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Item A Historical Development and Prediction of the Future Water Quality in the Black Warrior River in the Vicinity of Tuscaloosa, Alabama(University of Alabama Libraries, 1967) McClure, Nathaniel DeHass IV; University of Alabama TuscaloosaIt is generally recognized that the Black Warrior River is a classic example of unrestricted use of a stream as a receiving body for the disposal of sewage and industrial wastes. A section of this river, in the vicinity of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, has been selected for this presentation. The area studied begins upstream at Holt Lock and Dam, river mile 347.5, and has a downstream limit of river mile 309.5 which is four miles below the mouth of Cypress Creek. These limits were selected because they cover all significant pollutional effluents received by the Black Warrior River in the Tuscaloosa area. Another unique factor concerning these limits is that the relative quality of the water both upstream and downstream of these limits is good while portions of the area to be considered are grossly polluted--especially during periods of low flow.Item The Western U.S. Drought: How Bad Is It?(2004-08-10) Piechota, Thomas C.; Timilsena, Janak; Tootle, Glenn; Hidalgo, Hugo; University of Alabama TuscaloosaHistorical stream flow records and the forecast for 2004 make the current (1999–2004) drought in the southwestern United States the worst one in the past 80 years for portions of the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB).For the Colorado River (near Cisco, Utah), the cumulative stream flow deficit (departure from long‐term mean) for the current drought is almost 11 km8, or approximately 2 years of average stream flow Although the current drought is the most significant, based on historical stream flow records, is it the worst ever?Item Coupled oceanic-atmospheric variability and U.S. streamflow(American Geophysical Union, 2005-12-06) Tootle, GA; Piechota, TC; Singh, A; University of Wyoming; Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE); University of Nevada Las Vegas; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa[1] A study of the influence of interdecadal, decadal, and interannual oceanic-atmospheric influences on streamflow in the United States is presented. Unimpaired streamflow was identified for 639 stations in the United States for the period 1951 - 2002. The phases (cold/negative or warm/positive) of Pacific Ocean ( El Nino - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)) and Atlantic Ocean ( Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)) oceanic-atmospheric influences were identified for the year prior to the streamflow year (i.e., long lead time). Statistical significance testing of streamflow, based on the interdecadal, decadal, and interannual oceanic-atmospheric phase (warm/positive or cold/negative), was performed by applying the nonparametric rank-sum test. The results show that in addition to the well-established ENSO signal the PDO, AMO, and NAO influence streamflow variability in the United States. The warm phase of the PDO is associated with increased streamflow in the central and southwest United States, while the warm phase of the AMO is associated with reduced streamflow in these regions. The positive phase of the NAO and the cold phase of the AMO are associated with increased streamflow in the central United States. Additionally, the coupled effects of the oceanic-atmospheric influences were evaluated on the basis of the long-term phase (cold/negative or warm/ positive) of the interdecadal ( PDO and AMO) and decadal ( NAO) influences and ENSO. Streamflow regions in the United States were identified that respond to these climatic couplings. The results show that the AMO may influence La Nina impacts in the Southeast, while the NAO may influence La Nina impacts in the Midwest. By utilizing the streamflow water year and the long lead time for the oceanic-atmospheric variables, useful information can be provided to streamflow forecasters and water managers.Item Oceanic-atmospheric variability and western US snowfall(American Geophysical Union, 2006-07-08) Hunter, Thad; Tootle, Glenn; Piechota, Thomas; University of Wyoming; Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE); University of Nevada Las Vegas; University of Alabama TuscaloosaA study of the influences of interdecadal and interannual oceanic-atmospheric influences on April 1 Snow-Water Equivalent (SWE) in the western U. S. is presented. SWE data was identified at 323 Natural Resources Conservation Service ( NRCS) SNOTEL (SNOwpack TELemetrysites) stations for the period of 1961 to 2004 and for 121 SNOTEL stations for the period 1941 to 2004. The phases (cold/negative or warm/positive) of Pacific Ocean [ El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)] and Atlantic Ocean [ Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation ( AMO) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)] oceanic-atmospheric influences were identified for the year prior to the SWE data set. Statistical significance testing of SWE data set, based on the interdecadal and interannual oceanic-atmospheric phase (warm/positive or cold/negative) was performed by applying the nonparametric rank-sum test. The results show that in addition to the well established ENSO signal in the