Optimal design and benefits of a short turning strategy for a bus corridor

We develop a short turning model using demand information from station to station within a single bus line-single period setting, aimed at increasing the service frequency on the more loaded sections to deal with spatial concentration of demand considering both operators’ and users’ costs. We find analytical expressions for optimal values of the design variables, namely frequencies (inside and outside the short cycle), capacity of vehicles and the position of the short turn limit stations. These expressions are used to analyze the influence of different parameters in the final solution. The design variables and the corresponding cost components for operators and users (waiting and in-vehicle times) are compared against an optimized normal operation scheme (single frequency). Applications on actual transit corridors exhibiting different demand profiles are conducted, calculating the optimal values for the design variables and the resulting benefits for each case. Results show the typical demand configurations that are better served using a short turn strategy.     

Meta-analysis of UK values of travel time: An update

Numerous travel demand studies have been carried out over the past five decades, many of which produce estimates of the value of travel time. This includes a rich body of largely unpublished evidence, which can provide valuable insights into the impact of variables such as GDP, travel distance, purpose and mode on this critical parameter for transport modelling and appraisal. The work reported in this paper updates and extends our previous meta-analyses of UK values of time ( [Wardman, 1998], [Wardman, 2001a] and [Wardman, 2004]) by adding recent studies and widening the range of explanatory variables included. Our current research covers 226 studies carried out between 1960 and 2008, yielding a total of 1749 valuations (a 50% increase relative to our previous work) and making this the largest data set of its kind to the best of our knowledge. This is also the most comprehensive study to date of parameters other than in-vehicle time and includes valuations of walk, wait, headway, congested, free flow, late, departure time shift and search time. Exploratory analysis of the data set provides interesting insights into methodological trends in travel demand modelling.For each valuation, over thirty quantitative and categorical variables were recorded and then included in a multivariate regression model to explain variations in the value of time. A large number of statistically significant effects were obtained from this meta-analysis, some of which are in marked contrast with, or not present in, our previous work. One finding that stands out is that the estimated elasticity of the value of time with respect to GDP per capita is 0.9 and highly significant, a much closer correspondence to the widely used convention of a unit income elasticity over time than we have previously obtained. The ratio between walk and wait time and in-vehicle time was found to be substantially lower than the commonly used value of two. We also found large and significant differences between the results from studies based on different types of Stated Preference survey presentation. Other important effects include variations by mode used, mode valued, travel purpose, attribute type and distance. It is envisaged that the results are of direct relevance in the British context, as inputs to appraisal or for benchmarking, whilst the methodological implications are of broader interest and the results, in terms of time equivalents and variations in values of time, can be transferred to other contexts.     

高墩大跨连续刚构桥非线性稳定计算分析

文章以赫章特大桥为工程背景,以压溃准则为失稳判定准则,利用有限元ANSYS结构分析软件,对采用均布力和集中力两种不同加载方式时的高墩大跨连续刚构桥进行非线性稳定计算。计算结果表明：（1）采用集中力加载方式的计算结果更符合实际情况;（2）失稳模态与风荷载的作用方向有关;（3）结构塑性区域与施加的荷载方式和所施加的风荷载有关。     

A simulation evaluation of the maximum approximate composite marginal likelihood (MACML) estimator for mixed multinomial probit models

This paper evaluates the ability of the maximum approximate composite marginal likelihood (MACML) estimation approach to recover parameters from finite samples in mixed cross-sectional and panel multinomial probit models. Comparisons with the maximum simulated likelihood (MSL) estimation approach are also undertaken. The results indicate that the MACML approach recovers parameters much more accurately than the MSL approach in all model structures and covariance specifications. The MACML inference approach also estimates the parameters efficiently, with the asymptotic standard errors being, in general, only a small proportion of the true values. As importantly, the MACML inference approach takes only a very small fraction of the time needed for MSL estimation. In particular, the results suggest that, for the case of five random coefficients, the MACML approach is about 50 times faster than the MSL for the cross-sectional random coefficients case, about 15 times faster than the MSL for the panel inter-individual random coefficients case, and about 350 times or more faster than the MSL for the panel intra- and inter-individual random coefficients case. As the number of alternatives in the unordered-response model increases, one can expect even higher computational efficiency factors for the MACML over the MSL approach. Further, as should be evident in the panel intra- and inter-individual random coefficients case, the MSL is all but practically infeasible when the mixing structure leads to an explosion in the dimensionality of integration in the likelihood function, but these situations are handled with ease in the MACML approach. It is hoped that the MACML procedure will spawn empirical research into rich model specifications within the context of unordered multinomial choice modeling, including autoregressive random coefficients, dynamics in coefficients, space-time effects, and spatial/social interactions.     

