Instrumentation and Monitoring of Rustic Road Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil (GRS) Integrated Bridge System (IBS)

An instrumentation and monitoring system was implemented for a geosynthetic reinforced soil (GRS) integrated bridge system (IBS) constructed in Boone County, Missouri in 2014. The project location is subjected to relatively frequent flash flooding, which was a significant consideration in the design of the bridge and the design of the monitoring system. The monitoring system includes 26 surveying points on the bridge exterior to monitor external movement; settlement plates and inclinometers to monitor vertical and horizontal exterior movement, respectively; earth pressure cells to monitor total stresses within the abutment backfill; and vibrating wire piezometers to monitor pore pressures and drainage within the abutment backfill. The GRS-IBS was monitored for a period of 19 months after construction. The monitoring period included several high-water events, but none overtopped the bridge. The results indicate satisfactory performance, including negligible external and internal movements and rapid backfill drainage in response to groundwater level increases.

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Report number: cmr 16-019
Published: November 2016
Project number: TR201417
Author(s): Andrew Boeckmann, Eric Lindsey, Sam Runge, and J. Erik Loehr

Performing organization: University of Missouri-Columbia Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

Driving Simulator Study of J-Turn Acceleration/Deceleration Lane and U-Turn Spacing

The J-turn, also known as RCUT (Restricted Crossing U-Turn) and Superstreet, is an innovative geometric design that can improve intersection safety. Even though this design has been in use in several states for many years, there is very little research-based guidance for several design parameters. A driving simulator study was conducted to analyze the parameters of lane configuration, U-turn spacing, and signage. Two lane configurations were examined: 1) acceleration/deceleration configuration where acceleration and deceleration lanes are provided and 2) deceleration only configuration where only deceleration lanes are provided. Lane configuration was found to be the most important parameter affecting J-turn safety based on speed-differentials. The only significant interaction effect among parameters was between lane configuration and U-turn spacing. The acceleration/deceleration configuration performed better than the deceleration only configuration with 66.3% fewer safety critical events. Vehicle trajectories and average lane change locations showed that U-turn spacing impacted significantly the acceleration/deceleration configuration (e.g. average merge locations changed by 96% to 101%) but not the deceleration only configuration. No strong preference was demonstrated by the study subjects for either the directional or the diagrammatic signage style. This report presented the first human factors study of the J-turn focused on developing design guidance. This human factors approach complements other traditional approaches such as crash analysis and micro-simulation.

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Report number: cmr 16-018
Published: November 2016
Project number: TR201515
Author(s): Carlos Sun, Ph.D., P.E., J.D., Professor (PI), Praveen Edara, Ph.D., P.E., Associate Professor (co-PI), Charles Nemmers, P.E., Research Professor (co-PI), and Bimal Balakrishnan, Associate Professor (co-PI) 

Performing organization: University of Missouri-Columbia Departments of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Architectural Studies

Updated MoDOT technical report documentation page

Last year, AASHTO updated guidance for completing the Technical Report Documentation Page (TRDP) for SP&R funded state DOT research reports.

For the convenience of researchers who perform contracted research for MoDOT, we have created a customized technical report documentation page which is now available on our research templates page under “Reporting Documents.” Links are also included below as well.  We will be using this technical report documentation page guidance on all existing and future projects. 

·  TRDP - MoDOT version (docx, 42 kB, 1 page, last updated 7-12-16)

·  TRDP - MoDOT example (docx, 35 kB, 1 page, last updated 7-12-16)

If you have questions, please contact Renée McHenry, Transportation Librarian, at phone 573-522-1948 or email renee.mchenry@modot.mo.gov.

Developing a System to Identify Passing and No Passing Zone Boundaries on Rural Two-Lane Highways

MRIGlobal developed an automated system to measure and display the distance between two instrumented vehicles traveling along a road. The system uses GPS modules and radio modems to send location information between the vehicles five times per second.  A field software was developed to calculate the distance between the vehicles based on this GPS data in real time and report it to the following driver.  The field software is designed to allow the two vehicles to identify locations along a two-lane road where minimum passing sight distance is available. A post-processing software was also developed to produce a recommended striping plan, for both directions of travel along the route, based on the data recorded by the field data collection software. This system can be operated at near-highway speeds. See also accompanying material - No-Passing Zone System: User Manual.

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Report number: cmr 16-017
Published: August 2016
Project number: TR201514
Author(s): Jessica M. Hutton and Daniel J. Cook 
Performing organization: MRIGlobal

Improving Striping Operations through System Optimization – Phase 2

Striping operations generate a significant workload for MoDOT maintenance operations. The requirement for each striping crew to replenish its stock of paint and other consumable items from a bulk storage facility, along with the necessity to make several passes on most of the routes to stripe all the lines on that road, introduce the potential for inefficiencies in the form of “deadhead miles” that striping crew vehicles must travel while not actively applying pavement markings. These inefficiencies generate unnecessary travel, wasted time, and vehicle wear.

