STTR Phase I: A MultiObjective Bilevel Approach to Highway Alignment Optimization

这个小企业技术转移（STTR）项目的第一阶段旨在开发一种多目标的双层方法来优化高速公路线形。与汽车和建筑行业的快速发展不同，道路设计仍然以传统的方式进行，已有50多年的历史。日益增长的公路交通和驾驶者的安全问题不断要求建设新的公路、绕行路线、重新调整和扩大现有的公路路线、交叉路口和立交。对于新的公路建设，通常需要在指定点之间优化路线。在扩展工程中，可能需要在紧边界之间找到一条优化路线。对于立交建设，各种坡道可能需要在狭窄的边界之间进行优化。对于平交道口，各支腿需要满足适当的角度约束。寻找新公路建设、调整或扩建的最佳可行方案的研究属于“公路路线优化”或“公路线形优化”的一般领域。公路运输对美国经济至关重要。因此，所提出的研究努力可以帮助道路规划者和设计师建造具有成本效益和环境合规的高速公路，这反过来将对国家经济产生强烈的积极影响。精心规划和设计的道路可以减少拥堵，大大减少旅行时间延误和车辆运营成本。多目标分析与双层建模方法相结合，可以快速检查各种权衡方案，从而加快项目批准和道路建设过程。所提出的多目标双层方法可应用于其他领域，如轨道交通、公交路线、电力和公用事业线路优化。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is aimed at developing a multi-objective bi-level approach to highway alignment optimization. Unlike the rapid developments in the automobile and construction industries road design is still carried out in the traditional manner which is more than 50 years old. The increasing highway traffic and motorist's safety concerns constantly demand for the construction of new highways, bypass routes, realignment and expansion of existing highway routes, intersections, and interchanges. For new highway construction typically an optimized route between specified points is desired. In expansion projects an optimized route between tight bounds may be desired. For interchange construction various ramps may need to be optimized between tight bounds. For at-grade intersections appropriate angle constraints need to be satisfied for all legs. The study of finding the best available option for a new highway construction, realignment, or expansion falls in the general area of 'Highway Route Optimization' or 'Highway Alignment Optimization'.Road transportation is vital to U.S. economy. As such, the proposed research endeavor can assistthe road planners and designers in building cost-effective and environmentally compliant highways, which in turn, will have a strong positive impact on nation's economy. Carefully planned and designed roads may reduce congestion and cut-down travel-time delay and vehicle operating costs significantly. A multi-objective analysis coupled with the bi-level modeling approach can allow examining various trade-off scenarios quickly, thus expediting project approval and road construction process. The proposed multi-objective bi-level approach may have applications in other fields, such as rail transit, bus route, and power and utility line optimization.