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An auroral arc system excited by soft electrons was studied with a combination of in situ rocket measurements and optical tomographic techniques, using data from a photometer on a horizontal, spinning rocket and a line of three meridian scanning photometers. The ground-based scanner data at 4709, 5577, 8446 and 6300 A were successfully inverted to provide a set of volume emission rate distributions in the plane of the rocket trajectory, with a basic time resolution of 24 s. Volume emission rate profiles, derived from these distributions peaked at about 150 km for 5577 and 4709 A, while the 8446 A emission peaked at about 170 km with a more extended height distribution. The rocket photometer gave comparable volume emission rate distributions for the 3914 A emission as reported in a separate paper by McDade et al. (1991, Planet. Space Sci. 39, 895). Instruments on the rocket measured the primary electron flux during the flight and, in particular, the flux precipitating into the auroral arc overflown at apogee (McEwen et al., 1991; in preparation). The local electron density and temperature were measured by probes on the rocket (Margot and McNamara (1991; Can. J. Phys. 69, 950). The electron density measurements on the downleg were modelled using ion production rate data derived from the optical results. Model calculations of the emission height profile based on the measured electron flux agree with the observed profiles. The height distribution of the N2+ emission in the equatorward band, through which the rocket passed during the descent, was measured by both the rocket and the ground-based tomographic techniques and the results are in good agreement. Comparison of these profiles with model profiles indicates that the exciting primary spectrum may be represented by an accelerated Maxwellian or a Gaussian distribution centered at about 3 keV. This distribution is close to what would be obtained if the electron flux exciting the poleward form were accelerated by a 1-2

Measurements of atmospheric optical emissions with ground-based spectrometers give columnintegrated line profiles. Therefore, measurements from a single station are insufficient to infer the height of emission and, thus, the height of temperature and wind determinations. In aurorae the temperature measured by a ground-based spectrometer can be lower than similar measurements in the nightglow because the 15867 K (630.0 nm ; 1 K = 1 cm -1) emitting region may occur at lower altitudes. Temperature measurements obtained on an individual night from College, Alaska, illustrate this effect.

DTRT13-G-UTC49

69A3551747110, National Transportation Library (NTL) Curation Note: As this dataset is preserved in a repository outside U.S. DOT control, as allowed by the U.S. DOT’s Public Access Plan (https://doi.org/10.21949/1503647) Section 7.4.2 Data, the NTL staff has performed NO additional curation actions on this dataset. The current level of dataset documentation is the responsibility of the dataset creator. NTL staff last accessed this dataset at its repository URL on 2023-11-30. If, in the future, you have trouble accessing this dataset at the host repository, please email NTLDataCurator@dot.gov describing your problem. NTL staff will do its best to assist you at that time., Rockfall is a chronic slope hazard along transportation corridors throughout the Pacific Northwest (PNW), resulting in frequent road closures and lane restrictions, and directly impacting driver safety, mobility, and accessibility for many critical lifelines. These impacts are amplified by moderate- to large-magnitude seismic events – both during and after shaking, making earthquakes a driver of persistent rockfall hazards. For this project, we performed continued monitoring of rockfall activity on a series of rock slopes via repeat terrestrial laser scanning, geologic characterization, and imagery collection. These data, as well as custom-generated shakemaps and a database creation (Alaska GAM, ODOT unstable slopes database) of rockfall events throughout the PNW and New Zealand, enable extrapolation of potential coseismic and post-seismic hazards to a variety of earthquake scenarios in Alaska. We extend and modify the Rockfall Activity Rate System (RoARS) model to rock slope sites in two Alaskan transportation corridors to evaluate coseismic and post-seismic rockfall hazard at a regional scale, as well as estimate rockfall volumes and associated closure times. We find that both corridors are prone to earthquake-induced rockfall activity, but the magnitude and long-term persistence of this activity is highly dependent on the given rupture event, as are closure times along each corridor. While scenario-dependent, this database and model creation explores a new avenue for decision-makers to evaluate potential rockfall scenarios considering seismic disturbance, and consequently, plan accordingly for closures and restoration of mobility following shaking., The total size of the zip file is 3.6 MB. The following file types are standard for GIS mapping software: GDBINDEXES, GDTABLE, GDTABLX, ATX, FREELIST, HORIZON, SPX, and GDB. Because the files pertain to map layers and images, they are best viewed using the software that the team used or with any open source 2D and 3D mapping software such as QGIS.

69A3551747129, This study examined school travel safety and risk and explored the potential differences between conditions that are present today with those that existed nearly two decades ago, when the Transportation Research Board published its landmark study on school travel safety. For this study, thirty transportation professionals were interviewed and a twenty-year crash data set from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) was analyzed.

