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Three-dimensional (3-D) spatial data of a transportation infrastructure contain useful information for civil engineering applications, including as-built documentation, on-site safety enhancements, and progress monitoring. Several techniques have been developed for acquiring 3-D point coordinates of infrastructure, such as laser scanning. Although the method yields accurate results, the high device costs and human effort required render the process infeasible for generic applications in the construction industry. A quick and reliable approach, which is based on the principles of stereo vision, is proposed for generating a depth map of an infrastructure. Initially, two images are captured by two similar stereo cameras at the scene of the infrastructure. A Harris feature detector is used to extract feature points from the first view, and an innovative adaptive window-matching technique is used to compute feature point correspondences in the second view. A robust algorithm computes the nonfeature point correspondences. Thus, the correspondences of all the points in the scene are obtained. After all correspondences have been obtained, the geometric principles of stereo vision are used to generate a dense depth map of the scene. The proposed algorithm has been tested on several data sets, and results illustrate its potential for stereo correspondence and depth map generation.

Will automotive be the future of mobility or will the motorcar era come to an end in the 21st century? Today, auto-mobility is still growing, but in the future, this will depend on its ability to adapt to the needs of modern society. Disruptive technologies like electrification, automation, and connectivity can make automotive more sustainable by striving for the Six Zero goals: Zero Emission, Zero Energy, Zero Congestion, Zero Accident, Zero Empty, and Zero Cost. These tempting goals can lead not only to a more sustainable ecology, but also to a new economy with more efficient use of the time and money needed for mobility. In this future mobility framework, this article describes the practice-oriented research of the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences with its regional partners to achieve these goals.

The implementation of China’s Belt and Road Initiative macro strategy has promoted exchanges and cooperation between China and Europe and countries along the route. The operation of the China Railway Express provides a new transportation platform for China–Europe trade. The sustainable development of the China Railway Express has a great significance in terms of promoting the growth of China–Europe trade and meeting the demand for freight in Asia and Europe. Its time-saving advantage over shipping and its economic advantage over air transport cannot be ignored. This paper is based on the discrete selection model of stochastic utility theory. The paper constructs a multi-logit model based on generalized cost functions, including economics, timeliness, reliability, convenience, safety, and environmental protection. To calculate the market share of the China Railway Express and China–Europe Shipping, the paper conducts a quantitative analysis of the market competitiveness of the China Railway Express. Then, the sensitivity analysis and elastic analysis are carried out on the China Railway Express freight rate, the Chinese road freight rate, the China Railway Express service fee, the China Railway Express travelling speed, the China Railway Express sending operation time at the departure station, the China Railway Express transportation time error, the China Railway Express transportation frequency, and the China Railway Express carbon emissions per unit. Finally, based on the analysis results, suggestions for promoting the sustainable development of the China Railway Express are given.

Design of an effective and reliable communication network supporting smart grid applications requires a selection of appropriate communication technologies and protocols. The objective of this paper is to study and quantify the capabilities of an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) to support the simultaneous operation of major smart grid functions. These include smart metering, price-induced controls, distribution automation, demand response and electric vehicle charging/discharging applications in terms of throughput and latency. OPNET is used to simulate the performance of selected communication technologies and protocols. Research findings indicate that smart grid applications can operate simultaneously by piggybacking on an existing AMI infrastructure and still achieve their latency requirements.

This paper identifies the risks for the functionality and reliability of the grid that arise from the integration of the transport and supply chain. The electrification of transport is a promising option for the transition to a low carbon energy and transport system. But on the short term, the electrification of transport also creates risks. More specifically, when promising technological such as vehicle-to-grid and smart-grids are not yet available on a large scale, the rapid diffusion of electric vehicles and the recharging behaviour of consumers can create risks for grid functioning. In order to assess these risks, this paper present a GIS-based simulation method that assesses electricity demand and supply on the neighbourhood level. The paper combines local level electric vehicle diffusion forecasts, with neighbourhood level data about the grid additional capacity. Application of the model to the Netherlands shows that risks for grid functioning already appear as early as 2015. More specifically, the diffusion of electric vehicles is found to compromise the functioning of the grid on the short term in densely populated areas such as Amsterdam. In these neighbourhoods early and fast adoption of electric vehicles coincides with the presence of an older grid with less additional capacity. The model provides insights for grid operators as well as for policy makers that seek to stimulate the transition to sustainable energy and transport systems, and can be used as a strategic tool to plan (smart) grid investments.

