Infrastructure Assets Research Articles

Derivation of objective decision-making criteria for rail infrastructure asset management at ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG: A case study approach

This case study shows how ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG, which provides the Austrian rail infrastructure on behalf of the Republic of Austria, uses a criticality analysis based on an accurate digital representation of the track and route network, including the intersection of different specialist views. This is done to derive objective decision-making bases for asset management to control the availability of routes and assets and the allocation of resources. The calculation of criticality and the classification of assets into modular classes for standardisation are illustrated using the example of the wear-driven ‘switch’.

A new methodology for the multi-risk assessment of existing road tunnels

The optimal management of infrastructural assets is a key aspect to guarantee the adequate competitiveness of a country from the economic point of view and a good level of quality from the social one. In this framework, particular attention shall be paid to the critical elements of the infrastructure network, such as bridges and tunnels, which often strongly influence the resilience of the network itself, as highlighted both by what happened immediately after the collapse of the Morandi bridge in Genoa and by the situation that was created following the several construction sites implemented to reduce the structural risk in the tunnels of the Ligurian territory. Indeed, on one hand these critical elements are often characterized by lower structural safety levels than those required by the regulations for similar newly built structures but, on the other hand, the presence of construction sites determines a reduction in the performance of the infrastructure with a significant increase of the road accident and traffic risk. This paper proposes an operational methodology for assessing the risk associated to existing road tunnels. The research is carried out in collaboration with SINA SpA and ASPI, Autostrade per l’Italia, and has the main objective of providing practical tools that can help the road managers to evaluate the global risk variation when temporary interventions are carried out in tunnels and to give indications regarding the optimal construction site organization.

Dynamical features and FE modelling of a multi-span historical masonry arch bridge

The Italian road infrastructural asset includes a large number of historical masonry arch bridges. Many of these structures are today still in service, despite their ancientness and the frequent lack of maintenance and upgrading interventions. Given the strategic role they often play in the road network, their protection and conservation are an urgent priority to avoid connection issues, as well as losses of human lives. The structural assessment of these structures may be far from trivial since original design documents are generally missing. Thus, they must be subjected to articulate knowledge processes, which include geometrical surveys (both externally and internally), tests on material and, if possible, characterization of the overall dynamic behavior. Based on this premise, in the present paper the case study of a five-span masonry arch bridge in Mignano Monte Lungo (Caserta province, Italy) is addressed. A preliminary historical reconnaissance was performed together with a survey of the external geometry of the bridge. The collected data were enriched by means of a dynamical characterization of the entire structure, which allowed for realizing a preliminary finite element model in Abaqus software.

Safety management systems in multimodal transport networks: the case of commercial port infrastructures

The aim of the present work is to propose an original approach to the design of Safety Management Systems of multimodal transport networks, taking account of rules already used, or being tested, in the aeronautical, railway and road-motorway fields. This research, in particular, aims to analyze the specific case of commercial ports, which are configured as natural hubs in logistics chains and, as such, as points of intersection and interface between different carriers. Due to their intrinsic characteristics (multi-modality, multi-scale, multi-risk, multi-functionality), ports are configured not only as nerve nodes of large-scale transport networks but to be themselves complex networks characterized by multiplicity and diversity of inherent technical rules related to safety of infrastructures. Therefore, the purpose of the work consists of developing a context analysis of the port sector, capturing and analyzing its most relevant and distinctive features, in order to formulate and discuss hypotheses for the implementation of SMS focused on the infrastructural assets of ports. Note that such type of SMS can be therefore strategic in order to be usable as decision tool for the management activities defined in the Regulatory Plans of the Port System.