ADN# 2598036, 2518036, This study evaluated multiple technologies for imaging aufeis features in the vicinity of bridge structures in Alaska. Aufeis is a layered ice feature formed from the freezing of successive flows of water over the top of previously formed ice. For this study, imagery was collected at twenty-one different bridge sites. An uncrewed aerial system (UAS), a crewed aircraft and camera, a handheld field camera, and a fixed field camera were all tested. No single technology was appropriate for all sites, but in general, the UAS was better for small creeks and the crewed aircraft was better for larger rivers. The crewed aircraft was more efficient at collecting a large number of sites in one day, while the UAS was better at seeing under the bridges (a data gap problem identified in the crewed aircraft dataset). The crewed aircraft had a larger operating range in terms of temperature and wind, while the UAS was limited in cold temperatures and high winds. The handheld field camera could capture significant detail, but with distorted optics. The fixed field camera was susceptible to moisture buildup that obscured the lens on many days. More research is recommended that investigates connections between groundwater, aufeis, and changes in sediment and scouring in the vicinity of bridges.

69A3551747129, Autonomous, or self-driving, vehicles have the capability to either fully or partially replace a human driver in the navigation to a destination. To better understand how receptive society will be to these types of vehicles, this study focused on the perceived level of trust in autonomous vehicles (AVs) by rural drivers and passengers. An online survey that examined the behavioral and value-based perspectives of drivers was developed and distributed to respondents across the United States, and a total of 1,247 valid responses were collected and analyzed. Based on the results, rural (and non-rural) respondents had similar levels of trust when comparing self-driving vehicles with human-driven vehicles, though older people and those with less education tended to have less trust in self-driving vehicles. The outcomes from this study can be used to support targeted outreach efforts for those drivers who remain skeptical about the overall safety benefits of this evolving transportation technology area.

69A3551747110, Rockfall is a chronic slope hazard along transportation corridors throughout the Pacific Northwest (PNW), resulting in frequent road closures and lane restrictions, and directly impacting driver safety, mobility, and accessibility for many critical lifelines. These impacts are amplified by moderate- to large-magnitude seismic events – both during and after shaking, making earthquakes a driver of persistent rockfall hazards. For this project, we performed continued monitoring of rockfall activity on a series of rock slopes via repeat terrestrial laser scanning, geologic characterization, and imagery collection. These data, as well as custom-generated shakemaps and a database creation (Alaska GAM, ODOT unstable slopes database) of rockfall events throughout the PNW and New Zealand, enable extrapolation of potential coseismic and post-seismic hazards to a variety of earthquake scenarios in Alaska. We extend and modify the Rockfall Activity Rate System (RoARS) model to rock slope sites in two Alaskan transportation corridors to evaluate coseismic and post-seismic rockfall hazard at a regional scale, as well as estimate rockfall volumes and associated closure times. We find that both corridors are prone to earthquake-induced rockfall activity, but the magnitude and long-term persistence of this activity is highly dependent on the given rupture event, as are closure times along each corridor. While scenario-dependent, this database and model creation explores a new avenue for decision-makers to evaluate potential rockfall scenarios considering seismic disturbance, and consequently, plan accordingly for closures and restoration of mobility following shaking.

Surveys conducted by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2016 indicate that 90% of Alaskan communities report road dust as a problem (DEC 2018). The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) (1998) estimates up to one inch of surface aggregate is lost on unpaved roads annually. That equates to 10 million tons of dust released into the atmosphere (EPA 2017). This poses health hazards, safety concerns, and environmental impacts along these roads, degrading the mobility of both people and goods to communities connected by such roads. Researchers from the Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium (PacTrans) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) have been working with Alaska state agencies and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce dust in rural Alaskan communities through institutional controls, improvements in surfacing materials and the use of dust suppressants. Until now, there was no available testing for the effectiveness of dust suppressants before they were applied. As a result, selection of dust suppressants was made through manufacturer’s literature, word of mouth, and experience. With more than 250 available products, there was often confusion as to which product was most appropriate for road conditions. Application of these suppressants is costly—$10,000-$20,000 per mile—so getting it right is important as this can represent the entire road maintenance budget for small communities.

Over the past six years, the Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium (PacTrans) has funded a group of four researchers from three partner universities to explore innovative methods for rockfall and landslide risk assessment. The four phases of this work resulted in numerous real-world implementations. Assessing rockfall and landslide risk poses significant challenges to transportation departments (DOTs). Classical slope assessment methods are laborious, unsafe, and costly. Two key factors limiting slope assessment are inadequate data, and modern observation systems. Without baseline data and monitoring systems, analysis of changing factors affecting transportation infrastructure is not feasible.

The National Center for Strategic Transportation Policies, Investments and Decisions (NTC) at the University of Maryland has developed a smartphone app that can be personalized for individual users to provide real-time multimodal traveler information. The “incenTrip” technology has now been deployed in the Washington D.C. and Baltimore region. incenTrip leverages the latest big data, machine learning, and computing technologies to optimize and personalize traveler incentives to promote multimodal and shared mobility, off-peak travel, and smart routing/driving for reduced congestion, energy use and emissions in the most cost-effective way. During the technology development phase, UTC Program grant funding provided the initial seed monies for the proof-of-concept project, with subsequent funding support from the Federal Highway Administration’s Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program and the USDOE’s Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy (ARPE-E). The UTC Program funding also played a critical role in assisting the project team in technology transfer. In the current deployment phase, incenTrip has received support from the Commuter Connections Program at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and Maryland Department of Transportation, and traveler incentive funding from more than a dozen state and local partners.

