Ground truthing sediment profile imagery with traditional benthic survey data along an established disturbance gradient

Macrobenthic surveys are an expensive, slow and labour intensive means to establish the health of benthic communities. Sediment profile imagery (SPI) is a means of rapid reconnaissance for monitoring large areas of the benthos. SPI has often been used to monitor gross anthropogenic disturbance. The aim of this study is to determine if SPI can be used as a tool to reliably map change in communities along natural estuarine gradients. Macrobenthic sampling was carried out at five stations along an established estuarine gradient. This faunal data was analysed using standard multivariate techniques and to ground truth a concurrent SPI survey. Faunal analysis showed that habitat quality in Inner Galway Bay was generally good, with some localised disturbance from the River Corrib and the sewage out flow exterior to the city dock. Four distinct groups were identified with a degree of overlap occurring between stations 3 and 4. While existing SPI indices mapped habitat quality in the same manner as the faunal data for end member stations, the level of distinction between the habitats of an intermediate staging was found to be poor. This lack of distinction amongst the stage 2 and 3 stations was overcome by developing a tailored index, the Galway Bay index of habitat quality (GBHQ). This index was derived from the 5 observed variables in the SPI data that were determined to best match the faunal distribution by permutative mantel testing. The 5 observed variables from the SPI data were the depth of the apparent redox potential discontinuity (aRPD), the depth of penetration by the prism, and the presence/absence of infauna, surface faecal pellet layer and biogenic mounding. The GBHQ was able to distinguish between the 5 stations to a greater extent than previously described indices, showing clearly the separate groupings defined by the faunal data. The index was tested on a follow up SPI survey and shown to be applicable in mapping a broader range of habitats in Galway Bay. Indices generated for localised mapping of estuarine gradients should be derived from observed features and be ground truthed using faunal data. Some aspects of the GBHQ should be generally applicable to fine grained boreal estuarine sediments (aRPD/penetration), while others may be of limited utility in other locations depending on the digging characteristics of the particular SPI camera, and local factors influencing the persistence of biogenic features in the profile. This derivation technique provides a simple way to optimise SPI to particular studies and localities.     

Hybrid Electric Drive for DDG-51 Class Destroyers

The first of the Arleigh Burke class destroyers is nearing its mid-life. This class of ships was designed during the late 1970s through the 1980s to meet the threats that were prevalent at that time. Since entering service in 1991, these ships have shown themselves to be extremely versatile and the class now consists of nearly 60 ships in service. Their combat systems have been continually upgraded and adapted to meet the new threats the United States faces today. However, in order to keep these platforms viable throughout the first half of the 21st century, their operating costs must be reduced. Manpower, maintenance, and fuel are three of the top operating cost drivers. Most surface combatants spend very little of their underway time operating at full speed or even close to that. Over 1/3 of their underway time is spent at 12 knots and under. This is less than half of their maximum speed and only a fraction of the maximum power owing to the cubic speed–power relationship. Although the existing mechanical drive system is reasonably efficient, the main gas turbines are extremely inefficient at these very low power levels. A shaft-mounted auxiliary electric propulsion system (EPS) can take advantage of excess capacity in the ship service generators to reduce the main engine operating hours. Enabling bi-directional power flow from this auxiliary electric drive will provide additional generation capacity for ship service loads at a modest additional cost. It also provides a "cross-connect" capability from one shaft to the other. This paper will explore one prospect for reducing the operating cost of the DDG-51 class of ships by installing an auxiliary EPS that would powered by the ship service electrical plant. This additional system would serve to reduce both underway fuel usage as well as maintenance on the gas turbine main engines by reducing the number of operating hours on each engine. We will examine the technology trade-offs in this ongoing study.     

The design of bus route systems — An interactive location-allocation approach

An interactive modelling approach is developed to solve the practical problem of bus route network design. Possible bus routes are identified with facilities which can be located. Zones or pairs of zones in the urban area are identified with customers who will be allocated to the established facilities. It is shown that the classical Set Covering Problem is useful under the assumption of fixed demand; the Simple Plant Location Problem is effective under the assumption of demand which is sensitive to the level of bus service provided.     

铁路隔震连续梁桥地震碰撞响应研究

在地震作用下隔震桥梁的梁体位移比非隔震桥梁明显增加,使得相邻梁发生碰撞的概率增大。以1联3跨铁路隔震连续梁桥为例,选用3条人工地震波,采用非线性时程分析方法进行该桥的碰撞响应分析,研究梁间伸缩缝宽度和隔震支座刚度对梁间碰撞响应的影响。结果表明:随着伸缩缝宽度的增大和隔震支座刚度的增大,相邻梁碰撞的发生次数和碰撞力均有明显减小;地震作用下隔震固定墩墩底最大弯矩和最大剪力均随着隔震支座刚度的增加而增加。因此,在进行隔震桥梁设计时,应综合考虑隔震支座的隔震效果和碰撞响应,从而得到既经济又安全的隔震桥梁设计参数。     

