Advanced Materials Research Vol. 723

Abstract: In the construction industry, most of the owners apply competitive bidding to award a contract to the lowest price qualified contractor. This study proposes a model concerning the preferences and the behaviors of all decision makers whom participation in an competitive bidding to assist contractors to make optimal bidding strategy decisions and set appropriate bidding prices. Researchers demonstrated model applicability using an actual case study, which shows how this model help the construction company’s primary decision maker to determine the appropriate bidding price in a multi-competitors condition.

Abstract: To understand the characteristics of early-age built-in temperature in JPCP, the actual data of construction climate conditions of typical regions in China were investigated. Based on the application of early-age JPCP temperature numerical simulation program, built-in temperature characteristics of early-age pavement in typical regions was analyzed. The results show that the pavement constructed in different climate conditions produce difference characteristics of early-age built-in temperature due to geographical distinction. Positive built-in temperature difference of JPCP is larger in the regions which have difference in temperature between day and night or higher solar radiation intensity, while the negative built-in temperature difference isn’t influenced obviously by different regions and paving conditions. The maximum positive (negative) built-in temperature difference generally appears in pavement constructed in hot summer. The air temperature is the major factor affecting built-in basic temperature. The higher air temperature, results in the higher built-in basic temperature (temperature in slab bottom) is.

Abstract: Public bikes rental system is an innovative scheme of rental bicycles in urban areas and can be seen as part of the public transport system. This study investigates the users of Taipei YouBike rental system, analysis their intention and behaviors, pre-expectation and actual experience on satisfaction. The result indicates that the users were mostly from long term annual fee commuters. The result also reveals distinct discrepancies between pre-expectation and actual experience, especially in distributes of safety routes and environments and clear indication of signs on bike routes. The findings can be used for Taipei City to improve the urban bicycle program and make more effort to develop safety cycling infrastructures and amenities.

Abstract: Ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems have been employed in the Chinese building sector and many policies and legislations have been issued by the government for its dissemination because of its great potential for energy saving. However, the relationships among the factors affecting dissemination of such technologies have been little studied and therefore, supporting measures may have limited impact on their dissemination. This research employed Evolutionary Game Theory (EGT) to model the associations among the factors affecting dissemination of Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) systems in China, laying out a theoretical foundation for policy makers and future research.

Abstract: Organic content in soil is believed to inhibit formation of reaction products in lime stabilization which resulted in low gain of strength when dealing with organic soils. Zeolite, a kind of pozzolan with high CEC capacity is proposed to be use in this study in order to improve lime stabilization of organic soil. The effectiveness of blended lime zeolite in stabilization of organic soils was investigated by using two types of artificial organic soils with predetermined organic contents. Artificial organic soils were formed by mixing inorganic soil (commercial kaolin) with organic matter (commercial humic acid) at specific ratio. Initial consumption of lime for organic soils was determined in order to determine the minimum percentage of stabilizer required for each soil. Potential influencing factors that might affect the strength such as organic contents, contents of stabilizer, and curing periods were studied. The findings of the study showed that high organic contents and low lime contents resulted in lower gain of strength. However, it is found that slight replacement of lime with zeolite works well with low organic soil at long curing period which resulted in highest strength among all the mixes. Overall, longer curing periods will increase the strength of the soil in the order of 56 days > 28 days > 7 days. Nevertheless, the percentage of strength increment over curing periods is linear with the lime contents, which proved that lime is required for pozzolanic reaction.

Abstract: Asphalt concrete is the main body of the surface layer of the road construction, which directly affects the service level of the road surface. During the construction process, how quality control (QC) operation is performed for products of the asphalt concrete batching plant (ACBP) is one of the key factors that will directly affect whether the road construction is successful. How to stimulate the asphalt concrete industry to strengthen its efforts on QC, investment in R&D, upgrading its manpower, machinery, raw material quality and assist the construction authority in playing a watchdog on the quality of the ACBP have become an imminent and critical issue. The theme of this study is to bring QC of the ACBP in the verification system and describe how to establish the quality appraisal standard and the verification system for the ACBP and the real benefits from implementation of the product verification, properly monitoring the quality of asphalt concrete from the origin.

Abstract: Transverse grooves in an airport pavement allow water to be ejected from beneath the tires of an aircraft moving at high speed. It has been found that the grooves can efficiently reduce the hydroplaning potential of a pavement during wet weather. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) maintains a standard specification for groove configuration immediately after construction and during service. The National Airport Pavement Test Facility (NAPTF) performed a long period of real scale tests to investigate the performance of the current FAA standard square grooves and proposed trapezoidal grooves. This paper includes the comparison of trapezoidal and rectangular grooves under aircraft tire loading with service life. These two groove patterns were constructed on the flexible and rigid pavement respectively. In the automatic device measurement, a laser sensor from a truss profiler constantly detected the distance between the grooved surface and an initial standard line as the aircraft tires repeatedly passed through the grooved areas. An automatic groove identification program was also developed to evaluate the groove configurations. Our test results demonstrate that the trapezoidal grooves maintain a longer life shape configuration than rectangular grooves, especially for asphalt pavements.

Abstract: The first use of concrete block paving (CBP) for surfacing existing aircraft pavements was made at London Luton Airport UK in October 1981 and is still in daily use after 30 years. It has been adopted worldwide with some 1.5 million m² now in use.Following some failures of conventional (CBP) it was decided by the authors to develop a unique innovative pavement surfacing system that provides a mechanical interlock in addition to the frictional interlock provided by the jointing sand of conventional block paving.The suitability of this form of paving for civilian and military aircraft pavements has now been proven in sustained empirical testing. Its use at Hazrat Shahjalal International airport in Bangladesh on a project for the rehabilitation and extension of 50,000 m² of aircraft pavements is an indication of a growing confidence in this form of paving.The mechanical interlock developed between individual units makes it possible to lay these units without jointing sand whilst still maintaining surface stability. For this reason the system may be used as a permeable pavement.

Abstract: The Authors describe the role of non-destructive deflection tests in Airport Pavement Management System (APMS) presenting the experience developed at an Italian Airport. An original approach to APMS implementation is illustrated, based on the PDCA cycle for quality control and continuous improvement of processes. An example application for the management of the runway pavement is described. Deflection test results obtained in four tests campaign carried out over a ten years period were globally analyzed to obtain pavement bearing capacity evolution and demonstrate the effectiveness of cyclic approach to pavement management. It is showed that structural evaluation can be an invaluable tool in pavement management and assist planning activities in the medium and long term.

Abstract: Economic effects of short-term close for small airports include direct economic losses and indirect economic losses. The indirect economic losses can be calculated by the input-output method in term of the economic effect of short-term close on revelant regions and industries. The direct economic losses comes mainly from airport agencies and can be obtained in accordance with Civil Airport Charge Reform Scheme (2007). The Weihai International Airport of China is a study case chosen to estimate the economic effects of short-term close. The results demonstrate that the direct economic loss of short-term close is 93,048,915¥ and the indirect economic loss of short-term close is more than 30,000,000¥. Pulling effects of the airport have significant influence on energy source industry, manufacturing industry, air transportation, etc. Promoting effects of the airport have enormous effect on postal industry, air transportation, etc.