Thesis advisor: Richard, S.J. McGowan / The New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority (NJTTFA or TTFA) is an independent agency of the New Jersey state government that is responsible for administering the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF of “the Fund”), which is used to fund transportation capital project expenditures by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) and the NJ TRANSIT commuter-rail and bus system. The TTF is essential for maintaining, improving, and repairing New Jersey’s infrastructure system. However, since the TTFA was created in 1984, it has been inadequately financed by the state government and has irresponsibly issued enormous amounts of debt. Because of this, it has now it has run into major financing problems. Currently, the TTF’s revenues are insufficient to cover its increasing debt obligations. Because of this, the TTF is expected to be bankrupt by July of this year (2011). If this happens, New Jersey will be left without any financing for its already-troubled infrastructure system.This has become a major cause of concern for the State of New Jersey. For years, politicians and residents across the state have been unable to come to an agreement on how to best solve this growing problem. Because of this, financing strategies in the past have amounted to little more than temporary “Band-Aid” solutions focused principally on the issuance of massive amounts of debt. Now, the outstanding debt of the TTF has built up to the point that, in just a few short months, revenues will be insufficient to cover existing debt obligations. The New Jersey state government needs to take drastic action and adopt a long-term financing strategy that will allow the TTFA to meet its debt obligations and pay down outstanding debt, while still being able to fund essential transportation and infrastructure projects across the state.This paper will examine the causes and effects of the current funding deficit, as well various proposed solutions and strategies. After an in-depth examination of these topics, I will devise a recommended solution for solving the current deficit crisis faced by the TTF and for providing long-term financing for transportation requirements. The results will show that the most logical and effective long-term financing strategy will hinge upon an increase in state gasoline taxes, which are currently among the lowest in the nation. However, solving the problem will also require new sources of revenue and stringent financial management. / Thesis (BS) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. Carroll School of Management. / Discipline: Carroll School of Management Honors Program.

Esta dissertação procura, a partir do estudo da plataforma rodoviária de Brasília projetada pelo arquiteto e urbanista Lucio Costa, discutir questões acerca das relações entre infraestrutura, arquitetura, e a cidade. A plataforma rodoviária é um exemplo privilegiado de edificação em que se confundem o edifício arquitetônico e o sistema infraestrutural, e em que é possível avaliar o papel do desenho na produção de urbanidade, entendida como gradação da intensidade de interações entre pessoas e coisas em um determinado ambiente. A análise empreendida parte de uma abordagem ancorada na prática arquitetônica, afastando-se de leituras sociológicas, psicológicas ou puramente formais. São os aspectos materiais, descritos em detalhe, que permitem identificar a \"intenção\" da construção como simultaneamente articuladora das areas centrais do Plano Piloto e como estação rodoviária da capital do país. A partir de material iconográfico, são examinados o projeto original, as diferenças em relação ao projeto construído e desempenho do edifício hoje. Esta análise permite evidenciar problemas na construção, apontar para reformulações futuras, bem como reconhecer a generosidade do projeto em seu potencial de produção de urbanidade. / From the study of the central platform of Brasília, bus station and center of the city life at once, this dissertation seeks to discuss issues concerning the relationships between infrastructure, architecture and the city. Designed by the architect and urban planner Lucio Costa, author of Brasilia\'s urban plan, the platform is an example of building that blurs architecture and infrastructural system, and allows to investigate the role of design in the production of urbanity, understood as gradation of intensity of interactions between people and things in a certain environment. The analysis approach undertaken is rooted in architectural practice, away from sociological, psychological or purely formal readings of the urban facts. Materiality is described, identifying the \"intentions\" of a building that simultaneously articulates the central areas of Brasilia and acts as a metropolitan bus station for the capital of the country. Based on an iconographic research, the original design is examined, the differences regarding the design and as built and the performance of the building today. This analysis allows us to highlight problems in construction, point to future reformulations and acknowledge the generosity of the project in the production of potential of urbanity.

