Research

Road design and Traffic engineering

Road Safety Auditor training courses

RSA basic trainings (10+1 days) 4 times with 19-20 participants

RSA refreshing trainings (2+1 days) 3 times with 16-19 participants

Preparing road safety audits for local governments

Veszprém (1 complicated intersection),

Békéscsaba (2 contracts, 4 projects),

Zalaegerszeg (reorganizing a major street)

Nagycenk - Pereszteg (Cycle facilities)

Zirc (5 projects, including cycle path, bus stops, pedestrian crossings),

Győr (8 projects, including new and reconstructed streets, cycle facilities, a turbo roundabout, other intersections)

Mosonmagyaróvár (Cycle facilities, pedestrian crossings)

Öttevény (Cycle facilities)

Ács (Cycle facilities)

Győrújbarát(Cycle facilities)

Jánossomorja (Cycle facilities)

Tata (access to a new hypermarket)

Sopron (street reconstructions in the city center, Cycle facilities)

Preparing road safety impact assessments

Fertőd (a new road)

Szombathely – Kőszeg (a new bypass road in several versions)

Győr (a new bypass road in several versions)

Kecskemét (upgrading an existing road in several versions)

Urban networks, including cycle networks

Sopron (impacts of a new hypermarket),

Jánossomorja (cycle network),

Pér (cycle network),

Ács (cycle network),

Szeged (impacts of a new hypermarket),

Szombathely (opening a new bridge, reorganizing parts of the network)

Győr (parking studies),

Kisvárda (improving connections with neighboring villages),

Kőszeg (intermodal junction)

Vehicle automation and safe road infrastructure

The development of automated vehicles showed a rapid pace in the recent past, however less attention has been paid to the implications of vehicle automation on safe infrastructure design. This paper gives an introduction to a project addressing this gap. The project entitled "Physical and digital road infrastructure for Automated Vehicles" started recently and will last for five years (June 2019 – May 2024). Five initial workpackages have been formed. As a result of several brainstorming sessions these broad areas have been broken down into specific research tasks. A selection of the research proposals in this project are already in an initial phase or will be launched in the near future. Several MSc and PhD research topics were defined for present and future students.

1. Road design

1.1 Review of design parameters

1.2 Intersections

1.3 Cross section

1.4 Road section

1.5 Self-explaining roads

2. Detection, perception

2.1 Road work zones

2.2 Traffic calming devices

2.3 Road edges

2.4 Road markings

2.5 Traffic signs

3. Pavement design

3.1 Effect of 2D and 3D sensors

3.2 Effect of wheel spray depending on pavement type

3.3 Effect of lane keeping accuracy

3.4 Speed and headway advice depending on load frequency

3.5 Reflectivity of Lidars on different materials

4. Vulnerable road users

4.1 AV and pedestrian communication

4.2. AV and bicycle communication

4.3. Behavioral adaptation of pedestrians

5. Miscellaneous

5.1. Dynamic road data and RSUs

5.2. Traffic conflict analysis using AV data

5.3. Standardized road and traffic base map

5.4. Defining traffic situations to be investigated

Railway track related activities

Investigation of polymer-composite fishplates of glued-insulated rail joints in laboratory and in tracks considering dynamic effects
Tasks, performed:  Determination of applicability of special glass-fibre reinforced fishplates in glued-insulated rail joints using in CWR tracks based on laboratory and field tests
Partners: MÁV Inc., MÁV-THERMIT Ltd.

Multi-level shear box tests of granular layers reinforced by geogrids
Tasks, performed:  Execution of laboratory multi-level shear box tests with different types of geogrids and granular layers
Partners: Bonar B.V.

Multi-level shear box tests of granular layers reinforced by Enkagrid MAX 30 LA type geogrid
Tasks, performed:  Execution of laboratory multi-level shear box tests with different types of geogrids and granular layers
Partners: Bonar B.V., Low&Bonar Hungary Kft.

Measurement of capillary interruption change in a single type of soil material without geosynthetic as well with more different geosynthetics
Tasks, performed: Execution of laboratory tests with different types of geosynthetics – as well as without it – to be able to determine capillary interruption change in a single type of soil material
Partners: Low&Bonar B.V.

Water resources engineering

In the water resource program, we are focused on three major areas for research: (1) water management and surface water hydrology, (2) unsaturated flow modelling with applications in transportation, geotechnical and ecological areas, and (3) karst flow modelling.

1. In the water management and surface water hydrology area, we are modeling un-gaged watersheds in Western-Hungary. Our efforts are directed at:

• Determining similarity parameters (hydrological, watershed, and meteorological) for measured watersheds, using the available database in western Hungary. Using yearly, monthly flows, and flow duration curves to determine index parameters.
• Applying different geostatistical methods (kriging, and topkriging) to estimate yearly and monthly flow in western Hungary.
• Modelling continuous rainfall-runoff processes by using daily measured data. Performing model selection, and sensitivity analyses with available software.
• Evaluating models through error analysis methods. Searching for relationships between error analyses methods, meteorological, and watershed characteristic changes.
• Using calibrated models to assess the impact of climate change in selected regions. Investigating the effect of climate change on the flow factor, minimum and maximum yields and annual distribution of water.
• Developing a decision-support system for water management problems in western Hungary.

2. Applying measurement methods to develop soil water characteristic curves and evaluating measured data. Assessing the impact of unsaturated water movement on various structures in civil projects (railways, dams) and on the stability of natural loess bluffs.

3. Describing karst spring flow using statistical methods. Determining the impact of climate change on spring flow. Correlating cave dripping to meteorological factors.