This report updates a 2015 report that developed a decision support tool for scheduling and routing road striping operations. The updates presented in this report improve the optimization model, and generate more user-friendly outputs.

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Report number: cmr 16-015
Published: July 2016
Project number: TR201607
Author(s): Ronald G. McGarvey (Principal Investigator), Timothy Matisziw (Co-Principal Investigator), Charles Nemmers (Co-Principal Investigator), Gokhan Karakose (Research Assistant), Christopher Krause (Research Assistant)
Performing organization: Center for Excellence in Logistics and Distribution (CELDi), University of Missouri-Columbia

Evaluation of Erosion Control Blanket Properties and Test Criteria for Specification and Design

A research project to investigate the product approval, design process, and ongoing product evaluation of erosion control blankets (ECBs) for the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) was conducted. An overview of federal and state environmental construction laws was performed noting the significance of ECBs on construction sites. Standardized erosion control testing, product approval, and design processes utilized by other state departments of transportation and those recommended by the National Transportation Product Evaluation Program were researched for further insight to typical ECB applications. A field investigation was established to study the effectiveness of two ECBs on a MoDOT construction site. MoDOT completed construction sites, which utilized ECBs, were also included in the investigation to evaluated how well vegetation was sustained and ongoing blanket degradation following site acceptance in accordance with the MoDOT Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). In addition to field site evaluations, surveys were developed and administered to record contractor and MoDOT employee ECB experiences and identify common problems and successful practices using ECBs. Recommendations for ECB approval procedures and a design process for conditions representative of Missouri were developed using insight gained through the study of common ECB product acceptance and design, the field site investigation, evaluation of completed construction sites, and the surveys of ECB experiences. The National Transportation Product Evaluation program’s (NTPEP) ASTM standardized testing was recommended as the basis for product approval. For ECB design, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) was recommended and used to establish minimum performance requirements for both product acceptance and design. Digital maps were developed using ArcGIS for Missouri’s representative hydrologic and geologic conditions for use in the RUSLE. The ECB approval procedures and design process, which were developed specifically for the state of Missouri, are recommended for implementation into the MoDOT Engineering Policy Guide (EPG). An ongoing product evaluation system was also developed for ECBs to document field performance and assist in identifying ECBs that should be removed from the approved products list.

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Report number: cmr 16-016
Published: July 2016
Project number: TR201509
Author(s): Daniel T. Sommer, Amanda L. Cox, Ronaldo Luna
Performing organization: Department of Civil Engineering, Saint Louis University

Work Zone Simulator Analysis: Driver Performance and Acceptance of Alternate Merge Sign Configurations

Improving work zone road safety is an issue of great interest due to the high number of crashes observed in work zones. Departments of Transportation (DOTs) use a variety of methods to inform drivers of upcoming work zones. One method used by DOTs is work zone signage configuration. It is necessary to evaluate the efficiency of different configurations, by law, before implementation of new signage designs that deviate from national standards. This research presents a driving simulator based study, funded by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) that evaluates a driver’s response to work zone sign configurations. This study has compared the Conventional Lane Merge (CLM) configurations against MoDOT’s alternate configurations. Study participants within target populations, chosen to represent a range of Missouri drivers, have attempted four work zone configurations, as part of a driving simulator experience. The test scenarios simulated both right and left work zone lane closures for both the CLM and MoDOT alternatives. Travel time was measured against demographic characteristics of test driver populations. Statistical data analysis was used to investigate the effectiveness of different configurations employed in the study. The results of this study were compared to results from a previous MoDOT to compare result of  field and simulation study about MoDOT’s alternate configurations. 

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Report number: cmr 16-014
Published: June 2016
Project number: TR201512
Author(s): S.K. Long, R. Qin, D. Konur, M. Leu, S. Moradpour, S. Wu
Performing organization: Missouri University of Science & Technology, Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering

Self-Consolidating Concrete (SCC) and High-Volume Fly Ash Concrete (HVFAC) for Infrastructure Elements: Implementation

The objective of this research was to provide an implementation test bed and showcase for the use of sustainable and extended service life concrete. In this implementation study for Missouri Bridge A7957, a level of 50% fly ash to cement proportions was utilized as well as normal strength self-consolidating concrete (NS-SCC) and high-strength self-consolidating concrete (HS-SCC) in its primary carrying elements to showcase the use of these innovative materials.  This study focused on monitoring the serviceability and structural performance, both short-term and long-term, of the bridge in an attempt to investigate the in-situ behavior of the NS-SCC, HS-SCC and also the HVFAC mixtures.