Ao longo de sua vida útil, com o acúmulo de tráfego e de solicitações ambientais, infraestruturas de transportes degradam-se em termos de desgaste dos seus componentes e deformações permanentes de suas camadas, acarretando na perda gradual da qualidade estrutural e funcional da via. A camada de sublastro, parte integrante da subestrutura ferroviária, possui contribuição significativa no comportamento mecânico global de uma via permanente. Suas principais funções estão relacionadas à drenagem, atenuação e distribuição de tensões, e separação e transição entre as camadas de lastro e subleito. O objetivo principal deste estudo foi comparar duas diferentes configurações de sublastro implementadas em uma ferrovia de carga brasileira através da medição de respostas mecânicas e parâmetros geométricos \"in situ\". O emprego de sublastro betuminoso constituiu-se como a primeira aplicação de campo deste tipo no País e ambas as seções foram monitoradas também por intermédio de sensores de temperatura e de tensão. Procedeu-se a caracterização física e mecânica dos materiais que compõem os trechos analisados em laboratório. Ademais, tensões de sucção foram medidas em diferentes locais e profundidades da camada de subleito, a fim de verificar a eficácia da camada betuminosa em impermeabilizar as camadas subjacentes. Os resultados mostraram uma eficiência global superior do trecho contendo sublastro betuminoso comparativamente à seção de referência (sublastro granular). Variações das tensões de sucção ao longo de duas estações climáticas mostraram que a mistura asfáltica protegeu satisfatoriamente o subleito quanto à infiltração de água oriunda das precipitações. Medidas de temperatura tomadas em diferentes pontos das camadas de sublastro mostraram que a mistura asfáltica se encontra protegida das variações térmicas e da incidência de radiação solar, uma vez que está isolada pela camada de lastro. Em termos de deslocamentos medidos com o equipamento DMD (Dispositivo para Medição de Deslocamentos), mostrou-se uma redução crescente no deslocamento vertical médio da seção com sublastro betuminoso em comparação com a seção com sublastro granular. Por consequência, o módulo de via, u, calculado para ambas as seções, revelou que o perfil contendo mistura asfáltica tende a defletir menos quando solicitado pela passagem de trens. Medidas de parâmetros geométricos utilizando o equipamento Trolley AMBER apontaram uma relação bidirecional entre o comportamento mecânico e a qualidade da geometria da via, observada antes e após intervenção mecanizada de socaria. / In the course of its service life, with traffic loading accumulation in addition to environmental effects, transportation infrastructures tend to degrade in terms of wear of their components and permanent deformation of their layers, resulting in the gradual loss of structural and functional quality of the railway. The subballast plays an important role as part of the railway substructure and it has a significant contribution to the overall mechanical behavior of the track. Its main functions are related to drainage, to load attenuation and distribution, and to the separation and transition between the ballast and the subgrade. The main objective of this study was to compare two different subballast configurations implemented in a freight railway profile in Brazil through measurements of mechanical and geometric parameters in field. The use of bituminous subballast was the first application of this type in the country and both sections were also monitored by means of temperature and pressure sensors. Laboratory tests for physical and mechanical characterization for all materials composing both experimental sections were performed. In addition, the water pressure in terms of suction were measured at different places and depths of the subgrade, in order to verify the effectiveness of the bituminous subballast in waterproofing the underlying layers. The results showed a superior overall efficiency of the section containing bituminous subballast compared to the reference section (granular subballast). The suction tension variation measured along two climatic seasons showed that the asphalt mixture satisfactorily protects the subgrade from the infiltration of water due precipitations. Temperature measurements taken at different points of the subballast layers showed that the asphalt mixture is protected from thermal and solar radiation peaks, since it is isolated by the ballast layer from atmospheric environmental effects. In terms of displacements acquired using the DMD (Displacement Measurement Device) it was observed an increasing reduction in the mean vertical displacement of the section with bituminous subballast compared to the section with granular subballast. Consequently, the track modulus, u, calculated for both sections revealed that the profile containing asphalt mixture tends to deflect less when requested by the train passage. Measurements of geometric parameters made with the Trolley AMBER device highlighted the bidirectional relationship between the mechanical behavior and the quality of the track geometry, observed before and after tamping procedure.