Impact of emerging sustainable aircraft technologies on the existing operating ecosystem

Emerging sustainable aircraft technologies—such as sustainable aviation fuel, electric and hydrogen propulsion—are expected to play a major role in the decarbonization of the aviation sector. Nevertheless, at present, the exact impact that their deployment will have on the existing operating ecosystem is not yet clear. To shed some light on this area, this paper adopts an exploratory research approach based on the collection of impact assessments through semi-structured interviews with domain experts. In particular, we involve 22 individuals affiliated with the most important stakeholders in the European and American aviation industries, including airlines, airports, aircraft and engine manufacturers, fuel producers, government agencies, universities and research centers, and aviation industry experts. Our results, that are presented in the form of spider charts and tables, provide an exhaustive and comprehensive picture of all the impacts that the examined technologies are expected to have on airline operations, airport operations, and airside airport infrastructure. What emerges is that SAF, even if used in high percentages, is anticipated to have a fairly marginal effect. In contrast, electric and hydrogen aircraft propulsion are foreseen to be much more disruptive, having a similar medium-to-high impact on many operations and parts of the airport infrastructure. In light of this finding, we propose the development of multi-technology airport infrastructural assets as a solution not only for the possible onset of lock-in effects but also for the chicken and egg dilemma currently affecting the sector.

Current Practices and Issues in the Accounting for Government Infrastructure Assets

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the current accounting practices and issues in accounting for infrastructure assets in Malaysian public sector organisations. Comparatively, this paper also provides an overview of current practices in other countries. Design/ Methodology/ Approach: Data collection was through reviews of extant literature, accounting standards and guidelines by the Accountant General’s Department of Malaysia (AGD), including guidelines and government publications in other countries. Findings: Accounting practice for infrastructure assets varies across countries. There is no specific accounting standard for infrastructure assets. Instead, most countries including Australia, Austria, Canada, France, New Zealand and Malaysia follow the accounting standards for property, plant and equipment to account for infrastructure assets. However, given the unique nature of infrastructure assets, there are issues in identifying what constitute infrastructure assets and determining which government organisations have control over their assets. In addition, challenges in recognition and valuation of infrastructure assets, which include initial and subsequent measurement, depreciation and disclosure also exist. Practical Implications: The government’s spending for infrastructure assets represents a significant proportion of its budget. Therefore, accurate accounting treatments and reporting of the assets is pivotal. This paper aimsto present an update to policy makers and practitioners on current pertinent accounting standards, issues and accounting practices at the international level as well as at the Malaysian federal government. Originality/ Value: Research on accounting for infrastructure assets is still limited. Findings from this research will add to the body of knowledge by highlighting the main issues and providing basis for further investigation. Keywords: Infrastructure assets, definition, recognition, IPSAS17, MPSAS17.

A review of GASB No. 34

PurposeThis paper documents the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) 34 literature, primarily in the areas of (1) accountability and improved reporting, (2) government-wide financial statements and accrual accounting and (3) infrastructure asset capitalization and the modified approach. The paper also evaluates the state of the research, recognizes implications for practice and standard setting, identifies knowledge gaps and proposes avenues for future research.Design/methodology/approachThe authors identified the articles in this narrative review by searching Google Scholar and EBSCO for the years 2000 through 2023, using the keywords GASB 34, government-wide financial statements, government fund statements, infrastructure assets and modified approach.FindingsThis review finds that GASB 34 requirements improved accountability and reporting, but GASB can still make improvements. The addition of the MD&A section requirement improved readability but placed a burden on preparers. Analysis of government-wide statement research indicates that the accrual-based Statement of Net Assets provides value in credit decisions, while the accrual-based Statement of Activities does not. The research on infrastructure accounting requirements shows limited adoption of the modified approach and some comparability issues with choices involving capitalization thresholds, baselines and asset management systems (AMSs). Based on this review, the authors also present suggestions to further this line of research.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first article that reviews over 20 years of GASB 34 related literature. The review and suggestions for future research are timely as GASB is in the process of reexamining some of GASB 34's requirements.

