Meaning of the Cover Image

 

Infrastructure and Nature Symbiosis

Grass, and sunshine are essential parts of the road environment. Roads are essential parts of the natural environment.

Symbiosis may yield good outcomes …

• trees provide shade for the road users,

• grass provides soil cover that prevents erosion of the pavement shoulders,

• sunshine helps surface waters to evaporate before they inundate the road foundation.

… or bad outcomes:

• Too much shade reduce evaporation of surface water thus increasing risk of percolation and weakening of subgrade

• Too many trees impair sight distances

 

Transparency and Accountability

Sunshine is the best disinfectant. Rays of sunshine streaming through the trees punctuate the dark and help road users not only see where they are going but also see other road users and roadside hazards.

 

The Roof provided by Integrity

Trees (symbol of strength and structural integrity) provide a canopy that protects the traveler from rain, hail, and so on.  Integrity always protects the researcher from malpractice and trouble.

 

High Tech

Solution of transportation and infrastructure problems often can benefit from the use of high tech tools. The black and green theme of the image reflects the black screen and green characters. In the early days of personal computing (UNIX), text was often green on a black screen.