Impact assessment of extreme weather events on transport networks: A data-driven approach

The present paper presents a data-driven method for assessing the resilience of the European passenger transport network during extreme weather events. The method aims to fill in the gap of current research efforts regarding the quantification of impacts attributed to climate change and the identification of substitutability opportunities between transport modes in case of extreme weather events (EWE). The proposed method consists of three steps concerning the probability estimation of an EWE occurring within a transportation network, the assessment of its impacts and the passengers’ flow shift between various transport modes. A mathematical formulation for the proposed data-driven method is provided and applied in an indicative European small-scale network, in order to assess the impacts of EWE on modal choice. Results are expressed in passenger differentiated flows and the paper concludes with future research steps and directions.     

Controller design for gating traffic control in presence of time-delay in urban road networks

Recent studies demonstrated the efficiency of feedback-based gating control in mitigating congestion in urban networks by exploiting the notion of macroscopic or network fundamental diagram (MFD or NFD). The employed feedback regulator of proportional-integral (PI)-type targets an operating NFD point of maximum throughput to enhance the mobility in the urban road network during the peak period, under saturated traffic conditions. In previous studies, gating was applied directly at the border of the protected network (PN), i.e. the network part to be protected from over-saturation. In this work, the recently developed feedback-based gating concept is applied at junctions located further upstream of the PN. This induces a time-delay, which corresponds to the travel time needed for gated vehicles to approach the PN. The resulting extended feedback control problem can be also tackled by use of a PI-type regulator, albeit with different gain values compared to the case without time-delay. Detailed procedures regarding the appropriate design of related feedback regulators are provided. In addition, the developed feedback concept is shown to work properly with very long time-steps as well. A large part of the Chania, Greece, urban network, modelled in a microscopic simulation environment under realistic traffic conditions, is used as test-bed in this study. The reported results demonstrate a stable and efficient behaviour and improved mobility of the overall network in terms of mean speed and travel time.     

复杂载荷下裂纹SIF计算的子模型技术

对船舶与海洋工程结构物进行疲劳评估,首先要通过子模型技术解决复杂应力场中裂纹应力强度因子(SIF)的计算问题。针对子模型技术实现过程繁杂且效率较低的问题,分别提出"逐周分层法","转换矩阵法"及"映射划分法"并基于VBA及APDL语言编写插件MPCarrangerV1.0,FEMcoortransferV1.0及CrackmapperV1.0,解决从Patran整体有限元模型到Ansys子模型时壳体单元间MPC创建低效、不同坐标系间节点位置转换困难及裂纹自由划分的局限性问题。基于DNV及ABS相关规范,以某B型LNG燃料舱的疲劳热点为例,对改进的子模型技术进行验证,结果表明经改进的子模型技术可成功施加合理边界条件并实现SIF的求解,可为子模型技术快速实现复杂载荷下裂纹SIF的准确计算提供参考。     

轨道复合不平顺对无缝线路横向变形的影响分析

轨道复合不平顺会对行车的安全及稳定性产生较大影响,也是影响无缝线路横向变形的一个重要因素。为研究轨道复合不平顺对无缝线路的具体影响,通过构建三维轨道框架非线性有限元模型,采用轨道框架单点(或多点)位置发生横向及竖向位移来模拟复合不平顺状态,通过计算获取节点位移变化规律,进而分析轨道复合不平顺对无缝线路横向变形的影响作用。研究结果表明,轨道的复合不平顺会对无缝线路的横向变形产生显著的影响;当线路出现三角坑等类似病害时,其节点位移变化更为显著,在无缝线路的日常养护维修中应尤为注意。     

Achieving transport modal split targets at intermodal freight hubs using a model predictive approach

The increase of international freight commerce is creating pressure on the existing transport network. Cooperation between the different transport parties (e.g., terminal managers, forwarders and transport providers) is required to increase the network throughput using the same infrastructure. The intermodal hubs are locations where cargo is stored and can switch transport modality while approaching the final destination. Decisions regarding cargo assignment are based on cargo properties. Cargo properties can be fixed (e.g., destination, volume, weight) or time varying (remaining time until due time or goods expiration date). The intermodal hub manager, with access to certain cargo information, can promote cooperation with and among different transport providers that pick up and deliver cargo at the hub. In this paper, cargo evolution at intermodal hubs is modeled based on a mass balance, taking into account hub cargo inflows and outflows, plus an update of the remaining time until cargo due time. Using this model, written in a state-space representation, we propose a model predictive approach to address the Modal Split Aware – Cargo Assignment Problem (MSA–CAP). The MSA–CAP concerns the cargo assignment to the available transport capacity such that the final destination can be reached on time while taking into consideration the transport modality used. The model predictive approach can anticipate cargo peaks at the hub and assigns cargo in advance, following a push of cargo towards the final destination approach. Through the addition of a modal split constraint it is possible to guide the daily cargo assignment to achieve a transport modal split target over a defined period of time. Numerical experiments illustrate the validity of these statements.     