Consequently, to compare and demonstrate the potential benefits and savings of using NS-SCC, HS-SCC and HVFAC in the first Missouri DOT large-scale bridge structure, this study undertook ten tasks which include Task 1: Pre-Construction Planning and Construction Coordination; Task 2: Development of Bridge Instrumentation Plan & Load Testing Plan (Bridge A7957); Task 3: Mix Design and Quality Control Procedures/Quality Assurance – Trial Mixes; Task 4: Shear Testing and Evaluation of HS-SCC Precast NU Girders; Task 5: Precast-Prestressed Plant Specimen Fabrication and Instrumentation; Task 6: Field Cast-In-Place Elements and Instrumentation; Task 7: Hardened Properties of Plant and Field Produced Concrete; Task 8: Bridge Load Testing and Monitoring/Evaluation of Experimental Load Testing Results; Task 9: Reporting/Technology Transfer; Task 10: Value to MoDOT and Stakeholders to Implementing SCC/HVFAC.

The final report consists of a summary report and four technical reports. The findings, conclusions and recommendations of the study can be referenced within these reporting components.

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Report number: cmr 16-011 (summary report), cmr 16-011A through D
Published: June 2016
Project number: TR201236
Author(s): Dr. John J. Myers (Project PI), Eli S. Hernandez, Hayder Alghazali, Alexander Griffin, and Kaylea Smith
Performing organizations: Missouri University of Science and Technology

Highway Safety Manual Applied in Missouri – Freeway/Software

AASHTO’s Highway Safety Manual (HSM) facilitates the quantitative safety analysis of highway facilities. In a 2014 supplement, freeway facilities were added to the original HSM manual which allows the modeling of highway interchanges. This report documents the calibration of the most vital freeway interchange facility types in Missouri. These facility types include nine freeway interchange terminals, including diamond, partial cloverleaf, and full cloverleaf interchanges. The non-terminal facilities included entrance and exit speed-change lanes, and entrance and exit ramps. The calibrated facilities applied to both rural and urban locations. For each facility type, sample sites were randomly selected from an exhaustive master list. Four types of data were collected for each site: geometric, AADT, traffic control, and crash. Crash data was especially noteworthy because of the crash landing problem, i.e. crashes were not located on the proper interchange facility. A significant companion crash correction project was undertaken involving the review of 12,409 crash reports, and the detailed review of 9,169 crash reports. Using the corrected data, 44 calibration values were derived for freeway terminal and non-terminal facilities. These values are the first reported freeway interchange calibration values since the release of the 2014 HSM supplement.

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Report number: cmr 16-009
Published: June 2016
Project number: TR201405
Author(s): Dr. C. Sun, Dr. P. Edara, B. Claros, A. Khezerzadeh, H. Brown and C. Nemmers  

Performing organizations: University of Missouri-Columbia Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

Crash Location Correction for Freeway Interchange Modeling

AASHTO released a supplement to the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) in 2014 that includes models for freeway interchanges composed of segments, speed-change lanes and terminals. A necessary component to the use of HSM is having the appropriate safety-related data. However, a high percentage, approximately 75 percent, of interchange crashes on the MoDOT TMS systems are landed on an incorrect location within an interchange. For example, crashes are frequently placed in the midpoint of the ramp terminal instead of properly assigned to one of the two ramp terminals. Another example is crashes that are assigned to the freeway mainline when the crashes are related to ramps. In order to properly calibrate and use HSM freeway interchange models, the location of crashes needs to be corrected. The crash landing correction involves the visual inspection of crash images compiled by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. A detailed procedure was established along with a reviewer test so that crash correction can be conducted uniformly among multiple reviewers. A total of 10,897 crashes were reviewed, and 9,168 underwent detailed review and correction. Of the total, 1482 were partial cloverleaf crashes, 5086 were diamond interchange crashes, 780 were ramp crashes, and 1820 were speed-change lane crashes. The crash location correction process helped to eliminate the error rate of 69% associated with interchange crash locations. Any analyst can correct crash locations by following the procedure detailed in this report.