northwest, the PDO and AMO influence SWE variability. Additionally, the coupled effects of the oceanic-atmospheric influences were evaluated on the basis of the long-term phase (cold/negative or warm/positive) of the interdecadal ( PDO, AMO, NAO) influences and the interannual ENSO. Finally, the coupled effects of the oceanic-atmospheric influences were evaluated on the basis of the long-term phase (cold/negative or warm/positive) of the interdecadal ( AMO, PDO, NAO) phenomena. Regions in the west were identified that responded to the interdecadal/ decadal climatic coupling. By utilizing the April 1 SWE and the long lead-time approach for the oceanic-atmospheric variables, useful information can be provided to snow forecasters and water managers.Item Relationships between Pacific and Atlantic ocean sea surface temperatures and US streamflow variability(American Geophysical Union, 2006-07-19) Tootle, Glenn A.; Piechota, Thomas C.; University of Wyoming; Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE); University of Nevada Las Vegas; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa[ 1] An evaluation of Pacific and Atlantic Ocean sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and continental U. S. streamflow was performed to identify coupled regions of SST and continental U. S. streamflow variability. Both SSTs and streamflow displayed temporal variability when applying the singular value decomposition (SVD) statistical method. Initially, an extended temporal evaluation was performed using the entire period of record (i.e., all years from 1951 to 2002). This was followed by an interdecadal-temporal evaluation for the Pacific ( Atlantic) Ocean based on the phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) ( Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO)). Finally, an extended temporal evaluation was performed using detrended SST and streamflow data. A lead time approach was assessed in which the previous year's spring-summer season Pacific Ocean ( Atlantic Ocean) SSTs were evaluated with the current water year continental U. S. streamflow. During the cold phase of the PDO, Pacific Ocean SSTs influenced streamflow regions ( southeast, northwest, southwest, and northeast United States) most often associated with El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), while during the warm phase of the PDO, Pacific Ocean SSTs influenced non-ENSO streamflow regions ( Upper Colorado River basin and middle Atlantic United States). ENSO and the PDO were identified by the Pacific Ocean SST SVD first temporal expansion series as climatic influences for the PDO cold phase, PDO warm phase, and the all years analysis. Additionally, the phase of the AMO resulted in continental U. S. streamflow variability when evaluating Atlantic Ocean SSTs. During the cold phase of the AMO, Atlantic Ocean SSTs influenced middle Atlantic and central U. S. streamflow, while during the warm phase of the AMO, Atlantic Ocean SSTs influenced upper Mississippi River basin, peninsular Florida, and northwest U. S. streamflow. The AMO signal was identified in the Atlantic Ocean SST SVD first temporal expansion series. Applying SVD, first temporal expansions series were developed for Pacific and Atlantic Ocean SSTs and continental U. S. streamflow. The first temporal expansion series of SSTs and streamflow were strongly correlated, which could result in improved streamflow predictability.Item Five Hundred Years of Hydrological Drought in the Upper Colorado River Basin(2007-06) Timilsena, Janak; Piechota, Thomas C.; Hidalgo, Hugo; Tootle, Glenn; University of Alabama TuscaloosaThis article evaluates drought scenarios of the Upper Colorado River basin (UCRB) considering multiple drought variables for the past 500 years and positions the current drought in terms of the magnitude and frequency. Drought characteristics were developed considering water-year data of UCRB’s streamflow, and basin-wide averages of the Palmer Hydrological Drought Index (PHDI) and the Palmer Z Index. Streamflow and drought indices were reconstructed for the last 500 years using a principal component regression model based on tree-ring data. The reconstructed streamflow showed higher variability as compared with reconstructed PHDI and reconstructed Palmer Z Index. The magnitude and severity of all droughts were obtained for the last 500 years for historical and reconstructed drought variables and ranked accordingly. The frequency of the current drought was obtained by considering two different drought frequency statistical approaches and three different methods of determining the beginning and end of the drought period (annual, 5-year moving, and ten year moving average). It was concluded that the current drought is the worst in the observed record period (1923-2004), but 6th to 14th largest in terms of magnitude and 1st to 12th considering severity in the past 500 years. Similarly, the current drought has a return period ranging from 37 to 103 years based on how the drought period was determined. It was concluded that if the 10-year moving average is used for defining the drought period, the current drought appears less severe in terms of magnitude and severity in the last 500 years compared with the results using 1- and 5-year averages.Item Using design-based change orders as a lessons learned metric in university dormitory construction(University of Alabama Libraries, 2009) Stone, Matthew Lee Cole; Johnson, Philip W.