Infrastructure Improvement Projects Research Articles

Trade-offs Between Equity and Efficiency in Prioritizing Critical Infrastructure Investments: A Case of Stormwater Management Systems

Critical infrastructures in many countries face the problem of aging and, thus, require significant upgrades to continue serving their purpose for the next few decades, especially in the face of extreme weather events caused by global climate change. Given the urgent need for such improvements and the substantial funding gaps being experienced, prioritizing investments in critical infrastructures is a challenging task for governments. Furthermore, the need to assure equitable solutions, as well as to consider deep uncertainty due to climate change, adds to the complexity of the problem. We seek to address this complexity by developing a set of models that explicitly consider both horizontal and vertical equity, along with efficiency, in prioritizing stormwater infrastructure improvement projects. While horizontal equity seeks to provide equal resources to everyone, vertical equity aims to allocate relatively more resources to vulnerable groups who are disproportionately susceptible to shocks and are more likely to fall into chronic poverty. By differentiating between losses in horizontal equity and vertical equity due to efficiency considerations, the models provide a practical approach to find the right balance among efficiency, horizontal equity, and vertical equity. The initial models are then extended into regret-based optimization models to help address the issue of deep uncertainty. A case study of stormwater infrastructure improvement in the City of Miami is presented, through which the performance of the models is explored both with and without the projected sea-level rise scenarios. The findings highlight the value of the proposed approach in promoting equity while maintaining efficiency.

Environmental stewardship and corporate social responsibility: A review of case studies from the oil and gas sector

This review presents a comprehensive review of case studies focusing on environmental stewardship and corporate social responsibility (CSR) within the oil and gas sector. The oil and gas industry plays a pivotal role in global energy production, yet its operations often pose significant environmental and social challenges. In response, companies in this sector are increasingly embracing environmental stewardship and CSR principles to mitigate negative impacts and foster sustainable practices. The review examines a diverse range of case studies from various regions and contexts, highlighting both successful initiatives and notable challenges faced by oil and gas companies in integrating environmental stewardship and CSR into their operations. Key themes explored include environmental conservation efforts, community engagement, stakeholder collaboration, regulatory compliance, and technological innovation. Several case studies demonstrate innovative approaches adopted by oil and gas companies to minimize environmental degradation, such as implementing advanced technologies for emission reduction, investing in renewable energy projects, and restoring ecosystems affected by exploration and extraction activities. Moreover, successful CSR programs are showcased, emphasizing community development initiatives, education, healthcare, and infrastructure improvement projects aimed at enhancing the quality of life for local populations impacted by oil and gas operations. However, challenges persist, including balancing economic interests with environmental and social responsibilities, navigating complex regulatory landscapes, and addressing stakeholder concerns effectively. Despite these challenges, the case studies underscore the importance of proactive engagement, transparent communication, and continuous improvement in fostering environmental stewardship and CSR within the oil and gas sector. The review offers insights into best practices, lessons learned, and future directions for promoting sustainability and responsible business practices in the oil and gas industry, thereby contributing to the broader discourse on corporate environmental responsibility and societal impact mitigation.

Unequal, Unreliable, and Unfixable?—The Need to Investigate Water Infrastructure Improvements in Intermittent Supply Systems

AbstractInfrastructure deterioration threatens urban water security and the pursuit of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6, “water for all”). One billion urban residents worldwide already face intermittent piped water access, making their public water supply unreliable and unequal. Thus, effective investments in water infrastructure improvements are critical. In a recent WRR paper, Jeuland et al. (2023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022WR033897) evaluate the impacts of a large infrastructure improvement project on various water security metrics and assess the challenges of such an investigation. They apply a rigorous difference‐in‐difference approach to data from a US$275 million investment in upgrades to water supply and sewage networks in the Zarqa governorate in arid Jordan, analyzing its effects on households, businesses, farms, and the water utility. The authors find a range of moderate improvements to water access and re‐use metrics, including a significant reduction in reported shortages. Key water security indicators related to access intermittency, however, such as the supply duration per day and the expenditure on water deliveries by tanker trucks, saw little to no improvement. The findings reveal that the efforts required to overcome the insecurity and inequity of intermittent public water supply systems might be considerably larger than expected. This suggests an urgent need to further enhance both the accuracy of impact evaluation methods and the effectiveness of infrastructure investments to support the pursuit of SDG 6.

