Esse trabalho trata do problema de interação dinâmica entre veículos de carga e estruturas de pontes rodoviárias, incluindo o aprimoramento de um modelo veicular de oito graus de liberdade usualmente utilizado na modelagem de veículos classe 3C, introduzindo o nono grau de liberdade, referente à rotação em torno de seu eixo longitudinal ou movimento roll. Foram calculados os carregamentos provenientes do veículo modelado sobre pavimento inicialmente indeslocável, com perfis iguais ou distintos de rugosidade e diferentes sob cada linha de pneus, assim como a participação da energia modal do veículo para cada caso. Tais carregamentos foram condensados estaticamente e aplicados em modelo estrutural simplificado (unifilar) de uma ponte em seção celular, visando a identificar as flutuações dos esforços de torção provenientes da diferença de perfil de rugosidade sob cada linha de pneus do veículo estudado. Ainda foram confrontados resultados para duas situações de tráfego, sendo a primeira para veículo isolado trafegando sobre estrutura e a segunda para um comboio de veículos. Também, verificou a aproximação implícita na adoção de pavimento indeslocável para a obtenção dos esforços da interação veículo-pavimento, utilizando um método iterativo até que se garantisse convergência para os deslocamentos. / This work is concerned with the problem of dynamic interaction between heavy vehicles and bridges structures and also with the improvement of an eight-degree-of-freedom model of a 3C class vehicle, by introducing the ninth degree of freedom referring to the rotation about the vehicle longitudinal axis, or roll movement. The loads applied by the vehicle to the bridge deck were evaluated, assuming initially a rigid structure under the pavement, for both equal and distinct roughness profiles under each tire line, as well as the vehicle modal energy participation for each case. Such loads were statically condensed and applied to a simplified (unifilar) structural model of a girder box bridge, aiming at estimating the fluctuation of the torsion moments due to the differences in the roughness profiles under each tire line. The differences in the dynamic response were evaluated considering two traffic situations, namely a single vehicle or an ensemble of vehicles moving along the bridge. It was further checked the approximation implied in the assumption of a rigid structure under the pavement for the evaluation of the vehicle-structure interaction loads, by means of an iterative procedure until convergence was obtained for the displacements. Besides, it was compared the dynamic responses considering two different traffic situations. The first situation is a unique vehicle moving on a bridge whereas the second is a train of vehicle moving on the bridge. Ahead, it was verified the error in adopt the hypothesis of unmoved pavement in the vehicles model to obtain iteration forces pavement-vehicle, using an iterative methodology to rebuild the original vehicles displacement.

As curvas horizontais das rodovias notoriamente colecionam acidentes de trânsito, nos quais geralmente os automóveis derrapam e escapam pela tangente, enquanto que os veículos pesados costumam tombar lateralmente. Os critérios consagrados de projeto geométrico das curvas, consideradas planas, ignoram a propensão dos veículos pesados ao tombamento lateral, confiando apenas nas forças de atrito lateral e na superelevação transversal da via para a manutenção do veículo em trajetória segura. O presente trabalho pretende desenvolver modelo de projeto que forneça margens de segurança tanto contra o escorregamento e o tombamento lateral de veículos pesados (semi-reboques) em curvas horizontais com greide descendente. O modelo proposto no presente estudo é sensível a fatores de segurança intrínsecos e extrínsecos aos veículos, incluindo características geométricas longitudinais e transversais da pista, e a variação da trajetória do veículo dentro da curva. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que os critérios de projeto atuais não garantem a segurança de semi-reboques em curvas descendentes de raio mínimo, principalmente nas curvas de menor velocidade. O critério desenvolvido permite o estabelecimento de margens de segurança para a regulamentação de velocidade em curvas horizontais descendentes já existentes, bem como possibilita a determinação da velocidade de projeto segura para curvas descendentes em novas vias. / The grade effect on highway horizontal curves is notorious for traffic accidents because automobiles tend to skid and leave the road whereas commercial loaded vehicles tend to roll over. The standard criteria for the geometric design of these curves, which are considered flat, ignore the heavy vehicles propensity for rollover by relying solely on the forces of lateral friction and on the road superelevation in order to keep the vehicle in a safe trajectory. The current study has been set out in order to develop a model that will yield margins of safety to prevent skidding and rollover of heavy vehicles (semi-trailers) on horizontal descending highway curves. The model proposed in the present study is sensitive to safety variables both intrinsic and extrinsic to the vehicles, including longitudinal and transversal characteristics of the road, and vehicles trajectory variations at horizontal curves. The results of the study show that the currently adopted safety guidelines do not guarantee the safety of such articulated vehicles on grade curves with minimum radii, mostly at lower speeds curves. As a result, the proposed criteria allows the establishment of margins of safety that can be applied to regulatory speed signs on existing horizontal descending curves, and for the setting of safe design speeds for descending curves on new highways.

