Infrastructures

17 pages, 1572 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Coexistence of Energy Harvesting Roads and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)

by Domenico Vizzari, Natasha Bahrani and Gaetano Fulco

Infrastructures 2023, 8(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures8010014 - 10 Jan 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3381

Intelligent systems, the Internet of Things, smart factory, and artificial intelligence are just some of the pillars for the 4th industrial revolution. Engineering is the driving force behind this new industrial renaissance and transportation plays a leading role for the new challenges in [...] Read more.

Intelligent systems, the Internet of Things, smart factory, and artificial intelligence are just some of the pillars for the 4th industrial revolution. Engineering is the driving force behind this new industrial renaissance and transportation plays a leading role for the new challenges in mobility needs. In this scenario, intelligent transportation systems (ITS) represent an innovative solution for various transport issues, such as traffic congestion, air pollution, long travel time, and accidents. In parallel, transportation is going through a novel way of thinking for road pavements: a multi-functional infrastructure able to harvest energy and exploiting the solar radiation or the traffic load. As the main hurdle in ITS is to find reliable energy sources, the energy harvesting roads could be a great step in installing and managing ITS as an electricity supplier. The aim of this paper is to review the key elements of ITS and energy harvesting pavements, and investigate their coexistence. This paper describes different harvesting techniques that could be used to power various ITS solutions. A case study evaluates the power output of a road section equipped with a solar road, piezoelectric material, and thermoelectric generators. Finally, the coexistence between ITS and energy harvesting pavements is critically evaluated, taking into account the advantages and disadvantages. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IOCI 2022 Special Issue Session 4: Materials and Sustainability)

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21 pages, 1191 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Factors, Challenges and Strategies of Trust in BIM-Based Construction Projects: A Case Study in Malaysia

by Abdelrahman M. Farouk, Ahmad Zhahiruddin Zulhisham, Yong Siang Lee, Mohammad Sadra Rajabi and Rahimi A. Rahman

Infrastructures 2023, 8(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures8010013 - 10 Jan 2023

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 6466

Abstract

Implementing building information modeling (BIM) in construction projects can provide team members with an effective collaboration process. Therefore, organizations are implementing BIM to acquire the benefits. However, project members still use traditional collaborative approaches due to the lack of trust. Therefore, this study [...] Read more.

Implementing building information modeling (BIM) in construction projects can provide team members with an effective collaboration process. Therefore, organizations are implementing BIM to acquire the benefits. However, project members still use traditional collaborative approaches due to the lack of trust. Therefore, this study aims to identify the factors, challenges, and strategies of trust in BIM-based construction projects. To achieve this aim, semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty industry professionals, and thematic analysis was used to analyze the collected data. The results suggest that the factors affecting trust in BIM-based construction projects are knowledge, skills, awareness, behavior, policy, system, cost, and management. Moreover, the challenges to creating trust in BIM-based construction projects are policy, cost, cooperation, system, service, behavior, expertise, and knowledge. Finally, the strategies used to create trust in BIM-based construction projects are management, preparation, capability, cooperation, awareness, individuals, education, and government. In summary, this study provides insights that can help industry practitioners to improve construction projects by reducing unnecessary distrust among team members. Full article

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17 pages, 4002 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Forecasting the Capacity of Open-Ended Pipe Piles Using Machine Learning

by Baturalp Ozturk, Antonio Kodsy and Magued Iskander

Infrastructures 2023, 8(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures8010012 - 09 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2028

Abstract

Pile design is an essential component of geotechnical engineering practice, and pipe piles, in particular, are increasingly being used for the support of a variety of infrastructure projects. These piles are being used with dimensions that exceed those used in the development of [...] Read more.

Pile design is an essential component of geotechnical engineering practice, and pipe piles, in particular, are increasingly being used for the support of a variety of infrastructure projects. These piles are being used with dimensions that exceed those used in the development of the most widely used design approaches. At the same time, the growth in pile dimensions calls for the evolution of the state-of-the-art at a similar pace. The objective of this study is to provide an improved prediction of pile capacity. A database of 112 load tests on pipe piles ranging in diameter from 10 to 100 in. (0.25–2.5 m) and in length from 10 to 320 ft. (3–98 m) was employed in this study. First, design capacities were computed using four popular design methods and compared to capacities interpreted from a load test. For the employed dataset, the Revised Lambda method was found to best predict capacities of pipe piles obtained from a load test, among the four examined methods, and was thus employed as a reference standard for assessing the performance of ML methods. Next, eight ML regression models were trained to compute the capacity of pipe piles. Several trained ML models predicted capacities for the testing data set on par with the Revised Lambda method, and three were selected for further investigation. A variety of pile dimensions and soil properties were examined as input properties for ML and the trained models performed surprisingly well with only the pile dimensions used as input. In addition, ML models exhibited satisfactory diameter and length effects, which have been areas of concern for some traditional design approaches. The work thus demonstrates the feasibility of employing machine learning (ML) for determining the capacity of pipe piles. A web application was also developed as a tool for forecasting the capacity of pipe piles using ML. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Artificial Intelligence in Infrastructure Geotechnics)

