Nordic Road and Transport Research 1-2004

Animal crossings page 10

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1 April 2004

Danish Road Institute (DRI)

Cover photo: RWS-DWW

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NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

CONTENTS Instrumentation for Monitoring the New Svinesund Bridge. . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA)

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland

Railway simulator – an idea whose time has come. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI)

To tilt, but not too much . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI)

Animal crossings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) 9th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems, Chicago 2002

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The Finnish Architecture “Help Desk” for ITS Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT), Building and Transport

Is Self-knowledgeability a Most Critical Concept in Stated Preference Research?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

The concept

Time

The researcher

The object

Institute of Transport Economics (TØI)

A Contribution to the European Standards: Inter-comparison of Frost Resistance Tests for Aggregates with and without Salt (FRAS) . . . . . . . . . .16 Public Roads Administration (PRA)

Research Activities at the Danish Road Institute in 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Danish Road Directorate (DRD)

A N N O T A T E D R E P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

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NORWEGIAN PUBLIC ROADS ADMINISTRATION (NPRA)

Instrumentation for Monitoring the New Svinesund Bridge

Figure 1. An artist’s impression of the New Svinesund Bridge joining Sweden and Norway. The main span is a single arch with a bridge deck on either side of the arch.

An article written by Raid Karoumi, Senior researcher, Ph.D., The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden, e-mail: Raid.Karoumi@byv.kth.se, and Ian Markey, Ph.D., The Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Oslo, Norway, e-mail: Ian.Markey@vegvesen.no

The New Svinesund Bridge under construction between Norway and Sweden is an elegant but structurally complicated bridge as it combines a very slender construction with a special structural form. The bridge will be opened in 2005 and will be the world’s largest single-arched bridge. The instrumentation for monitoring the structural behaviour of this bridge and some very early results are presented in this article.

The world’s largest bridge with a single arch is being built across the Ide Fjord at Svinesund. The design of the new road bridge is a result of an international design contest. The bridge will form a part of the European highway, E6, which is the main route for all road traffic between Gothenburg and Oslo and currently has an Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) of 8,000 vehicles, whereof 15 per cent are heavy goods vehicles.

Due to the uniqueness of design and the importance of the bridge and as monitoring is an effective way to understand the real behaviour of the bridge, a monitoring project was initiated by the bridge project 4

manger Mr. Lars Lundh at the Swedish National Road Administration (Vägverket Region Väst). The monitoring project, including measurements during construction phase, testing phase, and the first 3–5 years of operation, is coordinated by The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH). The instrumentation of the bridge has been developed following the principles laid out in the handbook (Statens vegvesen, 1999) and in accordance with the method described therein as Instrumentation, Documentation and Verification, abbreviated IDV. In cooperation with the monitoring project advisory group and the bridge design engineers from the contractor Bilfinger Berger AG, the monitoring program was designed to monitor critical construction stages as well as to acquire data needed for design verification studies and long-term performance assessment.

This article describes very briefly the monitoring programme and presents some very early results. Additional information can be found at : http://www.byv.kth.se/svinesund and in the report (James, G., and Karoumi, R., 2003).

Description of the bridge

The New Svinesund Bridge, Figure 1, has a total length of 704 m, and is to be built in only 36 months. The main span of the bridge between abutments is approximately 247 m and consists of a single

ordinary reinforced concrete arch which carries a multiple-cell steel box-girder: double-cell on either side of the arch.The concrete arch has a rectangular hollow cross-section that tapers in two directions reducing the section of the arch from the abutment to the crown in both width and height. The superstructure is joined to the arch at approximately half its height.

The steel bridge deck is monolithically connected at the junction to the arch and assists in providing lateral stability to the arch.

The construction of the arch uses a climbing formwork and is done in parallel on the Norwegian and Swedish sides.

During the construction phase, the arch is supported by cables which are anchored to temporary towers, see Figure 2. The towers will be dismantled after completion of the arch. More information on the bridge structure and the construction process can be found in (Bürger, O., 2003).

Instrumentation objectives

The primary objective of the monitoring programme is to check that the bridge is built as designed and to learn more about the as-built structure. This will be achieved by comparing the measured structural behaviour of the bridge with that predicted by theory.

The various parties involved in this monitoring project are the Swedish National Road Administration (Vägverket, client), the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), and the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens vegvesen). KTH is responsible for project coordination, some sensor manufacture, data analysis, verification, and reporting.

NGI is responsible for sensor installation and system operation & maintenance

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

NORWEGIAN PUBLIC ROADS ADMINISTRATION (NPRA)

Figure 2. Photograph of the arch under construction.

Description of the instrumentation and data acquisition system

The data acquisition system consists of two separate data sub-control units built up of basic MGC Digital Frontend modules from HBM (Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik). The units are located at the base of the arch on respectively the Norwegian and Swedish side. The sub-control system on the Swedish side contains the central rack-mounted industrial computer and is connected with ISDN telephone link for data transmittal to the computer facilities at KTH for further analysis and presentation of data. The logged data on the Norwegian side is transmitted to the central computer on the Swedish side via a radio Ethernet link.

The selected logging procedure provides sampling of all sensors continuously at 50 Hz with the exception of the temperature sensors which have a sampling of once per 20 seconds or 1/20 Hz. At the end of each 10 minutes sampling period, statistical data such as mean, maximum, minimum and standard deviation are calculated for each sensor and stored in a statistical data file having a file name that identifies the date and time period when the data was recorded. Raw data, taken during a 10 minutes period, is stored in a buffer if the “trigger” value for calculated standard deviation for acceleration is exceeded.

The instrumentation of the arch is composed of:

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

§ 16 vibrating-wire strain gauges, 4 at arch base and 4 just below the bridge deck, Norwegian and Swedish side § 8 resistance strain gauges, 2 at arch base, 2 in a segment just below bridge deck, and 4 at the crown § 4 linear servo accelerometers, installed pair-wise and are moved to new arch segments as construction of the arch progresses. When the arch is completed, 2 accelerometers will be moved to the arch mid point and 2 to the arch’s Swedish quarter point § 28 temperature gauges, at the same sections as the strain gauges § 1 outside air temperature gauge, and one= 3-directional ultrasonic anemometer for measuring wind speed and direction at

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NORWEGIAN PUBLIC ROADS ADMINISTRATION (NPRA)

Figure 3. Early age temperature-strain behaviour. The gauges are installed at the roof of an arch segment close to the arch base on the Swedish side. (VWS1-T) vibrating wire gauge, (RSS1-T) resistance strain gauge, (TS1-T) temperature gauge.

Typical field measurements results

Due to limited space, only a few results are presented in this article.

Figure 3 shows the complex temperature-strain behaviour of the hardening concrete from casting until an age of five weeks. The strain and temperature gauges are positioned in the roof of a segment close to the arch base on the Swedish side. At the start of the monitoring period the gauges are mounted alongside the main reinforcement with no concrete present. The concrete is then poured into the formwork and hardening takes place

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causing an increase in temperature to approximately 55 oC. Another point to be observed from Figure 3 is that on the 24th July 2003 a temporary stay-cable support ��

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deck level close to the first support on the Swedish side.

All the 24 strain gauges and 28 temperature gauges are embedded in the concrete section. In some sections both vibrating-wire and resistance strain gauges are installed side by side for instrument verification and quality control purposes.

In addition to the above listed sensors, the suspended part of the bridge deck will be instrumented with 6 linear servo accelerometers: 3 at mid point and 3 at quarter point. At each section, 2 of the accelerometers will monitor vertical deck acceleration and 1 for horizontal deck acceleration. Furthermore, it is also intended to monitor the forces in the first hangers as well as the transverse movement of the bridge deck at the first bridge pier supports on both sides of the arch.

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was removed by the contractor. This can be seen as a sudden drop in the strains at that time.

The events on-site obviously play an important role in interpreting the results from the strain gauges. Figure 4 shows the strains measured at the roof of a segment close to the arch base on the Swedish side.

The casting of each subsequent segment causes an elongation of the reinforcement bars. This is to be expected as the arch behaves as a cantilever and the extra weight at the end of the structure caused by the newly cast arch segments will cause tension in the top of the section at the base of the arch. In a similar manner, tensioning the temporary support cables, represented by the green dot-dashed lines, causes a contraction of the same reinforcement bars.

Concluding remarks

On the whole, the sensors and data acquisition equipment appear to be operating satisfactorily and provide reasonable results. The stored statistical data will be used to identify raw data files of interest.

Verification and analysis of these raw data files will be presented in future reports.

Acknowledgement

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Figure 4. The above figure shows how the work on site is mirrored by the measured strains. The casting dates for segments are represented by dotted red lines. Segment numbers are shown at the top of the figure. The dates when tensioning of the temporary support cables occurred are shown in green.

The financing of this project is provided by the Swedish National Road Administration and is gratefully acknowledged.

The authors of this paper would also like to thank Lars Lundh and Peter Harryson (Vägverket), Frank Myrvoll (NGI) and Thomas Darholm (FB Engineering AB).

References: Olaf Bürger, (2003). ”Nya Svinesundsbron får slank båge i betong”.

Betong, Vol. 1, (In Swedish).

James, G., and Karoumi, R. (2003). “Monitoring of the New Svinesund Bridge, Report 1: Instrumentation of the arch and preliminary results from the construction phase”, TRITA-BKN. Rapport 74, Brobyggnad 2003, ISSN 1103-4289, ISRN KTH/ BKN/R--74--SE, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm.

Statens vegvesen, (1999). “Metodikk for instrumentering, dokumentasjon og verifikasjon av konstruktioner”. Handbook Nr. 212 in Vegvesen’s handbook series, (In Norwegian).

