A Two-Dimensional Model of Airbag Deployment
An interactive program was developed to simulate the unfolding and deploying process of a driver side airbag in the sagittal plane. The airbag was represented by a series of nodes. We...
Effects on Seismic Spatial Variations to Suspension Bridge Responses
The dynamic soil-structure interaction effects and spatial variations of a seismic motion seem to have significant contributions on the response evaluation of a long span suspension bridge....
A Second Order Analysis Technique for Nonprismatic Bridge Piers
An approximate second order method is presented for the analysis and design of cantilever compression members. Prismatic members with nonconstant reinforcement, and nonprismatic members...
Simulations of Gravity-Driven Channel Flows of Disks Floating on the Flowing Viscous Fluid
A two-dimensional discrete element model has been applied to the problem of gravity-driven channel flow of uniform disks. The particles are floating on the surface of the flowing fluid...
Distant Eyes
A remotely operated vehicle is a miniature unmanned submersible that contains lights, a video camera, other instrumentation, and motor thrusters to move it through the water. The operator,...
Testing the Limits
More than 100,000 bridges in the U.S. are considered structurally deficient and in need of posted load limits or repair. As the number continues to mount, engineers search for a better...
Inspection Goes High Tech
Many believe that rehabilitation of the existing infrastructure�not net construction�will dominate the 1990s. Therefore, accurate condition assessment is crucial, since public works agencies...
Cables Not in Trouble
Cable-stayed bridges in the U.S. are not, contrary to reports widely disseminated in the press several years ago, about to fail from corrosion. The design, in which primary cables support...
Use of Advanced Technologies for Improving Hazmat Transportation Safety
This paper describes how advanced technologies can help improve the safety of over the road hazardous material transportation. The technologies discussed include driver information systems,...
Group Effect in the Case of Downdrag
A summary of the various techniques available to calculate downdrag forces on pile groups is presented. In light of all these existing techniques, a simplified method is recommended. An...
Permit Compliance Programs for Large Scale Development Projects
California Assembly Bill 3180 requires that the implementation of environmental mitigation measures be monitored for compliance during project development. Permit compliance programs for...
Mapping Barrier Island Changes in Louisiana: Techniques, Accuracy, and Results
Changes in shoreline position along Louisiana's rapidly changing barrier coastline were compiled using cartographic data sources and aerial photography from 1855 to 1989. An interactive...
The Ozone Layer: A Critical Analysis of the Management of Public Policy for Fluorocarbons
As environmental public policy becomes increasingly extensive it continues to have greater impact on the lives of each American. The management of the public policy formation process varies...
The Great Canadian Bridge Slide
An aging multispan swing bridge had to be replaced in Trenton, Ont., with minimal interference to both river and road traffic, and without changing its alignment. The solution was to build...
Probing the Golden Gate
The Golden Gate Bridge has just come through the most detailed analysis ever attempted in its 53-year-old history. This analysis was squeezed into a desktop computer that calculates twice...
Evaluation of Thermoplastic Drainage Pipe Designs in Europe and North America
The last 10 years have seen significant increase in the use of plastic pipe for drainage systems in North America in comparison to Europe. Many plastic pipe products have included corrugations,...
Hatchie River and Schoharie Creek Bridge Failures
Within a 2-year period two large bridges collapsed into flooded rivers resulting in a total of 18 people plunging to their deaths. Both bridges had been inspected by probing, but had not...
Bridge Scour Vulnerability Assessment
Although the failure of the New York Throughway bridge over Schoharie Creek in 1987 has focused national attention on scour related failures, other failures reinforce the need for implementing...
Bridge Inspections Related to Bridge Scour
The failure of the Silver Bridge over the Ohio River in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, on December 15, 1967 resulted in the establishment of the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS)...
A National Bridge Scour Data Collection Program
A study to collect and analyze field measurements of bridge scour is being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration. The primary objective...
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