Overflow Tests on Grass-Covered Embankments at the Living Lab Hedwige-Prosperpolder: An Overview

In regions with a temperate climate, a well-maintained grass sod on a clay layer is considered a reliable protection for dams and dikes. In the Living Lab Hedwige-Prosperpolder, on the left bank of the Scheldt river straddling the border between Belgium and the Netherlands, a series of 27 overflow tests with a purpose-built overflow generator...

Performance Characteristics of a Micro Wind Turbine Integrated on a Noise Barrier

Micro wind turbines can be structurally integrated on top of the solid base of noise barriers near highways. A number of performance factors were assessed with holistic experiments in wind tunnel and in the field. The wind turbines underperformed when exposed in yawed flow conditions. The theoretical cosθ theories for yaw misalignment did not...

Coupled discrete-continuum approach for railway ballast track and subgrade macro-meso analysis

This paper presents a multi-layer railway ballast track and substructure model, where a coupled discrete and continuous method is used for macro-meso dynamic behaviour analysis under moving wheel loads. In this coupled model, the discrete element method (DEM) is utilised to build the superstructure of the ballast track (i.e. rail, fastener,...

An Empirical Analysis to Assess the Operational Design Domain of Lane Keeping System Equipped Vehicles Combining Objective and Subjective Risk Measures

Lower levels of automation are designed to work in specific conditions referred to as the Operational Design Domain (ODD). Beyond these conditions, the human driver is expected to take control. A mismatch between a driver's understanding and expectations of the automated vehicle capabilities and its actual capabilities as prescribed in the...

Operational Design Domain Requirements for Improved Performance of Lane Assistance Systems: A Field Test Study in The Netherlands

There is a pressing need for road authorities to take a proactive role in the deployment of automated vehicles on the existing road network. This requires a comprehensive understanding of the driving environment characteristics that affect the performance of automated vehicles. In this context, a field test with Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and...

Observations and Considerations Regarding Estimating Horizontal Scales of Fluctuation around Linear Infrastructure

Measuring soil variability has many challenges. One of the challenges is soil deformation, which can change the spatial correlation structure arising from the original geological processes. In particular, this is important in the assessment of existing structures. In this paper, the effect of existing structures on the horizontal spatial...

Comparing a driving simulator to the real road regarding distracted driving speed

Relative and absolute validity of a driving simulator were assessed regarding effects on mean speed and speed variation during distracting secondary tasks, and normal driving. 16 participants drove the same route four times, twice in a simulator and twice in the real world. They performed way finding tasks, using either a paper map or a route...

Delft Cluster Railway transition zones & Switches: Factual report short-term measurement 2009

For the Delft Cluster 'Railway transition zones and switches' project, extensive measurements are made. The measurements are divided into three types. The short-term measurement of may 2009 is the subject of this report. The long-term and soil investigation measurements are described in other reports. The goal of this report is to make sure that...