La sous-traitance dans le transport routier de marchandises: les enseignements de l’enquête ECHO (2004)

Road haulage is nowadays the main transport mode in France, demonstrating its ability to fulfil shippers’ demands. Among other success factors, the possibility for large companies to subcontract to very small ones, with very low fixed costs and greater flexibility, is often quoted as a major advantage. The ECHO survey, conducted in France in 2004, gives information about 10000 shipments made by 3000 shippers. This survey allows the analysis of subcontracting, by following at every stage how each shipment is given to another carrier by contract. The analysis shows that some subcontracts are mainly cost driven, but others aim at using the specialised skills of a particular haulier. For every transport segment (single parcel delivery service, parcel delivery service, less than truck load, full truck load), subcontracting is described in terms of sizes of the companies involved, services provided and the reasons for subcontracting. These results describe the main features of several different types of subcontracts.     

The Concept and Practice of Treatment for Damage in Railway Tunnel Linings Caused by High-pressure Karst Water北大核心CSCD

In recent years, railway tunnels in karst areas have frequently suffered flooding after high-intensity rainfall, which seriously affects the safety of tunnel operation and the order of transportation, and even interrupts the traffic. Based on the water hazard case in the Yuanbaoshan Tunnel on the Zhijin-Bijie Railway Line, this paper explores the causes of lining damage in terms of geology, rainfall, and the design and construction of water hazard sections, and puts forward the treatment technology for tunnel water hazards with the core concept of "making full use of existing structures and employing open drainage methods in key sections". Besides, this paper simulates and analyzes the formation of hazards and the treatment effect through numerical simulation. The results show that the subjective causes for the damage in tunnel linings include an insufficient understanding of the water-bearing formations at the geological investigation stage, the underestimation of water hazard risks posed by high-intensity rainfall during construction, and the unimproved waterproof and drainage system in the design alteration, while the objective reasons include the development of karst near the tunnel section that passes through the stratum, the strong connectivity of water conduits, and the high-intensity rainfall in a certain period of time on the tunnel site. As for the simulation results, they show that the increase of external water pressure caused by the sudden rise in groundwater level after rainstorm significantly increases the internal force of linings, and eventually leads to a much lower safety factor of sidewall linings and large scale damage, which is in consistency with the characteristics of the actual on-site damage. After on-site emergency treatment, the tunnel structure has become stable and even encountering unprecedentedly heavy rainfall twice, the tunnel has still remained in a good condition. Since then, no water hazards and other disasters have occurred, which proves that the treatment plan is valid. © 2022, Editorial Office of "Modern Tunnelling Technology". All right reserved.     

A spatial decision support system for retail plan generation and impact assessment

Current geographic information systems typically offer limited analytical capabilities and lack the flexibility to support spatial decision making effectively. Spatial decision support systems aim to fill this gap. Following this approach, this paper describes an operational system for integrated land-use and transportation planning called Location Planner. The system integrates a wide variety of spatial models in a flexible and easy-to-use problem solving environment. Users are able to construct a model out of available components and use the model for impact analysis and optimization. Thus, in contrast to existing spatial decision support systems, the proposed system allows users to address a wide range of problems. The paper describes the architecture of the system and an illustrative application. Furthermore, the potentials of the system for land-use and transportation planning are discussed.     

基础设计中的可靠度评估

阐述基于可靠度理论的基础设计的评估.首先总结具有结构抗力和荷载效应2个基础变量的结构可靠度基本理论.结构抗力的不确定性可以由统计学上的平均值和变异系数(cou或Ω)来描述.变异系数指变量的标准差和平均值的比值.敏感度分析的结果显示结构抗力的变异系数(ΩR)在其应用范围之内时,在分析结构可靠度方面扮演着相当重要的角色.基于这些阐述,在预先指定的风险水平(pf)上ΩR一定有其上限.当结构抗力呈正态分布的时候,这个极限ΩR独立于荷载效应随机性.和安全指数β成反比.安全指数可以定义为在标准正态分布区间极限状态到原点之间的最小距离.在这个极限ΩR之下,结构可以在预定风险水平之下安全工作.中心安全系数(Fs)可以由结构抗力和荷载效应的变异系数根据平方关系求得.然而,一些情况下结构抗力为非正态分布的情况并不少见.因此,等效正态分布的概念可以用来得到非正态分布结构抗力的ΩR极限.地质方面的随机变量可能是正态分布,也可能是非正态分布,结构抗力中基本变量之间的关系可能是线性也可能是非线性,或者非常复杂以致于结构抗力只能通过有限元分析才能得到.在此情况下,随机数可以通过蒙特卡洛模拟技术获得.拟合的结构抗力的分布可以在随机试验的基础上通过配合度检验确定.现实中,土壤的力学特性不是各向同性的,同样也不能认为是单一材料的,它们的不确定性是不可以被忽略的.简便的设计方式认为不确定参数是常数,并且通过使用定值的安全系数来确定结构截面,设计原则没有将土壤参数对安全系数的影响考虑进去.参考计算出来的失效概率表明,确定值的安全系数法无法保证足够的安全.因此,在某种情况下,安全系数大于等于3,对于结构容许承受能力,并不能认为太保守.     

