IMPACT OF INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORKS

BY ALOISIO PEREIRA DA SILVA

How does the model of infrastructure networks impact the growth of cities, from the deployment of networks on demand to modern models with integrated management in harmony with urban planning based and international standards on smart cities?

Is our infrastructure fit for a smart city? If you say no, I ask: Is underground utility the complete solution? The answer is still no. My research motivation was based on the high cost of construction and maintenance of infrastructure networks, accidents, and the great environmental impacts caused by these works, mainly the implementation of networks under the streets, causing the demolition of the pavement. This condition creates a big global economic impact and directly impacts saving people’s lives.

Cities are growing and need more efficient, resilient, and sustainable infrastructure. In the U.S., demand for infrastructure will be almost $4 trillion over the next 10 years. But today, our infrastructure is designed and built without integrated planning. We have several problems with this system around the road. In the U.K., £7 billion are lost yearly in these street works. We must review the infrastructure proposed for the 21st century, focusing on integration, intelligence, and climate resilience. The way to smart city infrastructure mainly leads to resilience, efficiency, and connectivity, among other parts.

I want to highlight the modern international standards on sustainable infrastructure for smart cities and the importance of integration between all systems and stakeholders, as well as the complete lifecycle.

How do we achieve this integration? Primarily through integrated planning. We don’t just focus on the infrastructure. Technologies, such as technical galleries and joint trenches, have existed for decades to achieve this objective. But unfortunately, both have not shown improvements for a long time.

I would like to present Infracities Systems for the next-generation infrastructure and sustainable mobility for smart cities. This concept of ordering infrastructure networks developed using an American model during research in Texas; later, a pilot project was built and tested in Brazil.

Infracities moves all facilities under the streets and organizes natural gas, telecommunication, water, power lines, servers, and drainage under the sidewalk in wide lanes in recycled plastic bays made of urban waste, transforming plastic waste into efficient, safe, and sustainable infrastructure.

We built and tested a pilot project for two years in a technological park in Brazil with successful results, a reduction in construction cost by 30% and a 70% reduction in maintenance and operation costs.

The system was born with the BIM concept, aiding the advent of a sustainable construction system for intelligent infrastructure and aiding even more to the projects, from their conception to their operational phases. All this is ready for use in the metaverse.

The construction process starts with opening the trench. Then comes the assembly of the plastic structure, which doesn’t require special tools. The facilities are installed under the pavement inside a structure made of recycled plastic. It is a standardized depth of 90 cm, facilitating the installation and reducing the risk of accidents for workers. It can be built in any city of any size.

Interconnected boxes for consumer networks are easily and quickly fitted to the structure. After the installation, the entire system is covered with sand, which facilitates compaction and especially its removal during maintenance. The paving is done with interlocked concrete blocks to facilitate future maintenance, presenting efficient and sustainable maintenance without demolition of the pavement, interrupting trafficking, generating waste, or new material consumption.

To fix or expand networks, it is only necessary to remove the interlocked concrete blocks and cover them and then act in the facilities. After working in the networks, the same material can be used, avoiding waste generation and the use of new materials.

The system presents great advantages compared to technical galleries with high

Infracities Systems

To fix or expand networks, workers simply remove the interlocked concrete blocks. The same material can be used to cover them, avoiding waste generation and the use of new materials.

Benefits of Infracities Systems

• Construction of accessible sidewalks and bike lanes

• No more networks under the streets

• Low operating and maintenance costs

• Integrated and efficient management

• Shared construction structure made from urban waste

• Green drainage infrastructure construction and operation costs and the joint trench with low operational safety. With Infracities Systems, the whole process is fast, easy, safe, and very sustainable.

The system can be used for private investors who build residential, commercial, and industrial condominiums or public authorities, such as revitalizing central areas in the cities.

The opportunity to share construction and maintenance costs between utilities reduces costs to users while providing central management, including a business model we focus on: PPP.

The entire process presents standardized, fast, and efficient construction, saving time and money in a sustainable way. Recently, the system was upgraded with the implementation of drainage systems integrated into the trench and a new system for electric charging cars incorporated into the lead post. The technology has been presented around the world with several international awards. Working in partnership with several companies and institutions, creating opportunities for new business.

Founder & CEO, Infracities Florianópolis, Brazil

Dr. Aloisio Pereira da Silva is the founder and CEO at Infracities and creator of the Infracities System. Since 1997, he has worked in transportation and infrastructure with an emphasis on utility engineering, design, field construction, and construction supervision phases, as well as in research and teaching. He is a speaker at the world’s most relevant events and courses in infrastructure, mobility, transportation, and smart cities. He has received international recognition for his work, including an international agreement for the development of his research with one of the top infrastructure institutes in Europe.