Assessment of changes in the efficiency of the system of maintenance and repair of equipment in the electric power sector of metallurgy

The problems of evaluating various strategies for maintenance and repair (MRO) of elements of fixed assets of the electric power infrastructure of an industrial enterprise in order to choose the optimal option are considered. The author suggests using three key indicators as criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of the considered maintenance strategy: the amount of costs for the implementation of the strategy, the coefficient of technical readiness of the equipment in question and the amount of maximum risk from the implementation of the strategy. Particular attention is paid in the article to the compliance of the chosen MRO strategy with the current equipment load and performance requirements. The paper considers an example of the application of the proposed methodology to real elements of the power supply of an industrial enterprise. The calculation of the listed indicators is made for a critical element of the energy infrastructure of an industrial enterprise of the metallurgical industry, the failure of which will lead to a halt in the production process of finished products.

EPiC grasshopper: A bottom-up parametric tool to quantify life cycle embodied environmental flows of buildings and infrastructure assets

Reducing the embodied environmental flows of built assets is becoming increasingly important and is a key priority for actors in the built environment to improve life cycle environmental performance. Policies and related targets for embodied environmental flow reductions are emerging. Despite this, tools for quantifying the life cycle embodied environmental flows of built assets are limited in variety and scope. Parametric life cycle assessment (LCA) tools have emerged to address some of these limitations. These tools can enhance decision making, be embedded directly into CAD programs, and offer real-time LCA calculations across multiple design variations. Yet, existing parametric tools for LCA rely on process-based material environmental flow data, limited geometries, limited real-time data visualisation capacity, and often require specialised technical expertise to use. These gaps limit their ability to provide transparent, robust, and rapid assessments. This paper introduces EPiC Grasshopper, an open-source, open-access, bottom-up, parametric tool that enables the quantification of life cycle embodied environmental flows at the early stages of built asset design, bridging the aforementioned gaps. The key characteristics and functionalities of the tool are described, followed by verification (checking that calculations are correct), validation (checking that results are representative of reality), and demonstration of its application to two built asset case studies, i.e. parametrically-defined Australian house and road. The paper shows how the tool can be used to generate designs to meet specific embodied environmental flow targets as well as streamline and increase the uptake of embodied environmental flow assessment and considerations in built asset design workflows.

RESTORATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES AS AN ELEMENT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY IN THE HISTORY OF ONE BRIDGE

Purpose. The purpose of this work is to analyze the damage suffered by our state from damage and destruction of artificial transport structures as a result of hostilities and the fate of the bridge, which was an example of bridge construction in our state in peacetime and underwent transformation in wartime. Methodology. Analysis of losses incurred by the state as a result of war, the proportion of these losses attributed to infrastructure objects, and the investigation of methods for providing technical cover for transport routes through the construction of temporary structures on the immediate bypass of damaged (ruined) transportation objects. Findings. The outcome of this work consists of collected data on losses inflicted upon the transportation infrastructure, specifically transportation structures, due to the armed aggression of the Russian Federation. Analyzed examples of restoring transport movement across water obstacles include the construction of dams with water passage pipes and temporary bridge crossings on the immediate bypass of damaged (ruined) transportation structures. Using the example of a bridge repaired before the war, the impact of military actions on the structure and methods for its technical protection in ensuring fast and reliable transport movement across a water obstacle in a specified road section were examined. Originality. The losses incurred by our state, infrastructure, and transportation assets due to the war have been analyzed. The scientific interest lies in the decisions made regarding the restoration of automobile transport movement, taking into account local conditions, available material resources, and the forces and means that ensure a rapid and reliable restoration of transport movement across a water obstacle. Practical value. Drawing upon the experience of ensuring transport movement across water obstacles on road sections with damaged (ruined) transportation structures, effective methods for constructing temporary transportation facilities on the immediate bypass have been developed, ensuring a swift restoration and safe traffic flow.

