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Sustainable Transportation and Road Safety during Highway Maintenance, Rehabilitation, and...
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Sustainable Transportation and Road Safety during Highway Maintenance, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Processes

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Transportation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (23 October 2024) | Viewed by 4958

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Qiang Zeng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering and Transportation, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
Interests: roadway transportation safety; traffic data analysis; sustainable transportation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Xiaofei Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering and Transportation, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
Interests: geometric design of highways; evaluation and management of road safety; statistical modeling of highway alignment and traffic data

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

After lengthy operations, the conditions or configurations of highways may not meet the requirements of safe, efficient, and sustainable transportation. Thus, highway maintenance, rehabilitation, and reconstruction are implemented. During the implementation processes, lanes may be temporarily occupied due to the work zones. The statistics in several countries indicate that the crash risk and severity are usually higher on/nearby highway work zones. Uncovering the factors contributing to crash frequency/rate/risk and injury severity in work zones remains an interesting topic in the field of transportation safety research. Various transportation management and control technologies (such as signal control and speed limits) are implemented during highway maintenance, rehabilitation, and reconstruction processes to improve their safety performance. Meanwhile, transportation management and control technologies, even the re-alignment of roadway geometry, may have significant effects on the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission of vehicles. How to measure the effects of these technologies on greenhouse gas emission, and to optimize the technologies for minimizing greenhouse gas emission, are helpful for building a sustainable transportation environment.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Crash frequency/rate analysis on work zones;
  • Crash injury severity analysis on work zones;
  • Real-time crash risk prediction of work zones;
  • New technologies for improving safety performance in work zones;
  • Vehicle greenhouse gas emission evaluation;
  • Technologies for reducing vehicle greenhouse gas emission.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Qiang Zeng
Dr. Xiaofei Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable transportation
  • road safety
  • highway maintenance
  • highway rehabilitation
  • highway reconstruction
  • work zone
  • crash analysis

