Linear Infrastructure Research Articles

OBSŁUGA TRANSPORTOWA MAŁYCH MIAST

The main problem connected with transport in small towns is an efficient passage of the transit route through the town. Road traffic planning is considered to be vital, which in many cases is not possible due to high costs. Another effective solution is calming the traffic along the route through towns, especially in the central areas, with lowering the speed limit to 30-40 kph (exceptionally allowing 50 kph). In this way, a consensus is achieved between the needs of traffic and town’s functioning. In consequence, the status of “priority for the town” is thus given. Ample experience confirms that there is a significant improvement in traffic safety on the main road, including: decrease in the number of deaths, reduction of traffic speed, improvement in the safety of vulnerable road users, improvement in the aesthetics and appearance of public space, improving parking conditions and reducing air pollution. Effects are achieved by reducing the speed and rebuilding of street sections. In the cross-sections of streets, new solutions for pedestrian and bicycle traffic develop the public space, which in this way becomes friendly to residents. Linear infrastructure for bicycles may be limited only to a road with a high car traffic density. The planned road solution must be integrally connected with spatial development. The threshold of road nuisance perceptible on the street in a small town is lower than in medium-sized and large cities. The average annual traffic daily volume should not exceed 5000 vpd. In the aspect of protection of living environment conditions, traffic intensity on small town streets should be by half lower (<2000 vpd), which means a moderate traffic function of the street.

Cross-Canada Infrastructure Corridor, the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and 'Meaningful Consultation'

Pursuit of a cross-country infrastructure corridor raises complex legal issues with respect to the rights and interests of Indigenous peoples in Canada. The legal context has changed significantly since the corridor concept was initially presented in the 1960s. This article sets out the diverse legal landscape across treaty and non-treaty contexts in Canada today, and then describes Crown obligations with respect to Indigenous peoples, including “meaningful consultation”, that would be involved in pursuing the corridor concept. A key observation is that, while the jurisprudence provides relatively comprehensive guidance on the meaningful consultation standard, the contextual nature of the duty to consult legal framework will make it difficult to achieve in the practical Corridor context. This article also puts forward preliminary comments and queries with respect to legal forms that the Corridor concept make take and formal forums in which Crown consultation might occur, including in relation to the new federal impact assessment regime. Overall, this article observes that tensions, complexities and sensitivities that have produced friction in the contemporary legal sphere pertaining to large linear infrastructure projects and the rights of Indigenous peoples would still be present in pursuing the corridor proposal. Meanwhile, further change in the law is entirely foreseeable.

On-demand generation of as-built infrastructure information models for mechanised Tunnelling from TBM data: A computational design approach

When dealing with complex curved geometries and massive datasets linked to linear infrastructures, manual generation and maintenance of related multidisciplinary BIM models and documentation are yet to be fully automated. This research focused on the integration of BIM and computational design into an intuitive approach for the generation of as-built models of mechanised tunnelling projects, leveraging the use of the real-time data collected by TBM. A preliminary study of the parameters was conducted to describe the curved geometry of the tunnel, then their mutual alignment was followed by the identification of additional relevant information. To automate the tunnel's BIM-based modelling process, a system of four coupled algorithms was developed and tested with a sample TBM dataset. The results demonstrate how the adoption of computational design methods drastically enhances the modelling process for infrastructure projects, allowing for the on-demand generation of as-built BIM models, reducing time and errors.

Optimization of an urban railway bypass. A case study in A Coruña-Lugo line, Northwest of Spain

This paper deals with a new mathematical model for designing railway bypasses. The model was developed with applications to urban areas in mind, and presents useful tools to avoid forbidden areas, buildings, and level crossings with secondary paths and other linear infrastructures. It takes into account technical constraints (minimum radii, minimum length of tangents and transition curves, maximum slopes, and also maximum azimuth changes), and ensure a suitable connection with the current layout, for both horizontal and vertical alignment. In addition, the model searches for the best bypass from an economical point of view, taking into account expropriation costs, cleaning and terrain preparation, earthwork (considering different type of materials), and railroad construction costs. This model is applied in a case study located at the Northwest of Spain, in a section of A Coruña-Lugo line, which is currently under consideration for its redesign. By using this model, a railway bypass without level crossings is obtained, avoiding the urban area of Parga and any buildings in the surrounding area, and which is optimal from an economical point of view.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ ФОРМИРОВАНИЯ КАПИТАЛЬНЫХ ВЛОЖЕНИЙ ДЛЯ СОЗДАНИЯ СИСТЕМ МАШИН УДАЛЕНИЯ НЕЖЕЛАТЕЛЬНОЙ РАСТИТЕЛЬНОСТИ

