Civil Engineering Civil Tarco Field Vehicle

Overview of Services

The recharge center is being established to cover costs incurred by the Center for Road Safety (CRS) Mobile Traffic Lab van. The van is used for research, education, and training of Civil Engineering professors, researchers and students.
The van is equipped with 2 cameras and a Lidar, computer, two storage units and an Ethernet network, and can be used for video recording the traffic or to collect 3D traffic data. The equipment allows the researchers to analyze traffic patterns, vehicles trajectories, vehicle’s interaction and traffic safety based on conflict analysis. The equipment is powered by the van through an inverter, requiring the van’s engine to remaining running during the data collection process.

Due to the continued cost to maintain this vehicle and the desire to equitably share the costs with the benefitting projects, a recharge center is being established to recover the expenses incurred to maintain and operate this vehicle. Separate rates are being established for miles driven verses hours idling, as the impact, wear, and costs associated with each vary. Expenditures included in the rate calculation include such things as maintenance, repairs, fuel, insurance, license plates, batteries, cables, tires and parking. The van was purchased in 2001 and is fully depreciated; therefore, depreciation recovery has not been included in this recharge operation or proposed charge rates.

Effort related to the administration of this recharge operation is anticipated to be less than one percent (less than 20 hours per year) for one person per year due to the estimated volume of trips (approximately 15-20 uses per year). Given the minimal administrative effort, salary expenditures have not been recorded to this recharge operation. Effort expended to drive, operate the vehicle, and perform necessary research utilizing this vehicle will be charged as direct effort to the benefitting project and will not be included in this recharge operation.

Leadership

Director
Andrew Tarko
Purdue University Research Park

 

Business Manager
Yvette Rosas
765-494-4071
yrosas@purdue.edu

 

Contacts

Name Role Phone Email Location
Yvette Rosas
Business Manager
 
765-494-4071
 
yrosas@purdue.edu