Assessing a maritime service website prototype in a ship bridge simulator: navigators’ experiences and perceptions of novel e-Navigation solutions

The aim of this study was to assess proof of concept and usability of a maritime service website prototype in a full-mission ship bridge simulator through Swedish mariners’ experiences and perceptions. This test was part of the European Commission’s EfficienSea2 project for e-navigation. The prototype was intended as an aid to existing standard systems and methodologies for planning, executing and monitoring voyages. The study began with 5 days of simulator trials focused on today’s standard practices. This served as a baseline to compare to subsequent 4 days of simulator trials testing the prototype. For data collection, observations, video footage, interviews, and eye tracking were used. Data analysis included breaking apart the qualitative data to capture the perceptions of the participants, and a preliminary analysis of eye-tracking data as a complement. The results suggested that the prototype could be more suitable for a route planning stage, that the participants were familiar with similar existing solutions from other manufacturers, and that the contents of the tool would be most beneficial if integrated within the Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS). There is a pressing need for the novel solutions to be user needs-driven, integrated with the existing technologies, and standardized across the domain, and these processes must go hand-in-hand with accounting for all involved stakeholders, procedures, regulations, and training, as this will alter the course of shipping.     

考虑稳健性的汽车结构耐撞性优化设计

本文中基于C-NCAP中40%重叠度的偏置碰撞工况对某轿车进行结构耐撞性优化。为提高输出响应的预测精度,使用基于粒子群算法优化的支持向量回归模型来拟合设计变量与输出响应之间的关系,并利用非支配排序多目标遗传算法Ⅱ获得该优化问题的Pareto前沿。在确定性优化的基础上,并考虑产品性能在不确定因素影响下的波动,对其进行稳健性优化设计。最后,对优化结果进行有限元仿真验证。结果表明:优化后,结构质量减轻,耐撞性能明显提升,同时保障了稳定的产品性能。     

The influence of variable message signs on en-route diversion between a toll highway and a free competing alternative

Transportation - In the field of road transport, Advanced Traveller Information Systems represent a relevant tool to manage road traffic, improve drivers’ utility and make a more efficient...     

Are millennials more multimodal? A latent-class cluster analysis with attitudes and preferences among millennial and Generation X commuters in California

Transportation - Millennials tend to use a variety of travel modes more often than older birth cohorts. Two potential explanations for this phenomenon prevail in the literature. According to the...     

The role of children’s independent mobility and social media use for face-to-face social interaction with friends

Transportation - Social interaction with friends is an important contributor to children’s well-being, but how transport affects this is rarely studied. For two or more children (not of the...     

Large-eddy simulation of cross-flow around ship sections

The present work is motivated by phenomena occurring in the flow field around ship-like bodies with an incoming lateral flow (cross-flow, 90 ° drift angle). Three-dimensional unsteady flows around different ship sections are investigated by using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) tools with large-eddy simulation (LES) subgrid-scale turbulence model. The simulation results are compared to measurements at several Reynolds numbers in the 90–200,000 range. Focus in our investigation is on the characterization of the motion of vortex structures generated by the separated flow. Another target in the study is to obtain better knowledge of the hydrodynamic forces acting on the sections. Computed pressure and drag coefficients are compared with experimental measurements. The comparison between simulations and measurements shows that an LES model can predict the flow field around ship sections in detail and the hydrodynamic forces acting on the sections.     

Evaluating the impact of PSC inspectors’ professional profile: a case study of the Spanish Maritime Administration

Full-scale globalisation of trade has been accompanied by a progressive liberalisation of maritime transport. The proliferation of open registries has created a situation in which Port State Control (PSC) has become much more effective than the feeble or non-existent control exercised by those States. This study has been conducted on the influence of the professional profile of inspectors on inspection results. The objective of our paper was to evaluate the impact of PSC inspectors’ professional profile by conducting a case study of the Spanish Maritime Administration. The paper concludes with a discussion of the correlation between deficiencies detected and professional profiles.     

铁路隧道穿越岩溶群区施工控制技术研究

文章以渝(重庆)怀(怀化)铁路板桃隧道为工程背景,阐述了该隧道穿越DK215+650～DK216+105段岩溶群区的施工技术.为确保施工工期,施工中采取了"先绕行后处理"的原则,设置施工迂回导洞绕行岩溶区,并通过横通道与正线相连.针对岩溶区内不同的溶洞类型分别采取跨越、支顶、锚喷支护、浆砌片石回填等技术措施,同时根据暗河与溶洞内的水流大小及流向采取了诸如涵洞、小桥等设施或开凿泄水洞将水排出洞外,安全稳妥地通过了455 m岩溶群区.本工程取得的经验可供类似工程施工中借鉴.     

Assessing the representativeness of a smartphone-based household travel survey in Dar es Salaam,Tanzania

The household travel survey (HTS) finds itself in the midst of rapid technological change. Traditional methods are increasingly being sidelined by digital devices and computational power—for tracking movements, automatically detecting modes and activities, facilitating data collection, etc.. Smartphones have recently emerged as the latest technological enhancement. FMS is a smartphone-based prompted-recall HTS platform, consisting of an app for sensor data collection, a backend for data processing and inference, and a user interface for verification of inferences (e.g., modes, activities, times, etc.). FMS, has been deployed in several cities of the global north, including Singapore. This paper assesses the first use of FMS in a city of the global south, Dar es Salaam. FMS in Dar was implemented over a 1-month period, among 581 adults chosen from 300 randomly selected households. Individuals were provided phones with data plans and the FMS app preloaded. Verification of the collected data occurred every 3 days, via a phone interview. The experiment reveals various social and technical challenges. Models of individual likelihood to participate suggest little bias. Several socioeconomic and demographic characteristics apparently do influence, however, the number of days fully verified per individual. Similar apparent biases emerge when predicting the likelihood of a given day being verified. Some risk of non-random, non-response is, thus, evident.     

Back-Calculation of Ground Stress Field and Rockburst Analysis for Wunvfeng Tunnel北大核心CSCD

Studying the in-situ stress distribution at a tunnel site is very important to determine surrounding rock characteristics, the engineering design and the construction scheme. By using the multiple linear regression method based on the least square algorithm, the initial geostress field is analyzed and the corresponding regression coefficients are obtained. The ground stress obtained from the proposed back analysis is reasonable and can meet the demands of the engineering applications. From the rockburst risk level distribution diagram, it is speculated that the Wunvfeng tunnel is in the high filed stress area. Field monitoring should be strengthened and emergency plans should be made to cope with the rockburst risks during the construction process. © 2018, Editorial Office of "Modern Tunnelling Technology". All right reserved.