The following are summaries of papers published in other parts of ICE Proceedings during 2002 that readers of Stuctures and Builings may find of interest. You can get copies of individual papers emailed or posted to you for £5 or faxed to you for £2 a page from the ICE library (telephone +44 (0)20 7665 2251; fax +44(0)20 7976 7610; e-mail library@ice.org.uk). In all cases you need to complete a copy request form which can be downloaded from the ICE website at www.ice.org.uk/library/ icepdprq.html. Summaries of all papers in ICE journals are also freely available and fully searchable at the ‘journals on-line’ section of the ICE website at www.ice.org.uk/jol.
Float Viaduct—a high-speed rail bridge replacement
M. Hackney, A. Stocks and C. Dodgson
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Civil Engineering, 2002, 150, February, 22–28
The replacement of a strategic bridge at a remote, environmentally sensitive location on the UK's main west-coast railway in just five days required a tremendous amount of advance planning. The 135 year old Float viaduct crossing the upper reaches of the River Clyde needed to be replaced as part of Railtrack's upgrade of the busy route to suit 200 km/h electric trains. Working under a fixed-price design-and-construct contract, Carillion and Scott Wilson opted to move both the old bridge deck out and the new bridge deck in by lifting rather than sliding. Apart from the first span initially refusing to move, the meticulously planned project went without a hitch and was complete well within the five-day track possession.
Romania's Danube rail bridge—a monument to Anghel Saligny
J. Manning
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Civil Engineering, 2002, 150, February, 35–41
The giant steel-truss rail bridge over the mighty River Danube in Romania is a monument to the country's most revered civil engineer, Anghel Saligny. The technical challenges involved in building 60 m tall piers in 30 m of fast-flowing water and a superstructure that could cope with high winds and low temperatures proved too much for the world's leading civil engineers, none of whom provided a conforming design in two rounds of competition. It was left to Saligny, secretary of the competition, to produce a workable plan–and over 100 years later his ‘King Carol I’ bridge is still in operation.
El-Azhar road tunnel—Cairo's new frontier
B. Welburn and X. de Nettancourt
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Civil Engineering, 2002, 150, August, 114–123
The historic Islamic centre of Cairo is now a more pleasant place to be thanks to a new, state-of-the-art road tunnel through the middle of one of the world's largest cities. The new 2·4 km long, twin-bore El Azhar road tunnel was designed and built in just 40 months to Europe's highest fire-safety standard. It has pioneered the use of a reinforced fire lining, which protects the tunnel structure from temperatures in excess of 200°C and thus prevents spalling. It also has an unusual escape system–rather than escaping through crosspassages between bores, users slide down into a safe passage beneath each road deck. This paper describes the design and construction of this innovative, fast-track project.
China's Golden Horse—a new benchmark for cable-stayed construction
Z. Zhe, Y. Juan and H. Cailiang
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Civil Engineering, 2002, 150, August, 129–133
A dramatic new road bridge near Hong Kong could prove to be a new benchmark for cable-stayed crossings. Instead of using a traditional two-tower cable-stayed design with integrated approach viaducts, the Jin-Ma (Golden Horse) bridge has a large single-towered structure rigidly connected to two balanced-cantilever approach structures. The symmetry, stiffness and efficiency of the arrangement makes for a very economical, yet aesthetic, solution. The bridge provides two main spans of 283 m across the Xi-Jiang river delta, significantly reducing journey times between the southern Chinese cities of Guangzhou (formerly Canton) and Zhaoqing.
Funding for Athens’ new Olympic Airport
A. Deriziotis
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Civil Engineering, 2002, 150, November, 169–177
International visitors to the Athens Olympics in August 2004 should enjoy a relatively congestion-free journey thanks to Europe's first privately financed airport on a greenfield site. The £1·3 billion Eleftherios Venizelos airport opened at Spata last year, replacing the old, notoriously overcrowded Hellinikon airport in the Athens suburbs. With twin runways capable of simultaneous operation, it will eventually be able to handle up to 50 million passengers a year. This paper describes the planning, design and construction of this new state-of-the-art airport and in particular the steps taken to control noise.
