Dispersal and accumulation of Pt, Pd and Rh derived from a roundabout in Sheffield (UK): From stream to tidal estuary

The Coisley Hill roundabout, a typical urban source for PGE in stream sediments, has anomalously high values of up to 408 ppb Pt, 444 ppb Pd and 113 ppb Rh in road dust, up to 416 ppb Pt and 278 ppb Pd in gulley sediment and up to 606 ppb Pt and 1050 ppb Pd in verge soil. For samples collected at the same time, the road dust values are much higher than in sediments in the Shire Brook stream, that drains the roundabout, with values of 3-64 ppb Pt, 4-57 ppb Pd and up to 7 ppb Rh. Downstream sediments from rivers Rother and Don have lower values of 2-35 ppb Pt, 2-14 ppb Pd and up to 3 ppb Rh. The Humber estuary values are low with 6-8 ppb Pt, 5-8 ppb Pd and 1-2 ppb Rh. Pt/Pd increases down catchment with Coisley Hill 0.8, Shire Brook 1.0, Trent and Don 1.5 and the Humber estuary 2.0. Pt/Rh and Pd/Rh also increase downstream. Precious metals are generally dispersed away from their vehicle catalytic source and Pd is dispersed more than Pt and Rh but Pt and Pd are re-concentrated in acid mine drainage in the Shire Brook, with concentrations varying with stream flow. Pt and Pd values are slightly elevated at the tidal limit and in mud deposited when the river is in spate. On Coisley Hill, values of 133 ppb Pt and 230 ppb Pd occur in dust from a new road surface (two weeks old when sampled). These are similar to those on much older road surfaces suggesting that Pt and Pd collect and disperse rapidly from roads. Au is low in road dust and higher values in conurbations suggest the presence of more Au sources in urban rather than in rural areas. Au values are not diluted downstream as much as PGE suggesting different processes of dispersion and sedimentation.     

Platinum and palladium variations through the urban environment: evidence from 11 sample types from Sheffield, UK

Platinum (Pt) and Palladium (Pd) concentrations have been analysed in 194 samples from within the city of Sheffield in the UK. The samples were taken from road dust, gully pots (also known as drains), soils, a motorway drainage pipe, rivers, lakes, sewage sludge, incinerator ash, incinerator ash in landfill, street cleansers and gully cleansers. The introduction of Pt- and Pd-bearing automobile catalysts, has been cited as the cause of a rise in the concentration of urban Pt and Pd accumulations. Geochemical analyses for the different sample types are used here to show how the Pt and Pd accumulate in different urban environments as they are transported from their catalytic source. Initially Pt and Pd collect in road dust and gully pots at values of up to 450 ppb although most analyses for both elements are around 100 ppb. The four roadside soils analysed, have a great range in values, the highest with a value of over 600 ppb Pt and 1000 ppb Pd. Then the fate of the Pt and Pd is either to be removed by gully flushers and road sweepers (which contain around half the concentration of that in road dust) or to be washed from the roads, through the gully pots, into either the river or urban drainage systems. Due to the addition of terrestrial sediments, river samples contain much reduced values of Pt and Pd, at approximately an order of magnitude lower than in road dust. Similarly, sewage sludge contains Pt and Pd values which are lower than road dust. However, the Pt and Pd analyses are much higher in incinerated sewage (with many samples over 150 ppb for both metals), probably due to the loss of the mass of other material during the incineration process. Weathered incinerator ash in landfill has lower values of Pt and Pd than fresh ash from the incinerator. Although the range in values of Pt and Pd is similar for road dust and gully pot sediments their modal values tell a different story. The mode for Pt is very similar for both road dust and gully pot sediments, at around 100 ppb, whereas there is a drop of 50 ppb in the mode for Pd in the gully pots (from 80 ppb to around 40 ppb). Given that gully pot sediment is derived from road dust, it is suggested that in gully pots, Pd is preferentially mobilized over Pt. Furthermore, a comparison of the modal values of Pt and Pd in river sediments suggests that this process continues into the natural drainage system of the city.     

