国际铁路行业标准(IRIS)的现状与前景

国际铁路行业标准(简称IRIS)已成为优化铁路行业及其与其他相关行业增值链的国际性体系标准。介绍了IRIS体系建立的经过、与ISO 9001:2000之间的差别及通过其认证所带来的益处。     

When strike comes to town… anticipated and actual behavioural reactions to a one-day,pre-announced,complete rail strike in the Netherlands

We conducted secondary analysis on data collected among rail users, days before and after a national rail strike in the Netherlands. Our aim was to compare anticipated and actual behavioural reactions to the rail strike, investigate associations with traveller and trip characteristics, and perceived behavioural control and satisfaction with the chosen alternative. Forty-four percent of the people who had anticipated to travel by train on the day of the strike abandoned their trip, 24% switched to car as driver, 14% switched to another mode (as passenger), 18% stayed with the train and rescheduled the planned activity to another day. Almost half of people who had anticipated travelling by car expected to change behaviour as well. Multinomial logistic regression showed low preference for car among rail users. Considerable marginal effects were found for several variables, e.g.: young people and females were less likely to switch to car; short and middle distance trips were less likely abandoned or switched to another day; commute and business trips were more likely done by car, and business trips less likely cancelled. Despite high levels of perceived behavioural control and satisfaction with the chosen alternative, permanent modal shift as result of this strike is not expected.     

Measuring user benefits of changes in the transport system when traveler awareness is limited

This paper derives and illustrates measures for the ex ante evaluation of user benefits associated with improvements in the transport system. In contrast with conventional analyses, we assume that awareness among travelers of changes in the transport system is limited and grows over time. Specifically, we postulate that each day (trip) provides travelers with an opportunity to learn about changes that occurred recently in the transport system. This learning process may involve learning through direct experience and indirect learning through for example social networks or information provision. Our measure of user benefits incorporates the conventional logsum-measure as a special case (when full awareness is assumed) and has a closed form solution under reasonable error term assumptions. A numerical illustration provides a first sign of face validity. We derive and discuss a number of practical implications, and discuss possible model extensions.     

Effect of transportation infrastructure on economic growth in India: The VECM approach

This paper examines the effect of transportation (road and rail) infrastructure on economic growth in India over the period 1970–2010. Using Vector Error Correction Model (VECM), the paper finds bidirectional causality between road transportation and economic growth. It also finds bidirectional causality between road transportation and capital formation, bidirectional causality between gross domestic capital formation and economic growth, unidirectional causality from rail transportation to economic growth and unidirectional causality from rail transportation to gross capital formation. The paper suggests that expansion of transport infrastructure (both road and rail) along with gross capital formation will lead to substantial growth of the Indian economy. Therefore, within its stated scope, this study suggests that a suitable transport policy should be retained to boost transportation infrastructure and hence sustainable economic growth in India.     

The Trial Intensive Management Area for Crocodiles: A Crocodile Removal Zone in Queensland,Australia

The Estuarine Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is the world's largest living crocodile, and in Queensland it inhabits tropical coastal wetlands and waterways. From 1990 to 2001, there have been nine substantiated crocodile attacks on people in Queensland, resulting in one death and eight serious injuries. Several crocodile attacks occurred in the Cairns area during these years, and Cairns's popular swimming beaches have been closed on a number of occasions because of crocodiles. Human safety from crocodile attack is an issue of great public and political concern in Queensland. From May 1998 to June 2001, the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service operated a trial crocodile removal program in the Cairns area, with a removal zone that extended 70 km along the coast. The program was named the Trial Intensive Management Area for Crocodiles (TIMAC), and its primary purpose was to protect the Cairns's popular swimming beaches from crocodiles. The program was expanded to provide a problem crocodile response service throughout north Queensland and to train additional rangers in crocodile management skills. During the three years of the TIMAC program, 80 crocodiles were captured in north Queensland: 46 crocodiles from within the removal zone, and 34 from outside the removal zone. There were no crocodile attacks in the removal zone during the three-year trial program. At the request of local governments, the program became permanent in July 2001. In effect, Cairns is the only tropical city whose popular swimming beaches are protected by a combination of a lifeguard service, a shark control program, netted enclosures (seasonal) for protection from dangerous Box Jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri), and a crocodile removal program.     

SiMoCo: the viability of a prototype platform for a coastal monitoring system: a case study

Coastal zones are among the most productive areas in the world, offering a wide variety of valuable habitats and ecosystems services. Despite the low population density in the Brazilian coastal zone, their distribution is quite concentrated near some coastal cities and state capitals. This concentration places enormous pressure on coastal resources. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to present an overview on the current status of SiMoCo (Sistema de Monitoramento Costeiro, or Coastal Monitoring System in English) project as a possible early warning system that can be integrated to the Brazilian Coastal Management Information System. This prototype platform provides a real-time access to the composition, organization and simulation of planktonic communities. First, our results demonstrate such a system detecting a target dinoflagellate; second, we apply structural and functional indexes to compare and characterize the ecological networks from two different coastal areas. Conclusions are made about SiMoCo’s feasibility and its possible contribution to the decision-making process within integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) strategies.     