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaThe enrollment at The University of Alabama has increased substantially in recent years and the University is expanding to meet the growing demands. The expansion includes four dormitory complexes built within the past five years. Change orders considerably influenced the final cost of the first and second dormitory projects and the University initiated the current study to follow-up on a global change order study that previously examined new construction on campus. The current study is part of a lessons learned initiative to improve the cost effectiveness of University construction projects. New dormitory construction projects were the main focus of this study and the change data from these facilities was analyzed based on the reasons for the change and what Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) Division the change represented. While it was determined that the largest source of change orders on dormitory projects were owner initiated, these changes have not been targeted for reduction since they are at the discretion of the University and can be beneficial to the project. To gauge the performance of the change management program currently in place at the University, the direct impact on the total project cost due to changes resulting from design errors were analyzed for all four dormitory projects. The author hopes that the recommendations in this study will aid universities and colleges by providing a means to gather, track, and analyze changes that occur during the construction of dormitory projects and show how the lessons learned from the change orders during these projects can potentially reduce costs on future projects.Item Selection of a simulation software to model a small signalized system of a multilane arterial in the southeastern US(University of Alabama Libraries, 2009) Tedla, Elsa Gebru; Turner, Daniel S.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaEmployment of traffic simulation tools has become a popular practice in traffic operations analyses as the transportation system has become more complex and more frequently congested. Most of the commercially available traffic simulation models work best for free-flow or unsaturated conditions. Depending on the type of traffic condition and type of analysis, the performance of simulation models varies and there is little information available to help the analyst to select the most appropriate and accurate model for a given analysis. To address this need, two traffic simulation tools, SimTraffic and AIMSUN, were evaluated and compared for a congested arterial segment. Both simulation packages are designed to model almost any combination of surface street and freeway facilities. In this paper, an arterial segment in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (McFarland Boulevard) between 13th street and 31st street was coded and simulated for AM, Mid day, and PM peak periods. The network was simulated 10 times for each peak period using both simulation models, and average values were taken for comparison. Then the network was evaluated using output measures of effectiveness (MOE) such as Vehicle Hours Travel (VHT), Vehicle Miles Travel (VMT), average speed, and flow rate at the network level, along with delay, travel time, and average speed at the arterial level, and delay and traffic volume at a link level. Using statistical methods and graphical plots for comparison, each simulation model was evaluated for its capability to replicate existing field conditions using default and calibrated traffic parameters. In addition to accuracy, the models were also compared with respect to ease of coding, and quality/usefulness of output. This report documents relevant results and calibration processes used for employing the models in future studies and practices regarding congested arterials.Item The Supervising Discipline Engineer's (SDE) role in the Front End Planning Process(University of Alabama Libraries, 2009) Ingram, Clayton Bryant; Back, W. Edward; University of Alabama TuscaloosaThe Supervising Discipline Engineer's (SDE) role in the Front End Planning (FEP) Process is thought to be an important one by engineering managers at an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) firm. Although FEP and the role of the SDE have been defined independently, the roles of the SDE in the FEP process lack proper definition and understanding to achieve the much needed alignment of the two. It has been assumed that the SDE has higher levels of involvement in technical roles, based on their job description, but it was important to reinforce this through the research. The information contributed to the FEP process by the SDE is needed in a timely manner and crucial to project success. Therefore, it is important to define these roles and the level of involvement the SDE takes part. The research addresses this issue. It identifies the roles in which the SDE participates in the three phases of Front End Planning as defined by the Construction Industry Institute. The CII model was chosen based on industry "best practice" as adopted by URS Washington Division, the EPC firm evaluated in this research. Six core engineering disciplines were evaluated, as determined by URS Washington Division, and are as follows: (1) Architectural, Civil, Environmental, and Structural (ACES); (2) Electrical; (3) Instrumentation and Controls (I&C); (4) Mechanical; (5) Piping; and (6) Process. A group of SDEs, from a variety of disciplines, participated in a skills development program defining the activities involved in FEP. Once concluded, the SDE was to rate their level of involvement on a survey questionnaire developed by the research team for each activity. Based on the results, the research found conclusive evidence to define the level of involvement of the SDE in the FEP process. Furthermore, conclusions drawn from these respondents reinforced the high levels of involvement in those technically driven activities and elaborated on the role of the SDE in relation to the less technical activities. Last, from the analysis of the data collected, a matrix was developed outlining the roles of the SDE in general, and the roles of the SDE according to discipline.Item Use of microscopic traffic simulation and field data to investigate saturated and free flow traffic conditions at arterial signals(University of Alabama Libraries, 2009) Gurupackiam, Saravanan; Turner, Daniel S.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaOver the years microscopic traffic simulation has evolved as the premier tool to analyze complex and congested transportation networks. However, despite the robustness and wide spread use of traffic microsimulation, some gaps and limitations still exist that can affect the accuracy of these models' results. Moreover the change of traffic characteristics and driver behavior during the transition from undersaturated to saturated condition is not completely understood. This dissertation addresses these two issues. The road network chosen for the microscopic simulation and field data collection is a six lane main traffic artery located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA. The entire research work contains three related research efforts, each conducted along the topic of this dissertation. The first research thrust focused on the sensitivity and accuracy of the microscopic traffic simulation. Specifically it investigated the sensitivity of MOEs to simulation initialization time, required number of repetitions, and major contributors of variation in MOEs. The second research thrust dealt with field investigation of operational parameters including gap acceptance and lane changing during different levels of traffic flow. The final research effort explored the variations in simulation results using existing embedded/default values of lane change parameters (lane change duration and look ahead distance), versus using values obtained from field observation for both free flow and saturated traffic conditions. From all the research efforts, the following broad conclusions were drawn, * Traffic flows at signals that are approaching saturation are still complex to analyze, and the interactions between traffic parameter are not well understood. * When traffic flow on a typical arterial approaches saturation, drivers take higher risks (eg: drivers accept smaller gaps). * A statistical analysis of gap acceptance and lane changing confirmed what is suspected intuitively. * Existing traffic microsimulation tools simplify some of the traffic parameters in simulation models. These parameters may be recoded or recalibrated for better accuracy of simulation results. * In traffic microsimulation an increased number of simulation runs certainly helps in stabilizing the variability of the MOE and it is advisable to use a longer simulation time (eg. 60 minutes) to reduce the variation of MOEs.Item Effectiveness measurement of a training program developed for supervising discipline engineers(University of Alabama Libraries, 2009) Morriss, Robert Chadwick; Back, W. Edward; University of Alabama TuscaloosaThis research investigates a methodology to effectively assess the development of supervising discipline engineers' management skills resulting from a structured, in-class, development program. Civil, mechanical, electrical, structural, industrial, instrumentation and controls, and process disciplines must work together when designing large engineered projects. In order to stay competitive, engineering firms must find a way to rapidly, but effectively, train their engineers to become qualified leaders in their discipline. They must accelerate the learning of management skills that are necessary in today's industry. A structured, efficient method of training must be developed to provide design professionals with the necessary information without sacrificing day-to-day productivity. In order to determine if the skills development was successful, however, it is necessary to measure the effectiveness of the program. The first aspect of this research focused on developing a delivery method for a supervising discipline engineer skills development program. An efficient means by which to measure the effectiveness of the program was then addressed. Finally, the resulting data gathered from the program evaluation was analyzed in order to determine whether or not the program was successful in meeting the course objectives. The results of the data analysis revealed that the skills development program had significantly improved the engineering management skills of the participating supervising discipline engineers.Item Estimated Wind River