Closed Book Questions

CE En 361, Sample Final Exam: Spring 2012.

Sample Final Examination – Part I: Closed Book

Please note the final exam is a comprehensive exam. This sample final exam only shows the types of questions that may appear in the actual final exam.

Problem 1. [Chapter 6: 8-b] Romeo slammed on the brake and his car stopped after a few seconds, almost hitting a median wall. He saw a skid mark of about 250 feet on the pavement. The grade of the roadway is 4.5% downgrade. The pavement was fairly dry and the policeman at the scene told him that the friction coefficient of the pavement would be about 0.4. What would be his speed when he initially braked? State the speed value in mph.

Problem 2. [Chapter 2: 4-b] A segment of a freeway has a free-flow speed of 65 mph. When the speed was 45 mph, the density was 40 vehicles per mile per lane. What would be the jam density of this section if the traffic flow in this segment follows the Greenshields model? What would be the maximum flow rate (capacity) of this segment (in vehicles per hour per lane)?

Problem 3. [Chapter 8: 10-c] Define phase, interval, and cycle and show the relationship among them.

Problem 4. [Chapter 8: 10-c] What’s the dilemma zone?

Problem 5. [Chapter 9: 11-c] Define ESAL. How are ESALs for a single axle and a tandem axle computed?

Problem 6: [Chapter 9: 11-c] PSR, PSI, IRI relations

Problem 7: [Chapter 9: 11-c] There are four layers in the pavement structure in a typical flexible pavement design. Name them from the top layer.

Problem 8. [Chapter 10: 12-o] What are the three characteristics that define public mass transit (as used in Chapter 10 of the text)?

Problem 9. [Chapter 10: 12-o] What are the five transit vehicle travel time regimes?

Problem 10. [Chapter 10: 12-o] Write a formula for computing a shrinkage factor to determine the demand elasticity of transit ridership with respect to fare. (Use the definition of the shrinkage factor to come up with a formula.)

Problem 11. [Chapter 10: 12-o] Define the passengers’ reaction to be “elastic” or “inelastic.”

Problem 12. [Chapter 2: 3-b] Show the relationship among flow rate, density, and space mean speed.

Problem 13. [Chapter 2: 8-b] Break the perception reaction time into four activity components that takes up the perception reaction time.

Problem 14. [Chapter 13: 14-h] Define sustainability in your own words or as the textbook defines it.

Problem 15. [Chapter 12: 13-o]] List 4 major modes for freight transportation.

Problem 16. ]Chapter 12: 13-o) The freight traffic engineer of a company seeks the best strategies for three stages of freight movement. What are they?