Two- and three-dimensional hydroelastic modelling of a bulker in regular waves

The relatively high rates of bulk carrier casualties in recent years, as well as structural features such as large deck openings, make this vessel type a suitable example for investigating the influence of hydroelastic modelling on predicting wave-induced loads and responses. Two- and three-dimensional fluid–flexible structure interaction models, due to their different degree of complexity and associated data requirements, can be used at different stages of the design process when estimating wave-induced loads, namely preliminary and detailed design stages, respectively.

In this paper, therefore, two- and three-dimensional hydroelasticity theories are applied to predict and compare the dynamic behaviour of a bulk carrier hull, based on OBO MV Derbyshire, in waves. Both symmetric and antisymmetric motions and distortions are incorporated in these investigations. The three-dimensional structural model consists entirely of shell finite elements, representing all major external and internal structural components, whilst the two-dimensional model is generated using Timoshenko beam finite element and finite difference discretisations. Issues relevant to the structural modelling stage, for both idealisations, are discussed. The in vacuo dynamic characteristics are compared for all models, with particular emphasis on the influence of hatch openings, shear centre and warping on the antisymmetric dynamics of the structure. For the wet analysis the fluid–flexible structure interaction is carried out using two-dimensional (Timoshenko beam and strip theory) and three-dimensional (beam and shell finite element idealisations combined with potential flow analysis based on pulsating source distribution over the mean wetted surface) analyses. Comparisons are made between steady-state responses predicted by two- and three-dimensional models in bow quartering regular waves.

It is shown that whereas the predicted symmetric dynamic responses obtained from two- and three-dimensional models are in good agreement, differences are observed for the antisymmetric dynamic characteristics. It is thought that this may be due to inadequacies in the beam models employed when simulating the global dynamic behaviour of this highly non-prismatic hull girder whilst allowing for the effects of warping.     

Rising Sea Levels: Helping Decision-Makers Confront the Inevitable

Sea-level rise (SLR) is not just a future trend; it is occurring now in most coastal regions across the globe. It thus impacts not only long-range planning in coastal environments, but also emergency preparedness. Its inevitability and irreversibility on long time scales, in addition to its spatial non-uniformity, uncertain magnitude and timing, and capacity to drive non-stationarity in coastal flooding on planning and engineering timescales, create unique challenges for coastal risk-management decision processes. This review assesses past United States federal efforts to synthesize evolving SLR science in support of coastal risk management. In particular, it outlines the: (1) evolution in global SLR scenarios to those using a risk-based perspective that also considers low-probability but high-consequence outcomes, (2) regionalization of the global scenarios, and (3) use of probabilistic approaches. It also describes efforts to further contextualize regional scenarios by combining local mean sea-level changes with extreme water level projections. Finally, it offers perspectives on key issues relevant to the future uptake, interpretation, and application of sea-level change scenarios in decision-making. These perspectives have utility for efforts to craft standards and guidance for preparedness and resilience measures to reduce the risk of coastal flooding and other impacts related to SLR.     

Optimization of shipyard space allocation and scheduling using a heuristic algorithm

In this article we describe the development of a tool that allows planners to efficiently and effectively plan space within valuable areas of a shipyard. Traditionally, space is considered as resource; however, it is difficult to accurately account for and plan its consumption with the currently available planning software’s. The spatial scheduling tool described in this article can be used by planners to manually or automatically reserve space within the shipyard for construction of large blocks over the entire erection period of the ship. The software is coupled with a heuristic optimization solver inspired by an algorithm used for "3D bin-packing problems." The result is the ability to efficiently generate and compare multiple space allocation alternatives in a reduced time with the ultimate goal of maintaining the critical ship erection schedule. A better solution than manual or semi-automatic allocation of blocks can be obtained through the optimization module.     

The vertical disintegration of ship management: choice criteria for third party selection and evaluation

An assessment of the rationale for the vertical disintegration of ship management suggests that there might be compelling economic benefits for the separation of ownership from management. In this context, as a means for developing effective marketing strategies, it is important for ship managers to know the criteria used by current and prospective clients for ship manager selection and evaluation. The aim of this paper is to empirically identify the dimensions for ship manager selection and performance evaluation and their relative importance and to discuss the implications for marketing emanating from such an assessment. The methodology adopted includes the collection of secondary and primary data, both from ship managers and their clients, using interviews and a mail survey. The results indicate the prevailing importance of certain dimensions in selection (e.g. technical ability, reputation, competency) and evaluation (responsiveness, trustworthiness, technical ability), whereas it also found that price alone is not perceived to be as important in ship manager selection. It is concluded that placing emphasis on such dimensions in the formulation of a marketing strategy will contribute towards the attraction and retention of clients, whereas cost-cutting measures to allow price reduction, as well as advertising, will be ineffective over the long term.