Environmental Measurement and Modeling
The Volpe Center's Environmental Measurement and Modeling Division, including its Acoustics Facility, Air Quality Facility, and Alcohol Countermeasures Group, anticipate future national, state, local, and international transportation-related noise, air quality, and safety issues and requirements, and respond to current needs and priorities in accordance with its role as a national organization of transportation-related noise, air quality, and safety expertise.
The Environmental Measurement and Modeling Division's mission is to:
- Provide support for national transportation-related noise, air quality, and safety initiatives.
- Enhance the nation's capabilities to meet future transportation-related noise, air quality, and safety requirements.
- Anticipate and create awareness of national and international trends and issues in transportation-related noise, air quality, and safety.
- Address the serious problems caused by the intoxicated driver.
- Serve as a bridge to industry, academia, and other government agencies.
Capabilities
- Noise measurement for all modes of transportation, including long-term monitoring in remote locations
- Integrated modeling of transportation impacts using the FAA environmental tools suite (e.g., Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT), Integrated Noise Model (INM), System for assessing Aviation's Global Emissions (SAGE), Model for Assessing Global Exposure of Noise to Transport Airplanes (MAGENTA), Emissions and Dispersion Modeling System (EDMS), Noise Integrated Routing System (NIRS)).
- Leading FAA Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) initiatives (e.g., Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuel Initiative (CAAFI), Aviation Climate Change Research Initiative (ACCRI), Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise (CLEEN), and Environmental Management System (EMS)).
- Modeling of emissions and dispersion from transportation-related sources.
- Analyses involving transportation-related air quality models (e.g., CALINE3, CAL3QHC and MOBILE5a) and point source air quality models (e.g., ISC3, AERMOD and CALPUFF).
- In-house software architecture and development capabilities
- Air pollutant concentration measurement (e.g., carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and particulate matter (PM)).
- Traffic data measurement (e.g., counts, speeds and layout).
- Meteorological data measurement (e.g., wind direction, wind speed, temperature and relative humidity).
- Evaluate blood alcohol test devices according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Model Specifications for Evidential Breath Testers, Alcohol Screening Devices, and Calibrating Units.
- Conduct blood alcohol proficiency tests
- Expert witness testimony
Featured Work
- Aviation Environmental Tools Suite
- Traffic Noise Model
- Air Tour Management Plan
- Alcohol Countermeasures
- Commercial Alternative Aviation Fuel Initiative
- Time Space Position Information System
- Month by Month Timelapse of Global Fuelburn (2006)
- Full Project List -- View Full Project List of Current and Past Projects
Publications
Technical Information
Staff
Client
Contact Us
Christopher Roof, Division Chief
617.494.6344
christopher.roof@dot.gov