Audit report on the Xenia Rural Water District for the year ended December 31, 2014

Audit report on the Xenia Rural Water District for the year ended December 31, 2014

Report on a special investigation of the band program of the Monticello Community School District for the period January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2013

Report on a special investigation of the band program of the Monticello Community School District for the period January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2013

Report on a special investigation of the Shenandoah Community School District for the period July 1, 2012 through September 30, 2014

Report on a special investigation of the Shenandoah Community School District for the period July 1, 2012 through September 30, 2014

Report on a special investigation of the West Des Moines Community School District - Western Hills Elementary School for the period May 22, 2012 through March 31, 2015

Report on a special investigation of the West Des Moines Community School District - Western Hills Elementary School for the period May 22, 2012 through March 31, 2015

Education on Urban Corridor Issues Through Computer Animation, TR-419, 2003

This project was undertaken in coordination with the Environmental Assessment process on the Mt. Vernon Road Improvements project in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The goal of the research was to determine the cost effectiveness of combined photo-imaging and computer animation as a presentation tool describing public road improvements. The Public Hearing, in combination with the involvement of a Citizen's Resource Group, afforded an opportunity to have an evaluation of the processes by interested citizens who were not familiar with engineering drawings or the construction industry. After the initial viewing of a draft version of the video, the Resource Group made recommendations to the staff developing the video. Discussion of these recommendations led to the development of an animated composite section that showed a combination of situations typically encountered throughout the project corridor, as well as critical considerations. The composite section did not show specific locations and therefore, individuals were not distracted by looking for the details pertaining to their properties. Concentration on the concepts involved rather than specifics provided the opportunity for a more thorough understanding by the citizens. The development of the composite concept was the primary discovery of the research.

Development of Object-Oriented Design and Specifications for Iowa DOT and Urban Standards: Phase I, TR-487, 2004

Currently, individuals including designers, contractors, and owners learn about the project requirements by studying a combination of paper and electronic copies of the construction documents including the drawings, specifications (standard and supplemental), road and bridge standard drawings, design criteria, contracts, addenda, and change orders. This can be a tedious process since one needs to go back and forth between the various documents (paper or electronic) to obtain information about the entire project. Object-oriented computer-aided design (OO-CAD) is an innovative technology that can bring a change to this process by graphical portrayal of information. OO-CAD allows users to point and click on portions of an object-oriented drawing that are then linked to relevant databases of information (e.g., specifications, procurement status, and shop drawings). The vision of this study is to turn paper-based design standards and construction specifications into an object-oriented design and specification (OODAS) system or a visual electronic reference library (ERL). Individuals can use the system through a handheld wireless book-size laptop that includes all of the necessary software for operating in a 3D environment. All parties involved in transportation projects can access all of the standards and requirements simultaneously using a 3D graphical interface. By using this system, users will have all of the design elements and all of the specifications readily available without concerns of omissions. A prototype object-oriented model was created and demonstrated to potential users representing counties, cities, and the state. Findings suggest that a system like this could improve productivity to find information by as much as 75% and provide a greater sense of confidence that all relevant information had been identified. It was also apparent that this system would be used by more people in construction than in design. There was also concern related to the cost to develop and maintain the complete system. The future direction should focus on a project-based system that can help the contractors and DOT inspectors find information (e.g., road standards, specifications, instructional memorandums) more rapidly as it pertains to a specific project.

Addendum to a report on a review of the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services for the period July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2014

Addendum to a report on a review of the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services for the period July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2014

Reaudit report on the North Cedar Community School District for the period July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013

Reaudit report on the North Cedar Community School District for the period July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013

Combined report on the eighth Judicial District Departments of Correctional Services for the year ended June 30, 2014

Combined report on the eighth Judicial District Departments of Correctional Services for the year ended June 30, 2014

Report on the Iowa Judicial Branch – County Clerks of District Courts, a part of the State of Iowa, for the year ended June 30, 2014

Report on the Iowa Judicial Branch – County Clerks of District Courts, a part of the State of Iowa, for the year ended June 30, 2014

Report on a special investigation of the Nutrition Department of the Northeast Hamilton Community School District for the period August 1, 2013 through June 4, 2014

Report on a special investigation of the Nutrition Department of the Northeast Hamilton Community School District for the period August 1, 2013 through June 4, 2014

Mississippi Drive (Iowa 92) from Main Street to the Norbert F. Beckey Bridge in Muscatine, Iowa, STP-U-5330(614)—27-70, Muscatine County, 2015

The proposed action consists of upgrading Mississippi Drive (Iowa Highway 92) through downtown Muscatine, Iowa. The Mississippi Drive Corridor Project begins south of the Main Street/Grandview Avenue intersection, continuing to the East 2nd Street/Norbert F. Beckey Bridge intersection, which marks the end of the project. It passes through a mix of commercial, residential, Central Business District and industrial land uses. The total length of the project is approximately 1.6 miles, including 19 intersections (6 with traffic signals). Refer to the vicinity map on Figure 1. The current roadway is a 3- to 4-lane, urban facility with both divided and undivided medians. The roadway, ranging from 40 to 64 feet wide, is considered difficult to cross for pedestrians, especially for small children or elderly. The width of this roadway is being considered to be narrowed to improve the accessibility to the downtown from the Mississippi River riverfront area by pedestrians. This project also includes accommodations for bicycles and pedestrians and measures to reduce flooding on the roadway.

Assessment of Impervious Surfaces in an Urban Watershed

Summary of the Urban Watershed Management Assistance tool to assess the impact of impervious surfaces.