Arenium—a new element in Stockton's design management.
R. McGuckin
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Civil Engineering Special Issue, 2002, 150, November, 27–30
Stockton's highway design team are experienced users of three-dimensional computer-aided design software. However, they are all too well aware that communication breakdowns can occur when they start sharing the underlying three-dimensional model data: a single unreported change can have a significant financial impact. This paper reports on the council's successful introduction of a new collaborative system that ensures everyone–wherever they are–is working to the latest data.
A comparison between tube-à-manchette and lance grouting to assist tunnel excavation through chalk
T. G. Newman, J. L. Ingle
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Geotechnical Engineering, 2002, 155, July, 175–186
A road tunnel 13·5 m in diameter and 800 m long has recently been constructed, through chalk, as part of the Ramsgate Harbour Approach Road Scheme. For the first time in the United Kingdom tunnelling has involved primary support being provided by a system of prevaults followed by the installation of an unreinforced concrete lining. This paper describes how an iterative grouting solution was evolved in response to unstable ground conditions during the early phases of tunnelling. As the tunnel drive progressed, and greater knowledge of the engineering behaviour of the chalk was gained, decisions were made to carry out trial injections using the tube-à-manchette and lance methods. These were installed from the surface in areas where it was perceived that future problems might occur. A comparison is drawn between the efficiency and relevance of the two systems in the ground conditions encountered on site.
Sustainable transport policy—an overview
D. Bayliss
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Municipal Engineer, 2002, 151, March, 1–2
(no abstract)
Road vehicles: future growth in developed and developing countries
J. Dargay
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Municipal Engineer, 2002, 151, March, 3–12
This paper examines the trends in the growth of the stock of road vehicles over the past decades and presents projections of its development over the next 25 years for 82 countries at different levels of economic development, from the lowest (China, India and Pakistan) to the highest (the USA, Japan and Europe). The countries included account for 85% of the world population and 93% of the total vehicle stock. The projections employ results from a previous study, which are based on estimates of a dynamic time-series model and an S-shaped function to relate the vehicle stock to income, or gross domestic product (GDP). The estimates are used, in conjunction with assumptions concerning income and population growth, to produce projections of the growth in the vehicle stock on a year-by-year basis to 2025. The projections are made for each country separately and aggregated on a regional level for developed and developing countries. The implications of the forecast growth for traffic, traffic density and CO2 emissions are illustrated.
Disappearing traffic? The story so far
S. Cairns, S. Atkins, P. Goodwin
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Municipal Engineer, 2002, 151, March, 13–22
Reallocating roadspace from general traffic, to improve conditions for pedestrians or cyclists or buses or on-street light rail or other high-occupancy vehicles, is often predicted to cause major traffic problems on neighbouring streets. This paper reports on two phases of research, resulting in the examination of over 70 case studies of roadspace reallocation from eleven countries, and the collation of opinions from over 200 transport professionals worldwide. The findings suggest that predictions of traffic problems are often unnecessarily alarmist, and that, given appropriate local circumstances, significant reductions in overall traffic levels can occur, with people making a far wider range of behavioural responses than has traditionally been assumed. Follow-up work has also highlighted the importance of managing how schemes are perceived by the public and reported in the media, with various lessons for avoiding problems. Finally, the findings highlight that well-designed schemes to reallocate roadspace can often contribute to a multiplicity of different policy aims and objectives.
Transport user needs and marketing public transport
S. G. Stradling
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Municipal Engineer, 2002, 151, March, 23–28
A better understanding of how public transport can be rendered more attractive to motorists is needed. This paper presents findings from recent studies of the psychological dimensions underlying respondent ratings of car and public transport use. Automobile users obtain autonomy as well as mobility from driving. There are two aspects to this autonomy–a sense of personal identity and a sense of independence–with feelings of control, confidence and safety a core component of both. Analysis of ratings of ten features of bus and rail services showed, for both modes, two underlying dimensions of judgement, service availability and service attractiveness. Analysis of 16 aspects of interchanging bus and rail journeys found separate factors representing psychological needs (saving effort), journey needs (saving time) and cost considerations (saving money). All journeys require expenditure of physical, cognitive and emotional effort. Current car commuters see a public transport alternative involving interchange as requiring unwelcome additional expenditure of physical and emotional resource. Analysis of bus and train traveller ratings of 16 journey demands found separate factors for in-trip anxieties, personal vulnerability concerns, in-trip and pre-trip information load. Focusing on these sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction should assist those marketing public transport alternatives to car use.
