Prohibited–permitted right-turn phasing strategy based on capacity analysis of right-turn movements

In traffic-crowded metropolitan areas, such as Shanghai and Beijing in China, right-turn vehicles that operate with a permitted phase at signalized intersections are normally permitted to filter through large numbers of pedestrians and bicycles. To alleviate such conflicts and improve safety, traffic engineers in Shanghai introduced a prohibited–permitted right-turn operation, adding a subphase to the permitted phase in which right-turns are prohibited. Unfortunately, the prohibited subphase would reduce the capacity of right-turn movements when it prohibits right turns even if there are few pedestrians and bicycles crossing the street. This paper aims at quantifying the impact of both non-vehicular flows and the prohibited subphase on the right-turn capacity, and then proposes a strategy to determine appropriate prohibited–permitted right-turn operation that minimizes the capacity reduction caused by the prohibited subphase. To achieve this goal, we improved the pedestrian and bicycle adjustment factor described in the Highway Capacity Manual by taking into account: (1) the variety in space competition between pedestrians and bicycles, and (2) the effect of two conflict zones in each phase on right-turn operation. In addition, we revised the capacity estimation model in the Highway Capacity Manual, and developed a model based on bicycle/pedestrian volume fluctuation to describe the capacity reduction due to both non-vehicular flows and the prohibited subphase. Furthermore, we proposed a timing strategy for the onset and duration of appropriate prohibited subphase. When bicycle and pedestrian volumes are low, the actuated strategy turns to the permitted phase. When these volumes are moderate, the strategy turns to the prohibited–permitted operation. With the volumes increasing, the prohibited subphase onset advances and duration increases. In these two scenarios, the new strategy has higher right-turn capacity than the current pretimed prohibited–permitted operation. Unfortunately, when bicycle and pedestrian volumes are high, the strategy yields similar right-turn capacity. However, the new prohibited subphase has less potential vehicle–bicycle and vehicle–pedestrian conflicts.     

Specification of the cross-nested logit model with sampling of alternatives for route choice models

We present an operational estimation procedure for the estimation of route choice multivariate extreme value (MEV) models based on sampling of alternatives. The procedure builds on the state-of-the-art literature, and in particular on recent methodological developments proposed by Flötteröd and Bierlaire (2013) and Guevara and Ben-Akiva (2013b). Case studies on both synthetic data and a real network demonstrate that the new method is valid and practical.     

Effectiveness and costs of odor repellents in wildlife–vehicle collisions: A case study in Central Bohemia,Czech Republic

This article summarizes the results of the field tests, when the efficiency and financial costs of the chosen odor repellents to reduce mortality of animals on selected roads and railways in the Czech Republic during the years 2011–2013 were evaluated. The main objective was to determine whether by using repellents it is possible to reduce the number of animals killed and evaluate the return of financial costs that are associated with the application of the repellents. Our results showed that the odor repellents are an effective tool to reduce wildlife–vehicle collision (WVC), and thanks to their application it was possible to reduce the cost of damage to property and reduce the number of killed animals by comparing the years 2011 (without measure) and 2013 (2 years of repellent application) by 37% of the initial loss.     

Instabilities in imperfect thick cones subjected to axial compression and external pressure

The paper presents results of a numerical study into the buckling resistance of geometrically imperfect mild steel cones subjected to: (a) axial compression only, (b) lateral external pressure only, and (c) axial compression and external pressure acting simultaneously.Initial geometric imperfections are taken in the form of the eigenmode, `a single wave' extracted from the eigenmode and localized smooth dimple modelled analytically. Load carrying capacity of imperfect models is computed using the Finite Element proprietory code.Buckling strength of axially compressed and imperfect cone is only 55% of geometrically perfect model. Buckling strength of a cone subjected to lateral pressure, on the other hand, amounts to 43% of the corresponding value of perfect model. But it is the shrinkage of stability plot of imperfect cone which was found to be significant. For imperfect cones subjected to combined axial compression and external pressure, the collapse envelope shrinks by 48% with the elastic sub-set being reduced by 51%.     

Experimental and numerical analysis of a tanker side panel laterally punched by a knife edge indenter

The paper presents finite element simulations of a small-scale stiffened plate specimen quasi-statically punched at the mid-span by a rigid indenter, in order to examine its energy absorbing mechanisms and fracture. The specimen, scaled from a tanker side panel, is limited by one span between the web frames and the stringers. The paper provides practical information to estimate the extent of structural damage within ship side panels during collision accidents. Moreover, the results of this investigation should have relevance to evaluate grounding scenarios in which the bottom sustains local penetration. This is possible since the structural arrangement of the double hull and the double bottom of tanker vessels is very similar. The experimentally obtained force–displacement response and shape of the deformation show good agreement with the simulations performed by the explicit LS-DYNA finite element solver. The numerical analysis includes aspects of particular relevance to the behaviour of ship structures subjected to accidental loads which could give rise to difficulties in interpreting finite element calculations. In particular, the paper comments on the material nonlinearities, the importance of specifying the precise boundary conditions and the joining details of the structure. The considerable practical importance of these aspects has been the focus of attention in previous publications of the authors which evaluate the experimental-numerical impact response of simple ship structural components, such as beams and plates. Therefore, this paper uses the definitions proposed in those references to evaluate its applicability in the scaled tanker side panel, as an example of a more complex ship structure.     

