Oregon Department of Transportation research leader : fall 2008.

PDFTech ReportWork zonesSelection and appointmentReinforced concrete bridgesAcoustic emission testsBentsAutomated enforcementRamp meteringFreeway operationsCustomer satisfactionTraffic controlGirdersOregonOregon. Dept. of TransportationOregon. Dept. of TransportationUS Transportation CollectionThe newsletter includes:1) To ensure safe travel through construction work zones, Traffic Control Plans (TCPs) are developed to communicate required traffic control measures to the construction team. The quality of the design and implementation of TCPs impacts the safety hazards experienced by motorists and workers in the work zone. Research is needed to identify how to effectively design, review, implement, and inspect TCPs in order to minimize work zone safety hazards, help prevent worker and motorist injuries and fatalities, and optimize mobility throughout the state\ue2\u20ac\u2122s highway transportation system.2) Recently ODOT Research gained a new full-time member: Lyn Cornell. Lyn replaces Vincent Van Der Hyde as the offi ce\ue2\u20ac\u2122s newest Research Coordinator. She will coordinate multimodal transportation projects.3) The research effort produced guidelines for practitioners without acoustic emission (AE) expertise on how to employ AE monitoring for reinforced concrete bridges. The guidelines cover sensor placement, data collection, and data interpretation and can be used to implement a short-term structural performance test or develop a long-term structural health monitoring system.4) The research focused on typical main girder proportions (4 ft deep and 14 in. wide) and rebar details for reinforced concrete deck girder (RCDG) bridges in Oregon. The research program included fi eld and laboratory tests as well as analytical components to develop a methodology for assessment of diagonally-cracked girders.5) According to the Oregon Department of Transportation, Transportation Safety Division (OTSD), the state has experienced a steady increase in both work zone crashes (4,634 between 1998 and 2007) and fatalities (74 between 1998 and 2007). The charts show the year-by-year totals.6) By the end of the year, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Research Unit expects to publish a report on the results of a \ue2\u20ac\u153before\ue2\u20ac? and \ue2\u20ac\u153after\ue2\u20ac? evaluation of the performance of a new ramp metering algorithm known as SWARM (System-Wide Adaptive Ramp Metering); and7) The T2 Center offers programs and services in an effort to support its mission of fostering a safe and efficient transportation system through training, technical assistance and technology transfer. Recently, the T2 center completed an online Customer Satisfaction Survey from mid-June through the end of July. A total of 130 people responded to the survey, with an average response time of 10 minutes