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

SWEDISH NATIONAL ROAD AND TRANSPORT RESEARCH INSTITUTE (VTI)

Railway simulator – an idea whose time has come An article written by Tarja Magnusson, VTI

Perseverance pays off, as shown by the work in progress on a railway simulator at VTI. The person who has been persistent in this case is VTI researcher Johan Förstberg who has made use of his network of contacts and promoted the idea of a railway simulator.

Screen dump from prototype/preliminary study for the rail simulator.

National base resource

Many participants – many applications

For several years it has been thought in Sweden that there ought to be a simulator for rail and other trackbound traffic for research purposes.

– As a matter of fact, for some ten years there has been a railway simulator at Sweden, but this was produced for training, not for research, says Mats Lidström, one of the VTI researchers who is most involved in the simulator project.

That the idea made headway right from the beginning is due to a project of Johan Förstberg concerning passenger comfort and travel sickness in connection with rail journeys. This gave rise to the idea of using the VTI driving simulator to study the situation of the driver in a train cab.

In due course, this resulted in a preliminary study, financed by the National Swedish Rail Administration and the Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems, into the need for a rail simulator for research purposes.

The study was able to justify a simulator project, but the demand of the funding agencies was that the project should be run in collaboration between the research world and industry.

– The funding agencies wanted to see the simulator as a national project, as a national base resource, says VTI researcher Mikael Adlers who is also enthusiastically engaged in the development of the simulator.

There are thus a lot of collaborative partners in the simulator project. One of these is the Department of Information Science, Human-Computer Interaction, Uppsala University, which is conducting research into rail safety systems.

Another participant is the firm Sightline Vision which has experience of VR modelling of traffic environments.

Other participants are AerotechTelub, Bombardier Transportation, which knows a lot about vehicle dynamics, and Svensk Tågkompetens of Mjölby which has recently been taken over by the Railway Training School in Ängelholm. The Rail Administration also has an observer in the project.

– The participants are responsible for different parts of the project, according to their competence profiles, explains Mikael Adlers.

– The rail simulator can have as many purposes as there are players in the project. It can be used for research, training, development, design, investigations and so on, says Johan Förstberg.

There is great enthusiasm - ”it is only one’s imagination that sets the limits”.

Open and scalable

When Mats Lidström and Mikael Anders talk about the rail simulator, there are two words that recur: open and scalable.

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

– ”Open” means that the program code is free to use by all according to their needs, without any demand for program licences, explains Mats Lidström.

– ”Scalable” means it can be run on different platforms, from a suitable computer to the VTI advanced driving simulator.

In turn, this means that the simulator will be truly a national resource, where users and researchers can easily adapt the simulator to their own needs.

– Traditionally, simulator building has been very expensive, but with modern PC technology and VTI’s long experience of simulators, costs can be drastically reduced.

– It is to a large extent the technology from computer games that has driven PC development, and we can now make use of this, points out Mikael Adlers.

Greater opportunities

This new simulator concept has already aroused some interest internationally. It is very likely that the simulator will be a new resource that can be used in new collaborative EU projects.

It is also possible that the simulator may also be used in a tramway context, for instance in connection with the ”duo trams” that can be used in both a road and a rail environment.

The complete simulator is scheduled to come into use in 2005.

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SWEDISH NATIONAL ROAD AND TRANSPORT RESEARCH INSTITUTE (VTI)

PHOTO: VTI

To tilt, but not too much

Johan Förstberg is responsible for one of the subprojects in FACT. That subproject alone has a budget of MSEK 4.

Title: Fewer accidents or costly experience? Evaluation of the campaign “Driver 2000” Authors: Terje Assum and Aslak Fyhri Series: TØI report 661/2003 Language: Language: Norwegian with English summary Summary: http://www.toi.no/ program/program.asp?id=267265

An article written by Catarina Gisby/ redakta.

PHOTO: CHRISTER TONSTRÖM/MEDIABILD

Travel sickness on tilting fast trains is a big worry. So big that MSEK 15 is invested within the EU over a period of three years to try and solve this problem.

VTI researcher Johan Förstberg is responsible for one of the subprojects in the EU programme FACT - Fast and Comfortable Trains.

It is difficult to say how many passengers have travel sickness on a tilting fast train such as X2000. Previous studies by VTI showed that about 10% feel discomfort, but in Norway, on sections with many curves, about 50% of travellers were affected. The degree of travel sickness also varies.

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Work in FACT started on 1 February 2003.

In all fairness, it must be pointed out that this issue had been put to the EU a long time ago, but nothing was done about it.

– One first application was submitted as early as 1999, says Johan Förstberg. But the French were doubtful about it for a long time. They thought that the research they had themselves done on this point was adequate. They then changed their minds and the issue was given higher priority within the EU – which meant that the project could at last start.

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

SWEDISH NATIONAL ROAD AND TRANSPORT RESEARCH INSTITUTE (VTI)

Problems

France is a big player in this context.

France has had experience of fast trains, TGV, for several years. But these do not tilt in the curves.

But it was expensive to build the tracks for TGV. When the demand later arose for fast train connections outside this high speed network, other solutions were required. The French therefore designed a tilting TGV. There was great disappointment when it was found that far too many of the passengers had travel sickness.

Tilting fast trains were abandoned for the time being in France.

In actual fact, the first who wholeheartedly invested in tilting fast trains were Sweden and Italy.

– For a long time it was only Sweden that had tilting trains, says Johan Förstberg.

But other countries soon followed suit: Germany, Finland, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, to name just a few.

They have all had, and are still having, problems with passengers experiencing travel sickness.

Nevertheless, more countries want to invest in tilting fast trains, most recently Spain and Portugal, and France wants to have another go.

Economic to make use of the existing rail network

How has this come about? If travel sickness is such a big problem, why is money not spent instead on fast trains that do not tilt?

– The main reason is that tilting fast trains can use the existing rail network. If it is decided to invest in fast trains that do not tilt, then completely new tracks, with fewer curves, must be built, as happened in France when development of fast trains began there, explains Johan Förstberg.

All the countries listed above take part in FACT. The coordinator for the project is the European Rail Research Institute in Utrecht.

FACT is divided into three subprojects

or packages, says Johan Förstberg.

In the first package, a study shall be made of tracks, codes and geometry.

Johan Förstberg is project manager here.

One of his colleagues is Björn Kufver, of Halcrow London, who previously worked at VTI on issues of this type.

Subproject No 2 comprises simulator tests. Most of these will be made in England. VTI is involved in this also. Field tests will also be made, with hundreds of people in each. These field tests will probably be made in Italy and in the Nordic countries.

Why do people have travel sickness?

The aim of the third project is to find methods for evaluating sections of track before they are constructed. Quite simply, an attempt will be made to predict on which sections travel sickness may be a problem and to try to do something about this before the problem becomes reality.

But why do many people have travel sickness on tilting fast trains?

– A good question, smiles Johan Förstberg. Experiments have been made, here at VTI and at other research institutes, which show that conflicting information to the balance organs, in combination with visual signals, seems to be of critical importance.

In an ”ordinary” train which travels along a curve, the body is forced to one side. The body feels the effect of centrifugal force. This is perceived as normal by the senses.

In X2000 and other similar trains, the tilt largely cancels out lateral acceleration. This is perceived as ”wrong” by the senses. The balance organs perceive that one is rotating, but cannot sense any tilt since lateral acceleration has been mostly eliminated.

– The study shows that the degree of travel sickness is reduced when the train tilts less.

When Norway introduced tilting fast trains, the problems were very obvious.

On some sections, about half the passengers stated that they felt discomfort.

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

– The Norwegians were a little too enthusiastic to start with. They wanted to travel fast, and travel times were reduced as much as possible. This meant that the coaches tilted a lot on curves – and between many places the track consisted mostly of curves. Today, trains travel more slowly.

Unnecessary tilt has been removed

There was the same degree of enthusiasm when the X2000 was introduced in Sweden. According to Johan Förstberg, in certain situations the tilt was unnecessarily high.

– The degree of tilt has been reduced overall, although by not as much as would have been possible. In my opinion, it can be reduced a little more.

Complaints about the train have however decreased. I believe there are several reasons for this, says Johan Förstberg.

Naturally, it is important that the degree of tilt is not as high as before. Further, when the Rail Administration upgrades the network, this is done with X2000 in mind. For instance, curve radii are increased where this can be done.

– People also become used to the tilt, especially people who travel a lot. And those who can’t get used to it will presumably travel by a different train.

Johan Förstberg’s dream is that in due course there will be a database in each tilting train, a database which knows what the track is like and, on the basis of this information, adjusts the degree of tilt as a function of speed, curvature and other factors which may be thought significant in the context. Today, the degree of tilt is the same in all curves.

The EU project which tries to make trains more comfortable is very timely, he finishes. There is increasing investment in trains in Europe.

– I believe that the Commission is coming to the realisation that we have a road traffic network that is suffering from heart failure, says Johan Förstberg. Fast and comfortable trains are therefore a must if new travellers are to be attracted.

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SWEDISH NATIONAL ROAD AND TRANSPORT RESEARCH INSTITUTE (VTI)

Animal crossings If these measures are impracticable – or do not yield the desired results – then it may be necessary to provide animal crossings.

PHOTO: VTI

Where and how are important

– It is important that all interests should express their views when new infrastructure is being planned, emphasises Lennart Folkeson. The local population often knows a lot about the way animals move about in the landscape.

An article written by Catarina Gisby/ redakta.

Animals have their own points where they cross roads and railways. They are called animal crossings and their number is increasing.

– We are learning more about these, says Lennart Folkeson, ecologist and director of research at the VTI unit Transport and Environment.