The deployment of different alternative power sources and low-power sensors and equipment packages for remote (off-grid) road weather information system (RWIS) sites in the Aurora Program states in recent years has resulted in a number of system configurations and operational strategies. This report provides a comprehensive review, investigation, and analysis of alternative power sources and power budgets for sensors and associated components used in remote RWIS applications. Through a literature review, investigation of recent developments, and a survey of the Aurora Program states, this study explored alternative power sources and power budgets of sensors and associated components and provides recommendations on existing remote RWIS configurations and methodologies. The study found that a variety of alternative power sources, low-power sensors, and associated equipment are currently available for remote RWIS applications. The survey results showed that a combination of fossil fuel-based and renewable power sources tied to a battery bank are employed as a viable means of reliable year-round operation of remote RWIS sites. The survey results also showed that many of the remote RWIS sites are using weather sensors, cameras, and associated equipment with a much higher power budget than products currently available on the market. These findings suggest that the reliability and efficiency of some remote RWIS sites could potentially be improved through the deployment of low-power sensors and associated equipment combined with alternative power sources.

This report documents the research activities to develop a drone-based computer vision-enabled vehicle dynamic safety performance monitoring in Rural, Isolated, Tribal, or Indigenous (RITI) communities. The acquisition of traffic system information, especially the vehicle speed and trajectory information, is of great significance to the study of the characteristics and management of the traffic system in RITI communities. The traditional method of relying on video analysis to obtain vehicle number and trajectory information has its application scenarios, but the common video source is often a camera fixed on a roadside device. In the videos obtained in this way, vehicles are likely to occlude each other, which seriously affects the accuracy of vehicle detection and the estimation of speed. Although there are methods to obtain high-view road video by means of aircraft and satellites, the corresponding cost will be high. Therefore, considering that drones can obtain high-definition video at a higher viewing angle, and the cost is relatively low, we decided to use drones to obtain road videos to complete vehicle detection. In order to overcome the shortcomings of traditional object detection methods when facing a large number of targets and complex scenes of RITI communities, our proposed method uses convolutional neural network (CNN) technology. We modified the YOLO v3 network structure and used a vehicle data set captured by drones for transfer learning, and finally trained a network that can detect and classify vehicles in videos captured by drones. A self-calibrated road boundary extraction method based on image sequences was used to extract road boundaries and filter vehicles to improve the detection accuracy of cars on the road. Using the results of neural network detection as input, we use video-based object tracking to complete the extraction of vehicle trajectory information for traffic safety improvements. Finally, the number of vehicles, speed and trajectory

69A3551747110, Various transportation authorities have relied on road weather information systems (RWIS) to make informed decisions about winter road maintenance. The use of RWIS can provide a variety of advantages in terms of improving road safety. This report provides a solid foundation of information about the development of the use of RWIS across states, as well as a traffic safety analysis of the use of RWIS as a road safety countermeasure to reduce crash rates during the winter season. RWIS have been in use by the Alaska Department of Transportation since 2000; for this investigation 26 of the state’s 75 statewide RWIS stations were considered. The impact of utilizing RWIS on crash rates was captured by using the Empirical Bayes technique. The authors propose that three safety performance metrics be created for winter crashes in Alaska. RWIS as a winter road safety countermeasure is novel, which is why this study established a crash modification factor. The results showed that RWIS implementation has the potential to reduce fatal and serious winter crashes by 36 percent with an expected cost to benefit ratio of approximately 1:27.

The objective of this project is to develop innovative anti-icing and pre-wettting formulations for snow and ice control on roadways, using locally-sourced agricultural wastes, fruit by-products and other bio-based additives for freezingpoint suppression, performance enhancement, and infrastructure preservation.

Accurate estimation of pre-stress losses is one of the important issues for the design of precast, pre-stressed concrete bridge girders. While this subject has been long studied by many researchers, studies on pre-stress losses in cold climates are minimal. In the present research, long-term pre-stress loss due to concrete creep was studied based on concrete creep test. Two concrete creep test frames were fabricated and placed indoors and outdoors. Concrete strains were measured by Demountable Mechanical Strain Gauge (DEMEC) from two 6"x12" high-strength concrete cylinders in each frame. The concrete strains were collected for 11 months (7/26/2017 – 6/21/2018) after loading, and outdoor ambient temperature dropped below 0 C between 100 and 250 days. Between 50 and 100 days, two curves from the two frames are similar in their patterns and values. After 100 days, the total strain from the indoor frame slowly increased reaching 1,600 and 1,700 after 250 days. However, the total strain from the outdoor frame varied between 1,000 and 1,500 and the averaged total strain was 1,300 after 250 days. In cold temperature, the occurrence of concrete creep and shrinkage was suppressed.

