Aims and Scope
Recent Articles
The Effect of Modifying Double Continuous Flow Intersections Layout Geometric Features on their Operation
Ibrahim Khliefat, Ahmad Deeb, Mohammad Mubarak, Mohammad Naser
Introduction:
Continuous flow interventions were first introduced as an alternative to improve traffic operations in the intersections with severe congestion caused by heavy left-turn movements.
Objective:
This study quantified the effect of modifying the intersection angles of Double Continuous Flow Intersections (DCFI) on their operational characteristics. Mainly, the effects of changing the intersection angle between the different approaches of the main intersection and the angle of the minor cross-over intersections were investigated.
Methods:
VISSIM software simulation models were used for modifying several design features related to the DCFI and the operational performance was compared between the different simulation scenarios.
Results and Discussion:
Changes to the cross-over intersection angle increase the safety levels by providing better channelization of traffic movements on the minor intersections of the DCFI and reduce the intersection footprint to be used at high-density urban locations. Increasing the cross-over intersection angle and changing the layout geometry have adverse effects on the capacity of the conventional DCFI. This is mainly because of the added curvature in the intersection approaches which reduces the vehicle speeds, therefore reducing the overall capacity of the modified intersection when compared to the conventional DCFI. However, the total footprint for the intersection is reduced for the modified layout geometry, which improves the capacity of the DCFI.
Conclusion:
The study has explored the effects of modifying the DCFI intersection angles to fit the limited space in major urban areas on the capacity and performance of the intersection. It showed that DCFI designs could be applied in areas with limited space availability and skewed intersection angles.
February 15, 2021
Articles
Editor's Choice
Bridge Safety Analysis Based on the Function of Exceptional Vehicle Transit Speed
Roberto Ventura, Benedetto Barabino, David Vetturi, Giulio Maternini
Background:
The road management agencies often prescribe very low-speed limits for exceptional vehicles transiting on the deck. These restrictions aim to reduce the dynamic effects due to the vehicle-bridge interaction because it is assumed that these effects increase with speed. However, sometimes, a reduction in speed increases the encounter probability of two exceptional vehicles travelling in opposite directions and this could compromise the safety of the bridge when the total masses of both vehicles exceed the bridge bearing capacity (or limit mass).
Objective:
While the literature has investigated the encounter probability in a theoretical way and has investigated the vehicle-bridge interaction, especially in terms of dynamic load increment, to the best of our knowledge, no study has investigated the conjunction probability of encounters and of exceeding the limit mass also by using real data. This paper aims to cover this gap by proposing an integrated model that computes the “Annual Probability of Failure” of the bridge, defined as the likelihood to exceed the “Limit Mass" of the deck when two opposite exceptional vehicles encounter.
Methods:
According to the probability theory, the “Annual Probability of Failure” can be obtained by multiplying the likelihood that during the reference year, at least once, two exceptional vehicles, travelling in two opposite directions (ascendant and descendant), will be simultaneously on the bridge deck (“Annual probability of encounter”) with the likelihood that the sum of the single masses of two exceptional vehicles randomly extracted from the sample, including the dynamic effects, exceeds the limit mass ml (“Probability of exceeding the limit mass”).
Results:
The results show that the probability of encounter increases with both the exceptional vehicles flow rate and the length of the span, whereas it decreases with the passing speed. The probability of exceeding the limit mass increases with speed. Nevertheless, by combining both the probabilities, these results suggest the existence of an “Optimal Speed”, which minimizes the “Annual Probability of Failure”.
Conclusion:
The existence of an “Optimal Speed” should be considered when defining the exceptional vehicle transit rules on bridges as well as the speed limit.
December 31, 2020
Other Post
- September 30, 2019
Travel-time Prediction Using K-nearest Neighbor Method with Distance Metric of Correlation Coefficient
January 18, 2018
Effect of Traffic Flow, Proportion of Motorcycle, Speed, Lane Width, and the Availabilities of Median and Shoulder on Motorcycle Accidents at Urban Roads in Indonesia
January 22, 2018
A Simulation Model to Determine the Capacity of a Y-Type Waterway Intersection for a Real Seaport
January 29, 2018
Effectiveness of Experimental Left-Turn Sign Usage in Terms of Crashes and Analyzing Severity of Left Turn Crashes in Alaska
January 29, 2018
Collisions Between Pedestrians and Reversing Vehicles in Public Settings in France
February 28, 2017
Impact of Integrated Multimodal Traveler Information on Auto Commuter’s Mode Switching Propensity
