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Dr. Laura Montalbán-Domingo
Construction Project Management Research Group, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain

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0 Decision-Making
0 Lean Construction
0 Material Design
0 Pavement Management Systems
0 Project Management

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Social Sustainability
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Lean Construction
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Journal article
Published: 15 March 2021 in Environmental Impact Assessment Review
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Today, critical deficiencies hinder the effective inclusion of social criteria in public-works procurement. The primary reasons for this are the lack of information and objective social assessment methods in the construction industry. Hence, this paper proposes a method to assist agencies in including indicators and objective assessments of social sustainability in public-works procurement. This method applies to civil engineering projects in the infrastructure life-cycle construction stage using design-bid-build delivery. Eight social categories and 22 factors are organized into two organizational levels (project and company). Quantitative and semi-quantitative indicators are proposed to assess the social commitment of construction companies in their organizations and projects. Additionally, two aggregation formulas are established as assessment criteria in public-works procurement. The results highlight that the indicators' importance in assessing social commitment in a project can be defined depending on the local context. Moreover, the method to assess corporate social responsibility can also measure and compare a company's performance, regardless of size. The proposed method can be used in procurement procedures, helping public-works procurers develop transparent decision processes.

ACS Style

Laura Montalbán-Domingo; Eugenio Pellicer; Tatiana García-Segura; Amalia Sanz-Benlloch. An integrated method for the assessment of social sustainability in public-works procurement. Environmental Impact Assessment Review 2021, 89, 106581 .

AMA Style

Laura Montalbán-Domingo, Eugenio Pellicer, Tatiana García-Segura, Amalia Sanz-Benlloch. An integrated method for the assessment of social sustainability in public-works procurement. Environmental Impact Assessment Review. 2021; 89 ():106581.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura Montalbán-Domingo; Eugenio Pellicer; Tatiana García-Segura; Amalia Sanz-Benlloch. 2021. "An integrated method for the assessment of social sustainability in public-works procurement." Environmental Impact Assessment Review 89, no. : 106581.

Journal article
Published: 21 November 2020 in Sustainability
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Various studies have been recently conducted to predict pavement condition, but most of them were developed in a certain region where climate conditions were kept constant and/or the research focused on specific road distresses using single parameters. Thus, this research aimed at determining the influence of pavement structure, traffic demand, and climate factors on urban flexible pavement condition over time. To do this, the Structural Number was used as an indicator of the pavement capacity, various traffic and climate variables were defined, and the Pavement Condition Index was used as a surrogate measure of pavement condition. The analysis was focused on the calibration of regression models by using the K-Fold Cross Validation technique. As a result, for a given pavement age, pavement condition worsens as the Equivalent Single Axle Load and the Annual Average Height of Snow increased. Likewise, a cold Annual Average Temperature (5–15 °C) and a large Annual Average Range of Temperature (20–30 °C) encourage a more aggressive pavement deterioration process. By contrast, warm climates with low temperature variations, which are associated with low precipitation, lead to a longer pavement service life. Additionally, a new classification of climate zones was proposed on the basis of the weather influence on pavement deterioration.

ACS Style

David Llopis-Castelló; Tatiana García-Segura; Laura Montalbán-Domingo; Amalia Sanz-Benlloch; Eugenio Pellicer. Influence of Pavement Structure, Traffic, and Weather on Urban Flexible Pavement Deterioration. Sustainability 2020, 12, 9717 .

AMA Style

David Llopis-Castelló, Tatiana García-Segura, Laura Montalbán-Domingo, Amalia Sanz-Benlloch, Eugenio Pellicer. Influence of Pavement Structure, Traffic, and Weather on Urban Flexible Pavement Deterioration. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (22):9717.

Chicago/Turabian Style

David Llopis-Castelló; Tatiana García-Segura; Laura Montalbán-Domingo; Amalia Sanz-Benlloch; Eugenio Pellicer. 2020. "Influence of Pavement Structure, Traffic, and Weather on Urban Flexible Pavement Deterioration." Sustainability 12, no. 22: 9717.

Journal article
Published: 05 November 2020 in International Journal of Pavement Engineering
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ACS Style

Tatiana García-Segura; Laura Montalbán-Domingo; David Llopis-Castelló; Michael D. Lepech; M. Amalia Sanz; Eugenio Pellicer. Incorporating pavement deterioration uncertainty into pavement management optimization. International Journal of Pavement Engineering 2020, 1 -12.

