STA Newsletter

Issue # June 2018

A bi-monthly online journal providing news and background about activities undertaken by STA with a view to improving the methods, technologies and standards associated to transportation infrastructures.

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STA TC2 on Smart Safety and Security releases Road Restraint Systems Deployment Guidelines

29 June 2018

In line with STA’s mission to lead and support activities improving the methods, technologies and standards associated to transportation infrastructures, the STA Technical Committee on Smart Safety and Security (TC2) has released the STA Road Restraint Systems Deployment Guidelines. This tool is aimed at road operators, road agencies and road safety experts at large, and in addition represents a valuable source for research purposes or just citizens’ awareness.

The main objective of the STA Deployment Guidelines is to provide fundamental information to assess the suitability of safety barriers for different types of road infrastructure configurations and traffic conditions, while highlighting influencing factors to hazardous spots. In particular, this tool takes into consideration the following traffic and infrastructural characteristics: i) permitted speed, ii) volume of vehicles or trucks, iii) possibility of sliding, and iv) distance to the areas or obstacles to be protected in a given road section.

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STA survey reveals the importance of smart infrastructures in order to improve safety and security of passenger and freight transport

27 June 2018

The STA Technical Committee on Smart Safety and Security (TC2), chaired by Mr Wolf P. Zeplin, has conducted a survey between 31 May and 27 June 2018 on the challenges and opportunities faced by a new generation of safer and more secure transportation infrastructures.

69 experts across the world have contributed to the survey by sharing their views on the current and future hurdles and on possible ways to improve the safety (prevention of accidents) and security (prevention of malicious activities) of transportation networks.

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STA reaches 1,500 followers on Twitter!

13 June 2018

The milestone of 1,500 followers in Twitter has been crossed in June 2018. We are thankful to all our followers for their interest, and we look forward welcoming many more in the coming months at @Smart_Transp.


Safer design of new transport infrastructures and in addition the modernisation of the existing ones hold a strong potential to reduce mortality and injury rates

NEWS OF INTEREST

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The Smart Road Tech that’s making driving faster, safer, and just better

From autonomous cars to flying taxis to electric-powered aircraft, technological innovations in transportation vehicles seem to be moving faster than Elon Musk’s express loop underneath Chicago. But when it comes to regular roads and traffic systems, we still seem to be stuck in the far-right lane.

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Light in the darkest places

It should go without saying that every state department of transportation prioritizes safety for its crews as well as for the traveling public when it comes to setting up work zones along any roadway, including making sure that motorists can clearly see where the work zone, crews and equipment are located.

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Bendable concrete, with a design inspired by seashells, can make US infrastructure safer and more durable

Spring construction season is underway, and many tons of concrete will be used in the coming months. Unfortunately, concrete is a brittle material: Placed under stress, it cannot bend very far before it fractures. Some pavements that are being poured now will crack within a few years and require expensive repairs. New concrete will be mixed, and the cycle will start again.

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Stabilisation & the harmonious blending of highway interchange slopes

The Interstate 90 Bridge over the Mississippi River between La Crosse, Wis., and La Crescent, Minn., is a heavily used commuter route and part of the longest interstate highway—I-90—in the country, spanning from coast to coast and providing important commercial and defence infrastructure for the entire nation.