The overarching objective of the project is the development of safe infrastructure of national roads and motorways in Poland. Its achievement will be possible through the development of current guidelines for conducting research and selecting geotechnical solutions in the field of ground improvement technologies concerning road investments. The guidelines will take into account individual stages of task preparation as well as various soil and water conditions. As part of the research work, verification of known and used solutions as well as new technologies will be carried out, with particular emphasis on unusual conditions of road structure foundations in complex geotechnical conditions (i.e. landslides, mining exploitation areas, areas affected by karst phenomena, and areas of organic soils with high compressibility).

Among others, the following works will be carried out within the project:

analysis of design methods and technologies for the execution of ground improvement,
analysis of requirements relating to the necessary scope of subsoil investigation for individual technologies,
research on the quality and durability of technological solutions used in road construction,
determination of requirements concerning subsoil parameters, applied materials, methods of carrying out works, criteria for assessing the quality of executed ground improvements, methods of monitoring, as well as assumed and permissible changes in the applied improvements during operation,
development of an algorithm for selecting ground improvement technology with reference to soil and water conditions, assumed geological and geotechnical hazards and risks, technical solutions, and the design stage,
development of guidelines regarding the principles of selection, design, implementation, testing and monitoring of geotechnical solutions concerning road investments.

The final result will be guidelines that will streamline the activities of the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways in improving the bearing capacity of the subsoil of road investments and will minimize risks related to the use of geotechnical solutions not adapted to soil and water conditions.

The objective of the project was to develop guidelines for the reuse of reclaimed asphalt pavement originating from the demolition of wearing courses made of SMA mixtures for new wearing courses laid using the same technology. The need to implement the project resulted from the lack of this type of technical documents in Poland and from the possibility of using the valuable material which was reclaimed asphalt pavement from SMA layers. This was consistent with the principles of sustainable development and demonstrated great potential for saving enormous financial resources from the budget. The project responded to the important needs of the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways, especially as the period of replacing pavement layers on sections of motorways and expressways was approaching.

In the first part of the project, studies of domestic and international literature were conducted in the field of identification, acquisition, assessment of suitability and processing of reclaimed asphalt pavement from SMA layers, as well as the design and production of SMA mixtures with reclaimed asphalt and the construction of a new wearing course. Analyses of the potential of mixtures used on roads managed by the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways as a source of reclaimed asphalt pavement were also carried out, as well as a review of practices regarding the recycling of SMA layers in Poland. Based on the study part, research problems were specified in more detail, the research programme was verified, and an outline of the guidelines was prepared.

Laboratory tests in the further part of the project were aimed at determining the necessary tests to which SMA reclaimed asphalt pavement should be subjected, and determining the method of its processing, developing guidelines for designing SMA mixtures with reclaimed asphalt, as well as determining the technology of mixture production and the construction of a new wearing course. The culmination of the project is the technical guidelines. A final report has been submitted and is currently under evaluation.

The subject of the project were road bridge structures of prestressed cable-concrete construction as well as cable-stayed bridge structures, including arch structures. The innovativeness of the project results was related to a novel approach to the diagnostics of damage to prestressing and stay cables. Cracks in prestressing and stay cables, caused by accelerated fatigue of steel, are usually the result of their corrosion. The proposed solution was based on the coupling of mechanical testing, NDT methods and computer modelling. Mechanical testing included tests under local diagnostic trial static and dynamic loading. NDT tests included examinations using acoustic emission supported by the Ground Penetrating Radar method and GalvaPulse. In the case of cable-stayed structures, the use of the vibration method to determine the tension forces of the stay cables was envisaged, improved with numerical analyses and calibration of the method through an additional measurement of the tension force under introduced local loading of the structure.

As the first result, diagnostic procedures were developed. Full verification tests were carried out on two structures (a prestressed structure and a cable-stayed structure).

Reference requirements for a monitoring system of the above-mentioned types of road structures were also developed, the serviceability of which, including load-bearing capacity, depends on the proper operation of the prestressing system or the stay-cable system. The requirements were created taking into account the analysis of the necessity of conducting automatic continuous monitoring or periodic monitoring in inspection mode, as well as the installation of a monitoring system on an “old” structure—already in operation—or a new structure—currently under construction.

The third final result of the project is a lexicon containing information on the critical elements of prestressed cable-concrete structures as well as cable-stayed or arch structures.