Range (Wyoming, USA) Glacier Melt Water Contributions to Agriculture(MDPI, 2009-10-28) Cheesbrough, Kyle; Edmunds, Jake; Tootle, Glenn; Kerr, Greg; Pochop, Larry; University of Tennessee System; University of Tennessee Knoxville; University of Wyoming; University of Alabama TuscaloosaIn 2008, Wyoming was ranked 8th in barley production and 20th in hay production in the United States and these crops support Wyoming's $800 million cattle industry. However, with a mean elevation of 2,040 meters, much of Wyoming has a limited crop growing season (as little as 60 days) and relies on late-summer and early-fall streamflow for agricultural water supply. Wyoming is host to over 80 glaciers with the majority of these glaciers being located in the Wind River Range. These "frozen reservoirs" provide a stable source of streamflow (glacier meltwater) during this critical late-summer and early-fall growing season. Given the potential impacts of climate change (increased temperatures resulting in glacier recession), the quantification of glacier meltwater during the late-summer and early-fall growing seasons is needed. Glacier area changes in the Wind River Range were estimated for 42 glaciers using Landsat data from 1985 to 2005. The total surface area of the 42 glaciers was calculated to be 41.2 +/- 11.7 km(2) in 1985 and 30.8 +/- 8.2 km(2) in 2005, an average decrease of 25% over the 21 year period. Small glaciers experienced noticeably more area reduction than large glaciers. Of the 42 glaciers analyzed, 17 had an area of greater than 0.5 km(2) in 1985, while 25 were less than 0.5 km(2) in 1985. The glaciers with a surface area less than 0.5 km(2) experienced an average surface area loss (fraction of 1985 surface area) of 43%, while the larger glaciers (greater than 0.5 km(2)) experienced an average surface area loss of 22%. Applying area-volume scaling relationships for glaciers, volume loss was estimated to be 409 x 106 m(3) over the 21 year period, which results in an estimated 4% to 10% contribution to warm season (July-October) streamflow.Item The 2009-2010 El Niño: Hydrologic Relief to U.S. Regions(2009-12-15) Tootle, G. A.; Piechota, T. C.; Aziz, O.; Miller, W. P.; Lakshmi, V.; Dracup, J. A.; Jerla, C.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaCurrent forecasts by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are that the Pacific Ocean will experience El Niño conditions in late 2009 and into 2010. These forecasts are similar to past El Niño events in 1972–1973, 1982–1983, 1986–1987, and 2002–2003.Evaluating the hydrologic conditions for these past El Niño events reveals that during these times, surface water supply conditions improved in many parts of the United States, including the Southeast, Midwest, and Southwest. At the same time, the Pacific Northwest and other specific regions of the United States experienced below‐average water supply conditions. This is consistent with the long‐established linkages between oceanic‐atmospheric phenomena, El Niño, and streamflow [e.g., Kahya and Dracup, 1993; Tootle et al., 2005].Item Conditional cell transmission model for two-way arterials in oversaturated conditions(University of Alabama Libraries, 2010) Wang, Ping; Jones, Steven L.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaIn 2007, congestion caused urban Americans to travel 4.2 billion hours more and to purchase an extra 2.8 billion gallons of fuel for a congestion cost of $87.2 billion - an increase of more than 50% over the previous decade. Urban arterials operating in oversaturated conditions are now very common and are expected to become even more prevalent. As a result, there is an urgent need to explicitly address oversaturation. Simulation of oversaturation plays an important role in addressing it. However, the previous research, including existing traffic simulation software and theoretical approaches, take full account of traffic flow on two way arterials in oversaturated conditions. Therefore, improvements of existing traffic flow model simulation techniques are necessary to adequate study such fully oversaturated arterials. The objective of this research is to develop a novel feature for traffic flow models, to simulate when traffic queues on two way arterials periodically extend until then block an upstream signal in oversaturated conditions. Such a model should be capable of delineating the dynamic of traffic flow created by the merging and diverging activities on two way arterials. In additional, it should have the capability of describing blockages, spillback and shock wave phenomena along the oversaturated arterials. The Cell Transmission model (CTM) is used in the dissertation, because it can accommodate all traffic conditions from light condition to oversaturated condition. However, it has limitations and has only recently been extended from one way two way arterials. Two way arterials have more diverge and merge activities at intersections, which make the coding of CTM more complex and time-consuming. Second, a noticeable inaccuracy in prior CTM research is the failure to simulate the blockages at intersections. They typically estimate the delay occurring on segments and ignore the delay occurring at intersections. These limitations affect CTM's accuracy and limit its use. To enhance CTM, a conditional cell transmission model (CCTM) is developed with two improvements. First, CTM