Activities fotr timely removal of growing unwanted tree and shrub vegetation (TSV) for the maintenance of transport linear infrastructure facilities in proper condition in accordance with the requirements of a number of regulatory documents have been organized. Taking into account previously revealed insufficient study of the issue of determining the possible effectiveness of the use of certain technological processes for TSV removal in various natural and industrial conditions, the purpose of the study was to determine the values of capital investments for the formation of machine systems, mechanisms and equipment for the implementation of technological processes for removing unwanted tree and shrub vegetation from territories of linear infrastructure objects (LIO). A system of machines, mechanisms and equipment of various technical levels and price categories was proposed to implement the research goal of removing TSV from the territories of LIO. The system corresponds to modern concepts and trends in the development of technology in the field of logging and forestry. With the help of mathematical apparatus proposed in the article, the author has obtained intervals and amounts of capital investments for the formation of machine systems for the most characteristic technological processes for removing TSV. The term "plateau of capital investments for the formation of machine systems" has been proposed and recommendations for production on an economically justified comparison of a number of technological processes in order to identifying opportunities to replace them have been made.

Assessing the regional landscape connectivity for multispecies to coordinate on-the-ground needs for mitigating linear infrastructure impact in Brasov – Prahova region

While many initiatives, studies and projects are focusing only on modelling wildlife connectivity movement, coordinated efforts should help to deliver adaptative solutions for the on-the-ground needs, while helping the planners and involving communities in landscape protection. Multispecies spatial models and maps allow the generalisation of findings across more significant regions and provide insights to maintain, improve or restore landscape connectivity, while individual species could contribute in establishing regions of focus in conservation efforts. Given the challenge of multispecies connectivity, we chose to build single connectivity models through circuit theory for brown bear, wolf, red deer, wild boar and roe deer. Further, we combined best-supported models in a regional cumulative spatial map, on which we identified areas of high importance for connectivity conservation to investigate and mitigate the impact of linear infrastructure. Results for carnivores and their prey species were similar to those obtained from brown bear landscape genetics modelling. Eastern slope facing was a clear preference of multispecies, and we trust this is due to abundant vegetation, food resources, and lack of fragmentation of forest regions. A vital area called Cold River corridor was validated both functional (brown bear) and structural (for carnivores and prey species) by this study and the results from previous research. However, a highway is planned to bisect the Cold River for the first time, and we advocate that the remaining conservation potential of the area should be maintained whenever possible while planning for evolutionary resilience and prioritizing management actions and effective strategies for all the species. Conservation easements could provide protections against development considered together with coordinated efforts for "smart development", and maintenance of existing forest and wildlife management and land uses preservation.

Changes in grassland management and linear infrastructures associated to the decline of an endangered bird population

European grassland birds are experiencing major population declines, mainly due to changes in farmland management. We analyzed the role of habitat availability, grazing management and linear infrastructures (roads and power lines) in explaining spatial and temporal variation in the population density of little bustards (Tetrax tetrax) in Portugal, during a decade in which the species population size halved. We used data from 51 areas (totaling ca. 1,50,000 ha) that were sampled in two different periods (2003–2006 and 2016). In 2003–2006, when the species occurred at high densities, habitat availability was the only factor affecting spatial variation in bustard density. In the 2016 survey, variation in density was explained by habitat availability and livestock management, with reduced bird numbers in areas with higher proportions of cattle. Population declines across the study period were steeper in areas that initially held higher densities of bustards and in areas with a higher proportion of cattle in the total stocking rate. Areas with higher densities of power lines also registered greater density declines, probably due to avoidance behavior and to increased mortality. Overall, our results show little bustards are currently lacking high quality grassland habitat, whose persistence depends on extensive grazing regimes and low linear infrastructure densities.

Response of vertebrate scavengers to power line and road rights-of-way and its implications for bird fatality estimates

Linear infrastructures, such as power lines and roads, are an important source of bird mortality. However, little is known on the potential effect of these infrastructures on local scavenger guilds, their foraging activity and the resulting bird carcass removal patterns. This is an important source of bias in studies aiming to quantify bird fatalities due to linear infrastructures. We used camera-traps to record scavenger identity and persistence patterns of bird carcasses placed close to linear infrastructure and nearby controls in two Mediterranean agricultural regions. We found that linear infrastructure influence on scavenger identity varied depending on the region. Contrary to expectations, linear infrastructure presence had either none or a positive effect on carcass persistence, meaning that carcasses placed within power line or road rights-of-way were not removed faster than the ones placed in controls. We conclude that linear infrastructure effect on vertebrate scavenging patterns is likely to be region-specific, and that reliable correction factors for carcass removal-bias in bird fatality estimates require site-specific experiments to characterize local scavenging processes.