Forecasting Sea Level Rise-driven Inundation in Diked and Tidally Restricted Coastal Lowlands

Diked and drained coastal lowlands rely on hydraulic and protective infrastructure that may not function as designed in areas with relative sea-level rise. The slow and incremental loss of the hydraulic conditions required for a well-drained system make it difficult to identify if and when the flow structures no longer discharge enough water, especially in tidal settings where two-way flows occur through the dike. We developed and applied a hydraulic mass-balance model to quantify how water levels in the diked and tidally restricted coastal wetlands and water bodies dynamically respond to sea-level rise, specifically applied to the Herring River Estuary in MA, USA, from 2020 to 2100. Sensitivity testing of the model parameters indicated that primary outcomes were not sensitive to many of the chosen input values, though the terrestrial water input rate to the estuary and the flow coefficient for the hydraulic infrastructure were important. The relative importance of parameters, however, is expected to be site specific. We introduced a drainability metric that quantifies the net water volume drained over every tidal cycle to monitor and forecast how rising water levels on either side of the dike affected the net draining or impounding conditions of the system. Ensembles of model results across parameter and sea-level scenario uncertainties indicated that substantial impoundment of the Herring River Estuary was expected within ~ 20 years with the existing flow structures, a sluice and two flap gates. Simulations with up to three additional gates did not dampen this trend toward impoundment, suggesting that rising impounded water levels are likely even with major construction upgrades. Increasingly impounded diked coastal waterbodies present a hydrologic challenge with socioecological implications due to projected flooding and ecosystem impacts. Solutions to this challenge may be to allow coastal wetland restoration pathways or require substantial and recurring infrastructure improvement projects.

An Analysis of Passengers’ Safety Risk at the Infrastructure Improvement Project of Railway Station

Constructing the elevated track at the Manggarai Railway Station has risk which potentially endangers the passengers’ safety due to its construction process is carried out within passengers’ activities around the railway station. This research aims to identify the hazard and risks, analyze the level and control the risk. Moreover, this study also aims to arrange the priority of serial alternative solutions regarding the handling the risk within the construction process of elevated track. This study used methods as follows: Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment, And Risk Control (HIRARC) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). In addition, data triangulation was also done by involving three respondents in keeping with to ensure the validity. The analysis of HIRARC generated 11 hazards and risks namely 6 are classified into extreme risks, 4 are rated high risk and 1 is categorized as medium risk. The method of AHP is used to analyze the alternative ways of handling the risks and to find out the priorities above some alternative ways of handling the risks. The sequence of the alternative ways of handling the risks based on the top priority is as follows: (1) first priority by applying the switch over 5, (2) second priority by adding the KLB feeder, (3) third priority by increasing the service facility.

A Safety Level Evaluation Model based on Network Analysis: Enhancing Accessibility & Evacuation Safety in Ho Chi Minh City’s Alleyways

ABSTRACT In this study, an evaluation model is developed to analyze the safety level of a street network in terms of accessibility for emergency services and evacuation risk for residents, especially for cities experiencing rapid urbanization and densification. The evaluation model is created based on the network geometry and street width using the Network Voronoi algorithm, and four evaluation variables are developed, namely the accessibility risk, unreachability risk, edge responsibility, and flow capacity. Next, the model is applied to an alleyway neighborhood in Ho Chi Minh City, characterized by a labyrinthine mesh and tree-shaped network, and narrow street widths. Finally, improvement interventions, such as adding new links and widening alleys, are implemented in three case studies, and the results are compared in terms of cost, social impact, and safety improvement. The results show that the most efficient improvement strategy is to target the weakest point in the network, except for the flow capacity, which, however, can detect intersections at risk on evacuation routes, which cannot be derived from the network topology. The developed evaluation model is not only useful to analyze the current risk level in the network but is also a powerful tool to evaluate future infrastructure improvement projects.