Medir o desempenho de organizações é de suma importância para avaliar o desempenho das mesmas, melhor ainda se as medidas forem validadas e se tornem métricas de um sub-setor podendo nortear de forma confiável as decisões a serem tomadas em função destas. O objetivo geral desta tese consiste em propor uma metodologia que possibilite o estabelecimento de métricas para empresas prestadoras de serviços. Um dos objetivos específicos é efetuar a análise da aplicabilidade da metodologia proposta em um conjunto de empresas préselecionadas de um sub-setor de serviços; no caso, concessionárias de rodovias do Estado de São Paulo. Propõem-se uma metodologia que selecione desde o sub-setor de empresas, de forma a participarem do processo de coleta de dados até a obtenção das métricas que são os indicadores de desempenho validados. A TL 9000 do setor de telecomunicações ampara em muito os métodos de coleta de dados propostos. O trabalho apresenta vários indicadores de desempenho baseados nos sete critérios de desempenho propostos por Sink e Tuttle (1993) e avaliados sob os aspectos competitivos dados por Slack (1993), além de outros autores que consubstanciam a metodologias proposta. Destes indicadores obteve-se algumas métricas, as quais permitem conclusões sobre o desempenho das concessionárias de rodovias. Ressalta-se que as métricas propostas são de cunho quantitativo, mensurando a performance das empresas de serviços analisadas. / Performance measurement is extremely important to evaluate organizations performance, depicting even better results if they are validated and become sub-sector metrics, guiding in a reliable way the decision-making process based on them. The main purpose of this study is to propound a methodology which provides the establishment of metrics to outsourcing companies. One of the specific targets is to analyse the feasibility of the proposed methodology in a set of selected enterprises in a service sub-sector; in this case, highway service suppliers in the state of Sao Paulo. It is proposed a methodology that selects from enterprises sub-sectors, so that they can participate in the whole process, from data gathering to the metrics achievement, which are the validated performance indicators. The TL 9000, from telecommunications sector, supports the data gathering proposed methods. This study describes some performance indicators based on the seven performance criteria proposed by Sink and Tuttle (1993) and evaluated under the competitive aspects from Slack (1993), in addition to other authors who corroborate the proposed methodology. Some metrics have been extracted from these indicators, which allow conclusions over the highway service suppliers\' performances. It is important to emphasize that these proposed metrics are focused on quantity, measuring the studied service supplying companies\' performances.

