United Kingdom
A research center in the UK is studying automated monitoring of the state of infrastructure
Traffic Technology Today, 13.05.2022
Researchers from Queen's University in Belfast are involved in a new £7.7 million project aimed at changing the way parts of the UK's infrastructure are monitored and maintained, including bridges, telecommunications masts and wind turbines.
A healthy infrastructure is crucial to the UK's society and economy, but monitoring and maintaining it is expensive.
The ROSEHIPS project (Revolutionizing operational security and savings for expensive infrastructure using SHM based on population data) aims to solve the problem of managing infrastructure assets in the UK to maintain infrastructure such as bridges with new research to automate health monitoring. Instead of expensive routine inspections, diagnostics can be carried out using permanently installed sensors that continuously collect structural data and interpret them using computer algorithms.
Experts from Queen's University have joined a joint team of researchers and will work with the University of Sheffield, the University of Cambridge and the University of Exeter, as well as with key industry partners, including the Department of Infrastructure of Northern Ireland, Translink, Arqiva, Cellnex (UK) and Siemens Gamesa.
Researchers from Queen's will focus on developing new sensing methods – they will be adapted to the infrastructure and will help overcome obstacles to the implementation of research in the real world.
The project of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) combines experience in the field of monitoring the condition of bridge structures from Dr. David Hester and Professor Su Taylor from the School of Natural and Artificial Environment at Queen's University, as well as experience in the field of sensory and embedded artificial intelligence from Professor Roger Woods from the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Dr Hester says: "Our initial work on developing innovative sensor solutions and our considerable bridge monitoring experience provided an important practical platform for this project. Thanks to cutting-edge research, Queen's experts continue to develop solutions to real-world problems on our doorstep, which has a positive impact around the world."
The project will expand and use Population-based Structural Health Monitoring (PBSHM), which allows using data from one structure, where its condition is known, to draw conclusions about another structure.
The project will also develop machine learning and sensing technologies to automatically determine the condition of structures currently in operation, and new standards will be introduced for safer and more environmentally friendly structures in the future.
Smart motorways are the safest roads
Traffic Technology Today, 13.05.2022
National Highways UK Executive Director Nick Harris has called smart motorways with all lanes "our safest roads" as his organization publishes its progress report on Smart Motorways for the second year of 2022.
A new analysis published as part of the Smart Highways Project progress Report for the second year confirms that, in general, in terms of serious or fatal accidents, smart highways are the safest roads in the Strategic Road Network for which National Highways is responsible.
The report also indicates that the risk of collision between moving vehicles is lower on ALR and Dynamic Hard Shoulder (DHS) motorways, where the hard shoulder only works part-time, than on conventional motorways.
"The latest data shows that overall, in terms of serious or fatal accidents, smart motorways are our safest roads," says Nick Harris, chief executive of National Highways. "We continue our work to make them our safest roads in every way. We will continue to build on the work already done and continue to put safety first to help drivers be confident in the motorway network."
Meanwhile, a total of 5,300 bridges have problems, which are enough to cause concern for the safety of users.
Also this year, funding was secured for the Norwegian Sotra Connection PPP project worth 2 billion euros, the largest contract in the history of Norway.
https://www.worldhighways.com/wh8/news/norwegian-road-construction-costs-jump-129
Romania
Progress of the Romanian road construction project
World Highways, 13.05.2022
Progress is being made in the implementation of an important road project in Romania. However, final approval has yet to be obtained for the Bakau-Paskani highway. The length of the site is 77 km .
The project will be part of the motorway connecting Ploiesti and Pascani. The total length of the motorway will be 320 km, and it is expected that the construction of the entire route will cost 5.22 billion euros. Financing for the construction of the Ploiesti-Pascani motorway is carried out within the framework of the National Rehabilitation and Resilience Program (PNRR).
https://www.worldhighways.com/wh8/news/romanian-road-project-progress