Geomorphological and geophysical surveys with InSAR analysis applied to the Picerno earth flow (southern Apennines, Italy)

Landslides represent a major geomorphological feature influencing the evolution of the southern Apennine slopes with earth flows being one of the most representative types of landslide. The development of earth flows in the southern Apennines is facilitated by the widespread occurrence of clayey lithologies. Earth flows can either produce marked scars along the slopes, when their activity is high, or give rise to bumpy areas that are frequently covered by vegetation, when their activity is low. In this latter case, although the risk is significantly reduced, the earth flow can still represent a problem for buildings and infrastructure. The Picerno earth flow in the Basilicata region is an example of a low-activity earth flow. This NW-SE–oriented landslide extends for a length of ~ 5.5 km, has an average width of ~ 680 m, and affects the village of Picerno. Our investigations mainly focused on the terminal portion of the landslide and revealed that some significant linear infrastructures (e.g., the Potenza–Naples railway) and important provincial and municipal roads are affected by the earth flow. In order to better define the amount of displacement characterizing the Picerno earth flow and gain insights into the lateral extension and the depth of the main detachment surface, we undertook a detailed geological and geomorphological survey. Interferometry synthetic aperture radar data provided by the processing of SAR images, with the aim of highlighting the regions of the landslide that are currently active, together with electrical resistivity tomography data which have been utilized to define the geometry of the landslide body. Our results provide useful suggestions for planning appropriate actions aimed at stabilizing the landslide body.

Analysis of the Vibration Measurement and Reduction Possibilities in Linear Infrastructure for Vacuum Rail Technology

Abstract The paper presents the concept of vibration measurement and reduction system for rails in hyperloop technology. It is based on the experience of measuring vibrations in high-speed rail, the first commercial magnetic rail, and vibration reduction systems for these rails. The authors outlined a conceptual vibration monitoring system based on the MQTT protocol and the vibration reduction method. The vibration reduction systems based on variable-characteristic silencers and solutions used in research centers, especially in CERNie and LIGO, were de-scribed.

Soil moisture & roads influence the occurrence of frogs in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Urbanization and linear infrastructure are reported to influence amphibian assemblages and populations. In areas undergoing rapid infrastructure development and urbanization, the mounting threats to biodiversity are evident. Although protected area coverage and focus on charismatic species conservation are well recognized, non-charismatic species such as amphibians are far from mainstream conservation actions and policies in Nepal. Studies on pattern and distribution of amphibians are limited, as are the roles of environmental variables in amphibian diversity in the urban landscape. This study was designed to assess the frog species richness and correlates of amphibian occurrence in Kathmandu valley. Visual encounter survey of 161 belt transects was carried out in August 2018. Data analysis used two part or Hurdle regression methods where the richness of frogs was considered a response variable. A total of 10 frog species belonging to six families were recorded. The occurrence of frogs was negatively associated with the dry soil conditions and positively associated with increased distance from roads. Occurrence of frogs along road distance gradient depicts the influence of urban infrastructure in amphibian distribution. This entails consideration of systematic conservation planning for rapidly urbanizing areas.

Governance of Land-based Negative-emission Technologies to Promote Biodiversity Conservation: Lessons from Australia

Climate change is a fundamental threat to biodiversity. Climate mitigation in general, and Negative-Emission Technologies (nets) in particular, have the potential to benefit biodiversity by reducing climate impacts. Domestic laws could help to ensure that nets have benefits for biodiversity adaptation to climate change (e.g. reducing land clearing and habitat loss and facilitating habitat restoration, corridors for species’ migration, and broader ecological resilience). Domestic laws will also need to govern trade-offs between nets and biodiversity adaptation (e.g. increased competition for land and landscape-scale fragmentation by new industrial developments and linear infrastructure). We argue that domestic laws should be used to maximize the benefits of nets while minimizing trade-offs for biodiversity. These laws should ensure that trade-offs are, at the very least, explicit and transparent, both in terms of their implications for current biodiversity and in the context of an acceleration of climate-driven biodiversity decline.

