Abstract: Fire service is responsible for protecting life, assets, and natural resources from fire and other hazardous incidents. Search and rescue in unfamiliar buildings is a vital part of firefighters’ responsibilities. Providing firefighters with precise building information in an easy-to-understand format is a potential solution for mitigating the negative consequences of fire hazards. The negative effect of insufficient knowledge about a building’s indoor environment impedes firefighters’ capabilities and leads to lost property. A data rich building information modeling (BIM) is a potentially useful source in three-dimensional (3D) visualization and data/information storage for fire emergency response. Therefore, this research’s purpose is prioritizing the required information for firefighters from the most important information to the least important. A survey was carried out with firefighters working in the Norman Fire Department to obtain the importance of each building information item. The results show that “the location of exit doors, windows, corridors, elevators, and stairs”, “material of building elements”, and “building data” are the three most important information specified by firefighters. The results also implied that the 2D model of architectural, structural and way finding is more understandable in comparison with the 3D model, while the 3D model of MEP system could convey more information than the 2D model. Furthermore, color in visualization can help firefighters to understand the building information easier and quicker. Sufficient internal consistency of all responses was proven through developing the Pearson Correlation Matrix and obtaining Cronbach’s alpha of 0.916. Therefore, the results of this study are reliable and could be applied to the population.
Abstract: The concept of space and function forms the bedrock for spatial configuration in architectural design. Thus, the effectiveness and functionality of an architectural product depends their cordial relationship. This applies to all buildings especially to a hospital ward setting designed to accommodate various complex and diverse functions. Health care facilities design, especially an inpatient setting, is governed by many regulations and technical requirements. It is also affected by many less defined needs, particularly, response to culture and the need to provide for patient families’ presence and participation. The spatial configuration of the hospital ward setting in developing countries has no consideration for the patient’s families despite the significant role they play in promoting recovery. Attempts to integrate facilities for patients’ families have always been challenging, especially in developing countries like Nigeria, where accommodation for inpatients is predominantly in an open ward system. In addition, the situation is compounded by culture, which significantly dictates healthcare practices in Africa. Therefore, achieving such a hospital ward setting that is patient and family-centered requires careful assessment of family care actions and transaction spaces so as to arrive at an evidence based solution. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify how hospital ward spaces can be reconfigured to provide for sustainable family integration. In achieving this aim, a qualitative approach using the principles of behavioral mapping was employed in male and female medical wards of the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH) Gombe, Nigeria. The data obtained was analysed using classical and comparative content analysis. Patients’ families have been found to be a critical component of hospital ward design that cannot be undermined. Accordingly, bedsides, open yards, corridors and foyers have been identified as patient families’ transaction spaces that require design attention. Arriving at sustainable family integration can be achieved by revisiting the design requirements of the family transaction spaces based on the findings in order to avoid the rowdiness of the wards and uncoordinated sprawl.
Abstract: Different transportation modes have key operational advantages and disadvantages, providing a variety of different transport options to users and passengers. This paper reviews key variables for the competition between air transport and other transport modes. The aim of this paper is to review the competition between air transport and other transport modes, providing results in terms of perceived cost for the users, for destinations high competitiveness for all transport modes. The competitor analysis variables include the cost and time outputs for each transport option, highlighting the level of competitiveness on high demanded Origin-Destination corridors. The case study presents the output of a such analysis for the OD corridor in Greece that connects the Capital city (Athens) with the second largest city (Thessaloniki) and the different transport modes have been considered (air, train, road). Conventional wisdom is to present an easy to handle tool for planners, managers and decision makers towards pricing policy effectiveness and demand attractiveness, appropriate to use for other similar cases.