Mitigating urban motorway congestion and emissions via active traffic management

Due to unavoidable expansion of car-ownership, traffic congestion and emissions in developing countries keep on increasing. Meanwhile, high construction costs and statutory restrictions hinder traditional road infrastructure expansion and improvement projects. Thus, exploring cost-effective traffic management solutions to relieve traffic congestion and emissions becomes one of the most significant challenges faced by transportation authorities, especially in developing countries. Active traffic management (ATM) systems that are environmentally sustainable and relatively low-cost are particularly advantageous. In this study, we develop an integrated ATM system to mitigate urban motorway congestion and emissions. The proposed system can be used directly with existing road facilities, which provides a cost-effective way for traffic management and decarbonization in developing countries. The simulation results show that the developed system can reduce travel time spent (TTS), carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxides (NO2) by 7.5%, 21.1% and 10.7%, respectively.

Spatial analysis leveraging machine learning and GIS of socio-geographic factors affecting cost overrun occurrence in roadway projects

This study analyzes cost overrun occurrence (COO) in the context of socioeconomic conditions leveraging machine learning techniques and geographic information systems due to little information about the relationship between SE factors and cost overruns in transportation infrastructure improvement projects. We extract socio-geospatial features in multiple sources of data sets and establish a random forest model to discover their associations with COO. The developed models reveal highly significant features affecting COO, which include original amounts, original duration, management districts, number of lanes, population over 16-years-old, commuting behavior, industrial topography, and average temperature, indicating that socioeconomic conditions play an important role in actual project expenses. Our findings will assist practitioners and decision-makers to better forecast and reflect the likely impacts of socioeconomic conditions surrounding the project in their planning, budgeting, and operation and maintenance. The software for the statistical analysis can be found in github.com/jonghyun-yun/dico.

지방 중소도시 도시구조 변화에 따른 도시발전 연구

Local small and medium-sized cities are undergoing the weakness of the living environment and city function due to the continuing population decline. The quality of residence and business is significantly decreased to local small and medium-sized cities. The purpose of this study aims to suggest several development strategies based on the analysis of characteristics of urban policy, planning, technique, enterprise, and system aspects on local decline small and medium-sized cities. As results of the study, for the urban policy division, regional policy should be focused on local small and medium-sized cities based on the development of implement institute and financial systems. For the urban planning division, it is necessary to establish the identity of local characteristic as an urban planning process. For the urban technique, the center of the local small and medium cities needs to be improved various residential, commercial, business, education, medical service by mixing arrangement in limited space. For the urban enterprise, it is also necessary to improve the settlement conditions such as health care and education through urban infrastructure improvement project. Furthermore, for the urban system, advance regional development system which can induce industries by providing several incentives such as local taxes, infrastructure provisions, and public services should be provided.

Analyzing Pedestrian-Involved Crash Hotspots in Hillsborough County, Florida

Pedestrians involved in vehicle accidents are at high risk of injury because they lack protection in the event of a collision. Hillsborough County, Florida is an especially dangerous area for pedestrians, where 1.5 pedestrians per day on average are involved in a motor vehicle accident. To maximize efficiency for planners and increase resulting benefits for pedestrians, this study aims to identify zones or hotspots of pedestrian-involved accidents based on pedestrian-involved crashes on major roads from 2012 to 2016 in Hillsborough County, Florida, USA. Using the network-based Moran’s I index, the Ripley’s K-function, and kernel density estimation as exploratory data analysis tools, this study investigates possible spatial dependence for pedestrian-involved crash events in Hillsborough County and identifies areas of high pedestrian risk. First, this study will apply the Moran’s I Index and Ripley’s K-function to demonstrate that pedestrian-involved accident sites are not randomly distributed in the study area. Next, we proceed with application of kernel density estimation to determine zones where high pedestrian risk might be associated with a high density of accidents. Identification of specific locations of high risk allows infrastructure improvement projects to prioritize resources efficiently, ultimately resulting in increased benefits to pedestrians.