Biologie, transport, complexité

As a result of some of the analogies between biology and transport, including the concepts of evolution and selection, we are wondering whether some ideas and methods used in biology may not be used to provide research avenues within the field of transportation. We are interested in the idea of complexity, which is common to the two scientific fields, but not treated in the same way by either of the two disciplines. By observing the way in which systemic biology has developed, from a largely “data-driven” approach to research guided by data, we are questioning whether such a direction would be possible in the field of transportation. This investigation also leads us to ask questions about “modules”, or the boundaries of the subsystems studied in the field of transportation, through the observation that molecular biology defines these boundaries in terms of the function of the subsystems. In conclusion, we are expressing the notion that these comparisons will lead to new research avenues in the field of transportation.     

Mixité sociale et choix modal : importance des dimensions symboliques dans l’attrait des transports collectives

Our understanding of transport mode choice is largely based upon functional attributes, such as travel time, cost or accessibility. It is important, however, to also look at symbolic and affective attributes. Indeed, one of the main differences between mass transit and private car use is strongly symbolic: public transport compels users to confront social diversity. Given a hypothetical choice between those modes, 200 residents of the Parisian region were asked five times to evaluate (measuring usage intention on a six point scale: ?3 meaning never and +3 meaning always, with no neutral point) the attractiveness of bus versus car-based transport, according to relative travel time and bus users’ population type. The results show that the symbolic dimension (the social mix) strongly contributes to the desirability of a transport mode, as does the functional dimension (travel time).     

船舶停靠码头撞击力研究

在船舶大型化的背景下,为了研究大吨位船舶停靠内河既有架空直立式码头过程撞击力对码头的影响,利用ABAQUS建立精细化有限元模型,对不同吨位、不同初始速度、不同撞击角度的船舶停靠码头的过程进行数值仿真分析,研究码头所受撞击力变化情况.结果表明,船舶直接停靠码头过程,系统能量转化迅速,撞击力在接触瞬间产生较大值,撞击力作用...     

公路隧道火灾初期视频火焰检测

为了有效探测公路隧道火灾初期火焰并预警,针对传统的感温型火灾火焰探测器在公路隧道等大空间环境存在反应速度慢等问题,通过研究失控火焰在图像中呈现的静态和动态特征,提出一种基于火焰图像多特征和AdaBoost算法的公路隧道火灾初期火焰识别方法。利用帧间差分算法提取运动前景,根据火焰在RGB和Lab空间的颜色统计模型分割疑似火焰区域,用从疑似区域中提取的H分量一阶矩、圆形度和LBP一阶矩特征值构成特征向量,作为AdaBoost静态特征模型的输入向量,用在一个检测周期提取的疑似区域质心跳动频率归一化特征值和AdaBoost静态特征模型识别结果中火焰帧数占周期总帧数的比值构成特征向量,作为AdaBoost综合特征模型的输入向量,并优化选取AdaBoost模型的参数。采用公路隧道火焰视频和公用视频对训练得到的AdaBoost静态特征分类器和AdaBoost综合特征分类器进行试验测试。结果表明：该方法能够实现公路隧道环境火灾初期的火焰识别,并能有效排除伪火焰车灯等干扰引起的误报警。     

关于列车-轨道(桥梁)时变系统空间振动方程的建立及其求解

分析了国内外在列车一轨道(桥梁)时变系统空间振动方程的建立及其求解过程中存在的根本问题：基于弹性系统动力学总势能不变值原理及形成系统矩阵的“对号入座”法则(它不是一般的有限元分析中的计算机编码法和刚度集成法),可以很好地克服这一根本问题,同时还可以简便有效地建立并求解此时变系统空间振动方程,在直线轨道及桥梁上货物列车脱轨计算中取得了良好效果。对2座桥上列车走行安全性、平稳性及舒适性进行了分析,分析结果已被有关铁路局采用。