Our nature is fragmented into smaller and smaller pieces. The reason is that new roads/railways are built or because towns expand. So far, this development has not been quite so obvious in Sweden, but in Central Europe – especially in the Netherlands – fragmentation of the landscape is evident.

The term animal crossing

This term first appeared about ten years ago. An animal crossing is an installation constructed so as to make it possible for animals to pass over or under roads, railway lines and canals.

– As early as the 1960s ”wildlife bridges” were built in France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, says Lennart Folkeson.

However, the purpose of these wildlife 10

bridges was not to protect animals and nature; they were built to look after the interests of hunters. There was a fear that roads would prevent deer from moving from one area to another, and that this would make large tracts of land uninteresting to hunters.

– The early wildlife bridges were often too narrow and they were in the wrong places. They were also made of the wrong materials, mostly concrete. They echoed when the deer crossed, and wild animals are afraid of that type of noise. But the biologists noticed these wildlife bridges, and in turn this gave the idea for animal crossings.

Animals and the infrastructure

– When new roads and railways are constructed, what must first and foremost be borne in mind is that they must be located in areas where nature is not sensitive, says Lennart Folkeson.

– If it is nevertheless necessary to locate the road or railway in such nature, the infrastructure must be adapted to the surroundings. Make sure you do not cut off known animal trails, but build the road/ railway low down in the landscape so that noise from traffic does not spread very far. Make use of the vegetation. Embed the infrastructure in the landscape.

Depending on which animals they are intended for, animal crossings look different.

If it is small amphibians whose movement is to be enabled, tunnels under the road are recommended. If large game are to be able to move from one area to another, perhaps an ecoduct will be needed.

– An ecoduct is a structure that is built over a road/railway to provide a connection between areas of nature on each side.

The surface is covered with soil so that vegetation can be established. In principle, all animals – and also plants – can move across an ecoduct, says Lennart Folkeson.

Animal crossings may have several aims.

Daily foraging is perhaps the most obvious of these.

– Many animals use different biotopes to search for food and to rest, and therefore they daily move between different parts of the landscape, says Lennart Folkeson.

But it is at least as important for animals to be able to look for a mate over larger areas, so that inbreeding may be prevented. And if there are too many animals of the same species in a certain area, it must also be possible for them to spread into other areas.

Other animal species are ”programmed” to undertake long migrations at a certain part of the year.

– When an animal crossing is planned, it is essential to decide what is the principal purpose of the crossing, emphasises Lennart Folkeson.

The location of the crossing must then be chosen with great care.

– An animal crossing must be located at a point where animals are known to cross, not a kilometre further away where they will never go.

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

SWEDISH NATIONAL ROAD AND TRANSPORT RESEARCH INSTITUTE (VTI)

More common on the Continent

A European project – COST 341

How much do we know about the importance of animal crossings for wild animals? Have any evaluations been made?

– Unfortunately, there were very few follow-up reviews before the latest five year period, answers Lennart Folkeson.

Evaluations were a neglected area. But today we take much more care in locating the animal crossings, and we also know more as to what this type of crossing must look like to be attractive for animals.

A five-year European project on this subject, COST 341 – Habitat Fragmentation due to Linear Transportation Infrastructure – ended with a large conference in Brussels last November. Sixteen countries have collaborated in writing a European state of the art report on the basis of national reports. A handbook addressed to designers, planners and decision makers all over Europe has also been produced in English.

– It is a matter of new knowledge, says Lennart Folkeson. It takes time to reach

PHOTO: VTI

Down on the Continent, there are many animal crossings at present. The Netherlands and Switzerland have been very forward looking, but in Germany, France, Hungary, Austria and Spain also the number of crossings for animals is on the increase.

In Sweden there are several animal

crossings of small size, but thus far no ecoducts. There are however gamefriendly bridges in Uddevalla over the E6, and at Burlöv in Skåne over the E6/E20.

– And on the ring road outside Malmö that leads to Copenhagen, a large and wide animal and recreational route has been built underneath the infrastructure, continues Lennart Folkeson.

Froggtunnels are cheap to build and useful.

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

all levels. But, on the whole, I feel that there is a positive attitude to animal crossings. In Sweden, both the National Swedish Road Administration and the National Swedish Rail Administration are greatly committed to this issue.

– Ecoducts are considered to be expensive installations. But compared with the cost of 1 km of motorway, the cost of an ecoduct is negligible, says Lennart Folkeson.

PHOTO: RWS-DWW. A50 in Woeste Hoeve, The Netherlands.

What the junctions between the crossings and the surrounding landscape look like is very important. It must be natural for the animals to move up into an ecoduct, and the nature in the ecoduct must not abruptly differ from that on each side.

The ecoduct must be perceived as part of the ecosystem.

Fences are another detail of great importance.

On the ecoduct there must be fences to prevent animals falling down into the road/railway, and the road/railway itself must be fenced so that the animals are guided to the crossing.

The base of the crossing must be soil or vegetation. And it is best if the animals can see from one side to the other.

– Good visibility is also important for tunnels, adds Lennart Folkeson. Foxes and badgers will enter narrow passages, but most large animals are frightened when the passage is narrow and they feel trapped. Most animals want to be able to see the other end.

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TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND (VTT), BUILDING AND TRANSPORT

The Finnish Architecture “Help Desk” for ITS Projects The article has been specially written for NR&TR by Mikko Lehtonen and Pekka Leviäkangas. For further information, please write to mikko.j.lehtonen@vtt.fi.

The Finnish National ITS Architecture, TelemArk, was developed in 1998–2000 initiated by the Ministry of Transport and Communications Finland. The marketing, training of use and implementation of TelemArk was started in 2000 and is still ongoing.

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3.

In the future, only relevant parts are constantly updated and further developed.

Components of the Finnish ITS architecture

The Finnish National ITS Architecture TelemArk consists of four main components: 1. The architecture description including service process descriptions (conceptual architecture) and logical architecture. Service processes are the main content that are used in system or sub-architecture design.

Physical architecture is not described

4.

by TelemArk The Development Plan; this document shows step-by-step how TelemArk can and should be utilised. It also states what is not included in the architecture but is still needed to make the telematic systems interoperable. For example, many interoperability problems arise from organisational barriers and lack of co-operation Multimodal Traffic Data Library, KALKATI. The Library contains lists of data objects, data models and XML schemas that are needed for traffic information exchange. The KALKATI library is available on the web (http://www.kalkati.net) T9 web pages for monitoring of ITS standardisation work. The pages are available on the web (http://www.traficon.fi/tetra9).

Also a new Freight ITS Architecture (TARKKI) has been constructed using the TelemArk methodology. Whereas TelemArk describes service processes for travellers and drivers, Freight ITS Architecture describes supply chain informa-

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland

TelemArk & TARKKI *service processes based on user needs

KALKATI *library for system design

Development Plan *how to use *how to maintain *non-technical aspects

Help Desk: training, commitment, feedback, update

ITS projects Figure 1. The Finnish architecture components and relations between them.

9th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems, Chicago 2002

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tion processes.

In addition to these main components, the essential sixth element in the architecture is the “Help Desk” function, which was initiated right after completion of TelemArk. The Finnish architecture components and relations between them are illustrated in Figure 1.

Help desk

The aim of Help Desk is to offer architecture support for the pilot projects of the FITS programme. In principle, the support consists of three types of measures: 1. Architecture training workshops and meetings are organised when new pilot projects are launched. This way, the particular project’s ITS process is reflected against the generic processes of TelemArk (or Freight ITS Architecture) and a check is made whether all interoperability and cooperation issues are addressed in the project plan 2. A standardisation monitoring activity that disseminates updated information and gives advice on existing and work-in-progress standards of ISO, CEN and CENELEC. This is done via the Internet, the so-called T9 web pages. The pages are meant to be utilised by various projects and organisations in order to check how they should take standards into account in their work 3. Based on feedback and conclusions from pilot projects, the KALKATI library is further developed and updated. Data models, objects and XML schemes produced by the project are added to the KALKATI library provided that they can be used across the country by other projects and organisations.

Monitoring of the standardisation work, T9 web pages

The most relevant standardisation work from the Finnish point of view is sysNORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND (VTT), BUILDING AND TRANSPORT

tematically monitored. The T9 web pages include § Important architecture and standardisation related news § The structure of the standardisation institutions and contact points § Status information about work-inprogress standards § Brief “layman’s” descriptions about relevant standards.

The pages are updated to make it easy to find the original sources of the data.

Multimodal traffic data library (KALKATI)

The long-term objective of the Multimodal Traffic Data Library (KALKATI) project is to create an information and data exchange system for Finland’s transport sector based on the principles of open architecture and distributed information.

The work was carried out in interaction with interested actors utilising current international standards and the information systems of various organisations. The end product of the work is the KALKATI library, which contains the definitions and tools for the implementation of standardised data communication interfaces. The principles of the KALKATI library are illustrated in Figure 2.

The KALKATI library can be found on the KALKATI website at www.kalkati.net. The web pages include data models and XML schemas, and definitions of attributes in messages for some of the most important traffic data interfaces. The user can also retrieve and update message interface descriptions.

Organisations can utilise the pages for retrieving and updating Java application

components to support their message information programming activities.

New interfaces are added to the library as organisations and projects produce them.

The overall structure of the KALKATI library is illustrated in figure 3.

Definition of service architectures

In the future, updating and maintaining TelemArk and TARKKI architectures will be a very challenging and resource-consuming effort – not least because of the fast changing technological environment.

One way of tackling this issue could be to concentrate only on specific architectures of the most important services.

These Service Architectures could be defined for those services and functions that are expected to be most relevant in future. The Service Architectures should be based on existing architecture descriptions as well as on the results of ongoing and completed R&D projects. Service Architectures would be interfaced with other architectures via data flows and standardised data exchange interfaces.

