Daily rhythms of suburban commuters’ movements in the Tallinn metropolitan area: Case study with mobile positioning data

The objective of this study is to analyse the diurnal rhythms of city life and its spatial differences in Tallinn, using mobile telephone positioning data. The positioning experiment was carried out in April 2006 over an 8-day period and 15-min intervals, with a random sample of 277 respondents living in new residential areas outside the city of Tallinn.The investigation of the space–time movements and daily distances of respondents showed that the majority of respondents had a similar temporal rhythm related to work, school, services and leisure in the city. Because of the different timing of those activities, the mobile positioning data made it possible to map functional differences in the city. The advantages and disadvantages of mobile positioning data in mapping urban life are discussed in the final section of the study.     

Activity patterns,time use,and travel of millennials: a generation in transition?

Millennials, defined in this study as those born between 1979 and 2000, became the largest population segment in the United States in 2015. Compared to recent previous generations, they have been found to travel less, own fewer cars, have lower driver’s licensure rates, and use alternative modes more. But to what extent will these differences in behaviour persist as millennials move through various phases of the lifecycle? To address this question, this paper presents the results of a longitudinal analysis of the 2003–2013 American Time Use Survey data series. In early adulthood, younger millennials (born 1988–1994) are found to spend significantly more time in-home than older millennials (born 1979–1985), which indicates that there are substantial differences in activity-time use patterns across generations in early adulthood. Older millennials are, however, showing activity-time use patterns similar to their prior generation counterparts as they age, although some differences – particularly in time spent as a car driver – persist. Millennials appear to exhibit a lag in adopting the activity patterns of predecessor generations due to delayed lifecycle milestones (e.g. completing their education, getting jobs, marrying, and having children) and lingering effects of the economic recession, suggesting that travel demand will resume growth in the future.     

DEADBEAT COVARIANCE CONTROLLER DESIGN FOR SAMPLED-DATA SYSTEMS

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Study on the derailment behaviour of a railway wheelset with solid axles in a railway turnout

ABSTRACT

Dynamic wheel–rail interaction in railway turnouts is more complicated than on ordinary track. In order to evaluate the derailment behaviour of railway wheelsets in railway turnouts, this paper presents a study of dynamic wheel–rail interaction during a wheel flange climbs on the turnout rails, by applying the elasticity positioning wheelset model. A numerical model is established based on a coupled finite element method and multi-body dynamics, and applied to study the derailment behaviour of a railway wheelset in both the facing and trailing directions in a railway turnout, as well as dynamic wheel–turnout rail interaction during the wheel flange climbing on the turnout rails. The influence of the wheel–rail attack angle and the friction coefficient on the dynamic derailment behaviour is investigated through the proposed model. The results show that the derailment safety for a wheelset passing the railway turnout in facing direction is significantly lower than that for the trailing direction and the ordinary track. The possibility of derailment for the wheelset passing the railway turnout in facing and trailing directions at positive wheel–rail attack angles will increase with an increase in the attack angles, and the possibility of derailment can be reduced by decreasing the friction coefficient.     

南宁膨胀土剪切蠕变特性及流变模型研究

利用改装的剪应力控制式直剪仪对南宁非饱和膨胀土进行了一系列直剪蠕变试验和加–卸载剪切回弹试验,得到了剪切蠕变曲线和剪切回弹曲线。试验结果表明,膨胀土在同一竖向应力条件下,剪应力和含水率越大其塑性和流变特性越明显;在同一含水率、同一剪应力条件下,竖向应力越小其塑性和流变特性越明显。根据对试验曲线的分析得到了膨胀土的剪切变形是由瞬时弹性变形、瞬时塑性变形,弹性滞后变形,粘塑性变形等组成。提出了膨胀土剪切蠕变的九元件模型,并通过拟合确定了相应的剪切蠕变方程和流变参数.研究结果为膨胀土流变问题的进一步研究提供可靠理论依据。     

Sociological perspectives on travel and mobilities: A review

There is increasing interest in understanding and achieving changes in travel behaviour, but a focus on individual behaviour change may overlook the potential for achieving change via transformation at the levels of institutions, cultures and societies – the domains of sociological inquiry. In this paper, we review sociological contributions to the literature on travel and ‘mobilities’. We summarise four key themes which supplement or contradict arguments made in mainstream transport debates on behaviour change. The first involves focusing on travel ‘practices’ as social entities with dynamics of their own, rather than on individual behaviours. The second relates to the changing natures of societies, and the implications for travel. The third explores and interprets the issue of car dependence in ways which highlight the ethical, experiential and emotional dimensions associated with car use, its symbolic role in societies increasingly concerned with consumption, and its differing roles within different cultures. Finally, the ‘new mobilities paradigm’ highlights issues such as the increasing links between travel and new technologies, and the primacy of social networks in influencing travel decisions. These themes emphasise the importance of understanding the broader contexts in which travel choices are made. In particular, the implication is that the creation of more sustainable travel patterns will require changes at a range of social levels, not simply in individual behaviours, and that changes to transport will inevitably be linked with, and influenced by, broader changes in the values and practices developed by societies as a whole.     

