Parameter transfer of common-metric attributes in choice analysis: implications for willingness to pay

There is a growing literature that promotes the presence of a mix of compensatory and semi-compensatory processing strategies in the way that individuals evaluate packages of attributes in real or hypothetical markets, and make choices. This paper proposes a specification for the utility form in a choice model to test if, given a pair of attributes with a common-metric (e.g., components of travel time or cost), the attribute with the dominating level defines the marginal (dis)utility that is assigned to both attributes. We refer to this processing strategy as a parameter transfer rule. We use a stated choice data set, in the context of car driving individuals choosing between tolled and non-tolled routes, to estimate a mixed logit model which incorporates the presence of the parameter transfer rule and the conventional fully compensatory rule, both existing up to a probability. We find that if this parameter transfer heuristic is part of the mix, the WTP is more than 30% higher, on average, than when only a fully compensatory rule is imposed. We also contrast the parameter transfer rule with other semi-compensatory heuristics which have been investigated in other papers, and show that the finding adds further support to the accumulating evidence that a semi-compensatory attribute processing rules tend to result in higher mean WTP estimates compared to the fully compensatory attribute processing rule.     

满堂支架法直腹板现浇箱梁横向抗推研究

满堂支架法作为一种成熟的施工技术手段,目前被大量应用于城市桥梁现浇主梁的施工项目中.具有施工方便、周转时间短和辅助设备少的优点.但对于直腹板现浇箱梁,尤其是主梁较窄的现浇箱梁,由于混凝土侧压力、倾倒混凝土产生的水平荷载以及振捣产生的水平荷载存在,使得腹板处支架存在较大的水平推力,导致整个结构处于危险状态.以某工程项目为依托,提出了两种解决方案,通过调整斜撑布置形式对结构受力状态进行改善.结果 表明,两种方案均可有效降低水平推力作用下造成结构局部应力集中的现象,有利于不利荷载均匀向整个支架结构传递.     

基于GT-Power和Simulink的柴油机各缸不均匀性闭环控制

为改善各缸工作不均匀性,以TBD314V8柴油机为研究对象,基于缸压计算得到的各缸IMEP和CA50作为反馈变量,控制变量为各缸的喷油量和喷油提前角,建立了GT-Power与Simulink联合仿真模型,通过模型分析了轨压、负荷和喷油提前角对爆压、IMEP和CA50不均匀率的影响,并对影响因素进行参数灵敏度量化分析,验证了闭环控制对各缸不均匀性的改善效果。结果表明：轨压对爆压、IMEP和CA50不均匀率影响较小;负荷对IMEP不均匀率影响最大,且随着负荷的增加呈线性下降;喷油提前角对爆压不均匀率和CA50不均匀率影响最大,且CA50不均匀率随着喷油提前角的增大呈线性增加。经过闭环控制后,各缸不均匀性得到明显改善。     

海上石油平台35千伏电缆终端故障的排查与修复

本文介绍了一起利用配电盘带电体超声波检测,结合非接触定位技术,快速排查并修复35kV电缆终端缺陷的案例。通过停电检验和内部刨解查证,对终端缺陷原因进行详细分析,确定该终端缺陷是由于电缆终端制作工艺和电缆安装存在问题所致,同时对缺陷处修理方法进行详解。本文最后对防范35kV电缆终端发生故障提出了建议。     

斗嘴斜坡变形机制及稳定性分析

斗嘴斜坡在地震和连续暴雨的情况下产生了变形,对斜坡稳定性产生了不利影响。在现场调查、测绘、勘探以及室内试验结果的基础上,阐述了斗嘴斜坡的变形特征,分析了该斜坡的变形机制,并对三种典型工况下斜坡的稳定性进行了定量计算,结果表明该斜坡整体稳定性较好,但#2边坡坡脚面临公路,人类活动频繁,建议采用修建护脚墙和地表截排水沟的防治措施,防治边坡失稳。     