These specific architectures would simply be some selected parts of TelemArk and TARKKI service processes.

The authors believe that this kind of “modular approach” is suitable for maintaining architectures that tend to be too large for day-to-day care-taking. Also it would help to prioritise maintenance efforts and would fit to the somewhat limited resources.

The Finnish architecture strategy

The European Framework Architecture (KAREN) and the Finnish ArchitecData collection

Traffic data dictionary (KALKATI.net)

definitions

components

DATA MODELS

Data source

XML MESSAGES LIST of DATA OBJECTS Object 1 Object 2

recieving system

Traffic data

Understands data that is at the defined format

etc

delivering system

Nimi tai tunnus

tunnus Nimi tai Nopeuden alenema (SPV) Nopeuden alenema (SPV)

Name or ID

Määritelmä

Määritelmä Tieosan tämänhetkisen ja vapaan liikenne Tieosannopeuden tämänhetkisen ja ero vapaan liikenne tilanteen välinen tilanteen nopeuden välinen ero

< ACCIDENT > < LOCATION > < TYPE > < TIME > < ... </ ACCIDENT >

Definition

Arvot

Arvot ilmaistaan kilometreinä tunnissa Numeroarvo Numeroarvo ilmaistaan kilometreinä tunnissa

Values

Lähde

Lähde DATEX DATEX

Sends data at defined format

Figure 2. The principles of the KALKATI library

ture (TelemArk) differ from each other, although their method of use and basic idea is similar. And since the basic idea is similar, the conclusion is that the architectures can be utilised together, supplementing each other.

According to the Finnish architecture strategy, in the next few years 1. The TelemArk training workshops will be continued in order to increase awareness of the architecture within different organisations and projects; the final goal is of course to achieve the realisation of interoperable systems 2. Guidelines will be prepared in order to support the integrated use of TelemArk and KAREN architectures 3. In connection with the TelemArk training workshops, information about integrated use of TelemArk and KAREN will be disseminated.

In the longer term, the TelemArk architecture will be updated as follows: 4. Overlapping with KAREN will be removed from the TelemArk architecture 5. The functional division and terminology of TelemArk will be harmonised with KAREN. According to the Finnish strategy, TelemArk acts as national framework architecture at a conceptual level. It will help different stakeholders to recognise the processes they are implementing as well as their roles in the processes. The KAREN architecture can be utilised at a functional level when more a detailed architecture is defined.

Source

Figure 3. Overall structure of the KALKATI library.

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

13

INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORT ECONOMICS (TØI)

Is Self-knowledgeability a Most Critical Concept in Stated Preference Research?

Article written by Sverre Strand, TØI, and Jon Martin Denstadli, TØI.

Stated preference techniques are increasingly utilised in the prediction of behaviour in transport and communications research. This study discusses under what conditions such techniques are suitable for what they are actually applied to. In this context the concept of self-knowledgeability is introduced, defined as the individual’s situationspecific ability to be able to give answers with behaviour predicting potential. It is argued that such competence is a necessary condition for predicting behaviour, implying that all other sources of error and all other methodological challenges in principle are irrelevant if self-knowledgeability is not present to a by definition high enough extent.

While reality is complex, our models of it are subject to strong simplification and operationalisation requirements. The challenge lies in not oversimplifying, i.e. avoiding situations where specification errors are of a magnitude that makes the model in question not applicable for its defined purpose.

In order to meet such challenges as they appear in the present context, we introduce the concept of self-knowledgeability, a concept which we will argue is of fundamental significance for a fruitful application of stated preference techniques.

The neglected issue

During the last twenty years, stated preference (SP) techniques have been increasingly utilised in the prediction of behaviour in transport and communications research.

In this context, we define self-knowl-

14

edgeability as the individual’s specific ability to give answers with behaviourpredicting potential – when does the individual actually possess the necessary competence to express himself in a reliable way about his own future behaviour?

It should be stressed that such competence is a necessary condition for charting and predicting behaviour, for when information does not exist, no tool can retrieve it. All other sources of error and all other methodological challenges are, in principle, irrelevant if self-knowledgeability is not present. Here, it is important to emphasise that self-knowledgeability is not either present or absent, but that it is present to some extent. As always, we have to deal with degrees of reliability and a continuum of uncertainty. The task is to identify the maximum permissible uncertainty for the actual situation and the corresponding required degree of selfknowledgeability.

The trade-mark of SP analysis is the experimental design where respondents are faced with hypothetical situations and alternatives to be evaluated as if they were real. In line with the ever increasing number of attitude and preference studies, it may now seem that every methodological aspect but one is being discussed, including alternative theoretical frameworks to utility maximization as well as the possibility of estimating models with non-linear utility functions.

On the basis of a survey of recent literature, we have attempted to demonstrate that self-knowledgeability is an aspect of SP analyses that both formally and in substance is basically neglected. In conclusion, our hypothesis is strongly supported in that the problems related to the concept of self-knowledgeability are in essence recognized, but in practice overlooked in comparison with all the other design, technical and statistical problems that also have to be dealt with.

Self-knowledgeability in context: A mental model

Figure 1 is a hierarchical structure which places the different elements in an individual based prediction model in relation to each other. Figure 2 illustrates the interplay between the researcher and the interview object. In phase 1, the relevant context is defined, while in phase 2 the representative survey segments are defined, in this case the participants in an SP survey. Phase 3 covers the choice of charting and prediction techniques, in this case a SP variant. Phase 4 is the situationspecific evaluation of self-knowledgeability. If this is not present to a sufficient extent in order to apply SP, we must go back to phase 3 and select another technique, or give up.

Figure 3 shows elements connected to respondent characteristics. In element 1, we are again confronted with selfknowledgeability, covering the ability (i) to recognise one’s own behaviour, (ii) to express and describe this behaviour, (iii) to predict one’s own behaviour and (iv) to articulate this prediction.

The connection between these three sub-models can be visualised as shown in figure 4. The main point here is the potential positive dynamics which results from successive feed-backs, i.e. model improvements through new calibrations.

Roads ahead

The following view by Amartya Sen underlines the complexity of the leap from preference to behaviour, and vice versa, and by that the need to specify (the degree) of self-knowledgeability in the present context: “… the fundamental assumption about the revelation of preference can be criticized from many points of view, including the possibility that behaviour may not be based on sys-

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORT ECONOMICS (TØI)

tematic comparison of alternatives, [and] more interestingly, the person in question may not have a connected preference pattern and in terms of observation it is difficult to distinguish such incompleteness from indifference.”

Our conceptual model is a hierarchical structure which places the different elements in a (behaviour) prediction model in relation to each other. Our main hypothesis is, that of all technical and nontechnical sources of uncertainty in an SP process, self-knowledgeability is the most fundamental, to the extent that without checking for this, the whole construction must, in principle, collapse. This implies that design and other technical problems are no more than secondary problems in the sense that results of the SP exercise in principle will have no validity if the degree of self-knowledgeability is not specified in some fashion.

Behavioural psychology and other behaviour-related knowledge A discussion of behavioural psychology literature demonstrates that the human being has many limitations in his ability to handle information. At the same time, he has a repertoire of methods for defining his preferences, and decision models which differ from those which are used as a basis for SP analysis are probably used very often. This represents the methodological main challenge in this context, with ‘behavioural relevance’ as the central key word. The discussion also confirms that it is difficult to articulate or even know one’s own preferences, the reason being that inherent preferences and how they are expressed in a choice situation are dependent upon cognitive abilities, experience and interest regarding the phenomenon in question, as well as task- and context- specific constraints.

Another important point is that the significance of self-knowledgeability is not necessarily dependent on whether the problem is obviously complicated, but must be evaluated equally seriously in situations with which one is initially familiar. The literature seldom goes further than specifying the obvious need for the participants in the survey to be familiar with the problem and with the situation which they are to discuss. However, our view is that such familiarity is a necessary precondition for credible application, but

almost never sufficient.

The general challenge lies in gaining a better grip on conditions which increase self-knowledgability. This work must be based on behavioural psychology and other behaviour-related knowledge, and must include empirical calibrations of Behaviour mapping

connections between hypothetical and actual choices. The only chance of developing satisfactory synthetic models, in this case behaviour-predictive, credible SP designs, probably lies in a fruitful interplay over time between such calibrations.

Behaviour prediction

Control for technical/non-technical sources of uncertainty

Control for self-knowlegdeability

THE CONCEPT Figure 1: The conceptual model Phase 1 System definition

Phase 2 System segmentation

Phase 3 Method choice (SP)

Phase 4 Control for self-knowledgeability

Phase 5 Applying SP

THE RESEARCHER

Phase 6 Combined uncertainty evaluation and result analysis

Figure 2: The research model Element 2 Behavioural preference

Element 1 Self-knowledgeability

Know one’s own behaviour Articulate own behaviour

Element 3 Manifest behaviour

Articulate predictions

Predict own behaviour

THE OBJECT AS A TREATED SUBJECT

Figure 3: The object model

The concept

Time

Title: Self-knowledgeability, a prerequisite for the applicability of stated preference techniques Authors: Strand, S and Denstadli, J M Series: TØI Working Paper TR/1219/04 Language: Norwegian

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

The researcher

The object

Figure 4: The integrated model

15

PUBLIC ROADS ADMINISTRATION (PRA)

A Contribution to the European Standards: Inter-comparison of Frost Resistance Tests for Aggregates with and without Salt (FRAS)

Article written by P. Petursson, co-ordinator of the FRAS-project, Icelandic Building Research Institute, Keldnaholti, 112 Reykjavík, Iceland.

16

The FRAS consortium: B. Schouenborg, SP, Sweden.

