Management of transport infrastructures

Academic Year 2025/2026 - 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

The course includes lectures and project exercises, which can also be completed in groups. If the course is taught in a blended or distance learning format, necessary adjustments may be made to comply with the planned curriculum.

Students who, following submission of the appropriate documentation (Rector's Decree No. 1598 of May 2, 2018), have obtained recognition as student workers, student athletes, students with special needs, and students with disabilities, if they are unable to complete the group exercise, will complete a personalized exercise, the details of which will be agreed upon with the instructor.

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

1. Fundamentals of Transport Infrastructure Design  (involves the principles and methods used to plan and design transportation networks, including roads, railways and airports).

    1. Road infrastructure (technical regulation, classification, cross-sections, volumes, alignment, design speed, capacity, intersections, pavement).

    2. Rail infrastructure (technical specification for interoperability; level of performance and performance, alignment, ballasted track).

    3. Airport infrastructure (technical standard, classification, free zones obstacles, runway, taxiway, apron, pavement).


2. Construction Management of Transport Infrastructure (involves basic knowledge of construction sites for transport infrastructure to ensure timely completion and efficient resource use). 

    1. Work scheduling and planning (coordination of multiple phases and tasks, WBS, Milestones, Production Curve, Manpower and Equipment)

    2. Technical Specifications for Work Program Design (case study using software to define critical path)


3. Infrastructure Assets (involves management of infrastructure assets, performance measurement, data for asset management, lifecycle planning and maintenance strategies).

    1. Asset Management (data inventory, life cycle analysis, enabling and reviewing mechanism, Road and Railway Register, BIM-GIS approach)

    2. Pavement Maintenance management (Distress, performance indicators, survey, (Airport) Pavement Management System)

    3. Track management (Classification of defects. Track geometric parameters. Quality Binary. Diagnostic tools) 


4. Operational Conditions for Management (Overview of operational management conditions, including the integration of technology in monitoring systems, safety and sustainability efforts to improve infrastructure resilience.)

    1. Safety for airport (safety management system) , railway (risk management) and road (audit and inspections).  

    2. Smart Road (Connected Autonomous Vehicles, Operational Design Domain, classification)

    3. Margins and components for road (guardrails, signaling and lighting) airport (signaling and instrumentation, procedures) and railway (signaling and interlocking) 

Textbook Information

  • A. Di Graziano – Lectures of airport, railway and intermodal infrastructures (slides).
  • Standards and Technical Regulations

Course Planning

 SubjectsText References
1Fundamentals of Transport Infrastructure Design  (Road, Rail, Airport) Regulations, Slides of lessons
2Construction of Transport Infrastructure (Work scheduling and planning, Work Program Design) Regulations, Slides of lessons
3Infrastructure Assets (Asset Management, Pavement Maintenance, Track management)Regulations, Slides of lessons
4Operational Conditions for Management (Safety, smart road, margins and components)Regulations, Slides 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.