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UNIVERSITY OF BOLOGNA

MASTERS IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

Sustainable Transportation Engineering

(Time allowed: TWO hours)

NOTE: – There will be 3 problems to be answered by written in 2 hours.

– Allowed is a non-programmable pocket calculator and one sheet with hand-written notes
(front and rear side can both be used).
– There are a maximum of 30 points: maximum of 6 points for the research problem, and
24 points for the 3 written problems.
– The first problem is a collection of multiple choice questions/answers, covering the
material of the entire course. Please circle the correct answer or fill in the answers with
the blank lines (open answer). Each question has one or more correct answers. Try to
provide as many (correct) open answers as there are lines provided. Correct answers
will result in one point, incorrectly ticked answer will result in minus half a point.
The minimum of the multiple choice problem is zero points the maximum is 8 points.
– The remaining two problems will be calculations, covering the subjects of the exercises.
The maximum points can only be obtained if all results are correct. Usually problems
are divided into sub-problems where the number of points for each sub-problem is
indicated. This means it is possible to obtain points for the correct answer of each
sub-problem.
All solutions must be clearly visible and surrounded by a box. In case numerical solu-
tions are requested, the answer is correct if the correct quantity and correct unit are
in the box. If the explicit analytical solution is requested, then the answer is correct
only if the correct explicit analytical expression is in the box. No points are given for
intermediate results.
For students who make the exam as part of Infrastructure Systems, the total points of this
exam will account for 2/3 of the final mark in Infrastructure Systems.

Please return all sheets received or produced during the exam

(all written and printed material)

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1 Multiple choice

Please answer the following question on the answer sheet. (8 points)

1. Which tail pipe emissions are produced by internal combustion engines running on Natural Gas (in
significant quantities) ?

(a) Nitrogen Oxide N Ox

(b) Carbon hydrates HC

(c) Ozone O3

(d) Vapor H2 O

(e) Carbon dioxide CO2

(f) Carbon monoxide CO

2. The new (gradually introduced) EU emission limit for CO2 is 130g/km (averaged over producers
vehicle fleet). What would be the CO2 production in kg of a busy 1km long road with a vehicle
flow of 2000 vph during 1h, assumed that the vehicles do already satisfy the EU regulations ?

(a) 260000kg

(b) 260kg

(c) 65.00kg

(d) 15.38kg

3. Which planning methods do contribute positively to sustainable urban transportation ?

(a) Zoning (dividing the city by funtional zones).

(b) Traffic shielding of residential areas.

(c) Adding parking space in city centers.

(d) Decreasing the traffic speed below 50km/h in urban zones.

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4. Give two examples for external costs of driving cars with internal combustion engine

(a)

(b)

5. To what shoul transport systems give access

(a)

(b)

(c)

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2 Automated cars

In order to estimate the transport capacity of a road where only fully automated (driverless) cars
can run, we assume that the automated vehicles maintain a minimum safe distance to the vehicle
in front. All vehicles run at a speed of VL = 40.00km/h.

The vehicle’s length is LV = 3.00m, the maximum achievable emergency deceleration is on a dry
road aE = 3.00m/s2 and the control system’s reaction time for applying the brakes is assumed
TE = 0.50s. Instead of the current brick-wall stopping criteria, it is assumed that the worse case
scenario is that the vehicle in front decelerates at aF = 8.00m/s2 , the maximum rate achievable
with rubber on road.

2.1 Minimum safety distance

What is the minimum safety distance D and time headway TH such that there is no collision for
the given assumptions ? (2 points)

2.2 Vehicle flow graph

What is the vehicle flow at F (v) in vehicles per hour per direction (vphpd) for v = 0m/s, v = VL /2
and v = VL ? (3 points)

Mark these three values in a vehicle flow-over-velocity diagram and plot qualitatively the graph
F (v). (1 point)

2.3 Capital costs

Assume the system costs per km consist of infrastructure costs (equipment of road with sensors)
and vehicle costs (the costs of all vehicles on one kilometer at capacity limit). If the infrastructure
costs are cinfra = 3000000 e/km and a vehicle costs cveh = 50000 e, what are the system costs csys
in e/km ? (1 point)

Imagine the entire capital for the system costs must be borrowed at a bank for an interest rate
of 3 per cent and needs to be payed back over 10 years. What are the annual costs that need
to be payed to the bank during the payback period for each kilometer for the automated car
system ? (1 point)

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3 Traffic assignment with graphical method

The graph represents a simplified road network of a city. In order to find the traffic flows on the
various links, the given transport demand should be assigned using the all-or-nothing assignment
method.

2000

1500 1

1000
6
1

500 4 3
4
0 3 5
2
−500 2

−1000
−1000 −500 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500

The current link costs (in ewhich are proportional to the travel time) are listed in the following
table:

1 2 3 4 5 6
ca [e] 3 4 4 9 1.00 2.00

The transport demand for specific o, d pairs is given in the following table:

(3,4) (3,1) (2,3) (1,4)

do,d 600 1000 2000 500

With the current demand and travel costs, it has been noticed that there is too much traffic through
the city center (node 4). In order to shield the city center from through traffic the mayor decides
to introduce a road tax of 2 eon all links that enter the city center.