The Canadian Crown of the Continent (CCoC) is one of three zones where wolverines can move between Canada and the US, providing the last links for recruitment and ultimately gene flow to the highly fragmented population in the US Rocky Mountains. However, a combination of rapidly expanding logging, energy development and motorized recreation, along with a growing road network, threatens to fragment and diminish connections in this critical transboundary linkage between the US and Canada. This report summarizes a project to complete a 3-year sampling effort in the CCoC, which in turn completed a larger 6-year effort over a vast area of the central and southern Canadian Rockies. In 2016, the research team surveyed the last unsampled portion of the Alberta Rockies (south of Kananaskis Country to Highway 3) in addition to a substantial portion of the East Kootenay region of the British Columbia Rockies (BC; >9000 km2). This follow-up effort allowed the team to complete an entire ecoregion-wide wolverine survey in the Canadian Rockies ecoregion, from the US-Canadian border north to Banff and Yoho National Parks. From this data, researchers created density estimates and occupancy models of wolverine distribution and its multiple landscape stressors across an extensive and complex region of the Great Northern Landscape. The report summarizes research findings and makes recommendations regarding management strategies.

This report presents a study of fine (PM2.5) and ultrafine (PM0.1) particles in the Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB) in Interior Alaska, with specific emphasis on the relationship of ultrafine particles (UFPs) to vehicular traffic. Chapter 1 provides a summary of published literature on particulates in air from vehicular emissions. Chapter 2 provides a novel and robust GIS-based data analysis approach to PM2.5 data collected by the FNSB. This analysis approach is convenient for identifying hotspots, as well as locations where PM2.5 changes either abruptly or continuously or does not change at all. The results reveal that average on-roadway PM2.5 concentrations are higher in North Pole than in Fairbanks, and mean levels are higher in stationary background monitoring data than in mobile monitoring on-roadway data. Not surprisingly, significant negative correlations were found between temperature and PM2.5. Chapter 3 presents the results from the data collection campaign to measure UFPs at roadside locations in Fairbanks and North Pole and investigate the relationship of UFPs with traffic and meteorological parameters. Multilinear predictive models were developed for estimation of UFPs and PM2.5 based on weather and traffic parameters. Overall, this study improves our understanding of on- and near-roadway particulates in a cold-climate region.

Unlike the conventional method of admixing nanomaterials directly in fresh concrete mixture, a more targeted approach was explored. Specifically, nanomaterials were used to improve the interface between coarse aggregate and cement paste, by coating the coarse aggregate with cement paste that contained graphene oxide or nanosilica. Using coated coarse aggregates, the mechanical and transport properties of high-volume fly ash (HVFA) concrete were tested to evaluate the effect of nanomaterial coating on the interface transition zone of concrete. The compressive and splitting strengths of HVFA concrete at 3, 7, 14, and 28 days and the water sorptivity and chloride migration coefficient at 28 days were studied. Results show that nanomaterial-coated coarse aggregate can improve the transport properties of HVFA concrete by reducing permeability. However, no improvement was seen in the compressive and splitting strengths when incorporating coated coarse aggregate, compared with direct mixing of nanomaterials in fresh concrete. Resistance to freezing/thawing cycles and scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy of concrete samples were also investigated to obtain a more comprehensive and mechanistic understanding of nanomaterial coating.

In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to investigate the air flow around porous snow fences to gain insight into snow transport and deposition in the vicinity of fences. Numerical simulations were performed to validate the CFD approach using experimental data from a wind tunnel study. Subsequent simulations were used to test the use of a porosity model to represent fence geometry and determine the effect of fence spacing for fences comprised of multiple rows. The results demonstrate that CFD simulations can reproduce the aerodynamics around porous fences. Additionally, the flow field generated with a porosity model is in close agreement with that from a model with explicit representation of fence porosity. Simulations of fences comprised of two rows spaced at various distances demonstrate that when the row spacing is small the fence behaves as a single row.

In 2019, Campbell Scientific, a manufacturer of research-grade data acquisition systems entered a public/private partnership project with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) to demonstrate the scalable (mini) Road Weather Information System (RWIS) concept. This partnership included research personnel from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) to assess the performance of the mini-RWIS stations with the goal of providing feedback to ADOT&PF regarding the performance of the stations and the feasibility of adding the mini-RWIS station concept as a cost-effective option for of filling gaps in the Alaskan RWIS network. Seven standard mini-RWIS stations were assessed based on the performance of the atmospheric sensor data (including wind speed and direction, air temperature and relative humidity, and road surface temperature), reliable delivery of camera images, power performance, and cellular communication performance. They performed well throughout the study and results show that a Public/ Private Partnership with emerging technologies can be a positive avenue to pilot systems to use within DOT system where performance is unknown at the time of trial.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate how characteristics of hydraulic structures, such as slope or size, used at crossings over waterways relate to operation and maintenance (O&M) effort, fish passage, and stream function. Data on O&M concerns, fish passage concerns, and crossing characteristics were collected from 45 road-stream crossings in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, during lower and higher water periods in both 2014 and 2015 (four events total). Logistic regression and generalized mixed models were used to examine relationships between O&M effort (response) and five explanatory variables. For all data from all years combined, there were no observable associations among O&M and culvert type or constriction ratio. However, lower constriction ratios were observed for sites with O&M needs in the June 2014 data set. The proportion of sites with both fish passage and O&M concerns was 0.52; comparatively, the proportion of sites with no fish passage concern but with O&M concern was 0.35.

