Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
3.5 Summary and Recommendations:
Construction Technology
Construction has a significant impact on fuel consumption in all types of trans-
portation. Light weight construction is gaining a leading role in development.
Computer supported construction methods decrease costs and increase quality.
Additionally, technological development often requires financial, organizational,
and social measures, too.
3.5.1 Road Vehicles
In cars, despite the possibilities for lighter construction that developments in
material technology have provided, new vehicles are becoming heavier because of
the increased requirements regarding safety and comfort with power steering,
airbags, electronic stability programs, strengthened chassis, air conditioning, etc.
The trend also affects heavier commercial vehicles such as buses and trucks.
Vehicles with lighter weight have less rolling and acceleration resistance and
therefore decreased fuel consumption. Besides transmission elements, especially
the wheel structure and tires wear faster at higher speeds and with greater loads.
In city traffic, fuel consumption and emissions are approximately 20-30%
higher, depending on traffic, than on highways or country roads.
In addition to technology, there are other important parameters, which signif-
icantly impact fuel and emission savings, e.g., safety, fuel type, car occupancy and
traffic organization, etc. Most cars with four or five seats are rarely used at full
capacity. This parameter can be improved by education, and organization mea-
sures. Congestion and urban sprawl also lead to inefficiencies in fuel consumption
and emission savings. For improving recent situation, traffic organization can be
improved
through
the
use
of computer-aided traffic steering
and
navigation
measures.
3.5.2 Airplanes
The main structural elements of an airplane are the fuselage, the wings, the tail
unit, and the landing gear. Planned range, payload, speed, and altitude are decisive
for the construction.
The trend has continued toward larger and more comfortable airplanes in the
last decades. Their dimensions and weights are increasing despite the use of lighter
CFC materials. In the same time interval, parallel to it, new constructions lead to
lower SFC and decreased specific operational costs.
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