浅析大型铁路客运站交通规划理念

以重庆北站北场交通规划为例,分析和判断了铁路客流对象、车站客流组织、旅客立体换乘、车站功能布局和车站管理模式5个方面的发展趋势;提出了现代铁路客运站在综合交通枢纽、站前集散广场、机动车进出通道、交通设施布局、客流组织方面的规划设计理念。     

The precautionary principle in maritime affairs

Since the 1980s, the precautionary principle has been drawing more and more international attention. This became particularly clear during the series of Conferences on the Protection of the North Sea, which addressed marine environmental protection, and initiated the application of the principle into maritime affairs. Although a unified concept of the precautionary principle is lacking, some typical formulations have been concluded in regional treaties and international documents, and components of the principle can be summarised (Part I and Part II). The precautionary principle has been adopted by international documents involving different fields of law of the sea, and been addressed by international courts and tribunals (Part III). While the precautionary principle is still not part of customary international law (Part IV), its increasing level of worldwide acceptance suggests that it will become a customary international law in the future.     

Large-scale application of MILATRAS: case study of the Toronto transit network

This paper documents the efforts to operationalize the conceptual framework of MIcrosimulation Learning-based Approach to TRansit Assignment (MILATRAS) and its component models of departure time and path choices. It presents a large-scale real-world application, namely the multi-modal transit network of Toronto which is operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). This large-scale network is represented by over 500 branches with more than 10,000 stops. About 332,000 passenger-agents are modelled to represent the demand for the TTC in the AM peak period. A learning-based departure time and path choice model was adopted using the concept of mental models for the modelling of the transit assignment problem. The choice model parameters were calibrated such that the entropy of the simulated route loads was optimized with reference to the observed route loads, and validated with individual choices. A Parallel Genetic Algorithm engine was used for the parameter calibration process. The modelled route loads, based on the calibrated parameters, greatly approximate the distribution underlying the observed loads. 75% of the exact sequence of transfer point choices were correctly predicted by the off-stop/on-stop choice mechanism. The model predictability of the exact sequence of route transfers was about 60%. In this application, transit passengers were assumed to plan their transit trip based on their experience with the transportation network; with no prior (or perfect) knowledge of service performance.     

Simulating the impacts of household travel on greenhouse gas emissions,urban air quality,and population exposure

This paper establishes a link between an activity-based model for the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), dynamic traffic assignment, emission modelling, and air quality simulation. This provides agent-based output that allows vehicle emissions to be tracked back to individuals and households who are producing them. In addition, roadway emissions are dispersed and the resulting ambient air concentrations are linked with individual time-activity patterns in order to assess population exposure to air pollution. This framework is applied to evaluate the effects of a range of policy interventions and 2031 scenarios on the generation of vehicle emissions and greenhouse gases in the GTA. Results show that the predicted increase of approximately 2.6 million people and 1.3 million jobs in the region by 2031 compared to 2001 levels poses a major challenge in achieving meaningful reductions in GHGs and air pollution.     

Analysis of the environmental benefits of a motorcycle idling stop policy at urban intersections

In an attempt to reduce CO₂ emissions from motorized transport, the Taiwanese government introduced an idling stop policy for vehicles in early 2007. This paper seeks to quantify the environmental benefits of the policy based on a stated preference analysis. Motorcyclists were surveyed at urban intersections in Taiwan, to identify the amount of time they would be willing to turn off their engines while waiting at traffic lights (the WTO). A contingent valuation framework based on stated preference questions was designed to determine the WTO. Results obtained from the Spike model showed that the average motorcyclist’s WTO is 82 s. In another analysis, in which other variables were taken into consideration, such as the possibility that the policy will be enacted as legislation, the expected WTO increased to 101 s. In both cases, an idling stop policy would have positive environmental effects, reducing gasoline usage by 1021 L per hour and reducing CO₂ emissions by 0.56 metric tons per hour at the intersection studied during peak periods.