C. Gharabaghy, RWTH, Germany.

P. Kuula-Väisänen, TUT, Finland.

V. Jensen, NBTL, Norway.

E. Bruun-Frantsen, DTI, Denmark.

F. Henin, HOLCIM-France Benelux, Belgium.

T. Merkel, FEHs, Germany.

S. Seytre, LRPC CETE de Lyon, France.

W.D.H. Woodward, UU, Northern Ireland.

M. van Bree, KOAC-WMD BV, Holland.

P. Wolfsdorff, MPA NRW, Germany.

M. Rohleder, BASt, Germany.

E. Westiner, MPA BAU, Germany.

Dr. Kössl, LfB-AG-Hanau, Germany.

Ever since it was evident that European Standards for aggregates would replace national standards in the EU community, the Icelandic Building Research Institute, with the support of the Public Road Administration, has requested that a frost resistance test for aggregates using salt-water as the freezing media should be included in the test-standards of CEN TC 154 “Aggregates”.

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

PUBLIC ROADS ADMINISTRATION (PRA)

It was stated in the early 90´s that Iceland would require a frost resistance test in salt water as an option to the pure water method, which at that time was being processed, i.e. the now existing EN 1367-1. It was pointed out that there was a fundamental difference in measured frost resistance of aggregates when using salt water instead of pure water.

After detailed discussions CEN TC 154 resolved that there was a lack of experience from research using salt water and therefore a draft could not be forwarded at that stage.

A Nordtest project, established in 1995 compared frost resistance tests in salt water and pure water. It resulted in the development of a test method using salt water as the freezing media, with a better accuracy than the comparable Icelandic method, but based on earlier experience and with reference to EN 1367-1. The main conclusion was that the proposed EN 1367-1 test method did not give values that correspond to aggregate performance in real constructions and could therefore not be used to assess the frost resistance of aggregates. Consequently, the proposed Nordtest method was issued as a formal Nordtest standard in 1998, NT BUILD 485.

Efforts have been made during the past few years to have the Nordtest method included in the package of CEN standards for aggregates, but due to lack of experience in many European countries and the limited geographical and geological spread in materials tested with the method, this has not been possible up to date.

The FRAS project

Task group 12 of CEN/TC 154 requested in year 2001, that the Icelandic delegate would draft a new proposal for a test method using a salt solution, based on the Nordtest method NT BUILD 485. It was also noted that the organisation of an interlaboratory trial had to be forseen as soon as possible. In consequence a multinational research group was established to carry out comprehensive research on frost resistance of aggregates. The research project is called FRAS (Frost Restistance test on Aggregates with and without Salt) and is described in more detail below.

Figure 1. Test results for three aggregate types with and without salt.

The FRAS-project is a two-year Nordtest project, which was established in the beginning of year 2003 with the participation of all the Nordic countries. In addition, ten partners from five other European countries participate in the project on a voluntary basis, i.e. six laboratories from Germany and one from France, Belgium, Holland and Northern Ireland. The aim of the FRAS project is primarily to carry out a precision trial to test aggregates in pure water according to EN 1367-1 and salt water according to NT BUILD 485. The project is intended to test the hypothesis that the salt-water test method identifies frost susceptible aggregates without affecting frost resistant aggregates too much.

For the purpose of round robin testing of aggregates, a new draft standard was drawn, which includes and combines both the pure water (EN 1367-1) and in salt water (NT BUILD 485) test methods. It was decided to test two aggregate samples from each participating country. One of the samples chosen was intended to have rather good service record and the other one a poor service record. Additionally, the samples were meant to show a wide variety regarding the petrographic origin of aggregates used for construction in Northern Europe.

The project can be divided into four main objectives: • To validate two frost resistance test

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

methods (NT BUILD 485 and EN 1367-1) by testing aggregates from different sources throughout Europe at different laboratories in Europe • To widen the applicability of the Nordtest freeze/thaw test method • To gain reliable repeatability and reproducibility values for both test methods • To suggest to the relevant task group and sub-committee of CEN/TC 154, a revised method for testing aggregate frost resistance.

Preliminary results show that the main objectives of the project are likely to be fulfilled. Figure 1 shows the test results obtained for three aggregate types of different origin (reference samples tested by all partners). It is observed that the limestone disintegrates considerably when tested in salt water, but only slightly in pure water. The same can be stated concerning the basalt, but the granite is not affected to any degree when using the salt-water solution.

Preliminary results indicate that the data obtained is reliable and will support the proposal to include the salt water method, at least for special climatic and/or geological conditions. It is also evident at this stage that aggregates that are considered rather poor by the participating countries generally show a distinct difference in test results when tested with salt water on one hand and pure water on the other hand.

17

PUBLIC ROADS ADMINISTRATION (PRA)

This is not the case for aggregates that are considered of good quality, as the salt does not affect them to any extent.

Conclusions

It has been demonstrated in earlier projects, that testing the freeze/thaw resistance of construction aggregates in pure water, according to the European Standard EN 1367-1, does not distinguish adequately between frost susceptible and frost resistant aggregates. On the other hand, the Nordtest method NT BUILD 485, which was published in 1998, appears to do so. It is therefore considered important for European producers and users of aggregates to have the Nordtest method included in the European Standards for testing aggregates, especially for use in harsh climatic conditions where frequent freeze/thaw cycling occurs and in saline environment. These conditions exist in many places in Scandinavia as well as other parts of Europe. It is hoped that the outcome of the FRAS-project will

serve as a solid base for CEN/TC 154 to work with in their decision-making concerning frost resistance test methods for construction aggregates.

Acknowledgments

Nordtest is the main sponsor for the Nordic participation in the FRAS-project and their decision to generously grant this project is highly acknowledged. The five Nordic laboratories participating in this project are: Icelandic Building Research Institute (IBRI), SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute, Tampere University of Technology (TUT), Danish Technological Institute (DTI) and Norsk betong og tilslagslaboratorium (NBTL).

The ten European laboratories outside the Nordic region participate in the FRAS-project on a voluntary basis.

This participation gives the project the multi-national status, which was needed to fulfil the requirements of CEN/TC 154. The European participating laboratories are: Institut für Strassenwesen

RWTH (DE), HOLCIM-France Benelux (BE), Forschungsgemeinschaft Eisenhüttenschlacken, FEHs (DE), LRPC de Clermont-Ferrand-CETE de Lyon (FR), Highway Engineering Research, University of Ulster (UK), KOAC-WMD BV (NL), Materialprüfungsamt MPA NRW (DE), Bundesanstalt für Strassenwesen, BASt (DE), Materialprüfungsamt für Bauwesen, MPA BAU (DE) and Laboratorium für Baustoffe AG (DE). The contribution of these Institutes is highly appreciated.

The Icelandic PRA has through the years generously supported the efforts of the IBRI to have a frost resistance test with salt water included in the European Standards, including co-sponsorship for the Icelandic part of the FRAS-project. It should also be stated here that the other Nordic countries as well as some other European countries have always supported the Icelandic request up to date.

Visit our web site:

www.vti.se/nordic

18

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

DANISH ROAD DIRECTORATE (DRD)

Research Activities at the Danish Road Institute in 2004 Article specially written by Flemming Berg, Head of Materials Department and Helen Hasz-Singh, DRI, for Nordic Road and Transport Research.

The Danish Road Institute produces knowledge and delivers consultancy services, measurements, certifications, testing and teaching as well as requisitioned development and research.

The Danish Road Institute gives support to road agencies in their role as professional recipients of construction and maintenance tasks, in particular through control of tenders, quotations and deliveries. In order to offer support to road agencies in their role as purchasers, the Institute offers a detailed description of the road condition and requirements for maintenance. The Danish Road Institute furthermore assists contractors and other suppliers with materials testing, certification, type approval and offers partnerships in regard to research and development.

Society has a basic interest in a wellfunctioning road sector which can solve its tasks in a satisfactory manner and does not use greater economic resources than necessary.

In order to secure and maintain the road capital of the Danish road network through efficient construction, maintenance and development, reliable knowledge and data on the condition of the road network is necessary; condition evaluations form the basis for making priorities and quality control of road works and an evaluation of the need for the economic resources.

The Danish Road Institute (DRI) creates and collects knowledge on roads, which forms the base to secure these values. This knowledge is the future for Danish research, development, distribution of knowledge, teaching and innovation within road technique and roads in general.

DRI’s contributions are based on an

active, specialised production of knowledge; knowledge is collected from other research and teaching institutions in Denmark and abroad and is also generated at DRI, for example, by adjusting foreign research results to Danish conditions.

DRI aims at having the important competence of broad knowledge and the ability to pass on new ideas to the road sector. DRI should be in a position to pass on competent and workable consultancy to the Danish road sector based on its long-standing experiences and measuring and testing activities. This applies to material technology, standardisation, control of road works as well as running and construction of all types of roads and road surfaces. The target group is public and private road authorities, consultants, contractors, industry, educational institutes, etc.

DRI obtains international research results and makes them available for practical use under Danish conditions. Special attention is given to Danish climatic and raw material conditions.

The broad technical competence is specific and makes it possible for the institute to barter on the international knowledge exchange by participating in European “Centres of excellence”, where unique disciplines of the different countries are collected to give broad specialised competence.

Unique disciplines give DRI the possibility to offer knowledge and participate in a qualified manner in relevant international networks, such as PIARC, JTRC (previously OECD/ECMT), TRB and NVF (Nordic Road Association) as well in research projects through FEHRL and EU’s programmes. A relatively limited research effort thus makes it possible to obtain new knowledge from abroad on a wide spectrum of subjects.

The Plan of Action for 2004 regarding research at the DRI

Research at the DRI can be divided into

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

several major headings and below are short descriptions of the aims of each of these areas, a list of the relevant projects and the member of staff that can be contacted if further information on a particular subject is required.