is expanded for two-way arterials by taking account of all diverge and merge activities at intersections. Second, a conditional cell is added to simulate periodic spillback and blockages at an intersection. The cell exists conditionally, depending on whether or not there is a spillback at an intersection. In other words, if spillback happens, the conditional cell exists and stores the vehicles which spill back into the intersection; if there is no spillback, the conditional cell will not exist. In CCTM, users may input the probability of a conditional cell (drivers breaking the driving rule) and probability of occurrence of useful location of a gap to match the characteristics of local drivers' behavior. This is a unique contribution of CCTM. The CCTM traffic flow simulation was initially developed using evolutions of small model of six cell mode. It included (a segment cell, a diverge cell, a cell in front of an intersection, a cell in a left turn lane, a cell in the minor street and a conditional cell). They were loaded with light duty traffic, moderate duty traffic and heavy duty traffic respectively. To test the overall performance of CCTM, a series of experiments are designed and performed for a multilane, two-way, three-signal sample network. Experiments were conducted to give sensitivity analyses to four user-defined parameters including traffic demand, traffic signal timing, possibility of occurrence of a useful gap and possibility of a conditional cell. The results demonstrate that CCTM can accommodate various traffic demands and CCTM's accurate representation of traffic flow. Finally, to validate CCTM, it is compared with HCS (Highway Capacity Software 2000). Three scenarios of traffic demand are inputted into HCS and the results of travel speeds are compared with those of CCTM. The consistency between HCS 2000 and CCTM shows that CCTM is a reliable methodology of modeling traffic flow in oversaturated condition.Item Analysis and rehabilitation of the 1882 wrought iron bridge(University of Alabama Libraries, 2010) Mathis, Brandi Price; Richardson, James A.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaThe Friends of Historic Northport in conjunction with the City of Northport planned to relocate and preserve an existing span of a bridge that originally crossed the Black Warrior River in 1882. The 1882 Bridge is an old wrought iron arch-shaped truss bridge manufactured by the King Iron and Bridge Company of Ohio. A tensile test and metallographic analysis were performed on samples taken from the bridge, and it was determined that the bridge is composed of at least two grades of wrought iron. The tests also indicated the presence of brittle iron. The wood decking system, the concrete bridge abutments, and the keystone retaining wall for the bridge approaches were designed for material quantities for the relocation project. A structural analysis of the bridge at its new location showed that some of the bridge members were slightly overstressed under certain loading conditions. Parts of the top chord, floor beam, and diagonals were overstressed under the dead and pedestrian loads, and the bottom diagonals were overstressed under the wind load. Four lifting methods were analyzed for the bridge's relocation. The method considered the most efficient was to attach the lifting cables directly to the top chord near the ends of the bridge.Item Development of the pilot car driver certification program for Alabama(University of Alabama Libraries, 2010) Wilkes, Mary Elizabeth; Lindly, Jay K.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaOversize and overweight loads are an essential part of the economy and current life. Unfortunately, with these loads comes a potential danger to the public. Roads, bridges, and railroad crossings are not built to support these loads or allow for easy access. Pilot car escorts are an essential element to safely and efficiently moving the oversize loads. These escorts have the responsibility of keeping the public and load safe. Yet, only eleven states have training and certification requirements for the driver of the escort vehicle. Alabama is not one of these eleven states. The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) partnered with the University Transportation Center of Alabama (UTCA) to develop a program. This thesis documents the development of the Alabama Escort Driver Certification Program and focuses on the development of the curriculum. For the escort driver certification program to be effective, The Code of Alabama must be updated to include certification requirements. After extensive research, UTCA staff recommended changes to The Code of Alabama to update the rules and regulations regarding pilot/escort driving. UTCA also suggested course logistics such as course instructors, course availability and locations, class size, budget, proof of certification, and course evaluation. UTCA then developed a one day (eight hour) curriculum based on Florida's current curriculum. Participants must attend the course, demonstrate proper flagging technique, and pass a written exam with a minimum score of 80% to receive certification. The thesis also describes the multi-media presentation, instructor's manual, and participant's manual's content format and content. The development of a website to serve as a media for advertisement and a registration aid is