How To Design Highway Retaining Walls?A Practical Application of CADD
The recent work developed at the University of Missouri-Rolla (UMR) including optimization algorithms and two computer programs, ODSEWS-2D-II and ODRESB-3D are discussed. Several numerical...
Engineering Optimization Via Genetic Algorithm
The application of a genetic algorithm (GA) to the optimal design of a ten member, plane truss is considered. Genetic algorithms are search procedures based upon the mechanics of natural...
Analysis and Optimum Design of Nondeterministic Structures under Random Loads
The importance of analyzing and designing structural systems by using a reliability-based approach is emphasized, including system safety requirements with regard to both serviceability...
Structural Design Optimization of Nonlinear Response With Adina
Procedures for sensitivity analysis and optimization of nonlinear structural systems with the computer program ADINA are described. Formulation of the structural optimization problem and...
Design Improvements Using Finite Elements and Optimizing with Approximate Functions
A design optimization module has been added to the finite element program ANSYS, designed to aid the engineer in reaching an improved or optimum design. The numerical technique employed...
Animated Response of Dynamic Systems
Understanding how a simple structural system responds to a dynamically applied load is a difficult concept for most students to grasp. The fundamental mathematical theory of this behavior...
Analysis and Design of Prestressed Concrete Spun Poles
A microcomputer package for the analysis and design of prestressed concrete spun poles is described. The package, named PCPAD, consists of six programs each having a specific analysis...
Attached Scientific Computers in Structural Analysis
The design and analysis process is explored in terms of its requirements for user decision-making and interaction. This is presented as a three-phase procedure: (1) the engineer developing...
Tiedback Walls Untie Intersection
The intersection of Gallows Rd. and Arlington Blvd. in Virginia's Fairfax County required separation. Tiedback retaining walls, which required only 18 in. instead of the 18-22...
Spanning Urban Obstacles
Extension of Pittsburgh's Crosstown Expressway is a � mile portion of a massive $500 million urban highway now under construction. The extension is a complex of five roadways...
Scenic Squeeze
Constructing a four-lane dual highway through the 12 miles of Colorado's Glenwood Canyon involves several engineering innovations: cantilevered roadways, unusual retaining...
Effective Pedestrian Safety Programs
Pedestrian fatalities account for 16 percent of all highway-related deaths and about 129,000 pedestrians are involved in accidents each year. Analyses of pedestrian accident data and determining...
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Highway Safety Improvements
The need exists for better information relative to the effectiveness of various safety treatments and actions. Reliable measures of effectiveness are required for determining the most...
Roadside Design in the Future
Since the first roadways were built, highway designers have constantly been striving to ensure that motorists can travel to their destinations on safe highways. However, their efforts...
Shoulder Rumble Strips at Narrow Bridges
The highways in the United States have thousands of minimum design narrow bridges. Replacement of these bridges with current state of the art designs is not cost effective nor feasible...
Transitioning End Terminal A TRENDtm for the Future
The highway engineer frequently starts from a position where an identified highway element is causing serious injuries or fatalities to motorists on the nation's highways....
End Treatments for Deep Beam Highway Guardrail
End treatments on highway guardrail serve two functions: (1) to make the end safe in case of an impact there, and (2) to provide anchorage in case of an impact adjacent to the end. Two...
Innovative Solutions to the Challenges of Heavy Civil Projects
Each heavy construction project presents unique conditions and challenges. For large projects, the work scope may justify an extensive engineering analysis and significant investments...
What to Do When a Failure Occurs
When a major building problem involving structural failure occurs, action should begin immediately to determine the damage or failure and detect the underlying problem. This paper will...
Quality Assurance/Quality Control: Alternative Approaches to Reduce Failures
Efforts to achieve quality on construction projects usually center around code-compliant design, thorough specifications, and careful inspection. The alarming increase in both the frequency...
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