Latest posts

MFworks Tutorial – 15 Shortest Path I

The procedure is similar to finding the shortest path through a network with no time-dependent travel cost (go there first).

First calculate the path(s) from origin to the cutoff-point(s), where the new time interval starts. In other words spread until the available time in time interval 1, depending on your starting time, has been used up. From the cutoff-point(s) in time interval 1, calculate the shortest path(s) to the destination through time interval 2. The path with the lowest value is the sought path. Join the paths.

The cell value at the cutoff-point for time interval 1added to the cell values of the shortest path in time interval 2 is the total cost for the joined path.

Read more

Posted in mfworks


MFworks Tutorial – 16 Shortest Path II

Creating proximity surfaces for path(s) in time interval 2 and adding these together yield the shortest path(s) through time interval 2.

SpreadFromCutoff1_Time2 = Spread Cutoff_Point1
To 600
In costoftravel_time2
Outof direction
;

SpreadFromCutoff2_Time2 = Spread Cutoff_Point2
To 600
In costoftravel_time2
Outof direction
;

SpreadFromCutoff3_Time2 = Spread Cutoff_Point3
To 600
In costoftravel_time2
Outof direction
;

SpreadFromCutoff4_Time2 = Spread Cutoff_Point4
To 600
In costoftravel_time2
Outof direction
;

SpreadFromStop_Time2 = Spread stopTo 600
In costoftravel_time2
Outof direction
;

ShortestPath1_InNetwork_time2 =
SpreadFromCutoff1_Time2 + SpreadFromStop_Time2
;

ShortestPath2_InNetwork_time2
= SpreadFromCutoff2_Time2 + SpreadFromStop_Time2
;

Read more

Posted in mfworks


MFworks Tutorial – 17 Shortest Path I+II

Now, the shortest path(s) can be extracted as follows:

ShortestPath_time2 = Recode ShortestPath4_InNetwork_time2
Assigning 999 To 83…85
;

For time interval 1, first add proximity surfaces, then extract path.
SpreadFromCutoff4_time1 = Spread Cutoff_Point4
To 600
In costoftravel_time1
Outof direction
;

ShortestPath_InNetwork_time1 = SpreadFromStart_Time1
+ SpreadFromCutoff4_time1
;

ShortestPath_time1 = Recode ShortestPath_InNetwork_time1
Assigning 999 To 169…171;


The extracted paths can now be joined and overlayed over the study area map for visualization.

ShortestPath_time = Cover ShortestPath_time1 With ShortestPath_time2
;

ShortestPath_OverMap_time = Cover BrownsPond With ShortestPath_time
;

Read more

Posted in mfworks


Impact assessment of road transportation projects

The strength of the Norwegian impact assesment method is how non-monetizable impacts are handled and integrated with the framework of the impact assessment. The significance of the various impacts is then assessed by combining the value and the magnitude of impact on five criteria: landscape/cityscape, community life and outdoor recreation, cultural heritage, natural environment and natural resources.

Posted in THIS and THAT


The Swedish Road Network – Vulnerable or not?

The increase in generalised travel costs weighted by the satisfied or unsatisfied demand when network links are closed is used as a measure of vulnerability for a case study in Northern Sweden, and applied to the terms of importance and exposure.

Posted in THIS and THAT


How New Zealand develops resilient organisations

As our infrastructure and organisations become ever more networked and interdependent there is a growing need to focus on managing overall system risk. In particular, there is a need to focus not only on the vulnerability of our systems to failure, but also on our ability to manage and minimise the impact of any failures.

Posted in REPORTS and WHITEPAPERS


Is Your Supply Chain Vulnerable?

Supply chain vulnerability is an important business issue, but little research has been undertaken into supply chain vulnerabilities. Recently I came across a report on Supply Chain Vulnerability published as early as 2002 by the Cranfield University.

Posted in THIS and THAT


Book Review: Logistics Management and Strategy

I have found it hard to find a book that explains the concepts of logistics and supply chain management in a clearer fashion than this book. Every chapter features a number of case studies in which the theory is discussed in-depth.

Posted in BOOKS and BOOK CHAPTERS


How to disrupt a supply chain

A typical supply chain consists of a company with incoming raw materials from an upstream supplier and outgoing products to a downstream customer.
A supply chain is characterized by its locational and organizational design.
There are many potential disruptions to a supply chain.
The potential disruptions may or may not influence locational decisions.
The impact and severity of disruptions depends on both locational vulnerability and organizational adaptability.

Posted in THIS and THAT


Book review: Cost-Benefit Analysis

This book by Anthony Boardman et al. is aheavy read. It is not a book you would want to read from A to Z in order to understand Cost-Benefit Analysis or CBA, but it is one of the better reference books I have found. The only downside I found was a very theoretical approach and lack of really useful examples.

Posted in BOOKS and BOOK CHAPTERS


Cost-Benefit Analysis – an essay about valuation problems

Reliability and vulnerability are important elements in ensuring a smooth 24/7 operation of transportation networks, road networks in particular, and cost-benefit analyses of transportation projects should take this into account. One way of doing this is to say that investments in improved reliability constitute a cost and thereby saved disruption costs constitute a benefit.

Posted in THIS and THAT


Transport Network Vulnerability Metrics

This paper presents a review of road network vulnerability, seeking to synthesize different terminologies and metrics, among which: reliability, vulnerability, resilience, flexibility, robustness, and adaptive capacity.

Posted in my PUBLIC PRESENCE


Book Review: Transportation GIS

This book showcases many examples of how GIS can be applied in the field of transportation using ArcView GIS, but it doesn’t come with any theory. Unfortunately is is more like an overpriced ESRI sales brochure and not a textbook.

Posted in BOOKS and BOOK CHAPTERS


The vulnerability of road networks in a cost-benefit perspective

A reliable transportation network represents a net benefit to society, and conversely, a vulnerable network represents a net cost to society. Hence, vulnerability ought to be an important parameter for decision-support in cost-benefit analyses, by seeking to establish a link between the terms reliability and vulnerability vis-à-vis costs and benefits.

Posted in my PUBLIC PRESENCE


Flexibility and robustness as options to reduce risk and uncertainty

This paper will first present the main risks that are facing any company. Then, the available options to reduce these risks will be considered. Finally, in relation to these risks, flexibility and robustness will be introduced as a tool to handle uncertainties (risks).

Posted in THIS and THAT


Reliability and vulnerability versus costs and benefits

Looking beyond the science of vulnerability assessments, this paper discusses some of the network attributes that influence the vulnerability of transport networks, influences that can be described as structure-related, nature-related or traffic-related attributes. The paper introduces vulnerability as a parameter for decision-support in cost-benefit analyses.

Posted in my PUBLIC PRESENCE


Book review: The Network Reliability of Transport

I guess you would have to have attended the conference yourself or be a researcher in this very field to actually go and buy this book, but it certainly is worth a read. These are the people you would want to cooperate with in your own research and reading their articles is one way to get to know them.

Posted in BOOKS and BOOK CHAPTERS


Book review: Handbook of Transportation Engineering

Comprehensive and all-encompassing, this handbook may be way to much if road transportation, like in my case, is all you need. The authors are solid researchers in their field and some even personal acquaintances of mine.

Posted in BOOKS and BOOK CHAPTERS


Book review: Transport – Economics and Management

Kept at an executive level, this book delves just deep enough for you to grasp the various concepts of transport planning, where costs occur and how to maximise benefits in both the public and the private transport sector.

Posted in BOOKS and BOOK CHAPTERS


Reliability and vulnerability versus costs and benefits

The paper outlines a framework for developing a methodology that to incorporate reliability and vulnerability as parameters for decision-support in a cost-benefit analysis. In doing so, this paper seeks to establish a link between the terms reliability/vulnerability and cost/benefit and seeks to describe reliability and vulnerability in terms of cost and benefit.

Posted in my PUBLIC PRESENCE


ARTICLES and PAPERS
Friend or foe or both?
Realities of supply chain collaboration
Supply chain collaboration, easy or difficult? And can it really work? In theory yes, but in reality[...]
Information Risk Management
Openness, partnering, trust and particularly sharing of information has often been cited as one way [...]
BOOKS and BOOK CHAPTERS
Book Review: Risk Modeling, Assessment, and Management
First published in 1998 and now already in its 3rd edition in 2009, but still unknown to me, althoug[...]
Risk and resilience in maritime logistics
This week's focus are risks in the maritime supply chain and today's paper sets out a framework for [...]
REPORTS and WHITEPAPERS
Critical Infrastructure and Resilience
What happens when a business is disabled for a length of time? What are the impacts on its profitabi[...]
Supply Chain and Transport Risk
We are living in a new world of risk that is making this world unprecedentedly complex and challengi[...]