also presented. This report documents relevant information and decisions made in the development of an important and possibly life-saving program.Item Characteristics of urban development and associated stormwater quality(University of Alabama Libraries, 2010) Bochis, Elena-Celina; Pitt, Robert; University of Alabama TuscaloosaUrban land uses and their associated impervious cover increase the quantity and worsen the quality of stormwater runoff, which can seriously impair receiving waters. It is known that there is considerable variability in runoff quantity and quality between rain-to-rain events due to rainfall spatial variability. In addition, runoff presents significant variability between neighborhoods, even if they are affected by the same rain event. It is hypothesized that the variability in stormwater quality between sites is associated with the difference in land uses and surface covers. This research examined the variability in stormwater quality characteristics as contained in the National Stormwater Quality Database (NSQD) for different land use categories and nine selected stormwater constituents (TSS, total zinc, total copper, total lead, total phosphorous, dissolved phosphorous, total nitrogen, TKN, and fecal coliform) at different geographical scales - national, regional (EPA Rain Zone 2), and local levels (Jefferson County, AL). The results of the local data analyses were compared to the results obtained from the national and regional analyses. This research also examined the detailed land development characteristics based on actual local field measurements and explained how this variability affects the variability in stormwater characteristics. The land development characteristics information was collected from Little Shades Creek watershed and five highly urbanized drainage areas situated in Jefferson County, AL (in and near the city of Birmingham). About 170 neighborhoods were surveyed in detailed to determine the actual development characteristics and their variability. This research found that each major land use had unique patterns and mixtures of surfaces. These, in addition to the activities taking place within the land uses, affect the runoff quality and its variability from these areas. It was found that there is less variability in stormwater quality characteristics within each land use category compared to the variability between the land use categories. This finding is also true for land cover areas in that there are lower levels of variations in these area types within each land use compared to between the different land uses. The results from this dissertation analyses can be used as guidance for local stormwater quality monitoring efforts, but the specific results are not all expected to be applicable everywhere. The main focus of this research was in investigating stormwater variability, specifically its sources and how it can be reduced. The general concern with the high variability that is associated with stormwater quality is the uncertainty of being able to meet discharge requirements, even with extensive use of stormwater control practices. This uncertainty can be eliminated, or at least reduced, by a better understanding of sources of this variability. Specifically, appropriate discharge regulations that recognize this variability will assist the stormwater managers to better use their financial resources and to maximize receiving water quality improvements.Item Queue predictions at temporary work zones: modification and testing of an existing spreadsheet(University of Alabama Libraries, 2010) Wang, Mengxiao; Batson, Robert G.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaAt the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), the tool used by traffic engineers to predict whether a queue will form at a freeway work zone is the Excel-based "Lane Rental Model" developed at the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (OkDOT) and whose work zone flow capacity values are based on the 1994 Highway Capacity Manual (HCM, 1994). The scope of this research pertains only to the queue estimation worksheet of that spreadsheet tool, herein referred to as the OkDOT baseline version. This tool, based on input-output logic, is simple to understand and use. Preliminary testing of the OkDOT baseline spreadsheet confirmed a lack of accuracy, and an opportunity to update the capacity estimation method while keeping the rest of the tool intact. Two other versions were created using the work zone lane capacity model of HCM 2000: the HCM 2000 version uses work zone intensity effects of -160 to +160 passenger cars per hour per lane (pcphpl), as prescribed in HCM 2000; the second modified version uses work zone intensity penalties of -500 to 0 pcphpl, a modification based on recent literature, and is, therefore, called the HCM 2000 hybrid version. Although work zone capacity estimation has been widely researched over the past three decades, only a few studies measured actual queue start times, queue lengths (hence maximum queue length); almost all utilize the free flow traffic volume approaching the work zone and predict the capacity of the work zone (rate of traffic exiting the downstream end of the work zone). One in particular (Sarasua et al. 2006) collected extensive data on lane capacity and queue characteristics (if a queue formed) at 35 freeway work zones in South