Platinum-group elements in sewage sludge and incinerator ash in the United Kingdom: Assessment of PGE sources and mobility in cities

Platinum-group element (PGE) concentrations in sewage sludge and incinerator ash compared with average PGE concentrations in road dust show a common pattern, characterized by a negative Rh anomaly. This similarity, found at 9 UK incinerators, suggests that there is a universal characteristic PGE pattern produced by common processes of dispersal of Pt, Pd and Rh derived from automobile catalytic converters.Ninety-one sewage sludge and incinerator ash samples from the sewage treatment facilities in Sheffield, Birmingham and 7 other UK cities were analyzed for PGE. The highest concentrations are 602 ppb Pt and 710 ppb Pd with lower maximum concentrations of 65 ppb Rh, 100 ppb Ru, 33 ppb Ir and 12 ppb Os. Ash from incinerated sewage was found to have higher PGE concentrations compared to the original sludge and the PGE ratios are preserved during incineration.Rh is more mobilized and dispersed than the other PGE as it is transported from roads into the drainage system and into sewage. Pt/Pd ratios of 1.0 in road dust and 0.9 in sewage and incinerator ash suggest that Pd is more mobile than Pt during dispersal. PGE abundances in stored incinerator ash of varying ages appear to have been affected by the variation in use of Pt, Pd and Rh in catalytic converters due to variation in their market prices.Concentrations of Os, Ir and Ru in ashes are greater in Sheffield and London than all the other city sites and may be derived from point industrial sources.     

The distribution of automobile catalysts-cast platinum, palladium and rhodium in soils adjacent to roads and their uptake by grass

The introduction of automobile catalysts has raised environmental concern, as this pollution control technology is also an emission source for the platinum group elements (PGE). The main aim of this study was to assess the concentrations of Pt, Pd, Rh and Au in soil and grass herbage collected adjacent to 5 roads. Soil and grass samples were collected from 4 fixed distances (0, 1, 2 and 5 m) from the road edge at each site. PGE and Au were determined by ICP-MS in all samples after acid digestion. The maximum soil Pt, Rh and Pd concentrations were measured at the road perimeters. Averaged across the sites, the Pt and Rh concentrations of 15.9+/-7.5 microg Pt kg(-1) and 22.40+/-4.73 microg Rh kg(-1) at 0-m distance decreased to 2.04+/-1.7 microg Pt kg(-1) and 3.51+/-1.96 microg Rh kg(-1), respectively at 5-m away from the roads. Pd concentrations were much higher than Pt or Rh, ranging from 120.8+/-12.0 microg Pd kg(-1) (0-m) to 84.2+/-10.9 microg Pd kg(-1) (5-m), possibly due to differences in its use, emission and/or soil chemistry. Au showed little or no change with distance from the roads. However, the average Au concentration of 18.98+/-0.98 microg Au kg(-1) provides clear evidence of some input possibly due to attrition of automobile electronics. No straightforward influence of traffic flow rates on PGE distribution was found. A combination of dispersal impeding local features and slow moving and stop-and-start traffic conditions or fast moving traffic with flat open spaces may have offset the expected impacts. Rh and Pt soil concentration accounted for 66% and 34% (P<0.01) of the variability observed, respectively in their plant concentrations. Grass Pd and Au concentrations had no relationship with their respective soil concentrations.     

Anthropogenic platinum group element (Pt, Pd and Rh) concentrations in road dusts and roadside soils from Perth, Western Australia

The emission of platinum group elements (PGE) from automobile catalytic converters has led to rapid increases in Pt, Pd and Rh concentrations in roadside media. This article represents the first detailed study to assess PGE levels in road dusts and roadside soils in Australia. Road dust and roadside soil samples were analysed by ICP-MS following microwave digestion and cation exchange. All samples show elevation of PGE above average upper crust values, with maximum values of 420 ng g(-1) Pt, 440 ng g(-1) Pd and 91 ng g(-1) Rh. PGE ratios in road dusts and soils are consistent with known catalytic converter compositions and while Pt and Rh abundances are comparable with European studies, Pd levels are substantially higher in Australian samples. PGE in these samples are not correlated with Pb, though positive correlations with Ce, Cu and Y are evident. No straightforward relationship between traffic volume and PGE abundance is evident and factors such as driving style, topography, road drainage and potentially climate exert considerable influences.     