Development of Delay Claim with a Traffic Volume Approach of the Road National Improvement Project

The objective of the road infrastructure improvement project is to enhance the economy of the community. However, during the construction period, there could be a negative impact for the community of road users and the surrounding environment. Negative impacts on road users can be delays due to traffic jams. The impact of congestion on road users that is often calculated is the loss of road users cost. The loss of the road users cost of a project link road varies. Similarly, the value of the contract of execution of this project also varies. If the contractor is late in completing the project, then, according to the contract is subject to claim delay of 0.1% of the contract value. In this paper, a model of delay claims that the loss of road user costs with variable generators is worth the average daily traffic volume. The descriptive method used in this research. The case of this study is the execution of the two-lane two-way National road in the province of Bali. The results have found that the loss of road user costs is aligned with traffic volume. The logarithm model has found a relationship between the claim delay in contract and the traffic volume. The delay claim charges 0.23% of contract amount of traffic volumes smaller than 11,400 pcu/day, and the maximum claim 0.34 % of contract amount of traffic volume more than 72,700 pcu/day.

Revision of Feasibility Evaluation Guideline for Agricultural Infrastructure Improvement Project Using AHP Approach

Revision of Feasibility Evaluation Guideline for Agricultural Infrastructure Improvement Project Using AHP Approach

Size distributions of slums across the globe using different data and classification methods

ABSTRACTMore than 900 million people worldwide live in slums. These slums mainly can be found in cities of the global south and are characterized by poor living conditions and usually insufficient access to basic infrastructure such as water or energy. In order to improve the living conditions of slum inhabitants, information about the number, location and size of the slums is required to plan supply infrastructure. We therefore identify morphological slums in eight different cities in Africa, South America and Asia, using remote sensing data and analyse their size distributions. We show that 84.6% of all observed morphological slums have a size between 0.001 and 0.1 km2. These results rely on a consistent approach using a clear ontology and conceptual frame for classification. However, classification methods for these underserved areas differ. We show slum classifications based on different methods reveal a strong dependency between the particular method and the resulting size distribution. The study shows the relevance of remote sensing for the investigation of slums and the results can be used for infrastructure planning, as infrastructure improvement projects are often limited to the large known slums. Whereas, the large number of small slums distributed across the city is often neglected.

Making of Stock Management System in Agricultural Infrastructure Improvement and Rural Development Projects

Making of Stock Management System in Agricultural Infrastructure Improvement and Rural Development Projects

Optimizing Safe Routes to School

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs provide funding for infrastructure improvements that encourage children to use active transportation (AT) modes such as walking for travel between home and school. In the United States, the federal government distributes funding to states that can be used for SRTS infrastructure improvements. A Safe Routes to School Infrastructure Improvement Model is proposed that can help decision makers prioritize infrastructure improvement projects. This model is applied to the pedestrian network surrounding a school in Santa Barbara, California to demonstrate how it can be used to recommend specific SRTS infrastructure improvements that minimize pedestrian risk while accounting for funding constraints.

Economic and environmental impacts of agricultural and rural development projects in Japan: evidence from an interregional input–output analysis

Over the past centuries, Japan has developed a distinguished system for irrigated rice culture through cooperation of civil engineering and farming. This system has evolved into public works called the Agricultural Infrastructure Improvement and Rural Development Projects (AR and (2) major GHG-emitting input sectors included construction materials, oil/coal products, electricity, transport, as well as fossil-fuel consumptions by PW themselves. Furthermore, scenario analyses, in which PW sectors must suffer a budget cut, were conducted. The results suggested that the national government may well choose different budget allocations according to their objectives. If they aimed to minimize regional discrepancies in economic development, then lighter budget cuts should be imposed on remote regions. Meanwhile, if they aimed at minimizing the losses of National Total Outputs or maximizing the national GHG reduction, then they would face a trade-off, which stemmed from a strong proportional linkage between the outputs and the GHG emissions of PW. To moderate such a trade-off, technological structures of PW should be innovated, including: (1) increase energy efficiency (i.e., reduce consumption of electricity and fossil fuels); (2) reduce construction materials where possible or procure low emission-intensive materials; and (3) reduce wasted materials.

