Comments on ‘the Kalker book of tables for non-Hertzian contact of wheel and rail’

The ‘simple double-elliptical contact’ (SDEC) approach by Piotrowski et al. [The Kalker book of tables for non-Hertzian contact of wheel and rail. Vehicle Syst Dyn. 2017;55:875–901] generates a-symmetrical contact patches in an elegant way. This allows to extend the table-based approach for the wheel–rail creep force calculation towards non-Hertzian contact geometry. This is an important line of research, because FASTSIM is intricate for non-Hertzian contacts, whereas CONTACT requires long calculation times.

Here, we comment on the further motivation that's provided for the approach. According to the authors, ‘the spin creepage generates longitudinal creep force in non-symmetric, non-elliptical contacts’, which is ‘completely lost’ when using elliptical regularisation. We demonstrate that this mainly depends on the choice of contact origin, and that the interaction is much reduced if different choices are made. This suggests that elliptical regularisation may be viable still, if the details are properly worked out. Furthermore, we introduce the spin center and the free-rolling position as means to extend the table-based approach towards more general non-Hertzian circumstances.     

Exploiting floating car data for time-dependent Origin–Destination matrices estimation

The study evaluates the added value generated by estimating dynamic demand matrices by information gathered from Floating Car Data (FCD).

Firstly, adopting a large dataset of FCD collected in Rome, Italy, during May 2010, all the monitored trips on a specific district of the city (Eur district) have been collected and analysed in terms of (i) spatial and temporal distribution; (ii) actual route choices and travel times. The data analysis showed that demand data from FCD are usually not suitable to retrieve directly demand matrices, due to a strong dependence of this information from the penetration rate of the monitoring device. Instead, origin–destination travel times and route choice probabilities from FCD are a much more reliable and powerful information with respect to FCD origin–destination flows, since they represent the traffic conditions and behaviors that vehicles experiment along the path.

Thus, several synthetic experiments have been conducted adopting both travel times and route choice probabilities as additional information, with respect to standard link measurements, in the dynamic demand estimation problem. Results demonstrated the strength and robustness associated to these network based data, while link measurements alone are not able to define the real traffic pattern. Adopting both the information of origin–destination travel times and route choice probabilities during the demand estimation process, the spatial and temporal reliability of the estimated demand matrices consistently increases.     

A cluster analysis approach for differentiating transportation modes using Bluetooth sensor data

A variety of automatic data collection technologies have been used to gather road and highway system data. The majority of these automatic data collection technologies are designed to collect vehicle-based data and either do not have the capability to collect other travel mode data (e.g., bicycles and pedestrians), or may need to be deployed differently to support this capability.

One type of wireless-based data collection system that has been deployed recently is based on Bluetooth technology. A key feature of Bluetooth-based data collection systems that makes travel mode identification feasible is that the Bluetooth-enabled devices within vehicles are also present on bicyclists and pedestrians. This research explores the effectiveness of applying cluster analysis methods when processing data collected via Bluetooth technology from vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians to automatically identify the associated travel modes. The results of several experiments utilizing multiple Bluetooth-based data collection units arranged linearly and in relatively close proximity on a simulated intersection demonstrate the potential of cluster analysis to accurately differentiate transportation modes from the collected data.     

Real-time characterisation of driver steering behaviour

In recent years the application of driver steering models has extended from the off-line simulation environment to autonomous vehicles research and the support of driver assistance systems. For these new environments there is a need for the model to be adaptive in real time, so the supporting vehicle systems can react to changes in the driver, their driving style, mood and skill. This paper provides a novel means to meet these needs by combining a simple driver model with a single-track vehicle handling model in a parameter estimating filter – in this case, an unscented Kalman filter. Although the steering model is simple, a motion simulator study shows it is capable of characterising a range of driving styles and may also indicate the level of skill of the driver. The resulting filter is also efficient – comfortably operating faster than real time – and it requires only steer and speed measurements from the vehicle in addition to the reference path. Adaptation of the steer model parameters is demonstrated along with robustness of the filter to errors in initial conditions, using data from five test drivers in vehicle tests carried out on the open road.