Overseas Investment:The Resources Needs To Lead The Financial And Manufacturing Industries

American subprime crisis has evolved into a global financial crisis, dragging the entire economy, hitting the fictitious economy the most.Under such a situation,the world's investment environment changes inevitably as a result. In talking about the influence of the financial crisis upon China,the most immediate consequence     

On the parameterization of interleaving and turbulent mixing using CTD data from the Azores Frontal Zone

CTD-data obtained in the Azores Frontal Zone using a towed undulating vehicle are analyzed to study the relationship between characteristics of intrusions and mean parameters of the thermohaline field. A self-similar dependence between intrusion intensity and hydrological parameters is obtained. The most well-founded interpretation of the empirical dependence is as follows: (a) the main source supporting intrusive layering is the salt finger convection; (b) the abrupt decrease of intrusion intensity with the reduction of geostrophic Richardson number obtained from the analysis is explained by the beginning of turbulence when salt fingers do not work any longer, so the “driving force” for intrusive motion disappears. These results are consistent with the conclusions of the paper [Kuzmina N.P., Rodionov V.B., 1992. About the influence of baroclinicity upon generation of the thermohaline intrusions in the oceanic frontal zones. Izvestiya Akad. Nauk SSSR, Atmosperic and Oceanic Physics 28 (10–11), 1077–1086]. These conclusions imply that there are three main mechanisms of intrusive layering at oceanic fronts, namely the 2D baroclinic instability of geostrophic flow, the vertical shear instability and the thermohaline instability where the driving source of intrusive motion is double diffusive convection. The baroclinic and thermohaline instabilities can generate intrusions of large vertical scale, while vertical shear instability usually gives rise to thin turbulent layers. Turbulence in these thin layers can prevent salt finger convection and thus destroy the energy source of the intrusive motion conditioned by thermoclinicity. Therefore, the baroclinicity plays two parts in the processes of the intrusive layering: (1) it prevents double-diffusion interleaving by means of turbulence, and (2) it generates intrusions due to the 2D baroclinic instability of geostrophic current. Using features of thermohaline interleaving as a specific tracer of turbulent mixing, we have estimated turbulent mixing coefficient as k_tRi^−0.8 (Ri>1), where Ri is the geostrophic Richardson number. Application of the proposed approach to other frontal zones is discussed.     

Comparison of two injection systems in an HSDI diesel engine using split injection and different injector nozzles

The demand for reduced pollutant emissions has motivated various technological advances in passenger car diesel engines. This paper presents a study comparing two fuel injection systems and analyzing their combustion noise and pollutant emissions. The abilities of different injection strategies to meet strict regulations were evaluated. The difficult task of maintaining a constant specific fuel consumption while trying to reduce pollutant emissions was the aim of this study. The engine being tested was a 0.287-liter single-cylinder engine equipped with a common-rail injection system. A solenoid and a piezoelectric injector were tested in the engine. The engine was operated under low load conditions using two injection events, high EGR rates, no swirl, three injection pressures and eight different dwell times. Four injector nozzles with approximately the same fuel injection rate were tested using the solenoid injection system (10 and 12 orifice configuration) and piezoelectric system (6 and 12 orifice design). The injection system had a significant influence on pollutant emissions and combustion noise. The piezoelectric injector presented the best characteristics for future studies since it allows for shorter injection durations and greater precision, which means smaller fuel mass deliveries with faster responses.     

Could you also have made this trip by another mode? An investigation of perceived travel possibilities of car and train travellers on the main travel corridors to the city of Amsterdam,The Netherlands

We investigated perceived travel possibilities (or subjective choice-sets, consideration-sets) of car and train travellers on the main corridors to the city of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and associations with traveller and trip characteristics. We conducted secondary analysis on a survey sample consisting of 7950 train and 19,232 car travellers. Forty-five percent of train travellers had a car in their objective choice-set, 27% of them would however never use it for this trip. Trip destination city centre, trip purpose, paying for the trip, public transport commitment, traffic congestion and parking problems were associated with consideration of car as alternative. Forty-two percent of car travellers had public transport in their subjective choice-set. The ratio between perceived public transport and objective car travel time stood out as determinant of consideration-sets, next to destination city centre, trip purpose, travel time and private versus company car ownership. On average, car travellers’ perceptions of public transport travel time exceeded objective values by 46%. We estimated that if perceptions would be more accurate, two out of three car travellers that currently do not see public transport as an alternative would include it in their choice-set, and use it from time to time. This effect has strong theoretical and policy implications.     

Analyse qualitative des pratiques pédagogiques des enseignants de la conduite et de l’effet de l’expérience du métier

The first stage of the EPEC research (2007–2010) presented in this article enables to know better driving teachers’ pedagogical practises. We have thus observed 26 subjects, 13 experienced driving teachers and 13 novice driving teachers in real training situations, during their theoretical and practical lessons. The analysis of their practises enables to suggest pedagogical changes. The results concern mainly the theoretical and practical lessons as well as the choice of complex situations. These results enable us to prepare the second stage of this research: the construction of remediation exercises with driving teachers intended for learners in difficulty.     

Solutions to the optimal network design problem with shipments related to transportation cost

Two versions of an optimal network design problem with shipments proportional to transportation costs are formulated. Extensions of an algorithm developed in prior research for solving these problems are proposed and tested. The performance of the algorithms is found to improve substantially as the dependence of shipments on costs is increased. Moreover, the optimal solutions obtained are unexpectedly robust with respect to a wide range of transportation cost assumptions. These findings could have important computational and policy implications if applicable to larger networks.