Sustainability

Research

17 pages, 2438 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Inland Waterway Infrastructure Maintenance Prediction Model Based on Network-Level Assessment

by Fan Zhang, Pingyi Wang, Huaihan Liu, Bin Zhang, Jianle Sun and Jian Li

Sustainability 2023, 15(22), 16027; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152216027 - 16 Nov 2023

Viewed by 934

Maintenance decision optimization based on network-level assessment has a long history in road transportation infrastructure and has greatly assisted management departments in saving in expenditure on maintenance costs. However, its application and research in water transportation infrastructure have been lacking. This paper aims [...] Read more.

Maintenance decision optimization based on network-level assessment has a long history in road transportation infrastructure and has greatly assisted management departments in saving in expenditure on maintenance costs. However, its application and research in water transportation infrastructure have been lacking. This paper aims to design a predictive model for waterway improvement building maintenance based on network-level assessment and provide a new solution for optimizing the allocation of limited maintenance funds for inland waterway infrastructure. The proposed network-level assessment framework and predictive model comprise data collection, maintenance prediction, and maintenance decision modules. A small time-series dataset was constructed based on the classification proportions of improvement building technical conditions in the jurisdiction of the Yangtze River trunk waterway over the past five years. The two-parameter moving average method was transformed into a single-parameter “jurisdiction moving average method” to suit the characteristics of the dataset. Three models, namely the jurisdiction moving average (JMA), the linear regression (LR), and the quadratic curve regression (QCR) models, were employed to perform calculations on the dataset, which were evaluated using t-tests and error analysis. The research results indicated that both the JMA and LR models showed good overall performance and were recommended for use. Especially, the confidence intervals of the JMA model increased the credibility of the prediction results, making it the ideal choice. This study also found that the inland waterway maintenance prediction technology based on the network-level evaluation has higher overall efficiency than the known existing technologies. The proposed predictive model allows for a simple and rapid assessment of the overall risk status of regional waterway facilities and is easy to promote and apply. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Transportation Infrastructure Projects)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 4297 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimization Method of Subway Station Guide Sign Based on Pedestrian Walking Behavior

by Yifei Suo, Bin Lei, Tianxiang Xun, Na Li, Dongbo Lei, Linlin Luo and Xiaoqin Cao

Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 12690; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151712690 - 22 Aug 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1641

Abstract

The appropriate distribution of the guide signs in subway stations can allow passengers to obtain direction and wayfinding information quickly and accurately. The existing setting methods of subway station guide signs mainly consider the locations of facilities and pedestrian flowlines in the station. [...] Read more.

The appropriate distribution of the guide signs in subway stations can allow passengers to obtain direction and wayfinding information quickly and accurately. The existing setting methods of subway station guide signs mainly consider the locations of facilities and pedestrian flowlines in the station. Therefore, this research proposes an optimization method based on pedestrian walking behavior to set guide signs more realistically and increase the guidance efficiency of signs. Firstly, through on-site investigation, this research analyzed the walking behavior characteristics of pedestrians and measured the average speed of pedestrians in different spaces to quantify the walking characteristics. Then, the guidance level of guide signs was defined to describe the guide ability of each sign and was the basis for determining the distribution of the guide signs. The constraint of the distance between two adjacent guide signs was added according to the short-term memory of pedestrian walking identification. Moreover, the variable of the number of floors between the two adjacent signs was added to avoid calculating floor-by-floor. Finally, Xi’an Xiaozhai Station was selected as an example to verify the proposed optimization method using the AnyLogic 8.7.6. The results show that the guide sign optimization method based on pedestrian walking behavior proposed in this paper can obtain an accurate distribution of guide signs, which can decrease the outbound time by 18.51s at the most, and the thickness at the bottleneck decreases by 5.90%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Transportation Infrastructure Projects)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 1981 KiB

Open AccessArticle

HUs Fleet Management in an Automated Container Port: Assessment by a Simulation Approach

by Domenico Gattuso and Domenica Savia Pellicanò

Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 11360; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411360 - 21 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1848

Abstract

Freight fleet management (FM) can be defined as an optimization process of freight vehicles scheduling and routing, aimed at reducing time, costs, energy, and environmental impacts. In the specialized literature, there are many FM studies. The focus of this paper is on the [...] Read more.

