The effect of the competition between cars and trucks on the evolution of the motorway transport system

Motorways, which were devised at the beginning of their history as dedicated roads intended to be traveled by cars only, are at present also traveled by considerable flows of trucks. This fact has deeply changed the motorway transport system with respect to its original conception, owing to the interactions between two categories of vehicles whose characteristics are very different. These interactions greatly increase the transport cost perceived by car drivers with respect to truck drivers. This paper studies the consequences of this cost asymmetry on the evolution of the transport system when the geometric characteristics of a motorway remain unchanged in time, while transport demand increases. By using a theoretical model of competition between cars and trucks, it is shown that, if both the geometric characteristics of a motorway and the increase rate of the activities that feed the transport demand remain unchanged over time, the competition between cars and trucks, as well as the fact that in general passengers have better transport alternatives than freight, make the increase rate of truck traffic greater than that of cars, causing a progressive increase in the proportion of trucks in the time periods in which a motorway is traveled by both the vehicle categories. Since truck traffic on motorways, at least in Europe, is very scarce on weekends and in holiday periods, in which motorways are traveled almost only by cars, these results seem to indicate a tendency to the specialization of motorways, which are likely to be used in the future mostly by only one category of vehicles in different periods of time.     

The Offshore Wind Power Debate: Views from Cape Cod

Wind power resources on the eastern U.S. continental shelf are estimated to be over 400 GW, several times the electricity used by U.S. eastern coastal states. The first U.S. developer proposes to build 130 large (40 story tall) wind turbines in Nantucket Sound, just outside Massachusetts state waters. These would provide 420 MW at market prices, enough electricity for most of Cape Cod. The project is opposed by a vigorous and well-financed coalition. Polling shows local public opinion on the project almost equally divided. This article draws on semistructured interviews with residents of Cape Cod to analyze values, beliefs, and logic of supporters and opponents. For example, one value found to lead to opposition is that the ocean is a special place that should be kept natural and free of human intrusion. One line of argument found to lead to support is: The war in Iraq is problematic, this war is “really” over petroleum, Cape Cod generates electricity from oil, therefore, the wind project would improve U.S. security. Based on analysis of the values and reasoning behind our interview data, we identify four issues that are relevant but not currently part of the debate.     

Toward regional transportation governance: a case study of Greater Vancouver

This paper discusses the evolving institutional structure and governance of transportation planning, policy development and transit delivery within one major North American city-region, the Greater Vancouver area. Various methods of transportation governance are explored from complete independence to full regional integration. The move away from a direct provincial role in transportation management to a greater regional transit authority is discussed and critiqued. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

西江三滩河床演变分析

在充分分析现有的多年实测资料的基础上,对梧州—郁南河段总体演变趋势进行分析,重点对西江出浅的三滩河段从横断面变化、深泓线变化、洲滩变化等进行了较为全面的河床演变分析,初步得出了成滩的原因,并据此定性确定了三滩各滩滩性,提出了该滩段的整治思路,旨在为航道整治方案的确定提供参考。     

基于性能演变的水性环氧沥青开普封层施工方法优化

为进一步提升水性环氧沥青开普封层使用品质，针对水性环氧沥青开普封层施工现存问题，借助有机玻璃界面状态图像观测与层间剪切试验，研究了不同固化状态下碎石封层黏结性能，提出了水性环氧沥青碎石封层两阶段分步式压实方法；系统分析了微表处摊铺时机对碎石封层沥青-碎石黏附与层间黏结性能的影响程度，探究了微表处开放交通时间与交通荷载对开普封层结构强度与表面功能的影响规律，确定了水性环氧沥青微表处最佳摊铺时机与开放交通条件；最终优化了水性环氧沥青开普封层施工方法，推荐了最佳施工参数与时机。结果表明：有机玻璃界面状态图像观测方法可快速、准确评价水性环氧沥青碎石封层的黏结防水状态，其结果与宏观试验一致。两阶段分步式压实方法能够有效提高水性环氧沥青开普封层层间黏结性能，增幅达14.29%以上，具体流程为：碎石封层摊铺后，立即采用前期轻微压实工艺进行碾压1次，待碎石封层养生至表干与实干之间时，采用后期标准压实工艺再碾压1次。基于碎石封层性能演变规律，可得微表处最佳摊铺时机为：碎石封层处于表干与实干状态之间。基于开普封层性能演变规律及交通荷载影响，可得最佳开放交通条件为：微表处摊铺后常温（25℃）持续养生1~1.5 h，适度开放交通，约2 h后完全开放。研究结果可为水性环氧沥青开普封层品质管控提供科学依据与理论支持。     

