Author: Aidan Smyth, electronics engineering technician, has worked with the NRA for the past 20 years and has primary responsibility for the installation, maintenance and repair of the NRA’s Automatic Traffic Counter systems The concept of monitoring road traffic is nothing new. In Ireland, significant traffic surveys were carried out by local authorities as far back as 1925 when the bulk of traffic would have been horse-drawn vehicles. Times have moved on and vehicle traffic on our ...

  Author: Barry Colford, chief engineer and bridgemaster, South Queensferry, Scotland The Forth Road Bridge is a long-span suspension bridge and was opened in September 1964. At that time, the bridge had the fourth-longest main span in the world (1,006 metres). The bridge crosses the Firth of Forth, some 15km west of Edinburgh, and is a vital link in Scotland’s strategic road network. Its deck supports a dual two-lane carriageway without hard shoulders or strips. There is a separate ...

  Author: Jules Carter, chartered engineer, director of advanced engineering, GKN Land Systems Fans of motorsport no doubt have heard the question, ‘What has motorsport ever done for the real world?’ Those fans will be pleased to hear that there is now a very positive answer: it has developed a technology that can save fuel on buses, trucks and trains. The principle behind the energy storage flywheel, which sits at the heart of GKN Hybrid Power’s Gyrodrive system, is very simple. ...

  Coindrum is a Dublin-based startup that can make life a little easier for harried airport travellers, as they struggle with baggage weight restrictions, currency exchange and departure gates that seem almost as far away as their destination. “In a sentence, we provide machines in airports that passengers can use to convert their unwanted coins into duty-free retail vouchers, especially before they depart to different currency jurisdictions,” explained Coindrum CEO, Lukas Decker. The ...

  Author: Joe Seymour, BEng MEngSc CEng FIEI FCIHT, director of transportation, AECOM Dublin, like many cities around the world, has seen a significant upsurge in cycling in recent years. This increase is a result of many things, in particular an increasing positive attitude towards cycling as a more environmentally responsible and healthy way to travel. The growth of cycling in Dublin has been particularly impressive, with volumes now over 100% higher than ten years ago and annual ...

  Author: Paul MacDonald, CEng MIEI, executive engineer/training officer, Kildare County Council National Roads Office Latin America is a key emerging region in the global economy based on its agricultural, industrial and chemical sectors. However, it has large infrastructure needs arising from the rapid urbanisation levels it currently experiences today. At the recent FIDIC (International Federation of Consulting Engineers) Annual Conference in Rio De Janeiro, Nestor Roa of the ...