Increase of platinum group element concentrations in soils and airborne dust in an urban area in Germany

Since 1993, all new cars sold in the European Union had to be fitted with catalytic converters. Undoubtedly, these measures brought about a great progress concerning traffic emission controls. However, this technology also led to new emissions. A rapid accumulation of the catalytic active noble metals Pt, Pd, and Rh in the environment was observed and concern arose about potential environmental and health risks. This work aimed at a contribution to a monitoring of platinum group element (PGE) emission and accumulation by comparing analytical data, all generated in 1999 and in 2005 in an urban area in Germany. Oriented at the 1999 sampling strategy, soil and airborne dust samples were taken in 2005 at the same sampling sites located mainly close to heavily used roads in the region of Braunschweig. For the enrichment of the analytes, conditioned soil samples as well as loaded glass fiber filters from air sampling were transferred to the nickel sulphide fire assay. For analyses, the ICP-MS technique was applied. High Pt, Pd, and Rh concentrations were detected especially in top soil layers (0-2 cm) directly at the roadsides or on center strips. At one road outside the city, where traffic moved with a constant speed of about 80 km/h, maximum concentrations in soil were found to be 50.4 microg/kg for Pt, 43.3 microg/kg for Pd, and 10.7 microg/kg for Rh. PGE concentrations were the highest close to that road and exponentially declined with growing distance. At a second road, where vehicles run with a constant speed of 50 km/h, the highest concentrations were detected in the center strip soil: 88.9 microg/kg (Pt), 77.8 microg/kg (Pd), and 17.6 microg/kg (Rh). At a third crowded street in the centre of Braunschweig with stop and go traffic, the highest soil concentrations were determined, namely 261 microg/kg for Pt, 124 microg/kg for Pd and 38.9 microg/kg for Rh. The sampling of airborne dust at this roadside revealed for Pt 159 pg/m(3) air or 1730 microg/kg dust, for Pd 37.8 pg/m(3) air or 410 microg/kg dust, and for Rh 10.0 pg/m(3) air or 110 microg/kg dust. A comparison of analytical results of 2005 with those of 1999 revealed a distinct increase of PGE concentrations in soils closely along heavy traffic roads by a factor of 2.1 to 8.9; once even a factor of 15 was determined. The findings also document, that especially Pt and Rh concentrations were elevated in airborne dust.     

Palladium and platinum concentration in soils from the Napoli metropolitan area,Italy: possible effects of catalytic exhausts

Soils from the Napoli metropolitan area (Italy) were evaluated for Pt and Pd concentrations. One hundred and ninety-five (195) samples were collected from residual soils and non-residual soils from flower-beds in a 120 km(2) area on a 0.5 km grid in the downtown-urbanized area and on 1 km grid in suburban zones. The soils <100 mesh size fraction (150 microm) was analyzed for Pt, Pd and 37 other elements by ICP-ES and ICP-MS after aqua regia digestion. Pt and Pd contents range between <2 and 52 microg/kg and between <10 and 110 microg/kg, respectively. A large number of samples from the metropolitan area were characterized by anomalous values for Pt (>6 microg/kg) and Pd (>17 microg/kg). Non-residual soils from flower-beds are located mainly in the urbanized downtown areas subject to heavy traffic and have higher Pt and Pd contents than residual soils from suburban areas. Geochemical maps show a strong correlation between roads with major traffic flow and high Pt and Pd concentrations. In addition, data from most of the downtown flower-beds fall within the three-way catalytic converters (TWC) field identified by [Ely JC, et al. Environ Sci Technol; 35:3816-3822]. This suggests that emissions of abraded fragments from vehicle exhausts may be the source of the high values and geographic distributions of Pd and especially Pt in urban soils of Napoli. Catalytic converters (Pt/Pd/Rh) have been mandatory for gasoline-powered vehicles in Europe since 1993. Italy permitted the use of non-catalytic motor until January, 2002. This is responsible for the high values for both Pt and Pd in the non-residual soils of the urban areas of Napoli.     

Accumulating characteristics of platinum group elements (PGE) in urban environments, China

The three-way catalytic converters [mainly using platinum, palladium and rhodium of platinum group elements (PGE)] have been widely used to reduce the pollution arising from vehicular traffic. Since the late 1990s, the Chinese government has implemented measures for new vehicles, equipped with the three-way catalytic converters in metropolitan cities. However, the PGE spreading on environments has not been strongly concerned in developing countries. This study investigated the accumulation characteristics of PGE in urban environments in China. A few samples from India were also analyzed and compared with those from China. The collected soil, aerosol and plant samples were determined for PGE by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after nickel sulphide fire assay preconcentration. The results have shown higher PGE contents in the samples from the cities where vehicles were fitted with autocatalysts for longer time periods. The highest values are 160 ng/g for Pt, 107 ng/g for Pd and 34.5 ng/g for Rh in Hong Kong soils, whereas the lowest values are 2.59 ng/g for Pt, 1.31 ng/g for Pd and 0.40 ng/g for Rh in Kolkata soils. In Beijing and Guangzhou aerosol samples, the PGE concentrations are 6.22 to 24.3 pg/m³ for Pt and 1.16 to 8.60 pg/m³ for Rh and 7.68 to 12.2 pg/m³ for Pt and 2.15 to 5.15 pg/m³ for Rh, respectively. The levels of PGE abundances in the urban environments of China have been significantly elevated with increasing number of vehicles equipped with autocatalysts.     