Increasing car dependency of children: should we be worried?
R. L. Mackett
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Municipal Engineer, 2002, 151, March, 29–38
Children are becoming increasingly dependent on the car. This is occurring because of the complexity of modern life and the resulting shortage of time which often means that a child is taken to school by car, sometimes as part of a longer trip. Many parents are concerned about the safety and security of their children. The weather also plays a key role. This increasing car use by children has several implications: children lose opportunities to gain road-based skills and independence from their parents; they lose some social opportunities; parental time is spent taking children by car; there is extra traffic on the road, particularly during the morning peak; children will have a reduction in their physical activity, which has health implications; and, they may grow up with little or no experience of using alternatives to the car. This will have significant adverse impacts on future policies aimed at reducing car use. The situation is likely to worsen. Car ownership will increase further, with a greater increase in households with children than those without. Car use by children is likely to increase considerably. This is a very worrying trend.
TravelSmart—large-scale cost-effective mobility management. Experiences from Perth, Western Australia
B. James
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Municipal Engineer, 2002, 151, March, 39–48
Travel demand management or mobility management is growing in interest as political decision-makers realise that it is not financially and socially feasible to attempt to build enough roads to satisfy growing car use. In reaching this conclusion, political decision-makers confront a dilemma. Car users want quicker travel times for their car trips but they are not prepared to suffer the negative impacts of excessive car use. The solution lies in changing the travel behaviour of individuals but not through measures that are seen to constrain current car use. Therefore low-cost voluntary behaviour change programmes that deliver change are very appealing. The implementation of the Western Australian large scale TravelSmart programme proves that it is possible to motivate people to use their cars less without constraining access to their destinations. The outcome is a very cost-effective alternative to building expensive road infrastructure solutions and provides better use of public transport, cycling and walking infrastructure. The programme has been able to achieve a modal split which parallels that of the early 1980s and the planned programme will be implemented on a large scale reaching over 300,000 people. This programme provides a way forward in a field of transport that has been bereft of effective techniques acceptable to political decision-makers. The winning of resources for the programme has been undertaken within a ‘campaign’ framework comprising proof of public value, developing a capacity to deliver, and winning community support. TravelSmart has developed from an extensive knowledge of travel behaviour and applied within a leadership and community learning paradigm.
Marketing and the British bus industry
M. Enoch, S. Potter
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Municipal Engineer, 2002, 151, March, 49–56
The development of public transport services is a key element of all local sustainable transport strategies. Achieving modal switch from car users requires marketing systems be changed to identify and target suitable non-users of public transport, rather than just enlarging custom by existing users. However, in the public transport field, marketing is still essentially designed to only address the existing customer base. This is particularly acute among bus operators, who rarely even market effectively to their existing customer base, and have a poor image among car users. This paper draws on the practical experience of some of the relatively few local bus operators and local authorities that have identified and won new markets, including modal shift from car. It looks at the sort of services they have developed, the marketing strategies adopted, and at how the stakeholders worked together. In addition, it provides hard evidence as to the benefits of marketing bus services properly, suggesting that patronage gains of around 5–7% should be possible, even without major investment or legislative change. In conclusion, seven key features of good practice are identified that need to be part of developing bus services to serve sustainable transport policies. These are customisation, co-operation, clear vision, clarity (to the user), core market, culture, and continuity.
