Modular Roadtrains - Now and ind the future
Student thesis: Master Thesis and HD Thesis
- Jakob Kromann Bjørn
- Jacob Rasmussen
Through the recent decades the subversion of trade barriers between regions and countries, increased economical wealth and
growing global trade have led to a rising demand for the transportation of goods. This development has caused increased competition in the transportation industry. Higher demands for flexibility and low transportation costs in the supply chain mean that providers constantly try to rationalize their transports in order to minimize
costs and to be able to compete.
To accomplish that, the trend in the industry goes toward optimizing transportation capabilities by increasing the amount of cargo
that each loadcarrier can hold.
However political provisions regarding dimensions and weight have been slowing down the progress. But in recent years many European countries, including Denmark, have worked towards meeting requests to allow longer combinations of road trains. In Denmark the result is the passing of a three-year trial arrangement concerning the use of the so-called modular road trains.
At first the decision will affect the freeway network as well as a few roads in connection with major freight junctions. For financial and
safety purposes it has been politically decided to exclude the remaining road system from the trial arrangement – a decision that has caused discontent among parts of the industry without access to the freeway network. It is feared that this kind of limitation to the accessibility of the modular road trains will dictate the various industrial region’s ability to compete freely amongst each other.
Based on the rather large area needs of the modular road trains this project will examine whether there is geometrical instance in allowing them on other and smaller roads than the ones assigned in the trial agreement.
For introduction legislation, the experiential foundation and the driving technicalities related to modular road trains will be presented in an attempt to create a general view of the transport technology.
Subsequently the project will analyze the industrial structure in Denmark, localizing the transport generating industries. By registering
areas with a significant concentration of transport heavy industries, we’ll offer an assessment of the possible needs for modular road trains outside the road systems designated by the trial agreement. Based on these assessments one road stretch will be singled out for further analysis.
For the selected stretch a analysis will be made with the purpose of registering the instances in which the large area needs of the modular road trains will be in conflict with the geometrical elaboration of the road network. The most critical instances will be emphasized and compared, based on technical maps of the space requirements of the modular road trains in order to evaluate the extent of the geometrical problems.
The conclusion of the modular road trains’ thoroughfare of the selected intersections is that these vehicles have a larger area need
than the typical heavy road vehicles, but generally the geometrical problems are manageable. The back wheels of the modular road trains’ rear wagon will cross the edge lines of the traffic markings when turning at traffic intersections. But that can be solved relatively easy by establishing passing areas.
Generally speaking the implementation of modular road trains will mean a final deathblow to the national transportation of goods by railroad as this kind of transportation will have difficulties competing
with the flexibility that the modular road trains offer among other things.
Language | Danish |
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Publication date | 2007 |
Number of pages | 126 |
Publishing institution | Aalborg Universitet |
Keywords | Modular Roadtrains |
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