Impact of Deep-seated Gravitational Slope Deformation on urban areas and large infrastructures in the Italian Western Alps

Deep-seated Gravitational Slope Deformations (DsGSDs) are huge ground-deformation slow evolving phenomena, highly widespread in alpine territory. Their long-lasting evolution, with continuous deformation rate, may represents a natural hazard, able to endanger various anthropic structures and infrastructures. Until today, the development of technical and regulatory tools, aimed to effectively manage the interactions between DsGSDs and anthropic elements, has been generally lightly considered in risk management and land use planning. The definition of the type and severity of impacts on the anthropic elements, becomes increasingly important in terms of urban planning and risk management, and deserve an update in the current adopted procedures.Focusing on the Western Italian Alps, we implemented an interdisciplinary analysis, based on multi-source data, by means of geoinformatics, remote sensing and archive consultation approaches. Intersecting DsGSDs available information with the urbanized territory in a Geographic Information System environment, we obtained, despite the high data heterogeneity, an overall framework of the existing interactions. Specifically, we defined the interactions between these large phenomena and buildings, roads and rail networks, and linear infrastructures, as penstocks, waterworks or dams, also highlighing the state of activity of the inventoried phenomena. Moreover, we analysed the degree of the DsGSD impacts on the anthropic elements, detecting and classifying all the documented damages within the Italian Western Alps territory. The obtained results highlight the need for an innovative approach in DsGSDs risk assessment, both in terms of the definition of their behavior over time and of their impacts on the anthropic elements, for a more effective land use planning and a proper handling of these phenomena in the legislation framework.

Navigating paved paradise: Evaluating landscape permeability to movement for large mammals in two conservation priority landscapes in India

Human land use and activity results in the loss of habitat and biodiversity, and alters how animals move through landscapes. Spatially explicit information on where animal movement is affected at large spatial scales is crucial for prioritizing conservation efforts. We evaluated landscape permeability to movement in two conservation priority landscapes in India, the Western Ghats (WG) and Central India (CI). Using an agent-based model we simulated movement and dispersal of five wide-ranging species in WG (elephant, gaur, leopard, sambar and sloth bear) and four in CI (gaur, leopard, sambar and sloth bear). For each species we compared movement in the presence and absence of land-use land-cover, infrastructure and human population to identify areas where movement is impeded and reduced due to high-resistance features; unrestricted due to relatively low-resistance features; and increased and channelled due to surrounding high-resistance areas. In both landscapes, median movement was reduced. Human land-use, human population and high linear infrastructure density contribute the highest to impeded movement for all species. Natural areas constitute only 20–55% and 50–70% of unrestricted, increased and channelled movement areas in WG and CI respectively. This suggests that a large percentage of the landscape crucial for maintaining movement is not completely permeable. Such areas are often neglected in conservation planning. Our spatially explicit results help identify and prioritize areas where restoration or mitigation should be planned to improve permeability to movement for large mammals. Our approach can be used for other landscapes where data on large mammal movement is lacking.

Best-practice biodiversity safeguards for Belt and Road Initiative’s financiers

With thousands of projects being built along eight transcontinental corridors, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is driving the global infrastructure boom. BRI is likely to have a sizeable biodiversity footprint as its corridors overlap several priority areas for conservation and 150,000 km2 of critical habitat. Biodiversity safeguards for the initiative therefore warrant scrutiny. Biodiversity safeguards are policies or standards (adopted by regulators, project proponents or financiers) that specify biodiversity impact mitigation measures. Here we examine a key source of safeguards—lending requirements of BRI’s financiers. We compare them with International Finance Corporation’s Performance Standard 6, which is often regarded as international best practice and which requires projects affecting ‘critical habitat’ to achieve a ‘net gain’ of biodiversity through impact mitigation. We find that of the 65 financiers identified (35 Chinese and 30 international), just 17 require biodiversity impact mitigation and 12 require a ‘net gain’. Among those with biodiversity safeguards, 16 are international, and despite the Chinese financiers accounting for over 90% of BRI’s financing (by quantum of investment), only 1 of the 35 we identified has biodiversity safeguards. Because most BRI finance is not subject to biodiversity safeguards, we conclude that potential impacts of BRI linear infrastructure projects may remain unmitigated, despite approximately 369,000 km2 of critical and natural habitat occurring within the 25 km buffer zone of such projects. We therefore argue for urgent adherence to best-practice safeguards for all institutions financing the BRI. An analysis reveals only 17 out of 65 financiers require biodiversity impact mitigation measures, and overall the initiative falls short of international best practices