Promoting new public transport systems
A. A. Ahern
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Municipal Engineer, 2002, 151, March, 57–62
Concerns about the impact of the car on the environment, on quality of life and on congestion levels have led to increased recognition among transport engineers that alternatives to the car must be promoted. This means that public transport has to form a core part of any sustainable transport system. One form of public transport that is seen as an alternative to the car in towns and cities is light rail. However, there are problems involved with promoting these systems and in anticipating their impacts on travel behaviour. In the past, forecasts of the patronage figures on these systems have been much higher than the actual patronage figures achieved. Transport experts must find a way to make these systems more successful by discovering what the public want from the systems. This paper describes a series of interviews carried out with potential users of Croydon Tramlink. It outlines their attitudes and the concerns they held about using Tramlink. In particular, the surveys examine the impact that publicity from the relevant authorities had on people's modal choices. The paper shows that people were very unimpressed by the publicity and in some cases it had a negative impact on their decisions. The conclusions of the paper have some interesting implications for transport policy and public transport promotion. Suggestions are made on how the lessons learned about people's decision-making processes regarding new light-rail systems could be used to more effectively promote future systems.
Could advertisements for cars influence our travel choices?
A. Bristow
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Municipal Engineer, 2002, 151, 63–72
This study looks at examples of promotional advertising used by the motor industry and reports on the findings of a review of television, newspaper and magazine advertisements. It also provides a brief introduction to marketing methods and the concept of target markets, to begin to consider whether travel choices could be affected by advertising campaigns.
Sustainable personal transport
M. Lowson
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Municipal Engineer, 2002, 151, March, 63–72
Transport by conventional means involves energy use, resource use and emission output which cannot be regarded as sustainable. Current transport is dominated by the car. This provides the flexible personal transport required by modern forms of cities, but is widely recognised as unsustainable. Current public transport is poorly accepted. Unfortunately, analysis also shows that current forms of public transport offer little, or even negative, benefit in sustainability over the car. A new transport system has been devised to meet the need for transport which is both effective and sustainable. ULTra (Urban Light Transport) is an innovative form of Personal Rapid Transit (PRT). In contrast to previous forms of public transport, there is no waiting, no stopping and no transfers within the system. In many circumstances, it can offer better transport than available by other means. ULTra has been designed to demanding sustainability requirements. Typically, ULTra provides a reduction by a factor of 3 in energy use and emissions output over existing forms of transport. ULTra is also complementary to existing forms of transport. By providing a network link to major rail or bus stations, it can improve the attraction of current transport services. Evaluations undertaken for the Department of Transport and supported by recent questionnaire studies, suggest that a comprehensive ULTra system could attract 25–30% of present car drivers. ULTra is now undergoing engineering development funded by the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions. Cardiff County Council has received funding commitments from the National Assembly of Wales which will lead to initial implementation of a system by 2005. It is believed that the system offers a new approach to public transport with a real prospect of significant gains in effectiveness and sustainability.
Factors affecting the adoption of natural gas vehicles by UK road freight operators
N. H. Castillo, D. E. Pitfield
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Municipal Engineer, 2002, 151, March 73–82
Policy-makers and planners concerned with sustainable transport systems have continuously advocated the use of alternative fuel vehicles as a means of reducing road vehicle emissions. The environmental benefits of one such type of alternatively fuelled vehicle, natural gas vehicles (NGVs), are well-documented. Despite the much-proclaimed environmental benefits of NGVs however, there has been little take-up of these vehicles in the UK. A review of current policies towards these vehicles and the ways in which they are promoted may therefore be necessary to encourage their market penetration. A stated preference survey was conducted among freight transport operators throughout the UK, which revealed that economic factors, namely vehicle capital costs and (fuel) operating costs, and fuel availability were of most importance to operators when considering the purchase of a new vehicle. Consequently, policies that not only make NGVs financially competitive but in fact also give them a financial advantage over conventional vehicles, complemented by measures to increase the supply of fuel, may prove most effective in encouraging the adoption of these vehicles among UK road freight operators. Obviously, the operators must be aware of these improvements and, as such, these policies must also be supported by a vigorous promotional and awareness campaign.
Climate change and a sustainable transport policy
M. Hillman
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Municipal Engineer, 2002, 151, March, 83–90
Public policy decisions taken over the last few decades give a strong impression that politicians, perhaps understandably, have been loath to adopt measures which run counter to what they believe people want. That is so even where this preference can be seen to be largely or totally inspired by the public's limited appreciation of the longer-term consequences of the decisions. This is particularly evident in the transport sector where the social, environmental and ecological damage can be considerable. This paper attempts to highlight a disturbing instance of this, where the incompatibility of policies catering for growth in this sector and those intended to deliver a sufficiently adequate response to the prospect of climate change from excessive use of fossil fuels is obvious.
DB32 and the design of good urban streets
D. Taylor, W. Filmer-Sankey
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Municipal Engineer, 2002, 151, June 111–115
Good streets play a vital role in making cities work well: they provide networks for circulation, spaces for human interaction, conduits for services and (less tangibly) they define urban character. However, street design has become dominated by the requirements of the motor car and statutory services, enforced by legislation and standards. The other functions, equally important, have been pushed aside, leading to a decline in street quality and the urban environment. The problems caused by the unimaginative following of DB32 were addressed by the DETR in 1998 in its publication Places, Streets and Movement which showed how streets could be designed for the full range of functions, in particular promoting walking and cycling. This approach to street design reflects the Government's wider sustainability agenda, but it is often incompatible with the cardominated standards of DB32. Most streets still give priority to the motor car, mainly because it is easier and safer, both for developers and local authorities, simply to follow the Standards than to take an imaginative approach to streets. DB32 needs to be revised to end the contradictions and to bring it into line with the more recent guidance, allowing local distinctiveness and good design, and recognising the full range of a street's functions.
Difficulties in providing access to brownfield sites and urban extensions
K. Hollyoak
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Municipal Engineer, 2002, 151, June, 117–123
While the Government's instructions are clear. Residential developers should be building the majority of their houses on brownfield sites and at urban extensions–the guidelines for providing access lack such clarity. This paper discusses the lack of standardisation across the various standards and guidelines, which often gives rise to a blurring between safety and capacity issues, frequently denying brownfield development on debatable criteria, and leaving engineers and planners to work within a challenging and constraining system.
The UK pilot home zone programme: emerging thoughts and lessons
M. Biddulph
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Municipal Engineer, 2002, 151, June 125–130
This paper reviews the key lessons emerging from the process of implementing 14 pilot home zone schemes in the UK. It discusses the origin of the concept and reviews the recent interest in home zones in the UK. It briefly reviews the Government's commitment to providing an appropriate legislative and policy context and also funding for the implementation of the concept. It then introduces the pilot schemes and reviews the lessons and debates emerging from the process of both planning and designing the pilot projects. Finally, the article reviews what is now being done to promote the concept to a wider audience and encourage its wider implementation.
Northmoor Homezone, Manchester
J. A. Delap, J. McMillan
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Municipal Engineer, 2002, 151, June 131–138
This paper describes the implementation of the Northmoor Homezone. Northmoor is one of nine pilot Homezones in England and Wales selected to pioneer new concepts of the use of street space. The first phase is now complete and has been judged by residents to be a success. The aims of the Homezone have been to assist and complement the regeneration of the area and to transform the repetitive terraced streets into new linear courtyards where cars are forced to travel at very low speeds and where pedestrians and cyclists share equal priority with vehicles. Community involvement and consultation has been extensive and monitoring has taken place to determine the opinions of the residents and to measure speeds and volumes of traffic using the streets.
Good quality design in Devon—the highway engineer's contribution
E. Chorlton
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Municipal Engineer, 2002, 151, June, 139–143
Following his election as the current President of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Mark Whitby focused on the role of engineers in today's society and in particular the contributions which engineers are making towards improving the quality of life in urban areas. He claimed that today's engineers can play a part in this process, the significance of which will be comparable with the achievements of their Victorian counterparts. This paper examines the contribution of Devon County Council's engineers and their colleagues in the related environmental professions to the process of improving the quality of life for their communities. It explains the background to the county council's roles and strategic objectives, its role as County Highway Authority for Devon, and the ways in which the authority's professionals are developing the principles and practices of good urban design to help secure this aim. The final section features a number of recent schemes which illustrate the points made in the main body of the text.