Long-life (Perpetual) Pavements It is the aim of the DRI to ensure that Danish road pavements last for a long time, so as to minimise the extent of maintenance works and not to inconvenience road users; also the road surfaces should be economical in construction and maintenance. This means that experiences from measurement and testing of Danish road pavements and experiences from abroad should be used to develop road surfaces with a long structural and functional lifetime, which at the same time give the best economic solution for society.

Briefly we can highlight two projects on long-life pavements which are in the Plan of Action for 2004: Establishment of an analytical-empirical basis for the use of an optimum design and specification of semi-rigid pavements: Despite high bearing capacity and durability, pavements with a cementbased basecourse are not widely used on the main road network. This is primarily due to the fact that there frequently is reflective cracking in the upper asphaltic wearing course. This may be due to the fact that mixes with excessive cement content have been used which therefore have too high strength. Thus it is the intention to develop guidelines for the design and construction of cement-based basecourses with a relatively low strength in combination with thin asphaltic wearing courses. The results from test sections will be analysed.

Long-life pavements: A part of the motorway network around Copenhagen is to be extended. With the widening it is important to take the mobility of the road users into account as well as future maintenance strategies. A number of existing 19

DANISH ROAD DIRECTORATE (DRD)

road stretches have been examined which have shown to have a good durability and two publications have so far been prepared. It is the purpose of this project to specify a road pavement with properties corresponding to those pavements which have a lifetime of 15-20 years.

Table 1 shows a list of all the projects in DRI’s Plan of Action for 2004 which deal with Long-Life Pavements.

Noise Reducing Pavements

It is the aim of the DRI that pavements should be low in noise so as to not bother the neighbours of the road and at the same time to make these road surfaces safe for the road user. This means that road pavements should be laid to generate as little noise as possible and that the pavements should be even with good water run-off properties and sufficient friction throughout the entire year.

Noise reducing pavements: Noise is a subject of major interest in Denmark – indeed everywhere in Europe. Holland also is very much involved in this issue and is planning a research project in cooperation with DRI. DRI will participate in two partial projects. One will investigate the clogging of porous asphalts and develop a method to measure the acoustic effect of the clogging. The other project will develop laboratory testing to evaluate the durability of noise-reducing pavements.

Test pavements with noise-reducing pavements: SILVIA is an EU project under the Fifth Framework Programme which in general terms looks at traffic and noise. DRI’s part is to study the development of noise-reducing pavements. A number of thin pavements have been laid as test stretches. These test stretches are now being monitored.

Follow-up of two layer drainage asphalt in Copenhagen: In 1999, 3 test stretches were prepared with two-layer drainage asphalt together with a reference pavement. DRI is making permeability measurements on these pavements. Also plane and thin sections from these pavements are made to follow the clogging of the pores in the pavements.

Table 2 shows a list of all the projects in DRI’s Plan of Action for 2004 with the theme of Noise.

20

Total Recycling of Road Materials

Updated Road Standards

It is the aim of the DRI to promote methods which use the existing road materials in connection with renovating a road.

Thus the use of primary raw materials is reduced as well as transportation of new materials on the road network. DRI works towards solutions where the greatest possible consideration is taken to the management of raw materials. DRI also encourages use of various residual products from other industries in the construction of the Danish road network.

The relevant projects in the Plan of Action for 2004 are shown in Table 3.

The results of the research carried out at the DRI is of vital importance in several areas. The Road Directorate prepares Road standards which function as a common frame of reference in regards to quality for design, construction and maintenance of the road network. Thus it is ensured that investments are used optimally. DRI ensures that the latest research results and knowledge obtained are incorporated in the Road Standards. DRI also encourages other departments of the Road Directorate and the entire road sector to make use of these Road Standards and that they are updated at all times.

DRI’s work with Road Standards is carried out by participating in Road Standard Working Groups or by producing or obtaining knowledge nationally and internationally and through consultancy tasks, measurements and laboratory testing.

Asset Management

Increased speeds and traffic amounts on the roads influence in various ways the planning of an optimised maintenance of roads and improvements of capacity on the road network. Both facts make it necessary to obtain an acceptable level of traffic safety, comfort, mobility, and traffic noise. A road administration which has access to objectively registered date for these functionalities can undertake the necessary priorities for maintenance and the development of the road network.

DRI therefore ensures that measurements of the road condition give relevant and reliable data, which can be used in asset management. By means of research and development, DRI contributes to the fact that these data are used in such a way that they represent the road users’ impression of the road condition. Measurements of evenness, friction and texture should be able to be used in models, which can describe, how precisely these parameters are developed by time as a result of traffic loads and climatic conditions. Such models are important in the planning of maintenance and are of major importance in functional contracts and partnering initiatives. It is therefore also a responsibility of the DRI to advise on the consequences of changes in measuring techniques or methods and to contribute so that such changes can be carried out without loss of continuity – and this can happen when talking of long-term contracts.

The relevant projects in the Plan of Action for 2004 are shown in Table 4.

Library and education

DRI runs a technical library, which can be used by the entire Danish road sector.

DRI contributes to the education of new Danish road engineers and participates in the development of competence of people working in the road sector in Denmark in general.

Members of staff of the DRI are actively involved in upgrading the knowledge and capabilities of engineers in the road sector by teaching courses in specialised subjects, thereby spreading the latest knowledge within the road sector. Also the technical universities and colleges receive teaching help from members of staff at the DRI.

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

DANISH ROAD DIRECTORATE (DRD)

Table 1.

Project title: Long-life (Perpetual) Pavements

Responsible

e-mail address

Jørn Raaberg Finn Thøgersen Gregers Hildebrand Jørn Raaberg Jørgen Christensen Finn Thøgersen Jørn Raaberg Gregers Hildebrand Finn Thøgersen

jra@vd.dk fit@vd.dk ghb@vd.dk jra@vd.dk ris@vd.dk fit@vd.dk jra@vd.dk ghb@vd.dk fit@vd.dk

Gregers Hildebrand Jørgen Christensen H.J. Ertman Larsen H.J. Ertman Larsen Bo Wamsler Gregers Hildebrand Finn Thøgersen Gregers Hildebrand Susanne Baltzer Gregers Hildebrand Bo Wamsler Gregers Hildebrand

ghb@vd.dk ris@vd.dk hje@vd.dk hje@vd.dk bow@vd.dk ghb@vd.dk fit@vd.dk ghb@vd.dk sub@vd.dk ghb@vd.dk bow@vd.dk ghb@vd.dk

Table 2.

Project title: Noise Reducing Pavements

Responsible

e-mail address

Follow-up on two-layer porous asphalt pavement in Øster Søgade Test sections with noise reducing pavements (SILVIA) Type approval of noise-reducing pavements Noise reducing pavements (in co-operation with the Dutch institute DWW) Relations between noise and the texture of the wearing course

Jørn Raaberg Jørn Raaberg Bjarne Schmidt H. J. Ertman Larsen Jørn Raaberg

jra@vd.dk jra@vd.dk bjs@vd.dk hje@vd.dk jra@vd.dk

Table 3.

Project title: Total Recycling of Road Materials

Responsible

e-mail address

Environment in roads Lifetime Engineering C-RES Center for by-products Life cycle valuations of road materials and road construction

Knud A. Pihl Knud A. Pihl Knud A. Pihl Knud A. Pihl

kap@vd.dk kap@vd.dk kap@vd.dk kap@vd.dk

Table 4.

Project title: Asset Management

Responsible

e-mail address

SAMARIS In-depth analysis of texture data Development of ROAR FORMAT - Fully Optimised Road Maintenance Axle loads on roads Introduction of road assets in PM systems VIMS’s basic part 2003 Quick replacement of bridge deck protection Relations between noise and the texture of the wearing course PAVEMAN Asphalt control system Smart Road Optimisation of pavements Harmonisation of European friction measurement devices (HERMES) Measurement of evenness on cycle paths New ways of looking at the evenness of roads Model for the development of rutting Mini-FWD for measurement of bearing capacity of unbound road materials GPS – determination of condition measurements

Jørgen Christensen Birger Roland Jensen Birger Roland Jensen Gregers Hildebrand Gregers Hildebrand Susanne Baltzer Birger Roland Jensen Vibeke Wegan Jørn Raaberg H.J. Ertman Larsen Gregers Hildebrand Svend Kold Johansen Bjarne Schmidt Bjarne Schmidt Bjarne Schmidt Bjarne Schmidt Gregers Hildebrand Svend Kold Johansen

ris@vd.dk brj@vd.dk brj@vd.dk ghb@vd.dk ghb@vd.dk sub@vd.dk brj@vd.dk viw@vd.dk jra@vd.dk hje@vd.dk ghb@vd.dk skj@vd.dk bjs@vd.dk bjs@vd.dk bjs@vd.dk bjs@vd.dk ghb@vd.dk skj@vd.dk

New methods for extraction of bitumen European Construction in Service Society, ECO-SERVE EU Network Additional project for the revision of Road Standards for earth works Gyrocompactor OECD Long Life Surface Pavements New Road Construction Concepts Type approval of thin pavements with acrylic binder for concrete bridges Triaxial testing Establishment of an analytical-empirical basis for the use of an optimum design and specification of semi-rigid pavements COST 347 - Improvements in Pavement Research with Accelerated Load Testing OECD IM3 Long-life Surface Pavements Durability of bridge pavements Long-life pavements Test methods for asphaltic materials, incl. CEN Test methods for aggregates, incl. CEN Condition and lifetime of concrete bridges Evaluation of the bearing capacity of unbound road materials Water in roads (COST 351) Deterioration of Danish road pavements Examination of the durability of surface dressing Models of the deformation properties of unbound road materials

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

21

Annotated reports from the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, VTI

The main objective of this study has been to provide the Swedish National Road Administrationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (SNRA) pavement management system (PMS) with new models describing the relation between traffic safety and road surface condition.

