University of Washington

• Project: Use of Blended Synthetic Fibers to Reduce Cracking Risk in High Performance Concrete • PI: Jason Ideker (OSU) Early-age bridge deck cracking is a major concern for many DOTs throughout the United States and specifically those in the Pacific Northwest. Cracking within the first months of a bridge deck's lifespan severely hinders its long-term performance and durability, ultimately reducing the sustainability of this crucial piece of transportation infrastructure. Increased maintenance costs, driver interruptions and possible damage to bridge structure are also a result. This is a specified problem that the Oregon DOT has experienced and is trying to find solutions to in order to reduce or eliminate related cracking. The incorporation of blended sizes of synthetic fibers could provide resistance to surface wearing and ultimately reduce maintenance costs and provide longer lasting, more sustainable bridge decks. The extension of the proposed research to other types of paving surfaces, e.g., rigid concrete pavements to resist cracking is a possible broader impact. The goal of this project is to investigate the potential for mixed fiber blends to reduce shrinkage and ultimately cracking in high performance concrete. Recommendations for dosage rates of mixed fiber blends will be provided to aid in specification development. -• Project: Rendering of Dense, Point Cloud Data in a High Fidelity Driving Simulator • PIs: David Hurwitz and Michael Olsen (OSU) This project will develop tools to advance the use of 3D design technologies by departments of transportation. A two-dimensional (2D), paper-based methodology for infrastructure design is currently the most prevalent approach implemented by DOTs across the country. This method traditionally involves the coordination of a series of separate plan (horizontal) and profile (vertical) layouts. Unfortunately, 2D design is inherently limited for effective assessment of alternative designs, which is critical for evaluating optimal design outcomes. 2D infrastructure design also has the potential to emphasize the mobility of vehicular throughput to the detriment of alternative modes of transport. Oh and Stuerzlinger (2004) show an example of how a 3D, digital environment enables even novice users to create structurally complex scenes in the initial conceptual stage of design. The geomatics and transportation research groups at OSU have been collaborating to advance ways in which point cloud data from 3D laser scanning can contribute to the design, construction, and operation of transportation facilities by attempting to integrate 3D laser scanning data into an advanced driving simulator. -• Project: Second Generation Accessible Pedestrian Systems • PIs: Richard Wall and Denise Bauer (UI) As signal timing plans and intersection infrastructure get ever more complex in attempts to reduce vehicle delays at intersections, pedestrians are confronted with pedestrian operations that are shoehorned into traffic plans designed so that pedestrians have minimal impact on the travel time for vehicles. Wide-radius right turn lanes and roundabouts have long been recognized as particularly dangerous intersection designs for pedestrians. Just as traffic controllers are programmed for customized operations at each intersection, so too must the systems that interact with pedestrians be customized to provide a consistency of expectation for operations. Without consistent expectation, pedestrians, regardless of physical capability, lose confidence in the traffic controls and eventually enter the intersection based upon their own assessment or risk. Drivers who unexpectedly find a pedestrian in the street reactively slow down, thus disrupting the flow of traffic or precipitating a rear-end crash. Even worse, the situation can evolve into a vehicle-pedestrian crash. 12 Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium

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