Due to fine-texture and moderate to high plasticity, the swelling capacity of forest soils is normally high. High volume variability, as a consequence of fluctuating soil moisture, is considered a destructive phenomenon in forest road construction. In this study, Road Packer Plus (RPP) was used as a new proxy agent to improve the swelling behavior of high plastic clay soil. To this end, compression tests, swelling and swelling pressure were conducted on the control samples and samples treated with values recommended by the manufacturer company, to understand the potential of volume changes in the treated soils. Also, to evaluate the effect of time on the performance of the RPP, swelling and swelling pressure tests were conducted on the treated samples seven and 14 days following the treatment. The results showed that the RPP agent relatively increased the maximum dry weight per unit volume and decreased swelling and swelling pressure, while treatment time could only slightly decrease the swelling capacity of the corresponding soil. With respect to soil type, adding the proposed doses and matter and curing time of treated samples of this chemical, has no significant effect on the amount soil swelling reduction. On the other hand, the closure of roads to traffic for a certain period of time following soil stabilization has no significant effect on the performance of this agent. Thus, neither the recommended dose nor the treatment processing time had significant impact on decreasing forest soil swelling potential. In conclusion, we propose to apply a similar approach on a wider array of soil types with different swelling properties.

The casualties due to traffic accidents in Iran are very shocking, which necessitates further investigations into safety measures. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of provinces in road transport safety. The present research data is from the statistical yearbook of Roads and Transportation Organization. The method used in this study was data envelopment analysis (BCC) with weighted input variables in two stages of provincial classification without considering inter-provincial class. Finally, efficient units were compared with Anderson Patterson method. Research data were analyzed using DEA Solver software. In the first stage, 31 provinces without any classification were compared with each other in terms of safety performance indicators presented in the statistical yearbook of the National Road Administration, which included East Azarbaijan, Alborz, Khuzestan, Sistan Baluchestan, Qazvin, Golestan, Gilan, Lorestan, Markazi and Hamadan were found to be ineffective. In the second stage, the provinces were categorized into three categories according to the number of freight and passenger trips, and then each province was compared in terms of performance status with each other. At this stage, Golestan, Sistan and Baluchestan, Markazi, Hamedan, Gilan, Alborz and Lorestan provinces were ineffective. The results of implementation of Anderson Patterson method announced the top three provinces, respectively, Tehran, Isfahan and Khorasan Razavi, respectively.