In the accident cost model used today, the only road surface parameter is rut depth and only ruts deeper than 10 mm are considered to have any influence on traffic safety. The relation is then linear and accident cost increases with increasing rut depth.

The investigation carried out is based on data from the road surface measurements made by SNRA on state roads between 1992 and 1998 and accidents reported by the police during the same period. Precipitation data has also been used.

Regression analyses have mainly been used. The dependent Y-variable was accident rate (accidents/100 million axle pair kilometres). Independent X-variables were rut depth (mm) and/or unevenness expressed as International Roughness Index (IRI in mm/m). The material has been divided into several different classes, such as traffic flow and precipitation classes.

Using linear regression with rut depth as the only independent variable, it was found that the accident rate is independent of rut depth. Divided into summer and

winter periods, there is a tendency that the accident rate decreases during summer and increases during winter with increasing rut depth.

With linear regression with IRI as the only independent variable, it is found that the accident rate increases with increasing unevenness for most divisions of data.

This also applies when only accidents with personal injuries and fatal accidents are studied.

By multiple linear regression with rut depth and IRI as independent variables, it was found that the accident rate decreases with increasing rut depth and increases with increasing unevenness for most divisions of the material.

Even though the data from the whole state road network is included in the analyses, 95 per cent of the material represents roads with a rut depth less than 15.4 mm and an IRI value less than 5.2 mm/m. The consequence is that the estimated linear relations are valid only for roads of such a good standard. A variance analysis that has been carried out does not, however, support the theory that the accident risk on the roads with the deepest ruts should differ dramatically from that on the roads with shallower ruts. The analysis does, however, show that the higher the IRI value the higher the accident risk.

PHOTO: VTI

The Influence of Road Surface Condition on Traffic Safety

Title: The influence of road surface condition on traffic safety. Data from 1992â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1998 Authors: Anita Ihs, Hans Velin and Mats Wiklund Series: VTI meddelande 909 Language: Swedish with English summary The report is also available in Swedish as a pdf file on www.vti.se under Reports.

Resuspended road dust has, in recent years, proved to be a contributory cause of to high concentrations of inhalable particles (PM10) in ambient air. The association of PM10 to negative health effects has led to an environmental quality standard which will be in force from 1st of January 2005.

This calls for local and road authorities to investigate if the standard is reached and if so, what measures have to be taken to reduce concentrations. This study aims to investigate what methods and strategies are in use in Swedish municipalities, their awareness concerning the dust mitigating effectiveness of measures taken and to investigate the knowledge regarding road dust and sweeping in our neighbouring countries.

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The method used was a questionnaire to 103 municipalities and 7 regional road authorities as well as literature studies and contacts with various road authorities in Norway, Denmark, Finland and California.

The results show that dusting from roads is considered a serious problem among road authorities and that the problems are worst during spring. The main reason for sweeping is comfort and sanitary concerns followed by safety and health concerns. Wet sweeping is the most common method and today no methods with the specific purpose of reducing PM10 concentrations are in use.

Only 10 per cent of the respondents plan to improve methods or strategies.

PHOTO: VTI

Road and Street Sweeping as a Measure against High Particle Concentrations Caused by Road Dust

In Helsinki the road dust problem is mainly blamed on winter sanding and has been addressed since the 1980s. An ambitious sweeping method consisting of

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

Annotated reports from the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, VTI four co-operating units is used. In Oslo, road dust is blamed on studded tyres and the efforts have been focused on reducing studded tyre frequency. Sweeping methods have, however, been evaluated and the results have been implemented in road and street sweeping. Neither in Helsinki nor in Oslo the sweeping methods and strategies have yet proved to reduce PM10 concentrations. In California the “Rule 1186”, demanding sweepers to be PM10 efficient, has resulted in some develop-

ment, e.g. regenerative air sweepers and vacuum assisted dry sweepers.

All in all this report shows that among local and road authorities there is little knowledge about the contribution of road dust to PM10 and the assumed capability of more efficient sweeping to reach the environmental standard. In combination with the lack of PM10 data for Swedish municipalities and the near compliance with the environmental quality standard, this is potentially a serious problem.

Title: Road and street sweeping as a measure against high particle concentrations caused by road dust Author: Mats Gustafsson Series: VTI meddelande 938 Language: Swedish with English summary The report is also available in Swedish as a pdf file on www.vti.se under Reports.

Pollution Deposition Related to Railway Traffic samples were complemented by vertical filters at the same positions in order to collect airborne particles. Also the peat samples at Store Mosse were collected at the same positions as the bulk deposition and the vertical filters, and were also complemented by a profile on the opposite side. The length of each measuring period was about two weeks, and a total of nine measuring periods were performed.

The results from the study of the deposition show that the relation to the railway is different at each field site. The measurements at Store Mosse, which is also the site with the “cleanest” surroundings and lowest traffic volume, were performed during the winter months; these show low values throughout, but there is still a trend towards the railway for some components.

This is especially obvious for copper and manganese. At the Lund site, where the traffic volume is much higher and the measurement periods occurred during June, the trends are more obvious for more metals. Trends were shown for iron, copper, manganese, cobalt, chromium, nickel, and arsenic in the deposition bottles and/or funnels. The decrease by distance is however rapid, which implies that the metals are deposited quickly after having been spread from the railway. At 50 to 100 metres from the track, the deposition has in general levelled out.

The filter samples (which were analysed for more elements than the bottles and funnels) showed the clearest trends towards the railway in Lund for chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, germanium, molybdenum, and antimony.

In Vikingstad, higher values than in Lund were measured for some elements and clearest trends were shown for antimony, molybdenum and copper, but were also

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

shown for iron and rhodium to some extent.

The peat samples at Store Mosse show in general a peak around the railway for almost every analysed element, which may also have other explanations.

The analysis of the influence of the wind characteristics on the pattern of deposition showed that the wind seems to be an important factor governing the transport of pollutants to the surroundings of the railway. The clearest relation between the wind direction and the side of the tracks to which the pollutants will be transported was seen in the deposition of chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, germanium, molybdenum and antimony.

PHOTO: VTI

Environmental and health hazards, caused by exposure to particulate matter, have received increased attention in recent years. Railways can also be a source of particulate matter, which has been highlighted for instance where problems with dusting along railways have been reported. This is the case especially in built-up areas where the railway traffic has to reduce its speed before stations.

Examples of the problems are odours in the surroundings and dust deposition onto parked vehicles, damaging car finishes.

The dust is in this case assumed to have its origin in the brakes, wheels, rails, and electric conductors but may also be caused by resuspension of the wear particles of the same origins which had been deposited on the railway embankment.

For that reason, this project was initiated by Banverket in order to find whether pollution originating in the railway system is deposited in the vicinity of the railways, and if so, whether or not this deposition should be seen as an environmental and/ or health problem.

In order to meet this goal, three field sites were established for the collection of deposition, namely “Kust-till-kust-banan” at Store Mosse outside Värnamo, “Södra stambanan” north-east of Vikingstad, and “Södra stambanan” in the northern outskirts of the city of Lund. At the field site Store Mosse, samples of peat were also taken in order to study the accumulation of pollutants in the railway surroundings.

In order to find trends towards the railway, the bulk deposition was measured in transects perpendicular to the railway line, with one profile on one side of the railway, and a reference point on the other side. The bulk deposition samples were collected with funnels in bottles. These

Title: Pollution deposition related to railway traffic Authors: Mats Gustafsson, Göran Blomqvist, Lars Franzén and Bertil Rudell Series: VTI meddelande 947 Language: Swedish with English summary The report is also available as a pdf file on vti.se under Reports 23

Annotated reports from the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, VTI

It has become more and more common among Swedish municipalities to implement traffic calming measures, with the aim to improve traffic safety and the functioning of the local transport system. A plethora of different measures and designs of physical constructions capable of controlling the speed of motorized vehicles can be found when consulting modern planning guidelines and new handbooks in traffic planning. This report compiles and discusses the literature in the fields of research that can be labelled as critical in the sense that increased knowledge is a necessary prerequisite if traffic calming and speed control constructions shall be used as important measures in integrated transport planning strategies. The areas of investigation that are discussed in the report are the following: • design and content of transport strate-

PHOTO: CHRIS FUSSEL/TRIMET

Traffic Calming in Cities and Integrated Town Planning

gies as a component in local planning • acceptance and demand among individuals for different designs of the traffic system with the focus on traffic calming • traffic calming and its consequences for retailing and other commercial activities in inner cities, together with inner city attractiveness and liveability in general • the adaptation of traffic calming techniques to public transport and emergency services, and the opportunities to use traffic calming to enhance the competitive-

ness of public transport • environmental impact with emphasis on exhaust and noise emissions.

Title: Traffic calming in cities and integrated town planning – a literature study Authors: Tomas Svensson and Ragnar Hedström Series: VTI meddelande 946 Language: Swedish with English summary The report is also available in Swedish as a pdf file on vti.se under Reports.

Public Transportation in the City – Do People Avoid Travelling because They Feel Unsafe?

A questionnaire was designed in order to study perceived attractiveness, feelings of unsafety and different types of perceived risks connected to six different transport modes (car, city bus, tram, regional bus, commuter train and subway).

The participants stated that they liked it better to travel by car than by commuter train and subway, although there were no differences between car and the different public transport modes concerning the general opinion that they had about these modes of transportation. However, the participants stated that they had a more positive attitude towards tram than towards regional bus and commuter train.