Railway stations occupy a unique position in the urban landscape: they function not only as complex mobility and transport hubs, but also as public places that can be perceived as integral elements of the city. As such, stations have a decisive influence on their urban surroundings as places of everyday life, affecting all stakeholders, including citizens and the environment. The model developed within the project will be applied in 5 laboratories dealing with the transformation of stations into centres of green and active mobility (FR), energy hubs (IT), towards transit-oriented development (DE), socially inclusive service centres using nature-based solutions (PL), and service centres enabling the 15-minute city and the circular economy (BE). Nature-based solutions (PL) and service centres enabling the 15-minute city and the circular economy (BE). This will be reinforced by 3 case studies from the high-speed railway line from Lisbon to Porto (PT) in order to examine infrastructure resilience both in terms of adapting spaces to new future uses and adapting to issues related to climate change and health crises. The RAIL4CITIES consortium consists of 14 partners from 7 European countries, additionally supported by 9 institutions through letters of support. The RAIL4CITIES consortium and ecosystem integrates relevant stakeholders from universities, industry, government and society, enabling the design, evaluation and publication of an EU-wide model for transforming existing or designing new railway stations into socio-technical systems acting as urban engines greening the surrounding environment and new urban hubs aggregating multiple services for users and citizens.

Project objective
The main objective of the RAIL4CITIES project is to develop a new, operational, easily accessible and widely applicable model of stations as promoters of sustainable cities (SCP model), combined with a common European methodology and tool enabling its effective implementation. The project takes into account interdependent barriers (profit-oriented business model, complex network of agents and stakeholders, policy gaps) and provides decision-makers with tools enabling the transformation of stations into promoters of sustainable cities.

Description of tasks

WP1 – Project coordination
Implementation of ongoing activities related to supervising the participation of the Road and Bridge Research Institute in the RAIL4CITIES project in order to achieve the assumed objectives within the work packages in which the Institute has declared its involvement.

The overall objective of the FutuRe project is to ensure the long-term viability of regional railways by reducing the total cost of ownership while maintaining high service quality and operational reliability. The project also aims to increase customer satisfaction and make rail an attractive and preferred mode of transport. Therefore, the main objectives of FutuRe are: reducing system CAPEX costs, increasing efficiency by reducing OPEX (unit costs per train kilometre), and improving customer satisfaction.

These objectives are to be achieved through a concept tailored to regional railways but transferable across Europe, including digitalisation, automation, and the use of common and new technologies in the fields of signalling and track infrastructure, rolling stock, and customer information.

The main objective of the project is to demonstrate an innovative strategy for assessing the technical condition of existing steel railway bridges and viaducts. The research will be based on data collected from Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems combined with information obtained from computer vision systems installed on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In addition, data analysis will be automated and based on artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. In the next stage, these data will be used to assess the structure for its further operation using the reliability method developed by the team from Poland.

Data obtained from the continuous monitoring system under traffic load (SHM) are usually based on measurements of accelerations, strains and displacements. A dedicated artificial intelligence strategy will be implemented, including a three-stage procedure: feature extraction, normalization and classification. In this respect, the use of information obtained from various types of sensors, as well as the possibility of detecting and locating damage, constitutes the innovation.

In the case of images collected from UAVs, a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) will be developed to detect and characterize typical damage occurring in steel railway bridges and viaducts. The CNN will require the definition of a dedicated classification model enabling the identification of single and multiple irregularities/damages, usually related to corrosion, material loss (loss of cross-section, holes), visible cracks and loose connections.

Additionally, a photogrammetric reconstruction technique based on georeferenced images collected from UAVs will be developed in order to perform geometric measurements of the bridge.

All experimental information will be used to develop, update and validate numerical FEM models of bridges under train loads, enabling the development of a reliable and accurate digital twin (DT). First, information from UAV investigations will be used to reconstruct the geometry of the bridge, including the load-bearing structure, supports and track (rails and sleepers). The results of the automatic identification of irregularities/damages will also be used to introduce necessary corrections to the geometric and mechanical properties of the structural cross-sections. Secondly, information from the SHM system will be used to verify advanced numerical FEM models.

The verified numerical models will be used to perform sensitivity and reliability analyses of the structure, taking into account specific loading scenarios and the rate of damage development. The reliability analysis together with FEM models will be used to estimate the predicted service life of the bridge at different safety levels, taking into account appropriate inspection and repair actions for the structure.

The objective of the project is to develop a technology using optimization of the binder intended for deep cold recycling of pavement structures ensuring their operational durability. Within this technology, a dedicated binder in the form of a hydraulic binder intended for mineral-binder mixtures dedicated to deep cold recycling technology will be developed, in which the composition will include an asphalt binder in the form of asphalt emulsion and foamed asphalt. The innovative binder will ensure the achievement of optimal properties of the recycled road base. Such an approach will reduce the need to incorporate new mineral aggregates in road bases constructed using deep cold recycling technology. The need to use an innovative binder in the composition of the recycled base (hydraulic binder) will be particularly important in situations where the existing base contains aggregate characterized by very low quality (high content of silt-clay fractions, low physical parameters). This technology will fill a “niche” in deep cold recycling technology by introducing an innovative/new binder (hydraulic binder) in the composition of the recycled base. The development of such a binder is intended to ensure the achievement of the required physical, mechanical, anti-cracking properties and resistance to atmospheric factors. It will also contribute to reducing the stiffness of the recycled base, which is constructed using a traditional binder in the form of Portland cement. Identification of the impact of individual components of the mixed binder will allow broader control of the properties of the recycled base.

