Road Sector Research Articles

Концептуальні засади визначення вартості проєктних робіт на дорожні роботи та послуги в контексті міжнародного досвіду

ntroduction. The road sector is one of the industries governed by a large number of laws, regulations, and other normative-legal acts, many of which directly or indirectly affect it. Some of these require adaptation to the current conditions of the modern market and integration with the ongoing processes in the industry. Implementing new or amending existing normative-legal acts and regulatory documents is usually a complex process. Currently, Ukraine's economy is in a transitional period, largely due to military actions on its territory. Thus, addressing issues related to determining the cost of project works has become more relevant than ever. The concept of “price” is closely linked to the pricing factors that shape it, with pricing being a key part of achieving the strategic goals of enterprises. Pricing policy plays an important role in the lifecycle of project enterprises as it influences their development, creates a market environment, and allows for the continuation of activities and strategic planning for future development. Establishing a sound pricing policy involves research and gathering information about the market for road works and services, analyzing economic factors, and preparing projects to meet market needs and optimize their implementation. Changes in approaches to determining the cost of project works will help establish a sound pricing policy for project enterprises, which will contribute to the development of the road sector and, ultimately, the recovery of our country.

Modelling indirect tensile strength of warm mix asphalt with variable reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) content

Introduction. There is a world-wide trend to also increase the sustainability of the road sector. The growing use of various industrial by-products, together with economical and eco-friendly construction and maintenance techniques can be observed in many countries. Problem Statement. The utilization of warm mix asphalt and the use of relatively high share of reclaimed asphalt materials in new asphalt mixtures can have negative features, as well. Purpose. Modelling indirect tensile strength of warm mix asphalt with variable reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) content was aimed at based on Hungarian laboratory test series.

Аналіз технічних вимог і методів випробування матеріалів для дорожньої розмітки, як підґрунтя для нових стандартів

Introduction. Horizontal road markings are a crucial element of road safety, traffic organization and flow management. They also enhance the road's capacity by more than 20 % and reduce the number of road traffic accidents. The modern development of the road sector is characterized by increasing demands on road markings. Today, the choice of materials for road markings is vast and includes: paints, cold and hot-applied plastics, polymer tapes, pre-formed products, retroreflective glass microbeads, and more. Each material has a unique set of properties related to durability, retroreflectivity, application cost, and life cycle. Problem Statement. The expanded range of materials complicates the selection process for road markings. The choice must account for various factors, including the type of marking, road conditions (curves in plan, intersections, roads with high traffic volume, etc.), road surface material, and its roughness. To select the proper materials for road markings, road traffic load level and expected service life must be considered. To make an optimal choice, it is essential to test the quality characteristics of materials through evaluations of their physical-mechanical, technological, and functional properties.

Decentralized Emission Inventories and Traffic Dynamics: A Comprehensive Study on PM2.5 and PM10 in the Road Sector of Greater Chennai

Decentralized Emission Inventories and Traffic Dynamics: A Comprehensive Study on PM2.5 and PM10 in the Road Sector of Greater Chennai

СОВРЕМЕННОЕ СОСТОЯНИЕ ОБЕСПЕЧЕНИЯ ОРГАНАМИ ВНУТРЕННИХ ДЕЛ ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОЙ БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ В СФЕРЕ ДОРОЖНОГО ХОЗЯЙСТВА

Introduction. The issues of ensuring economic security in the priority area of economic activity for the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia – in the national road sector - are considered. Some elements of the operational situation are highlighted. The most common ways of committing crimes are identified, as well as officials who are most susceptible to criminal enrichment are named. Methods. A systematic analysis of the data of the GIAC of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia on the registration of crimes in the construction sector was carried out, data on road management were separately highlighted. Examples and data from the survey of respondents, the study of opera-tional and official materials are given. Conclusion and offers. The National Road infrastructure fulfills an extremely important socio-economic task. Almost all other areas of the country's economy depend on its condition. She needs criminal law and operational investigative protection.