Abstract: In the current situation, the automobile has become the main means of locomotion. It allows traveling long distances, encouraging urban sprawl. To counteract this trend, the train is often proposed as an alternative to the car. Simultaneously, the favoring of urban development around public transport nodes such as railway stations is one of the main issues of the coordination between urban planning and transportation and the keystone of the sustainable urban development implementation. In this context, this paper focuses on the study of the spatial structuring dynamics around the railway. Specifically, it is a question of studying the demographic dynamics in rail corridors of Nantes, Angers and Le Mans (Western France) basing on the radiation of railway stations. Consequently, the methodology is concentrated on the knowledge of demographic weight and gains of these corridors, the index of urban intensity and the mobility behaviors (workers’ travels, scholars' travels, modal practices of travels). The perimeter considered to define the rail corridors includes the communes of urban area which have a railway station and communes with an access time to the railway station is less than fifteen minutes by car (time specified by the Regional Transport Scheme of Travelers). The main tools used are the statistical data from the census of population, the basis of detailed tables and databases on mobility flows. The study reveals that the population is not tightened along rail corridors and train use is minimal despite the presence of a nearby railway station. These results lead to propose guidelines to make the train, a real vector of mobility across the rail corridors.
Abstract: Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) is the application of technology for developing a user–friendly transportation system for urban areas in developing countries. The goal of urban corridor management using ITS in road transport is to achieve improvements in mobility, safety, and the productivity of the transportation system within the available facilities through the integrated application of advanced monitoring, communications, computer, display, and control process technologies, both in the vehicle and on the road. This paper attempts to present the past studies regarding several ITS available that have been successfully deployed in urban corridors of India and abroad, and to know about the current scenario and the methodology considered for planning, design, and operation of Traffic Management Systems. This paper also presents the endeavor that was made to interpret and figure out the performance of the 27.4 Km long study corridor having eight intersections and four flyovers. The corridor consisting of 6 lanes as well as 8 lanes divided road network. Two categories of data were collected on February 2016 such as traffic data (traffic volume, spot speed, delay) and road characteristics data (no. of lanes, lane width, bus stops, mid-block sections, intersections, flyovers). The instruments used for collecting the data were video camera, radar gun, mobile GPS and stopwatch. From analysis, the performance interpretations incorporated were identification of peak hours and off peak hours, congestion and level of service (LOS) at mid blocks, delay followed by the plotting speed contours and recommending urban corridor management strategies. From the analysis, it is found that ITS based urban corridor management strategies will be useful to reduce congestion, fuel consumption and pollution so as to provide comfort and efficiency to the users. The paper presented urban corridor management strategies based on sensors incorporated in both vehicles and on the roads.
Abstract: Supply chains are the backbone of trade and
commerce. Their logistics use different transport corridors on regular
basis for operational purpose. The international supply chain
transport corridors include different infrastructure elements (e.g.
weighbridge, package handling equipments, border clearance
authorities, and so on). This paper presents the use of multi-agent
systems (MAS) to model and simulate some aspects of transportation
corridors, and in particular the area of weighbridge resource
optimization for operational profit. An underlying multi-agent model
provides a means of modeling the relationships among stakeholders
in order to enable coordination in a transport corridor environment.
Simulations of the costs of container unloading, reloading, and
waiting time for queuing up tracks have been carried out using data
sets. Results of the simulation provide the potential guidance in
making decisions about optimal service resource allocation in a trade
corridor.
Abstract: In a deregulated power system structure, power producers and customers share a common transmission network for wheeling power from the point of generation to the point of consumption. All parties in this open access environment may try to purchase the energy from the cheaper source for greater profit margins, which may lead to overloading and congestion of certain corridors of the transmission network. This may result in violation of line flow, voltage and stability limits and thereby undermine the system security. Utilities therefore need to determine adequately their available transfer capability (ATC) to ensure that system reliability is maintained while serving a wide range of bilateral and multilateral transactions. This paper presents power transfer distribution factor based on AC load flow for the determination and enhancement of ATC. The study has been carried out for IEEE 24 bus Reliability Test System.
Abstract: This paper presents congestion management in deregulated power systems. In a deregulated environment, every buyer wants to buy power from the cheapest generator available, irrespective of relative geographical location of buyer and seller. As a consequence of this, the transmission corridors evacuating the power of cheaper generators would get overloaded if all such transactions are approved. Congestion management is a mechanism to prioritize the transactions and commit to such a schedule which would not overload the network. The congestions in the transmission lines are determined by Optimal Power Flow (OPF) solution, which is carried by primal liner programming method. Congestion in the transmission lines are alleviated by connected Distributed Generation (DG) of micro grid at load bus. A method to determine the optimal location of DG unit has been suggested based on transmission line relief sensitivity based approach. The effectiveness of proposed method has been demonstrated on modified IEEE-14 and 30 bus test systems.
