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Cover of Improving the Reliability of Heavy Vehicle Parameters to Support More Accurate Traffic Modelling in Australia and New Zealand
Improving the Reliability of Heavy Vehicle Parameters to Support More Accurate Traffic Modelling in Australia and New Zealand
  • Publication no: AP-R609-19
  • ISBN: 978-1-925854-56-5
  • Published: 25 November 2019

This report explores heavy vehicle parameters which can be used to improve the accuracy of traffic modelling in Australia and New Zealand. The focus was on relevant parameters used in SIDRA, LINSIG, AIMSUN and VISSIM to model heavy vehicle movements in interrupted traffic flow conditions. Literature reviews and stakeholder consultations were conducted. Field surveys were also conducted to measure real-world heavy vehicle characteristics. The field survey results were then utilised to develop a set of parameters.

  • Summary
  • 1.      Introduction
    • 1.1    Key Issue
    • 1.2    Purpose
    • 1.3    Scope
      • 1.3.1      Vehicle Types
      • 1.3.2      Parameters
      • 1.3.3      Software
    • 1.4    Methodology
    • 1.5    Scope of the Report
  • 2.      Literature Review and Consultation Workshops
    • 2.1    Modelling Software
      • 2.1.1      SIDRA
      • 2.1.2      LINSIG
      • 2.1.3      AIMSUN
      • 2.1.4      VISSIM
    • 2.2    Heavy Vehicle Characteristics
      • 2.2.1      Length and Width
      • 2.2.2      Clearance Space
      • 2.2.3      Acceleration and Deceleration
      • 2.2.4      Power-to-Weight Ratio
      • 2.2.5      Mass
      • 2.2.6      Turning Speed
      • 2.2.7      Passenger Car Unit
      • 2.2.8      Critical Gap
      • 2.2.9      Reaction Time
      • 2.2.10    Lane Changing
      • 2.2.11    Overtaking
      • 2.2.12    Turning Path and Queue Spillback
      • 2.2.13    Environmental Impacts
    • 2.3    Summary
  • 3.      Heavy Vehicle Survey
    • 3.1    Video Survey
    • 3.2    Heavy Vehicle Length
    • 3.3    Clearance Space
    • 3.4    Acceleration
    • 3.5    Start-up Headway
    • 3.6    Saturation Headway
    • 3.7    Turning Speed
    • 3.8    Through Speed
    • 3.9    Critical Gap and Follow-up Headway
    • 3.9.1      Critical Gap
    • 3.9.2      Follow-up Headway
    • 3.10 Passenger Car Unit
    • 3.11 Powertrain Analysis
  • 4.      Parameter Development
    • 4.1    SIDRA
      • 4.1.1      Vehicle Length
      • 4.1.2      Queue Space
      • 4.1.3      Passenger Car Equivalent
      • 4.1.4      Turning Vehicle Factor
      • 4.1.5      Gap Acceptance Factor
    • 4.2    LINSIG
    • 4.3    AIMSUN
      • 4.3.1      Calibration Methodology
      • 4.3.2      Road Network Used in Calibration
      • 4.3.3      Calibration Results – Rigid Truck
      • 4.3.4      Calibration Results – Single Articulated
      • 4.3.5      Calibration Results – B-double
      • 4.3.6      Calibration Results – Double Road Train
      • 4.3.7      Recommended Ranges of Parameter Values for AIMSUN
      • 4.3.8      Calibration Check under Mixed Traffic Conditions
    • 4.4    VISSIM
      • 4.4.1      Road Network Development
      • 4.4.2      Vehicle Inputs
      • 4.4.3      Desired Speeds and Reduced Speed Areas
      • 4.4.4      Signal Heads and Data Collection Points
      • 4.4.5      Gradients
      • 4.4.6      Vehicle Types
      • 4.4.7      Driving Behaviours
      • 4.4.8      Methodology of Calibration and Mixed Traffic Checking
      • 4.4.9      Calibration Results – Rigid Truck
      • 4.4.10    Calibration Results – Single Articulated
      • 4.4.11    Calibration Results – B-double
      • 4.4.12    Calibration Results – Double Road Train
      • 4.4.13    Calibration Check under Mixed Traffic Conditions
      • 4.4.14    Summary and Discussion
  • 5.      Conclusions
    • 5.1    Literature Review
    • 5.2    Workshops
    • 5.3    Heavy Vehicle Surveys
    • 5.4    Parameter Development
    • 5.5    Suggestions for Future Study
  • References
  • Appendix A          LINSIG Sensitivity Test
  • Appendix B          VISSIM Calibration Issue of Double Road Trains
  • Appendix C          VISSIM Mixed Traffic Checking Issue of Double Road Trains
  • Appendix D          Acceleration Functions for VISSIM Calibration
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