Methane (CH4) is the primary constituent of natural gas and a significant contributor to global climate change, accounting for 11% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. With the advent of hydraulic fracturing technology, production of natural gas from shale gas reserves has increased by 35% from 2005 to 2013. Fugitive CH4 emissions attributed to venting or leakage across the life cycle of natural gas systems have also increased, making the climate benefits ascribed to natural gas questionable when compared to oil and coal. This dissertation reports the results of three studies that improve our knowledge of the environmental and political ramifications of continued investment in and consumption of natural gas fuels. Using bottom-up flux chamber techniques we made direct measurements of CH4 emissions from 100 natural gas leaks in cast iron distribution mains within Metro Boston, MA in order to assess the nature of the distribution of gas leak size and constrain estimates of fugitive CH4 emissions across leak-prone urban distribution infrastructure. We find that the distribution of leak size is skewed, a small fraction of ‘superemitter’ leaks contribute disproportionate CH4 emissions, and CH4 flux at leak sites is not an indicator of safety. Next, we use the lens of urban natural gas infrastructure systems and apply an ecological analytical framework to identify dysfunctions in and opportunities for coordinated urban infrastructure management in Boston, MA. We find that there are real physical and fiscal constraints to retrofitting and expanding aging, urban infrastructure in U.S. cities. Achieving sustainable, resilient urban infrastructure requires active participation by all stakeholders as well as coordination within and between stakeholder groups. Finally, we introduce the term ‘unleakable carbon’ to refer to the uncombusted carbon-based gases associated with fossil fuel systems and demonstrate that in particular the unleakable carbon associated with natural gas constitutes a potentially large and heretofore unrecognized factor in estimating usable portions of Earth’s fossil fuel reserves. We demonstrate that unless unleakable carbon is curtailed, roughly 80 – 100% of our global natural gas reserves must remain underground if we hope to limit warming to 2 °C from 2010 to 2050.

Offsite construction solutions have gained significant prominence over recent years. Much of the interest however, has been focussed on the building sector, in particular housing. The Civil Engineering and Infrastructure sector (CE&I) has comparatively seen little growth in this aspect. Specific exemplars for some high-profile projects, such as the Heathrow Airport control tower, do exist, but there have been far less applications of the new and emerging technologies and approaches that have been influential in the building sector recently. In addition, Offsite itself is not a well-defined supply sector, but rather a conglomeration of various, largely material or technology-based supply networks. This makes it difficult to realise new opportunities, especially in different sectors of the construction industry. This thesis is the culmination of a four-year Engineering Doctorate (EngD) research programme investigating the components that affect the realisation of offsite in the CE&I sector. It commences with an introduction to the research and its aims and objectives, and moves on to present the methodological considerations. During the four Work Packages (WP) conducted, a total of 78 individuals participated and contributed to workshop and interviews, together with an extensive critical review of literature. All primary and secondary data was examined with appropriate methods, such as a comparative case study and an emergent thematic analysis, upon which a series of conclusions and subsequently recommendations were drawn. The findings clearly identify that CE&I is more risk averse, and defines offsite differently, to the building sector. Each CE&I sub-sector has specific drivers and barriers to offsite, and due to the relative longevity of CE&I projects (both procurement, design, and construction) makes it difficult to benchmark and quantify offsite and its benefits. Large programmes of works rather than small projects are key to realising offsite as they provide confidence to the supply chain of long term investment. In addition, clients are pivotal for driving offsite as they can influence the industry s focus; nevertheless, investment cycles in infrastructure clients hinders offsite realisation. For holistic offsite implementation organisation need to have a top-down strategy. Therefore offsite requirements should be embedded within the project delivery governance processes. Its realisation is linked directly to recruitment, training and research and development plans. Building information modelling (BIM) now plays a key part in offsite realisation in CE&I as from 2016 it will be compulsory for all centrally-funded government works. BIM however, does not directly increase the offsite implementation, but it can help enable offsite due to the ability to define the design earlier in the project lifecycle. In addition, BIM encourages the use of software that can help identify the repetition of components, therefore increasing the potential for economies to scale. Finally, with the use of such software, delivery teams can simulate the construction sequence and therefore further help to enable offsite by reducing logistical challenges.

