Thesis (M.App.Sc.) - Carleton University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 144-152). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Texas at Arlington, 2009.

Thesis (M.P.A)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.P.A)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2005. / Cover title. Computer-produced typeface. "August 2005." Includes bibliographical references (p. 120-125). Also available online via the University of Texas Electronic Thesis/Dissertation Website (http://etd.utk.edu/).

Thesis (Ph. D.)-- University of California, Berkeley, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 46-47). Also available online via the University of California eLibrary website (http://repositories.cdlib.org/).

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2008. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 41-42). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Parcela expressiva do transporte de cargas e de passageiros é realizada atualmente no Brasil pelo modo rodoviário, sendo que mais de 90% da malha viária federal é composta por rodovias bidirecionais com duas faixas de tráfego. A necessidade de manobras de ultrapassagem neste tipo de rodovia é bastante comum e a falta de oportunidades para que elas se realizem pode comprometer a eficiência operacional e condições gerais e específicas de segurança ao longo da via. O principal parâmetro de projeto relacionado às manobras de ultrapassagem é a Distância de Visibilidade de Ultrapassagem (DVU). Hoje há critérios distintos para a fixação dos valores mínimos de projeto para este parâmetro: a DVU dimensionada pelo critério geométrico é aplicada no desenvolvimento do projeto de geometria da rodovia e a DVU dimensionada pelo critério de sinalização é utilizada no projeto de sinalização da via. Os valores mínimos de DVU recomendados diferem bastante de um critério para outro, assim como as considerações pertinentes ao dimensionamento dos mesmos. No Brasil as referências para os valores estabelecidos são o Manual de Projeto Geométrico de Rodovias Rurais e o Manual de Sinalização Rodoviária, ambos publicados em 1999 pelo extinto DNER (atual DNIT). Quando se considera, por um lado, que as metodologias para estabelecimento dos mencionados valores mínimos são fundamentadas em estudos e pesquisas de campo realizados nos Estados Unidos na primeira metade do século passado e, por outro lado, o avanço das características técnicas das rodovias e dos veículos em circulação bem como as alterações ocorridas no comportamento dos motoristas ao longo das últimas décadas, torna-se evidente a necessidade de revisão de tais metodologias. Considerando sua aplicação às rodovias brasileiras, julga-se conveniente o desenvolvimento de pesquisas sobre a realização de manobras de ultrapassagens na malha viária nacional, com o objetivo de verificar se os valores da DVU atualmente em uso são adequados. Neste sentido, este trabalho apresenta uma análise crítica dos principais modelos e critérios hoje adotados no país e no Exterior, com base em ampla pesquisa bibliográfica e no levantamento de dados relacionados a manobras de ultrapassagem observadas em três rodovias do Estado de São Paulo, assim como a proposição de modelos alternativos para a definição de valores mínimos para a DVU segundo o critério geométrico e o critério de sinalização. / Today, most of the transportation in Brazil – of both people and goods - uses the country’s highway system. Two-lane highways represent over 90% of the federal highway network. Passing maneuvers are often required on such highways and the lack of opportunities may compromise operational efficiency and safety conditions. Passing Sight Distance (PSD) is the key project parameter related to passing maneuvers. Today, there are two different methods to establish minimum PSD design values: the geometric criteria, which are used highway on geometric design, and the signaling criteria, used to mark pavement surface. Minimum PSD values recommended by geometric criteria and signaling criteria are often very different, as well as the assumptions on which these models are based. In Brazil the references adopted are the Highway Design Manual for Rural Highways (Manual de Projeto Geométrico de Rodovias Rurais) and the Highway Signaling Manual (Manual de Sinalização Rodoviária), both published in 1999 by DNER (today called DNIT). Considering that the recommended values are based on field studies carried out in the United States in the first half of the 20th century, it is clear that these criteria must be reviewed, specially taking into account the technical advances of highways and vehicles, as well as the changes occurred in driving behavior over the last decades. Considering the application to Brazilian highways, it is important to research passing maneuvers through national roads in order to verify the adequacy of PSD values adopted. Therefore, this work presents a critical analysis of major models used today in Brazil and abroad, based on extensive bibliographical research and on field studies related to passing maneuvers in three highways in São Paulo State. New models to determine minimum PSD values are also proposed for both geometric and signaling criteria.