Modeling time-of-day car use behavior: A Bayesian network approach

In this research, a Bayesian network (BN) approach is proposed to model the car use behavior of drivers by time of day and to analyze its relationship with driver and car characteristics. The proposed BN model can be categorized as a tree-augmented naive (TAN) Bayesian network. A latent class variable is included in this model to describe the unobserved heterogeneity of drivers. Both the structure and the parameters are learned from the dataset, which is extracted from GPS data collected in Toyota City, Japan. Based on inferences and evidence sensitivity analysis using the estimated TAN model, the effects of each single observed characteristic on car use measures are tested and found to be significant. The features of each category of the latent class are also analyzed. By testing the effect of each car use measure on every other measure, it is found that the correlations between car use measures are significant and should be considered in modeling car use behavior.     

Dynamic traffic metering in urban street networks: Formulation and solution algorithm

Traffic metering offers great potential to reduce congestion and enhance network performance in oversaturated urban street networks. This paper presents an optimization program for dynamic traffic metering in urban street networks based on the Cell Transmission Model (CTM). We have formulated the problem as a Mixed-Integer Linear Program (MILP) capable of metering traffic at network gates with given signal timing parameters at signalized intersections. Due to the complexities of the MILP model, we have developed a novel and efficient solution approach that solves the problem by converting the MILP to a linear program and several CTM simulation runs. The solution algorithm is applied to two case studies under different conditions. The proposed solution technique finds solutions that have a maximum gap of 1% of the true optimal solution and guarantee the maximum throughput by keeping some vehicles at network gates and only allowing enough vehicles to enter the network to prevent gridlocks. This is confirmed by comparing the case studies with and without traffic metering. The results in an adapted real-world case study network show that traffic metering can increase network throughput by 4.9–38.9% and enhance network performance.     

卡西姆港燃煤应急电站卸煤码头港池水域平面布置优化

针对复杂水域条件下大型散货码头的水域平面布置,基于卡西姆燃煤应急电站码头工程项目,根据对周边已建工程、红树林以及水动力等主要影响因素的深入分析提出初步平面方案,并通过船舶操纵模拟试验对平面布置及相关尺度进行优化,合理确定本工程平面布置方案。结果表明,本工程的建设对周边影响较小,水域尺度能够满足船舶通航及靠离泊要求,水域平面布置合理。     

城市综合体对社区居民出行行为影响研究

城市综合体作为一种高度复合的新型开发模式，通过改变社区建成环境，对居民日常活动产生了潜移默化的影响.本文从交通规划者视角，对城市综合体产生的社区居民出行行为影响进行了研究.基于问卷调查数据，通过倾向得分匹配预处理，弱化个人信息对于出行特征分析的干扰，以有城市综合体的社区居民自陈述的出行变化作拟纵向分析，初步把握城市综合体对社区居民出行特征产生的影响趋势.而后对有无城市综合体两类社区居民的出行数据进行对比分析.结果显示，城市综合体开发模式可有效促进居民产生更多的短距离慢行出行替代机动化长距离出行以满足弹性需求.本研究可为城市综合体区别于传统单一用地开发模式的交通系统配置提供方向指导.     

How the environmental impact affects the design of logistics networks based on cost minimization

The degree of centralization of the logistics network is one of the important strategic decisions to take. This issue has often been studied but mainly from a cost minimization focus. This research studies the influence of incorporating the environmental impact in logistics network design models, comparing the results with those obtained considering cost minimization only. A fuzzy biobjective optimization model is used to carry out a number of experiments. By weighting the relative importance of the two objectives, the differences with respect to the base cost minimization solution can be ascertained. Our results show that in general more material is moved through warehouses when the environmental impact is considered and more decentralized facilities are opened.