基于改进的统一疲劳裂纹扩展速率模型的表面裂纹扩展规律预报

很多学者对表面裂纹形状变化规律进行了研究,但是理论上仍存在较大缺陷,因此现有方法预报结果的准确性有待考察。文章作者们提出了一个改进的统一疲劳裂纹扩展速率模型,本模型合理考虑了材料的非线性效应和裂纹前缘的三维约束效应及三维约束大小在前缘各点的分布函数。通过引入等效厚度的概念及法线方向扩展的假定较好地考虑了裂纹前缘各点对扩展之后形状比变化规律的影响,预报得到的裂纹前缘形状能够观察到明显的边界点扩展滞后现象,同时本模型预报结果与试验结果及传统模型预报结果进行了比较,证明本模型提高了表面裂纹扩展规律预报的精度。     

非理想条件下三轴磁通门传感器误差修正方法

三轴磁通门传感器应用较为广泛,但非正交误差和非水平误差影响了三轴磁通门传感器的磁场测量精度.根据三轴磁通门传感器测量原理,分析了非理想条件下与理想条件下磁场转化矩阵关系.为消除三轴磁通门传感器中非正交误差和非水平误差的影响,建立了以磁场转化矩阵参数为自变量的优化模型.采用全局优化能力强、寻优效率高的微分进化算法求解该优化模型,求得磁场转化矩阵参数即可实现非正交误差和非水平误差的同时修正.三轴磁通门传感器误差修正实验表明,该方法在一定程度上可有效消除三轴磁通门传感器中非正交误差和非水平误差的影响,对提高三轴磁通门传感器磁场测量精度具有重要意义.     

A single-period analysis of a two-echelon inventory system with dependent supply uncertainty

Disruptions and random supplies have been important sources of uncertainty that should be considered in the design and control of supply chains. There have been many real world examples in which a single catastrophic event has simultaneously degraded the capabilities of several suppliers leading to considerable erosion of profits and goodwill for a company. However, the literature on analytical models that account for the dependence nature of disruptions and its impact on supply chain performance is sparse.In this paper, we consider an m-manufacturer, 1-retailer, newsvendor inventory system with stochastically dependent manufacturing capacities, caused by random disruptions that may simultaneously inflict damages to the capacities of the manufacturers. We develop the structural/analytical properties of key performance measures and optimal inventory policies for the multi-source and assembly inventory systems. We show that stochastic dependence in disruptions can have opposite effects on system performance in the multi-source and assembly systems. While risk diversification is preferred in the multi-source system, risk concentration is preferred in the assembly system. Our results also suggest that, if the retailer ignores the effect of dependent disruptions, then in the multi-source structure, it would underestimate the cost, overestimate the fill rate, and order more units than the optimum; however, in the assembly structure, the opposite would happen. We perform a comprehensive numerical study to validate our analytical results and generate useful managerial and operational insights for effective risk management of supply chains in the presence of dependent supply uncertainty.     

Bicycling renaissance in North America? An update and re-appraisal of cycling trends and policies

This paper reviews trends in cycling levels, safety, and policies in Canada and the USA over the past two decades. We analyze aggregate data for the two countries as well as city-specific case study data for nine large cities (Chicago, Minneapolis, Montréal, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington). Cycling levels have increased in both the USA and Canada, while cyclist fatalities have fallen. There is much spatial variation and socioeconomic inequality in cycling rates. The bike share of work commuters is more than twice as high in Canada as in the USA, and is higher in the western parts of both countries. Cycling is concentrated in central cities, especially near universities and in gentrified neighborhoods near the city center. Almost all the growth in cycling in the USA has been among men between 25-64 years old, while cycling rates have remained steady among women and fallen sharply for children. Cycling rates have risen much faster in the nine case study cities than in their countries as a whole, at least doubling in all the cities since 1990. They have implemented a wide range of infrastructure and programs to promote cycling and increase cycling safety: expanded and improved bike lanes and paths, traffic calming, parking, bike-transit integration, bike sharing, training programs, and promotional events. We describe the specific accomplishments of the nine case study cities, focusing on each city’s innovations and lessons for other cities trying to increase cycling. Portland’s comprehensive package of cycling policies has succeeded in raising cycling levels 6-fold and provides an example that other North American cities can follow.     

降雨对滑坡体发育稳态趋势的演变分析

基于滑坡体结构发展趋势的链式原理,建立起滑坡为结构体的模型并进行理论分析。滑坡属于地质力学的范畴,建立适当的力学结构模型,进行理论上的应力应变分析。通过灾害链式理论的指导,具体分析降雨对滑坡体发育的链式过程,发现滑坡体发展趋势,并通过有限元进行模拟,推测滑坡体稳定的极限状态,在降雨发生情况下,判断滑坡体是否处于稳定或即将出现滑坡提供理论参考。