Minimizing Shadow Area in Mountain Roads for Improving the Sustainability of Infrastructures

Abstract

The lack of sunlight on mountain roads in the wintertime leads to an increase in accidents. In this paper, a methodology is presented for the use of sunny and shady areas to be included as a parameter in road design. The inclusion of this parameter allows for the design of an iterative method for the projected infrastructures. The parameterization of the road layout facilitates the possibility of applying an iterative process of modifying the geometric elements that constitute it, examining different layout alternatives until a layout is achieved in which the surface area in the shady area is minimized, increasing the road safety and minimizing environmental impact. The methodology has been defined, generating and analyzing the results of the solar lighting study using a file in IFC format capable of integrating with the rest of the design elements (platform, signaling, structures, etc.) and thus obtaining a BIM format which allows the model to be viewed in three dimensions and moves towards 4D and 5D. The model used for the study was a high mountain road located in the province of Teruel (Spain). It is a road section characterized by successive curves in which several traffic accidents have occurred due to running off the road, partly because of the presence of ice on the platform.