Major Infrastructure Projects Research Articles

Developing Systems-Level Criteria for Evaluating Performance of Horizontal Drains toward Landslide Mitigation: Case Study of the US20 Pioneer Mountain-Eddyville Realignment Project

Opened to traffic in 2016, the Pioneer Mountain-Eddyville (PME) realignment was a major highway infrastructure project that began in 2005 and created approximately 9 km of new highway on US Route 20 in the Oregon Coast Range. Due to the renewed activity of a series of paleolandslides that traversed the project right-of-way, deliver of the construction project was significantly delayed. Owing to the size and activity of these slope failures, a large monitoring network of piezometers and other instrumentation was deployed as a precursor to the installation of an extensive system of horizontal drain arrays (176 km of drain length) intended as one means of landslide mitigation through control of in situ groundwater. Because there is limited guidance regarding monitoring the long-term performance or design life of horizontal drains, hydrological data in drained areas were monitored as a means of observing performance during and after project completion. This case study describes observations of groundwater behavior prior to—and after—drain installation, thereafter proposing site planning–level metrics for evaluating the continued function of horizontal drain systems. Drain function is considered through groundwater response to precipitation, but also through a simple evaluation of water storage in the catchment of each landslide. The four paleolandslides—Cougar Creek, Crystal Creek, Eddy A/B, and Eddy C/D—demonstrate different responses to drain installation and long-term performance. Using simple metrics based on monitoring, added indices for evaluating long-term horizontal drain performance at the site scale are proposed. Consistent with the Observational Method, these criteria may serve as additional guidance for a monitoring-based framework for evaluating the life cycle of horizontal drains as a landslide mitigation system and a basis for planning drain maintenance or added mitigation measures.

The Geopolitical Implications of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a major infrastructure and economic development project that has attracted significant interest due to its geopolitical implications. This article examines the many facets of CPEC and its impact on the region. The introduction summarizes CPEC and provides the article statement, emphasizing the research focus on geopolitical implications. The historical context section examines the origins of CPEC and details the motivations and goals that led to its creation. The economic impact of the CPEC is examined, highlighting the corridor's benefits, challenges and infrastructure development projects. In addition, the article examines the geopolitical implications of the CPEC and assesses its impact on the balance of power in South Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific region. Perspectives and responses from neighbouring countries and international organizations are also taken into account. The article concludes by summarizing the important findings and emphasizing the policy implications for Pakistan, China and other stakeholders. Future prospects and situations are examined and recommendations for further research are given.

Inclusive growth, public transit infrastructure investments and neighbourhood trajectories of inequality in Montreal.

Investing in accessible, affordable and sustainable modes of transportation is increasingly seen as an important policy tool for fostering the development of more inclusive cities and combating the rise in inequality. In this article, we review how the concept of inclusive growth has gained traction at the local level framed within a discourse of building more equitable and sustainable cities with a particular emphasis on transportation infrastructure projects as a way of operationalizing the concept as a policy tool. Using Montreal as a case study, we then proceed to evaluate two competing proposals for major public transit infrastructure projects (the Pink line and the REM Phase II) to see if one may potentially offer more inclusive outcomes in terms of transit access and mobility. We do so by first examining changes in the spatial configurations of neighbourhood income disparities in the city between 1981 and 2016. After identifying a pattern of growing spatial polarization between higher- and lower-income neighbourhoods, we use a buffer analysis of transit stations to assess which of the two proposed transit infrastructure projects is best positioned to curb the growth of neighbourhood disparities. Our results suggest the proposed Pink line project provides more coverage in terms of accessibility and connecting economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods from Montreal Nord to Lachine with the downtown core.

IMPLEMENTATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF RAILWAY TRANSPORT HUBS: EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS

The key tool for economic growth and overcoming restrictions is the implementation of major infrastructure projects in the field of railway transport. Infrastructure projects aimed at organising passenger and freight rail traffic form a wide range of social effects, such as saving travel time, improving transportation safety, reducing emissions of harmful substances and noise levels, increasing physical activity, improving social integration and organising a barrier-free environment, agglomeration effects and an increase in subjective well-being.At the same time, such projects are very capital-intensive and often cannot be implemented in full due to limited funding. Especially this factor plays a significant role in the current conditions of sanctions pressure. The combination of these factors leads to the need for comprehensive risk management when deciding on the implementation of an infrastructure project for the development of railway junctions.Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify risks in the implementation of infrastructure projects, assess the identified risks and formulate recommendations for their reduction.

