Woldia University

Institute of technology
School of civil and water resource
Engineering
Civil Engineering Department

Transport Planning-Modeling
CENG2191
Chapter one : Introduction to Transport
engineering

Instructor Gidey T.
[email protected]
om
 2

Apr 24, 2025

Introduction to transportation system

Objective
After studying this lesson, you will be able to
 recognize the importance of transport

 identify the various modes of transport and

describe the comparative advantages and
limitations
 understand transportation system components
(Physical element) for each type of mode
 3

History of transportation
 Human’s first means of transport was
walking and swimming
 The domestication of animals introduces
a new way to lay the burden of transport
(powerful creatures, allowing heavier
loads to be hauled, or humans to ride the
animals for higher speed and duration)
 Wheel helped animal transport more
Apr 24, 2025
 4

History ….(cont’d) Apr 24, 2025

 Industrial Revolution in the 19th century

 steam engine rail transport, steam ship,
….

Middletown railway, 1812, Leeds Germany railway, 1835

 5

History ….(cont’d) Apr 24, 2025

 20th century, road transport became more viable

 Combustion engine and the automobile
 first controllable airplane was invented (1903)
 World War I (fast transport for goods and
peoples)
 After World War II (airplane higher share
transport)
 21st century high speed rail route
 6

Introduction to Transport SystemsApr 24, 2025

 Transport or transportation is the

movement of peoples and goods from one
location to another.
 Modes of transport
Land (Road and Rail) – Air – Water – Cable –
Pipeline – Space
 7

Modes of transport cont…

Apr 24, 2025
 8

Apr 24, 2025

 A transportation system consists of three

components:
 Physical element (Infrastructure, vehicles
i.e. motorized or non-motorized, equipment,
and control and communication)
 Human resources – for operation of
transportation system
 Operations (schedule or private service)
 9

Introduction….(cont’d) Apr 24, 2025

 Transportation Engineering is one of a specialty area

of Civil Engineering concerned on:
 Planning
 Design
 Construction
 Traffic operations and managements, and
 Maintenance of transport systems.
 Transport plays an important role

 Economic growth
 Globalization (culture, tech, ….)
 Env’tal impact
 Etc ….
 10

Importance of Transport Apr 24, 2025

 Makes available raw materials to manufacturers

or producers
 Makes available goods to customers
 Enhances standard of living
 Helps during emergencies and natural disasters
 Helps in creation of employment (maintenance,
operator, etc)
 Helps in labour mobility
 Helps in bringing nations together
 11

Different Modes of transport Apr 24, 2025

 The transport of a person or cargo may be by

one or more modes of transport(intermodal
transport)
 Discussion, example…….
 Human powered transport
 Animal powered transport
 Water transport
 Railway transport
 Road transport
 Air transport
 12
Human-powered transport
Apr 24, 2025

- It is the transport of person(s)

and/or goods using human
muscle-power.
- The form are walking, running,
cycling, swimming, …..
- Reasons may be no access of
other mode, cost-saving,
leisure (relaxation), physical
exerciseand
environmentalism
→ It is considered as an ideal
form of sustainable
 13

Animal-powered transport Apr 24, 2025

 It is the use of working animals for the

movement of people and goods (now in
less developed country).
 Forms of usage

 directly riding some of the animals

 use as pack animals for carrying

goods
 harness them, alone or in teams to

pull (drawing) wheeled vehicles.

 Advantages with respect to man-
powered are in their speed,
 14

Water transport
Apr 24, 2025

 Water transport is the primary means of

international shipping between countries
separated by oceans for most products
 It is slow speed transportation mode
 It is very low-cost form of shipping to heavy,
bulk items of non-perishable goods such as raw
materials, construction materials, minerals,
ores, grains and fertilizer, chemicals, and
petroleum products.
 15

Water Transport … (cont’d)

Apr 24, 2025

Lake Tana
 16
Water Transport … (cont’d)
Apr 24, 2025

• Advantages of water transport

 It is a relatively economical mode of transport for bulky and
heavy goods.
 It is a safe mode of transport with respect to occurrence of
accidents.
 The cost of maintaining and constructing routes is very low
as most of them are naturally made.
 It promotes international trade.
• Limitations of water transport
 The depth and navigability of rivers and canals vary and
thus, affect operations of different transport vessels.
 It is a slow moving mode of transport and therefore not
suitable for transport of perishable goods.
 It is adversely affected by weather conditions.
 Sea transport requires large investment on ships and their
maintenance.
 17
Road transport Apr 24, 2025