Based on a review and synthesis of the state-of-the-art literature on asphalt pavement with anti-icing additives, this laboratory study developed an anti-icing asphalt pavement that incorporates innovative salt-storage additives with a sustained salt-release rate. These additives were prepared through a surface treatment approach, in which zeolite containing CaCl2 was coated by a porous epoxy layer. The anti-icing performances and mechanical properties of asphalt mixture with the obtained additives were investigated. The experimental results indicated that the anti-icing capability of asphalt mixture at both -3.9 °C (25°F) and -9.4 °C (15°F) was significantly improved by the addition of the additives, and the friction coefficient of the pavement at 60 min after moisture spray was 0.75 at -3.9 °C to 0.55 at -9.4 °C. Reducing the size of additives resulted in a further improved anti-icing capability. Under simulated conditions, the estimated effective anti-icing period of asphalt pavement with additives #8, #16, and #30 were 5.8 years, 9.9 years and 15.3 years, respectively. The incorporation of the additives exhibited negligible effect on the moisture damage resistance of asphalt mixture, and almost all the mixtures passed the WSDOT specification as well as the Wisconsin and Iowa specifications. The rutting resistance, mid-temperature (fatigue) cracking resistance, and low-temperature (thermal) cracking resistance of asphalt mixture improved due to the addition of these anti-icing additives to various extents.

69A3551747129, Transportation and traffic safety is a primary concern within Rural, Isolated, Tribal and Indigenous (RITI) communities in Washington State. Emerging technologies such as connected and autonomous vehicles, sensors and drones have been tested and developed to improve traffic safety, but these advances have largely been limited to urban areas. This project identified opportunities and challenges of adopting drone technologies in RITI communities, and explored context-sensitive applications to traffic safety and related goals. In three phases, the team conducted community workshops, online surveys and other outreach activities with state and county agencies responsible for emergency management and crisis response in coastal Tribal and non-tribal communities; a planning studio and Comprehensive Plan Update for the City of Westport and its surrounding South Beach community straddling two rural counties and including the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe; and a pilot educational program with the School District that serves it. To be effective in rural contexts, adoption of drone technology depends on a broadening of local skill development and needs to target diverse community goals. In short, it needs to be broadly embedded in the community. Taking this sociotechnical approach, we focused on long-term workforce development and designed and implemented an after-school program (October 2021 – June 2022) for Ocosta Junior High School students. The course taught students how to assemble and pilot drones and apply them to a variety of practical needs including public works inspection, search and rescue, and environmental monitoring of coastal flooding.

This report focuses on the effectiveness of air convection embankments (ACE) and ventilated shoulder (VS) cooling systems designed to cool foundation soils and preserve permafrost beneath roadway embankments. The four main sections of the report include a literature review, an analysis of field data from the Thompson Drive Experimental Feature near Fairbanks, an analysis of data from the Alaska Highway Dot Lake Experimental Feature site, and a discussion of techniques for modeling ACE and VS structures using the GeoSlope Temp/W modeling package. Fifteen years (2005-2020) of data from the Thompson Drive site are analyzed using contour plots of average annual temperatures within the embankment and underlying foundation soils along with time series of temperature behavior at specific locations throughout the embankment test sections. Similarly, data from the Alaska Highway site is analyzed over a three-year period (June 2017 to May 2020) by examining average annual temperatures at an array of measurement points within the embankment test sections and underlying soils. In all cases the data indicates a strong overall cooling influence, particularly in the layers underlying the VS structures.

Through a structured decision-making framework, this study aims to better understand the key factors influencing transportation adaptation planning in practice. Qualitative, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with various stakeholders were conducted to identify the main concerns, challenges, objectives, tradeoffs, and evaluation variables in transportation adaptation planning. Stakeholders were identified through preliminary interviews with transportation planning experts from the metropolitan planning organization using typical case and snowball sampling methods. Key aspects related to the major concerns, objectives, priorities, adaptation plan evaluations, implementation challenges, and potential conflicts and tradeoffs are identified. Major barriers to adaptation plan development and implementation include lack of resources, competing with more urgent needs, conflicts with other planning objectives, lack of holistic view, working in silos, mismatched and outdated information, uncertainty in future scenarios, and action inertia. To overcome these challenges, we propose 1) more efforts to understand community values, develop strategic goals, and identify their priorities in order to balance the tradeoffs 2) collaboration with other sectors to develop a holistic view of resilience and strategic plans that achieve multiple planning goals 3) collaborate with diverse stakeholders to reduce spatial and temporal information mismatches and to create adaptive plans that can accommodate multiple scenarios with uncertainty 4) conduct community outreach and stakeholder engagement from the beginning to build support, consolidate resources, and eliminate social inertia for plan implementation.

69A3551747129, Travel during winter months remains particularly problematic in the Pacific Northwest due to the regular occurrence of inclement weather in the form of snow and ice during freezing and sub-freezing conditions. For travelers and commuters alike, vehicle traction in the form of studded tires serves to provide an added level of driving confidence when weather conditions deteriorate. However, recurring studded tire usage causes damage to the roadway infrastructure in the form of surface wear and rutting over time. Left unattended, this damage contributes to challenging and potentially dangerous driving conditions in the form of standing water and the increased potential for hydroplaning. Currently, an efficient and automated method to collect site-specific studded tire traffic volumes is lacking. While studded tire usage can be locally estimated based on manual roadway traffic counts, parking lot counts, or household surveys, the lack of real-world traffic volumes prevents the fine-tuning of roadway deterioration models that measure performance and estimate infrastructure life. This project tested the use of off-the-shelf sound meters to determine if an acoustic method could be developed to measure studded tire volumes. Based on the results, a prediction model was developed to allow for data-driven solutions that will benefit local transportation officials, planners, and engineers responsible for managing highways and roadways.

This is a data management plan for the Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium (PacTrans) University Transportation Center (UTC). This data management plan was created in compliance with the US Department of Transportation’s “Plan to Increase Public Access to the Results of Federally-Funded Scientific Research” Version 1.1. Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium (PacTrans) is the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) University Transportation Center (UTC) for Federal Region 10. Led by the University of Washington (UW), PacTrans includes four primary consortium universities in addition to the UW: Oregon State University (OSU), University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), University of Idaho (UI), and Washington State University (WSU). Boise State University (BSU) and Gonzaga University (GU) join PacTrans activities through their state representative universities, i.e., UI, and UW, respectively. Region 10 is characterized by a rapidly growing population, heavy freight movements through urban and rural corridors, topographical constraints imposed by mountains and water, and a lack of transportation infrastructure redundancy. Therefore, PacTrans will undertake the mission of providing data-driven solutions for the diverse mobility challenges of the Pacific Northwest through research, education, technology transfer, and workforce development efforts in collaboration with university, transportation agency, and industry partners.

This document provides Data Management Plan (DMP) information related to Center for Safety Equity (CSET) UTC projects. All research proposals submitted to CSET will be required to contain a project-specific DMP as outlined here. This CSET DMP is intended to inform researchers on how to handle digital data both during and after the completion of CSET research projects and how research proposals will conform to DOT policy on the dissemination and sharing of research results. All CSET-funded research projects are expected to be conducted pursuant to their approved DMPs. A DMP may evolve with the research project and should be reviewed for possible revision whenever a data management procedure is changed. Modifications and changes to a DMP are subject to approval by CSET.

The BERG2 microcomputer program uses a methology similar to the Modified Berggren method (Aldrich and Paynter, 1953) to estimate the freeze and thaw depths in layered soil systems. The program also provides an estimate of the thaw consolidation in ice rich soils. BERG2 differs from the original Modified Berggren method since it uses the actual frozen and unfrozen material thermal properties instead of average values. This approach improves the accuracy of predictions., BERG2 provides an improved user interface over the original BERG program, (Braley 1984). It also requires less input as a result of the ability to compute many of climate parameters from the more common data. As a result the user required input is significantly reduced., This manual provides the user information concerning the use of BERG2, its strengths and its limitations. It also provides a discussion of the equations used in development of the program for those who wish a better understanding of the analysis process.

T2-09-05, AUTC #309038, DTRT06-G-0011, G00003238, This project will examine the employment of people who accomplish the work of the Department of Transportation & Public Facilities, (AKDOT&PF) – those who will serve the future transportation needs of Alaska. The study will focus primarily on professional, personnel within AKDOT&PF, but will include consideration of vital support personnel as well. The proposed research is about getting, and retaining a sufficient number of good people. The magnitude of “sufficient” changes with time. Therefore, the work will consider, plausible future events that may cause large changes in staffing requirements. The project report will provide implementation, recommendations that include the strategies, goals and tasks that AKDOT&PF can use to formulate an action plan to accomplish its, mission in the future. The report will target a reading audience that includes AKDOT&PF Chief level managers and regional, administrators, and Department of Administration personnel interested in successful long term development of AKDOT&PF’s human, assets.

With the escalation of fuel costs, many people are turning to tighter, better insulated buildings as a means of achieving energy conservation. This is especially true in northern climates, where heating seasons are long and severe. Installing efficient well sealed vapor barriers and weather stripping and caulking around doors and windows reduces cold air infiltration but can lead to damaging moisture buildup, as well as unpleasant and even unhealthy accumulations of odors and gases. To provide the necessary ventilation air to maintain air quality in homes while holding down energy costs, air-to-air heat exchangers have been proposed for residential and other simple structures normally not served by an active or forced ventilation system. Four basic types of air-to-air heat exchangers are suited for small scale use: rotary, coil-loop, heat pipe, and plate. The operating principles of each of these units are presented and their individual advantages and disadvantages are discussed. A test program has been initiated to evaluate the performance of a few commercial units as well as several units designed and/or built at the University of Alaska. Preliminary results from several of these tests are presented along with a critiques on their design.

This report is the companion to the PowerPoint presentation for the project “A Study of Unstable Slopes in Permafrost: Alaskan Case Studies Used as a Training Tool.” The objectives of this study are 1) to provide a comprehensive review of literature on unstable soil and/or weathered rock slopes in permafrost areas, and 2) to summarize three case studies of key historic and/or ongoing unstable soil slopes in permafrost in the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities’ Northern Region., This report closely parallels the format of the PowerPoint presentation, and slides that correspond in content are referenced accordingly. For example, this introduction corresponds to Slides 1 and 2. In what follows, the relevant slide number/s will be included as subheadings.

