• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.55-71
• /
• 2019

The purpose of this study is to propose an evaluation method to assess green environments of streetscapes to improve urban street green spaces in Jeonju City. Through a rapid assessment of urban street green spaces, we suggest an objective basis for expanding street green space as well as for adopting sustainable maintenance and improvement measures. We choose 12 sections of streetscapes (roads and sidewalks) to investigate existing street conditions which have more than four lanes and function as major road axes. Six large roads and six medium roads of Jeonju City center area are investigated as pilot assessment study sites. Site inventory checklists consist of environmental characteristics of streetscape, street tree status, and planting condition evaluation. Environmental characteristics of streetscapes are composed of physical and neighborhood factors. For instance, items for physical factors are types and width of road/sidewalks, paving materials, tree protection materials, and green strip. And surrounding landuse is a neighborhood factor. Assessment items for street tree status are street plant names (tree/shrubs/ground cover), size, and planting intervals. Planting condition evaluation items are tree shape, damage, canopy density, and planting types with existence of adjacent green space. Evaluation results are classified into three levels such as A(maintain or repair), B(greening enhancement), and C(structural improvement). In case of grade A, streetscapes have enough sidewalk width for maintaining green strip and a multi-layered planting(in large road only) with fairly good growing conditions of street trees. For grade B and C, streetscapes have a moderate level of sidewalk width with a single street tree planting. In addition, street tree growing conditions are appeared poor so that green enhancement or maintenance measures are needed. For median, only grade B and C are found as its planting growing foundations are very limited in space. As a result, acquiring enough sidewalk space is essential to enhance ecological quality of urban street green. Especially, it is necessary to have green strip with reasonable widths for plant growing conditions in sidewalks. In addition, we need to consider native species with multi-layer plant compositions while designing street green.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.92-102
• /
• 2004

In this study, landscape changes were examined by periods through the analysis of visual quantity on the landscape components of national road including the mountains, the sky, road pavements, street trees, paddy fields and dry fields, billboard, telegraph pole, building, structure, slope, guard fence, soundproof wall, and median strip etc. For this, subject national road in suburb arreas was selected to grasp its landscape characteristics, and divisional criteria of landscape type of the national road were suggested to look into the trend of landscape changes by periods. Findings of this study are as follows：1.Divisional criteria of landscape type of the national road include location and geometry, structure, land use, perspective, and surrounding buildings of the national road. 2.The highest visual quantity was found in road pavements by periods among landscape components of the national road. It was found that this result has a thread of connection with previous study emphasizing the importance of road geometry as one of landscape components, and road geometry shall be regarded as a visually significant component in analyzing and evaluating landscape of the national road. 3.Most distinguished factors of landscape changes of the national road by periods were median strip(F＝33.296) and street tree(F＝32.881), and then the sky(F＝24.735) and mountain(F＝23.477) showed similar level of statistically significant difference. However, statistically significance difference was not found in buildings and structures. 4.It was shown that natural elements decreased gradually but structural landscape made of artificial elements became the main in construction of the national road. This result implies that although the scenic and ecological soundness is recognized in construction of the national road, it is not out of the limitation of functionalities that is, access and mobility.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC
• /
• v.46 no.6
• /
• pp.28-37
• /
• 2009

In this paper, we propose an obstacle localization method using a road feature based on a V-disparity map binarized by a maximum frequency value. In a conventional method, the detection performance is severely affected by the size, number and type of obstacles. It's especially difficult to extract a large obstacle or a continuous obstacle like a median strip. So we use a road feature as a new decision standard to localize obstacles irrespective of external environments. A road feature is proper to be a new decision standard because it keeps its rough feature very well in V-disparity under environments where many obstacles exist. And first of all, we create a binary V-disparity map using a maximum frequency value to extract a road feature easily. And then we compare the binary V-disparity map with a median value to remove noises. Finally, we use a linear interpolation for rows which have no value. Comparing this road feature with each column value in disparity map, we can localize obstacles robustly. We also propose a post-processing technique to remove noises made in obstacle localization stage. The results in real road tests show that the proposed algorithm has a better performance than a conventional method.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
• /
• v.6 no.3
• /
• pp.17-28
• /
• 2003