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18 pages, 482 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Drivers’ Speeding Behavior in Residential Streets: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

by Mahdi Alizadeh, Seyed Rasoul Davoodi and Khaled Shaaban

Infrastructures 2023, 8(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures8010011 - 08 Jan 2023

Viewed by 2027

Abstract

Speeding in residential areas is a rampant high-risk driving behavior that occurs worldwide. This study investigated the intention and behavior of speeding in residential streets (with a speed limit of 30 km/h) in Iran based on the Theory of extended Planned Behavior (TPB). [...] Read more.

Speeding in residential areas is a rampant high-risk driving behavior that occurs worldwide. This study investigated the intention and behavior of speeding in residential streets (with a speed limit of 30 km/h) in Iran based on the Theory of extended Planned Behavior (TPB). A total of 480 participants filled out the TPB-based questionnaire online. Nine different factors were identified by exploratory factor analysis. The interrelationship of these factors, as well as their connection with speeding intention and behavior, was analyzed using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) method. The results suggested that the adoption of the extended TPB framework to identify factors related to speeding in residential areas was effective in predicting speeding intention and behavior. Affective attitude, descriptive and personal norms, perceived behavioral control, habits, and specification of residential streets were direct predictors of speeding intention. The intention was also strongly associated with speeding behavior in residential areas, serving as the only factor that directly predicts speeding behavior. The two factors of specification and facilities were also significantly related to speeding behavior on residential streets. The results of this study can have positive implications for preventing and reducing crashes on residential streets. Full article

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14 pages, 3535 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Digital Twin for Monitoring the Construction of a Wind Farm

by Alejandra Ospina-Bohórquez, Jorge López-Rebollo, Pedro Muñoz-Sánchez and Diego González-Aguilera

Infrastructures 2023, 8(1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures8010010 - 06 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2414

Abstract

Digital twins (DTs) represent an emerging technology that allows interaction between assets and their virtual replicas and enclose geometry from modeling procedures and dynamism from AI. DTs serve different purposes, e.g., testing how devices behave under diverse conditions or monitoring processes and supporting [...] Read more.

Digital twins (DTs) represent an emerging technology that allows interaction between assets and their virtual replicas and enclose geometry from modeling procedures and dynamism from AI. DTs serve different purposes, e.g., testing how devices behave under diverse conditions or monitoring processes and supporting improvement. However, until now, the use of DTs for monitoring constructions has been limited, as they are frequently used only as a high-quality 3D digital representation without connecting to other systems, dynamic analysis, or simulation. This work proposes creating a DT for monitoring the construction of a wind farm. It draws a comparison between the as-designed models (from the design phase) and the as-built models (that represent the actual construction at different times). As a result, the DT can help to control deviations that may occur during construction. The authors propose using Unreal Engine to create an interface that includes as-designed models obtained from the building information modeling (BIM) and as-built models corresponding to different steps during the construction. The result is a video game-type interactive application with a timeline tool that allows going through the construction stages recorded in the as-built models and comparing them to the as-designed model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 1st International Online Conference on Infrastructures (IOCI 2022))

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19 pages, 2739 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Locality of Residential Areas in COVID-19 Pandemic Conditions: Analysis of Neighborhoods and Housing Design in Saudi Arabia

by Naief A. Aldossary, Ali M. AlQahtany and Saleh H. Alyami

Infrastructures 2023, 8(1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures8010009 - 02 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2301

Abstract

The current coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is impacting countries across the world, resulting in governments undertaking a number of precautionary measures for their populations. This raises the issue of the effectiveness of urban design of dwellings to assist with these measures. This study therefore [...] Read more.

The current coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is impacting countries across the world, resulting in governments undertaking a number of precautionary measures for their populations. This raises the issue of the effectiveness of urban design of dwellings to assist with these measures. This study therefore determines the current readiness of local neighborhoods and housing in Saudi Arabia to face epidemics. The study employs an analysis of a public survey achieving a comprehensive (n = 413) across the country to identify: (a) the current situation of local neighborhood and services, including density and the ability to fulfil human needs during periods of quarantine; (b) the ability of housing design to assist with social distancing: (c) appropriate housing design to fulfil social needs; and (d) the design of housing to accommodate the ability for infected household members to self-isolate. The findings identify that neighborhoods in Saudi Arabia meet current social requirements and can assist in avoiding gatherings. In addition, it illustrates the advantages and disadvantages of housing design, revealing that villas tend to be low density, and so facilitate social distancing, but neighborhoods with a high number of residential units face considerable challenges, due to the high density of population, particularly in areas lacking planning. Full article

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15 pages, 3323 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of the Hot-Mix Asphalt Production Temperature on the Effectiveness of the Reclaimed Asphalt Rejuvenation Process

by Edoardo Bocci, Emiliano Prosperi and Maurizio Bocci

Infrastructures 2023, 8(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures8010008 - 31 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1892

Abstract

Hot recycling of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) into new hot-mix asphalt (HMA) is a complex process that must be precisely calibrated in the asphalt plants. In particular, temperature is a key parameter that, if inadequately set, can affect the final mix performance as [...] Read more.

Hot recycling of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) into new hot-mix asphalt (HMA) is a complex process that must be precisely calibrated in the asphalt plants. In particular, temperature is a key parameter that, if inadequately set, can affect the final mix performance as it influences the RAP binder mobilization rate and the severity of bitumen short-term aging. The present paper aims at evaluating the effect of HMA production temperature on the behavior of mixtures including 50% of RAP and two types of rejuvenating agents. In particular, volumetric, mechanical, chemical, and rheological properties of the mixes and binder-aggregate adhesion have been investigated on the HMA produced in the laboratory at 140 °C or 170 °C. The results showed that the adoption of a lower production temperature did not significantly influence the air voids content in the mix, but determined a less stiff, brittle and cracking-prone behavior. Moreover, the decrease of the HMA production temperature was profitable for the increase of bitumen-aggregate adhesion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IOCI 2022 Special Issue Session 4: Materials and Sustainability)

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12 pages, 3988 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Shrinkage of Micro-Synthetic Fiber-Reinforced Mortar

by Endah Safitri, Ridan Adi Kusworo and Stefanus Adi Kristiawan

Infrastructures 2023, 8(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures8010007 - 31 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2170

Abstract

Repair materials have been developed in this research by adding micro-synthetic fibers in cement-based mortar. In addition, accelerator is incorporated in the mortar to obtain high early strength of the repair materials. Their shrinkage behavior is of interest. This study aims to determine [...] Read more.

Repair materials have been developed in this research by adding micro-synthetic fibers in cement-based mortar. In addition, accelerator is incorporated in the mortar to obtain high early strength of the repair materials. Their shrinkage behavior is of interest. This study aims to determine the shrinkage of the micro-synthetic fiber-reinforced mortar and propose models to reflect their shrinkage behavior. The results show that rapid developments of shrinkage are observed at an early age where the 3-day shrinkage already attains about 40–50% of the 84-day shrinkage value. Moreover, after 14 days of age the shrinkage curves tend to approach the asymptotic value. The ACI 209.2R-08 and CEB-MC 90-99 models do not reflect the shape of the shrinkage curves of the micro-synthetic fiber-reinforced mortar. Therefore, this research proposes a modified ACI 209.2R-08 and CEB-MC 90-99 that can describe the shrinkage behavior of the micro-synthetic fiber-reinforced mortar. The accuracy of the modified models has been confirmed quantitatively using the method of best fit line, residual analysis, and coefficient of error. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Innovative Construction and Building Materials)

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25 pages, 6687 KiB

Open AccessArticle

ANN-Based Assessment of Soft Surface Soil Layers’ Impact on Fault Rupture Propagation and Kinematic Distress of Gas Pipelines

by Nikolaos Makrakis, Prodromos N. Psarropoulos and Yiannis Tsompanakis

Infrastructures 2023, 8(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures8010006 - 30 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1800

Abstract

Large-scale lifelines in seismic-prone regions very frequently cross areas that are characterized by active tectonic faulting, as complete avoidance might be techno-economically unfeasible. The resulting Permanent Ground Displacements (PGDs) constitute a major threat to such critical infrastructure. The current study numerically investigates the [...] Read more.

Large-scale lifelines in seismic-prone regions very frequently cross areas that are characterized by active tectonic faulting, as complete avoidance might be techno-economically unfeasible. The resulting Permanent Ground Displacements (PGDs) constitute a major threat to such critical infrastructure. The current study numerically investigates the crucial impact of soil deposits, which usually cover the ruptured bedrock, on the ground displacement profile and the kinematic distress of natural gas pipelines. For this purpose, a decoupled numerical methodology, based on Finite Element Method (FEM), is adopted and a detailed parametric investigation is performed for various fault and soil properties. Moreover, the advanced capabilities of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are utilized, aiming to facilitate the fast and reliable assessment of soil response and pipeline strains due to seismic faulting, replacing time-consuming FEM computations. An extensive sensitivity analysis is performed to select the optimal architecture and training algorithm of the employed ANNs for both the geotechnical and structural parts of the decoupled approach, with suitable input and target values related to bedrock offset, fault and soil properties, surface PGDs, and pipeline strains. The proposed ANN-based approach can be efficiently applied by practice engineers in seismic design and route optimization of natural gas pipelines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Artificial Intelligence in Infrastructure Geotechnics)

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20 pages, 1007 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Main Challenges for Improving Urban Drainage Systems from the Perspective of Brazilian Professionals

by Telvio H. S. Francisco, Osvaldo V. C. Menezes, André L. A. Guedes, Gladys Maquera, Dácio C. V. Neto, Orlando C. Longo, Christine K. Chinelli and Carlos A. P. Soares

Infrastructures 2023, 8(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures8010005 - 28 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 6218

Abstract

Urban drainage systems play an important role in the complex ecosystem of cities and are often subject to challenges that hinder their functioning. Although identifying these challenges is essential for developing policies and actions to improve drainage systems, there is a lack of [...] Read more.

Urban drainage systems play an important role in the complex ecosystem of cities and are often subject to challenges that hinder their functioning. Although identifying these challenges is essential for developing policies and actions to improve drainage systems, there is a lack of studies addressing these challenges. This work has two objectives to contribute to filling this gap: (1) to research the main challenges that make it difficult to improve urban drainage systems; and (2) to prioritize them. We conducted extensive and detailed bibliographic research in which 15 challenges were identified, and a survey with 30 Brazilian professionals with experience in the concerned field. The results showed that 15 challenges identified in the literature were considered important by the survey respondents. It also showed that the most important challenges concern the inadequate functioning of drainage infrastructure, dynamics of city expansion, system maintenance, vulnerability of urban areas, public policies, and investments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructures, 2nd Edition)

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13 pages, 5407 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Stressed State of Sand-Soil Using Ultrasound

by Lukas Benedikt Schumacher, Mykola Sysyn, Ulf Gerber and Szabolcs Fischer

Infrastructures 2023, 8(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures8010004 - 22 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1684

Abstract

The maintenance of the ballast substructure is an important cost-driver for railway systems. The problem is that today’s condition monitoring methods are insufficient to collect detailed data on the compaction and stress allocation inside the ballast bed. That makes it challenging to improve [...] Read more.

The maintenance of the ballast substructure is an important cost-driver for railway systems. The problem is that today’s condition monitoring methods are insufficient to collect detailed data on the compaction and stress allocation inside the ballast bed. That makes it challenging to improve the maintenance technology and organization. This study aimed to investigate the applicability of the ultrasound method for analyzing the state of stress of sand-soil and the relation between the residual stress and wave propagation velocity. The experiments on the sand in a box with different allocations of the ultrasonic receivers and pressure measurement cells were produced under different external loading. In addition, the vertical and horizontal stress distributions were measured. The results showed a correlation between the test load, the state of stress, and the ultrasound propagation velocity. Moreover, the residual stresses after the loading cycles were analyzed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Transport, Vehicle and Railway Engineering)

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20 pages, 6455 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Numerical Modeling of the Ultimate Bearing Capacity of Strip Footings on Reinforced Sand Layer Overlying Clay with Voids

by Walid Chaabani, Mohamed Saddek Remadna and Murad Abu-Farsakh

Infrastructures 2023, 8(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures8010003 - 21 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1879

Abstract

The presence of underground voids within a failure zone usually results in a reduction in the bearing capacity of footings. This paper presents results for the ultimate bearing capacity ratio, qu/γB, of a strip footing on top of a sand layer overlying a [...] Read more.