Esta pesquisa integra os estudos desenvolvidos pelo Grupo Metrópole Fluvial da FAUUSP, sobretudo o projeto do Hidroanel Metropolitano de São Paulo, iniciado em 2011. Seu objetivo é propor uma alternativa de reestruturação da metrópole de São Paulo a partir dos rios e canais que a irrigam. São apresentadas duas metrópoles que foram fundadas às margens fluviais: São Paulo e Paris. Para São Paulo, propõe-se um ensaio de projeto de arquitetura das orlas do canal Pinheiros inferior, córrego Jaguaré e córrego Água Podre. O intuito é explorar soluções através de desenhos e definir conceitos que poderiam orientar a retomada dos rios e canais como eixos fundamentais na formação urbana a partir da consideração de suas funções: abastecimento, drenagem, lazer, navegação e energia. Considera-se que somente quando os múltiplos usos da água forem plenamente desenvolvidos, de acordo com as condições e demandas de cada lugar, o espaço urbano poderá ter qualidade ambiental e social. Salienta-se que o uso do espaço fluvial para lazer não é somente aquele restrito aos limites dos leitos, mas também o que se desenvolve nas suas orlas. Articulada à infraestrutura verde, a infraestrutura azul pode ser a base da consolidação de um sistema de parques fluviais que permeiam toda a área urbanizada, de maneira abrangente e capilar, nas diversas escalas, do bairro, da cidade e da metrópole. Acompanhando os desenhos das águas, formados por lagos e canais, os parques nas orlas e a arborização das margens criam caminhos de micro-clima ameno e úmido, propício para o desenvolvimento da fauna e flora urbanas e para o lazer dos moradores. Esses espaços são necessários para prover o bem estar da população. A função de lazer deve sempre ser uma meta, pois é a função que garante a visibilidade dos rios e a demanda de sua manutenção, além da possibilidade de conexão fundamental entre o homem e a natureza do lugar em que ele habita. Paris é apresentada aqui como referência de projeto de arquitetura de infraestruturas urbanas fluviais. Como São Paulo, seus rios já foram imundos e davam vazão a esgoto, inundações eram frequentes e devastadoras, como a mais conhecida de 1810, e a falta d\'água, por outro lado, era um problema constante. Essas questões foram equacionadas e Paris vem desenvolvendo e implementando projetos para que seu rio Sena e os canais Saint Martin e Saint Denis tenham suas orlas projetadas para o passeio de pedestres e ciclistas. A Bacia de la Villette é aqui registrada como exemplo para se analisar as possibilidades paisagísticas e de lazer de uma bacia, (uma dársena ou um lago), ou um canal construídos no meio urbano. Esse lugar é um dos centros atrativos da cidade, de uso diurno e noturno constantes, em todos os dias da semana e por todo tipo de gente. Assistimos desde o século passado a morte dos nossos rios, que permeiam com abundância a região metropolitana. A melhoria das cidades que compõem essa metrópole deve passar por essa constatação e apresentar soluções para recuperar o potencial das águas. Essa pesquisa se propõe a fornecer dados, alternativas e temas para se repensar e discutir o papel que os rios podem ter. / This research is part of the studies developed by Grupo Metrópole Fluvial from FAUUSP, specially the Sao Paulo Water ring project, which has begun in 2011. It proposes an alternative of restructuring São Paulo metropolis, considering its rivers and canals. Two metropolis are presented, São Paulo and Paris, both were founded along its rivers. It was developped an preliminary study of a fluvial architecture project to São Paulo, to the rive sides of Pinheiros inferior canal, stream Jaguaré and stream Água Podre. The aim is to explore solutions presented by drawings and define concepts that could guide the recovery of rivers and canals as fundamental axes in the urban formation, considering their functions: water supply, drainage, recreation, navigation and energy. Only when the multiple uses of water are entirely activated, according to the needs and conditions of each place, the urban space will be able to have environmental and social quality. It is important to highlight that the use of leisure in the fluvial space is not only limited to the river bed, but it can also happen in its sides. Articulated to the green infrastructure, the blue one could be the base for the insertion of a system of fluvial parks in the whole urbanized area, in a broad and capillary way, in its different scales: neighborhood, city and metropolis. Based on the design of the waters, formed by canals and lakes, the parks on the river side and the plantation of trees on those spaces can create a micro-climate, pleasant and wet, ideal for the urban fauna and flora developments and for the leisure of the inhabitants. Those spaces are necessary to provide the well being of people. The leisure function of the water should always be one of the goals of a hydraulic project. This leisure function is the one that guarantees the visibility of the rivers and the demand of maintenance, and also the fundamental connection between man and nature. Paris is presented here as a reference of fluvial urban infrastructures architectural projects. As São Paulo, its rivers were also polluted e carried sewage, floods were frequents and devastating, as the remarking one of 1810. The lack of water, on the other hand, was a constant problem. Those questions were mostly resolved. The city has been developing and implementing projects for its river Senna and canals, Saint Martin and Saint Denis, in order to turn its river sides into promenades for walkers and cyclers. The Bassin of la Villette is registered here as an example to be analyzed in terms of landscape possibilities and leisure by the side of the urban canal, lake or river. This place is one of the attraction centers of the city, by day and night time, every day of the week, frequented by every kind of people. We have been watching from the past century until now the death of our innumerous rivers. The improvement of the cities that are part of this metropolis should have this consciousness and present solutions to regain the potential of the waters. This research proposes to provide data\'s, alternatives and themes to discuss and rethink the role that rivers should have.