摆式车辆数值模型与试验台及线路试验结果的比较

介绍了一个运用于摆式车辆的动力学性能仿真的数值计算模型,特别考虑了曲线通过工况。在此模型中,把实车上使用的控制软件和车辆数值计算机械结构模型结合起来,再现了倾摆主动控制装置的动力学。为了验证数值计算仿真模型,把数值计算结果与试验台试验及室外线路试验结果进行了比较。     

An agent-based approach to modelling driver route choice behaviour under the influence of real-time information

This paper presents an agent-based approach to modelling individual driver behaviour under the influence of real-time traffic information. The driver behaviour models developed in this study are based on a behavioural survey of drivers which was conducted on a congested commuting corridor in Brisbane, Australia. Commuters’ responses to travel information were analysed and a number of discrete choice models were developed to determine the factors influencing drivers’ behaviour and their propensity to change route and adjust travel patterns. Based on the results obtained from the behavioural survey, the agent behaviour parameters which define driver characteristics, knowledge and preferences were identified and their values determined. A case study implementing a simple agent-based route choice decision model within a microscopic traffic simulation tool is also presented. Driver-vehicle units (DVUs) were modelled as autonomous software components that can each be assigned a set of goals to achieve and a database of knowledge comprising certain beliefs, intentions and preferences concerning the driving task. Each DVU provided route choice decision-making capabilities, based on perception of its environment, that were similar to the described intentions of the driver it represented. The case study clearly demonstrated the feasibility of the approach and the potential to develop more complex driver behavioural dynamics based on the belief–desire–intention agent architecture.     

Exploring spatial variety in patterns of activity-travel behaviour: initial results from the Toronto Travel-Activity Panel Survey (TTAPS)

Studies of urban travel behaviour typically focus on weekday activities and commuting. This is surprising given the rising contribution of discretionary activities to daily travel that has occurred during the last few decades. Moreover, current understanding of the relationship between travel behaviour and land use remains incomplete, with little research carried out to explore spatial properties of activity-travel behaviour during the off-peak and weekend time periods. Weekend behaviours, for example, influenced by the availability of time and the spatiotemporal distribution of “weekend” destinations, likely produce spatially and temporally distinct activity-travel patterns. Using data from the first wave of the Toronto Travel-Activity Panel Survey (TTAPS), this paper examines an area of research that has received little attention; namely, the presence of spatial variety in activity-travel behaviour. The paper begins by looking at the extent to which individuals engage in spatially repetitive location choices during the course of a single week. Area-based measures of geographical extent and activity dispersion are then used to expose differences in weekday-to-weekend and day-to-day activity-travel patterns. Examination of unclassified activities carried out over a 1 week period reveals a level of spatial repetition that does not materialise across activities classified by type, travel mode, and planning strategy. Despite the inherent spatial flexibility offered by the personal automobile, spatial repetition is also found to be surprisingly similar across travel modes. The results also indicate weekday-to-weekend, and day-to-day fluctuations in spatial properties of individual activity-travel behaviour. These findings challenge the utility of the short-run survey as an instrument for capturing archetypal patterns of spatial behaviour. In addition, the presence of a weekday-to-weekend differential in spatial behaviour suggests that policies targeting weekday travel reduction could have little impact on travel associated with weekend activities.

Field measurements of the evolution of wheel wear and vehicle dynamics for high-speed trains

This investigation demonstrates the wheel wear evolution and related vehicle dynamics of high-speed trains with an operating distance (OD) of around two million kilometres. A long-term experimental test lasting two years was conducted to record the wheel profiles and structural vibrations of various trainsets. The wheel wear, namely the profile shape, worn distribution and wheelset conicity, is investigated for several continuous reprofiling cycles. Typical results are illustrated for the stability analysis, and the ride quality is examined with increasing OD. In addition, the vibration transition characteristics between suspensions are investigated in both the time and frequency domains. The experiments show that the dominant wear concentrates on the nominal rolling radius, and the wear rate increases with OD because of the surface softening resulting from the loss of wheel material. The vibration of structural components is aggravated by the increase of the equivalent conicity of the wheelset, which rises approximately linearly with the wheel wear and OD. High-frequency vibrations arise in the bogie and car body related to the track arrangement and wheel out-of-roundness, causing the ride comfort to worsen significantly. Additionally, the system vibration characteristics are strongly dependent on the atmospheric temperature. Summaries and conclusions are obtained regarding the wheel wear and related vehicle dynamics of high-speed trains over long operating times and distances.