AMA Style

Tatiana García-Segura, Laura Montalbán-Domingo, David Llopis-Castelló, Michael D. Lepech, M. Amalia Sanz, Eugenio Pellicer. Incorporating pavement deterioration uncertainty into pavement management optimization. International Journal of Pavement Engineering. 2020; ():1-12.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tatiana García-Segura; Laura Montalbán-Domingo; David Llopis-Castelló; Michael D. Lepech; M. Amalia Sanz; Eugenio Pellicer. 2020. "Incorporating pavement deterioration uncertainty into pavement management optimization." International Journal of Pavement Engineering , no. : 1-12.

Journal article
Published: 19 September 2020 in Sustainability
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Fostering sustainability in the construction industry has been claimed; however, important barriers are hindering its implementation in public procurement. The main reason is the lack of knowledge about what sustainability criteria should be included and the high level of subjectivity in the definition of their level of importance. Both aspects should be addressed depending on the specific context of each country. Therefore, the aim of this research focused on identifying the sustainability shortcomings that exist in each European Union country in order to determine the level of importance of each sustainability category. Five environmental categories and eight social categories were established, and, to assess the sustainability performance of the 28 European countries, 42 national indicators were selected and the Promethee method was undertaken to rank the countries. Finally, through a cluster analysis, two groups of countries were identified. The first group consisted of the most economically developed European Union countries. These countries need to focus mainly on the environmental performance. However, the second group needs to make an effort in social sustainability at the same time, which controls their environmental performance. This research provides guidance on the decision-making with regard to the inclusion of sustainability in public procurement of the construction industry.

ACS Style

Laura Montalbán-Domingo; Madeleine Aguilar-Morocho; Tatiana García-Segura; Eugenio Pellicer. Study of Social and Environmental Needs for the Selection of Sustainable Criteria in the Procurement of Public Works. Sustainability 2020, 12, 7756 .

AMA Style

Laura Montalbán-Domingo, Madeleine Aguilar-Morocho, Tatiana García-Segura, Eugenio Pellicer. Study of Social and Environmental Needs for the Selection of Sustainable Criteria in the Procurement of Public Works. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (18):7756.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura Montalbán-Domingo; Madeleine Aguilar-Morocho; Tatiana García-Segura; Eugenio Pellicer. 2020. "Study of Social and Environmental Needs for the Selection of Sustainable Criteria in the Procurement of Public Works." Sustainability 12, no. 18: 7756.

Journal article
Published: 09 September 2020 in Sustainability
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Rural roads play an indispensable role in economic and social well-being, especially in developing countries, contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. For this reason, it is necessary to plan these projects properly to guarantee their success. In this line, the objective of this research is to identify significant variables generating overruns in time and cost using empirical data of 535 rural road projects in Colombia from 2015 to 2018. Bivariate analysis, with statistical tools like Spearman’s Rho and Kruskal–Wallis, allowed identifying that higher values of variables like budget and project intensity are related to higher deviations in cost and time. Additionally, it was found that projects with shorter durations are reporting higher time overruns. The worst performers are projects executed in the year that council mayors start their terms, those developed in municipalities with more resources, and those awarded using a competitive bidding process. Multivariate analysis, through Random Forest, assessed the effect of considering all variables interacting simultaneously and ranking them in order of importance. The results demonstrated a relationship between cost and time performance, and that numerical variables are more significant than the categorical ones. This study contributes to a better understanding of the causes of delays and cost overruns on rural roads, providing useful insight for researchers and industry practitioners.

ACS Style

Adriana Gómez-Cabrera; Amalia Sanz-Benlloch; Laura Montalban-Domingo; Jose Ponz-Tienda; Eugenio Pellicer. Identification of Factors Affecting the Performance of Rural Road Projects in Colombia. Sustainability 2020, 12, 7377 .

AMA Style

Adriana Gómez-Cabrera, Amalia Sanz-Benlloch, Laura Montalban-Domingo, Jose Ponz-Tienda, Eugenio Pellicer. Identification of Factors Affecting the Performance of Rural Road Projects in Colombia. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (18):7377.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Adriana Gómez-Cabrera; Amalia Sanz-Benlloch; Laura Montalban-Domingo; Jose Ponz-Tienda; Eugenio Pellicer. 2020. "Identification of Factors Affecting the Performance of Rural Road Projects in Colombia." Sustainability 12, no. 18: 7377.

