Date of Award

Spring 4-24-2024

Degree Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Degree Name

Masters in Civil Engineering

Department

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Committee Chair/First Advisor

Dr. Tien Yee

Second Advisor

Dr. Sunanda Dissanayake

Third Advisor

Dr. Parth Bhavsar

Abstract

It is commonly assumed that daylight will adequately penetrate short tunnels, leading to the misconception that artificial lighting is unnecessary during the daytime. Past studies revealed higher frequency of crashes in short tunnels and despite that there is lack of national guidelines warranting artificial lighting for short tunnels. Inadequately lit tunnels pose safety risks, while excessive lighting can be costly. Hence, it becomes crucial to investigate the extent of daylight penetration in short tunnels and identify disappearance zones within these tunnels. This research can help determine the necessity of artificial lighting, and which specific areas of the tunnel require lighting. This study involves two key components. The first component focuses on developing a 2-dimensional model to analyze daylight penetration within the tunnel. The second component is dedicated to identifying the disappearance zones within the tunnels. The numerical model generates horizontal and vertical illuminance based on inputs such as portal illuminance, tunnel length, and height. This model was validated using data from a journal article and additional testing was conducted using data from 16 tunnels in Georgia, USA, collected by GDOT. The mathematical model simulated horizontal illuminance which matches with the field-collected data. The accuracy of calculated disappearance zones was also confirmed through validation against field data. This model is robust but has limitations in capturing illuminance variations caused by portal and exit shadows, surface reflectivity, daylight angle, and variations in tunnel geometry. The model can be used to further study the necessity of artificial lighting and ultimately improve driver safety.

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