Sensitivity of the wheel–rail contact interactions and Dang Van Fatigue Index in the rail with respect to irregularities of the track geometry

This paper investigates the effects of the track geometry irregularities on the wheel–rail dynamic interactions and the rail fatigue initiation through the application of the Dang Van criterion, that supposes an elastic shakedown of the structure. The irregularities are modelled, using experimental data, as a stochastic field which is representative of the considered railway network. The tracks thus generated are introduced as the input of a railway dynamics software to characterise the stochastic contact patch and the parameters on which it depends: contact forces and wheelset–rail relative position. A variance-based global sensitivity analysis is performed on quantities of interest representative of the dynamic behaviour of the system, with respect to the stochastic geometry irregularities and for different curve radius classes and operating conditions. The estimation of the internal stresses and the fatigue index being more time-consuming than the dynamical simulations, the sensitivity analysis is performed through a metamodel, whose input parameters are the wheel–rail relative position and velocity. The coefficient of variation of the number of fatigue cycles, when the simulations are performed with random geometry irregularities, varies between 0.13 and 0.28. In a large radius curve, the most influent irregularity is the horizontal curvature, while, in a tight curve, the gauge becomes more important.     

High-frequency random vibration analysis of a high-speed vehicle–track system with the frequency-dependent dynamic properties of rail pads using a hybrid SEM–SM method

A hybrid Spectral Element Method (SEM)–Symplectic Method(SM) method for high-efficiency computation of the high-frequency random vibrations of a high-speed vehicle–track system with the frequency-dependent dynamic properties of rail pads is presented. First, the Williams-Landel-Ferry (WLF) formula and Fractional Derivative Zener (FDZ) model were, respectively, applied for prediction and representation of the frequency-dependent dynamic properties of Vossloh 300 rail pads frequently used in China's high-speed railway. Then, the proposed hybrid SEM–SM method was used to investigate the influence of the frequency-dependent dynamic performance of Vossloh 300 rail pads on the high-frequency random vibrations of high-speed vehicle–track systems at various train speeds or different levels of rail surface roughness. The experimental results indicate that the storage stiffness and loss factors of Vossloh 300 rail pad increase with the decrease in dynamic loads or the increase in preloads within 0.1–10,000?Hz at 20°C, and basically linearly increase with frequency in a logarithmic coordinate system. The results computed by the hybrid SEM–SM method demonstrate that the frequency-dependent viscous damping of Vossloh 300 rail pads, compared with its constant viscous damping and frequency-dependent stiffness, has a much more conspicuous influence on the medium-frequency (i.e. 20–63?Hz) random vibrations of car bodies and rail fasteners, and on the mid- (i.e. 20–63?Hz) and high-frequency (i.e. 630–1250?Hz) random vibrations of bogies, wheels and rails, especially with the increase in train speeds or the deterioration of rail surface roughness. The two sensitive frequency bands can also be validated by frequency response function (FRF) analysis of the proposed infinite rail–fastener model. The mid and high frequencies influenced by the frequency-dependent viscous damping of rail pads are exactly the dominant frequencies of ground vibration acceleration and wheel rolling noise caused by high-speed railways, respectively. Even though the existing time-domain (or frequency-domain) finite track models associated with the time-domain (or frequency-domain) fractional derivative viscoelastic (FDV) models of rail pads can also be used to reach the same conclusions, the hybrid SEM–SM method in which only one element is required to compute the high-order vibration modes of infinite rail is more appropriate for high-efficiency analysis of the high-frequency random vibrations of high-speed vehicle–track systems.     

Dynamic response of the train–track–bridge system subjected to derailment impacts

Derailments on bridges, although not frequent, when occurs due to a complex dynamic interaction of the train–track–bridge structural system, are very severe. Furthermore, the forced vibration induced by the post-derailment impacts can toss out the derailed wagons from the bridge deck with severe consequences to the traffic underneath and the safety of the occupants of the wagons. This paper presents a study of the train–track–bridge interaction during a heavy freight train crossing a concrete box girder bridge from a normal operation to a derailed state. A numerical model that considers the bridge vibration, train–track interaction and the train post-derailment behaviour is formulated based on a coupled finite-element – multi-body dynamics (FE-MBD) theory. The model is applied to predict the post-derailment behaviour of a freight train composed of one locomotive and several wagons, as well as the dynamic response of a straight single-span simply supported bridge containing ballast track subjected to derailment impacts. For this purpose, a typical derailment scenario of a heavy freight train passing over a severe track geometry defect is introduced. The dynamic derailment behaviour of the heavy freight train and the dynamic responses of the rail bridge are illustrated through numerical examples. The results exhibit the potential for tossing out of the derailed trains from the unstable increase in the yaw angle signature and a lower rate of increase of the bridge deck bending moment compared to the increase in the static axle load of the derailed wheelset.     

A linear complementarity method for the solution of vertical vehicle–track interaction

A new method is proposed for the solution of the vertical vehicle–track interaction including a separation between wheel and rail. The vehicle is modelled as a multi-body system using rigid bodies, and the track is treated as a three-layer beam model in which the rail is considered as an Euler-Bernoulli beam and both the sleepers and the ballast are represented by lumped masses. A linear complementarity formulation is directly established using a combination of the wheel–rail normal contact condition and the generalised-α method. This linear complementarity problem is solved using the Lemke algorithm, and the wheel–rail contact force can be obtained. Then the dynamic responses of the vehicle and the track are solved without iteration based on the generalised-α method. The same equations of motion for the vehicle and track are adopted at the different wheel–rail contact situations. This method can remove some restrictions, that is, time-dependent mass, damping and stiffness matrices of the coupled system, multiple equations of motion for the different contact situations and the effect of the contact stiffness. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed method is effective for simulating the vehicle–track interaction including a separation between wheel and rail.