Synthesis Study: Development of an Electronic Detection and Warning System to Prevent Overheight Vechicles from Impacting Overhead Bridges

Abstract

IntroductionOverheight vehicle impacts with bridges are surprisingly common and are of particular concern in areas of Indiana such as the I-65 -I-70 merger location in Indianapolis. The damage from collisions can range from minor to severe, and there is evidence that some bridges are impacted multiple times, leading to the potential for cumulative damage effects. With this in mind, there is a clear need to attempt to prevent overheight vehicle collisions with bridges; and this study provides an in-depth examination of the availability and in-field performance of Overheight Vehicle Detection and Warning (OVD&W) systems that could help address this challenge. FindingsThe findings of this study indicate that most states have updated their infrastructure to account for overheight vehicles and permanently avoid collisions. The few states that still actively employ overheight vehicle detection and warning systems (OVD&W) tend to use optoelectronic single-or dual-eye infrared detection systems and report that the devices have decreased the amount of damage occurring to their structures. The initial equipment and installation costs of these systems range from a few thousand to twenty-five thousand dollars based on DOT interviews, and on-going maintenance appears minimal. Overall, considering that the only other completely effective option to avoid overheight vehicle incidents is to raise the height of affected structures, or lower the roadway surface, an (optoelectronic) OVD&W system is a relatively inexpensive and effective method for decreasing overheight vehicle accident. ImplementationThe combined insights gained through this study were used to develop a straight-forward decision tool that can be employed by INDOT personnel to identify equipment options to address site specific needs for overheight vehicle protection. This tool and its underlying principles were applied to a test case focused on the I-65 -I-70 merger location in Indianapolis, IN leading to a preliminary OVD&W system strategy for that specific location. It is recommended that the sensor characteristics and design decision logic exemplified through this case example be used for future OVD&W system deployment envisioned in the State. AbstractOverheight vehicle impacts with bridges are surprisingly common. The damage from collisions can range from minor to severe, and there is also evidence that some bridges are impacted multiple times, leading to the potential for cumulative damage effects. Thus there is a clear need to attempt to prevent overheight vehicle collisions with bridges.This Synthesis Study provides a review of solutions that exist to detect and forewarn overheight vehicles and thereby prevent a collision, and specifically examines the breadth of available overheight vehicle detection technologies, the commercial availability of such equipment, and the experience of relevant DOTs with installed and functioning systems.The findings of this study indicate that most states have updated their infrastructure to account for overheight vehicles an...

A vision-based method for on-road truck height measurement in proactive prevention of collision with overpasses and tunnels

“…As a truck is measured and its height exceeds a predefined threshold, the warning bell will sound to signal the danger of an over-height collision. The sign message guides the truck driver to an alternative route where the driver can exit the current roadway and avoid collision with the overpass [17]. The warning bell and messages need to be delivered to the drivers early enough so that the trucks can smoothly enter the re-routing road without interrupting the traffic.…”

“…Sinfield [17] provided an overview on existing commercially available EWDSs and the state of their implementation in U.S. Based on his review, the majority of existing systems fall into the categories of utilizing the sensing technologies of visible beam, laser (acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation), or infrared, all of which rely on the interruption of a beam or sheet of light to identify a vehicle exceeding a predefined height threshold or to construct the profile of a vehicle that can be translated into accurate vehicle dimensions.…”

LADAR‐based collision warning sensor to prevent over‐height vehicle bridge hits

“…Currently, all OHVDs installed in the USA, UK, Germany, Australia, and Canada operate similarly. Only difference has been that optoelectronic sensors have utilised different light sources (visible, red, infrared) and modulation schemes to provide improved performance [5].…”

“…The most notable limitation of currently available OHVDs is the propensity for false alarms due to the antiquated beam-break operation. Several state DOTs have reported false alarms due to lost alignment between transmitter/receiver, heavy fog, vehicle antennas, flying debris and birds, ice formation on detector lenses, snow deposits on vehicle, and sunlight during certain hours of the day [1,5,6]. These false alarms are a significant concern for the responding agencies (police, emergency responders, transportation agencies) that have to manage traffic by closing affected routes, resulting in congestion and unnecessary traffic diversions.…”

“…In practice, overheight vehicle detection systems (OHVDs) have been reported to be highly effective (50-80%) in reducing the bridge hits, followed by sacrificial structure (30-50%) and passive signing techniques (10-20%) [4]. Numerous transportation agencies in the USA have utilised these systems and have found them effective in reducing bridge hits [1,5,6]. However, site constraints and high initial total system cost (devices and installation) have limited their usage to a few locations.…”