Success Factors of the Consultant Selection Stage of the Ghanaian Public Construction Projects: The Road Sector’s Perspective

Success Factors of the Consultant Selection Stage of the Ghanaian Public Construction Projects: The Road Sector’s Perspective

Critical Factors for the Successful Usage of Fly Ash in Road Sectors, Analyzing Mega Projects of Pakistan

Critical Factors for the Successful Usage of Fly Ash in Road Sectors, Analyzing Mega Projects of Pakistan

ПАСПОРТИЗАЦИЯ АВТОМОБИЛЬНЫХ ДОРОГ С ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕМ ЦИФРОВЫХ ТЕХНОЛОГИЙ И ДВОЙНИКОВ

The large scale of the Russian road sector requires the use of digital technologies, the creation of digital twins to improve the quality of management, while limited resources should be taken into account. The purpose of the study is to develop and test an approach to the certification of highways based on the creation of digital twins, taking into account Russian regulatory requirements. In this work, digital twins of roads were obtained based on photographic data and laser scanning using a mobile road laboratory. The quality, accuracy, and completeness of digital twin information meet a Russian regulatory requirement, which makes it possible to generate technical passports for registering objects for cadastral registration. The use of digital twins, compared to field inspection of roads, has a 1.5-2.0 times lower cost and reduces the time required for completing work by 2.5-3.0 times.

MODERNIZATION OF THE CURRENT MECHANISM FOR FINANCING THE ROAD SECTOR

The road sector is the most important sector of the economy of the Republic of Belarus. The operating costs of transport enterprises and the costs of household transport services depend on the condition of the road network. The state of the road network is directly influenced by the State's road financing mechanism, which should ensure a satisfactory road condition, but not be an excessive financial burden for users. The issues of attracting additional investments to the road sector in order to create conditions for improving the quality of transport services remain relevant. Based on the analysis of the practice of financing the road sector of the Republic of Belarus and European countries, an objective and comprehensive understanding of the current financing mechanism has been obtained, proposals have been developed that can form part of the concept of modernization of the existing mechanism. The implementation of the proposals will ensure the stability of macroeconomic financing standards, increase the socio-economic efficiency of the road sector, and the developments can be used in the formation of the State Program "Roads of Belarus for 2026–2030".

Intermodal Transportation Challenges in Eastern Europe: Case Study of Romania

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to analyze data from the Romanian intermodal transportation sector and provide an overview of its main terminals (sea, river, road and rail) and the operational challenges faced by its most important logistics service providers. Intermodal transportation (by rail) is encouraged at EU level as a sustainable alternative to current predominant truck haulage. Most research articles outline issues with connectivity, terminal handling infrastructure and cost efficiency as factors hindering large scale adoption. Other authors tend to emphasize the more reliable delivery schedules, reduced road congestion and emissions as drivers of cost competitiveness on medium term. Relevant cargo volume traffic (tons, TEU and ITU) is analyzed at Romania’s main intermodal hubs in the last 10 years (2014-2023) using quantitative and qualitative data to provide a comprehensive overview of its overall competitiveness in this sector. Most Eastern European countries are faced with the same challenge in terms of intermodal transportation: the shortcomings of their supporting network due to insufficient public investment, highlighted by the results from Romania (case study method). Main results show Constanta Port had record cargo traffic in 2023, but its throughput is hindered by constant congestion issues, similar to the highly competitive road sector where intense truck traffic creates bottlenecks on the major roads leading to Western Europe. Cargo is also shipped via the Danube and freight trains, but to a limited extent due to low average speeds and inconsistent reliability along most sectors. The paper highlights the importance of a country’s strategic hubs and their connectivity (sea and/or river ports, main railway lines and road sectors) as a source of future growth and development perspectives, for terminal operators as well as neighboring regions (EU and EEA) through increased business activity.

