AIRPORT, RAILWAY AND INTERMODAL INFRASTRUCTURES

Academic Year 2023/2024 - Teacher: ALESSANDRO DI GRAZIANO

Expected Learning Outcomes

The ability to plan, design and manage transport engineering infrastructure. The ability to analyse and interpret the regulation and impact of infrastructure.

Students will acquire an understanding of the design and operation of modal interchange transport infrastructure, including airports, rail terminals and logistic facilities.

 

Course Structure

It is possible to distinguish three different topics, such as airport, railway and intermodal infrastructures. For each of them the course is structured with a review of rules and lecuters.

Required Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites. However, it is strongly advised to have taken the exam of "Road Infrastructure" or, at least, to have acquired the frequencies.

Attendance of Lessons

Attendance at lessons is strongly recommended as it is consistent with the proposed training model which aims to encourage gradual learning, active participation of the student in class, dialogue between teachers and students, and carrying out design exercises in the classroom.

Detailed Course Content

Airport infrastructures

1. Aerodrome requirements: National and international legislation. Technical regulation. Air traffic. Classification of airports. Free Zones Obstacles.

2. Geometric design: Runway. Taxiway. Apron. Horizontal and vertical alignment. Cross sections.

3. Pavement design: Characteristics. Design criteria. Empirical design (FAA). Rational design (LEDFAA, APSDS). Structural interventions.

4. Operating conditions: Signaling systems. Stop devices. Runways instrumentation. Skid resistance control. Cleaning pavements. Levels of air pollution, water pollution, noise.

5. Pavement Maintenance: Utilization criteria. PCI and instrumental surveys. Pavement distress. Maintenance. Airport Management System

6. Safety: Accidents. Safety management system (SMS). Risk management.

7. Special infrastructures: Heliports. STOL ports. VERT ports

Rail infrastructures

1. Rail routes: Railway transport management. Railway Network. Technical Specifications for Interoperability. Levels of project.

2. Geometric design: Mechanics of locomotion. Levels of performance and performance. Horizontal and vertical alignment. Distance to obstacles. High speeds lines.

3. Track design: Ballasted Track (subgrade, ballast, organs and joints, rails). Not ballasted track. Design (loads, temperature). Track equipment.

4. Stations: Criteria of the station levels. Set of tracks. Relationships with users.

5. Management and diagnostics: Service and maintenance. Classification of defects. Track geometric parameters. Quality Binary. Diagnostic tools. Inspection, noise, vibration.

6. Safety: Accident. National Rail Safety Agency. Signaling systems. Risk management.

Intermodal Infrastructures

1. Intermodal transport: European and national framework. Technical Regulations. Development of logistics market. Terminology.

2. Intermodal loading units: Shipping containers and terrestrial. Swap bodies. Semitrailers. Train gauge. Containers and air pallets. Vehicles and handling equipment.

     3. Design: Freight (European situation and national network, design of the individual areas, layout examples). Intermodal terminals (classification of terminals and related equipment, components,      design examples). Environmental impact.

Textbook Information

  • A. Di Graziano – Lectures of airport, railway and intermodal infrastructures (slides).
  • Standards and Technical Regulations
  • C. Esveld – Moder Railway Track Ed. MRT productions
  • M. Guerrieri - Fundamentals of Railway Design

Course Planning

 SubjectsText References
1Airport Infrastructures. Design (Airport requirements, geometry, pavement, exercises) Maintenance, Safety, Special InfrastructuresRegulations, Slides of lessons
2Railway Infrastructures. Regulations. Design (Rail, Superstructure, Exercises). Management and Diagnostics. SafetyRegulations, Slides of lessons
3Intermodal InfrastructuresSlides of lessons

Learning Assessment

Learning Assessment Procedures

The exam consists of an oral test including references to the design exercises carried out during the course. Verification of learning can also be carried out electronically if conditions should require it.

Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises

The questions will focus on the topics present in the program. Some practical exercises related to airport and railway design are planned.