Abstract: At the end of the 20th century it was actual the
development of transport corridors and the improvement of their
technical parameters. With this purpose, many countries and Georgia
among them manufacture to construct new highways, railways and
also reconstruction-modernization of the existing transport
infrastructure. It is necessary to explore the artificial structures
(bridges and tunnels) on the existing tracks as they are very old.
Conference report includes the peculiarities of reconstruction of
tunnels, because we think that this theme is important for the
modernization of the existing road infrastructure. We must remark
that the methods of determining mining pressure of tunnel
reconstructions are worked out according to the jobs of new tunnels
but it is necessary to foresee additional mining pressure which will be
formed during their reconstruction. In this report there are given the
methods of figuring the additional mining pressure while
reconstruction of tunnels, there was worked out the computer
program, it is determined that during reconstruction of tunnels the
additional mining pressure is 1/3rd of main mining pressure.
Abstract: In this paper, we use an M/G/C/C state dependent
queuing model within a complex network topology to determine the
different performance measures for pedestrian traffic flow. The
occupants in this network topology need to go through some source
corridors, from which they can choose their suitable exiting
corridors. The performance measures were calculated using arrival
rates that maximize the throughputs of source corridors. In order to
increase the throughput of the network, the result indicates that the
flow direction of pedestrian through the corridors has to be restricted
and the arrival rates to the source corridor need to be controlled.
Abstract: Saudi Arabia in recent years has seen drastic increase
in traffic related crashes. With population of over 29 million, Saudi
Arabia is considered as a fast growing and emerging economy. The
rapid population increase and economic growth has resulted in rapid
expansion of transportation infrastructure, which has led to increase
in road crashes. Saudi Ministry of Interior reported more than 7,000
people killed and 68,000 injured in 2011 ranking Saudi Arabia to be
one of the worst worldwide in traffic safety. The traffic safety issues
in the country also result in distress to road users and cause and
economic loss exceeding 3.7 billion Euros annually. Keeping this in
view, the researchers in Saudi Arabia are investigating ways to
improve traffic safety conditions in the country. This paper presents a
multilevel approach to collect traffic safety related data required to do
traffic safety studies in the region. Two highway corridors including
King Fahd Highway 39 kilometre and Gulf Cooperation Council
Highway 42 kilometre long connecting the cities of Dammam and
Khobar were selected as a study area. Traffic data collected included
traffic counts, crash data, travel time data, and speed data. The
collected data was analysed using geographic information system to
evaluate any correlation. Further research is needed to investigate the
effectiveness of traffic safety related data when collected in a
concerted effort.
Abstract: Road transportation system is the most important
method of transporting the goods. Considering the most suitable
geographical situation of Iran to transport the goods between Europe
and Asia and placement of this country in direction of international
corridors (east- west) , (north-south) and Asian land transport to
infrastructure development “A.L.T.I.D" and Transport corridor
Europe - Caucasus - Asia “T.R.A.C.E.C.A", noticing the security of
road transportation system in this country is so important. In this
paper the main factors of accidents on the roads of Iran are
categorized regarding the rate of accidents occurred. Then apart from
studying the main reasons of accidents of every category, the main
factors of these events are studied and its strategies in Iran are
introduced.
Abstract: The paper reviews the relationship between spatial
and transportation planning in the Southern African Development
Community (SADC) region of Sub-Saharan Africa. It argues that
most urbanisation in the region has largely occurred subsequent to
the 1950s and, accordingly, urban development has been
profoundly and negatively affected by the (misguided) spatial and
institutional tenets of modernism. It demonstrates how a
considerable amount of the poor performance of these settlements
can be directly attributed to this. Two factors in particular about the
planning systems are emphasized: the way in which programmatic
land-use planning lies at the heart of both spatial and transportation
planning; and the way on which transportation and spatial planning
have been separated into independent processes. In the final
section, the paper identifies ways of improving the planning
system. Firstly, it identifies the performance qualities which
Southern African settlements should be seeking to achieve.