The results show that the respondents worry more often and rate the risk of being involved in traffic accidents with a car as greater than with the public transport modes. The results also show that the respondents worry more often and rate the risk of being bothered, threatened or attacked as greater when travelling by the public modes of transportation than by car. To sum up, these results suggest that the perceived risk and worry of being bothered, threatened or attacked when travelling by any given mode of 24

transportation might have a larger impact on the perceived attractiveness of that transport mode than do the perceived risk and worry of being involved in traffic accidents with that same mode of transportation.

Women stated that they worry more often and rate the risk of being threatened as greater on a city bus than did the men.

The women also stated that they worry more often of being bothered, threatened or attacked when travelling by tram than do the men, and that they more often felt unsafe when travelling by these modes of transportation.

Finally the results show that different circumstances (particularly walking through a pedestrian tunnel, a bus stop etc being remotely situated or situated next to a park/forest) were considered to contribute to feelings of unsafety when walking to and waiting at the bus stop etc. Also, when travelling by the different public transport modes, the participants stated that they felt unsafe if drivers/ personnel do not supervise their vehicle, if it’s a Friday or Saturday evening or if they are travelling alone. Women stated to a higher extent than men that differ-

ent circumstances contribute to feelings of unsafety when they are walking to and waiting at the bus stop etc. as well as when travelling by different public transport modes.

The present results indicate that perceived attractiveness of different transport modes might be affected to a higher extent by perceived risks and worry of being bothered, threatened or attacked than perceived risks and worry of being involved in traffic accidents.

Title: Public transportation in the city – Do people avoid travelling because they feel unsafe?

Authors: Charlotte Alm and Erik Lindberg, Department of behavioural sciences, Banverket Series: VTI meddelande 941 Language: Swedish with English summary The report is also available as a pdf file on vti.se under Reports

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

Annotated reports from VTT, Building and Transport

Finnish ISA Trial A field trial with Recording ISA (Intelligent Speed Adaptation) for assessing possible traffic safety effects and user acceptance was conducted in Finland. A small GPS-based device, which registered speed, time and coordinates of the measuring point, was inserted in test vehicles.

In all, 153 taxi drivers, four drivers in a distribution company and six novice drivers participated in the trial. Test drivers, employers and parents of young test drivers were regularly sent information by e-mail on the speed observations and possible speeding in different speed limit areas. The objective of the feedback was to motivate drivers toward more moderate driving behaviour. Speeds measured during the feedback period were compared with speeds measured before the period.

The main results of the trial suggested that Recording ISA has a positive impact

on traffic safety. Especially the average speed of taxicabs compared with the average speed of ordinary car and van drivers decreased on highways in 80 kph and 100 kph speed limit areas. In a taxi company the system was found useful when selecting new drivers.

In family cars all young test drivers were driving moderately even before the feedback period. However, during the feedback period one young driver used a lower top speed (v95) in all but the 100 kph speed limit areas and another young driver used a lower top speed in 50, 60 and 80 kph speed limit areas but not in the 40 and 100 kph areas. Thus the results suggest a positive safety effect also for young drivers using their parents’ car.

The results of the trial in the distribution company were encouraging, too. The average of over-speed observations were about 25 per cent lower in the 50, 80 and

100 kph speed limit areas during the feedback period than before the period.

The companies and their drivers accepted the idea of using the Recording ISA as a quality assurance system. In family use, the Recording ISA that gave speed information also to parents was considered acceptable when young drivers used their parents’ car, but the opposite was true (both parents and young drivers) if young drivers drove their own car.

Title: Recording ISA trial Authors: Juha Tapio, Harri Peltola Series: VTT RTE Contractor Report RTE3907/03 Language: Finnish with English abstract The report is also available in Finnish as a pdf file on http://www.vtt.fi/rte/projects/fits/ julkaisut/hanke7/fits32_osarap_ RTE3907.pdf

The Standardised Transport Label The Standardised Transport Label project involved the formulation of recommendations for the standard form and content of transport labels. The standardised transport label is recommended for consigners who do not already follow established and jointly accepted practices for labelling parcels. The standardised transport label aims to • Promote the correct filling in of transport labels • Reduce the number and costs of extra handling procedures caused by misinterpretations of and insufficient data on transport labels • Increase delivery reliability • Increase efficiency throughout the supply chain • Promote the introduction of automatic identification, handling and management systems.

The standardised transport label is based on international standards and includes all the essential information required in each part of the supply chain. The project is based on a similar project carried out in Sweden in 1996–1997 on an initiative by Finnish transport operators.

The consigners, consignees and trans-

port operators interviewed during the project gave mostly positive feedback on the transport label recommendations. The recommendations were usually not considered to conflict or cause problems with current labelling practices. The interviews also made it clear that many practicable labelling practices are already being used.

The new transport label recommendations are not meant to interfere with established and effective labelling practices. They are only meant for use in situations where no special agreements or established practices have been set.

Thus the target audience for the transport label recommendations clearly consists of incidental consigners and small and medium-sized companies who do not have established transport service providers or logistics partners.

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

Title: The Standardised Transport Label Authors: Jani Granqvist, Anu Kalliala, Antti Permala, Jari Salo Series: FITS-publications 27/2003 Language: Finnish with English abstract More information in Finnish: http://www.tieke.fi/kolliosoitelappu

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Annotated reports from the Institute of Transport Economics (TØI)

Motorcycle Safety - a Literature Review and Meta-analysis Although the risk of being involved in a traffic accident is the same for motorcyclists as compared to other road users, the risk of a motorcyclist being injured in an accident is much higher. On basis of the high injury risk for motorcyclists, is seems most relevant to focus on countermeasures to prevent crashes. It is, however, unrealistic to assume that all motorcycle accidents can be avoided. As a consequence, countermeasures aimed at reducing injury severity are also needed.

Different countermeasures of these types are reviewed in the report. There is no evidence showing that voluntary training programs reduces the accident risk, but compulsory licensing programs seems to give a small reduction in accident risk.

There is clear evidence for a reduction in injury severity when using protective clothing and a helmet. There is reason to

believe that ABS-brakes on motorcycles both will prevent accidents and reduce injury severity. There is no evidence for a relationship between accident risk and motorcycle engine size/effect. However, being unfamiliar or inexperienced with the motorcycle in question seems to increase the risk of being involved in

There is no evidence showing that voluntary training programs reduces the accident risk for motorcyclists, but compulsory licensing programs seems to give a small reduction in accident risk.

an accident. Studies demonstrate that increased motorcycle/motorcyclist conspicuousness (e.g. daytime running lights) reduces the risk of collision with another vehicle. Impact with crash barriers can result in severe injuries for motorcyclists, and there are today several means for improving such barriers/fences.

Title: Motorcycle safety - a literature review and meta-analysis Authors:Pål Ulleberg Series: Report no: 681/2003 Language: Swedish with English summary http://www.toi.no/program/ program.asp?id=402961

The Importance of Travel Information for Use of Public Transport – The effect of the Services of Trafikanten The Institute of Transport Economics has evaluated the travel information services of Trafikanten in a study of the impact of information on transport mode choice. Based on this study we calculated the financial value generated by the information services. A survey among the population in Oslo and Akershus shows that 16–17 per cent of customer-initiated contacts generate public transportation journeys that would not take place without the information services provided by Trafikanten. At more than 5 million contacts served annually these services generate at least 800,000 journeys. Including repeated journeys the total adds up to more than 6 million single legg journeys on public transport per year.

The fiancial value of these journeys is estimated to between 40 and 300 million NOK per year depending on limitations on repeated journeys.

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Title: The importance of travel information for use of public transport The effect of the services of Trafikanten Authors: Unni B Lodden and Inge Brechan Series: Report no: 684/2003 Language: Norwegian with English summary http://www.toi.no/program/ program.asp?id=445786

The information service Trafikanten in Oslo are important to promote the public transport.

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

Annotated reports from the Institute of Transport Economics (TØI)

Daytime Running Lights - a Systematic Review of Effects on Road Safety The report presents a systemtiac review of current knowledge regarding the safety effects of daytime running lights (DRL).

A meta-analysis has been made of 25 studies that have evaluated DRL for cars and 16 studies that have evaluated DRL for motorcycles. A cost-benefit analysis of five policy options for the use of DRL in the European Union has been made.

DRL reduces the number of multi-party daytime accidents by 5–10 per cent.

The benefits of using DRL are greater than the costs in all five policy options.

Daytime running lights reduces the number of multi-party daytime accidents by 5-10%.

Title: Daytime running lights - a systematic review of effects on road safety Authors: Rune Elvik, Peter Christensen and Svenn Fjeld Olsen Series: Report no: 688/2003 Language: English http://www.toi.no/program/ program.asp?id=455120

Impact of Taxi Market Regulation - an International Comparison As part of a wider survey into the UK taxi market, TØI has made an international comparison of the impacts of regulations on taxis markets. The report clearly shows a great variety in regulations, regulatory changes and outcomes of such. The major experiences from deregulation, both of entry and fares, are increased availability, increased fares and an increased focus on qualitative requirements. Different market characteristics and different external effects can explain some of the differ-

ences. The impacts of regulatory changes are most pronounced at cabstands and in the hailing segments. Furthermore, there are geographical differences. In rural areas the availability does not increase as much as in urban areas, whereas fares increase more. The major lesson to learn from different experiences is that regulatory changes should be made with a stepwise approach. Combined with monitoring, this allows a better tailoring of the regulatory changes.

Regulatory changes in the taxi market should be made with a stepwise approach, according to the report.

NORDIC ROAD & TRANSPORT RESEARCH NO. 1 2004

Title: Impact of taxi market regulation - an international comparison Authors: Jon-Terje Bekken and Frode Longva Series: Report no: 658/2003 Language: English http://www.toi.no/program/ program.asp?id=402939

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