Loading...
2 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
- Multicultural education in civil engineering: planning and transportation approachPublication . Santos, Bertha; Virtudes, Ana L.; Gonçalves, Jorge; Amin, ShohelThis article aims to present a comparative analysis of the practices of the University of Beira Interior in Covilhã (Portugal) and the Coventry University in the United Kingdom in terms of learning and teaching methodologies in a multicultural environment (including teachers’ international experiences and students’ backgrounds). The research is focused on the spatial planning and transportation engineering approaches, on the behalf of the Master Degree in Civil Engineering. A pivotal attention will be put at the use of information and communication technologies aiming to improve the students’ digital literacy and their required level of internationalization. Regarding the experience of the University of Beira Interior the conclusions show that its multicultural environment is essential a result of the presence of students from the Portuguese speaking countries (African countries, Brazil or East Timor). However, they are the basis of one of the main challenges in terms of teaching methodologies related to their lack of skills in English language. Coventry University has been experiencing the similar multicultural diversity enrolling postgraduate students at its MSc in Highways and Transportation Engineering course. Unalike to University of Beira Interior, Coventry University admitting students from Africa, Asia, Middle East and Europe with multilingual students. Among the common aspects in between both universities there are the organization of talks and seminars inviting experts in Civil Engineering domains and the public dissemination of research findings by students. These teaching methodologies allow the students to contact with other scientific, technical and cultural realities, preparing them for an international context.
- Evaluation of Pedestrian Crossing Accidents Using Artificial Neural NetworkPublication . Santos, Bertha; