Skip to main content

EU project identifies critical road transport infrastructure

The results of the US3.2 million European Union (EU research project Security of Road Transport Networks (SeRoN) have been published by software and consulting services provider PTV Group and its seven partners. The report presents a methodology which allows planners to identify critical bridges and tunnels and to develop appropriate protection measures. As part of the EU’s 7th Framework Programme, the SeRoN project investigated the security of tunnels and bridges. To this end, the project partners develop
March 21, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
The results of the US3.2 million 1816 European Union (EU research project Security of Road Transport Networks (SeRoN) have been published by software and consulting services provider 3264 PTV Group and its seven partners.  The report presents a methodology which allows planners to identify critical bridges and tunnels and to develop appropriate protection measures.

As part of the EU’s 7th Framework Programme, the SeRoN project investigated the security of tunnels and bridges. To this end, the project partners developed a four-step approach: In a first step, the users identify and classify the tunnels and bridges that are relevant for the risk assessment within the selected study area. In step two, the network importance of the previously filtered infrastructure object is determined by means of a transport model (e.g. PTV Validate). Step three assesses the risk on the basis of a quantitative risk analysis (QRA). The risk assessment is based on specific scenarios (e.g. a truck fire in a tunnel) in order to be able to assess the impacts of an incident on the road user, the infrastructure object and the surrounding transport network. In a final step, the cost-effective protection measures are analysed.

"We have developed an innovative methodology for the analysis and assessment of road networks and infrastructure objects as part of the SeRoN project," says project manager Dr Ing. Georg Mayer, PTV Group. "This method provides road network operators and owners with a holistic approach to the identification of critical road infrastructures, thus allowing them to strengthen the security and resilience of their infrastructure."

"A major advantage of the four-step approach is the modular structure of the methodology, which means it can be implemented step by step," says Ingo Kaundinya, head of division, Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen (BASt/1938 German Federal Highway Research Institute), which supported the project. "Moreover, the methodology was tested thoroughly by our research institute. For the validation, we had access to a wealth of technical data on roads and infrastructure objects throughout Europe." BASt now wants to introduce this methodology to both road construction authorities and private operators.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Introducing rubber-banding for transport planning
    August 19, 2014
    Software and consulting group PTV has launched a new version of its transport planning software, Visum 14, with major new functionality, including what the company calls ‘rubber-banding’, which enables users to realistically model spontaneous detours. "With rubber-banding, starting point and main activity as well as intermediate stops are connected with, metaphorically speaking, a rubber band," explains Dr.-Ing. Johannes Schlaich, director of PTV Visum Product Management and Services. "The stronger the r
  • PTV works with partners to develop transport modelling software for AVs
    January 24, 2019
    PTV, a member of the CoEXist European research project, has announced the development of transport modelling software which it says is ready for automated vehicles (AVs). CoEXist is a three-year project which focuses on the interaction between semi-automated and conventional vehicles in the transition to fully-AV fleets. It is funded under the Horizon 2020 framework programme of the European Commission with a budget of €3.5 million. Four cities are involved: Gothenburg (Sweden), Stuttgart (Germany),
  • Stop thinking and act on cooperative infrastructures
    February 2, 2012
    OmniAir's Tim McGuckin looks at why metropolitan transportation networks might be the key to securing the long-term funding of cooperative infrastructure
  • Use of ITS technology grows more prevalent in safety applications
    January 30, 2012
    Transportation agencies and governments are using ITS technology to protect critical infrastructure from terrorist attack and other threats to economic security and public safety. Andrew Bardin Williams reports. It is no secret that we live in a potentially dangerous world. Terrorism as seen on 9/11 in the United States, subsequent attacks in London, Moscow and Madrid and other acts of violence across the developing world have made vigilance the watchword for ensuring security. Key infrastructure is now bei