EVALUATION OF THE DETERMINATION OF IT INFRASTRUCTURE PERSONNEL IN THE AL NAVY USING A COMBINATION OF AHP AND VIKOR METHODS

In the current development of technology, information technology is not only used in the economic field, but is divided into various fields, including the military world of the Navy. In order to promote the capability of human resources in the field of IT infrastructure in the Navy, it is necessary to select the right personnel in the maintenance of IT infrastructure assets, so as to obtain competent personnel output in answering future challenges. To facilitate the determination of the right IT infrastructure personnel, the author implements a system by combining the AHP and Vikor methods based on Python. The AHP method is used to determine the weight of criteria in the selection of IT personnel, and the Vikor method is used to rank the appropriate IT personnel. With this system, it is hoped that it can be a supporting application to help select IT personnel according to tactical, technical, strategic criteria.

Analysis of the Environment, Climate Change and Habitat Pillar of Development Agenda for Western Nigeria

How a government identifies needs during uncertain times, is a reliable measure of its perception and sensitivity to critical governance issues. This study was conducted to determine how much attention and mainstreaming is given to the issues of climate change and disaster risk reduction, especially in these uncertain times of disasters and climate crisis. Using the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria, DAWN blueprint as case, the paper sought to know among other research questions, how disaster risk reduction and climate change, DRR/CCA, surfaced in the document and determine if any pattern can be deduced from the DRR/CCA mainstreaming in the document and also know if there are noted lapses from DRR/CCA portrayal in the document when compared with the /DRR/CCA frameworks. This study employed a qualitative methodology using the interpretive approach through digital fieldwork. Among other findings, there is a subtle implication that for effective management of environmental issues and concerns through the DRR/CCA lens, the environment is much more than the physical environment. Its issues and concerns are subject to socio-cultural, economic, political, and other possible variables. Also, there are no strong indications of solid arrangements for risk assessment, disaster readiness, early warning systems, and a sincere preparedness to protect people, infrastructure and other assets from the impacts of disaster. The study recommends that proactive steps be taken to strengthen institutions and shore up arrangements and truly commit to building capacity and ensuring people’s active involvement /participation, in strategies/policy formulations.

Infrastructure debt funds and the assetization of public infrastructures

Infrastructure has grown rapidly as an alternative asset class, yet many of the complex processes that transform public infrastructures into lucrative financial assets are poorly understood. This article examines investments by an infrastructure debt fund, to show how financial innovations expand and diversify the infrastructure asset class by finding new ways to generate financial returns from infrastructures. Infrastructure debt is an emerging sector of the infrastructure asset class, where private debt funds create assets that generate returns by extending loans or bond financing to physical infrastructures. The analysis uses assetization as a conceptual framework to scrutinise the construction of financial assets, centring the role of rent generation and extraction to show how infrastructure debt funds create financial value. By bringing the performative work of asset construction into dialogue with the political-economic forces enabling rent extraction, the analysis augments existing literature on financialized infrastructures. The findings show how infrastructure debt assets are predicated on multiple rounds of assetization: initially, the essential nature of infrastructure services is exploited to generate and extract monopoly rents as long-term revenue streams, and in turn, debt funds extend claims on these revenue streams to extract rents through interest payments. In this way, infrastructure debt extends the infrastructure asset class and provides a new route to extract rents, raising concerns over the potential of these investment practices to contribute to inclusive regional development and just transitions to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Effects of pre-existing damage on vertical load-bearing capacity of masonry arch bridges

In-service masonry arch road bridges, mainly realised before the first half of the last century, represent a wide portion of the entire worldwide infrastructural asset. Given their age, during their service life these structures could have experienced damage due to anthropic (i.e. traffic) and natural (i.e. earthquakes, soil settlements, degradation, etc.) actions which may have inevitably affected their load-bearing capacity. The present study addresses the problem of the residual capacity estimation of damaged bridges by investigating the impact of previous loading on the actual strength of the structure. In particular, reference to a past experimental activity retrieved from the literature on reduced-scale bridges subjected to concentrated vertical loads has been made to calibrate a reliable detailed finite element model in Abaqus software. Then, damage of different extent has been introduced by simulating the transit of vehicles of various weights on the structure and the residual capacities of the bridge have been assessed and compared against the undamaged configuration. The results confirm that pre-existing damage due to traffic loading may significantly influence the capacity of such structures, with peak load reductions up to 60% estimated through the proposed methodology.