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 5523 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Road Safety Hazard Factors in Egypt Using Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution Process
by Yasser A. S. Gamal, ElHassan Mamdouh, Amr M. Wahaballa, Raafat Elshaer and Seham Hemdan
Sustainability 2024, 16(22), 9993; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16229993 - 15 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 961
Abstract
To address road accident losses, there is a need to prioritize safety factors, especially in high-risk locations on the road network, toward assuring a sustainable transport system. This paper proposes an approach for quantitative risk assessments of safety factors in hazardous road locations [...] Read more.
To address road accident losses, there is a need to prioritize safety factors, especially in high-risk locations on the road network, toward assuring a sustainable transport system. This paper proposes an approach for quantitative risk assessments of safety factors in hazardous road locations and involves the integration of the Fuzzy logic model, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) and the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). This new innovative method offers a way to prioritize and select safety factors associated with hazardous locations using a hierarchical structure. To demonstrate the applicability of this method, a case study was conducted in Egypt. The assessment process involved active participation by professionals through multiple expert meetings. This collaborative approach ensures that the assessment incorporates valuable real-world knowledge and experiences. It analyzed road safety hazardous conditions across various sections, including intersections, non-intersection sections, narrow bridge sections, and curve sections. The application of FAHP-TOPSIS enables the determination of weights for safety factors within each section, facilitating the evaluation of safety indices between them and ranking the safety hazard sections. The achieved analysis revealed that the hazard safety factor index is comparatively higher in curved sections compared to other types of sections. Light utility poles and road barriers significantly affected the hazard index. By utilizing this approach, governments may make informed decisions regarding the allocation of resources and the implementation of safety measures at hazardous road locations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transportation and Road Safety during Highway Maintenance, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Processes)
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18 pages, 12798 KiB  
Article
Experimental Study on the Properties of Basalt Fiber–Cement-Stabilized Expansive Soil
by Junhua Chen, Jiejie Mu, Aijun Chen, Yao Long, Yanjiang Zhang and Jinfeng Zou
Sustainability 2024, 16(17), 7579; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177579 - 1 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1994
Abstract
Expansive soil is prone to rapid strength degradation caused by repeated volume swelling and shrinkage under alternating dry–wet conditions. Basalt fiber (BF) and cement are utilized to stabilize expansive soil, aiming to curb its swelling and shrinkage, enhance its strength, and ensure its [...] Read more.
Expansive soil is prone to rapid strength degradation caused by repeated volume swelling and shrinkage under alternating dry–wet conditions. Basalt fiber (BF) and cement are utilized to stabilize expansive soil, aiming to curb its swelling and shrinkage, enhance its strength, and ensure its durability in dry–wet cycles. This study examines the impact of varying content (0–1%) of BF on the physical and mechanical characteristics of expansive soil stabilized with a 6% cement content. We investigated these effects through a series of experiments including compaction, swelling and shrinkage, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), undrained and consolidation shear, dry–wet cycles, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses. The experiments yielded the following conclusions: Combining cement and BF to stabilize expansive soil leverages cement’s chemical curing ability and BF’s reinforcing effect. Incorporating 0.4% BFs significantly improves the swelling and shrinkage characteristics of cement-stabilized expansive soils, reducing expansion by 36.17% and contraction by 28.4%. Furthermore, it enhances both the initial strength and durability of these soils under dry–wet cycles. Without dry–wet cycles, the addition of 0.4% BFs increased UCS by 24.8% and shear strength by 24.6% to 40%. After 16 dry–wet cycles, the UCS improved by 38.87% compared to cement-stabilized expansive soil alone. Both the content of BF and the number of dry–wet cycles significantly influenced the UCS of cement-stabilized expansive soils. Multivariate nonlinear equations were used to model the UCS, offering a predictive framework for assessing the strength of these soils under varying BF contents and dry–wet cycles. The cement hydrate adheres to the fiber surface, increasing adhesion and friction between the fibers and soil particles. Additionally, the fibers form a network structure within the soil. These factors collectively enhance the strength, deformation resistance, and durability of cement-stabilized expansive soils. These findings offer valuable insights into combining traditional cementitious materials with basalt fiber to manage expansive soil hazards, reduce resource consumption, and mitigate environmental impacts, thereby contributing to sustainable development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transportation and Road Safety during Highway Maintenance, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Processes)
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17 pages, 1289 KiB  
Article
Multi-Objective Optimization of Highway Work Zones Considering Safety, Mobility, and Project Cost
by Fadi Shahin, Wafa Elias and Tomer Toledo
Sustainability 2024, 16(16), 7033; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16167033 - 16 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1185
Abstract
The presence of highway work zones has a major effect on safety, mobility, and project expenses. The objective of this study is to develop a multi-objective optimization model to address these challenges by considering all three factors simultaneously. The model employs a Genetic [...] Read more.
The presence of highway work zones has a major effect on safety, mobility, and project expenses. The objective of this study is to develop a multi-objective optimization model to address these challenges by considering all three factors simultaneously. The model employs a Genetic Algorithm to identify the Pareto front and elucidate the trade-offs between safety, mobility, and cost. It evaluates various decision variables related to site geometry, work management, and temporary traffic control measures, exploring numerous potential combinations and offering decision-makers a comprehensive array of solutions. A case study demonstrates the model’s efficacy. Initially, approximately 829,440 feasible solutions were identified, which were effectively reduced to 263 by imposing additional constraints such as specific safety levels, maximum project costs, or traffic delay thresholds. The findings highlight significant cost variations: crash costs ranged from saving USD 973,473 to increasing costs by USD 1,328,322; mobility costs ranged from USD 184,491 to USD 3,854,212; and project costs ranged from USD 1,424,634 to USD 1,574,894. These variations underscore the substantial influence of crash costs and the benefits of location-based scheduling, which improves cost estimate reliability by capturing the effects of working hours and project duration. This research builds upon previous studies by incorporating three distinct objectives rather than focusing on a singular solution. By addressing safety, mobility, and project cost separately, the framework yields multiple solutions, each impacting the objectives differently. This multifaceted approach enhances its utility as a robust decision-making tool for stakeholders involved in highway work zone management and planning. This study concludes that multi-objective optimization is crucial for providing realistic and diverse solutions, ultimately improving decision-making processes in highway work zone operations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transportation and Road Safety during Highway Maintenance, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Processes)
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