НОВАЦІЇ У ВІТЧИЗНЯНІЦЙ НОРМАТИВНІЙ БАЗІ З ПИТАНЬ БУДУВАННЯ АВТОМОБІЛЬНИХ ДОРІГ ІЗ ЦЕМЕНТОБЕТОННИМ ДОРОЖНІМ ПОКРИВОМ

Introduction. The article deals with the issues of expanding the regulatory and technical base of the road sector for the construction of roads with cement concrete pavement. The article covers the issues of improving the existing and developing new requirements for the construction of cement concrete pavements with pin-connected slabs, reinforced slabs with pin connection, with continuous reinforcement and using rolled cement concrete mixtures using modern technologies. Improvement of the national regulatory framework is carried out on the basis of the analysis of existing legal acts, regulatory documents, technical literature related to the objects of standardization and, of course, taking into account the requirements of safety and environmental protection and the factors and features established by the current martial law in Ukraine. The work concerns the developed national standards for the installation of cement concrete pavements, namely those innovations that have already been agreed upon and are planned to be submitted to the National Standardization Body for adoption in the near future. Problem statement. Implementation of a unified technical policy to ensure the reliability and durability of roads, increase the efficiency of capital investments, implementation of scientific and technical achievements of science and best domestic and international practices in the practice of construction of roads with cement concrete pavement, issues of saving material, labor, financial and energy resources, improving the quality of construction work, labor safety and health conditions, rational use of land and other types of natural resources. The fact of constant growth in the intensity of heavy vehicles traffic, which is associated with the transportation of heavy machinery, agricultural products, metallurgical products, etc., significantly affects the reduction of the service life of roads with non-rigid pavement. This necessitates the search for alternative solutions for the construction of more durable pavement structures, one of which is the improvement of existing and introduction of new technologies for the construction of cement concrete pavements.

Participatory Development Approach for the Rural Road Networks: A Case of Infrastructure Development Office, Kaski

This study aims to assess people’s participation in the rural road projects in Kaski District of Gandaki Province. The data were collected from 50 conveniently selected residents along the road project alignment Dopahare-Kristi-Bakrek- Pawaigaude area, using the convenient sampling procedure. This study is descriptive, and the questionnaires were used to collect data concerning the people’s participation and road infrastructure development in the villages. The findings of the study reveal that the presence of poor rural road infrastructure, both in quality and access, the road sector was found external resource-dependent, deficient in resource mobilization and topography of the rural area by itself escalates the problem. The community participation is not well-institutionalized in this project. The study concludes that public participation is crucial in developing a country like Nepal. People’s participation in Nepal is limited only for elite people, but not for people from disadvantaged groups. Though people’s participation has increased in Nepal over the last few decades but people from the underprivileged groups do not participate to the same extent of the elite group, which creates disputes in the society. This study recommends all concerned bodies such as the local communities, the municipality, and other stakeholders to take their responsibility to solve this critical issue.

Reduction of amphibian roadkill by one-side barriers

Amphibians are the most affected vertebrates by roadkill. Often, to minimise this problem mitigation barriers are installed. While two-side barriers effectiveness is well described in the literature, one-side barriers are poorly studied. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of one-side barriers installed by LIFE LINES project along the EM535 road in south-east Portugal. Two types of one-side barriers (one permanent and another temporary one made from tarp) were monitored through road surveys. For each barrier, the influence of interaction between the period (before and after the barrier installation) and road sector (control-no barrier, permanent or temporary barrier installed) on the number of amphibians was evaluated. The result showed that, contrary to the temporary barrier, the permanent one-side barrier appeared to be effective. Thus, the ineffectiveness of the temporary barrier may be related to (i) the tarp material that allows some amphibians to escape, (ii) the presence of vegetation that goes over the top of the barrier, or (iii) increased fence-end effects due to its short length. Even though less effective than two-side barriers, one-side barriers could be installed when there is budget limitation in conservation projects or if land use conflicts exist. Given that our study was the first to evaluate the effectiveness of one-side barriers, we discuss the potential constrains that may have affected our results.

Preliminary study on the application of waste bivalve shells as biofiller for the production of asphalt concrete

The shells of molluscs are a common by-product of the aquaculture industry, and their management represents a significant environmental challenge. Although mollusc farming is considered a low-impact food production, improper shell management could make bivalve farming less environmentally efficient. To address this issue, research is exploring new approaches to reduce waste accumulation and convert shell waste into a valuable resource. The shells of bivalves are functional materials from biological waste, composed mainly of CaCO3, and can be used as secondary raw materials in various applications. In order to meet the demanding environmental target, the road sector is increasing the use of recycled materials in new construction or maintenance of old ones. The present work illustrates the results of several laboratory tests carried out to determine the physical and chemical properties of three different crushed bivalve shells waste for the application as filler in asphalt concretes. The present study highlighted the similarity of these materials with the limestone filler since no significant discrepancy between the mechanical (or technical) performance of the biofiller and the traditional limestone filler are detected through the test carried out, promoting their use in new asphalt concrete mixtures.