Bridges are continuously subjected to destructive effects of material aging, widespread corrosion of steel, reinforcing bars in concrete structures, corrosion of steel structures and components, increasing traffic, volume and overloading, or simply overall deterioration and aging. These factors, combined with defects, of design and construction and accidental damage, prompt the deterioration of bridges and result in the, loss of load carrying capacity of bridges.

Water within pavement layers is the major cause of pavement deteriorations. High water content results in significant reduction in soil’s resilient behavior and increase in permanent deformation. Conventional drainage systems can only drain gravity water but not capillary water. Both preliminary lab and field tests have proven the drainage efficiency of a newly developed H2Ri geotextile with wicking fabrics. This bio-wicking system aims at resolving the potential issues that the original design may encounter: (1) H2Ri ultraviolet degradation, (2) H2Ri mechanical failure, (3) loss of drainage function under high suction, and (4) clogging and salt concentration., Both elemental level and full-scale test results indicated that the bio-wicking system is more effective in draining capillary water within the base courses compared with original design, in which the geotextile is directly exposed to the open air. However, a good drainage condition is required for the bio-wicking system to maintain its drainage efficiency. Accumulation of excess water will result in water re-entering the road embankment. Moreover, grass root and geotextile share the same working mechanism in transporting water. In the proposed bio-wicking system, the relatively smaller channels in the grass roots further ensures water moving from H2Ri geotextile, transporting through the stems of grass, and eventually evapo-transpiring into the air at the leaf-air interfaces. In sum, the bio-wicking system seemed to successfully address the concerns in the preliminary design and is a more efficient system to dehydrate the road embankment under unsaturated conditions.

AUTC Project No. 107045, Resilient modulus (MR) of base course material is an important material input for, pavement design. In Alaska, due to distinctiveness of local climate, material source, fines content and groundwater level, resilient properties of D-1 granular base course, materials are significantly affected by seasonal changes. The presence of fines (P200), affects frost susceptibility of base materials and controls the aggregates’ ability to, support vehicular load, especially during the spring-thaw period. To systematically, evaluate the impact of fines content on the resilient properties of D-1 base course, materials with varied fines content, gradation, moisture content and temperature, during thawing and provide regression coefficients ki which are required for the, flexible pavement design, a laboratory investigation was conducted on D-1 materials, from Northern, Central, and Southeast Regions of Alaska Department of, Transportation and Public Facilities (AKDOT&PF) at different temperatures, moisture and fines contents.

Frozen debris lobes (FDLs) are slow-moving landslides within permafrost on slopes located in, the Brooks Range of Alaska. Forty-three FDLs are located within the Dalton Highway corridor, with 23 occurring less than one mile uphill of the Dalton Highway and the Trans Alaska Pipeline, System (TAPS). Although slow-moving for landslides, their size and close proximity to, infrastructure make FDLs geohazards. This project used remotely sensed data from multiple, acquisition methods to monitor and analyze FDLs at different temporal scales, thereby, increasing our understanding of rates and episodes of movement of these geohazards. Each, technique was evaluated for its overall cost, east of use, and applicability to assess the flow, dynamics of FDLs. This research involved: 1) measuring surface movement in the field with a, differential GPS unit; 2) analyzing remotely sensed data using multiple data acquisition methods, (i.e., historic optical imagery, LiDAR data, InSAR data, and UAS-acquired photography) to, monitor and analyze the FDLs at different temporal scales; and 3) summarizing and, synthesizing the research results, making them available to the public and to the agencies with, a vested interest in FDLs through several different deliverable formats.

This report summarizes activities in support of the DOT contract on Testing & Evaluating Close-Range SAR for Monitoring & Automatically Detecting Pavement Conditions & Improve Visual Inspection Procedures. The work of this project was performed by Dr. Don Atwood and Dr. Keith Cunningham of the University of Alaska Fairbanks with support of ImSAR, makers of the world’s smallest SAR, located in Springville, Utah. As described in the Team Project Activities document, the preliminary goals of the project were to: 1. Conduct a kick-off team meeting at ImSAR facilities in Springville, Utah. Review SAR sensor operation with ASF scientists, Yotta pavement engineer, and ImSAR engineers (hereinafter called the “team”). Review science methodology, labor expectations, equipment, facilities, and pavement test areas. Yotta pavement engineer identifies and documents test pavement and pavement conditions to be imaged near ImSAR facilities. ImSAR engineers work with ASF scientists to develop a mount for the ImSAR sensors on an ImSAR vehicle. Two days of image testing with X-band sensor and two days of image testing with Ku-band sensor. Collect documentation, experiment notes, and test results for future reporting. 2. Document sensor test methodologies and experimental results of pavement imaging with the two SAR sensors. Optimal use of the SAR sensors learned from this test for pavement imaging is documented based on the results of the tests conducted. Imaging data is forwarded onto supporting Yotta pavement engineers for their analysis of the imagery for pavement surface and crack detection. Additional experimental analysis is defined and documented by team, as necessary. 3. Summarize results of kick-off meeting, first round of SAR sensor experimentation, and resulting pavement imaging results to DOT in the first quarterly report within three (3) months of the effective date of the Agreement. 4. Be available for a possible presentation to DOT in Washington DC as part of a project s