Freight fleet management (FM) can be defined as an optimization process of freight vehicles scheduling and routing, aimed at reducing time, costs, energy, and environmental impacts. In the specialized literature, there are many FM studies. The focus of this paper is on the FM in the context of a container port to increase the productivity and pursue the sustainability of the logistics node improving the performance by using freight advanced handling units (HUs). The use of automated HUs reduces the time and costs of each port activity, eliminating timewasters and increasing safety; however, it requires advanced intelligent management. Moreover, the automation is in line with energy and environmental sustainability. The paper aims to assess the impacts due to the automation of HUs by using a simulation approach. After a framework of traditional and automated HUs, allowing to highlight their main characteristics, the work considers the organizational problems of a container port and introduces a methodological approach to manage the FM of HUs. Finally, the application to a real context is presented to compare the present configuration of a container port with some project scenarios, considering different levels of automation, as the partial and total replacements of traditional HUs with advanced/automated vehicles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Transportation Infrastructure Projects)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

30 pages, 7989 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on CO₂ Emissions in the Port Areas of the Strait of Messina

by Concettina Marino, Antonino Nucara, Maria Francesca Panzera and Matilde Pietrafesa

Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9587; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129587 - 14 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1592

Abstract

The Strait of Messina is characterised by a significant ship flow, especially of ferries, between its two shores. The ferry services involve four harbours, located on the Sicilian and Calabrian shores. During the epidemic emergency related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, due to the [...] Read more.

The Strait of Messina is characterised by a significant ship flow, especially of ferries, between its two shores. The ferry services involve four harbours, located on the Sicilian and Calabrian shores. During the epidemic emergency related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, due to the restrictions adopted to counteract the spread of the infection, a significant reduction in ferry activities and vehicle flow occurred. These circumstances made flow data, related to different actual scenarios, available and allowed the assessment of the environmental impact of the port area. Therefore, the port area became a noteworthy case study, suited to draw conclusions regarding possible future courses of action designed to curb greenhouse gas emissions in these types of settlements. In the study, in order to assess the effect of different levels of human activity on pollutant emissions, the total CO₂ emissions from ferry activities in two successive years, 2019 before the spread of the virus and 2020 when the epidemic was at its peak, were evaluated and compared. The EMEP/EEA methodology was used and, as a result, an overall reduction of 13.2% in CO_2eq yearly emission rates was observed, with the major reduction of 2784 tCO_2eq due to maritime traffic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Transportation Infrastructure Projects)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 2257 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Integrated Model to Improve Job Satisfaction: A Case for a Sustainable Construction Industry

by Qasim Hussain Khahro, Noor Yasmin Zainun, Shabir Hussain Khahro and Basel Sultan

Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 8357; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108357 - 21 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3357

Abstract

In the last few years, the fields of management, social psychology, and business operations have all paid a large amount of attention to the academic idea of job satisfaction. This paper looks at more than a decade of research into what makes people [...] Read more.

