GSB 7.0 Standardlösung

Topic Area 3: Reliable Transport Infrastructure

Designing a more reliable transport infrastructure

Providing a reliable and safe transport system is one of the central tasks of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV). Thousands of employees work on roads, railways and waterways to achieve this goal. The researchers in the topic area ‘Reliable Transport Infrastructure’ of the BMDV Network of Experts support users at various levels. They develop tools for assessing the condition of transport infrastructures and construction methods that are adapted to future shifts in traffic demand and/or climate change. They also develop practical guides to assess the resilience of structures and strategies to minimise the risk of damage from extreme weather events. Their research covers the entire lifecycle of transport infrastructures and aims to achieve a resilient transport system, which is robust to disruptions. The experts consider the transport infrastructure of the different transport modes as a whole, thus reflecting the cross-modal spirit of the BMDV Network of Experts.

This sheme shows how the topic area reliable transport infrastructure is organized since 2020 Main topics of the topic area Reliable transport infrastructure Source: Topic area 3

Key topics

How can the reliability of the transport infrastructure be further improved and maintained in a sustainable and efficient manner? The experts in topic area 3 of the BMDV Network of Experts address this research question in three key areas, called ‘main topics’:

Researchers in the main topic of Inspection and Assessment, investigate innovative methods for assessing the current and expected condition of existing transport infrastructures. These include various remote sensing methods, destructive and non-destructive testing methods, long-term monitoring using a wide range of sensors, and image-based methods. In the future, these approaches will effectively complement conventional inspection and will be integrated into digital methods and information systems for maintenance management.

In the main topic Reliability, Risk and Resilience, the scientists study the impact of disruptive events such as major accidents, fires or extreme weather conditions on transport infrastructure, and develop decision support tools. Assessing the resilience of engineering structures and reliable weather forecasts improves resilience management and the availability of transport routes. Knowledge of the likely course of an event can be used to take precautionary measures and to minimise damage and downtime of the transport infrastructure. For example, a live forecasting system can assist personnel in managing run-off and congestion caused by heavy rainfall. An indicator-based, modular and cross-modal lifecycle management system links the findings from the other main topics over the entire lifecycle of a structure and helps users prioritise construction and repair measures.

Measures to maintain the transport infrastructure must be durable and reliable but also efficient and cost-effective, preferably without restricting traffic flow. At the same time, the conservation of material and machine resources, time savings and environmental compatibility play an increasingly important role. The use of massive precast concrete elements and digital methods such as Building Information Modeling can speed up maintenance work and minimise traffic disruptions. The application of these methods is researched, optimised and documented within the main topic Optimised Construction under Traffic.

Results

  • Innovative monitoring and remote sensing methods will facilitate and accelerate structural in-spections.
  • The prototype of an IT tool for assessing the resilience of transport systems compares possible measures to increase the resilience of transport infrastructures.
  • An indicator-based, modular and cross-modal lifecycle management helps users prioritise con-struction and rehabilitation works.
  • Innovative construction methods and mode-specific standardisation offer great potential for accelerating planning and construction processes.