Browsing by Author "Zhang, Zhanmin"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    Development of a Performance Specification for Camera/Video Imaging Systems on Heavy Vehicles
    Wierwille, Walter W.; Schaudt, William A.; Spaulding, Jeremy M.; Gupta, Santosh K.; Fitch, Gregory M.; Wiegand, Douglas M.; Hanowski, Richard J. (United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2008-07)
    This document provides revised final performance specifications for Camera/Video Imaging Systems (C/VISs) used in heavy vehicles. The specifications are based on a combination of analyses including driver needs and human factors, current and future video technology, systems analyses, focus groups, preliminary tests, and formal on-road tests. In these specifications C/VISs are divided into two categories: surrogates, which take the place of the essential side mirrors, and enhancements, which are all other applications. The specifications are written in three parts: an introductory section defining terms and stating general requirements, a section providing detailed specifications for two surrogate configuration concepts and nine enhancement concepts, and a section providing additional common detailed specifications. The specifications are intended to serve as a culmination of best approaches and practices for development of viable C/VISs. It is expected that if the specifications are followed, they will result in feasible and reasonably uniform implementation, thereby making the heavy vehicle driver's task more efficient. For background information and research justification of the specifications, the reader is referred to the companion final report, Development of a Performance Specification for Camera/Video Imaging Systems on Heavy Vehicles, DOT HS 810 960 (Wierwille, Schaudt, Spaulding, Gupta, Fitch, Wiegand, & Hanowski, 2007).
  • Thumbnail Image
    A Fair Division Approach to Performance-based Cross-Asset Resource Allocation
    Porras-Alvarado, Juan D.; Han, Zhe; Zhang, Zhanmin (2015-06-04)
    Resource allocation mechanisms have become a major issue for transportation agencies in the United States and around the world. In order to meet budgetary restrictions resulting from reductions in funding, transportation agencies have explored alternatives to modify the traditional approaches to funding allocation. Most of the alternative methods for funding allocations focus on maximizing infrastructure performance, obviating the consideration of equity. Equity considerations often influence allocation decisions; therefore, the impact of equity should be considered in funding allocation analyses. This paper presents a methodological framework for performance-based cross-asset resource allocation using the fair division method. The fair division method allocates resources in such a way that participants believe they are receiving a fair share based on utility functions. Collective utility functions are used to conduct tradeoff analyses of different allocations in terms of total utility and total envy which are compared to the predicted asset performance. A case study using performance data maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation was conducted to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed framework. Results from the study suggested that the proposed framework for cross-program resource allocation could be an effective and reliable tool for transportation agencies to allocate resources in an objective manner. Additionally, this framework provides the necessary means to incorporate equity factors in the allocation processes, addressing a major shortcoming associated with most traditional approaches to resource allocation.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Integration of Structural Health Monitoring and Asset Management
    Wang, Linbing; Xue, Wenjing; Druta, Cristian; Wang, Dong (United States. Department of Transportation. Research and Innovative Technology Administration, 2012-12)
    The Virginia Center for Innovation and Transportation Research and Virginia Tech installed a structural health monitoring (SHM) system on a Virginia bridge. Using data from this SHM system as input, a procedure was developed to provide information on the lane occupancy, speed, classification and gross vehicle weight of heavy trucks. The resulting information is very useful for bridge management. The data also augments existing bridge WIM data collection sites in Virginia. The procedure could add functionality to other bridge SHM systems in Virginia. The system provides useful information on truck loading at low cost.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Sustainable and Durable Design of Pavement Assets
    Molenaar, André A. A. (2015-06-04)
    Management of pavement assets starts already during the design of a pavement and its construction. By means of examples it will be shown that designing a pavement with too narrow lanes and an insufficient cross section can result in unnecessary early failures requiring maintenance to be done at a far too early moment in time especially when far too less attention is given to a proper investigation of the subgrade soil, which might have undesired characteristics, and insufficient attention is given to moisture control and drainage. Such incidents are often triggered by the desire to reduce the construction costs because the available funding for building the road seems to be insufficient. Such pavements are not only "not durable" but they are also "not sustainable" since the precious and scarce resources are not used in the right way.