Infrastructure for the 21st Century Framework for a Research Agenda (1987) / Chapter Skim
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2 Identifying the Opportunities
2 Identifying the Opportunities
Pages 8-26
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From page 8... ...
maintenance of exiting systems, often neglected ~ discus signs of infrastructure research, which may include monitoring of performance, detection and repair of failures, and periodic measures taken to avoid failures; 8
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From page 9... ...
While the committee decries this general lack of attention to infrastructure research, it recognizes that resources will always be limited. The committee selected three areas of modal opportunities to illustrate the content envisioned for its proposed agenda for infrastructure reteach: solid waste management, water pollution control, and urban mobility.
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From page 10... ...
There is a temptation to dismiss journal tic reports of impending disaster, but the problems of solid waste disposal are truly mountainous. On average, approximately 450,000 tons of
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From page 11... ...
More effective techniques to improve the quality of stack ems-ions by controlling ~rapor~zed metal, dioxin, and suffer dioxide warrant research. Development of fluidized bed combustion with gas turbmes, now being successfully demonstrated with coal, may offer improved efficiency and reliability while reducing air pollution emission.
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From page 12... ...
Near-term policy research ~ recommended to deal with the previously mentioned public attitude of "not in my back yard." Adoption of innovation in solid waste is already complicated by the obstacle course of local, state, and federal government approval, which even for a demonstrably desirable and weDengineered project can prolong the tune needed for preliminary approvab to ten years. The near-term appeal of mcmeration and cogeneration options has been somewhat dim~n~hed by the prolonged controversy over the threat of dioxins in smokestack ems signs and residual ash, a contro~rerey that current public policy and institutional structures have found difficult to resolve.
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From page 13... ...
Further improvements through research win yield a higher ferret of water quality for receiving waters as well as signifi cant economic springs. Regears mprove maintenance and management of ex~st~ng systems will not only help to protect the nation's heavy investments over the past twenty years in enhanced wastewater treatment facilities, but ~ wiD offer the promise of improved operating performance arid efficiency as wed.
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From page 14... ...
The promise of biotechnology clearly must be considered in a variety of am plications: poison-resistant bacteria for centralized wastewater treatment facilities; organizers capable of digesting, trapping, and in effect neutralizing toxic or otherwise hazardous materials; and, ~ general, biological organ capable of more rapidly, reliably, completely, and cost-effectively neutralizing wastewater contamenacts Tom both concentrated arid dispersed sources. Similarly, advancement in mechanical separation techniques, such as various forms of filters and ser~iipermeable membranes now available only
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From page 15... ...
1h high growth suburban areas like Tyson's Corner, near Washington, D.C., the business community as well as residents me concerned that traffic congestion may require dram tic action. They are seeking mnovati~re ways to ease the flow of people and goods (Orski, 1986~.
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From page 16... ...
Through central computer~zed traffic control, arterial streets can be made to operate like 1imited-acce~s roadways for short period to severe demand or to accommodate emergency conditions. These new systems replace older fixed-mgnal synchronization schemes tenth adaptive control based on traffic demand at appropriate detection points or for particular times of day (Goldstein, 1984~.
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From page 17... ...
Other targets for research and development might include fostering improved inspection Procter cures, more permanent pothole patching materials, en~rironmentally safe Id permanent bridge paints or coatings, and lighter, stronger bridge matenals, perhaps utilizing advanced nonmetallic material. The committee believes there are opportunities for enhancing urban mobility through a systems approach combing technic logical, financial, and operational strategies.
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From page 18... ...
A West Germs company reports that it ~ working on such a system. ~ that system, vehicle transponders communicate through relay stations with a central traffic control computer which guides their movement, adjusts the tiring sequences of traffic lights, and diverts traffic from emergency situation.
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From page 19... ...
To illustrate the opportunities for the cro~cutt~ng facet of its proposed agenda, the committee examined several areas applicable to aB infrastructure modes: material science, information Ethnology, nondestructive evaluation, and urban and regional planning. Materiah Science The building blocks of current infrastructure facilities genersBy comet of 8 few mittens concrete, asphalt, wood, and steel.
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From page 20... ...
Techniques to recondition or otherwise strengthen and protect materiab Direly in place offer the means to upgrade structural performance ~d increase facilities' service lifetimes. Polymeric sprays that penetrate and harden in place and cortege and linings applied to pipes and structural components offer promising applications of flew technology.
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From page 21... ...
With the effects of deregulation of the telephone industry still evolving, it ~ even lem of a public works mode today. Neverth~ less, rapid development in technology, competition among metallic wire, fiber optics, and the air Warren as transmission media, and the burgeoning range of services associated with telecommunicate tions (e.g., computerized message services and advertising, cellular telephones, interactive video, public access data bases)
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From page 22... ...
NondestrQctne Erahlation Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) refers to a family of pros ~ ~ ~ ~ · ~ · ~ · _~ ~ __1~ cedures employing probing radiation BUCh ~ x-rays, u~tr~on~cs, and radar for performance monitoring and anprov~ng system reliability.
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From page 23... ...
The demonstration project should be d - - ed to meet the following study objectives: Provide field level information on the capability of alternative commercial and emerging NDE te~iqu" to determine accurately the conation.of fic'diti - ; Develop .procedor" for the comparative ~ah~ation of NDE technique for iev~oatK,~ of "f~tr~ctorc facility; · Compare the accuracy of t}~ altemative commercially available NI) E technique tenth current practice; Compare the results of alternative NDE te - piques on t}~e · same str~cture(~; - Assess the fea8ibilibr of Meg mc~t~g.NDE ted to define facility condition.
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From page 24... ...
Viewed at the regional scale, maintenance and management Of individual public works modes often depend on maintaining a balance with other modes. An example is the Bow of water fro supply systems into wastewater treatment systems and eventually
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From page 25... ...
Research to develop improved regional mon~tor~g of water use could yield benefits ~ wastewater management And reduced costs of water supply and sewer networks. The concept of utilidore, common underground tunnels to serve several utilities, evolved as an enhancement of the present system of separately locating various water, wastewater, sad other utility lines under urban streets.
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From page 26... ...
To illustrate the opportunities contained within such ~ agenda, examples have been given of both mode-specific and crosscutting research projects of the type the committee feed are appropriate elements of such a new agenda. The examples presented here are just that-the committee's suggestion of topics that warrant inclusion ~ projects ~ ~ Afro structure regears agenda.
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