A aquaplanagem é um fenômeno que pode ocasionar riscos de acidentes em pistas rodoviárias e que consiste na perda de aderência entre os pneus de um veículo e a superfície do pavimento, em decorrência da presença de uma película de água com certa espessura que impede o contato entre ambos, situação essa que pode ser gerada em condições de precipitações pluviométricas de intensidades relativamente elevadas. De uma forma geral tal fenômeno é desconsiderado em normas, manuais e especificações para projetos rodoviários, tanto no Brasil como no Exterior. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo básico a proposição de um procedimento metodológico que permita a identificação de trechos de traçados rodoviários nos quais tal fenômeno possa ocorrer, seja na fase de elaboração de projetos, seja no processo de avaliação das condições de segurança de pistas existentes. O procedimento proposto foi estruturado com base na análise dos principais modelos de previsão de risco de aquaplanagem levantados durante a revisão bibliográfica, bem como em uma extensiva análise das principais variáveis que influenciam esse fenômeno. Com o propósito de avaliar a adequabilidade do procedimento proposto foi elaborado um estudo de caso considerando as características geométricas e dados pluviométricos relativos a determinada extensão do Trecho Leste do Rodoanel de São Paulo. Em tal estudo de caso foram apresentadas proposições de soluções alternativas de mitigação de risco para os trechos identificados como locais com possibilidade de ocorrência de aquaplanagem. / Hydroplaning is a phenomenon that can result in hazard risk on highways, its occurrence is defined by an absence of adherence between the tire and the pavement caused by the presence of a water film of a certain depth that hinder the contact between those surfaces, it\'s occurrence is related to high rainfall intensity situations. Usually highway design manuals, standards and criteria don\'t consider the occurrence of this phenomenon, in Brazil or abroad. The present work has the object of proposing a methodological procedure that allows for the identification of highway segments that are subject to hydroplaning, during its design or during the evaluation of its security conditions. The proposed procedure was based on the analysis of the hydroplaning prediction models studied during the bibliography review, as well as in an extensive analysis of the main variables influencing its occurrence. For the evaluation of the proposed procedure, a case study was conducted with the east portion of the \"Rodoanel Mario Covas\" geometric characteristics and pluviometry data. In this study some risk mitigation proposals were evaluated for the extensions on which were identified the possibility of hydroplaning occurrence.

Although Value Engineering (VE) studies are mandated by the Federal Highway Administration for large ($25 million or more) federal-aid highway projects, many state Departments of Transportation do not conduct voluntary VE studies on smaller projects. Those who have done so have seen project improvements and savings as a result. The success of the existing voluntary VE programs indicates that VE application to small transportation projects represents a significant opportunity for savings. The goal of this thesis work was to develop a methodology for conducting VE studies on small transportation projects that would make efficient use of available personnel and require little VE training. The author examined the results and procedures of several DOT VE programs, including some that conduct studies on projects as small as $1 million. The analyses revealed sources of past savings, trends and common methods in VE studies, and procedures and forms that are best suited to the types of project under study. Based on the research and analyses, the author developed a VE study methodology that is tailored to small transportation projects, including a workbook and both general and specific guidelines. This report proposes an approach to VE on small transportation projects using this methodology, which is characterized by conformance with accepted VE practice and FHWA guidelines, efficient use of personnel, and ease of use. In particular, these recommendations are intended for use by any state DOT with an existing but limited VE program, such as MassHighway, which currently conducts only mandated studies.

After natural/man-made disasters, a major challenge faced by governments is to ensure a speedy recovery of roads and transportation networks. In order to achieve this, a new road recovery priority (RRP) model has been developed to identify key issues and their inter-relationships giving a better understanding of factors that govern prioritisation across the affected regions. Interviews are conducted with experts in road reconstruction and maintenance organisations to investigate respondents’ evaluation and understanding of the RRP model in terms of its ease of use, usefulness, comprehensiveness, applicability, feasibility and structure. A questionnaire survey is conducted to investigate the impact of the important proposed affecting factors that can be critical for successful implementation and application of the RRP model in the road rehabilitation sector. A field survey is carried out to collect data which are essential to determine parameters in the model’s application. Four case studies are carried out to investigate the RRP model’s application in a variety of road conditions. The application of this model may solve the problem of decision making in road recovery priority determination in a hierarchical manner so that the recovery process can be accomplished from an urgent repair need to a lower recovery priority.