A B S T R A C T Tourism as a socio-economic activity plays an essential role in the economic, social, physical, and cultural dimensions of rural settlements in developing countries, which can have significant impacts on rural physical identity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of tourism on the identity changes of rural settlements in Oraman area of Sarvabad Township in Kurdistan province. Therefore, the present study questions 1. What is the relationship between tourism development and rural identity changes in the study area? What are the most critical factors influencing the physical development of rural settlements? He answers. The present study is a descriptive-analytical based on data collection using a questionnaire. The statistical population of the study consisted of 7 villages located in the Dezli-Hajij communication axis in Oraman District based on population and housing census data of 1395 with 1572 households and 306 households were selected using Cochran formula. One-sample t-test and factor analysis were used for data analysis. The findings of the study showed that tourism development in the sample villages in terms of continuity over time such as housing construction quality (3/67), sanitation (3/39) and land-use changes (3/78) and unity and plurality such as Design and style of housing architecture (3/01) and public transit architecture (3/23) and then differentiation and homogeneity such as proportionality with rural life (3/58) and rurality or location (3/43) have a positive impact on the physical dimensions of rural settlements in the region. The results of the exploratory factor analysis showed that tourism development plays a vital role in the development of rural physical identity in the region. So that the proportion of rural life with a specific amount of 13/6 and 27% of the total variance had the most influence among the factors Extended Abstract Introduction  As an important socio-economic activity in local and regional development, tourism has a high potential for political, social, and economic changes in communities. Scholars widely regard it as the engine of development. Today, rural areas in developing countries face various economic, social, and environmental challenges. Planners need to pay more attention to complementary sectors of agricultural activities such as the development of handicrafts, food industries, and tourism because agriculture is now retreating from its hegemonic position in some rural areas. Therefore, tourism as one of the essential approaches to rural development has multiple effects on the socio-economic dimensions of rural areas. Tourism can play a vital role in shaping spaces, reconfiguring and rebuilding processes, creating new socio-economic opportunities in less-developed rural areas,  and leads to changes in the physical dimensions and physical identity of the villages.   Methodology This study aims to investigate the role of tourism development in the physical identity of  rural settlements located in the Dezley-Hajij road axis in Oraman County (Sarvabad Township- Kurdistan province) in western Iran. This applied study methodology of research was based on analytical– descriptive methods using questionnaires. After the survey of theoretical bases, the questionnaire was set using a Likert spectrum and distributed randomly among the sample. The statistical population of this study consisted of 1572 households residing in the villages of Daraki (Dezli County), Veisiyan and Kamaleh (Oraman County), Belbar, Jivar, Celin, and Novin (Shalyar County), with a sample of 306 was selected by Cochran formula. A questionnaire was further validated by an academic panel of experts in the field of research. Cronbach's alpha determined its reliability, which was up to 0.890 for measured indexes. The data were analyzed by One sample T-test and Factor   analysis tests in the SPSS software package.    Results and discussion To investigate the role of tourism activities in the physical identity change of rural settlements, the research indices in terms of three components of time continuity (quality of constructions, health, and environmental cleanliness and land-use transformations), unity/multiplicity (Landscape of free passages and the type of architectural style), and differentiation/similarity (proportional to rural life and Compliance with the physical environment) were classified. The results of the one-sample t-test showed that assuming numerical utility (3 mean spectra), the components of continuity in time, variance, multiplicity, and differentiation and similarity with numerical mean values (3.62), (3.35), and (3.27), respectively. The effect of tourism development is affected, and the difference is positive and means between upper and lower boundaries. There is a significant difference at the 95% level between the components. Evaluation of the importance of tourism in the physical development of rural settlements from the viewpoint of the respondents using factor analysis statistical test showed that the relevant data according to the KMO coefficient (0.812) is appropriate, and the Bartlett's test is 99% significant. Therefore, 50 variables extracted from the questionnaire were classified into six main factors, namely rural planning and architecture, beautification and environmental hygiene, privacy and road improvement, rural livelihoods, cultural regeneration, and physical security.   Conclusion Findings based on the utility analysis of indicators indicate the positive impact of tourism development on the development of physical identity changes in rural settlements in the study area. Thus, the development of tourism in the villages under study has been able to positively influence the three dimensions of identity, such as continuity in time, unity and plurality, and differentiation and similarity. Therefore, it can be concluded that tourism development due to its social and economic impacts on the villages has also led to changes in rural physical identity. Moreover, hygiene and cleanliness of the rural environment were observed with a numerical mean (3.81) and (3.67), respectively, both of which are indices in the continuity component over time. The results of the data analysis using factor analysis showed that the studied variables had 6% of the total variance in 5% of total variance. Based on the results of this analysis, it can be concluded that tourism development in two factors in terms of continuity in time has the most impact on the physical identity of rural settlements at 41%. Thus, planning and architecture of rural housing with 27% of the total variance and beautification and sanitation of the physical environment with 14% of the total variance have a significant impact on the physical changes and, consequently, the physical identity of the rural settlements. Based on the research findings, the following suggestions can be considered: Strengthening local institutions, such as the Islamic Council and the local managers, in order to promote the use of local patterns in the construction of new instruments to conform to the physical structure and function of the villages in the region; Management of land use changes on the edge of the village in order to prevent unnecessary physical changes in the way of preservation and environmental beauty; Prevent the accumulation of pesticides in public passages due to tourism in the area; Improving public beauties and beautifying them using the social and cultural elements of the region.   Funding There is no funding support.   Authors’ Contribution The authors contributed equally to the conceptualization and writing of the article. All of the authors approved the content of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work.   Conflict of Interest The Authors declared no conflict of interest.   Acknowledgments The authors appreciate to all the scientific consultants of this paper.