Integration of Circular Economy Approaches into a Major Infrastructure Project Case Study - National Highways’ A303 Circular Economy Pathfinder Project

Whilst the concept of the circular economy is not new, experience of and guidance for, its practical application continues to evolve. There are currently few case studies for the application of circular economy approaches to the design and delivery of major infrastructure projects. This paper summarises experience, key activities and achievements in the implementation of circular economy approaches through the Development Phase of the A303 Amesbury to Berwick Down (Stonehenge) road scheme, a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. The A303 Stonehenge scheme is the one of the first complex infrastructure projects in the UK to focus on the integration of circular economy approaches from the Preliminary Design stage. This paper summarises activities undertaken as a National Highways ‘Circular Economy Pathfinder Project’ between 2017 and 2021, during the Preliminary Design through to Construction Preparation stages of the scheme. The Pathfinder Project sought to identify stakeholders and establish mechanisms to integrate consideration and application of circular economy approaches into the scheme’s current Development and future Construction Phases. The work described is not specific to the A303 Stonehenge scheme, the general approach developed, and opportunities identified will influence this scheme and also inform other National Highways’ road schemes. The paper summarises experience and achievements to date, the approach is expected to continue to be developed through future road schemes. The paper describes the application of circular economy approaches by reference to National Highways’ Major Project Cycle and applicable planning requirements, however, the general approach and outcomes achieved are broadly similar to, and therefore transferrable to other major infrastructure projects. This paper is expected to be of interest to those interested in the practicalities of the transition to the circular economy.

Incorporation of Green Infrastructure on Road Tunnel Ventilation Stacks: Potential Ambient Air Quality Improvement

Vehicular tunnels are an important part of transportation infrastructure, though there are concerns about air quality due to the concentrated release of polluted air at roadway portals and tunnel ventilation stacks. Urban green infrastructure offers opportunities as a nature-based solution to mitigate urban particulate matter pollution. Green walls have advantages over other types of urban green infrastructure, since they can be potentially applied to large vertical surfaces available within cities and since they can be retrofitted onto already built structures. However, uptake of green wall technology has been limited on infrastructure projects, let alone the integration of green walls and roadway portals and tunnel ventilation stacks, which represents the first of its type worldwide. Therefore, this study aims to describe the integration of green wall technologies and a tunnel ventilation facility, and models the potential ambient air quality improvement the green wall plants have through PM2.5 dry deposition. It was found that the project would increase ambient PM2.5 to a concentration of 13.6 ug/m3, and that the green walls would have the capacity to remove significant amounts of PM2.5, from not only the ambient air pollutant increase as a result of the ventilation outlets, but also the background and surrounding surface road contributions. Differences in the rate of pollutant removed per stack by the green walls were attributed mostly to the varying ratios of plants installed. The findings indicate the air quality benefits of green wall integration on major infrastructure projects, which will assist in the overall sustainability appraisal of large infrastructure projects which need to balance the needs of population growth with environmental and human health.

Shadow Work: Architecting While Black in British Guiana

My grandfather, Charles Eric Wilkinson, was a black architect-builder involved in major government-sponsored building and infrastructure projects in British Guiana from the 1930s to the 1970s. I place Wilkinson’s built work and its surviving archive of bookkeeping ledgers, letters, photographs, and architectural drawings in conversation with material from national archives in Guyana and England, adding oral histories from family members. White architects stationed in British Guiana and the Caribbean reported back to England about the “skilled craftsmen” (carpenters and building contractors) that they observed. Based on family lore and archives, I question the interactions between the supposed foreign “expert” architects and the local builders, seeking to document this period more accurately through architectural work that has remained in the shadows. The backdrop to my research is the rise of foreign-aided, self-help building schemes in British Guiana in 1954, the same year that Wilkinson endeavored to build a concrete house for his family. British and US architects were involved in British Guiana’s planning and housing development work. Howard Mackey, a Black American professor at Howard University, was on a team contributing to the self-help project. This period of Britain transitioning its so-called dependencies to self-sufficiencies provides an important context for understanding the role that black builders would play in shaping the built environment of the (independent) nation to come.