Autocatalyst-derived platinum, palladium and rhodium (PGE) in infiltration basin and wetland sediments receiving urban runoff

The emission of platinum group elements (PGE) from automobile catalytic converters has led to rapid increases in Pt, Pd and Rh concentrations in roadside media. Significant quantities of the PGE may enter and accumulate in fluvial systems via road runoff. This paper examines the occurrence and spatial distribution of autocatalyst-derived PGE in surface sediments of infiltration basin and wetland sediments receiving road-runoff in Perth, Western Australia. Samples were analysed by ICP-MS following microwave digestion and cation exchange. PGE concentrations ranged between 1.5-17.2 Rh, 5.4-61.2 Pd and 9.0-103.8 ng g(-1) Pt. The highest levels of PGE were generally found at basin topographic low points and these concentrations were found to be strongly related to the area of road surface drained and the traffic volume. PGE ratios in infiltration basin and wetland sediments were within the typical range of catalytic converter compositions. However, comparisons of PGE ratios between parent road dusts and infiltration basin sediments revealed a systematic shift in Pt/Pd ratios, suggesting that PGE fractionation can occur during transport through the drainage system and that a small portion of Pd in road dust may be solubilised under natural conditions.     

The estimation of the bioavailabilities of platinum, palladium and rhodium in vehicle exhaust catalysts and road dusts using a physiologically based extraction test

Platinum group element (PGE) levels in the environment have increased following the introduction of vehicle exhaust catalysts (VECs). In order to evaluate the potential pathways of PGEs from VECs into humans, a physiologically based extraction test (PBET) was used to study the uptake of PGEs by the human digestive tract. The PBET assay was implemented in two phases, to first simulate the passage of ingested soil through the acid conditions of the stomach before it enters the near neutral conditions of the small intestine. The results showed that Pt, Pd and Rh did not undergo precipitation reaction when passing from the acid environment of the stomach to the neutral environment of the small intestine. The greatest fractions of bioavailable PGEs (up to 68%) were observed in road dust samples, possibly due to the presence of mobile PGE species formed in the roadside environment. Higher percentages of Pd and Rh were bioavailable than Pt, probably due to the differences in their mobilities and tendencies to form soluble complexes. Pt showed the highest absolute bioavailability however, due to its greater concentration in environmental samples. The solubilization of PGEs in the human digestive tract could involve the formation of PGE-chloride complexes, with perhaps increased health-hazard issues because of the known toxic and allergenic effects of these species.     

Platinum and rhodium distribution in airborne particulate matter and road dust

In this work the platinum and rhodium content in the atmosphere of Madrid was monitored for 1 year at seven different sites. Samples were taken with medium volume PM-10 collectors (< 10 microm) for 48 h and analysed by ICP-MS. The Pt and Rh content was dependent on the sampling site, ranging from < 0.1 to 57.1 and < 0.2 to 12.2 pg m(-3) with a medium value of 12.8 and 3.3 pg m(-3), respectively. These results show that the Pt and Rh content in airborne samples depends on the traffic density per day and also on medium driving speed. Road dust < 63 microm was analysed at the same time and at the same location. The Pt and Rh content at the six sites analysed was in the 31-2252 and 11-182 ng g(-1) range with an average of 317 and 74 ng g(-1), respectively. The average Pt/Rh ratio obtained was 4.3. similar to that obtained for airborne particles (4.0), and agrees with that of the more commonly used gasoline car catalyst [J.J. Mooney, Encyclopaedia of Chemical Technology (1996) 982]. Platinum distribution as a function of particle size in airborne particulate matter was also studied, by sampling with two high-volume sample collectors, a five-stage WRAC (from 10 to 65.3 microm and total) and a seven-stages PM-10) cascade impactor (from 9 to < 0.39 microm). Platinum is associated with a wide range of particle diameters. Due to the ultratrace level of Pt in airborne samples, its distribution in the atmosphere could not be considered as homogeneous. No trend could be established in Pt distribution in the different fractions, except that in most cases the highest value of Pt was obtained in the < 0.39-microm fraction. The Pt content was usually high in airborne samples when the Pb, Ce, Zr and Hf content was also high, thus confirming that the source of these pollutants is from traffic.     