Transportation is a central component to most political, economic, social and environmental issues throughout most inhabited societies. The concerns of transport have become widely acknowledged. It is broadly accepted that promoting alternative forms of transport such as walking, cycling and public transport use is one solution to tackle environmental concerns. Although, delivering, implementing and developing transport strategies to reduce car usage is still highly debated. Transport stakeholders (e.g. planners and policymakers) have long strived to reduce car usage. Many studies have attempted to develop strategies or understand triggers that might encourage and promote a reduction in car use. Despite this, the car usage has typically intensified and alternative forms of transport have become marginalised or discouraged when compared to the car. This research investigates travel attitudes and behaviours of individuals along a specific urban travel corridor within an area of Birmingham, UK. It explores socio-demographic factors using a mixed methods approach that incorporated questionnaires, travel diaries and interviews. This work identified a series of transport measures conceived upon different urban demographic characteristics in order to meet different individuals’ transport need. A significant finding from this work indicated there was an appetite amongst the sampled participants to be willing to reduce their car use if the right transport strategies were introduced. Initially the results from the questionnaire suggested age influenced car use the most, however, other demographic characteristics (e.g. gender and deprivation) were found to be an influential factor.

The research was aimed at the development of an optimal road fund allocation model for road maintenance to three road agencies in Ghana. The objective was to compare a novel model by multicriteria analysis (MCA) with deterministic outcome and a model based on preferential analysis to determine optimality. The deterministic model was efficiency based with quantitative analysis from a decision maker’s perspective whilst the approach by preferential analysis was equity based with qualitative analysis from stakeholder perspective. The input parameters of the deterministic model were based on the value function method (VFM) and the concept of efficiency frontier. It determined a scaler index for the proportionate allocation of road fund by road type. It was based on a set of attributes including road length, traffic, pavement roughness and percentage of work achievement. The concept of efficiency frontier was used to sub divide the proportion of funds allocated by road type into economic efficiency and equity components based on the Net Present Value/Capital, Vehicle Operation Cost (VOC) and income. The values of the selected attributes were generated from the outputs of HDM-4 analysis. The model based on the preferential analysis was set on the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). It involved pairwise comparison of defined criteria and sub criteria by stakeholder priority at national, district and community levels. Priority vectors were estimated for road fund allocation into efficiency and equity proportions by road type. A comparison of the outputs of the two models on the basis of the impact on pavement roughness performance indicated the stated preference based model yielded better impacts than the model with deterministic approach. It was concluded that road fund allocation based on a well logically determined value judgement with mathematical analysis yields better results.

This thesis reports an investigation into the relationships between the tyre strain feature and tyre operating conditions based on finite element analysis and experiments for the development of a strain-based intelligent tyre system, which could estimate the tyre operating characteristics for optimising vehicle dynamics control and improving vehicle safety. A 175/505R13 tyre is adopted as the subject of this study. An efficient and effective material property determination procedure is developed for investigating the rubber and reinforcement material properties by experiment. Considering the possibility of the absence of tyre composite profile due to proprietary protection by tyre manufacturer, a novel imagebased method is developed to capture the tyre geometry feature from the tyre product cut cross-section. Both the 2D and 3D finite element tyre models are created in the commercial finite element code ABAQUS. The generated finite element tyre models are validated with experimental data and then adopted to construct the comprehensive relationship between tyre strain feature and tyre operating characteristics. Experimental validation of these estimation models are implemented based on a custom designed test system. Finally, some recommendations are presented for improving the capability of the finite element tyre model and the strain-based intelligent tyre test system.

A study of the factors affecting the packing and porosity of particles has been made and a general theory for the combining of aggregates of varying shapes and sizes in order to achieve minimum porosity is proposed. Arising out of this theory experiments have been carried out from the results of which graphs have been prepared to enable the determination of the optimum percentage of fine material for maximum density in two component systems. A method for extending the application of these results into the province of the design of multicomponent systems of both the continuous grading and intermittent grading types has been devised, and in the latter type the inherent gaps in the grading have been related to measured void characteristics. From another graph the value of porosity appropriate to any such mixture can be estimated. The theory and relevant graphs are believed to be of general application in the fields of mixtures comprising aggregates of any shape or combination of shapes whether these be dry aggregates, wet aggregates, bitumen or tar coated aggregates or concrete aggregates, and to cover all possible environmental conditions of the particulate mass such as the applied compactive effort and boundary effects.