There are a number of premises supporting the development of the described technology. Preliminary studies conducted at Kielce University of Technology confirm the potential possibility of introducing mixed binders into the composition of recycled bases. However, the studies refer only to bases recycled with foamed asphalt. In order to obtain comprehensive information regarding the recommended proportions of binders in recycled bases (with foamed asphalt as well as asphalt emulsion), it is necessary to conduct extensive research, the results of which will allow the determination of recommended compositions of road binders. The project includes a laboratory research phase, construction of field sections and preparation for implementation.

The project is carried out by a scientific and research consortium. The leader of the project is Kielce University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture. The project partners are:

The objective of the project is to develop a complete technological solution combining an innovative geotechnical tool for strengthening the railway subgrade with panels made of soil-cement or fibre-reinforced soil-cement. The implementation of the project will make it possible to expand the scope of application of soil-cement or fibre-reinforced soil-cement panels in the railway sector – currently the most dynamically developing branch of infrastructure construction. The industrial research programme includes the construction of several models of double walls in the ground, visual assessment of the axial alignment of both walls, as well as strength and durability testing. The next stage will involve development works consisting of the construction of prototype walls at a research facility, where the prototype walls will be subjected to long-term cyclic/dynamic testing. The prototypes of parallel walls will be constructed using the innovative geotechnical tool developed within the project under real ground conditions.

Coating systems intended for long-term protection against corrosion should be characterized by excellent resistance to atmospheric factors. It is important that they provide not only protection against the access of corrosive agents to the steel surface, but also an aesthetic appearance over a long period of use, which can be achieved through the appropriate selection of a topcoat characterized by colour stability, gloss and other surface properties. Requirements concerning the durability of colours of powder coatings have been included in the Qualicoat, Qualisteel, AAMA and GSB standards, but recommendations concerning liquid paints have not yet been developed. The main objective of the project is to verify whether, as a result of ageing tests of coatings under cyclically changing conditions including changes in temperature, humidity and exposure to UV radiation, it is possible to determine with high probability how topcoats should be modified in order to improve their resistance to atmospheric factors, with particular emphasis on optical properties (retention of gloss and colour). The results of colourimetric tests, structure and topography of coatings, as well as the generation of stresses within them under the influence of various variable exposures, can be used to determine how long ageing tests should last and according to which cycle in order to obtain sufficiently large differentiation of results, and thus the information needed to guide the optimisation of formulations, as well as which of the factors (UV, water or fluctuations in temperature and humidity) has the greatest influence on colour change. The results of the project will therefore serve both to verify laboratory testing methods simulating atmospheric conditions and to determine the possibilities of improving selected properties of topcoats in order to achieve the best possible colour stability. The results obtained during the implementation of the project will enable effective selection of pigments and optimisation of topcoats used in coating systems for long-term protection of steel structures.

Zinc-rich primers are among the best paints used in coating systems for long-term protection of steel structures against corrosion. Due to environmental aspects, VOC content and sustainable development, there is an urgent need for new solutions in this type of primers. Such a solution may be water-based zinc-rich primers. The project will focus on the study of coating systems based on water-based zinc-rich primers. It is necessary to verify whether by optimizing the composition – in particular through the selection of appropriate dispersing agents as well as effective barrier inorganic pigments – it is possible to improve the application and performance properties of water-based paints containing zinc. Since zinc pigments are too reactive to be used in water-based paints, it is additionally necessary to develop a functional surface modification of these pigments based on silanes. The developed paints will be evaluated in terms of their protective properties in marine and industrial environments through accelerated and field tests at selected locations, used to determine the correlation of results obtained in laboratory tests and in the natural environment. Since corrosion protection is a fundamental issue in all industrialized countries, this project will strengthen the competitive capacity and positively affect the market strength of the SMEs involved in the project. Overall, it will have a positive impact on the European market of protective coatings.

For the protection of steel structures against corrosion in typical three-coat anticorrosion systems, zinc-rich primers are very often used. In the initial stage of protection, zinc in the coating acts as a sacrificial anode (stage of cathodic protection), and in the later stage of service, zinc corrosion products are formed which seal the coating (stage of barrier protection).
Electrochemical protection using coatings containing zinc relies on electrical conductivity within the coating, therefore mutual contact between zinc particles is necessary, which means a high zinc content in the coating (over 80%). Such a high zinc content often leads to reduced cohesion and/or deterioration of resistance to impact and other mechanical factors.