Secondly, it focuses on two necessary arenas of change: the need to
replace programmatic land-use planning practices with structuralspatial
approaches; and it makes a case for making urban corridors
a spatial focus of integrated planning, as a way of beginning the
restructuring and intensification of settlements which are currently
characterised by sprawl, fragmentation and separation
Abstract: In the planning point of view, it is essential to have
mode choice, due to the massive amount of incurred in transportation
systems. The intercity travellers in Libya have distinct features, as
against travellers from other countries, which includes cultural and
socioeconomic factors. Consequently, the goal of this study is to
recognize the behavior of intercity travel using disaggregate models,
for projecting the demand of nation-level intercity travel in Libya.
Multinomial Logit Model for all the intercity trips has been
formulated to examine the national-level intercity transportation in
Libya. The Multinomial logit model was calibrated using nationwide
revealed preferences (RP) and stated preferences (SP) survey. The
model was developed for deference purpose of intercity trips (work,
social and recreational). The variables of the model have been
predicted based on maximum likelihood method. The data needed for
model development were obtained from all major intercity corridors
in Libya. The final sample size consisted of 1300 interviews. About
two-thirds of these data were used for model calibration, and the
remaining parts were used for model validation. This study, which is
the first of its kind in Libya, investigates the intercity traveler’s
mode-choice behavior. The intercity travel mode-choice model was
successfully calibrated and validated. The outcomes indicate that, the
overall model is effective and yields higher precision of estimation.
The proposed model is beneficial, due to the fact that, it is receptive
to a lot of variables, and can be employed to determine the impact of
modifications in the numerous characteristics on the need for various
travel modes. Estimations of the model might also be of valuable to
planners, who can estimate possibilities for various modes and
determine the impact of unique policy modifications on the need for
intercity travel.
Abstract: Urbanization and related anthropogenic modifications
cause extent of habitat fragmentation and directly lead to decline of
local biodiversity. Conservation biologists advocate corridor creation
as one approach to rescue biodiversity. Here we examine the utility of
roads as corridors in preserving plant diversity by investigating
roadside vegetation in Yellow River Delta (YRD), China. We
examined the spatio-temporal distribution pattern of plant species
richness, diversity and composition along roadside. The results
suggest that roads, as dispersal conduits, increase occurrence
probability of new settlers to a new area, meanwhile, roads accumulate
the greater propagule pressure and favourable survival condition
during operation phase. As a result, more species, including native and
alien plants, non- halophyte and halophyte species, threatened and
cosmopolitic species, were found prosperous at roadside. Roadside
may be a refuge for more species, and the pattern of vegetation
distribution is affected by road age and the distance from road verge.
Abstract: This paper investigates the spatial structure of employment in the Jakarta Metropolitan Area (JMA), with reference to the concept of the Southeast Asian extended metropolitan region (EMR). A combination of factor analysis and local Getis-Ord (Gi*) hot-spot analysis is used to identify clusters of employment in the region, including those of the urban and agriculture sectors. Spatial statistical analysis is further used to probe the spatial association of identified employment clusters with their surroundings on several dimensions, including the spatial association between the central business district (CBD) in Jakarta city on employment density in the region, the spatial impacts of urban expansion on population growth and the degree of urban-rural interaction. The degree of spatial interaction for the whole JMA is measured by the patterns of commuting trips destined to the various employment clusters. Results reveal the strong role of the urban core of Jakarta, and the regional CBD, as the centre for mixed job sectors such as retail, wholesale, services and finance. Manufacturing and local government services, on the other hand, form corridors radiating out of the urban core, reaching out to the agriculture zones in the fringes. Strong associations between the urban expansion corridors and population growth, and urban-rural mix, are revealed particularly in the eastern and western parts of JMA. Metropolitan wide commuting patterns are focussed on the urban core of Jakarta and the CBD, while relatively local commuting patterns are shown to be prevalent for the employment corridors.