<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"><channel><title>TRB Publications Index</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/</link><atom:link href="http://pubsindex.trb.org/common/TRIS Suite/feeds/rss.aspx?tc=NN%3AKc" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /><description></description><language>en-us</language><copyright>Copyright © 2015. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright><docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs><managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor><webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster><image><title>TRB Publications Index</title><url>http://pubsindex.trb.org/Images/PageHeader-wTitle.png</url><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/</link></image><item><title>Performance, Economic, and Environmental Assessment of Steel Slag Aggregate in Roller Compacted Concrete Pavement</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2701113</link><description><![CDATA[Utilization of steel slag aggregate (SSA) in roller compacted concrete pavement (RCCP) provides a promising approach to mitigate natural aggregate depletion and reduce the environmental footprint of pavement construction. This study systematically evaluates RCCP mixtures with SSA replacement levels from 0% to 100%, considering fresh state behavior, mechanical, durability and functional properties, economic and life cycle assessments (LCAs). The moisture density test revealed that an increase in SSA contents (0%–100%) increased the optimum moisture content (13%–35%) and improved the dry density by 1.2%–5.2%. Low and moderate inclusions of SSA (25%–50%) enhanced compressive and flexural strength (16%–21%) because of denser packing and better aggregate–mortar bonding. However, higher replacement levels (≥ 75%) of SSA reduced the mechanical performance because of excessive angularity and poor packing. Durability and functional assessments indicated that an increase in SSA content improved abrasion and skid resistance and increased water absorption because of its vesicular porous structure. Economic analysis showed that moderate SSA content (50%) reduced slab thickness and construction costs by up to 16%, while higher SSA content increased initial construction costs because of thicker slabs. The LCA revealed a decrease in 11% carbon dioxide emissions and 7% energy consumption at moderate SSA inclusion. To integrate the engineering, economic, and environmental performance outcomes, a hybrid entropy–analytic hierarchy process method was used to assign weights, and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution was employed for ranking. The results indicate moderate SSA (50%) inclusion as the most balanced and sustainable mixture in RCCP.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2026 08:51:42 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2701113</guid></item><item><title>Developing Snapshots for Transportation Planning</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2591957</link><description><![CDATA[Transportation planning agencies and officials face a rapidly evolving technical, policy, legislative, and procedural environment. Agency professionals often seek the guidance of peers and experts to help them effectively address these challenges. Challenges include managing the demand for new transportation technologies and services within the confinements of existing streets, navigating the effects of growing e-commerce on travel patterns, managing resilience and risks, and implementing transportation planning in compliance with federal and state laws and regulations. This report, from the Transportation Research Board's (TRB's) National Cooperative Highway Research Program, documents the process of developing four Snapshots of Planning Practices, concise and visually appealing documents that report on current planning practices in use by transportation agencies in four practice areas: Complete Streets, Data Sharing for Performance Management, Collaboration on Local Freight Delivery, and Economic Analysis to Support Decision-Making.]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 20 Aug 2025 13:34:39 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2591957</guid></item><item><title>Snapshots of Planning Practices</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2591956</link><description><![CDATA[NCHRP 08-128 Snapshots of Planning Practice adds to a body of work in which “snapshots” of practice are developed with a focus on current and emerging topics in transportation planning. The purpose of the Planning snapshots is to create a resource that is easily accessible and relevant to both practitioners and decision-makers. Snapshots serve as a resource for practice development and provide information for realistic practice implementation and program advancement. The Snapshots address the following topics: (1) Complete Streets - policies, methods, tools, and processes used by State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to accommodate different modal uses of the roadway and roadway rights-of-way; (2) Data Sharing for Performance Management - strategies, methods, processes, and procedures for identifying, adopting, and sharing specific data and planning performance metrics; (3) Collaboration on Freight Delivery in Local Communities - successful collaborations between State DOTs, MPOs, local governments, and private sector freight providers to address the growing demands of goods movement; and (4) Economic Analysis to Support Decision-making - processes and tools used by State DOTs, MPOs, and local transportation agencies to assess and evaluate the economic value of transportation investments to inform decision-making. The Snapshots each feature four pages which provide information on the state of the practice area, key practices and levers of change, agency examples, and resources.]