In the last few years, the fields of management, social psychology, and business operations have all paid a large amount of attention to the academic idea of job satisfaction. This paper looks at more than a decade of research into what makes people happy at work and what happens to them as a result. Companies have started to realize that their employees are their most valuable asset in this time of rapid change. There is no specific model of the job satisfaction of construction workers in developing countries. Thus, this paper evaluates the different job satisfaction models and also proposes an integrated job satisfaction model for construction industry workers. The data were collected from experts in the construction industry using a questionnaire survey and almost 290 experts participated in this research to assist in the development of the model. The data were analyzed using SPSS. The model was developed and validated using Smart PLS. Eight key aspects were found to be very important to improving the job satisfaction of construction workers in developing countries. Job compensation packages given to construction workers, work–life balance, career growth, and job security are the top key features investigated in this study. It is concluded that satisfied and motivated employees are imperative for the construction business, and that this is also a key factor that separates successful companies from others. The findings of this paper contribute to UN-SDG 8 “Decent Work and Economic Growth” and UN-SDG 9 “Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure”. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Transportation Infrastructure Projects)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 2983 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Delay in Decision-Making Affecting Construction Projects: A Sustainable Decision-Making Model for Mega Projects

by Shabir Hussain Khahro, Haseeb Haleem Shaikh, Noor Yasmin Zainun, Basel Sultan and Qasim Hussain Khahro

Sustainability 2023, 15(7), 5872; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15075872 - 28 Mar 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 7099

Abstract

The construction industry is one of the world’s fastest-growing industries, since it directly and indirectly contributes to several other industries. It has been observed that delays in the decision making of important stakeholders negatively impact construction projects. Thus, this has multiple consequences on [...] Read more.

The construction industry is one of the world’s fastest-growing industries, since it directly and indirectly contributes to several other industries. It has been observed that delays in the decision making of important stakeholders negatively impact construction projects. Thus, this has multiple consequences on project performance. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to identify the primary causes of delayed decision-making and offer a decision support model for timely construction project decisions. For factor identification, a comprehensive literature analysis was conducted, followed by an analysis of questionnaire responses of ninety-one professionals. For data analysis, the relative importance index (RII) method was applied. The results indicate that client decision-making delays pose a substantial obstacle for building projects. The early decision-making process is impacted by a lack of technical competence, incomplete paperwork, poor leadership, and coordination/communication issues. The proposed model could also assist project practitioners in improving their project decision making. This research study encourages stakeholders to create and implement an efficient decision-making procedure for timely project decisions. A procedure for decision making that is successful could decrease delays in the decision-making process and prevent conflicts and disputes in projects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Transportation Infrastructure Projects)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 1615 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainability Assessment of Municipal Infrastructure Projects Based on Continuous Interval Argumentation Ordered Weighted Average (C-OWA) and Cloud Models

by Xun Liu, Zhiyuan Xue, Zhenhan Ding and Siyu Chen

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 4706; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15064706 - 7 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1699

Abstract

The goals of sustainable development are constantly negatively impacted by infrastructure initiatives. The importance of these projects in advancing the economic, social, and civilizational growth of the country will, however, prevent their construction from being stopped. The overall construction of the project is [...] Read more.

The goals of sustainable development are constantly negatively impacted by infrastructure initiatives. The importance of these projects in advancing the economic, social, and civilizational growth of the country will, however, prevent their construction from being stopped. The overall construction of the project is related to the scientific and unbiased assessment of an infrastructure project’s sustainability throughout the decision-making stage. Based on the references documents, this paper establishes an index system for evaluating an infrastructure project’s sustainability from three aspects: environment, economy, and society. In the assessment process, the cloud model was used to describe the various attribute values of infrastructure project sustainability, which achieved the uncertainty measures for infrastructure project sustainability, and a cloud model-based assessment method for infrastructure project sustainability was proposed by modifying the attribute value by the penalty factor. Finally, an assessment method for infrastructure project sustainability based on the cloud model was proposed after the attribute values were modified by using a continuous interval argument ordered weighted average (C-OWA) operator. The model carries out an overall sustainability assessment by generating a synthesized cloud with the weight to calculate the similarity of assessment factors, which takes the randomness, fuzziness, and uncertainty of expert qualitative assessment into account, and uses the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method and the C-OWA operator to determine the weight of the sustainable index and the aggregation of the expert scoring interval. A case study was conducted to clarify how this strategy was applied. The study provides a valuable and useful tool for the operational stage to assess the achievability of municipal infrastructure projects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Transportation Infrastructure Projects)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 3238 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dimensioning of Cycle Lanes Based on the Assessment of Comfort for Cyclists

by Darja Šemrov, Robert Rijavec and Peter Lipar

Sustainability 2022, 14(16), 10172; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610172 - 16 Aug 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1927