Impact assessment of Belt and Road Initiative on Chinese economy and society

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a major infrastructure and economic development project launched by the Chinese government in 2013. This review paper examines the economic and social impact of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on the country and makes recommendations. The Belt and Road Initiative has contributed to China’s economic growth and expansion, but also faces challenges such as corruption and environmental concerns. In terms of society, the Belt and Road Initiative has both positive and negative impacts and hidden risks. It creates jobs and infrastructure, but to a certain extent increases pollution and destroys the ecological balance. The conclusion of this study is that the development of the „Belt and Road” should take its essence and discard its dross, criticize inheritance, make the past serve the present, and all countries should work together to realize a community of shared future.

Подходы к оценке антропогенного воздействия в муниципальных образованиях (на примере Байкальской природной территории)

The article substantiates a system of indicators for assessing the anthropogenic impact at the level of municipalities, taking into account the specifics of the Baikal Natural Territory (BNT). It also help to asses estimated indicators for the level of individual settlements in the central ecological zone of the BNT. The structure of the integral indicator reflects the components of the spatial distribution of the anthropogenic pressure that made it possible to carry out an appropriate typology of the municipal districts of the BNT. Calculation of indicators that are absent in official statistics for the level of settlements was conducted on the basis of data on the population and vehicle fleet using GIS technologies which made it possible to assess the anthropogenic impact in urban districts, municipal districts and rural settlements of the central ecological zone. A general decrease in most environmental indicators of anthropogenic impact was revealed. It was also revealed that gradual alignment of territorial proportions is present when the localization of impact in individual municipalities in 2014– 2020. The use of the integral index of anthropogenic impact made it possible to assess trends in the ecological zones of the BNT. The level of impact in the central zone varies the most across the territory and seasons, in the buffer zone there are contrasts between socio-economically close areas, and in the zone of atmospheric influence the impact is concentrated in the largest cities. A gradual weakening of the role of industrial specialization in the formation of the ecological situation as well as a simplification of the structure of types of impact within the regions are shown. However, two significant areas of impact on Baikal (Irkutsk and South Buryat) remain stable. The main changes occur in the group of regions with a medium level of anthropogenic impact as a result of the implementation of major infrastructure projects.

Prospects for international cooperation in the Arctic in the implementation of energy projects

The article discusses the prospects of international cooperation in the field of energy, taking into account modern geopolitical trends. Under the conditions of sanctions pressure, Russian companies cannot conduct their activities in the European energy market. In these circumstances, one of the priority strategic tasks for Russia is the development of new export directions for the purpose of energy supplies. As part of the implementation of this task in 2022, Russia was able to significantly increase the volume of Arctic oil supplies to China and India, as well as conclude several long-term contracts for the supply of oil and gas. The development of these areas will not only offset the negative effect of sanctions from Western countries, but also become a driver for the implementation of major infrastructure projects.

Size matters when it comes to the survival of transplanted yellow gorgonian fragments

The yellow gorgonian Eunicella cavolini is a Mediterranean endemic coral. Mediterranean populations underwent sharp decreases in the last decades due to climatic anomalies. In the meanwhile, populations in the Sea of Marmara thrive under conditions exempted from significant thermal variations thanks to the peculiar oceanography of the basin. However, they are vulnerable to anthropogenic activities, such as fishing, coastal constructions, dredging and landfilling. Major infrastructure projects at two remote islands, Yassıada and Sivriada, put healthy gorgonian communities at risk. We observed many dead colonies when Yassıada was constructed and before operations commenced on Sivriada, we transplanted gorgonian fragments 13 km away to a site at lower risk from construction. The transplantation site already hosts yellow gorgonian as sparse colonies; but also, it sits within an important fishing area, and entangled nets over rocks are common. Therefore, together with a local NGO, we initiated conservation efforts simultaneously with the transplantation works. 300 gorgonian fragments in the 4.5–15.4 cm size range were transplanted in two years (2017 – 2019). At six months, the survival of the colonies was significantly size dependent. Fragments of 10 – 15.4 cm initial sizes had the highest survival rate (up to 90 %), while small fragments yielded substantially lower survival. Despite severe impacts from fishing nets and mucilaginous entanglement, 50 % of fragments larger than 10 cm survived after 4.5 years of plantation. Besides, several recruits were observed among 4.5 years old transplants. Therefore, when restoration by raw transplantation actions is planned for gorgonians with thin scleraxis, a minimum fragment size of 10 cm is recommended. The study was a notable example of science/NGO collaboration with substantial local conservation success by using extensive media coverage of conservation efforts as leverage to declare the recipient area as a Marine Protected Area.