Bridging the gap: How to design canopy bridges for arboreal guenons to mitigate road collisions

Roads affect the integrity of ecosystems worldwide as a cause of mortality to animals and a barrier to animal movement, decreasing gene flow and increasing local extinction probability. It is estimated that construction of linear infrastructure impacts up to 13% of primate species but research focusing on primate road fatalities and mitigation is not extensive and experimental research on canopy crossing designs for primates is lacking. We used the South African samango monkey (Cercopithecus albogularis) as a model species to test suitable bridge design through field experimentation and behavioural data collection for arboreal guenon roadkill mitigation and a mapped actual roadkill data in the region. We show that canopy overpasses are a viable intervention for mitigating arboreal guenon road fatalities, reducing the probability that monkeys will cross a road on the ground. Samango monkeys clearly preferred a pole bridge over a rope ladder design and canopy bridges were preferred to trees and the ground when the tree canopy was open. Pole bridges were also used by other non-guenon and non-primate species. Although samango roadkills are not predictable in time (no seasonality), adult female and immature fatalities are predictable in space, restricted to bisected riparian zones and roads close to intact forests. Adult male road fatalities can also be expected in seemingly unsuitable habitat areas. Our study shows how important correct interpretation of spatial, temporal and demographic data on road fatalities is and how experimental research prior to installing crossing structures could increase mitigation impact.

Bits and pieces: Forest fragmentation by linear intrusions in India

Linear infrastructure development is an important driver of forest fragmentation leading to habitat and biodiversity loss as well as disruption of critical ecosystem processes. The tropical forests of India are increasingly impacted by infrastructure development. Little quantitative information is available on the extent of fragmentation due to linear infrastructure on these habitats. Here, we quantified fragmentation due to linear infrastructure by studying forest structural connectivity. We compared the existing forest patch characteristics with a scenario that excluded all linear infrastructure. We classified forest patches into three different fragmentation categories that combined information on patch size, inter patch distance and percentage perforations. Results show that power-transmission lines and roads were the most common infrastructure features within forests. We found a 6% increase in the number of forest patches due to the construction of linear infrastructure. Forest patches >10,000 km2 in size were severely affected and there was a 71.5 % reduction in the number of such patches. We found that 86 % of the existing forest patches are in the small (median patch size <1 km2) and isolated (a median distance of 155 m) category. The density of linear infrastructure inside protected areas was similar to density in non-protected forested areas. Our results highlight the need to minimize the effects of fragmentation in the future by considering re-routing or bundling of infrastructure. When infrastructure is unavoidable, there is a need to mitigate their potential impacts. The results of this study have been made publicly accessible (https://indiaunderconstruction.com) to provide information on 'where' to avoid future linear infrastructure development and to make informed decisions which can lead to optimally designed local management plans.

The Jurisdictional Anticommons

When multiple stakeholders have the right to veto use of a resource, it may go to waste. This is the problem of the anticommons. When the stakeholders with veto-rights are regulators, it is known as the regulatory anticommons. When the multiple regulators come from different jurisdictions, it raises a special problem, which this paper names the jurisdictional anticommons. This jurisdictional anticommons is a common roadblock to linear energy transport infrastructure: oil, gas, and renewable power may be locked in if the pipelines and power-lines that would bring them to market may be vetoed by the jurisdictions they must cross. The jurisdictional anticommons is a thorny, growing problem for resource development around the world. Sovereignty, like private property, admits few exceptions, but this paper suggests how property law might also suggest some solutions.

The Social Cost of Urban Sprinkling

Low-density dispersed urban development, known as “sprawl” or “sprinkling”, is an alternative configuration that best expresses the structure of the Italian urban system and is taking on increasingly significant dimensions. This phenomenon has increased in recent decades due to a weakening of the urban agglomeration force that had characterized the first half of the last century. Partial abandonment of agricultural activities and socio-economic changes led to the progressive urbanization of rural areas and the birth of widespread cities. This work discusses the externalities generated by sprawl, focusing on the tangible costs that this urban development model unloads on the people. In particular, the territory of the Basilicata Region is analyzed. Based on the data of some municipalities in the region, a relationship between the marginal costs relating to the greater linear infrastructure that sprinkling requires and an index already described in the literature to provide a quantitative measure of this phenomenon was built and verified with a regression model.

Beneath The Surface

Investigations related to subsurface utility engineering (SUE) traditionally have been used on linear infrastructure projects to provide detailed utility information within the public right-of-way....