Since the 1980’s the concept of security has broadened from traditional military security to new additional arenas, with each contributing to national security. The post-Cold War era and the current interconnectedness combined with the expanded concept has resulted in new perceptions of security and situations for states. The research questions of the thesis, How does the port of Gävle relate to the selected tendencies of national security? and Could the selling of the port be considered a matter of national security? aims to exemplify these problematics and examines the chosen case by utilizing the key aspects of economic security. What can be concluded is that the selling of the port could be considered a case of national security. This is based upon the selected characteristics of economic security, which to different degrees was exhibited in the case. As several aspects of the port is recognized as significant in terms of economy, strategy and infrastructure would an incident or intentional act against the port have large consequences for the region and in extensions the nation.

A partir do novo século, dinâmicas de dispersão urbana diferenciadas, relacionadas com os avanços da econômica capitalista, alteram os padrões de ocupação do tecido urbano ao longo do vetor noroeste paulista, eixo São Paulo-Campinas. Esse histórico e produtivo corredor, cuja evolução se estrutura em redes de infraestruturas e sobrepõe temporalidades históricas fragmentadas, transformou-se no mais importante vetor econômico do país. Tempos de globalização e reestruturação produtiva avançada configuram novos territórios metropolitanos, que na sua dispersão se integram, redefinindo conceitos e limites instituídos. Com olhar empírico para municípios com formação recente e predomínio de ocupações ligadas à economia moderna, evidenciou-se o impacto destas no tecido urbano deste eixo regional. Formas mais avançadas de urbanização em processo de constituição, extensas, fragmentadas, superpostas, contínuas, dispersas e porosas, apresentam contornos mais nítidos, mas são complexas do ponto de vista dos seus fluxos espaciais. Devido à ausência de planos e políticas públicas mais abrangentes capazes de atuar em novas dimensões, compreendendo a totalidade das relações que este território metropolitano estabelece, elabora-se uma matriz que sistematiza hierarquias e conhecimento, para uma atuação territorial integradora e em múltipla escala. / From the new century, new dynamics of urban sprawl, related to the progress of the capitalist economy, are changing the land use patterns along the northwest vector of São Paulo state capital, São Paulo -Campinas axis. This historical and productive axis, whose evolution is structured in infrastructure networks and overlaps fragmented historical temporalities, has become the most important economic vector of the country. Times of globalization and advanced productive restructuring have shaped new metropolitan territories which, in their sprawl are integrated, redefining concepts and set limits. With focus on small cities, due to their recent formation, the research observed the impact of the greater intensity of tertiary sector occupations linked to the advanced economies in this regional productive axis. More advanced forms of urbanization in the process of constitution, extensive, fragmented, overlapping, continuous, sprawl or diffuse, have more visible boundaries, but are complex from the point of view of their spatial relationships. Based on this and due to the lack of metropolitan and regional public policies that may have a comprehensive and integrated impact on this scattered metropolitan territory, a matrix is elaborated that systematizes hierarchies and knowledge, for an integrative and multiple scale territorial action.

Ho Wing-Kee. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 60-66). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgement --- p.iii / Table of Content --- p.v / List of Table --- p.vi / List of Appendices --- p.vii / Chapter Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter 2. --- Literature Review --- p.5 / Chapter Chapter 3. --- Theoretical Framework --- p.8 / Chapter 3.1 --- Regime 1 ( Social Planner Model) --- p.10 / Chapter 3.2 --- Regime 2 ( Provision of Indivisible Public Capital by the Government Model ) --- p.14 / Chapter 3.3 --- Regime 3 ( Provision of Indivisible Public Capital by the Public Monopoly Model) --- p.19 / Chapter Chapter 4. --- Quantitative Comparison --- p.27 / Chapter 4.1 --- Calibration --- p.27 / Chapter 4.2 --- Numerical Results --- p.29 / Chapter Chapter 5. --- Conclusion --- p.31 / Appendices --- p.42 / References --- p.60

This study attempts to develop realistic and relevant investment planning models for inland container transportation systems. An inland container transport system model has been constructed consisting of three sub-models: forecasting future total export container demand, the inland container traffic allocation model and the optimum port capacity model. The models may be utilised to identify the most effective investment plan for inland transportation infrastructure development and to evaluate the inland container transportation system. The procedure enables determination of the optimal locations, sizes and time of container port developments as well as the optimal container cargo flows through transportation networks. A Heuristic algorithm was developed for the purpose of evaluating alternative investment plans. Dynamic and Linear programming methods are applied to each of the two planning problems: the former for the optimum container port capacity development problem and the latter for the optimal allocation of inland container traffic movements. Finally, the model has been applied to concrete inland container transportation system problems in Korea. The results are reported and analysed. It is hoped that they may provide a guideline for actual development.