Exploring the patterns of convergence and divergence in the development of major infrastructure projects

This paper explores the long-term patterns in the development phase of major infrastructure projects to advance our understanding of underlying temporal unfolding processes and of the possibilities for steering these towards a more resolute and better prepared start of execution. Our inquiry relies on a process perspective, on the concept of project trajectory as a pattern of project participants' and stakeholders' convergence and divergence with respect to conditions enabling the start of execution, and on a theoretical framework aiming to explain the formation of long-term trajectories. This framework is used to study the development trajectories of three major infrastructure projects in North America and to elaborate preliminary accounts of their onset. Results contribute an original conceptual arsenal for tracing and reflecting on the overall project development trajectories, as well as a broader, more dynamic understanding of factors conditioning the pattern, pace and efficacy of convergence towards project execution.

A Review of Urban Rail Transit PPP Research

To relieve the pressure of government investment and high-cost operation in major infrastructure projects, the PPP (Public-Private Partnership) is widely used in transportation engineering projects, especially urban rail projects. In this paper, we use Excel and Citespace software to categorize the research hotspots and analyze the trend changes to visualize the cooperation network analysis by searching 217 academic papers in core journals of Zhiwang, CSI, EI, CSSCI, and CSCD by keywords "PPP and transportation". Nowadays, the research of PPP-Transportation Engineering mainly focuses on the construction of risk management systems, performance evaluation systems, subsidy scheme decision systems, and operation mode selection methods for the whole life cycle of urban rail projects. This paper also analyzes the one-sidedness and research blind spots in the field of PPP_transportation, and provides research ideas for building a complete knowledge system and application development in the field of PPP-transportation in the future.

Erratum: “Central” and “peripheral” adaptation pathways of entangled agrifood systems transformations

An erratum on: Dagli W (2022) “Central” and “peripheral” adaptation pathways of entangled agrifood systems transformations. Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 6:984276. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.984276 Due to a production error, the source of the opening quote was deleted. A correction has been made to the section Introduction, Paragraph 1: “Sometimes, the changes we speak of are not just about the climate. We also need to adapt to government projects and to the changes they bring to our lives. What's the point of diversifying crops today if in the next year or so a major infrastructure project will displace our farms? What's the point of planting high value crops in the hope of having a harvest 3-4 years from now if the threat of a huge flood is always here? What we need is real change that will truly improve our livelihoods.” – A woman coconut farmer in Pinaglapatan, Infanta, Philippines. The original version of this article has been updated.

Commentary] #CapTheCrossBronx: Grassroots Advocacy & Public Health Research to Secure Federal Funding for Reimagining the Cross Bronx Expressway (Policy & Practice Commentary)

The Cross Bronx Expressway is perhaps one of the greatest threats to the health of Bronx residents today. It is a major source of air pollution, noise pollution, and economic malaise. These threats can be mitigated with deck parks over the expressway. While deck parks are not a new idea, it was not until there was hard data on the damage that the expressway was doing to the health and economic well-being of local residents that policymakers had a reason to listen. The Cross Bronx Expressway presents a rare example of clear-cut translation of quantitative research into social policy. In this commentary, we discuss how a study on the cost-effectiveness of placing deck parks on a freeway translated into a grass-roots campaign to secure federal funding for a major public health infrastructure project.

Cost Underruns in Major Road Transport Infrastructure Projects—The Surprising Experience of Poland

This paper investigates the reasons behind the surprising cost performance of road construction projects in Poland. In particular, in order to explain the phenomenon of cost underruns, the role of regulations related to the national and the European Union structural investment funding is verified. It is shown that in Poland there exist two different institutional frameworks related to infrastructure investment projects. However, in the case of road transport infrastructure investment, the public investor does not discriminate between the sources of funding and follows the optimal strategy for the EU co-funded projects. This, in turn, leads to the emergence of cost underruns.

Actuarial Credibility Approach in Adjusting Initial Cost Estimates of Transport Infrastructure Projects

This paper presents a novel methodology based on the modified actuarial credibility approach. It allows for the adjustment of initial cost estimates of public infrastructure projects by accounting for the additional risk/uncertainty factor. Hence, it offers an interesting alternative to other existing forecasting methods. We test our approach by applying data for over 300 major infrastructure projects implemented in Poland between 2004 and 2020. We prove that, despite its simplicity, the actuarial credibility approach can deliver accurate cost estimates compared to more complex methods such as regression analysis (OLS) or machine learning (LASSO). In particular, we show that, although the forecasting accuracy varies among different project categories, actuarial credibility outperforms other forecasting approaches in the majority of cases. As a result, we argue that actuarial credibility should be considered as a relatively simple tool with very modest data requirements that can be easily applied by investors and policy makers in order to improve project planning and avoid cost overruns.