Abstract

In a century where mobility is becoming more sustainable in terms of energy transition, emissions reduction, and a healthy quality of life, the use of bicycles is increasing and has many advantages over other modes of transport that have been underused. The bicycle [...] Read more.

In a century where mobility is becoming more sustainable in terms of energy transition, emissions reduction, and a healthy quality of life, the use of bicycles is increasing and has many advantages over other modes of transport that have been underused. The bicycle is an excellent alternative for short distances of up to five kilometers. In combination with public transportation, it can also successfully compete with motorized transport for longer distances. For the adequate development of cycling, it is necessary to create the right conditions in terms of accessibility and road safety. This means planning appropriate cycling infrastructure where cyclists feel comfortable and safe, which can lead to additional increased use in bicycles for everyday trips. Comfort for cyclists is a concept supported by road safety, a pleasant environment, connectivity, and the attractiveness of cycling infrastructure. In other words, cyclists respond to the physical, psychological, and sociological aspects of the cycling experience that are also related to the cycling infrastructure and environment: where I am, what I see and perceive, and how I feel. This paper presents the concept of the level of service for cyclists (BLOS) as a unified method for defining the comfort of cyclists. This paper presents the method for determining the level of service or comfort for bicyclists as a function of road width, width of the cycling area, traffic volume, and the speed and structure of motorized traffic flow. The result of BLOS, the mathematical model used, is graphically presented and allows decision-makers and designers of cycling infrastructure to easily assess the suitability of cycling infrastructure. Different diagrams for different input data are presented in the paper. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Transportation Infrastructure Projects)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 20462 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Short-Term and UV Irradiation Aging on the Behaviour of SBS-Modified Bitumen

by Clara Celauro, Rosalia Teresi and Nadka Tz. Dintcheva

Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6915; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116915 - 6 Jun 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 1985

Abstract

To obtain road bitumen with improved temperature and fatigue resistance, polymers and/or rubbers could be added to it. A particularly suitable polymer for bitumen modification is styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) copolymer but limited information is available about the ageing behaviour of modified binders. In this [...] Read more.

To obtain road bitumen with improved temperature and fatigue resistance, polymers and/or rubbers could be added to it. A particularly suitable polymer for bitumen modification is styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) copolymer but limited information is available about the ageing behaviour of modified binders. In this work, two neat bitumens, with different penetration grades, and two SBS-modified bitumens, containing different SBS amounts, were selected, and their short-term and UVB ageing behaviour were investigated considering dynamic shear rheometry and Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transformation InfraRed spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Short-time ageing behaviour was investigated performing the rolling thin film oven test (RTFOT), while artificial UV ageing was examined/investigated using UVB lamps. The structural changes in bitumen were monitored at different UV exposure times. All the results suggest that the bitumen having higher penetration grade is more stable than the one with a lower penetration grade in the RTFOT ageing condition, and SBS addition exerts a beneficial effect on thermal stability during processing. Further, SBS addition also has a beneficial effect on the UV ageing resistance of bitumen, reducing its oxidation tendency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Transportation Infrastructure Projects)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 3386 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Numerical Comparison of the Hydrological Response of Different Permeable Pavements in Urban Area

by Diego Ciriminna, Giovanni Battista Ferreri, Leonardo Valerio Noto and Clara Celauro

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5704; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095704 - 9 May 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2796

Abstract

Floods are becoming more frequent, especially in urban environments where most of the surface is waterproofed. Permeable pavement (PP) can be applied as low impact development (LID) systems for runoff mitigation in urban areas. Their effectiveness can be assessed, case by case, by [...] Read more.