Environmental Social Governance Integration for Infrastructure Development in Public Private Partnership Toll Road Sector

This study examines the integration of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles into Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Scheme for Indonesian infrastructure development. Employing a qualitative method with content analysis, the study reveals that the Ministry of Finance has established an ESG framework for PPP, with implementation already in Toll Roads sector. In the PPP toll road sector, Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing Regulations address ESG considerations, and a monitoring and evaluation system called “Penilaian Jalan Tol Berkelanjutan (JTB)” has been introduced since 2022 to assess ESG performance. Ten ESG-compliant rest areas along the Trans Jawa toll road network have been identified, and Jasa Marga is recognized as the best-performing State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) in managing these toll road rest areas. The study underscores that ESG integration in PPP projects can attract financial access, investments, and government support, ultimately promoting sustainability and enhancing PPP governance. By integrating ESG principles in PPP it can play a pivotal role in advancing sustainability and contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

A novel approach for environmental impact assessment of road construction projects in India

The road sector is one of the basic pillars for national economic growth owing to its role in movement of goods and people and can contribute positively towards several sustainable development goals (SDGs). On the other hand, road construction using conventional methods can jeopardize the global progress towards climate action and other environmental related SDGs owing to large raw material requirements, fuel demand and pollution associated with it. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a useful quantitative tool to figure out which products and processes are responsible for majority of road's environmental impact at different stages. This information can then be used to design interventions and adopt alternative materials for improving the environmental profile of roads. However, the application of LCA in road sector in developing countries such as India has been limited owing to unavailability of funds to compile information regarding quantities of all materials used (inventory data) and their environmental characterization factors. Here we present a new approach that connects the publicly available road's bill of quantity (BOQ) and analysis of rates (AOR) documents with national construction materials environmental footprint database to calculate the road footprint. A case study on calculating the environmental impacts of a recently built 43 km state highway road in the Indian state of Gujarat is presented to demonstrate the steps involved in the new approach. The environmental impacts per kilometre of the road section came out to be 6.86 million MJ energy use, 281 tons CO2eq. GHG emissions, 0.013 kg CFC-11 eq. ozone depletion, 2.16 tons SO2eq. acidification, 0.35 tons PO4eq. eutrophication and 0.11 tons ethene eq. of photochemical oxidant formation. Among all life cycle phases, the material production stage contributes the highest to the total environmental footprint of the road section. Of the 52 materials used, bitumen, diesel, coarse/fine aggregate, galvanized iron (GI) pipe, concrete, thermoplastic paint used in road markings and steel corrugated sheet and channel post are responsible for majority of impacts. The template presented can be used in India and other developing countries to evaluate the environmental footprint of existing and future road projects.

Key Factors that Negatively Affect Performance of Imitation Learning for Autonomous Driving

Conditional imitation learning (CIL) has proven superior to other autonomous driving (AD) algorithms. However, its performance evaluation through physical implementations is still limited. This work contributes a systematic evaluation to identify key factors potentially improving its performance. It modified convolutional neural network parameter values, such as reducing the number of filter channels and neuron units, and implemented the model into a vision-based autonomous vehicle (AV). The AV has front-wheel steering with an Ackermann mechanism since it is commonly used by passenger cars. Using the Inertia Measurement Unit, we measured the vehicle’s location and yaw angle along the experimental route. The AV had to move autonomously through new road sectors in the morning, afternoon, and night. First, an overall performance evaluation was carried out. The results showed a 99% success rate from 648 evaluation experiments under different conditions in which the 1% failure rate happened at new intersections. Then, a turning performance evaluation was conducted to identify key factors leading to failure at new intersections. They include fast speed, dazzling light reflection, late navigation command change instant, and the untrained turning driving pattern. The AV never failed while driving on the trained routes. It had a 100% success rate when driving slower, even under various lighting conditions and at various driving patterns, including untrained intersections. Although this study is limited to identifying key factors at three constant speeds, the results become the foundation for future research to improve CIL performance for AD, including by incorporating multimodal fusion and multi-route networks.