For this reason – as well as due to the harmful impact of zinc on the environment – it is advisable to develop zinc primers with reduced zinc content that are characterized by comparable or even better protective properties than traditional zinc-rich primers. This can be achieved through modification of the shape and size of zinc particles, the composition of zinc pigments (zinc, zinc alloys, addition of other metals), as well as partial passivation of the surface of zinc particles. All these methods lead to a reduction in the corrosion rate of zinc and thus to an extension of the cathodic protection stage. The objective of the project is to investigate the effectiveness of modified zinc pigments and their application in primers that are more environmentally friendly while maintaining comparable or better protective properties in highly corrosive environments, including the marine environment (C5-M). At the same time, the contribution of cathodic protection to the anticorrosion properties of coatings will be examined, as well as the possibility of applying the developed primers on less well-prepared surfaces.

The objective of the project is to develop environmentally friendly powder coatings with antimicrobial properties dedicated to protecting the surfaces of polymer composite materials. Currently, silver, including in the form of nanoparticles, is most often used to provide antimicrobial protection for powder coatings. Despite their high antimicrobial activity, these solutions exhibit a number of disadvantages: the cost of the noble metal and its limited resources, potential immunotoxicity, and its bioaccumulation. In the project, natural and synthetic substances with antimicrobial properties as well as modified titanium compounds will be used. As coating binders, light-resistant polyester and polyester-acrylic resins cured under low-temperature conditions will be applied so that the composite structure is not damaged during the curing process. The proposed solution will be an ecological and economical alternative to the currently most widely used antimicrobial solvent-based coatings based on nanosilver.

The objective of the project is to expand the possibilities of applying solvent-free UV-curable coating products on metal substrates by improving their adhesion and corrosion resistance. The production technology is more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.

The project is implemented within the programme Social and Economic Development of Poland under Globalising Markets – GOSPOSTRATEG. The substantive leader of the project is the Ministry of Infrastructure, whose main responsibilities within the project (project task) include setting the directions for the implementation of the works by approving the stages and schedule of the tasks carried out.

The objective of the project is to develop the concept and requirements of a high-accuracy and high-stability weigh-in-motion system for vehicles and to pilot the implementation of a research version of the system. This implementation will include three road sites enabling the measurement of axle load on the road and the total vehicle mass without the need to stop the vehicle. Within the project, a proposal for legislative changes enabling the practical application of its results will also be developed.

The substantive tasks planned within the project include:

identification of factors influencing the location of vehicle weighing points and development of a method for selecting road sections for the installation of vehicle weighing points,
development of the concept of the WIM system and metrological control of measuring devices enabling automatic detection of overloaded vehicles,
multi-factor economic efficiency assessment for alternative variants of the WIM system concept,
development of a research road WIM system (reference stations),
development of the system control centre enabling the collection and rapid access to measurement data,
implementation of the research WIM system.

The implementation of the project has been planned for a period of 3 years. It has been divided into two stages comprising a total of 7 tasks.

The recipients of the project results will be government administration bodies together with their subordinate units, to which the outcomes of the project will be transferred. These will include, among others, the development of proposals for legislative changes forming the basis for the implementation of the WIM project in practice.

The main ideas to which the project will contribute include:

protection of the road network against accelerated degradation caused by overloaded vehicles,
improvement of road traffic safety (overloaded vehicles pose a threat due to, among others, longer braking distance compared to non-overloaded vehicles, reduced stability during manoeuvres and the possibility of damage to tyres and suspension components),
support for improving the competitiveness of companies carrying out transport in compliance with applicable legal regulations.

Thanks to better protection of road infrastructure, it will be possible to reduce the funds spent for this purpose by road administrators and the state budget. Improvements in safety and support for competitiveness will also directly benefit drivers and transport companies.

In the anticorrosion coatings industry, there is an urgent need for new solutions due to environmental protection and sustainable development. Zinc pigments are commonly used in anticorrosion primers, acting as sacrificial anodes. The effectiveness of corrosion protection provided by zinc-pigmented coatings depends on the flow of current, therefore a high zinc content is required to ensure contact between metal particles. Due to the environmental impact of zinc, there is a need to develop coatings with reduced zinc content, which is the objective of this project.

In the EcoWaterZinc project, optimized formulations of environmentally friendly water-based zinc-pigmented primers were developed, which will serve as a starting point for this new project. Since zinc pigments are too reactive to be used in water, functional surface modification using silanes must be applied.

This research project focuses on the modification of anticorrosion primers using a smaller amount of surface-treated zinc and environmentally friendly ionic liquids (ILs). It is expected that the anticorrosion properties of coatings with reduced Zn content will be achieved through the use of ILs and other conductive additives, which will improve the electrical conductivity of the coatings. Ionic liquids are compounds that remain in a liquid state below 100°C and are increasingly used as corrosion inhibitors. They adsorb on metal surfaces and block active sites, slowing down the corrosion process.