This report discusses the major technical issues, environmental impacts, and economic factors for the design and analysis of an electrical pipeline system. Researchers reviewed the history and related work on pipeline transportation, as well as linear electric motors, analyzed basic components for an electrical pipeline system, and devised and compared several possible system configurations. They selected a moving-primary linear induction motor configuration for medium- to long-range freight transportation. For this system configuration, preliminary designs are conducted on capsule structure, linear induction motor units, and pipetubes. A comprehensive computer simulation program is coded based on governing equations of motion. Researchers conducted system operation design and simulations by using the computer program.
In 1983 a Maintenance Peer Review Team was organized to make an in house, peer review of maintenance practices related to spot overlays. A spot overlay was defined as a paver laid bituminous overlay between 100 feet and one (1) mile in length. For various
reasons, that team was only able to visit one (1) maintenance area that year. During the spring of 1984 a more extensive questionnaire was written and sent out to each of the 15 maintenance areas. This was followed, during the spring and summer, by on-site interviews at each of the maintenance areas. During the on-site interviews, the Peer Review Team was able to view two in-progress overlays being done by maintenance. The construction practices were found to be acceptable.
This report addresses current practices related to spot overlay activities including project identification, prioritization, budgeting
placement methods, design methods, equipment, and record keeping. Included are various charts (see appendix) related to some of these activities which will allow comparisons between maintenance areas. Also included in the appendix are some of the in-house forms used in maintenance areas to document certain aspects of this activity.
The Mowing and Vegetation Control Peer Review Team spent five weeks during the summer of 1983 visiting each maintenance area in the state. During these visits questionnaires, sent out ahead of the visits, were discussed with the maintenance personnel as well as inspections made of the current mowing and vegetation control practices in each area. The information gathered by this peer review team has been assembled into this report.
This report addresses standards, current practice, equipment, experimental items as well as problems encountered. Included are various figures (charts) which allow comparisons between maintenance areas of the various items under discussion. Finally, as a result of this review, a number of recommendations, that we feel would increase efficiency and productivity, have been included. They include items which may be implemented directly as well as items which may require further study. This report and the recommendations on the following pages have been reviewed by the Maintenance Advisory Committee.