The objective of this study is to review and verify whether the functions and effect of roadside trees generally known in theory are actually realized in urban roads and how well they are performed if the function and effect are really realized. The study was conducted with a focus on air purification effect of roadside trees. The m헤r study result is as follows. First, calculation of air purification effect of roadside trees showed that it is minimal. However, 7.4 units of broad-leaved trees is necessary in order to purify $SO_2$ discharged by one passenger car and 1,803.3 trees to purify $NO_2$. Second, regarding pollutant absorption capacity, air pollutant absorption capacity increased as the number of rows planted gets higher (i.e., 2-row plantation absorbs pollutant better than I-row plantation). In particular, "2-row plantation + lower-level shrub + buffer green belt" was as eight times high as "I-row plantation" in absorption capacity. Third, out of 30 roads with over 8 lanes in 15 cities, only 33.3% or a total of ten roads in seven cities had a median strip. Out of these ten roads, nine roads were planted in a double-layer consisting forest trees, shrubs, ground plants (grass). Analysis showed that out of six tree species planted along these roads, about a half of them were weak to air pollution. Also, based on the outcome of this study, charging a "plantation due" when people purchase a new car, improving layout of roadside trees, and reinforcing plantation of air purification tree species when selecting tree species for roadside trees were proposed.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
• /
• v.14 no.6
• /
• pp.91-99
• /
• 2015

This study intends to build a traffic accident predictive model considering road geometrics, traffic and enviromental characteristics and identify the relationship of 4-legs intersection accidents in Seoul and Busan metropolitan area. The RPNB(Random Parameter Negative Binomial) model shows improvement over the fixed NB(Negative Binomial) and out of 53 variables, 10 variables (main road number of lane, main road vehicle traffic volume(left), minor road vehicle traffic volume(right), main road drive restriction, minor road sight distance, minor road median strip, minor road speed limit, minor road speed restriction) showed to have significant variables affecting traffic accident occurrences in 4-legs signilized intersections. Also, among 10 significant variables, 2 variables(minor road sight distance, minor road speed restriction) found to be random parameters.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.167-175
• /
• 2012

For establishing a standard of design element of the smart highway, this study investigated driver's anxiety EEG according to running speeds and geometric designs. Also, the experiment was implemented on 60 subjects. Based on running speed data and brainwave data, which were obtained from the experiment, this study analyzes anxiety EEG according to running speeds and geometric designs, and finally draws a forecasting model of anxiety EEG by selecting affecting factors of anxiety EEG. Forecasting model shows that left curve is the most influential on anxiety EEG figure. The reason is because when driver is driving on the first-lane, his or her visibility is impeded by a median strip. For this reason, anxiety EEG figure increases. And also steep downward slope and large radius of curve are heavily influential on driver's anxiety EEG figure. It is judged that anxiety EEG figure is increased by high speed on those section. Thus, the forecasting model of anxiety EEG suggested on this study will be utilized for design phase, and will decide the design speed on the superhighway. So, it will be used to make practical and safety road.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.39-48
• /
• 1996

The planting pattern of Seoul street tree could be divided into six patterns, that was, one row, double row, median strip type and bicycle road type. The protection facilities of installed street tree was inadequate, because it was so small and weak. Recently, the growth rate of street tree in Seoul was decreasing because of air pollution. Strong alkali soil proved to be inappropriate for the growth of street tree. Soil hardness of treepit equipped with treegrill was lower than unequipped one. From the analysis of correlation between the growth environments of street tree, we could conclude that the vitality of street tree are proportioned to the distance from the center of Seoul. The way of improvement for physiological growth and increase of street tree were as follows; establishment reform of street facilities, the installation of protection equipment, continuous and systematic management.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.41 no.3
• /
• pp.320-328
• /
• 2008