69A3551747110, In previous PacTrans research, the research team developed the Rockfall Activity Index system (RAI), a point cloud-derived, high- resolution, morphology-based approach for identifying, assessing, and mapping rockfall hazards at a high resolution across the entire surface of a rock slope. Continued monitoring at sites in both Alaska and Oregon has shown that rockfall activity is variable as a function of geology and rock properties. In this research, we used geologic characterization, analysis of change from light detection and ranging (lidar) differencing, and collection of 4,800 Schmidt Hammer measurements to constrain relationships between geologic structure and rockfall activity at a variety of rock slopes. Generally, lower Schmidt hammer rebound measurements were observed in areas with higher activity rates, suggesting that rebound (especially when corrected per ASTM standards) may be an effective proxy for rockfall activity or susceptibility. However, the large variability in these measurements, particularly between sites, suggests that these measurements are best applied on a site-specific basis. Additionally, we computed rockfall volumes to analyze mobility impacts by using an empirical relationship derived from the Rockfall Impacts to Mobility (RIM) database, demonstrating the importance of linking rockfall activity and hazard. Future work could look at expanding databases of rockfall impacts to mobility, collect more Schmidt hammer measurements, collect more epochs of rock slope digital terrain models, and further connect rock slope weathering and structure to the RAI analysis.

69A3551747110, The Schmidt hammer is a widely used and inexpensive instrument for estimating rock strength either in the lab or in the field. Our research team tested the accuracy and repeatability of the Schmidt hammer to estimate rock strength on six Alaskan rock slopes and four Washington/Oregon rock slopes. We determined in situ rock hardness by using two different Schmidt hammers (Types L and N); conducted unconfined compressive strength (UCS) testing for select Alaskan rock samples; and summarized the advantages and disadvantages of using the Schmidt hammer in the field. Parameters that potentially affect Schmidt hammer results include testing methodology, sample testing conditions, and data reduction. Our results indicated that major structures within a rock unit (such as bedding or foliation), variation in mineralogy, and moisture content will significantly affect Schmidt hammer results. After data collection, several correction methods can be used to process the Schmidt hammer results. The choice of method depends on the intent of the measurements (i.e., strength of the intact rock or the rock mass), and the application of any method can alter the final results. Our UCS results generally correlated to the Schmidt hammer rebound values (e.g., rock types with high rebound values also had high UCS values). Before utilizing the Schmidt hammer, we suggest users determine the final goal before selecting the Schmidt hammer and testing methodology; identify the rock type and potential discontinuities that can influence results; identify the bias in sample or site selection; and select the most applicable data reduction method for the identified goal.

69A3551747110, This dataset was used in the creation of two reports. These reports are “Hammer Time: Using the Schmidt Hammer to Improve the Forecasting Accuracy of the Rockfall Activity Index (RAI) (http://hdl.handle.net/1773/50996) and “A RAI of Data: Generalizing the Data-Driven Rockfall Activity Index (RAI) Based on Long-Term Observations of Well Characterized Slopes” (http://hdl.handle.net/1773/51001). While the data is the same, you can find an alternate copy of this data at (https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/OPGAKQ0. National Transportation Library (NTL) Curation Note: As this dataset is preserved in a repository outside U.S. DOT control, as allowed by the U.S. DOT’s Public Access Plan (https://doi.org/10.21949/1503647) Section 7.4.2 Data, the NTL staff has performed NO additional curation actions on this dataset. The current level of dataset documentation is the responsibility of the dataset creator. NTL staff last accessed this dataset at its repository URL on 2024-01-17. If, in the future, you have trouble accessing this dataset at the host repository, please email NTLDataCurator@dot.gov describing your problem. NTL staff will do its best to assist you at that time., In previous PacTrans research, the research team developed the Rockfall Activity Index system (RAI), a point cloud-derived, high- resolution, morphology-based approach for identifying, assessing, and mapping rockfall hazards at a high resolution across the entire surface of a rock slope. Continued monitoring at sites in both Alaska and Oregon has shown that rockfall activity is variable as a function of geology and rock properties. In this research, we used geologic characterization, analysis of change from light detection and ranging (lidar) differencing, and collection of 4,800 Schmidt Hammer measurements to constrain relationships between geologic structure and rockfall activity at a variety of rock slopes. Generally, lower Schmidt hammer rebound measurements were observed in areas with higher activity rates, suggesting that rebound (especially when corrected per ASTM standards) may be an effective proxy for rockfall activity or susceptibility. However, the large variability in these measurements, particularly between sites, suggests that these measurements are best applied on a site-specific basis. Additionally, we computed rockfall volumes to analyze mobility impacts by using an empirical relationship derived from the Rockfall Impacts to Mobility (RIM) database, demonstrating the importance of linking rockfall activity and hazard. Future work could look at expanding databases of rockfall impacts to mobility, collect more Schmidt hammer measurements, collect more epochs of rock slope digital terrain models, and further connect rock slope weathering and structure to the RAI analysis., The size of this zip file is 195.2 KB. The .xlsx and .xls file types are Microsoft Excel files, which can be opened with Excel, and other free available spreadsheet software, such as OpenRefine.