 A road is an identifiable route, way or

path between two or more places.
 It is a flexible and versatile (flexible
because it offers point to point service
between any origin-destination; versatile
because it can transport products of
varying size and weight -)
 It provides fast and reliable service
 18
Road transport…..(cont’d) Apr 24, 2025

Road transportation system

Addis-Adama expressway
 19
Road transport….(cont’d) Apr 24, 2025

 Advantages of Road transport

 It is a relatively cheaper mode of transport as
compared to other modes (air).
 Perishable goods can be transported at a faster speed
by road carriers over a short distance.
 It is a flexible mode of transport as loading and
unloading is possible at any destination. It provides
door-to-door service.
 It helps people to travel and carry goods from one place
to another, in places which are not connected by other
means of transport like hilly areas.
 20
Road transport….(cont’d) Apr 24, 2025

 Limitations of Road transport

 Due to limited carrying capacity road transport is
not economical for long distance transportation
of goods.
 Transportation of heavy goods or goods in bulk
by road involves high cost. [25,000 ton on ship –
695 Veh 36 ton]
 It is affected by adverse weather conditions.
Floods, rain, landslide, etc., sometimes create
obstructions to road transport.
 Railway transport
21

Apr 24, 2025

 Railroads are cost-effective for transporting low-

value, high-density, bulk products such as raw
materials, coal, minerals, and ores over long
distances.
 May be LRT [urban] or conventional railway [rural]
 The locomotive can be powered by steam, diesel or
by electricity
 Very high investment cost
 Advantages are low service cost, env'tal friendly,
high capacity
 22
Railway transport …………(cont’d)
Apr 24, 2025

• Advantages of Rail transport

 It is a convenient mode of transport for
travelling long distances.
 It is relatively faster than road transport
[now a day can be competent to air
transport?]
 It is suitable for carrying heavy goods in
large quantities over long distances.
 Its operation is less affected by adverse
 23
Railway transport …………(cont’d)
Apr 24, 2025

 Limitations of Railway transport

 It is relatively expensive for carrying goods
and passengers over short distances.
 It is not available in remote parts of the
country.
 It provides service according to fixed time
schedule and is not flexible for loading or
unloading of goods at any place.
 It involves heavy losses of life as well as
 24

Apr 24, 2025

 25

Air transport
 It is the quickest and expensive mode of
transporting people and limited amounts of
cargo over longer distances
 Usually handle high
value products
(pharmaceuticals,
high technology, and
consumer electronics)
Boeing 777  It provides frequent
Apr 24, 2025
 26
Air transport………….(cont’d)
• Advantages of Air transport Apr 24, 2025

√ It is the fastest mode of transport (not an advantage)

√ It is very useful in transporting goods (perishable, e.g…..) and
passengers to the area, which are not accessible by any other means.
√ It is the most convenient mode of transport during natural calamities.
√ It provides vital support to the national security and defense.
• Limitations of air transport
√ It is relatively more expensive mode of transport.
√ It is not suitable for transporting heavy and bulky goods.
√ It is affected by adverse weather conditions (e.g. volcanic
explosion…..).
√ It is not suitable for short distance travel.
√ In case of accidents, it results in heavy losses of goods, property and
life.
[accident record of Eth plane…..???]
 27

Pipeline transport Apr 24, 2025

 Common products transported by pipeline are:

 Natural gas, crude oil, petroleum products,
 Water, chemicals, sewage, and
 Slurry products (semi liquid mixture)

 Pipelines deliver products on time (controlled by

computer, minimum effect of climate change, not
labor intensive-little effect if absence, extremely
rare leakes and breakes of pipeline)
 Once in place, pipelines have a long life and are low
cost in terms of operation, maintenance, and labor
 28

