Transport Infrastructure (2500029) – Course 2025/26 PDF
Syllabus
Learning Objectives
Students will acquire an understanding of highway construction, preservation, design and planning, as well as the various basic roadway elements. Introduction to railway construction and preservation. 1 Ability to design a road according to traffic and other conditions. 2 Ability to design the horizontal layout and vertical profile of a transport infrastructure. Knowledge of road layout, both in plan and elevation, and the coordination between both. Design of road cross sections. Knowledege about traffic. Vehicle movements. Traffic flow and capacity. Earthworks including surface and subsurface drainage. Design and dimensioning of pavements. Knowledge of the characteristics of a railway infrastructure. Stiffness and deformability of the track. Knowledge of the fundamental characteristics of railway vehicles. Layout of railway. Mixed traffic and tilting vehicles. Stress on roadways. Knowledge of mechanical behavior of a roadway under vertical stresses. Incorporation of transverse stresses. Knowledge of design of the infrastructure and superstructure of the road. High speed railways. Ability to analyze the demand for roads and railways, transport operations and services with the help of ICT, its financing and pricing of tolls.
Competencies
Especific
Capacity for the construction and conservation of roads, as well as for the dimensioning, the project and the elements that make up the basic road equipment. (Specific technology module: Civil Construction)
Capacity for the construction and conservation of railway lines with knowledge to apply specific technical regulations and differentiating the characteristics of the mobile material. (Specific technology module: Civil Construction)
Capacity for the construction and conservation of roads, as well as for the dimensioning, the project and the elements that make up the basic road equipment. (Specific technology module: Urban Transport and Services)
Capacity for the construction and conservation of railway lines with knowledge to apply specific technical regulations and differentiating the characteristics of the mobile material. (Specific technology module: Urban Transport and Services)
Knowledge of the design and operation of infrastructures for modal exchange, such as ports, airports, railway stations and transport logistics centers. (Specific technology module: Urban Transport and Services)
Generic
Scientific-technical training for the exercise of the profession of Technical Engineer of Public Works and knowledge of the functions of advice, analysis, design, calculation, project, construction, maintenance, conservation and exploitation.
Ability to project, inspect and direct works, in their field.
Ability to carry out territorial planning studies and environmental aspects related to infrastructure, in its field.
Capacity for maintenance, conservation and exploitation of infrastructure, in its field.
Identify, formulate and solve engineering problems. Pose and solve construction engineering problems with initiative, decision-making skills and creativity. Develop a systematic and creative method of analysis and problem solving. (Additional school competition).
Conceive, project, manage and maintain systems in the field of construction engineering. Cover the entire life cycle of an infrastructure or system or service in the field of construction engineering. (Additional school competition).
Total hours of student work
| Hours | Percentage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supervised Learning | Large group | 30h | 50.00 % | |
| Medium group | 30h | 50.00 % | ||
| Self Study | 90h | |||
Teaching Methodology
The course consists of 4 hours per week of classroom activity. The 2.5 hours are devoted to theoretical lectures, in which the teacher presents the basic concepts and topics of the subject, and the 1.5 hours are devoted to show examples and solves exercises (average). Support material in the form of a detailed teaching plan is provided using the virtual campus ATENEA: content, program of assessment activities and conducted learning, literature. Although most of the sessions will be given in the language indicated, sessions supported by other occasional guest experts may be held in other languages.
Grading Rules
The evaluation calendar and grading rules will be approved before the start of the course.
For assessment purposes, the course consists of two parts: Roads (C) and Railways (FC). Each part will be assessed through partial exams and assessable activities could be carried out. The mark for the course will be the weighted arithmetic mean of the mark for each of these two parts: Subject grade = 2/3 C grade + 1/3 FC grade. In order to pass, the grade for the subject must be equal to or higher than 5.0. The grade for each part will be obtained as described below: In the case of Roads (C) there will be two midterm exams. The grade of C will be obtained by averaging both grades (50% each). In the case of Railways (FC), one or two partial exams will also be carried out (depending on the distribution of classes during the course) and there could be evaluable activities. The FC grade will be obtained by weighting the grades from the exam or exams and, if any, from the evaluable activities in the percentages indicated by the professor in charge of teaching these classes. In addition, once the course has been completed, a re-evaluation exam will be held for those students who, having obtained a numerical mark for the subject, do not obtain a mark of 5.0 or higher. Once the re-evaluation exam has been carried out, the mark for the part will be considered to be the higher of the two obtained, per course and in the re-evaluation. Grading criteria and admission to the re-evaluation: students failed in the ordinary assessment who have regularly sat the assessment tests for the failed subject will have the option to take a re-evaluation test in the period set in the academic calendar. Students who have already passed the re-evaluation test of a subject and students who have been marked as failed may not take the re-evaluation test of a subject. The maximum grade in the case of taking the re-evaluation exam shall be five (5.0) and shall be the grade obtained only in the re-evaluation exam. The non-attendance of a student summoned to the re-evaluation test, held in the fixed period, may not give rise to the taking of another test at a later date. Extraordinary evaluations will be carried out for those students who, due to accredited force majeure, have not been able to take any of the continuous assessment tests. These tests must be authorised by the corresponding Head of Studies, at the request of the lecturer responsible for the subject, and will be held within the corresponding teaching period.
Office Hours
Office hours will be announced at the beginning of each semester and published in the ATENEA. Consultations can be in person or online.
Bibliography
Basic
- Kraemer, C. [et al.]. Ingeniería de carreteras: vol. I. 2a ed. Madrid: Mc Graw Hill, 2009. ISBN 9788448161101.
- Kraemer, C. [et al.]. Ingeniería de carreteras: vol. II. Madrid: McGraw-Hill, 2003. ISBN 9788448139988.
- Ministerio de Fomento. Secciones de firme: instrucción de carreteras Norma 6.1 IC. Madrid: Ministerio de Fomento. Dirección General de Carreteras, 2004. ISBN 8449806941.
- Transportation Research Board. Highway capacity manual: a guide for multimodal mobility analysis. 7th ed. Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2022. ISBN 9780309275620.
- López Pita, A. Infraestructuras ferroviarias. Barcelona: Edicions UPC, 2006. ISBN 8483018535.
- López Pita, A. Alta velocidad en el ferrocarril. Barcelona: Edicions UPC, 2010. ISBN 9788498804164.
Complementary
- Yoder, E.J.; Witczak, M.W. Principles of pavement design. 2nd ed. New York, [NY] [etc.]: John Wiley & Sons, 1975. ISBN 0471977802.
- Huang, Y.H. Pavement analysis and design. 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2012. ISBN 9780132726108.