The presence of underground voids within a failure zone usually results in a reduction in the bearing capacity of footings. This paper presents results for the ultimate bearing capacity ratio, qu/γB, of a strip footing on top of a sand layer overlying a clay layer with voids, with and without the placing of geotextile reinforcement at the interface between the sand and clay layers. Using the finite difference software FLAC 2D, the bearing capacity ratio of the strip footing was calculated for voids with different depths and horizontal distance for two configurations: parallel and symmetrical. The effect of parameters on the ultimate bearing capacity ratio was also investigated, including the undrained shear stress ratio of the soil, the thickness of the top layer and the size, location, height, width and spacing of the voids, with and without placing of geotextile layers at the interface between the sand and clay layers. It was found that the influence of a void on the ultimate bearing capacity ratio of the strip footing vanished when the void was located outside the failure zone beneath the footing and increased further with reinforcement until it reached a constant limit value. Full article

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18 pages, 6837 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Numerical Investigation on Effect of Opening Ratio on Structural Performance of Reinforced Concrete Deep Beam Reinforced with CFRP Enhancements

by Yasar Ameer Ali, Lateef Najeh Assi, Hussein Abas, Hussein R. Taresh, Canh N. Dang and SeyedAli Ghahari

Infrastructures 2023, 8(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures8010002 - 20 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1916

Abstract

Reinforced concrete deep beams are a vital member of infrastructures such as bridges, shear walls, and foundation pile caps. Thousands of dollars and human lives are seriously threatened due to shear failure, which have developed in deep beams containing web openings. This paper [...] Read more.

Reinforced concrete deep beams are a vital member of infrastructures such as bridges, shear walls, and foundation pile caps. Thousands of dollars and human lives are seriously threatened due to shear failure, which have developed in deep beams containing web openings. This paper investigates numerically the overall behavior of simply supported concrete deep beams reinforced with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets through forty specimens grouped in four groups. The numerical analysis results agreed well with the experimental results in the literature, particularly the visual failure initiation with a failure load difference of nearly 7%. Finite element analyses indicated that the presence of an opening with considerable width reduced the failure load by about 71% compared to the corresponding solid specimens. In addition, the reinforced concrete deep beam samples started to behave differently when the (b/h) ratio increased more than (2.0). The findings showed that the compression stress strut pathway had been disrupted by the web opening leading to stress redistribution, and the structure will behave as two separate members. Thus, the upper web-opening part sustained the most stress, while the part under the web-opening did not show any stress concentration. The numerical stress distribution results showed that the attributed reason is that rebars and openings helped redirect the stresses to the compression strut. Using CFRP sheets with a width of more than 160 mm significantly improved the reinforced concrete deep beam with web-opening due to the increasing confinement to the upper part of the reinforced concrete deep beams with the opening. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Infrastructure)

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16 pages, 3931 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Knowledge about the Origins of Uncertainties from the Pre-Project Phase of Road Projects

by Rouzbeh Shabani, Olav Torp, Ole Jonny Klakegg and Agnar Johansen

Infrastructures 2023, 8(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures8010001 - 20 Dec 2022

Viewed by 1447

Abstract

To succeed with projects, we need to understand and manage uncertainty. Uncertainties impact a project’s cost, time, and quality performance. The project’s front end is challenging for decision makers due to the high level of uncertainty. This paper identifies the most common uncertainties [...] Read more.

To succeed with projects, we need to understand and manage uncertainty. Uncertainties impact a project’s cost, time, and quality performance. The project’s front end is challenging for decision makers due to the high level of uncertainty. This paper identifies the most common uncertainties and their origin in the pre-project phase of large road projects. It also analyses the changes in these factors over 20 years. Document studies collected information about uncertainty factors identified in the early phase of 90 large road projects. The research strategy was explanatory, and data were collected from quality assurance reports from a population of large Norwegian road projects. The project cost varies between USD 30 million and over USD 2 billion. Then, 15-factor groups were established for categorising uncertainties. This study shows a rise in uncertainty factors with operational origins and a decrease in uncertainty factors with strategic and contextual origins over the last 20 years. Identifying and understanding common uncertainties and their origins provides policymakers, practitioners, and researchers with useful insights for policy revision and investment decision making and facilitates a proper focus regarding uncertainty analyses in the front end of road projects. Full article

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Infrastructures, Volume 8, Issue 1 (January 2023) – 14 articles

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