In this paper, a framework is presented for the evaluation of smart grid environment which is called the three-layer model. This three-layer model comprises three specific categories, or ‘layers’, namely, the stakeholder, market and technologies layers. Each layer is defined and explored herein, using an extensive literature study regarding their key elements, their descriptions and an overview of the findings from the literature. The assumption behind this study is that a solid understanding of each of the three layers and their interrelations will help in more effective assessment of residential smart grid pilots in order to better design products and services and deploy smart grid technologies in networks. Based on our review, we conclude that, in many studies, social factors associated with smart grid pilots, such as markets, social acceptance, and end-user and stakeholder demands, are most commonly defined as uncertainties and are therefore considered separately from the technical aspects of smart grids. As such, it is recommended that, in future assessments, the stakeholder and market layers should be combined with the technologies layer so as to enhance interaction between these three layers, and to be able to better evaluate residential smart energy systems in a multidisciplinary context.

El papel del transporte multimodal en la facilitación del comercio rentable en todo el mundo se destaca en este documento. El documento también enfatiza las estrategias de desarrollo que se han implementado actualmente para mejorar e integrar los modos de transporte en los países desarrollados, que tienen como objetivo principal la realización de servicios de transporte de carga y pasajeros sin interrupciones. Las brechas de políticas y las limitaciones financieras que obstaculizaron el desarrollo del transporte multimodal en Nigeria se deducen como el principal desafío del desarrollo de la infraestructura de transporte integrado estandarizado en Nigeria. En conclusión, se recomienda el caso de negocio de la asociación público-privada (APP) para un desarrollo sostenible de la infraestructura y los servicios de transporte integrado en Nigeria. Le rôle du transport multimodal dans la facilitation du commerce rentable à travers le monde est souligné dans ce document. Le document souligne également les stratégies de développement actuellement déployées dans la mise à niveau et l'intégration des modes de transport dans les pays développés, qui visent principalement à réaliser des services de transport de marchandises et de passagers sans faille. Les lacunes politiques et les contraintes financières qui ont entravé le développement du transport multimodal au Nigéria sont déduites comme le principal défi du développement intégré normalisé des infrastructures de transport au Nigéria. En conclusion, l'analyse de rentabilité du partenariat public-privé (PPP) est recommandée pour un développement intégré durable des infrastructures et des services de transport au Nigéria. The role of multimodal transport in cost-effective trade facilitation across the globe is highlighted in this paper.The paper also emphasizes the developmental strategies been currently deployed in upgrading and integrating modes of transport in developed countries, which is primarily aimed at realizing seamless freight and passenger transport services.The policy gaps and financial constraints that hindered the multimodal transport development in Nigeria are deduced as the main challenge of standardized integrated transport infrastructure development in Nigeria.In conclusion, the Publicprivate partnership (PPP) business case is recommended for a sustainable integrated transport infrastructure and services development in Nigeria. يتم تسليط الضوء على دور النقل متعدد الوسائط في تيسير التجارة الفعالة من حيث التكلفة في جميع أنحاء العالم في هذه الورقة. كما تؤكد الورقة على الاستراتيجيات التنموية التي تم نشرها حاليًا في تطوير ودمج وسائط النقل في البلدان المتقدمة، والتي تهدف في المقام الأول إلى تحقيق خدمات نقل سلسة للشحن والركاب. يتم استنتاج الثغرات في السياسات والقيود المالية التي أعاقت تطوير النقل متعدد الوسائط في نيجيريا على أنها التحدي الرئيسي لتطوير البنية التحتية الموحدة للنقل المتكامل في نيجيريا. في الختام، يوصى بدراسة الجدوى التجارية للشراكة بين القطاعين العام والخاص من أجل تطوير البنية التحتية وخدمات النقل المتكاملة المستدامة في نيجيريا.