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Report number: cmr 16-010
Published: June 2016
Project number: TR201504
Author(s): Dr. C. Sun, Dr. P. Edara, B. Claros, A. Khezerzadeh, H. Brown and C. Nemmers  

Performing organizations: University of Missouri-Columbia Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

System-wide Safety Treatments and Design Guidance for J-Turns

Given their safety effectiveness and low cost, the J-turn has become a preferred alternative to replace high crash two-way stop-controlled intersections on high speed highways. Unfortunately, national guidance on the design of J-turns is very limited.This project addresses this gap by developing guidance for spacing and acceleration lanes. A thorough examination of crashes that occurred at twelve existing J-turn sites in Missouri was conducted. The crash review revealed the proportions of five crash types occurring at J-turn sites: 1) major road sideswipe (31.6%), 2) major road rear-end (28.1%), 3) minor road rear-end (15.8%), 4) loss of control (14%), and 5) merging from U-turn (10.5%). The crash rates decreased with the increase in the spacing to the U-turn, for both sideswipe and rear-end crashes; J-turns with a spacing of 1500 feet or greater experienced the lowest crash rates. A calibrated simulation model was used to study various volume scenarios and design variables. For all scenarios, the presence of acceleration lane resulted in significantly fewer conflicts. Thus, acceleration lanes were recommended for all J-turn designs, including lower volume sites. Second, while spacing between 1000 feet and 2000 feet was found to be sufficient for low volume combinations, spacing of 2000 feet was recommended for medium to high volume conditions.

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Report number: cmr 16-013
Published: June 2016
Project number: TR201510
Author(s): Dr. Praveen Edara (Principal PI), Dr. Carlos Sun (co-PI), Henry Brown (co-PI), Boris Claros, Zhongyuan Zhu  
Performing organizations: University of Missouri-Columbia Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

Monitoring Vibrations on the Jefferson City Truss Bridge

The objective of the research was to determine the frequency and cause of resonant vibrations of truss verticals on bridge A4497 over the Missouri River in Jefferson City, MO.  Wireless accelerometer instrumentation was installed on the bridge to monitor the vibrations of four verticals over a period of 42 days.  Local weather data was used to analyze the weather conditions causing resonant vibrations of the verticals.  Eleven vibration “events” were identified in which the vertical members vibrated with higher than normal accelerations. It was concluded that the frequency of resonant vibration events is likely 0.25 events per day or less.  Based on the monitoring results, the vibrations are caused by average winds from the WNW/NW or SW of ~17 mph or greater. Based on the research, recommendations included: 1) The effect of the vibration events on the durability of the members should be analyzed further to determine if a retrofit is necessary.  The data provided through the field monitoring should be used in the analysis; and 2) Other vertical members of a similar length should be monitored to determine if they are affected by resonant vibrations.

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Report number: cmr16-012
Published: May 2016
Project number: TR201605
Author(s): Glenn Washer, Pedro Ruiz Fabian, James Dawson
Performing organizations: University of Missouri-Columbia Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

Field Testing of Hand-Held Infrared Thermography, Phase II, TPF-5(247) Final Report

This final report (also referred to as volume II) documents results from the pooled fund study TPF-5 (247), Development of Handheld Infrared Thermography, Phase II.  It provides a summary of field testing conducted to evaluate the capabilities of two different IR imaging technologies for detecting subsurface damage in concrete.  The IR-UTD technology collects thermal images over a period of time; these data are processed to measure thermal inertia of a material.  The IR-DSS technology automatically captures thermal images while the system is moved from one position to another.   

 In general, it was found that the IR-UTD technologies had capabilities that exceeded the capabilities of conventional IR imaging.  The technology provided highly accurate data that documented the size and shape of delaminations in bridge decks and other structures.  The IR-UTD technology also provided data on the depth of damage and could image the structural features of a bridge.  Traffic control was not required to implement the IR-UTD technology. The IR-DSS capability was demonstrated to include the ability to produce spatially-referenced images that provided accurate depictions of subsurface damage, and these data were presented to-scale in a plan-view image of an entire deck.  Traffic control was required to implement this technology, because the travel speed of the system is limited to < 10 mph.

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Report number: cmr16-007
Published: May 2016
Project number: TRyy1144
Author(s): Dr. Glenn Washer, James Dawson, Pedro Ruiz-Fabian, Ali Sultan, and Mike Trial 
Performing organizations: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Missouri-Columbia

Evaluation of Finger Plate and Flat Plate Connection Design

This project investigates the cause(s) of premature deterioration of MoDOT finger plate and flat plate expansion devices under high traffic volumes and then uses that information to design new Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) finger plate and flat plate designs that are intended to last 40 years or more with minimal maintenance. A robust finger plate device was designed to accommodate bridges which require large expansion lengths on high large volume routes.  In addition, suggestions for improvements of the existing finger plate device design were made for use on routes with lower traffic volumes.  Repair and replacement best practices and details were also developed as part of this project.

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Report number: cmr16-008
Published: January 2016
Project number: TR201516
Author(s): Dr. Sarah Orton, Dr. Hani Salim, Alaaeldin Elsisi, and Andrew Pelikan (University of Missouri); David Barrett, Cory Imhoff, Gregory Kuntz, and Matthew Wombacher (HDR)
Performing organizations: University of Missouri-Columbia Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering and HDR Engineering