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We would like to assign the flows on the road links before and after the introduction of the road
tax. The assignment method is the all-or-nothing (AOL) method.

3.1 Link costs for road tax scenario

What are the link costs for the scenario when the road tax is introduced ? (2 points)

3.2 Minimum route cost trees

As a first step of the graphical assignment method it is required to draw the minimum route
cost trees for both cost scenarios (current and with road tax). Draw for both scenarios the min-
imum route cost trees for all root nodes that have a demand as origin, see above demand ta-
ble. (4 points)

3.3 Assignment

Assign the above demand for both, the current and the road tax scenario. Assign first the demand,
using the previously determined minimum cost tree that corresponds to all demand with origin o.
For example, all demand entries do,d with origin o = 1 should be drawn into the minimum cost tree
with root node 1, etc.

Finally sum up the demand over all cost trees, link-by-link in order to obtain the link flows fa .
Apply this step to the current and road tax scenario. (2 points)

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Candidate’s Name: Mat. No:

Circle the preferred answer.

If you make a mistake, mark a cross through your wrong choice and circle your next alternative.

No.
1. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f)
2. (a) (b) (c) (d)
3. (a) (b) (c) (d)

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Solutions

Solutions for: 1 Multiple choice questions

Multiple choice answers: (all correct answers equal 1 point, incorrect −0.5 points)

No.
1. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f)

2. (a) (b) (c) (d)

3. (a) (b) (c) (d)

Multiple choice open answers: (all correct answers equal 1 point, incorrect −0.5 points)
4. Give two examples for external costs of driving cars with internal combustion engine

(a) Carbon emission.

(b) Injuries and death or noise.

5. To what shoul transport systems give access

(a) Work place.

(b) Health Services.

(c) Shopping.

Solutions for: 2.1 Minimum safety distance

D = 18.42m, TH = 1.93s

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Solutions for: 2.2 Vehicle flow graph

Starting from the general flow equation for minimum safe distance:
3600
F (v) = v 1
TE + − a1F ) +
2 ( aE
L
v

we obtain the following flow rates:

F (0) = 0.00vphpd, F (VL /2) = 2224.00vphpd and F (VL ) = 1867.79vphpd

2500

2000
Flow F (v) [vph]

1500

1000

500

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Velocity v [km/h]

Figure 1: Flow over speed (this plot is not required, for illustration only).

Solutions for: 2.3 Capital costs

F (VL )
With κ = VL = 46.69 vehicles per km the system costs are

csys = cinfra + κcveh = 5334742.51e/km

For the given interest rate and payback time the amortization factor is α = 0.12 and the amount
to be payed to the bank per year is αcsys = 625394.57e/km

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Solutions for: 3.1 Link costs for road tax scenario

1 2 3 4 5 6
ca [e] 3 4 4 9 3 4

Solutions for: 3.2 Minimum route cost trees

Minimum costs trees for current scenario (in bold red) for all route nodes

2000 root node:n = 3

1500 1
2.00

1000
0
3.0

4.
500 4 00
0
9.0 1.0
0 3 0
4.00
−500 2

−1000
−1000 −500 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500

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2000 root node:n = 2

1500 1

2.00
1000

0
3.0
4.
500 4 00
0
9.0 1.0
0 3 0
4.00
−500 2

−1000
−1000 −500 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500

2000 root node:n = 1

1500 1
2.00

1000
0
3.0

4.
500 4 00
0
9.0 1.0
0 3 0
4.00
−500 2

−1000
−1000 −500 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500

Minimum costs trees for the road tax scenario (in bold red) for all route nodes

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2000 root node:n = 3

1500 1

4.00
1000

0
3.0
4.
500 4 00
0
9.0 3.0
0 3 0
4.00
−500 2

−1000
−1000 −500 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500

2000 root node:n = 2

1500 1
4.00

1000
0
3.0

4.
500 4 00
0
9.0 3.0
0 3 0
4.00
−500 2

−1000
−1000 −500 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500

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2000 root node:n = 1

1500 1

4.00
1000

0
3.0
4.
500 4 00
0
9.0 3.0
0 3 0
4.00
−500 2

−1000
−1000 −500 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500

Solutions for: 3.3 Assignment

AON assignment for the current scenario:

2000

1500 1
3000.00

1000
.00
00

0.
4 00
25

500
0
0.0 410
0 3 0.0
0
2100.0
0
−500 2

−1000
−1000 −500 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500

The link-flows fa for each link a are given in the following table:

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1 2 3 4 5 6
fa 2500.00 2100.00 0.00 0.00 4100.00 3000.00

AON assignment for the road tax scenario:

2000

1500 1

1000 0.00
.00

30
00

00
4
25

500 . 00
0
0.0 110
0 3 0.0
0
2100.0
0
−500 2

−1000
−1000 −500 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500

The link-flows fa for each link a are given in the following table:

1 2 3 4 5 6
fa 2500.00 2100.00 3000.00 0.00 1100.00 0.00

Sustainable Transportation Engineering