Apr 24, 2025

Pipe………..
 29
Comparison of different modes
Economic characteristics

Modes of transport
Economic
characteri
stics Road Rail Air water Pipeline

Moder
Cost Low High Low Low
ate
Point Terminal Terminal Terminal Terminal
Market
to to to to to
coverage
point terminal terminal terminal terminal
Degree of
Moderat
competitio Many Few Few Few
e
n
Apr 24, 2025
 30
Comparison of diffetent modes
Service characteristics
Modes of transport
Service
characteristic Pipeli
s Road Rail Air water
ne
Speed (time Moderat Moderat
Fast Slow Slow
in transit) e e-Fast
Moderat Moderat
Availability High Low Low
e e
Consistency Moderat Low to
(delivery time High e High moderat High
variability) to high e
Low to
Loss and Moderat
Low Low moderat Low
damage e
e
Flexibility Low to Apr 24, 2025

Moderat Moderat
 31

Physical Elements of transport system Apr 24, 2025

 Infrastructure refers to the fixed parts of a

transportation system (i.e., parts that are static and do
not move). These include:
– Travel ways must be built for rail, pipeline and road
but no need for air and water transport.
– Terminals are required as fixed infrastructure for all
modes

– Stations serve only a subset of the functions served by

terminals. They are primarily points of system exit or
entry. Examples include bus, subway, and railway
stations. A parking garage or a regional airport also
 32

Physical Elements……….(Cont’d) Apr 24, 2025

Travel ways for road transport

Terminal for road transport

 33
Physical Elements ……….
(Cont’d)
Apr 24, 2025

Railway track structure

Station for train

 34
Physical Elements ………. Apr 24, 2025

(Cont’d)

Terminals for air plane (AA airport)

 35
Physical Elements ………. Apr 24, 2025

(Cont’d)

Terminals for ship

 36
Physical Elements ………. Apr 24, 2025

(Cont’d)
 Vehicles are the elements of a transportation
system that move along the travel-way. They
include automobiles, buses, locomotives,
railroad cars, ships, and airplanes.
 Most vehicles are self-propelled (e.g.,
automobiles, locomotives, ships, and
aircraft) and some are without propulsion
(e.g., railroad cars and truck trailers).
 37
Physical Elements ………. (Cont’d)

Apr 24, 2025

 38
Physical Elements ………. (Cont’d) Apr 24, 2025

 Equipment refers to physical components whose main

function is to facilitate the transportation process.
Examples include:
 snowplows,
 railroad track maintenance vehicles, and
 baggage-handling conveyor belts at airports.
 Control involves the elements required to allocate
right-of-way. Allocating right-of-way requires air traffic
control centers, traffic signals, and travel-way signs.
 Communications systems link traffic control centers to
travel-way equipment such as variable message signs,
traffic signals, transit vehicles, air traffic controllers,
and pilots.
 39

Apr 24, 2025

COMPONENTS OF
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
 40

Apr 24, 2025

 41

Apr 24, 2025

 42

Apr 24, 2025

System is developed for their demand. That’s

why we are in “business,” but consider the
difference between public sector and private
sector views of the “customer.” Their needs
(travel time, price, reliability,) should be
considered
 43

Apr 24, 2025

Historical Background and Future Trends of

Transportation
 Inventories

 Development in infrastructure construction and transportation:

 The road history
 Emergence of passenger transport
 Railways
 Bicycle and motor vehicles
 Rise of the motor vehicle
 Changes associated with the motor vehicle
 Demographic changes
 Trip patterns
 Impact on public transport
 Impact on rail freight
 Impact on the environment
 Land use
 Some transport-relevant characteristics
 Development in Infrastructure
Construction and Transportation

 The road in history:

 With walking as “the mode” people rarely reached
more than 40 km in a day on long trips.
 Settlements tended to develop around well-used
resting places 15 to 40 km apart, and with
concentrations at crossing of streams and other focal
spots.
 Until the Industrial Revolution, such settlements rarely
exceeded 45 minutes’ travel by foot from the outskirts
to their centers.
 Emergence of passenger transport
 Passenger transport developed as horse/donkey-
riding, and with the development of wheels → the
coach-transport
 In the 18th century, toll roads were established. Which
resulted in:
1. Skilled road-makers,
2. Development of a road-user payment system,
3. A road network for coach travelling
 And with pneumatic tires and the bituminous asphalt
for street surfacing, the growth accelerated
 Railways
 The first public (horse-drawn) railway in Surrey/England opened 26
July 1803. And in 1825 the first steam-powered.
 The electrification, the development of tracks, and the introduction of
trams (city-rail-transport) was other important stages
 Bicycle and motor vehicle beginnings
 The first bicycle was acknowledged in 1839, but with the boom starting
in the 1870s. And it became a cheap alternative to public transport
 In 1885 the history of the motor vehicle began (ref. Gottlieb Daimler &
Karl Benz)
 Rise of the motor vehicle
 In the 1950s personal incomes began to rise, and with that a
significant increase in car-ownership. (See Figure, next slide)
 A car-dependent lifestyle developed
 Rise of the motor vehicle, continued:
 Increase in vehicle-kilometers per car
 Increase in travel, particularly for non-work purposes
 In several countries the yearly increase in traffic
(travel) is 1 – 3% p.a
 With the development of the road network and the
deregulation of the haulage sector in the 1960s and
1970s, the commercial road vehicles dominate the
freight transport in several countries
Changes Associated with the Motor Vehicle

 Demographic changes.
 Dependency of available transport systems:
• walking = 1-2 km,
• cycling = 3-10 km,
• public transport = 10-30 km,
• car ..
 Reduction in household size
 People moving from large cities to smaller towns
 Increase in driver-licence ownership
 People are living longer, with an increase in the car-usage
among the elderly
 The portion of children taken to school by car is increasing
 Changes Associated with the Motor Vehicle
 Trip patterns, continued:
 If car is an available option for an urban journey, and
the roads are not severely congested and parking is
easy, it tends to be used irrespectively of the level of
public transport fares
 Public transport is more competetive to car in dense
urban areas where road congestion reduces speeds and
parking space is difficult to find
 While the car is convenient for those who have one, the
car-based society is making life more difficult for those
households without a car
Changes Associated with the Motor Vehicle
Impact on public
transport:
 Car availability is
the biggest single
factor affecting
public transport usage
 Buses are the most
important form of
public transport in
most urban areas
Changes Associated with the Motor Vehicle
 Impact on rail freight:
 A reduction, due to the efficiency and flexibility of larger
vehicles (truck/trailer and semi), and door-to-door services

 New developments in manufacturing, with demand for

punctuality, and fast and frequent deliveries are likely to
increase the demand for road-based freight transport

 Remaining rail freight consists of fewer commodities, such

as large units in significant volumes, ore and bulk products, and
containerized goods

 The future of rail freight transport will depend on the ability to

create intermodal solutions
Changes Associated with the Motor Vehicle

 Impact on the environment:

Congestion:
Imposes higher costs (time and monetary cost), reduced
reliability, increased pollution, the use of unsuitable
alternative routes
Measures:
 better integration between land use and transport planning,
 better use of public transport,
 traffic management, variable message systems
 access control, and
 to some extent road building/infrastructure measures.
 an increasing interest in using the price-mechanism through
”road pricing”
Changes Associated with the Motor Vehicle
 Impact on the environment:
 Traffic noise:
• Disturbs sleep, impairs job performance and learning,
hinders social activity, and affects health and quality of life.

• The 24-hour average outdoor noise level should not be

higher than 65 dB(A) to avoid problematic indoor levels

• Measures: legislative, transport/traffic planning, traffic

reduction, noise barriers, sound-proofing of
houses/buildings and measures concerning the production
of cars/vehicle
Changes Associated with the Motor Vehicle
 Impact on the environment:
Emissions:
 Carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen
oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx), hydrocarbons (HC),
lead (Pb), and other particulate matter (PM)
 Impacts on human health and global warming
 Measures:
 improving vehicle and engine design,
 reduction of congestions and improving of traffic flows,
 improve public transport (passenger) and intermodal
transports (freight),
 traffic restraint measures, mobility management
 Changes Associated with the Motor Vehicle
Accidents:
 Categories: Types of injury (personal injury,
fatal accident, material damage), type of mode
(vehicle/cycle/pedestrian, single, more than one
vehicle), type of accident ... and so on.

 Measures: road/land use and systems design,

traffic management and control, vehicle design,
legislative regulations, information and campaigns
Some Transport-relevant Characteristics
 59

Apr 24, 2025

THANK U!