Scenario Analysis of the Prospects for the Use of Alternative Fuels for Road Transport in Russia

The article examines the economic and environmental consequences for the Russian Federation that may be caused by the transition of road transport to natural gas fuel and electricity. According to strategic planning documents, public authorities are pursuing the policy aimed at converting a significant share of road transport to natural gas fuel. As singled out, this policy is mainly motivated by the issues of limiting emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere from the combustion of oil products. In addition to a positive impact on the environment, this transformation should have a positive impact on the economy, since the use of alternative energy sources reduces transport costs, and construction of the necessary related infrastructure will create additional growth points for the economy.The objective of the study described in the article is to investigate the economic and environmental effects for the Russian Federation from the transfer of road transport to natural gas fuel.Main economic indicators analysed comprise subsidies that are necessary to create conditions for development of the relevant market, changes in budget revenues from the mineral extraction tax and excise duty on oil products, as well as additional gross value added due to multiplier effects in the economy. The study of environmental effects consists in assessing the reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases and particulate matter into the atmosphere.The analysis of the effects for the Russian economy from the transfer of road transport to alternative energy sources has shown that due to the multiplier effect, for the period up to 2035, gross value added will increase by 3,6 trillion rubles, and investments in the necessary infrastructure will amount to about 2,7 trillion rubles, which is about 13 % of the projected investment in the road sector. Due to the use of gas motor fuel and electric vehicles, by 2035 СО2 (carbon dioxide) emissions will be reduced by 11 million tons annually, which represents only 0,5 % of nationwide emissions. This means that the transfer of road transport to alternative energy sources is not effective enough from the point of view of the existing motivation, and the motivation must be changed in favour of positive economic effects.

Analysis of Risk Factors and Gaps in Government Risk Allocation with Private Investor Risk Perceptions in the Toll Road Sector Using the PPP Scheme in Indonesia

Infrastructure development has an important role in a country's economic growth. Based on the 2020-2024 APBN plan, the total budget requirement for providing infrastructure is IDR. 2,058tn, where the government budget is 30% of the portion of budgeted funding needs. Due to the need for infrastructure development, the government initiated Government Cooperation with Business Entities (KPBU) in various infrastructure sector to accelerate infrastructure development in Indonesia, including toll road. This research was conducted to investigate identified risks along with risk mapping analysis to find out whether there is a gap in risk allocation between the government and private investors in implementing toll road PPPs in Indonesia. The method of this research is a qualitative study with data collection methods through interviews and questionnaires. From the research conducted, it is known that there are 7 (Seven) risk categories with 17 (Seventeen) risk events that are considered important by private investors. From the research conducted, it is known that there are 11 risk allocations that are appropriate and 6 allocations that are not in accordance with the risk perception of private investors in the toll road sector with the PPP scheme in Indonesia, namely the risk of differences in interest on land bailout loans, increases in construction costs, the risk of inflation rates and interest rates, the risk of rate adjustments being lower than projected, the risk of general regulatory (and tax) changes and the risk of political force majeure.

Forecasting Petroleum Products Consumption in the Chadian Road Transport Sector using Optimised Grey Models

This study aims to estimate the demand for petroleum products (PP) in the Chadian road sector by 2030 and to determine which of the two models used is the most efficient. The methodology is based on two optimised Grey models, namely: the Sequential-GM(1,N)-GA and NeuralODE-GM(1,1) models. These models reduce forecasting errors compared with the conventional Grey model. The forecasts confirm that both models are robust, with MAPEs of 1.16% and 2.5% respectively for gasoline and diesel obtained with the Sequential-GM(1,N)-GA, and 3.3% and 4.8% respectively for gasoline and diesel obtained with the NeuralODE-GM(1,1). We note that the Sequential-GM(1,N)-GA is more robust than NeuralODE-GM(1,1) with regard to MAPEs. The estimated consumption needs for gasoline and diesel in the road transport sector by 2030 are 294376818.5 and 381570061.5 litres respectively for the Sequential-GM(1,N)-GA and 264376818.5 and 375570061.5 litres for the NeuralODE-GM(1,1). Based on these results, securing the supply of PP in the road transport sector requires the development of the downstream petroleum sector. The development of alternative energies and the acquisition of hybrid vehicles. A policy encouraging mass transport in urban areas can considerably reduce energy consumption in this sector. This study adds to the literature through the simultaneous use of two new optimised grey models and their comparison in terms of predicting demand for PP in the Chadian road transport sector.