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 20 Aug 2025 13:34:39 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2591956</guid></item><item><title>Preferences for Electric Tricycles among Intermediate Public Transport Drivers in India: A Comprehensive Analysis of Demand-Side and Supply-Side Factors</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2556726</link><description><![CDATA[India’s transport sector, the third-largest greenhouse gas emitter globally, significantly affects carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Electric vehicles, particularly electric tricycles, have become crucial in intermediate public transport (IPT) services. However, there is a lack of effective strategies to increase the market penetration of electric tricycles, especially in developing countries. This study comprehensively investigates the factors influencing the adoption of electric tricycles among IPT drivers by combining demand-side factors (demographics, tricycle usage conditions, financing conditions, and electrification perspectives) and supply-side factors (operating cost and mileage efficiency). We conducted five stated preference experiments (SPEs) with Indian IPT drivers, resulting in a dataset of 2,623 valid responses used for multinomial logit (MNL) modeling analysis. The results show that reducing initial purchase cost and extending the maximum range of electric tricycles significantly increase adoption, especially among specific groups such as older, higher-income drivers with larger families. The study emphasizes the need for accessible financing options, robust charging infrastructure, and targeted awareness campaigns. Policy recommendations include financial incentives to reduce initial cost, investment in technology to improve efficiency and range of electric tricycles, and developing charging infrastructure to address range anxiety. Collaborative efforts between government agencies, financial institutions, and private enterprises are essential for creating a supportive ecosystem for electric tricycle adoption.]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 23 May 2025 15:34:42 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2556726</guid></item><item><title>The Role of East Asia in Current Issues Focus on Value Chain Management of Logistics and Transport Market</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2407093</link><description><![CDATA[Character of China modern supply chain circumstance accentuated, essential value logistics features outlined. Principally the main attention in research issues are focused on concept of empirical analysis of China logistics value, the criteria for evaluation the technological development supply chain management and economic impact assessment for a dynamic system, compilation of a survey questionnaire procurement processes specialists, identification respondents groups, monitoring SWOT and PESTL analysis production chain process, investigation analysis distribution systems documents, mathematical statistical study value chain MANOVA research and evaluation of logistics management strategic business trends. Findings and contribution of this article presented, outlined that East Asia value chain transportation management in the supply chain transportation system is very important topic for future research analysis. It is found that value chain transportation management is a flexible and in high level organized in their different logistics processes.]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 20 Nov 2024 13:08:59 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2407093</guid></item><item><title>Comparative Analysis of Jointed Plain Concrete Pavement and Roller-Compacted Concrete Pavement</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2224979</link><description><![CDATA[Jointed plain concrete pavement (JPCP) is the widely preferred conventional concrete pavement for highways; however, the higher initial construction cost and extended time for traffic opening limit its applicability. Recent advancements like roller-compacted concrete pavement (RCCP) could address the above concerns of JPCP. Yet, there is a lack of knowledge and comparative studies on the performance assessment, sustainability, and economic analysis of RCCP and JPCP. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the engineering properties (density, compressive and flexural strength, and fluid flow properties), cost analysis (materials and initial construction cost), and sustainability (carbon dioxide emissions and energy consumption) of both pavements. The fresh density and mechanical properties of RCCP were 8%–9% and 13%–35% higher than JPCP; thus, 44%–89% and 24%–57% reductions in water absorption and porosity were observed in the considered RCCP mixes against JPCP. The higher strength properties of RCCP significantly reduced the pavement thickness by 10%–25%, thereby lowering the materials and initial construction costs by 52%–78%. Further, sustainability assessment through the cradle-to-gate (from raw material extraction to transportation phase) and gate-to-gate (only concrete production in a ready-mix plant) approaches revealed that employment of RCCP could significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions (9%–30%) and energy consumption (10%–32%) compared with JPCP mixes. The findings show that RCCP can be considered sustainable, economical, and higher-performance pavement than JPCP.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 07 Aug 2023 19:11:39 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2224979</guid></item><item><title>Viability of Asphalt Mixtures with Iron Ore Tailings as a Partial Substitute for Fine Aggregate</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2201960</link><description><![CDATA[Dark colors aggravate the absorption and accumulation of heat in urban centers in the layers of asphalt coating. These problems can be minimized by incorporating materials that increase the albedo on these pavements. The use of waste in the industry has been encouraged, and an alternative is iron ore tailing (IoT), whose material comes from processing iron ore. The circular economy encourages a change in waste disposal after project decommissioning, encouraging the transformation, reuse, and recycling of waste. Therefore, this research investigated the influence of percentages of IoT in the contents (7.5%, 10.0%, and 12.5%) as a substitute for fine natural aggregate on hot asphalt mixtures’ mechanical and thermal performance. The statistical variance test (ANOVA) was used to validate the obtained data. An economic analysis concerning the costs of production and recovery of asphalt mixtures was carried out using the Present Net Value. Asphalt mixtures with IoT were evaluated with regard to the environmental aspect using the circularity index. Among the asphalt mixtures analyzed, the one produced with 12.5% was the most viable. The results showed a gain in mechanical performance concerning tensile strength, resilient modulus, fatigue, and permanent deformation of this mixture, as well as a reduction in production costs per kilometer of highway. The use of 12.5% provided a greater circularity and a reduction of the surface temperature of the pavement by 2.9°C. IoT is viable in constructing highways close to places that produce iron ore.