Background & Objectives: Considering the lack of adequate basic information on risk factors for road traffic injuries in Iran, a study was conducted to determine the association between potential risk factors and the incidence of injuries in motor vehicle drivers.Methods: We performed a population-based case-control study on Qazvin-Loshan road. Risk factors related to injury incidence were compared between 175 cases and 175 controls. Cases were drivers recently injured in road accidents. Controls did not have any injury and were selected systematically while the study was being conducted. Injury was defined as trauma needing medical or surgical treatment. Information was obtained through police reports and interviews with cases and controls. Data were analyzed by two methods; bivariate analysis (crude) and by a multivariate unconditional logistic regression model.Results: In bivariate analysis, risk factors for road traffic injuries risk were failure to wear seat belts or protective helmets, ejection from vehicle, severity of collision, number of crashes, motorcycle vs. other motor vehicle accidents, fire, rain and fog, and collision with fixed objects. In the logistic model, factors such as seat belt or helmet use with OR= 0.619 (0.376-1.018), ejection from the vehicle with OR= 2.952 (1.235-7.056), severe collision with OR= 5.413 (2.865-10.224), motorcycle vs. other motor vehicle accident with OR= 3.164 (1.05-9.537) and raining and fog vs. good weather with OR= 4.562 (1.663-12.514) were found to influence injury incidence. There was an interaction between severity of collision and weather status.Conclusions: Better speed control, use of seat belts or helmets, not using motorcycles for road travel and equipping vehicles with fire extinguishing capsules are recommended to reduce road accident injuries.

Hyrcanian forests are the only forests designated for commercial timber production in Iran. Ground-based skidding is the most common timber harvesting system used in these forests, but due to low road density (1-2m/ha), large parts of the forests are still inaccessible. To facilitate timber harvesting in the forest, it has been proposed to increase the road density up to 20 m/ha. The aim of this study was to incorporate the estimated skidding costs through a time study into existing transportation planning tool, NETWORK 2000 software package to help decision making on forest road building. This method was applied to Gorazbon district in Hyrcanian forests, where 244 links were built for analysis. The study used continuous time studies based on empirical data for this logging method. The resulted regression model is a function of skidding distance. The best solution found by NETWORK 2000 indicated that all proposed roads should be built to minimize the total skidding and road building costs.

This paper introduces a novel road extraction algorithm in two stages of road detection and road vectorization. In the road detection stage, road class image is obtained using fuzzy C-means clustering and some post processing operations. In the vectorization stage road key points on the road centerline is obtained by an innovative approach of dynamic road pixels clustering using particle swarm optimization. The proposed algorithm is able to automatically optimize number and position of road key points without considering the prior information about the initial number and position of cluster centers by designing a new cost function. The optimized road key points were connected using weighted graph theory. Different high resolution images of Ikonos in urban, non-urban, and mountainous areas were tested and several quality measures including RMSE, correctness, completeness, and quality were calculated. Extracting different road shapes with RMSE less than 1.3 and quality greater than 0.86 in different areas proves the efficiency of the algorithm in yielding complete road networks.

Traffic safety is one of main factors in traffic engineering and transportation planning in world. Absence of safety principles in road engineering designing, transportation planing and maintenance cause society have heavy damages as every year a part of improvement budget have been consumed in road bodification and maintenance. This research present road super structure maintenance optimization model for rural road safety increasing base on traffic parameters and engineering design. We use Marchoph model for superstructure future situation anticipation and have been introduced with consider to PCI index that change between 0 to 100 and 100 shows the best situation of accommodation. The research results show that, using this model cause road maintenance cost reducing and increase maintenance. Services quality and satisfication of road user.