Carolina. We use 32 of these work zone descriptions as the "test data bank" for comparing predictions produced by three versions of the OkDOT spreadsheet tool with the actual maximum queue length (MQL) and queue start time (QST). Minimizing the prediction error in MQL is the main criterion for comparing the accuracy of the three OkDOT model versions, though QST was also considered. Based on the analysis and evaluation, the strong conclusion is that the current tool should be replaced by the HCM 2000 hybrid version we have developed and tested. The HCM hybrid version minimized error in predicting actual MQL at the 32 SC work zones, and minimized the error of not predicting a queue, when one actually formed. Additional testing revealed that a passenger car equivalent PCE = 2.1 for heavy vehicles minimized error in MQL among typical PCE values in the range [2.0, 2.5]. This tool was validated using six work zone cases, three from Alabama and three from North Carolina. In addition to modification of the capacity estimation method in the OkDOT tool, we endeavored to make it more useful for mobility impact assessment by including a graphical depiction of the queue profile. A CD with the HCM 2000 hybrid version of the software was delivered to ALDOT with a final report. A detailed user's guide was prepared and is included as an appendix to this thesis.Item Leadership development in the construction engineering industry(University of Alabama Libraries, 2010) Struyf, Sammy; Back, W. Edward; University of Alabama TuscaloosaThis research investigates a methodology to effectively assess the development of leadership training in the construction industry. The construction industry is one of the largest industries in the world and in order to stay competitive, engineering firms must find a way to train their employees to become qualified leaders in their specific discipline. A structured, efficient method of training leadership skills must be developed to provide construction and design professionals with the necessary information to become successful without sacrificing day-to-day productivity. Two leadership training methods were developed for this thesis research. In order to determine if these leadership training programs were successful, it was necessary to measure the effectiveness of these programs. The first aspect of this research focused on developing a delivery method for a leadership training development program. An efficient means by which to measure the effectiveness of the program was then addressed. Finally, the resulting data gathered from the program evaluations was analyzed in order to determine whether or not the program was successful in meeting its objectives. The result of the data analysis revealed that the leadership development program had significantly improved the leadership skills of the participating construction and design engineering professionals.Item Transit evacuation planning for Mobile County, Alabama(University of Alabama Libraries, 2010) Kumlachew, Menasse Teklewold; Turner, Daniel S.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaThe main objectives of this thesis research were to: (1) estimate the potential number of transit dependent individuals during a major hurricane event and (2) provide information describing how to effectively communicate with these individuals before, during and after an emergency evacuation. Mobile County was used as a case study. Mobile County is one of the two Alabama coastal counties exposed to the effects of hurricane storm surges, wind and rain. The amount of danger the residents face depends on the intensity of hurricanes, the locations of the individuals, and the amount of prior preparation and planning by emergency agencies. During these events special needs individuals are the primary endangered people since they require special assistance to evacuate and are not usually included in emergency evacuation plans. Since special needs populations are diversified, and mostly isolated, it is difficult to identify, locate and communicate emergency information with them. The study reviewed several reports and guidebooks published by federal and state emergency management agencies. This review was supplemented by contacting individuals working in the area of emergency management and evacuation of special needs populations. The study identified a variety of communication systems which can be applied in emergency information communication. The systems' limitations and strengths in serving the special needs individuals were assessed based on the literature. The number of potential transit dependent populations was estimated in three ways. Each method used a different dataset: (1) Census 2000, (2) 2006 American Community Survey and (3) Harvard Telephone Survey. There were several major findings for this part of the study: 1. There was a general correspondence between the three estimates, but it was not strong enough to make a statistical comparison. 2. The census data and American Community Survey data contain large standard errors, as much as ±30% at a 90th percentile confidence level. 3. The actual numbers of evacuees for previous categories 3 and 2 hurricane events near Mobile County were less than 11% of the average predicted levels. In summary, this study provided information to assist Mobile County prepare evacuation plans to deal with extreme events.