International Collaboration between Road Agencies

Gregers Hildebrand, Danish Road Directorate

Outline of presentation

The Danish Road Directorate and our research agenda International collaboration at:

• Multilateral level• Bilateral level• Ad hoc project level

The Danish Road Directorate

• Part of The Ministry of Transport

• Main offices in Copenhagen

• Approximately 900 employees

• 3,800 km of state roads in Denmark (5% of total network)

• DRD’s network carries 45% of road traffic in Denmark

Planning, construction,

and maintenance of the

state road network

Operation and traffic

management on the

State Roads

R&D, Co-operation, data

and standardisation in

the road sector

www.vejdirektoratet.dk

www.trafikken.dk

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www.vejsektoren.dk

www.vejportal.dk

The Road Directorate’s primary tasks

DRD strategic focus areas

Climate change Environmental protection Traffic noise Road construction techniques

and technological improvements Contracting strategies; Public-private co-operation Road safety Traffic flow quality

The Danish R&D agenda – strategic focus areas

Reduce CO2-emission,

energy comsumption Adaptation to climate changes Reduce noise Ensure value for money Improve road safety Improve mobility

Through cooperation !

Common development of Best Practice and exchange of competences

Reduce duplicated R&D and access to data exchange

Co-financing of large scale projects and thus multiplying value for money

Need/challenge/problem

Solution exists

Existing EU Project

International Collaboration

Collaboration in NordFoU

Unique problem for DRD

No

No

No

No

Solution

Use it

Influence and/or participate

Start R&D project

yes1

2

3

4

5

yes

yes

yes

yes

Develop a common solution

Develop a common solution

5-step approach for R&D projects

How do we co-operate at the international level?

1. Multilateral partnerships

2. Bilateral partnerships

3. Ad hoc projects

Multilateral partnerships

CEDR FEHRL ERA-NET ROAD NordFoU

ERA-NET ROAD

What?Coordination and implementation of roadresearch in Europe running from 2006-2011

Who?17 national road administrations

How?Jointly funded research programs based on trust, understanding and commitment

Why joint funding?

Increase value for money - pay 100 000 and get research worth a million

Minimize research duplication Share research results Use the best competencies to carry out the research

… Hence achieve increased efficiency

The asset management call – an example of success

Funding scope: 4.5 mil. US$ funded by ERA-NET ROAD partners themselves

20 proposals were submitted for the cross-border funded joint research programme

9 countries were not members of the funding Programme Executive Board of ERA-NET ROAD

6 countries were not ERA-NET ROAD members Projects started in 2010 and run over two years

ERA-NET ROAD after 2011

ERA-NET ROAD’s success provides us with a permanent future for the collaboration

… and the future might expand beyond Europe Continuation through CEDR See more at www.eranetroad.org

NordFoU – The same but different anyway

Nordic research collaboration between Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland

Since 2004 Based on the same principles as ERA-NET ROAD NordFoU is about to move into railways as well

NordFoU compared to ERA-NET ROAD?

NordFoU is less bureaucratic than ERA-NET ROAD NordFoU allows us to focus on solving specific Nordic

research needs NordFoU allows us to speak with a common Nordic

voice in larger European research collaborations

Achievements so far in NordFoU

Six projects are completed Seven projects are active Seven projects are underway Projects in many different topic areas – except climate

and environment

See more at www.nordfou.org

Pavement Performance Models – an example of a NordFoU project Four countries participated 3-year project period Total budget: 1.2 mil. US$ Models to be implemented in Nordic Asset Management

Systems Models based on input data from modern traffic speed

monitoring vehicles Un-spent funds used for continuation of original project

Bilateral partnerships

California The Netherlands

Danish Road Directorate and CALTRANS/UC DAVIS (USA)

Collaboration since 2007Guide for Caltrans Pavement Noise Policy Binder testing and expert support for development of new optimized quieter asphalt mixturesEvaluation of quieter asphalt mixturesPavement ageing and noise

Danish Road Directorate and CALTRANS/UC DAVIS (USA)

Senior researcher one year in California Trans-Atlantic workshop on climate change, pavement

materials and road noise Continued collaboration on:

• Road noise

• CO2 reduction

• Pavement materials

Danish Road Directorate and DVS (The Netherlands)

Collaboration since 2004DRI-DVS noise abatement program

• Optimization of noise reducing pavements• Pavement solutions yielding 10 dB traffic noise reduction

Dutch Air Quality Innovation ProgramBearing capacity with TSD-measurementsBlue spot mapping of national road network

Collaboration at project level

MIRIAM on rolling resistance of roads TSD on bearing capacity of roads

MIRIAM (Models for rolling resistance In Road Infrastructure Asset Management systems)

2010 - 2011 Project initiated by Denmark in 2009 with strong and

increasing interest to participate from other countries Aim: reduce rolling resistance and hence lowering fuel

consumption, CO2 emission and increasing energy efficiency

Twelve partners from Europe and USA

MIRIAM

Funding as well as research production was carried out through transnational collaboration

This willingness shows that collaboration is possible Continuation ?

Traffic Speed Deflectometer: Australia and Denmark cooperation

Agreement between DRD and RTA, NSW Application of the Traffic Speed Deflectometer in NSW

and QLD Testing of bearing capacity of 18,000 km of major roads Tests conducted in 2010

Conclusions

We have achieved a lot through international research cooperation• Technically, economically, personally

We have been able to use our expertise areas as payment for new knowledge in other areas

You need a research strategy International cooperation takes time – and money – but it

is worth the effort