This study aimed to evaluate the effect of key operational factors on traffic performance in long underground expressways. This study was motivated by the increasing policy interest in underground expressway infrastructure as a solution to chronic surface-level congestion in dense urban regions. A scenario-based microscopic traffic simulation was conducted using VISSIM considering combinations of traffic volume, proportion of heavy vehicles, and longitudinal slopes. A total of 72 scenarios were simulated, and the weighted average speed and total throughput were analyzed. The simulation results showed that the entry traffic volume and longitudinal gradient significantly affected the average speed, particularly in uphill exit segments. The heavy vehicle ratio also contributed to consistent reductions in speed. However, the overall throughput remained relatively stable despite variations in heavy vehicle proportions, suggesting that speed is more sensitive to flow composition than to volume capacity. Although interaction effects were not statistically tested, the combined scenario trends suggested that steeper slopes and high heavy-vehicle ratios jointly intensify speed reduction. These findings support the early-stage design and traffic planning of underground expressways.

In this study, the effects of a hypothetical autonomous vehicle (AV)-exclusive roadway were estimated through a step-by-step approach using both microscopic and macroscopic simulations. First, the AV-exclusive roadway was classified into four types—entry lanes, mainlines, merging lanes, and intersections—and the C, α, and β values of the Bureau of Public Roads (BPR) function were estimated for each type through a microscopic simulation. These estimated values were then applied to a 3×3 (20 km) network, and a macroscopic simulation was conducted to compare the effectiveness of AVs and conventional vehicles (CVs) in terms of traffic volume and travel time.The analysis showed that for the same travel time, the traffic volume increased by more than 12% with AVs compared to that with CVs. Conversely, for the same traffic volume, the total travel time decreased by 11% for AVs. The estimated capacity of the AV-exclusive roadway, similar to the U-Smartway with a size of 3×3 (20 km), was approximately 400,000 vehicles, which was more than 140% higher than that of CVs. Assuming that each AV carries five passengers, up to two million people can be transported per day, indicating a significant potential benefit. However, these results were based on theoretical analyses using hypothetical networks under various assumptions. Future studies should incorporate more realistic conditions to further refine these estimations.

PURPOSES : This study evaluated the feasibility of implementing protected-permissive left-turn (PPLT) signals at three-leg signalized intersections. METHODS: A three-leg signalized intersection with permissive left-turn was first selected. A VISSIM simulation model was constructed using data collected from the test site. The VISSIM network was calibrated by adjusting related parameter values in order to minimize the difference between the simulated and surveyed critical gap. The calibrated network was validated by the number of waiting left-turning vehicles per cycle. Finally, the mobility and safety measures were extracted from simulation runs in which permissive, protected left turns as well as PPLTs were realized based on diverse traffic volume scenarios. RESULTS : The mobility-related measures of effectiveness (MOEs) of the case with PPLT outperformed the other two left-turn treatment scenarios. In particular, the average waiting time per cycle for the left-turn vehicles in the case with PPLT was reduced by 30 s. The safetyrelated MOEs of the case with PPLT were somewhat higher than those in the case with protected left-turns and much higher than those in the case with permissive left-turns. CONCLUSIONS : Based on the mobility- and safety-related MOEs generated from the VISSIM simulation runs, the use of PPLT seems to be feasible at three-leg signalized intersections where the left-turn is permissive and a pedestrian signal exists at the conflicting approach. However, in order to use the PPLT in earnest, it is necessary to revise the road traffic act, traffic signs, and related manuals.

PURPOSES : The objective of this study is to investigate the capability of the combined model of traffic simulation, emission and air dispersion models on the impact analysis of air quality of mobile sources such as vehicles. METHODS : The improvement of the quality of life brings about the increasing interest of the public environment. Many endeavors including the travel demand management, the application of the state-of-the-art ITS technologies, the promotion of eco-friendly vehicles have been tried in transportation area to reduce the modal emissions. Especially, it is expected that the increasing number of eco-friendly vehicles in the road network would be able to reduce the pipe-tail emissions tremendously. From this perspective, we have performed a study on the impact analysis of the popularization of the eco-friendly vehicle in the place of the fossil fuel energy powered vehicles on the surrounding air quality using the combined framework of microscopic traffic simulation, emission and air dispersion model. RESULTS : The combined model successfully captured the effect of moving to the eco-friendly vehicles on the air quality, and the results showed that the increasing usage of eco-friendly vehicles can improve the surrounding air quality tremendously and that the air dispersion model plays a crucial role in the investigation of the air quality change around the main corridor. CONCLUSIONS : This study demonstrated the capability of the combined model showing the spatio-tempral change of emission concentration.

PURPOSES : The fundamental diagram provides basic information necessary in the analysis of traffic flow and highway operation. When traffic flow is congested, the density-flow points in the fundamental diagram are widely scattered and move in a stochastic manner. This paper investigates the pattern of density-flow point transitions and identifies car-following behaviors underlying the density-flow transitions. METHODS : From a microscopic analysis of 722 fundamental diagrams of NGSIM data, a total of 20 transition patterns of fundamental diagrams are identified. Prominent features of the transition patterns are explained by the behavior of the leader and follower. RESULTS : It is found out that the average speed and the speed difference between the leader and the follower critically determine the density-flow transition pattern. The density-flow path is very sensitive to the values of vehicle speed and spacing especially at low speed and high density such that most fluctuations in the fundamental diagram in the congested regime is due to the noise of speed and spacing variations. CONCLUSIONS : The result of this study suggests that the average speed, the speed difference between the leader and the follower, and the random variations of speed and spacing are dominant factors that explain the transition patterns of a fundamental diagram.

In this experimental study, the characteristic of damages on GFRP rebar exposed to high temperature only and immerged in alkaline solution after the exposure to high temperature was analyzed through microscopic image analysis. The found microcrack and pores in resin matrix were quantitatively compared if there was effect of pre-exposure to high temperature. The damages, such as microcrack and pores in resin matrix, by alkali exposure were mainly found in rebar surface. On the other hand, the pores caused by high temperatures were extensively found in a section and had greater width than those caused by the alkali exposure. In results of the quantitative comparison, the accumulated length and widths of microcrack and pores in resin matrix in pre-exposed GFRP rebar to high temperature were respectively 1.5 and 1.4 times of those in the GFRP rebar only immerged in alkali solution. Therefore, the deterioration of resin matrix by the alkali exposure could be accelerated due to the pre-exposure to high temperature.