Toxicity evaluation of road dust in the runoff process using a benthic ostracod Heterocypris incongruens

Road dust is considered an important source of sediment contamination; however, there are few studies on the toxicity of road dust on benthic organisms. This study evaluates the toxicity of road dust on the benthic ostracod, Heterocypris incongruens, through a 6-day direct exposure experiment. All six road dust samples collected in heavy traffic areas caused high mortality of the ostracod, whereas the road dust collected in a residential area did not show toxicity to the ostracod. After maintaining the mixture of road dust and water for 24 h, the toxicity of the road dust decreased significantly for three of the six samples in the heavy traffic areas, suggesting these road dust samples become less toxic in the surface runoff process. In addition, we conducted the same toxicity test on manipulated road dust using different solid/liquid ratios and holding times to evaluate the change in toxicity caused by the runoff process. Wet road dust that had been separated from a dust-water mixture after a holding time of 1 h or 24 h did not show lethal toxicity, while the water-soluble fraction of the mixture caused high mortality of the ostracod at a solid/liquid ratio of 1:2 and 1:4. However, after a 7-day holding time of the dust-water mixture, the wet road dust and the water-soluble fraction showed lethal toxicity to the ostracod. These results suggest that toxicants of road dust seemed to exist mainly in water soluble fraction eluted off by rain water; however, particle-bound fraction again showed lethal toxicity after 7 days of incubation.     

Spatial and temporal variations in Pb concentrations and isotopic composition in road dust, farmland soil and vegetation in proximity to roads since cessation of use of leaded petrol in the UK

Results are presented for a study of spatial distributions and temporal trends in concentrations of lead (Pb) from different sources in soil and vegetation of an arable farm in central Scotland in the decade since the use of leaded petrol was terminated. Isotopic analyses revealed that in all of the samples analysed, the Pb conformed to a binary mixture of petrol Pb and Pb from industrial or indigenous geological sources and that locally enhanced levels of petrol Pb were restricted to within 10 m of a motorway and 3 m of a minor road. Overall, the dominant source of Pb was historical emissions from nearby industrial areas. There was no discernible change in concentration or isotopic composition of Pb in surface soil or vegetation over the decade since the ban on the sale of leaded petrol. There was an order of magnitude decrease in Pb concentrations in road dust over the study period, but petrol Pb persisted at up to 43% of the total Pb concentration in 2010. Similar concentrations and spatial distributions of petrol Pb and non petrol Pb in vegetation in both 2001 and 2010, with enhanced concentrations near roads, suggested that redistribution of previously deposited material has operated continuously over that period, maintaining a transfer pathway of Pb into the biosphere. The results for vegetation and soil transects near minor roads provided evidence of a non petrol Pb source associated with roads/traffic, but surface soil samples from the vicinity of a motorway failed to show evidence of such a source.     

Edge effects of roads on temperature, light, canopy cover, and canopy height in laurel and pine forests (Tenerife, Canary Islands)

The estimation of the road edge effect is useful to understand changes induced by the road network on ecosystems. Road networks on islands may break ecosystem integrity through microclimate edge effects, which are known to be associated with disturbances to animal and plant communities. Road edge effects have been scarcely studied on oceanic islands. In this paper we studied road edge effects on microclimate and canopy structure in laurel and pine forests in Tenerife (Canary Islands). We assessed depth of road edge effect for temperature at four vertical layers (soil, litter and air at 5 cm and 1.3 m above ground), light intensity, canopy cover and height, in transects running from narrow (6–7 m width) asphalt roads and dust trails to 100 m to the interior of both forests. We used an ANOVA procedure with Helmert difference contrasts to identify the distances along transects over which edge effects were significant. We detected significant gradients for most parameters but they were consistently narrow both within and between forests. In the laurel forest, we detected highly significant gradients for soil temperature, light, and canopy cover and height in both asphalt and unpaved roads. In the pine forest, we detected a highly significant gradient for soil temperature at asphalt roads, and a significant light gradient for both asphalt and unpaved roads. From the road edge to the forest interior, significant temperature changes persisted for only 3 m, light variation persisted for 6 m, and canopy cover and height changed significantly within the first 10 m. Asphalt roads and dust trails revealed different patterns of variation for temperature between edge and interior. No differences were found between the two types of roads in edge-interior trends for light or canopy structure. The abruptness of microclimate and canopy gradients was slightly higher in the laurel forest than in the pine forest, caused by a higher edge contrast in the former. The depth of the road edge effect found in laurel and pine forests was small, but it could have cumulative effects on forest microclimate and forest associated biota at the island scale. Such changes deserve attention by local road managers for planning and design purposes.     