Climate change impacts assessment on railway infrastructure in urban environments

Climate change impacts can escalate the deteriorating rate of infrastructures and impact the infrastructure's functionality, safety, operation and maintenance (O&M). This research explores climate change's influence on urban railway infrastructure. Given the geographical diversity of Sweden, the railway network is divided into different climate zones utilizing the K-means algorithm. Reliability analysis using the Cox Proportional Hazard Model is proposed to integrate meteorological parameters and operational factors to predict the degree of impacts of different climatic parameters on railway infrastructure assets. The proposed methodology is validated by selecting a number of switches and crossings (S&Cs), which are critical components in railways for changing the route, located in different urban railway stations across various climate zones in Sweden. The study explores various databases and proposes a climatic feature to identify climate-related risks of S&C assets. Furthermore, different meteorological covariates are analyzed to understand better the dependency between asset health and meteorological parameters. Infrastructure asset managers can tailor suitable climate adaptation measures based on geographical location, asset age, and other life cycle parameters by identifying vulnerable assets and determining significant covariates. Sensitivity analysis of significant covariates at one of the urban railway stations shows precipitation increment reveal considerable variation in the asset reliability.

Principles of resource-process modeling of territorial communities combined energy supply in the climate change prevention context

The research is devoted to the theoretical and practical substantiation of the principles of formation of systems of combined energy supply with heterogeneous sources to increase the energy efficiency of territorial communities in the conditions of climate change resistance. New approaches and structural models for the formation of local microenergy systems are proposed, which will encourage territorial communities to a new type of activity related to their own energy generation based on the use of local types of fuels and renewable energy sources. The principles of building such local energy supply systems, in general, consist in the rational distribution of resources (renewable sources, sources of combined energy generation using biofuels, energy from external networks) and coordination of the processes of generation, transmission, accumulation, distribution and consumption of energy within the boundaries of a separate territorial community by creating its own high-tech infrastructure assets. The formation of the energy balance in the medium and long term is proposed to be carried out on the basis of a resource-process analysis of the operation of local networks by finding the optimal use of local types of biofuels and renewable sources in the combined generation of electricity and heat, taking into account their current value. The cost of energy for the end consumer is determined by differentiated tariffs of energy supply companies and the use of several heterogeneous sources that participate in the process of decentralized energy production. Mathematical relations are obtained for calculating the values of the time intervals of the execution of a set of parallel processes that arise during the interaction of competing sources of distributed generation with end consumers and establishing the regularities of the formation of the energy balance a micro energy system. The proposed method can be a tool for finding optimal energy efficiency management scenarios of facilities with local energy supply, using operational redistribution of energy flows in the system of combined energy generation and forecasting current costs for energy supply in calculation periods. Such a concept can be a theoretical basis for the formation of principles of energy independence of territorial communities. Keywords: territorial community, combined-heat-and-power-system, renewable energy sources, biofuel, energy balances.

Nexus between FDI, Financial Development, Capital Formation and Renewable Energy Consumption; evidence from Bangladesh

This paper examines the interplay among foreign direct investment (FDI), financial development, capital formation, and renewable energy consumption in the context of Bangladesh. The study uses empirical evidence to shed light on the nexus between these variables. Panel data analysis techniques investigate the relationship over a specific period. This research provides insights into Bangladesh's dynamic interactions among FDI, financial development, capital formation, and renewable energy consumption. The study reveals significant positive associations between FDI and renewable energy consumption, indicating that FDI inflows contribute to the growth and utilization of renewable energy sources. Moreover, the analysis uncovers a positive relationship between financial development and renewable energy consumption, suggesting that a well-developed financial sector facilitates the financing and implementation of renewable energy projects. Additionally, the study highlights the role of capital formation in promoting renewable energy consumption. The positive relationship between capital formation and renewable energy consumption indicates that investment in physical infrastructure and productive assets supports the expansion and utilization of renewable energy sources. This analysis provides empirical evidence of the interdependencies among FDI, financial development, capital formation, and renewable energy consumption in Bangladesh. Overall, the findings suggest that fostering FDI, improving financial sector development, and promoting capital formation are crucial for enhancing renewable energy consumption in Bangladesh. The study's conclusions have implications for policymakers and stakeholders in designing and implementing strategies to promote sustainable and renewable energy sources in the country.