Journal article
Published: 07 May 2020 in JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT
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The growing importance of international construction activity forces companies to find out what competitive advantages to provide and barriers to overcome to achieve success, considering the particular characteristics of their origin and destination countries. Seventy six articles regarding success in the international construction market in the period 2008–2017 are reviewed to identify the barriers and the competitive advantages that most affect the international success of contractors. The Chi-Square (χ²) statistical test is used to verify the influence of the origin and destination countries on these variables. The literature identifies the provision of trained human resources as the most important competitive advantage and cultural differences and political risks as the main barriers. The Chi-Square (χ²) test indicates a dependency relationship between the origin country and the competitive advantage “managerial ability” to achieve international success, and between the external barriers “link between countries”, “political environment” and “economic environment” with the target market. Results of this paper provide valuable information for any construction company seeking international success.

ACS Style

Alicia Lozano-Torró; Tatiana García-Segura; Laura Montalbán-Domingo; Eugenio Pellicer. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES AND BARRIERS IN INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION: AN ORIGIN-HOST MARKET APPROACH. JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT 2020, 26, 475 -489.

AMA Style

Alicia Lozano-Torró, Tatiana García-Segura, Laura Montalbán-Domingo, Eugenio Pellicer. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES AND BARRIERS IN INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION: AN ORIGIN-HOST MARKET APPROACH. JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT. 2020; 26 (5):475-489.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alicia Lozano-Torró; Tatiana García-Segura; Laura Montalbán-Domingo; Eugenio Pellicer. 2020. "COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES AND BARRIERS IN INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION: AN ORIGIN-HOST MARKET APPROACH." JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT 26, no. 5: 475-489.

Journal article
Published: 26 September 2019 in Sustainability
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Lean philosophy introduces a new approach for maximizing value while minimizing waste, facilitating sustainable practices at the same time. Companies have become aware of these improvements and are demanding students well formed in Lean concepts. However, to meet this demand, universities must adapt their curricula to include courses that use alternative teaching methods to connect to real contexts. This paper seeks to analyze the benefits of lecture- and game-based learning for developing students’ understanding of Lean Construction Principles. A case study is carried out in the “Lean Construction” course of the Master of Planning and Management in Civil Engineering of the Universitat Politècnica de València. A combination of a traditional lecture and three simple games is applied. Descriptive statistics, the Mann–Whitney U-test, and the Wilcoxon test are performed to analyze the impact of each activity on the understanding of each Lean Construction Principle. Results highlight the importance of combining the lecture class with multiple games to effectively impart knowledge about Lean principles and their application in the construction industry. In addition, they emphasize the importance of selecting the game according to the Lean principle to be taught.

ACS Style

Rodrigo F. Herrera; M. Amalia Sanz; Laura Montalbán-Domingo; Tatiana García-Segura; Eugenio Pellicer. Impact of Game-Based Learning on Understanding Lean Construction Principles. Sustainability 2019, 11, 5294 .

AMA Style

Rodrigo F. Herrera, M. Amalia Sanz, Laura Montalbán-Domingo, Tatiana García-Segura, Eugenio Pellicer. Impact of Game-Based Learning on Understanding Lean Construction Principles. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (19):5294.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rodrigo F. Herrera; M. Amalia Sanz; Laura Montalbán-Domingo; Tatiana García-Segura; Eugenio Pellicer. 2019. "Impact of Game-Based Learning on Understanding Lean Construction Principles." Sustainability 11, no. 19: 5294.

Journal article
Published: 01 March 2019 in Journal of Management in Engineering
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Boosting sustainability in public construction procurement implies new challenges associated with incentivizing integrated approaches and the inclusion of sustainability criteria in tendering procedures. Thus, the choice of project-delivery method and procurement procedure is a key decision to ensure project success for sustainable outcomes. This study focused on the social dimension of sustainability and analyzed 451 tendering documents from 10 countries to assess the influence of procurement procedures and delivery methods on the inclusion of social criteria in public construction procurement. Content analysis, descriptive statistics, and logistic regression were applied. The results show the international trends in delivery methods and procurement procedures. Country and contract size were found to be the most influential variables for the inclusion of social criteria in tendering procedures. There were no significant differences between project-delivery methods and between procurement procedures with respect to the inclusion of social criteria. However, criteria associated with employment and cultural heritage were mainly considered in traditional delivery methods, whereas professional ethics and cultural heritage were associated with the lowest price procurement procedures. Finally, subjective methods were predominantly used to assess social sustainability.