Campaign to governance: science, engineering, and policy innovation for America’s top infrastructure projects

The 2016 US Presidential Campaign of Donald J. Trump described renewing ‘America’s crumbling infrastructure’ with an extensive program for transportation, water, power grids, telecommunications, security, and other facilities. The program includes incentive-based contracting, jobs creation that leads to increased tax revenues, and attention to reducing waste in procurement. This editorial outlines how key differences between campaigning and governance can affect Presidential transitions for areas such as developing infrastructure policy. The editorial then outlines strategies that can assist with the selection and implementation of infrastructure improvement projects for the Trump Administration moving forward.

Estimating the Cost of Congestion to the Trucking Industry

Because of the critical role of safe and reliable truck movements in sustainable economic growth, public- and private-sector transportation managers continually monitor and evaluate the efficiency of the national roadway system. A key impediment to nimble supply chains is the level of traffic congestion experienced on U.S. roadways and the subsequent costs that are incurred because of that congestion. To facilitate the development of a methodology for quantifying congestion, a standardized approach is presented for calculating congestion figures that are comparative on a year-over-year basis. With this methodology, time delays on the National Highway System in 2014 were calculated at more than 728 million hours, equating to approximately $49.6 billion in increased congestion-related costs to the trucking industry. The congestion was heavily concentrated in urban areas, with 88.1% of the total cost occurring on only 17.6% of the National Highway System network. The lost productivity is equivalent to 264,781 commercial truck drivers sitting idle for an entire working year. Additionally, the average truck experienced an increased cost of $4,546 because of congestion, a figure that varied widely depending on the number of miles a particular truck traveled in a particular area. Finally, the presented standardized methodology enables 2014 to be used as a base year for comparison with future years, allowing for the monitoring of congestion effects over time. As a result, transportation planners and managers can evaluate system metrics such as planning efficiency and productivity for a longer time. The methodology also supports assessment of shorter-term events, such as natural disasters and infrastructure improvement projects.

Multicontextual Machine-Learning Approach to Modeling Traffic Impact of Urban Highway Work Zones

Impact assessments of highway construction work zones (CWZs) are mandated for all federally funded highway infrastructure improvement projects. However, most existing approaches are ad hoc or project specific, so they are incapable of being benchmarked for any particular spatial region. A novel multicontextual approach to modeling the traffic impact of urban highway CWZs is proposed and tested in this paper. The proposed approach is unique because it models the impact of CWZ operations through a multicontextual quantitative method using big data for improved accuracy. In this study, a machine-learning technique was adopted to predict long-term traffic flow rates and the corresponding truck percentages. With the use of these predicted values, stereotypical patterns of traffic volume-to-capacity ratios were created for typical urban nighttime closures. Third-order curve-fitting models to achieve potential work zone travel time delays in heavily trafficked large urban cores were then developed and validated. This study will greatly help state and local governments and the general traveling public in major cities know the potential traffic flow resulting from construction and thereby facilitate progress on highway improvement projects with the better-informed work zone traffic flow and thus improve safety and mobility in and between CWZs.

大阪市都心部の河川における親水性の評価とその整備手法の変遷に関する研究

In this study, which focused on rivers in Osaka’s city center, we sought to find effective ways to improve urban rivers in future projects by evaluating current river accessibility and making clear changes in past river improvement project methods. We found that the accessibility rate for rivers in the center of Osaka city still remains at approximately 40 percent. Approximately 60 percent of river promenades (which provide river access) were constructed as part of area-wide improvement projects before 1996, such as large-scale park development and land maintenance. This shows the importance of ensuring access to the river in urban infrastructure improvement projects. We also discovered that since 1997 river access has been secured in river improvement projects, and that such projects have become diverse. Especially since 2011, partially thanks to projects conducted independently by Osaka Prefecture, the number of connected promenades with easy access to rivers has been increasing.