Os acostamentos exercem funções importantes em uma rodovia, tanto em relação à melhoria das condições operacionais, tais como a capacidade e a segurança viárias, quanto ao desempenho dos pavimentos, protegendo a estrutura da pista principal, melhorando as condições de drenagem e de transferência de carga. Entretanto, os acostamentos têm sido suprimidos ou implantados de maneira incorreta por razões de economia. O presente trabalho reuniu critérios e recomendações existentes sobre a implantação de acostamentos no que diz respeito à sua influência na capacidade e na segurança viárias, às suas características geométricas, aos métodos para a definição do tipo, dimensionamento e sobre os defeitos encontrados nos pavimentos, tanto nos acostamentos quanto nas pistas. Também efetuou análises para mensurar a importância dos acostamentos no bom desempenho de uma rodovia, tanto em relação às condições operacionais, como do desempenho do pavimento. A partir destas análises verificou-se que a supressão de acostamentos em uma rodovia pode reduzir a sua capacidade em 7% e aumentar o índice de acidentes previstos em até 28%. Com relação ao desempenho dos pavimentos, a partir do levantamento das condições funcionais e estruturais dos pavimentos existentes na malha rodoviária pertencente à Divisão Regional DR-2 do Departamento de Estradas de Rodagem do Estado de São Paulo (DER/SP) efetuado em 2005, verificou-se que o Índice de Qualidade Final da malha composta por rodovias com acostamentos é superior ao da malha composta por rodovias sem acostamentos. Foram então realizadas análises que verificaram a influência dos acostamentos (i) na vida útil de pavimentos flexíveis e rígidos através da utilização do método de dimensionamento da AASHTO; (ii) na espessura das placas de concreto dos pavimentos rígidos através dos métodos de dimensionamento da AASHTO e da PCA; (iii) nas tensões atuantes nas placas de concreto dos pavimentos rígidos através da análise mecanicista com a utilização do programa EVERFE 2.24. Todas as análises mostraram que os acostamentos melhoram significativamente o desempenho do pavimento da pista principal, seja aumentando a sua vida útil de 100 a 400% ou reduzindo a espessura necessária do revestimento da pista principal em cerca de 25%. Realizou-se também uma análise de custo para orientar a definição do tráfego a ser considerado para o dimensionamento do pavimento dos acostamentos, onde se constatou que o valor de 5% do tráfego total considerado para a pista implica em aumento de apenas 2 a 3 % nos custos totais da pavimentação, sendo recomendável o seu uso. Por fim, propôs-se um Fluxograma para Projeto baseado nas análises realizadas e com o objetivo de orientar a decisão de implantar ou não os acostamentos, assim como fornecer recomendações a serem seguidas em ambos os casos. / Shoulders has important functions in a highway, so much in relation to the improvement of the operational conditions, such as the capacity and the road safety, as for the pavements performance, protecting the structure of the mainline, improving the drainage and load transfer conditions. However, the shoulders have been suppressed or implanted in incorrect way for economy reasons. The present work gathered criteria and existent recommendations on the implantation of shoulders related to its influence in the capacity and road safety, to their geometric characteristics, to the methods for the definition of the type, design method and failures in the pavements, in the shoulders and in the tracks. It also made analyses to measure the importance of the shoulders in the good performance of a highway, so much in relation to the operational conditions, as of the pavement performance. Starting from these analyses it was verified that the suppression of shoulders in a highway can reduce its capacity in 7% and to increase the predicted accidents index in up to 28%. Regarding the pavements performance, starting from the functional and structural conditions of the existent pavements in the road mesh belonging to the Regional Division DR-2 of the Department of Highways of the State of São Paulo (DER/SP) in 2005, it was verified that the value of Final Quality Index of the mesh composed by highways with shoulders is superior to the mesh composed by highways without shoulders. Then, analyses were made to verify the influence of the shoulders (i) in the flexible and rigid pavements life cycle through the use of the AASHTO design method; (ii) in the concrete thickness of the rigid pavements through the AASHTO and PCA design methods; (iii) in the stresses in the concrete plate of the rigid pavements through the analysis mechanic with the use of the software EVERFE 2.24. All of the analyses showed that the shoulders improve significantly the pavement performance of the mainline, increasing its life cycle from 100 to 400% or reducing the necessary thickness of the covering of the mainline in about 25%. It also took place a cost analysis to guide the definition of the traffic to be considered in the shoulders pavement design, where it was verified that the value of 5% of the total traffic considered for the mainline increases only 2 to 3% in the total costs of the paving, being advisable its use. Finally, it was proposed a Flowchart for Project based on the accomplished analyses and with the objective of guiding the decision of implanting or not the shoulders, as well as supplying recommendations to be following in both cases.

From several points of view, freeways are a desirable urban technology. Not only do they provide high levels of mobility and traffic capacity, but their safety, fuel consumption and pollution-generation characteristics are the best available. Even in terms of noise generation and its impact on the urban environment, it is desirable to have maximum traffic diversion from surface streets to appropriately designed freeway facilities. Yet freeway development is not without its costs. Opposition has grown, and now assumes a dominant position, politically, throughout much of North America, because the construction of freeways has often entailed severe disruptions of settled communities. These disruptions are referred to collectively as "community impact". The problem of this paper is the design and performance evaluation of a limited form of freeway, a form which attempts to minimize community impact. To the extent that such a form is possible, the environmental and other advantages of continuous-flow operation of motor vehicles will be available at lower social cost. The study begins by identifying the impacts to be avoided. "Residential displacement", "visual intrusion", JL'noise impact" and "traffic focal points and 'dumping' of traffic" are potential impacts of freeway construction and operation. Because of the nature of the designs being considered, "difficulties of local access and parking" is included for examination, as is the satisfactoriness of the highway driving environment. The general conclusions of the study are as follows. (1) Residential displacement would be limited to the removal of one house on the 3»2 mile test route. (2) The highway would not be visually intrusive since it would be completely hidden from view. (3) At maximum noise generation, one of the test designs would produce no impact at nearby buildings and from "marginal" to "definite" impact at sidewalks adjacent to the facility; the other design would produce a "marginal" impact at the building facade and a "definite" impact at the sidewalk, (k) There would be no dumping of traffic in the study area. (The facility performs only the line-haul function with no collector/distributor element.) (5) Local access and parking could be assured, but would require the upgrading of rear lanes the parking of vehicles on private property. (6) The visual quality of the highway driving environment, though less than ideal, is judged to be satisfactory. Unfortunately the less effective of the designs from a noise containment point of view is probably the most desirable aesthetically. (7) Total development cost of each of the "minimal impact" designs approximates the total dollar costs of conventional inner-city freeways. It is concluded that minimal impact freeways appear to be feasible, both technically and economically, for the line-haul function across inner suburbs. Since it now appears possible to construct limited forms of freeway with little adverse community effect, freeways should no longer be considered a non-option for built-up-areas. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate