Evaluation on Transfer Efficiency at Integrated Transport Terminals through Multilevel Grey Evaluation

AbstractTransfer efficiency in integrated transportation terminal is greatly important for both passengers and operational companies. In this paper, we proposed various criteria and a hierarchy index system to evaluate the performance of the transfer condition inside Beijing South Railway Station. To make the assessment more scientific, we assign weightings to each of them by integrated weighting method. Then we use an evaluation method, Multi-level Grey Evaluation, to calculate the performance indexes of different transfer modes in the station and further we compare the ranking results of transfer efficiency of different transfer modes

Multicriteria analysis as a better tool for the selection of public projects alternatives

It is the duty of a State to stimulate nation's economy and social welfare, using their limited funds. This is the general purpose of the so-called public projects. The demand for these investments continues to increase, but not always they fulfil that purpose, quite the opposite. In the current economic context, it becomes urgent to revert this scenario. Often, this poor outcome can be traced to a wrong decision on the project to implement. This is possibly the decision with the greatest impact on the whole project lifecycle. Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) is still the dominant tool for project selection, but the increasing interest in intangible and non-monetized parameters, opened the door for other better fitting tools like Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). This paper presents a critical analysis on the traditional approaches to the selection of these projects, pointing out directions for governments and other public entities to make better and more informed decisions about the projects to implement. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.This work has been supported by FCT - Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia within the R&D Units Project Scope: UIDB/00319/202

The impact of cost-benefit analysis on decision making concerning the development of the urban transport system: case of Kaunas City

The formulation of scenarios for developing the urban transport infrastructure requires decisions mainly based on the intuition of experts in transport and highly influenced by public interest groups, business entities and political opinions. However, the reached decisions sometimes fail to be the most efficient. Therefore, to avoid errors and ensure the development of a sustainable transport system, the economical appraisal of infrastructure development scenarios is necessary. The economic evaluation of the developed scenarios can be carried out through macro-simulation and cost-benefit analysis. This paper deals with the Kaunas City Master Plan providing solutions to transport infrastructure development. According to the Master Plan, solutions can be classified considering 3 cathegories (priorities), although the detailed sequence of implementation is not given. With the help of macro-simulation, this study arranged Master Plan solutions into scenarios, checked all 20 scenarious and established an implementation order based on the theory of cost benefit analysis. The identified order substantially differs from the priorities set in the Master Plan

Combining or Separating Forward and Reverse Logistics

Purpose While forward logistics handles and manages the flow of goods downstream in the supply chain from suppliers to customers, reverse logistics (RL) manages the flow of returned goods upstream. A firm can combine RL with forward logistics, keep the flows separated, or choose a position between the two extremes. The purpose of this paper is to identify the contextual factors that determine the most advantageous position, which the paper refers to as the most advantageous degree of combination. Design/methodology/approach The paper first develops a scale ranging from 0 percent combination to 100 percent combination (i.e. full separation). Second, using the contingency theory the paper identifies the contextual factors described in RL-literature that determine the most advantageous degree of combination. The set of factors is subsequently tested using a case study, which applies a triangulation approach that combines a qualitative and a quantitative method. Findings The results show six distinct contextual factors that determine the most advantageous degree of combination. Examples of factors are technical product complexity, product portfolio variation, and the loss of product value over time. Practical implications For practitioners the scale of possible positions and set of contextual factors constitute a decision-making framework. Using the framework practitioners can determine the most advantageous position of the scale for their firm. Originality/value Much RL-research addresses intra-RL issues while the relationship between forward and RL is under-researched. This paper contributes to RL theory by identifying the contextual factors that determine the most advantageous relationship between forward and RL, and proposes a novel decision-making framework for practitioners. </jats:sec

Sustainable Development Factors in Pavement Life-Cycle: Highway/Airport Review

Sustainability has gained as much importance as management in business. Sustainable pavement development as a business practice should involve making evaluations according to the triple bottom line in the pavement life-cycle. Despite the current approaches to evaluating the social as well as economic and environmental feasibility of pavement projects (involving highway and airport infrastructure), there has recently been a lack of consensus on a methodology to guarantee sustainability upon assessment and analysis during the pavement life-cycle. As sustainability is a complex issue, this study intends to further explore sustainability and elaborate on its meaning. The second step involves a general depiction of the major sustainability appraisal tools, namely cost-benefit analysis, life-cycle cost analysis, life-cycle assessment, multi-criteria decision-making, environmental impact assessment and social life-cycle assessment, and an explanation of their cons and pros. Subsequently, the article addresses the application of an organized methodology to highlight the main factors or concepts that should be applied in sustainable pavement development and, more specifically, in sustainable pavement management. In the final step, research recommendations toward sustainability are given. This study is aimed to assist decision-makers in pavement management to plan sustainability frameworks in accordance with probable boundaries and restrictions

Material Selection Of Natural Fibre Using A Stepwise Regression Model With Error Analysis

The nature of natural fibre such as it is lightweight, recyclable, biodegradable and gives a high performance in relation to its mechanical properties makes this material an excellent alternative to currently used materials in the manufacture of automotive components. The significant mechanical properties are identified using the best statistical model suggested by stepwise regression in this study. The estimation and error analysis ofthe response variables are discussed to select the best natural fibre for automotive component applications. The results using statistical measurement indicate that tensile strength is the most significant mechanical property for all the selected natural fibres. The final ranking that considered high performance score and minimum error analysis for a hand-brake lever application found that coir, kenaf and cotton are the top three candidates with average scores of 4, 4.5 and 5, respectively. The statistical model presented in this study can be used in multiple applications. In fact, this approach is helpful to the design engineer when huge amounts data are involve