ACS Style

Laura Montalbán-Domingo; Tatiana García-Segura; M. Amalia Sanz; Eugenio Pellicer. Social Sustainability in Delivery and Procurement of Public Construction Contracts. Journal of Management in Engineering 2019, 35, 04018065 .

AMA Style

Laura Montalbán-Domingo, Tatiana García-Segura, M. Amalia Sanz, Eugenio Pellicer. Social Sustainability in Delivery and Procurement of Public Construction Contracts. Journal of Management in Engineering. 2019; 35 (2):04018065.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura Montalbán-Domingo; Tatiana García-Segura; M. Amalia Sanz; Eugenio Pellicer. 2019. "Social Sustainability in Delivery and Procurement of Public Construction Contracts." Journal of Management in Engineering 35, no. 2: 04018065.

Journal article
Published: 06 February 2019 in Administrative Sciences
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During the period between 2008–2013, the internal market in Spain was characterized by economic crisis, the contraction of the demand experienced in a turbulent business environment, and strong competition among companies. This situation forced many of these companies to work abroad. One of the success factors for Spanish engineering companies abroad has been effective risk management, which avoids compromising the company’s objectives, market share, or survival. This article examines the importance of risk management in the success of Spanish engineering consulting firms in the international construction market. Ten executives of Spanish engineering companies with international experience were interviewed, analyzing the importance of risk management for them in the success of internationalization compared with other success factors. The results show that the size of the companies interviewed has no influence on the importance that they gave to risk management, but international experience does relate to the assessment of risk identification and management as a success factor. In addition, companies considered risk management a key factor for optimizing their performance in foreign markets.

ACS Style

Alicia Lozano-Torró; Tatiana García-Segura; Laura Montalbán-Domingo; Eugenio Pellicer. Risk Management as a Success Factor in the International Activity of Spanish Engineering. Administrative Sciences 2019, 9, 15 .

AMA Style

Alicia Lozano-Torró, Tatiana García-Segura, Laura Montalbán-Domingo, Eugenio Pellicer. Risk Management as a Success Factor in the International Activity of Spanish Engineering. Administrative Sciences. 2019; 9 (1):15.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alicia Lozano-Torró; Tatiana García-Segura; Laura Montalbán-Domingo; Eugenio Pellicer. 2019. "Risk Management as a Success Factor in the International Activity of Spanish Engineering." Administrative Sciences 9, no. 1: 15.

Journal article
Published: 11 July 2018 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Scientific literature highlights the need to engage social sustainability more effectively in the construction industry through public procurement. Previous contributions have been focused on establishing strategies and defining guides to encourage and facilitate the inclusion of social criteria in public procurement. However, to reach effective results, the characterization of the current scenario needs to be clarified. With this aim, this research analyzes 451 tendering documents from 10 countries in terms of social sustainability. Three research questions are stated to characterize what the current main social criteria are, how these are defined, and what the differences and similarities are with respect to the inclusion of social criteria in tendering procedures at the international level. To analyze tendering documents, a quantitative content analysis that combines inductive and deductive approaches is developed. Descriptive statistics and statistical analysis based on correspondence analysis and the chi-square contingency table analysis are performed. The results show a lack of metrics to assess social sustainability objectively, the predominance of health and safety as the main social criteria that are included in public procurement, and the importance of the contract size in the number of social categories considered in procurement procedures. However, the main result of this research is focused on showing the important role that the variable “country” plays when the behavior regarding the inclusion of social sustainability is compared at the international level since significant differences are found between Anglo-Saxon and Spanish-speaking countries. Policies should be implemented to promote the use of social criteria and metrics in the award of projects and in the evaluation and monitoring of social performance in the construction industry.

ACS Style

Laura Montalbán-Domingo; Tatiana García-Segura; M. Amalia Sanz; Eugenio Pellicer. Social sustainability criteria in public-work procurement: An international perspective. Journal of Cleaner Production 2018, 198, 1355 -1371.

AMA Style

Laura Montalbán-Domingo, Tatiana García-Segura, M. Amalia Sanz, Eugenio Pellicer. Social sustainability criteria in public-work procurement: An international perspective. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2018; 198 ():1355-1371.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura Montalbán-Domingo; Tatiana García-Segura; M. Amalia Sanz; Eugenio Pellicer. 2018. "Social sustainability criteria in public-work procurement: An international perspective." Journal of Cleaner Production 198, no. : 1355-1371.

Railroad engineering
Published: 03 April 2017 in KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering
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Two track gauges coexist in Spain, the Iberian gauge (1668 mm) and the international gauge (1435 mm). Solutions applied on the track were considered to improve the interoperability in Spain. First solution proposed was tracks with two-gauge-ready sleepers. This solution allows changing the gauge from Iberian to International gauge or from International to Iberian gauge. The need of two gauges evolved this solution to the third rail system with two-simultaneous-gauge sleepers. In this paper, a new third-rail track solution is proposed. This solution is a novel system based on the introduction of special concrete blocks between the existing sleepers to fasten the third rail. Thus, the conventional railroad track becomes in a double-simultaneous-gauge lines without needing change existing sleepers and make long traffic interruptions of the track like in common third-rail systems. In the present study, threedimensional numerical models are generated using finite-element method. The analysis of the vertical displacements of the top head of the rails, vertical stresses transmitted to the substructure layers and vertical track stiffness, demonstrate the good vertical performance of the new system compared to the conventional lines with dual-gauge-ready sleepers and the common third rail tracks.

ACS Style

Laura Montalbán Domingo; Clara Zamorano Martín; Julia I. Real Herráiz; Laura Gómez del Rey. New third rail implementation system for conventional railroad tracks in service. KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering 2017, 22, 622 -628.

AMA Style

Laura Montalbán Domingo, Clara Zamorano Martín, Julia I. Real Herráiz, Laura Gómez del Rey. New third rail implementation system for conventional railroad tracks in service. KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering. 2017; 22 (2):622-628.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura Montalbán Domingo; Clara Zamorano Martín; Julia I. Real Herráiz; Laura Gómez del Rey. 2017. "New third rail implementation system for conventional railroad tracks in service." KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering 22, no. 2: 622-628.

Journal article
Published: 30 January 2016 in Journal of Modern Transportation
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The effect of the fastener’s failure in a railway track on the dynamic forces produced in the wheel-rail contact is studied using the simulation software VAMPIRE to assess the derailment risk of two different vehicles in two curves with distinct characteristics. First, a 3D-FEM model of a real track is constructed, paying special attention to fasteners, and calibrated with displacement data obtained experimentally during a train passage. This numerical model is subsequently used to determine the track vertical and lateral stiffness. This study evidences that although the track can practically lose its lateral stiffness as a consequence of the failure of 7 consecutive fasteners, the vehicle stability would not be necessarily compromised in the flawed zone. Moreover, the results reveal that the uncompensated acceleration and the distance along which the fasteners are failed play an important role in the dynamic behavior of the vehicle-track system, influencing strongly the risk of derailment.

ACS Style

Silvia Morales-Ivorra; Julia Irene Real; César Hernández; Laura Montalbán-Domingo. Derailment risk and dynamics of railway vehicles in curved tracks: Analysis of the effect of failed fasteners. Journal of Modern Transportation 2016, 24, 38 -47.

AMA Style

Silvia Morales-Ivorra, Julia Irene Real, César Hernández, Laura Montalbán-Domingo. Derailment risk and dynamics of railway vehicles in curved tracks: Analysis of the effect of failed fasteners. Journal of Modern Transportation. 2016; 24 (1):38-47.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Silvia Morales-Ivorra; Julia Irene Real; César Hernández; Laura Montalbán-Domingo. 2016. "Derailment risk and dynamics of railway vehicles in curved tracks: Analysis of the effect of failed fasteners." Journal of Modern Transportation 24, no. 1: 38-47.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2016 in Construction and Building Materials
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Fibres are widely used to enhance the performance of the asphalt mixtures. In this paper, the objective is to asses if Posidonia oceanica fibre is a proper additive to improve the mechanical properties of asphalt mixtures. To do so, waste fibres (hemp and polyester) and a commercial fibre were selected. Then, different stone mastic asphalt mixtures were prepared with them. A percentage of 0.3 wt% was considered for the previously studied fibres and 0.3, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4 and 5 wt% for the algae fibre. To achieve the objective of this research, a complete experimental campaign was prepared and divided in two steps. Firstly, the fibres were characterized and secondly, the resulting fibre-reinforced asphalt mixtures were studied. In the first step, water absorption, thermostability and binder draindown properties were tested for each fibre. Thirdly, the optimum bitumen amount, plastic deformation, bearing capacity and the fatigue life were studied in accordance with the tests described in the European Standards. The results show that algae fibre presents poor properties to achieve the desired effects when they are analyzed alone. However, interesting results are obtained when they are added to the asphalt mixture. These results have been collated with a control mixture to ensure the asphalt mixture performance.

ACS Style

Teresa Real Herráiz; Julia I. Real Herráiz; Laura Montalbán Domingo; Francisco Carrión Domingo. Posidonia oceanica used as a new natural fibre to enhance the performance of asphalt mixtures. Construction and Building Materials 2016, 102, 601 -612.

AMA Style

Teresa Real Herráiz, Julia I. Real Herráiz, Laura Montalbán Domingo, Francisco Carrión Domingo. Posidonia oceanica used as a new natural fibre to enhance the performance of asphalt mixtures. Construction and Building Materials. 2016; 102 ():601-612.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Teresa Real Herráiz; Julia I. Real Herráiz; Laura Montalbán Domingo; Francisco Carrión Domingo. 2016. "Posidonia oceanica used as a new natural fibre to enhance the performance of asphalt mixtures." Construction and Building Materials 102, no. : 601-612.

Journal article
Published: 01 December 2015 in Advances in Structural Engineering
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New mobility needs in urban areas combined with eco-friendly transport modes development and urban integration requirements have promoted urban tram lines. This urban transportation system provides important benefits but also damaging effects. Among these effects, vibration and noise may be highlighted. This may cause an important impact for both residents and structures located in the surrounding areas. In order to mitigate these inadequate effects, bituminous mixtures with different percentages of crumb rubber or Polyethylene Terephthalete are proposed in this research to substitute the concrete in the slab track design. Different laboratory tests were conduced so as to check the good mechanical and physical properties of these mixtures according to the European Normative. Finally, a stone mastic asphalt mixture with 0.5 %wt of Polyethylene Terephthalete is proposed as a new material with high vibration attenuation capacity and, moreover, a high stiffness which avoids excessive track deflections.

ACS Style

Teresa Real Herráiz; Laura Montalbán Domingo; Jesus H. Alcañiz Martinez; Jose Manuel Berenguer Prieto; Julia I. Real Herráiz. New Environmental Bituminous Mixture for Slab Track Design in Tram Networks. Advances in Structural Engineering 2015, 18, 2117 -2127.

AMA Style

Teresa Real Herráiz, Laura Montalbán Domingo, Jesus H. Alcañiz Martinez, Jose Manuel Berenguer Prieto, Julia I. Real Herráiz. New Environmental Bituminous Mixture for Slab Track Design in Tram Networks. Advances in Structural Engineering. 2015; 18 (12):2117-2127.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Teresa Real Herráiz; Laura Montalbán Domingo; Jesus H. Alcañiz Martinez; Jose Manuel Berenguer Prieto; Julia I. Real Herráiz. 2015. "New Environmental Bituminous Mixture for Slab Track Design in Tram Networks." Advances in Structural Engineering 18, no. 12: 2117-2127.

Research article
Published: 23 March 2015 in Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit
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The formula derived from Zimmermann’s theory is commonly used in railway track design. However, this formula depends on variables such as the ballast coefficient, which are difficult to determine. In recent years, numerical models have been widely used as they allow the track to be studied as a complete system in which the input variables are known. However, the computation time of numerical models is often very large. This paper presents a pre-design tool that is based on an artificial neural network (ANN). This tool permits the efficient determination of the independent variables of the model, which depend on the track characteristics, the height of the embankment and the quality of the material used to form the embankment. The main advantage of the ANN model is the optimization of the design process, providing a pre-design scenario in which the independent variables are calculated on the basis of the vertical displacement of the rail top, which is the output of the ANN. This leads to significant savings in the computational time required to solve the finite element model.

ACS Style

Laura Montalbán-Domingo; Juan Antonio Villaronte Fernández-Villa; Claudio Masanet Sendra; Julia I. Real Herráiz. An artificial neural network model as a preliminary track design tool. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit 2015, 230, 1105 -1117.

AMA Style

Laura Montalbán-Domingo, Juan Antonio Villaronte Fernández-Villa, Claudio Masanet Sendra, Julia I. Real Herráiz. An artificial neural network model as a preliminary track design tool. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit. 2015; 230 (4):1105-1117.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura Montalbán-Domingo; Juan Antonio Villaronte Fernández-Villa; Claudio Masanet Sendra; Julia I. Real Herráiz. 2015. "An artificial neural network model as a preliminary track design tool." Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit 230, no. 4: 1105-1117.

Journal article
Published: 10 December 2014 in Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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ACS Style

Laura Montalban Domingo; Beatriz Baydal Giner; Clara Zamorano Martin; Julia I. Real Herraiz. Experimental modal analysis of transverse-cracked rails-influence of the cracks on the real track behavior. Structural Engineering and Mechanics 2014, 52, 1019 -1032.

AMA Style

Laura Montalban Domingo, Beatriz Baydal Giner, Clara Zamorano Martin, Julia I. Real Herraiz. Experimental modal analysis of transverse-cracked rails-influence of the cracks on the real track behavior. Structural Engineering and Mechanics. 2014; 52 (5):1019-1032.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura Montalban Domingo; Beatriz Baydal Giner; Clara Zamorano Martin; Julia I. Real Herraiz. 2014. "Experimental modal analysis of transverse-cracked rails-influence of the cracks on the real track behavior." Structural Engineering and Mechanics 52, no. 5: 1019-1032.

Journal article
Published: 01 December 2014 in Latin American Journal of Solids and Structures
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The lack of lateral resistance in a curved railway track can produce misalignment problems due to the centrifugal forces when the trains pass through. Moreover, most of the times continuous welded rails (CWR) are used in nowadays railway tracks, which can induce the track buckling as a result of thermal loads caused by high temperature gradients. A new sleeper has been designed to provide higher lateral resistance of the track. A finite element model has been developed to analyze the lateral movements of an actual curved track subjected to lateral resistance problems. Then, variations on the finite element model have been made to study the response of the track when different sleepers are used. Thus, the performance of the different sleepers in the modeled track has been analyzed, resulting that the inclusion of the new sleeper in the track can improve the lateral resistance between 39 and 55 % with respect to a track with conventional sleepers made of wood or concrete.

ACS Style

Laura Montalbán-Domingo; Julia I. Real Herraiz; Clara Zamorano; Teresa Real Herraiz. Design of a new high lateral resistance sleeper and performance comparison with conventional sleepers in a curved railway track by means of finite element models. Latin American Journal of Solids and Structures 2014, 11, 1238 -1250.

AMA Style

Laura Montalbán-Domingo, Julia I. Real Herraiz, Clara Zamorano, Teresa Real Herraiz. Design of a new high lateral resistance sleeper and performance comparison with conventional sleepers in a curved railway track by means of finite element models. Latin American Journal of Solids and Structures. 2014; 11 (7):1238-1250.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura Montalbán-Domingo; Julia I. Real Herraiz; Clara Zamorano; Teresa Real Herraiz. 2014. "Design of a new high lateral resistance sleeper and performance comparison with conventional sleepers in a curved railway track by means of finite element models." Latin American Journal of Solids and Structures 11, no. 7: 1238-1250.

Research article
Published: 28 October 2014 in The Scientific World Journal
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The principal causes of cracking in prestressed concrete sleepers are the dynamic loads induced by track irregularities and imperfections in the wheel-rail contact and the in-phase and out-of-phase track resonances. The most affected points are the mid-span and rail-seat sections of the sleepers. Central and rail-seat crack detection require visual inspections, as legislation establishes, and involve sleepers’ renewal even though European Normative considers that thicknesses up to 0.5 mm do not imply an inadequate behaviour of the sleepers. For a better understanding of the phenomenon, the finite element method constitutes a useful tool to assess the effects of cracking from the point of view of structural behaviour in railway track structures. This paper intends to study how the cracks at central or rail-seat section in prestressed concrete sleepers influence the track behaviour under static loading. The track model considers three different sleeper models: uncracked, cracked at central section, and cracked at rail-seat section. These models were calibrated and validated using the frequencies of vibration of the first three bending modes obtained from an experimental modal analysis. The results show the insignificant influence of the central cracks and the notable effects of the rail-seat cracks regarding deflections and stresses.

ACS Style

Laura Montalbán Domingo; Clara Zamorano Martin; Cristina Palenzuela Avilés; Julia I. Real Herraiz. Analysis of the Influence of Cracked Sleepers under Static Loading on Ballasted Railway Tracks. The Scientific World Journal 2014, 2014, 1 -10.

AMA Style

Laura Montalbán Domingo, Clara Zamorano Martin, Cristina Palenzuela Avilés, Julia I. Real Herraiz. Analysis of the Influence of Cracked Sleepers under Static Loading on Ballasted Railway Tracks. The Scientific World Journal. 2014; 2014 ():1-10.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura Montalbán Domingo; Clara Zamorano Martin; Cristina Palenzuela Avilés; Julia I. Real Herraiz. 2014. "Analysis of the Influence of Cracked Sleepers under Static Loading on Ballasted Railway Tracks." The Scientific World Journal 2014, no. : 1-10.

Research article
Published: 27 August 2014 in The Scientific World Journal
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Currently, reuse of solid waste from disused infrastructures is an important environmental issue to study. In this research, polymer concrete was developed by mixing orthophthalic unsaturated polyester resin, artificial microfillers (calcium carbonate), and waste aggregates (basalt and limestone) coming from the recycling process of concrete sleepers. The variation of the mechanical and physical properties of the polymer concrete (compressive strength, flexural strength, modulus of elasticity, density, and water absorption) was analyzed based on the modification of different variables: nature of the recycled aggregates, resin contents (11 wt%, 12 wt%, and 13 wt%), and particle-size distributions of microfillers used. The results show the influence of these variables on mechanical performance of polymer concrete. Compressive and flexural strength of recycled polymer concrete were improved by increasing amount of polyester resin and by optimizing the particle-size distribution of the microfillers. Besides, the results show the feasibility of developing a polymer concrete with excellent mechanical behavior.

ACS Style

Francisco Carrión; Laura Montalbán-Domingo; Julia I. Real; Teresa Real. Mechanical and Physical Properties of Polyester Polymer Concrete Using Recycled Aggregates from Concrete Sleepers. The Scientific World Journal 2014, 2014, 1 -10.

AMA Style

Francisco Carrión, Laura Montalbán-Domingo, Julia I. Real, Teresa Real. Mechanical and Physical Properties of Polyester Polymer Concrete Using Recycled Aggregates from Concrete Sleepers. The Scientific World Journal. 2014; 2014 ():1-10.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francisco Carrión; Laura Montalbán-Domingo; Julia I. Real; Teresa Real. 2014. "Mechanical and Physical Properties of Polyester Polymer Concrete Using Recycled Aggregates from Concrete Sleepers." The Scientific World Journal 2014, no. : 1-10.

Articles
Published: 30 June 2014 in European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering
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Loading conditions on railway tracks are the result of the sum of the static axle load of vehicles and augments caused by dynamic effects. Dynamic loads have several causes and can be quasi-static or impacts. Cracking in pre-stressed concrete sleepers is mainly due to these impact loads and vibrations, converting the central and the rail seat sections of the critical sections in sleepers. This paper presents the development of a finite element model of a cracked sleeper that may be adapted to every condition of damage related to cracking. Cracks have been modelled as volumes characterised by a lower stiffness in order to simulate the loss of inertia. The models have been updated in terms of the frequencies of the first three bending modes of vibration of cracked and uncracked sleepers, obtained using experimental modal analysis technique, as presented in previous author’s work. The updating process led to the mechanical properties that define the whole model. Results point out that frequencies obtained with the numerical model agree experimental data obtained in laboratory. These models may be used in further investigations to predict the static influence of cracked sleepers in complete finite element models of ballasted railway tracks.

ACS Style

Laura Montalbán; Clara Zamorano; Cristina Palenzuela; Julia I. Real. Finite element modelling of cracked railway pre-stressed concrete sleepers. European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering 2014, 19, 81 -93.

AMA Style

Laura Montalbán, Clara Zamorano, Cristina Palenzuela, Julia I. Real. Finite element modelling of cracked railway pre-stressed concrete sleepers. European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering. 2014; 19 (1):81-93.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura Montalbán; Clara Zamorano; Cristina Palenzuela; Julia I. Real. 2014. "Finite element modelling of cracked railway pre-stressed concrete sleepers." European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering 19, no. 1: 81-93.