpose of this study is to confirm the thermal expansion characteristics of concrete mixed with 1% waste glass fine aggregates, which is the amount stipulated for recycled aggregates in the current quality standard. METHODS : The coefficient of thermal expansion was measured by applying AASHTOT 336-10 using a LVDT. The results measured were used as physical properties in a finite element analysis to confirm the change in tensile stress and the displacement of the right angle section of the upper slab of a concrete pavement due to admixture substitution. RESULTS : The thermal expansion coefficients of concrete based on the replacement rate of the admixture when the waste glass fine aggregates are replaced are within the range of the thermal expansion coefficients of concrete specified in the Federal Highway Administration report. As the replacement rate of the admixture increases, the thermal expansion coefficient of concrete decreases. As the thermal expansion coefficient decreases, the slab pavement curling displacement and the tensile stress of the center of the upper slab of concrete decrease. CONCLUSIONS : In the short term, the presence or absence of waste glass fine aggregates does not significantly affect the thermal expansion coefficient of concrete. However, in the long term, waste glass fine aggregates are reactive aggregates that causes ASR, which creates an expandable gel around the aggregates and results in concrete expansion. Therefore, the relationship between ASR and the thermal expansion coefficient must be analyzed in future studies.

PURPOSES : In this study, surface distress (SD), rutting depth (RD), and international roughness index (IRI) prediction models are developed based on the zones of Incheon and road classes using regression analysis. Regression analysis is conducted based on a correlation analysis between the pavement performance and influencing factors. METHODS : First, Incheon was categorized by zone such as industrial, port, and residential areas, and the roads were categorized into major and sub-major roads. A weather station triangle network for Incheon was developed using the Delaunay triangulation based on the position of the weather station to match the road sections in Incheon and environmental factors. The influencing factors of the road sections were matched Based on the developed triangular network. Meanwhile, based on the matched influencing factors, a model of the current performance of the road pavement in Incheon was developed by performing multiple regression analysis. Sensitivity analysis was conducted using the developed model to determine the influencing factor that affected each performance factor the most significantly. RESULTS : For the SD model, frost days, daily temperature range, rainy days, tropical nights, and minimum temperatures are used as independent variables. Meanwhile, the truck ratio, freeze–thaw days, precipitation days, annual temperature range, and average temperatures are used for the RD model. For the IRI model, the maximum temperature, freeze–thaw days, average temperature, annual precipitation, and wet days are used. Results from the sensitivity analysis show that frost days for the SD model, precipitation days and freeze–thaw days for the RD model, and wet days for the IRI model impose the most significant effects. CONCLUSIONS : We developed a road pavement performance prediction model using multiple regression analysis based on zones in Incheon and road classes. The developed model allows the influencing factors and circumstances to be predicted, thus facilitating road management.

PURPOSES : To efficiently manage pavements, a systematic pavement management system must be established based on regional characteristics. Suppose that the future conditions of a pavement section can be predicted based on data obtained at present. In this case, a more reasonable road maintenance strategy should be established. Hence, a prediction model of the annual surface distress (SD) change for national highway pavements in Gangwon-do, Korea is developed based on influencing factors. METHODS : To develop the model, pavement performance data and influencing factors were obtained. Exploratory data analysis was performed to analyze the data acquired, and the results show that the data were preprocessed. The variables used for model development were selected via correlation analysis, where variables such as surface distress, international roughness index, daily temperature range, and heat wave days were used. Best subset regression was performed, where the candidate model was selected from all possible subsets based on certain criteria. The final model was selected based on an algorithm developed for rational model selection. The sensitivity of the annual SD change was analyzed based on the variables of the final model. RESULTS : The result of the sensitivity analysis shows that the annual SD change is affected by the variables in the following order: surface distress ˃ heat wave days ˃ daily temperature range ˃ international roughness index. CONCLUSIONS : An annual SD change prediction model is developed by considering the present performance, traffic volume, and climatic conditions. The model can facilitate the establishment of a reasonable road maintenance strategy. The prediction accuracy can be improved by obtaining additional data, such as the construction quality, material properties, and pavement thickness.