Floods are becoming more frequent, especially in urban environments where most of the surface is waterproofed. Permeable pavement (PP) can be applied as low impact development (LID) systems for runoff mitigation in urban areas. Their effectiveness can be assessed, case by case, by numerical simulations. In this study, the effectiveness of mitigating runoff of different permeable pavements has been evaluated. In particular, porous asphalt (PA), pervious concrete (PC), permeable interlocking concrete pavement (PICP) and grid pavement (GP) have been investigated using EPA Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) software. To this aim, a car parking area located in the University Campus of Palermo (Italy) has been taken as a case study, considering several scenarios, each having a different percentage and planimetric layout of a PP type combined with an impermeable pavement. All the scenarios were tested assuming four synthetic rainfall events, referring to return periods of 5, 10, 50 and 100 years, and a real high return period event that occurred in Palermo in 2020. The results showed that amongst the different PPs considered, only the PA, bounded at the bottom by an impermeable layer, was practically ineffective. The other three PPs, proved to be effective in a noticeable way and furthermore for each scenario studied, they proved to bear almost the same mitigated runoff. The results proved appreciable differences in runoff as a function of the location of the PP over the study area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Transportation Infrastructure Projects)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 732 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Estimate Spatial Spillover of Airport Operational Efficiency in the YRD Region

by Bingxue Qian, Ning Zhang and Congliang Wu

Sustainability 2022, 14(2), 1019; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14021019 - 17 Jan 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1661

Abstract

Accurate measurement of airport operational efficiency and the analysis of key influencing factors can provide theoretical references for regional airport planning and air traffic management. Many studies are conducted on the operational efficiency of airports in the region, but little attention is paid [...] Read more.

Accurate measurement of airport operational efficiency and the analysis of key influencing factors can provide theoretical references for regional airport planning and air traffic management. Many studies are conducted on the operational efficiency of airports in the region, but little attention is paid to their interactions. To fill this gap, this paper measures the operational efficiency of airports in four major cities in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, and on this basis, the spatial Durbin model is used to explore the influencing factors and spillover effects of airport operational efficiency based on two aspects: airport physical characteristics and regional characteristics. The study demonstrates that the efficiency of airport operations has a significant negative spillover effect, indicating that the efficiency of neighboring airports evolves in a competitive interaction. In terms of direct effects, the number of flights, the number of destinations, airport capacity utilization and GDP are important factors affecting airport efficiency. In terms of spillover effects, this paper found that the population and income positively affect the efficiency of local airport operations, while the number of flights and airport capacity utilization effects have negative effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Transportation Infrastructure Projects)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 4090 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of the Impact of CO, NO_x and PM₁₀ on Air Quality during Road Construction and Operation Phases

by Marinella Giunta

Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10549; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410549 - 17 Dec 2020

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3206

Abstract

The road sector is one of the main sources of air emissions in the atmosphere during both construction and operation. The objective of the present paper is a comprehensive evaluation of the impact on air quality during the two main phases of life [...] Read more.

The road sector is one of the main sources of air emissions in the atmosphere during both construction and operation. The objective of the present paper is a comprehensive evaluation of the impact on air quality during the two main phases of life cycle of roads. In this case study of a motorway project, the emissions of the primary pollutants, CO, NOx, and PM₁₀ are estimated, and the results showed that (i) CO and NOx pollutants released during both phases are comparable, while the emissions of PM₁₀ are more significant in the construction phase; (ii) 85% of PM₁₀ in construction is due to storage, transit on unpaved road, and crushing; (iii) the portals of the tunnel are the sites where there are higher concentrations of pollutants in operation; and (iv) the CO concentrations estimated by the dispersion model are strongly influenced by the topography. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Transportation Infrastructure Projects)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Sustainable Management of Transportation Infrastructure Projects

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (12 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI