Planned Infrastructure Projects Research Articles

Planning Infrastructure Projects by means of Psychoacoustic Quantities in the Joint Project "EAV-Infra"

Within the joint project "Real-time Calculation, Auralization and Visualization of Sound Propagation and Noise Protection Measures for Infrastructure Projects" (EAV-Infra), funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, the potentials of digital infrastructure planning based on Building Information Modelling (BIM) and the auralization of different states of planning will be combined. In this contribution, the objectives of the project will be presented with particular focus on the intended application of psychoacoustics. Currently, planning noise protection measures encompasses an elaborate comparison of various planning alternatives in a time-consuming process. Sound pressure levels, which are only informative to experts, are used to communicate states of planning to the public. Auralized signals of noise immissions and a description of the effectiveness of noise protection measures by hearing-oriented quantities could constitute a more intuitive and intelligible evaluation basis for project managers and residents alike. In EAV-Infra, noise exposure will be evaluated based on psychoacoustic quantities. Both classical quantities and newly developed indices, will be considered. In order to find a suitable psychoacoustic annoyance model for the railway context, listening experiments will be conducted, in which subjects evaluate various noise situations. Typical inner- and outer-city scenarios and various noise protection measures will be assessed.

Management of Arctic innovation projects – the vector of Russia’s economic breakthrough

The study is based on the decrees of the President and state programs for the strategic development of the Russian Federation. Modern trends in the economic development of the maritime transport system, its ports and infrastructure projects of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation have been considered. It has been presented that under the conditions of the world economy regression caused by economic, political and other factors, increasing the economic potential of the Arctic territories is a priority goal, and the fulfillment of tasks to develop the Arctic and ensure national security corresponds to the fulfillment of the principles of the state policy of the Russian Federation. It has been determined that the development of the Arctic transport corridor and the Far North regions in modern conditions is impossible without a high-tech economy, and scientific and technological progress predetermines the themes of communicability of interests of the state, business and society. Key infrastructure projects in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation for the development of oil and gas complex, construction of icebreaker fleet, auxiliary Arctic-class fleet, construction of new ports to meet the challenges of increasing the flow of goods along the Northern Sea Route have been considered. The measures for sustainable, reliable energy supply to consumers in order to strengthen the life of the community, expanding the human environment using the latest technological solutions have been analysed. The readiness of industrial enterprises to solve the goals of building land, water and air transport that meets Arctic requirements has been confirmed. The purpose of the study is to assess the ongoing and planned infrastructure projects carried out by the state and business to increase the economic reserve of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation, to ensure the national security of the Russian Federation.

Инфраструктурные проекты — генеральный ресурс повышения экономического потенциала Арктики

The study examines modern challenges affecting the development of the Arctic marine transport system and the economic situation of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation (AZRF). The basic normative legal acts that determine the activities of economic organizations in the Arctic are presented. It was deter-mined that in the context of the world economy regression caused by geopolitical, economic, natural and other reasons, increasing the AZRF economic potential is a priority goal, and the implementation of tasks for the Arctic zone development and ensuring national security corresponds to the implementation of the Fundamentals of State Policy of Russia. The tendency of competitive struggle by the Arctic countries on the issues of economics and geopolitics is noted. The Northern Sea Route (NSR) is presented as the basis of the Arctic sea transport system, its economic potential, international importance, international integration with the People's Republic of China is shown. The main infrastructural projects of the Arctic for the development of the oil and gas complex, the construction of an icebreaker fleet, the construction of new and modernization of the existing ports of the NSR, etc. are presented to solve the problems of increasing cargo traffic along the Northern Sea Corridor. New projects for modernization of port infrastructure, transport development, etc. are considered. The purpose of the study is to assess the ongoing and planned infrastructure projects carried out by the state and business to increase the economic potential of the Arctic. Many of them are unique, which expresses firm confidence in the modern development of the Arctic zone, in ensuring the national security of the Russian Federation.

АРКТИЧЕСКИЕ ПОРТЫ – ВАЖНЫЙ ЭЛЕМЕНТ ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОЙ ПОЛИТИКИ РОССИИ

The current trends in the development of Arctic ports, the maritime transport system and the economic situation of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation (AZRF) are considered. It is determined that in the conditions of the regression of the world economy caused by geopolitical, economic, natural and other reasons, increasing the economic potential of the Russian Arctic is a priority goal, and the fulfillment of tasks for the development of the Arctic zone and ensuring national security corresponds to the implementation of the Foundations of Russia's state policy. The Arctic ports and the Northern Sea Route (NSR) are presented, their economic potential, international significance, international integration with the People's Republic of China is shown. The main infrastructure projects of the Arctic for the development of the oil and gas complex, the construction of an icebreaking fleet, the construction of new and modernization of existing ports of the NSR, etc.to solve problems of increasing cargo traffic along the Northern Sea Corridor are considered. The first foreign shareholder of the Vostok Oil project-the Singapore trading giant Trafigura, the second oil supplier in the world after Vitol-has invested its own funds in the development of oil fields in the Arctic, the construction of a new port and infrastructure facilities under the project of the Port Bay North oil loading terminal. The process of digitalization of the Arctic zone of Russia for a safe and comfortable living of the population, improving the efficiency of ships on the Northern Sea Route – strengthening satellite grouping, laying fiber-optic communication lines, etc. is justified. – within the framework of the implementation of the targets provided for in the Development Strategy of the Russian Arctic until 2035. The purpose of the study is to assess the ongoing and planned infrastructure projects implemented by the state and business to increase the economic potential of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. ensuring the national security of the Russian Federation.

Development of models for segregation of infrastructure project management elements using a mono-template in safety-oriented management

A comprehensive study of the process of decomposition and segregation of infrastructure project management elements using a mono-template under the influence of changes and safety-oriented management was carried out. The use of project, program and portfolio management tools made it possible to generalize the process of structural decomposition of infrastructure projects and features of segregation of management elements using a mono-template and provisions of safety-oriented management. This is important because of the peculiarities of the formation and planning of infrastructure projects: content, structure requirements and values, among which safety is the key. Thus, a conceptual schematic model of a mono-template in safety-oriented management is developed, which includes three blocks of project management. This made it possible to improve the planning process of infrastructure projects. The schematic model is developed and the application of the filter system of elements and parameters of infrastructure project management in safety-oriented management is proposed. The system allows carrying out the process of segregation of the necessary elements and parameters of infrastructure project management with the use of a mono-template. The influence and consequences of application on the basis of project parameters are described. A formalized model of the segregation process of infrastructure project management elements and parameters at the level of a mono-template in safety-oriented management is presented. The process of transition of structurally decomposed management elements and parameters through the filter system is described. In the course of this process, the project factors of proactive management, internal project environment, changes and system resistance affect the formed structurally decomposed blocks of a mono-template. The models developed in the study complement the project management tools and provide an opportunity to carry out the process of planning infrastructure projects at a high-quality level

Learning in iterated consultation procedures – The example of the German electricity grid demand planning

Public participation has become a conditio sine qua non when planning infrastructure projects. However, current research is concerned with one-time experiments and can not elucidate long-term effects of iterated consultations. Our argument is that consultations have learning effects over time. We test our argument using the German procedure for electricity grid demand planning as a case. Using dictionary coding and a quantitative analysis, supplemented by a qualitative text analysis, we show that participants get better in framing their contributions by using the “right” keywords. Hence, consultations evolve over time and improve in terms of the output legitimacy they generate.

Mangrove research in Colombia: Temporal trends, geographical coverage and research gaps

Mangroves are prevalent coastal ecosystems along the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of Colombia, with several structural features and service provisions that make them important regionally and globally. Despite this importance and the existence of national laws to protect them, research on these ecosystems has been historically scarce if compared to the terrestrial ecosystems of the country. Here, we analyse historical trends of mangrove research in Colombia for the time period 1900 until 2018. To do so, a systematic literature search was carried out based on the Web of Science (WoS), Scopus and Google Scholar scientific citation databases. A noticeable increase in the number of mangrove studies in Colombia was found in the 2001–2010 decade. Although the Colombian Pacific contains ca. 80% of the country's mangroves, a greater number of mangrove studies has been conducted on the Caribbean coast. Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, a degraded but productive coastal lagoon, is by far the most studied mangrove site in Colombia. Google Scholar was able to capture ~10 times more studies (mostly grey literature and peer reviewed articles in Spanish) than the Web of Science and Scopus databases, indicating the need to include this type of information in systematic reviews. We propose that future mangrove research in Colombia should prioritize: (1) historically understudied areas where degradation threats are strongest (e.g. near planned infrastructure projects), (2) areas poorly examined but likely to contain healthy, carbon-rich and tall mangroves (e.g. most of the Pacific coast) and (3) interdisciplinary studies that provide for a more holistic social-ecological understanding of Colombian mangrove systems. Our broad synthesis approach is applicable to other countries or regions with extensive mangrove areas and it is likely to help scoping future research and conservation efforts in these ecosystems.

Ecological and Socioeconomic Correlates of Plant Invasions in Denmark: The Utility of Environmental Assessment Data

Control of plant invasions requires regional knowledge of invasive species' distribution and the factors that promote their spread. We studied the distribution of invasive alien plants in Denmark at 2 spatial scales ("site" and "municipality") based on habitat descriptions and species lists from 2343 sites recorded within environmental assessments for planned infrastructure projects and conservation management. We created a Geographic Information System database of the sites and supplemented the field data with information on traffic routes, water courses, and socioeconomic indicators from the respective municipalities. The percentage of invaded sites within a municipality decreased with increasing tax percentage and it increased with (sub-)urbanity. The number of invasive species at the sites was positively correlated with resident plant diversity, disturbance, and proximity to traffic routes. We conclude that current plant invasions in Denmark are mainly an anthropogenic (sub-)urban phenomenon. The results are discussed with respect to the utility of environmental assessment data for studying plant invasions and improving control of invasive species.

Influence of urban design master plans on property sub‐markets: two case studies in Brisbane

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to consider the impact of urban design master plan projects in the Australian context of Brisbane. It first reviewed the general ramifications of urban design projects on property markets. The local impacts of two major projects were then analysed and compared. A limited statistical analysis was conducted to investigate whether local price growth could be attributed to the projects or resulted from generally buoyant market conditions.Design/methodology/approachThe paper adopted a largely descriptive approach. It first reviewed the theoretical outcomes urban design projects should deliver. It then looked at the specific details of two distinct urban design projects in Brisbane and descriptively assessed their impact on adjacent local housing markets. It then compared relative aggregated location price growth to isolate discernable project price effects. Finally, the paper anecdotally selected some master designed properties and considered whether their prices were excessive compared to average location rents.FindingsThe paper found conflicting evidence to support the view that urban design projects significantly lifted aggregated location prices. On the one hand, aggregated project location price growth was relatively muted. Other generic demand factors and local differences in housing stock quality swamped project effects. On the other hand, at the individual property level, there was some anecdotal evidence to suggest premiums were paid for urban designed homes. The paper indirectly suggests, then, that any price impacts of urban design projects are subject to rapid distance decay.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper conducted only a limited historical review of revitalisation and urban design. A systematic individual, project‐adjacent, property price analysis was not conducted. Rather, the aggregated dwelling price analysis and anecdotal rental review suggested, albeit inconclusively, that the effects of urban design are spatially restricted to the immediate vicinity of projects.Practical implicationsInvestors should note likely price impact of planned infrastructure projects is spatially restricted to the immediate environs of the project.Originality/valueThe paper combines an overview of urban design and property market analysis.

Identifying areas of high herpetofauna diversity that are threatened by planned infrastructure projects in Spain

A major task related to conservation is to predict if planned infrastructure projects are likely to threaten biodiversity. In this study we investigated the potential impact of planned infrastructure in Spain on amphibian and reptile species, two highly vulnerable groups given their limited dispersal and current situation of population decline. We used distribution data of both groups to identify areas of high herpetofauna diversity, and compared the locations of these areas with the locations of the planned road, high-speed train railway and water reservoir network. Four criteria were used for this identification: species richness, rarity, vulnerability, and a combined index of the three criteria. From a total of 1441 cells of 20×20 km, areas of high diversity were defined as those cells whose ranked values for the different criteria included either all species or all threatened species. The combined index provided the smallest number of cells needed to retain all threatened species (1.7 and 2.6% of the cells for amphibian and reptile species, respectively). Coincidences between these high diversity areas and cells including planned infrastructures—denominated ‘alert planning units’—were 35.4% for amphibians and 31.2% for reptiles. Mitigation of the potential impacts would include actions such as barriers to animal access to roads and railways and ecoducts under these constructions. Our approach provides conservation authorities information that can be used to make decisions on habitat protection. A technique that identifies threats to herpetofauna before they occur is also likely to improve the chance of herpetofauna being protected.

Environment. The future of the Brazilian Amazon.

The Brazilian Amazon is currently experiencing the world9s highest absolute rate of forest destruction and is likely to suffer even greater degradation in the future because of government plans to invest $40 billion from 2000 to 2007 in dozens of major new highways and infrastructure projects. We developed two computer models that integrate spatial data on deforestation, logging, mining, highways and roads, navigable rivers, vulnerability to wildfires, protected areas, and existing and planned infrastructure projects, in an effort to predict the condition of Brazilian Amazonian forests by the year 2020. Both models suggest that the region9s forests will be drastically altered by current development schemes and land-use trends over the next 20 years.

A Practical Methodology for Impact Assessment of Tunnel Boring Machine Generated Noise

Tunnels are a vital part of many on-going and planned infrastructure projects in Hong Kong. The use of Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) to construct tunnels is increasing in congested areas in Hong Kong to minimize the disruption to surface traffic. Although the TBM method is superior to other tunnel construction techniques in many aspects, its use may cause noise nuisance to local residents. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a systematic methodology to assess the noise impact caused by its operation so as to formulate effective strategies to mitigate any potential ground and structural borne noise nuisance to locol residents. Detailed development of a practical assessment methodology on the basis of wave propagation through multiple media is presented in this paper. The methodology can be used to gain a better understanding of the transmission mechanisms of the noise from the operating TBM to the receiver and to predict the level of noise so perceived. Results of the assessment will provide a viable ba...