Aesthetics and the urban road environment
C. Wright, B. Curtis
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Municipal Engineer, 2002, 151, June 145–150
Traffic planning involves aesthetic issues that impinge on people's daily lives. Roads and traffic have an appreciable effect on the environment, not just through noise and pollution but also through their visual impact on users and non-users alike. So far, it is the tangible effects of transport on the environment–noise, pollution and severance–that have occupied the attention of researchers in the transport field. In this paper, the authors explore some of the less tangible aspects that cannot be expressed in quantitative terms. They focus on two main issues: the role of aesthetics in traffic furniture and vehicle design (does their appearance matter?), and aesthetic principles that might enable vehicles and traffic furniture to relate more closely to the urban landscape. The paper begins with a discussion of what might be termed the aesthetic disruption generated by traffic hardware within the visual environment: street clutter and the aggressive shapes of vehicles accentuated by light reflections from hard metallic surfaces. The authors then attempt to draw out some basic principles that might be applied to the design of vehicles, highways, and street furniture in order to ease the visual clash between transport hardware and the urban landscape. Some suggestions are made for improvement, including the ‘internalisation’ of traffic signs and signals so that drivers receive information via head-up displays rather than on-street hardware, an innovative approach to car body design, partial de-regulation of traffic signs regulations together with ‘aesthetic audits’, and the use of geographical information systems and virtual reality as management tools in order to curb the proliferation of street furniture.
Aspects of children's road crossing behaviour
K. Lupton, J. Colwell, M. Bayley
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Municipal Engineer, 2002, 151, June, 151–157
This paper describes a qualitative study of children's perceptions of safety in the road environment combined with observations of their road crossing behaviour outside schools recorded on video. The results showed that children's main concern was that drivers do not always comply with the children's set of learned rules for crossing the road, and that drivers could not be relied on to stop at designated crossing points. Children sometimes misperceived the functions of engineering measures and our study showed that sometimes they interacted with them in ways that a designer may not have anticipated. In addition, some children's preferred pattern of movement near schools caused them to cross near to, but not on, a designated crossing where they were at greater risk. The choice of crossing point was influenced by perceptions of distance travelled or by social interaction. This paper highlights the need for these factors to be taken into account in the design and placement of road crossing facilities where a high a degree of use by children is anticipated.
Rural routes and networks—50 years out of date?
J. Thackray
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Municipal Engineer, 2002, 151, September, 223–226
The national priority of the 1950s, namely to rebuild, improve and expand highways to make up wartime losses and provide a golden future of road transport, has by and large been achieved. As a result society has been able to increase motor traffic by roughly 1000%, mostly travelling faster, further and safer. All this growth and change has brought major public and private benefits. However, there has been a high price to pay, especially in rural areas along the walking, cycling and horse-riding routes we once used to follow in safety and tranquility. This paper looks at the problems that have accrued over the past 50 years on our rural routes and networks and discusses the various means for resolving them.
Street clutter: what can be done?
C. J. Davis
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Municipal Engineer, 2002, 151, September, 231–240
The character of a place is defined by its streets. However, all too often these streets let us down because of poor preservation and management. Street clutter erodes the special character, value and distinctiveness of an area. This urban clutter is largely a result of the inadequate and often conflicting information offered to urban designers via the current government guidelines. Such single-issue guides fail to take a holistic overview of the urban streetscape assuming, erroneously, that there will be an experienced municipal engineer to oversee the general picture and balance the overall requirements. This paper looks in detail at the problems caused by such lack of coordination and at what is required to forge a way ahead through joined-up thinking and joined-up action.
Winter Maintenance—how to avert the emergency
J. D. Kent
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers—Municipal Engineer, 2002, 151, December, 265–270
This paper looks at two case studies where winter emergencies are averted by early closure of the road to traffic, and then considers whether these principles are relevant in a wider context. The paper questions whether the public attitude towards travelling in severe weather conditions is a major cause of disruption and discusses how this attitude can be changed.
