AIR MONITORING PROGRAM TO DETERMINE THE IMPACT OF HIGHWAYS ON AMBIENT AIR QUALITY

This work represents the final report on research comparing air pollutant concentrations measured near highways to concentrations predicted by highway atmospheric dispersion models. The procedure used was to conduct six separate field experiments over a two-year period of time at three different locations in Nashville, Tennessee. The three locations chosen represented different types of highway configurations and terrain features. Measurement of air pollution, meteorological conditions (wind speed, direction, and stability) traffic conditions (volume, speed, and HDV) and topographic dimensions were all collected synchronously for use in model comparisons. The models tested include the EPA HIWAY model, the California Line Source model, and SRI's Street Canyon submodel. Also an empirical model was developed which predicts downwind dispersion due to the turbulent wake induced by moving vehicles and the time traveled by the wake as it is transported away from the highway by the wind. The report contains a description of the field monitoring procedures, monitoring sites, and data handling procedures employed. It describes the diffusion models tested and presents general solutions (nomographs) of the models. The results of model validations performed on data from at-grade and complex highway terrain are presented.

• Corporate Authors:

  University of Tennessee, Knoxville

  203 Administration Building
  Knoxville, TN  United States  37996-0700

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Tennessee Department of Transportation

  Office of Research and Planning
  Nashville, TN  United States  37219
• Authors:
  • Noll, K E
  • Miller, T L
  • Rainey, R H
  • May, R C
• Publication Date: 1975-7-1

Media Info

• Pagination: 233 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air pollution; Alternatives analysis; Atmospheric interference; Automobiles; Carbon monoxide; Chemical concentration; Environment; Exhaust gases; Field tests; Highways; Hydrocarbons; Impact studies; Location; Mathematical models; Meteorology; Model atmosphere; Monitoring; Nitric oxide; Nitrogen oxides; Position fixing; Shape; Terrain; Topography; Traffic; Turbulence; Velocity; Wind
• Uncontrolled Terms: Concentration; Configuration; Data; Models
• Old TRIS Terms: Ambience; Dispersion; Wind velocity
• Subject Areas: Design; Geotechnology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00136907
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: Final Rpt.
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jul 22 1976 12:00AM