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 24 Jun 2023 16:59:45 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2201960</guid></item><item><title>How to Measure and Communicate the Value of Access Management</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2160738</link><description><![CDATA[This report presents a state-of-the-art guide on measuring and communicating the value of access management. The guide is accompanied by a complementary toolkit (the Access Management Communication Toolkit) with messaging strategies, spreadsheet tools, fact sheets, as well as a series of case studies and videos illustrating the toolkit application. The guide and associated tools and methods were developed based on an extensive literature review, survey, research, and interviews with state transportation agencies. These project deliverables are designed for immediate use by new and experienced practitioners in their efforts to implement access management plans, programs, or projects.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 07 May 2023 17:54:09 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2160738</guid></item><item><title>Developing a Toolkit to Measure and Communicate the Value of Access Management</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2160739</link><description><![CDATA[The objective of this research is to demonstrate and articulate the benefits and costs of access management (AM) at the program, corridor, and project levels. The research results are intended to help agency staff clearly communicate the value of AM in a way that is understandable not only to the practitioner, but to elected officials and the publics they represent. The tools and guidance also assess the public costs of failing to implement appropriate AM. These costs in relation to benefits should offer government agencies and public officials a more complete understanding of the value of AM, resulting in more informed and appropriate access-related decisions. This report summarizes Phase 1 of the research conducted for NCHRP Project 25-47 and the findings. It is intended as a supplement to the final project report and AM Communication Toolkit. This report consists of: An introduction to the research approach (Chapter 1); A review of literature on methods for valuation of AM and knowledge gaps from technical memorandum 1 (Chapter 2); A summary of questionnaire and the state of the practice interview findings regarding agency cost/benefit tools, techniques and activities relative to AM as documented in technical memorandum 2 (Chapter 3); Conclusions and areas for future research (Chapter 4); and Appendices demonstrating agency studies.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 07 May 2023 17:54:09 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2160739</guid></item><item><title>Freight Value Estimation Methodology for Different Roadway Functional Classes</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2117810</link><description><![CDATA[“Freight movement and economic vitality” was a key focus area under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP‐21) Federal Transportation Act. Since MAP-21, transportation agencies are increasingly incorporating performance-based approaches into their transportation and freight planning processes. This paper focuses on another vital aspect of improving system efficiency of freight movement – estimating the magnitude (quantity as well as value) of freight movement on different roadway functional classes in the highway network of the jurisdictional area of interest. The research uses a combination of data sources, such as Freight Analysis Framework (FAF), Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS)/ National Performance Management Research Data Set (NPMRDS), available literature, inventory surveys, and empirical data to estimate desired metrics, including the value of freight movement on a given section of road based on its roadway functional classification, truck volume, and the aggregate value per ton of different commodity movement types. Analysis of data for several states and freight zones reveals interesting findings and trends for different movement categories. A few seaboard states exhibit slightly higher commodity values impacted by the container movement around ports in those regions. FAF zones which are either major freight generators or attractors, or lie along major freight corridors typically exhibit higher values of total commodity movement value per day because of a combination of moderately high value per ton and higher truck volumes. The proposed methodology can help identify high value corridors and segments susceptible to system disruption to monitor potential bottlenecks and improve system resiliency.]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2023 09:43:14 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2117810</guid></item><item><title>Framework for Economic Potential Analysis of Marine Transportation: A Case Study for Route Choice Between the Suez Canal Route and the Northern Sea Route</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2095366</link><description><![CDATA[This paper presents a new framework for economic analysis of marine transportation, where uncertainty is given more attention than in the current research. A new quantitative method combined with the importance ranking method is used to access the uncertainty of evidence and for fusion of evidence from multiple sources. The Bayesian network model is chosen as a tool to convey the uncertainty from one variable to another variable. Finally, with the help of information flow method, key factors are selected for sensitivity analysis. This framework is applied to a case study of maritime transportation from Shanghai to Rotterdam, aiming to investigate the economic potential of the Arctic routes and to explore the possibility of Arctic routes as a substitute for the traditional routes. A well-trained Bayesian network shows that the traditional routes will still dominate marine transportation in the near future. Sensitivity analysis reveals the asymmetric impact of key factors on the plan choice.]