Transpower 2008, this year’s Design-Build in Transportation Conference in Louisville, Ky., from April 16-18, is just the right time to brush up on some of the many transportation titles out there that can benefit design-builders nationwide. To find the most authoritative transportation titles out there, visit the DBIA Bookstore at the conference or simply visit www.dbia.org/pubs/bookstore/ for the best titles in the industry. Three titles this month fit the transportation topic quite well.
Transportation Decision Making — Principles of Project Evaluation and Programming
By Kumares C. Sinha, Ph.D., and Samuel Labi, Ph.D.
Sinha is an Edgar B. and Hedwig M. Olson Distinguished Professor at the School of Civil Engineering at Purdue University and Sinha is the editor in chief of the Journal of Transportation Engineering, as well as an assistant professor in the School of Civil Engineering at Purdue University, and is currently a visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Their pioneering text provides a holistic approach to the decision-making in transportation project development and programming, which helps transportation professionals to optimize their investment choices.
Topics covered include:
- Developing performance measures for evaluation, estimating travel demand and costing transportation projects.
- Performing an economic efficiency evaluation that accounts for such factors as travel time, safety and vehicle operating costs.
- Evaluating a project’s impact on economic development and land use as well as its impact on society and culture.
- Assessing a project’s environmental impact, including air quality, noise, ecology, water resources and aesthetics.
- Evaluating alternative projects on the basis of multiple performance criteria.
Each chapter begins with basic definitions and concepts followed by a methodology for impact assessment. The authors also discuss relevant legislation and present available software for performing evaluations.
The Design of Highway Bridges — An LRFD Approach (Second Edition)
By Richard M. Barker, Ph.D., and Jay A. Puckett, Ph.D., P.E.
Barker, professor emeritus of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and Virginia State University and Puckett, V. O. Smith Professor of Civil and Architectural Engineering and department head at the University of Wyoming and president of Bridge Tech Inc., offer detailed coverage of engineering basics for the design of short- and medium-span bridges, based on the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) LRFD Bridge Design Specifications.
In this excellent engineering resource, the updated edition features:
- Expanded coverage of structural analysis, including axle and lane loads, along with new numerical analytic methods and approaches.
- Dozens of worked problems, primarily in customary U.S. units, that allow techniques to be applied to real-world problems and design specifications.
- Revised AASHTO steel bridge design guidelines that reflect the simplified approach for plate girder bridges.
- The latest information on concrete bridges, including new minimum reinforcement requirements, and unbonded tendon stress at ultimate and losses for pre-stressed concrete girders.
From gaining quick familiarity with the AASHTO LRFD specifications to seeking broader guidance on highway bridge design, this is the one-stop, ready reference that puts information at your fingertips.
Design of Buildings and Bridges for Wind
By Emil Simu and Toshio Miyata
Simu, a senior consultant with Severud Associates, the World Bank and research professor at Johns Hopkins University, and Miyata, an emeritus professor at Yokohama National University and a former associate professor at the University of Tokyo, provide this practical guide to the design for wind of low- and medium-rise buildings, tall buildings, suspension bridges and cable stayed bridges.
This hands-on guide features:
- Information on how to determine design wind loads and wind effects for both routine and special structures.
- Information allowing structural engineers to effectively scrutinize estimates of wind effects submitted by wind engineering consultants.
- Clear, transparent procedures for developing estimates of wind effects based on aerodynamic data supplied in electronic form by wind tunnel operators.
For these and any other design-build reading or research need, visit the DBIA Bookstore at www.dbia.org/pubs/bookstore or call 202-454-7523.