Background: Numerous surgical devices for mitral repair have been used in the past with good results. In this study we describe a simple annuloplasty technique with using a new device ($Mitracon^{(R)}$). The aim of this study was to assess its efficacy and surgical results with using $Mitracon^{(R)}$. Material and Method: From May 2003 to October 2005, 46 patients (21 women and 25 men (mean age of $51.4{\pm}17.8$ years) with mitral regurgitation from various causes were treated with either the $Mitracon^{(R)}$ (the $Mitracon^{(R)}$ group) or the Capentier Edward rigid ring (the CE group). The median follow-up duration was 18.9 months. Result: The mean grade of mitral regurgitation before and immediately after surgery in the $Mitracon^{(R)}$ group and the CE group decreased from $3.2{\pm}0.8$ to $0.6{\pm}0.7$ and $3.4{\pm}0.7$ to $0.3{\pm}0.5$, respectively. There were no significant changes in the ejection fraction either between the two groups or before and immediately after surgery. No deaths were seen in either group. Early postoperative echocardiography of all 46 patients showed only trivial mitral regurgitation or none at all. Echocardiography at a median of 18.9 months also showed no progression in mitral regurgitation. The mean grade of mitral regurgitation in the $Mitracon^{(R)}$ group at this time point decreased from $3.2{\pm}0.8$ to $0.8{\pm}0.7$ (p<0.05). The CE group also showed a similar degree of decrease from $3.4{\pm}0.7$ to $0.3{\pm}0.6$ (p<0.05). The mitral valve area in the $Mitracon^{(R)}$ group at 1 year follow-up was $3.3{\pm}0.9cm^2$. The mitral valve area in the CE group was $2.7{\pm}0.6cm^2$. The mean mitral pressure gradient in the $Mitracon^{(R)}$ group at 1 year follow-up was $3.1{\pm}1.3$ mmHg. The mean pressure gradient in the CE group was $4.5{\pm}2.1$ mmHg, although any statistical significant difference for this between the groups was not reached. Conclusion: The present study showed the described technique to be safe and effective in the intermediate term. Because long term results are unavailable, a more extensive prospective randomized multicenter trial may be warranted to determine whether this procedure should be generally applied for repair of mitral valve disease.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.439-446
• /
• 2011

In this research, enhanced land-cover classification methods using high-resolution satellite image (HRSI) and GIS in terms of practicality and accuracy was proposed. It aims for understanding non-point pollutant origin/loading, assessment the efficiency of rainfall storage/infiltration facilities and sounds water-environment management. The result of applying enhanced land-cover classification methods to the urban region verifies that roof and road area are including various vegetations such as roof garden, flower bed in the median strip and street tree. This accounts for 3% of total study area, and more importantly it was counted as impervious area by GIS alone or conventional indoor work. The feasibility of the method was assessed by applying to rainfall-runoff analysis for three weak rainfall in the range of 7.1-10.5 mm events in 2000, Chiba, Japan. A good agreement between simulated and observed runoff hydrograph was obtained. In comparison, the hydrograph simulated with land-use parameters by the detailed land-use information of 10m grid had an error between 31%~71%, while enhanced method showed 4% to 29%, and showed the improvement particularly for reproducing observed peak and recession flow rate of hydrograph in weak rainfall condition.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.125-131
• /
• 2011

This research aims to investigate the cause of the occurrence of a weak road drainage section scientifically and specifically through a site survey for a poorly drained section occurring due to rainfalls during road operation. This paper deeply reviewed the existing research results and current situation data on the poorly drained sections accumulated in Korea Expressway Corporation in order to investigate the cause of the occurrence of a weak road drainage section, and deeply verified and analyzed the weak sections for the road surface drainage facilities and the other road drainage facilities by visiting the expressway controlled by the 6 local headquarters and 33 branches of Korea Expressway Corporation. As a result of site surveys for the weak road drainage sections, i) in a road surface section, occurrence of ponding in the road shoulder pavement due to slope changes, bad collection of water in the collecting well at a median strip, shortage of road shoulder dike height, and inferior construction, etc. was analyzed to be the main cause of the occurrence of poorly drained sections, and ii) in a road neighborhood section, the occurrence of pavement height difference in a main road and shoulder section due to inferior ditches on a slope and the bad drain age at the inlet and outlet of a culvert due to soil deposits, debris, etc. were analyzed to be the main cause of the occurrence of weak sections. Proposed as a plan to improve the poorly drainage section of road were i)calculation of capacity through material changes at the ditch, enhancement of vertical sections and hydraulic analysis in terms of construction and other aspects, ii)derivation of a combined slope considering a slope and a vertical linearity and maintenance of proper distance between drainage structures in a vertical concave section in terms of geometrical structure, and iii)calculation of the drainage facility installation interval using a minutely rainfall intensity formula and a non-uniform flow analysis technique in terms of hydraulics and hydrologics and prompt removal of rainfalls from the road surface according to a linear drainage method.