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2023 09:18:08 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/2095366</guid></item><item><title>Economic Analysis of NSR/SCR Combined Shipping Considering Environmental Costs</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/1909466</link><description><![CDATA[With the ever-increasing volume of container trade between Asia and Europe and the gradual decline of sea ice in the Arctic seas, the Arctic route is likely to become an alternative route to the Suez Canal route. Based on the 2020 sulfur limit policy, this paper calculates the unit container cost of the Suez Canal route operation mode and the Northern Sea Route-Suez Canal route combined operation mode by establishing a cost model, which combines economy and environment. In this paper, two sulfur-limiting policies were adopted to deal with the sulfur-limiting policy of installing scrubbers and burning low sulphur fuels. The speed of a ship in the ice zone is determined by the sea ice thickness in different sections of the ice zone. Environmental costs are composed of air pollution costs and global warming costs. The result suggests: (1) Environmental costs can increase the competitiveness of Arctic navigation. (2) Navigation time, fuel prices, and ice-breaking pilotage fees significantly impact the attractiveness of the Arctic route. (3) Ship economies of scale have weakened the competitiveness of Arctic routes to a certain extent, but for high-value, time-sensitive niche markets, the Arctic route-Suez Canal route combined operation model can provide better transportation services.]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 16 Sep 2022 14:05:00 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/1909466</guid></item><item><title>Towards Cost-Efficient Flexible Pavement Design Using Response Surface Models in a Reliability Framework</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/1909386</link><description><![CDATA[Recognizing the need for sustainable and long-lasting structures, the probabilistic based designs have been gaining acceptance in pavement engineering community. However, the use of an overall reliability factor often results in the underestimation of the failure probability. On the other hand, the probabilistic techniques discussed in literature are often computationally expensive and tedious to implement. This paper presents an elegant technique to design flexible pavements, in the presence of uncertainties, through adaptive response surface models. The iterative technique is non-intrusive and thus can be extended to spreadsheet tools for simple and efficient implementation by pavement engineers. As increasing levels of reliability is associated with increasing costs, the study proposes a reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) formulation for mechanistic-empirical pavement design that minimizes initial investment costs, while meeting the desired level of reliability. The lowest costs are ensured by varying the design parameters i.e. thickness and resilient moduli combinations and adopting the optimum structural design alternative. By considering the estimated costs of constructing the various pavement layers at the design stage itself, the most sensitive input parameter that must be varied (to meet the target reliability at the lowest investment level) can also be identified. The study, thus, advocates the integration of the economic analysis of design alternatives with the Mechanistic-Empirical pavement design procedure in a reliability framework.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 07 Feb 2022 17:26:21 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/1909386</guid></item><item><title>Economic Feasibility Analysis of Charging Infrastructure for Electric Ground Fleet in Airports</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/1877835</link><description><![CDATA[Many airports are converting their ground fleets to electric vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase airport operation sustainability. Although this paradigm shift is relevant to the environment, it is necessary to understand the economic feasibility to justify the decision. This study used life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) to compare the economic performance of electrified ground fleets in the airport with a conventional fossil fuel fleet. Three different charging systems (plug-in charging, stationary wireless charging, and dynamic wireless charging) for pushback tractors and inter-terminal buses at a major hub airport were considered in the analysis. Although the conventional fossil fuel options present the lowest initial cost for both fleets, they cost most in a 30-year analysis period. Among three electric charging infrastructures, the plug-in charging station shows the least accumulative cost for pushback tractors, and their cost differences are negligible for inter-terminal buses. Although the electric ground fleet is proved to show economic benefits, the most cost-effective charging infrastructure may vary depending on driving mileage and system design. The use of LCCA to analyze new systems and infrastructures for decision making at the project level is highly recommended.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 13 Sep 2021 16:08:57 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/1877835</guid></item><item><title>Economic Analysis Applied to Railway Grade Crossing Improvements</title><link>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/1849541</link><description><![CDATA[Auto-train accidents are a continuing problem. Although various types of mechanical protection equipment can significantly reduce grade crossing accidents, the funds to buy and maintain these devices at crossings are necessarily limited. The problem is to design a method for selecting the crossings to be improved and the types of improvements to be made so that benefits are maximized. The premise here is that engineering-economic analysis is the best method by which the limited resources available for crossing protection can be allocated. in an economically efficient manner. To prepare an economic analysis of this problem initial and continuing costs of the various kinds of improvements are required. Also, the resulting benefits must be identified and defined in comparable units. 617 crossings on the California State Highway System. were studied for the period 1946 through 1963. By multiple-linear-regression analysis, hazard rating formulas were developed for five crossing protection devices. With these formulas an economic analysis is prepared to determine if improvements are justified for an individual crossing. The model is then extended, by use of a digital computer, to select economically attractive projects from a large number of grade crossings and to rank the projects in their order of desirability.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 03 May 2021 15:34:47 GMT</pubDate><guid>http://pubsindex.trb.org/view/1849541</guid></item></channel></rss>