PGEs and other traffic-related elements in roadside soils from São Paulo, Brazil

The distribution of platinum, palladium, and rhodium in soils adjacent to a major road in S?o Paulo, Brazil, is presented. Sampling was made at four sites with varying traffic volumes and driving styles (stop/start vs. constant speed). High-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HR-ICP-MS) with NiS fire assay collection and Te coprecipitation was used as analytical procedure. The platinum group element (PGE) pattern distribution in the analyzed roadside soil was similar to that of other traffic-related elements such as Zn and Cu, characterized by a strong decrease of the PGE content with increasing distance from the traffic lane. The results indicate that the PGE concentrations in roadside soil are directly influenced by traffic conditions and distance, which characterize their catalytic converter origin. Pt, Pd, and Rh contents range between 0.3 and 17 ng g(-1), 1.1 and 58 ng g(-1), and 0.07 and 8.2 ng g(-1) respectively. Lower levels of Pt and lower Pt/Pd ratios in relation to similar studies in other countries were observed due to the different Pt/Pd ratios in Brazilian automobile catalytic converters. This is the first study to assess traffic-derived Pt, Pd, and Rh deposition in Brazil.     

Determination of anthropogenic input of Ru, Rh, Pd, Re, Os, Ir and Pt in soils along Austrian motorways by isotope dilution ICP-MS

A joint study with the Federal Environment Agency of Austria was carried out to determine the distribution of Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir and Pt (PGE) and Re in soils along major motorways. Emphasis was put on Ir as to date little is known about its anthropogenic input as this metal is now also used in automobile catalytic converters. Soil samples were analysed by ICP-MS through online-coupling of a chromatographic column to separate the PGEs from interfering matrix constituents. At all sampled sites not only Rh, Pd and Pt but also Ir and Re significantly exceed natural background values; concentrations reached 13 ng/g, 25 ng/g, 134 ng/g, 1.1 ng/g and 9.8 ng/g, respectively. The analytical procedure proved to be very selective and sensitive and, therefore applicable to routine soil analysis.     

Detection of critical road roughness sections by trend analysis and investigation of driver speed interaction

Pavement roughness (IRI—International Roughness Index values) influence the stability of traffic movements both on intercity roads and urban roads. This study is to determine the exact locations of critical pavement roughness values that affect traffic motion stability and comfort in city centre highway arteries. Roughness data with 10 m intervals were collected on a 3140 m divided road containing three consecutive signalized intersections in the city centre arterial. These data were analysed using the distance-dependent Mann-Kendall trend analysis method and checkerboard model. The sections where roughness is important were determined at a 95% confidence interval. The results will show where future pavement improvements should be prioritized for municipalities and road maintenance engineers and will form a basis for the urban road management system.     

Optimal allocation of area in hierarchical road networks

This paper deals with the hierarchical road network design using a continuous model. The model is based on a grid road network where roads are classified into three types: access roads, minor arterial roads, and major arterial roads. Using a continuous approximation in which the distance is measured as the rectilinear distance, we obtain a simple approximation for the total travel time. We then find the optimal allocation of area taken up by roads at each level of the hierarchy so as to minimize the sum of the travel and construction costs. The result demonstrates how the total traffic volume, the traffic composition, and the unit construction cost affect the optimal road area. The optimal area of major arterial roads increases with the total traffic volume and the proportions of inward, outward, and through traffic and decreases with the unit construction cost.     

道路交通系统的安全可靠度模型构建

采用系统的观点,通过分析组成道路交通系统的四个因素——交通参与者,车辆,道路,环境,分别建立安全可靠度评价模型和道路交通系统安全可靠度模型,从而实现了对道路交通系统安全性进行评价,为今后道路交通安全的研究与保障奠定了一定的理论基础。     

关于城市道路网规划设计的一些问题与思考

针对城市道路交通效能低下、交通拥堵的现状,从道路网规划理念、道路与周边土地开发利用关系、道路网密度、道路文明等几个方面探讨了城市道路网规划设计中存在的一些问题,以此提高我们对城市道路网规划设计的认识。