Reimagining infrastructure for a biodiverse future.

Civil infrastructure will be essential to face the interlinked existential threats of climate change and rising resource demands while ensuring a livable Anthropocene for all. However, conventional infrastructure planning largely neglects the contributions and maintenance of Earth's ecological life support systems, which provide irreplaceable services supporting human well-being. The stability and performance of these services depend on biodiversity, but conventional infrastructure practices, narrowly focused on controlling natural capital, have inadvertently degraded biodiversity while perpetuating social inequities. Here, we envision a new infrastructure paradigm wherein biodiversity and ecosystem services are a central objective of civil engineering. In particular, we reimagine infrastructure practice such that 1) ecosystem integrity and species conservation are explicit objectives from the outset of project planning; 2) infrastructure practices integrate biodiversity into diverse project portfolios along a spectrum from conventional to nature-based solutions and natural habitats; 3) ecosystem functions reinforce and enhance the performance and lifespan of infrastructure assets; and 4) civil engineering promotes environmental justice by counteracting legacies of social inequity in infrastructure development and nature conservation. This vision calls for a fundamental rethinking of the standards, practices, and mission of infrastructure development agencies and a broadening of scope for conservation science. We critically examine the legal and professional precedents for this paradigm shift, as well as the moral and economic imperatives for manifesting equitable infrastructure planning that mainstreams biodiversity and nature's benefits to people. Finally, we set an applied research agenda for supporting this vision and highlight financial, professional, and policy pathways for achieving it.

Santri Anti Baper: the Development of Narratives of Religious Moderation Through Digital Workshop in the Margoyoso Pati Pesantren Community

This dedication is a community-based service that aims to equip and boost the capacity of ‘santri’ in producing alternative narratives of religious moderation to the fight against intolerant narratives on social media. Kajen Margoyoso Pati Town is a village with tens of thousands of ‘santri’ potentially dominate digital public with religious moderation narratives. The team used the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) methodology to empower participants in this session, namely, human resource assets, social assets, and infrastructure assets are among the assets owned by pesantren. ‘Santri’ were still passive consumers of digital content and lack the awareness to produce digital content. Expected result from this training, learners will be able to generate alternative narratives by transforming negative narratives into positive narratives to counterbalance the narrative of intolerance on social media. From this training, students who participated in this training will implement on their pesantren web pages and on social media.

Optimization of Railway Infrastructure Asset – A Review

Railway infrastructure assets are key components in the railway transportation system. Optimal asset management is essential to improve the efficiency and productivity of the railway system, as well as help prevent unnecessary costs in the asset life cycle. Reliability, Availability, Maintainability, and Safety (RAMS) and Life Cycle Cost (LCC) methods can be used in managing railway infrastructure assets. RAMS is a method used to assess the performance of high-complexity systems such as rail infrastructure systems. In contrast, LCC is used to evaluate the overall cost of a system or asset over the life cycle. Integrating RAMS and LCC concepts can help plan railways' design, operation, and maintenance. This integration is very flexible as it can be done from the life cycle's design, operation, and maintenance stages. Research shows that using the integration of RAMS and LCC can lead to better strategic decisions in the life cycle of a railway. In selecting assets to support design and maintenance, for example, there are two high-speed rail double-track alternatives of ballasted and ballastless track, with results showing that ballastless track has higher RAMS performance and lower maintenance cost but higher construction costs, so ballasted track solutions are preferred for short-term construction and the ballastless track is preferred for long-term.