Report on a review of selected general and application controls over the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Internal Billing System for the period April 6, 2009 through July 31, 2009

Report on a review of selected general and application controls over the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Internal Billing System for the period April 6, 2009 through July 31, 2009

Solar Powered Highway Delineator System, HR-367, 1993

Currently, many drivers experience some difficulty in viewing the road ahead of them during times of reduced visibility, such as rain, snow, fog, or the darkness of night- Recent studies done by the National Safety Council provide a detailed contrast between fatal accidents occurring during the day and night. Revealed was that the motor vehicle night death rate (4.41 deaths per 100 million miles driven) was sharply higher than the corresponding death rate during daylight hours (1.21). By providing a delineating system powered by the natural resource of solar power, a constant source of visibility may be maintained throughout the evening. Along with providing enough light to trace the outline of the road, other major goals defined in producing this delineator system are as follows: 1. A strong and durable design that would protect the internal components and survive extreme weather conditions. 2. A low maintenance system where components need few repairs or replacements. 3. A design which makes all components accessible in the event that maintenance is needed, but also prevents vandalism. 4. A design that provides greater visibility to drivers and will not harm a vehicle or its passengers in the event of a collision. This solar powered highway delineator consists of an adjustable solar array, a light fixture, and a standard delineator pole. The solar array houses and protects the solar panels, and can be easily adjusted to obtain a maximum amount of sunlight. The light fixture primarily houses the battery, the circuit and the light assembly. Both components allow for easy accessibility and reduce vandalism using internal connections for bolts and wires. The delineator mounting pole is designed to extensively deform in the event of a collision, therefore reducing any harm caused to the vehicle and/or the passengers. The cost of a single prototype to be produced is approximately $70.00 excluding labor costs. However, these material and labor costs will be greatly reduced if a large number of delineators are produced. It is recommended that the Iowa Department of Transportation take full advantage of the research and development put into this delineator design. The principles used in creating this delineator can be used to provide an outline for drivers to follow, or on a larger scale, provide actual roadway lighting in areas where it was never before possible or economically feasible. In either event, the number of fatal accidents will be decreased due to the improved driver visibility in the evening.

Pilot Project for a Hybrid Road-Flooding Forecasting System on Squaw Creek, TR-642

A network of 25 sonic stage sensors were deployed in the Squaw Creek basin upstream from Ames Iowa to determine if the state-of-the-art distributed hydrological model CUENCAS can produce reliable information for all road crossings including those that cross small creeks draining basins as small as 1 sq. mile. A hydraulic model was implemented for the major tributaries of the Squaw Creek where IFC sonic instruments were deployed and it was coupled to CUENCAS to validate the predictions made at small tributaries in the basin. This study demonstrates that the predictions made by the hydrological model at internal locations in the basins are as accurate as the predictions made at the outlet of the basin. Final rating curves based on surveyed cross sections were developed for the 22 IFC-bridge sites that are currently operating, and routine forecast is provided at those locations (see IFIS). Rating curves were developed for 60 additional bridge locations in the basin, however, we do not use those rating curves for routine forecast because the lack of accuracy of LiDAR derived cross sections is not optimal. The results of our work form the basis for two papers that have been submitted for publication to the Journal of Hydrological Engineering. Peer review of our work will gives a strong footing to our ability to expand our results from the pilot Squaw Creek basin to all basins in Iowa.