Research on the layout of primary control network and new measurement method for the HIAF survey and alignment

HIAF (High Intensity heavy ion Accelerator Facility) is one of the major national science and technology infrastructure projects in the “12th Five-Year Plan” undertaken by the Institute of Modern Physics, CAS. The primary control network, as the basic framework of the local coordinate system control of the particle accelerator, is the basis for calculating the coordinates in the process of accelerator construction and implementation, and plays a very important role in the survey and alignment during the construction period and the maintenance and monitoring during the operation period. Based on the multi-dissimilar design structure of HIAF and the unique geological conditions of the construction area, a new high-density layout method of the primary control network and a high-precision 3D(three-dimensional) measurement method were studied, and were successfully applied to the survey and alignment of HIAF. Inside and outside the accelerator tunnel, a high-density 3D primary control network that can form a full envelope for the accelerator beam is respectively laid out. All primary control networks are embedded in the bedrock layer with stainless steel reference inner cylinder and outer protective cylinder, and special waterproof filling layer is set up. All primary control network points in the accelerator tunnel are equipped with measuring intervisible holes and measurement platforms that can directly perform 3D measurements on the ground. By setting up the laser tracker on the horizontal attitude of the measurement platform, the 3D coordinates of the primary control network points inside and outside the accelerator tunnel can be measured directly and with high precision, and the simultaneous adjustment of the measurement data can be completed. The HIAF primary control network layout and measurement method proposed in this paper overcomes the problems of heavy pile foundation, poor crack resistance and poor water seepage resistance of the primary control network laid by the traditional method and solves the problem that the traditional primary control network must separate the plane network and the elevation network for independent measurement. The traditional method of tunnel point and forced centering measurement is avoided. By using a laser tracker to directly measure the 3D coordinates of the primary control network points inside and outside the tunnel, the measurement efficiency and measurement accuracy of the primary control network are improved, and the reliability of primary control network measurements is increased. The feasibility and correctness of the HIAF primary control network layout and measurement method are verified by comparing the actual multi-system measurement results in the field. This method has a certain reference value for the layout of the primary control network of the same type of accelerator.

Study on MSIR Motivation Based on SNA

The lack of social responsibility in megaproject has been frequent in recent years, causing serious waste of resources and posing a huge governance problem for the sustainable development of such projects. In order to solve this governance challenge, an in-depth study of the reasons for the lack of social responsibility is needed. This paper constructs a social responsibility stakeholder network model with "positive" (better fulfillment of social responsibility) and "negative" (lack of social responsibility) dimensions based on five major infrastructure projects, such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and analyzes the relationship between stakeholders and accident victims based on the comparison of the two network models. The impact of the stakeholder connection on the accident is examined via a comparison of the two network models. Finally, this study attributes the causes of the lack of social responsibility in large infrastructures to insufficient stakeholder connection, low participation, over-reliance on third parties for information transfer, and being in an information isolation. This study improves the social responsibility governance system for Megaproject.

Environmental Rights Between Constitutional Law and Local Context: Reflections on a Moving Target

AbstractEnvironmental rights such as the right to a sound environment and rights of nature, while playing an increasingly important role in global environmental governance and protection, frequently do not correspond to articulations of fundamental experiences of injustice by communities particularly affected by serious environmental degradation caused by, for example, extractive activities or major infrastructure projects. We present three empirically grounded case studies that employ concepts and methods from anthropology to demonstrate this. The work is still in progress, but sufficiently well advanced to present some findings. Our ethnographic research in Ethiopia and Mongolia reveals that vulnerable local communities take recourse to constitutional environmental rights far less often than expected. The reasons for this range from rule-of-law issues to local perceptions of vulnerability and relevant norms. Conversely, where environmental rights are demanded or claimed at the local level, they are often not translated adequately into the law of the state. Our case study on Ecuador, where rights of nature as a specific type of environmental rights have been included in the constitution, shows that transfers from local practice, while potentially having a transformative effect, may lead to conceptual selectivity, ambiguity, lack of clarity, and overlaps with existing state norms and, hence, redundancies. Environmental rights are, therefore, a moving target whose concrete added value hinges on context—as methods of law and anthropology serve to illustrate.