Airport 4.0 – Technology Adoption Framework for Airports (TAFA)

Airports have taken centre stage in the fight against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and adoption of technologies has been instrumental in helping airport operators to mitigate operational and health concerns relating to the pandemic. A novel framework for the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies was developed based on the insights gathered from an industry survey of 102 airport operators and managers around the world and 17 semi-structured interviews. The framework provides a ‘three-proof’ approach (proof of technology, proof of operations and proof of business) to guide airport operators in their decision-making process in adopting Industry 4.0 technologies in airports. This framework is further verified through a case study of the technology implementation efforts of a leading Asian airport.

Standardising Marine Renewable Energy Testing: Gap Analysis and Recommendations for Development of Standards

Marine renewable energy (MRE) is still an emerging technology. As such, there is still a lack of mature standards and guidance for the development and testing of these devices. The sector covers a wide range of disciplines, so there is a need for more comprehensive guidance to cover these. This paper builds on a study undertaken in the MaRINET2 project to summarise recommendations and guidance for testing MRE devices and components, by reviewing the recently published guidance. Perceived gaps in the guidance are then discussed, expanding on the previous study. Results from an industry survey are also used to help quantify and validate these gaps. The main themes identified can be summarised as: the development progression from concept to commercialisation, including more complex environmental conditions in testing, accurately modelling and quantifying the power generated, including grid integration, plus modelling and testing of novel moorings and foundation solutions. A pathway to a standardised approach to MRE testing is presented, building on recommendations learnt from the MaRINET2 round-robin testing, showing how these recommendations are being incorporated into the guidance and ultimately feeding into the development of international standards for the marine renewable energy sector.

Development of Guidelines for Implementation of Horizontal Directional Drilling

While the fundamentals of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) technology are well known, the implementation of HDD involves utilizing a vast range of equipment and installation procedures. This project developed HDD guidance documents to provide the Illinois Department of Transportation with metrics to evaluate a proposed HDD installation. This report compiled information collected during this project, including a literature review, HDD case histories observation, and an industry survey. Four main guidance documents, including the proposed HDD Guidelines, HDD Guidance Specifications, Permit Submittal Checklist, and Inspector Checklist, are the main products developed from the project.

Identification and Evaluation of the Influencing Factors in Target Value Design Process through an Industry Survey

Target value design is a new practice in the construction industry promoting concurrent engineering and collaborative design. This paper shows the results of literature survey to identify the influencing factors in the target value design. The paper also presents the results of a questionnaire survey to explore the industry practitioners' perception of the relative importance of the influencing factors. Project stakeholders participating in the survey consider the integration of different project stakeholders in the design phase as critical. The project definition is also regarded as essential in implementing the target value design. However, the market conditions and project attributes are considered as least significant in the target value design process.