Abbreviations: ADAS: advanced driver assistance systems; CG: centre of gravity; CAN: controller area network; EKF: extended Kalman filter; GPS: global positioning system; UKF: unscented Kalman filter     

Assessment of a semi-Hertzian method for determination of wheel–rail contact patch

Wheel–rail contact calculations are essential for simulating railway vehicle dynamic behavior. Currently, these simulations usually use the Hertz contact theory to calculate normal forces and Kalker's ‘FASTSIM’ program to evaluate tangential stresses. Since 1996, new methods called semi-Hertzian have appeared: 5 Kik, W. and Piotrowski, J. A fast approximate method to calculate normal load at contact between wheel and rail and creep forces during rolling. Paper presented at the 2nd Mini-conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems. July29–31, Budapest.  [Google Scholar] 7 Ayasse, J. B., Chollet, H. and Maupu, J. L. 2000. Paramètres caractéristiques du contact roue-rail. Rapport de Recherche INRETS n225, ISSN 0768–9756 (in French) [Google Scholar] (STRIPES). These methods attempt to estimate the non-elliptical contact patches with a discrete extension of the Hertz theory. As a continuation of 2 Ayasse, J. B and Chollet, H. 2005. Determination of the wheel–rail contact patch in semi-Hertzian conditions. Vehicle System Dynamics, 43(3) [Google Scholar], a validation of the STRIPES method for normal problem computing on three test cases is proposed in this article. The test cases do not fulfill the hypothesis required for the Hertz theory. Then, the Kalker's FASTSIM algorithm is adapted to STRIPES patch calculus to perform tangential forces computation. This adaptation is assessed using Kalker's CONTACT algorithm.     

多跨连拱景观桥结构设计

简要介绍了一座多跨连拱景观桥的结构设计。为实现业主墩顶空腹区不设立柱的全透空景观要求,笔者对拱上建筑的结构形式做了深入细致的探索研究,并最终找到既满足景观又满足受力的合适形式。同时介绍了该桥具有一定特色的主拱圈和深基坑推力基础设计。     

浅谈吉怀高速梁家院子隧道软弱围岩施工关键工艺

基于隧道施工过程中软弱围岩施工质量、安全控制十分困难。经长期对本软弱围岩隧道的现场施工管理,对软弱围岩的施工控制提出些许见解,并用工程实际情况予以证明。     

预防和减少建筑墙面几种裂缝的技术措施

通过对大量砖混结构的民用住宅、框架结构的办公楼等多种建筑的调查发现,多数建筑都存在着不同形式的裂缝,这些裂缝一旦出现便很难弥补,但许多裂缝是有规律可循的,对这些裂缝进行了总结。     

基于滑塌实例的边坡力学参数反算与破坏模式分析

高速公路隧道洞口常存在明显的偏压,一般在偏压洞口明暗交界前方设置明洞。为减少开挖量,偏压侧临时边坡往往较陡,受降雨或施工扰动易产生失稳滑塌。针对隧道洞口临时边坡滑塌的工程实例,采用极限分析上限有限元法反算边坡力学参数,并进行边坡破坏模式特征的探讨,从而为类似地质条件下隧道洞口边坡稳定性分析、加固与防护以及现场施工提供借鉴。     

隧道洞口地形偏压段的新型设计与施工方法

公路隧道在穿越山体时,在地形存在偏压的隧道洞口地段,采用承载能力高、稳定性和整体性好于围岩体的支撑体或套拱,并配合纵向管棚等超前措施,以加强和改善原偏压段的稳定性和安全性,避免洞口＂大开挖＂,破坏环境,做到隧道在洞口偏压地段施工时安全和环保的统一。     

高速公路沥青路面结构层层间粘接状态的研究

通过分析目前沥青路面在层间粘接存在的一些问题,认为目前规范设计计算方法中将沥青路面层间粘接状态全部采用完全连续不妥,并根据工程实际分析了不同路面结构层的层间粘接状态,提出了滑动系数取值表,并分析了考虑不同结构层层间粘接状态对不同沥青路面类型的影响。     

强夯置换法在高原重盐渍土路基施工中的工程实践

在青海格尔木盐湖地区察格（察尔汗至格尔木）高速公路施工中,由于地质条件复杂,施工难度大,但通过科研、设计、试验、施工、检测等人员的不懈努力,终于取得成果。主要通过阐述该地区盐渍土特性和成因,分析其可能造成的危害,简单介绍了盐渍土的防治方法和强夯置换法施工原理,介绍了该路段路基施工中所采用的强夯置换法施工工艺、参数及需要注意的事项。通过重型圆锥动力触探及载荷试验检测证明：所采用的强夯置换法施工工艺处理高原重盐渍土地基效果显著。     

监测技术在高速公路高边坡治理中的应用

安全监测是岩土工程设计、施工和运行的重要组成部分。根据安徽汤屯高速公路Ⅱ—7高边坡治理中现场施工情况和地质情况,针对性的布置了多种监测仪器,为该工程的优化设计、指导施工、安全预报等方面发挥了重要的作用。地质调查发现,高边坡为一岩质顺层边坡,岩层角度大于自然边坡坡度。在开挖后,高边坡出现了变形为滑移弯曲—滑移拉裂复合型的变性特征。通过监测成果的分析,确定了高边坡为整体变形的特征和确切的滑动深度。并把高边坡变形分为变形快速发展、蠕滑变形和变形基本稳定3个阶段。