_______________________                                                                                                                     
     CE 595U Design of Unconventional Intersections & Interchanges
 

Unconventional intersections and interchanges have emerged in the past few years as a set of possible solutions for the worst traffic problem areas. These designs work by rerouting some movements - typically left turns - away from the main junction, thereby reducing and separating the conflict points. Delay and collision savings are the usual result from this rearrangement. Altogether there are at least 15 distinct unconventional intersection designs and almost as many interchange designs.

Given the great potential of the designs, the large and growing body of knowledge on them, and the fact that much of the research on these designs was performed at NC State University and in North Carolina, a semester-long course should be productive. In addition, engineers in the habit of questioning and trying to improve upon the conventional wisdom should be in demand in any endeavor. 3 credit hours

  
     

Prerequisite
  

Students will need some basic transportation engineering skills before taking the course in order to achieve the learning objectives. Therefore, the prerequisites for the course are:

  1. graduate standing in the transportation engineering program
  2. a grade of B- or better in CE 400, CE 401, CE 502, CE 503, or an equivalent course
  3. consent of the instructor.

 
Course Objectives  

By the end of the course students should be able to:

  • Recite the major advantages and disadvantages of each of the current unconventional intersection and interchange designs;
  • Recognize which unconventional intersection and interchange alternatives would be worth studying in a particular corridor;
  • Evaluate the operation of an unconventional intersection or interchange alternative proposed for a particular spot;
  • Sketch a feasible geometric design of an unconventional intersection or interchange alternative in a particular spot;
  • Discuss research and implementation needs for the set of unconventional intersection and interchange designs; and
  • Discuss how the world would look different with widespread implementation of unconventional intersection and interchange designs.

 
Course Requirements  

The instructor anticipates evaluating student progress toward achievement of the learning objectives using five methods:

  1. A project on matching a particular road corridor with feasible alternatives for analysis,
  2. A project producing a sketch design and operational analysis of an intersection or interchange alternative,
  3. A paper on research and implementation needs for unconventional intersections and interchanges,
  4. A journal of reflective writing on the readings and class discussions, and
  5. A comprehensive final exam.

 
Textbooks  

There will be no single textbook for the course. Instead, students will read and use a variety of texts throughout the course, including:

We will read other on-line resources on various topics during the course as well. In addition, numerous guest speakers will be invited to share unique view and skills.

 
Computer and Internet Requirements  

NCSU has recommended minimum specifications for computers that are generally used for courses. Those specifications can be found here: http://www.ncsu.edu/it/compspecs/

Engineering Online recommends that your computer meets or exceeds the following minimum specifications below. A computer with greater capability (processor speed, RAM, internet bandwidth, disk capacity) will be more likely to properly display the video content of Engineering Online courses.

Windows:

  • Microsoft Windows XP, Windows 2003, or Windows Vista
  • Intel-compatible 1 GHz processor
  • 512 MB RAM
  • 60 GB hard drive with 1 GB free space available
  • Video display at 1024 x 768 or greater
  • Sound output and speakers
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1 or later, Firefox 2.0 or later, or Google Chrome 1.0
  • Windows Media Player 9.0 or later
  • Real One Player Basic (required for certain courses)
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader
  • Broadband Internet connection (256 Kbps or more)

Mac OS X:

  • Mac OS X 10.4.8 or later
  • G4 processor
  • 512 MB RAM
  • 60 GB hard drive with 1 GB free space available
  • Video display at 1024 x 768 or greater
  • Sound output and speakers
  • Safari 2.0.4 (or later) or Firefox 2.0 (or later)
  • Silverlight  (viewers may be prompted to install this when first viewing a presentation)
  • Real One Player Basic (required for certain courses)
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader
  • Broadband Internet connection (256 Kbps or more)
  • NOTE:  The Flip4Mac plug-in causes problems when viewing Mediasite presentations and should be disabled.

Linux:

  • Playback of Mediasite presentations on Linux is accomplished via the Moonlight Project, an open source implementation of Microsoft Silverlight. For more installation on the installation and configuration of Moonlight, please visit http://www.go-mono.com/moonlight/. The compatible operating systems and browsers are listed on this page.
  • Microsoft Media Pack for Moonlight
  • Adobe Reader for Unix
  • Broadband Internet connection (256 Kbps or more)

 
Instructor  

Dr. Joseph E. Hummer, Professor
Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering
Mann Hall 423, Box 7908
NCSU Campus
Raleigh, NC 27695

Phone: 919-515-7733
Fax: 919-515-7908
EMail: hummer@eos.ncsu.edu