基于混合通信顺序进程的高速铁路列控系统形式化建模与验证方法

针对高速铁路列控系统的混杂特性,提出一种基于混合通信顺序进程(HCSP)的列控系统形式化建模与验证方法。引入了HCSP的假设条件,建立列控系统的行为模型;定义了HCSP到混合自动机(HA)的转换规则,将HCSP模型转换成HA模型;利用模型检验工具PHAVer对HA模型进行自动验证。以高速铁路列控系统典型的行车许可运营场景为例,建立区间闭塞分区行车许可场景的HCSP模型;根据转换规则将行车许可场景的HCSP模型转换成HA模型;用PHAVer验证了所建立的区间闭塞分区行车许可场景模型的正确性,从而证明了基于HCSP的高速铁路列控系统建模及验证方法的有效性。     

主动导向转向架的多体动力学仿真与试验研究

对主动导向转向架的半车模型进行了多体动力学计算,并进行了滚动台试验,计算结果和试验结果基本一致。将半车模型扩展为整车模型后,进行了计算分析,研究结果表明,主动导向转向架可以大大提高转向架的曲线通过性能。     

富水砂层盾构始发井防涌水检测与加固

基于广州地铁6号线大坦沙站盾构始发井的实践,研究富水砂层中破除盾构井端头门时防涌水的施工监测和工程检测方法,根据检测和监测结果,基于朗金土压力理论进行计算分析,提出相应的加固措施和方法。介绍了具体的防水加固措施和效果。     

Socially and environmentally appropriate urban futures for the motor car

In its relatively short life, the automobile has provided a level of mobility unlikely to have been feasible with a reliance on conventional forms of land based public transport. It has contributed in both a positive and negative way to the quality of life, transforming our cities, our way of life, and giving us a greater command over time and space. Concern over the undesirable social and environmental impacts has increased over time, with calls for governments to take action to reduce the automobile's dominant role. New investment in fixed-track public transport and bus priority systems together with strategies to discourage travel have been proposed to improve accessibility and to aid in cleaning up the physical environment. This paper reviews some of the issues facing society as it works to identify policies to achieve an economically and environmentally sustainabie future. There is a need for a broader set of policies to facilitate alternative land use-transport lifestyles while facing appropriate pricing signals. Some of the key issues are adjustments in the relative prices of location and transport, spatial incentives to make public transport economically viable (i.e. changing urban densities, zoning/incentive changes to allow more infill), road pricing (i.e. charging cars the economic cost of using the roads), new information technology systems (e.g. IVHS) to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of transport infrastructure, major improvements in the fuel efficiency of fossil fuelled vehicles, and alternative-fuelled vehicles (clean-air vehicles).     

Performance indicators for transit management

Transit performance can be evaluated through quantitative indicators. As the provision of efficient and effective transit service are appropriate goals to be encouraged by federal and state governments, these goals are used to develop performance indicators.Three efficiency and four effectiveness indicators are described, together with two overall indicators. These nine indicators are analyzed for comparability utilizing operating and financial data collected from public transit agencies in California.Performance indicators selected for this study should not be viewed as final. Twenty-one performance indicators proposed by previous studies were reviewed. Theoretical considerations and unavailability or unreliability of data caused omission of several useful measures like passenger-miles. Circumstances such as improved data, emphasis upon goals other than efficiency and effectiveness, and local conditions might warrant the inclusion of indicators deleted from this research.This paper is based on work conducted for the Urban Mass Transportation Administration under University Research and Training Grant CA-11-0014, Development of Performance Indicators for Transit. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the University of California or the United States Government. We are indebted to John Feren for assistance with the statistical processing and data gathering.     

Regulatory reform and freight mode choice

Reform of trucking Vehicle Weights and Dimensions (VWD) regulations in Canada is now underway. The effect these reforms will have on the freight transportation industry are only recently the subject of research. This paper is part of this new research effort, aimed at understanding how regulatory reform in the trucking sector will affect the existing competitive relationship between trucks and the railways. The paper presents the results of study and research into modelling the relationship between mode choice and the service characteristics that are affected by VWD reform.Using several periods of data, a series of econometric models are developed which help to elucidate the relative relationships between the mode service characteristics for both of the principal interprovincial freight modes. A technique is developed and presented to model railway user costs in order to overcome the complex and often unrepresentable pricing activities of Canadian railways.The strength of the developed econometric models is presented, including their significance and statistical reliability. This is further reinforced by the similarities exhibited by all the models in the series. The selected model is applied to predict market service responses required of the railway industry in order to compete with the trucking sector now adapting to the new regulations.The impact of the newly implemented vehicle weight and dimension reform on the rail transportation industry is analyzed and railway industry improvements aimed at maintaining its market share are presented. The results predicted by the model show that railway user cost reductions should be moderate, and likely less than the level of inflation over the period of time when trucking converts its fleet to take advantage of the new regulations.Abbreviations AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials - CCMTA Canadian Conference of Motor Transport Administrators - EPI End products, inedible commodity classification - GVW Gross Vehicle Weight - NA 1988 VWD National Agreement - RTAC Roads and Transportation Association of Canada - VWD Vehicle Weight(s) and Dimension(s) - WA 1988 VWD Western Agreement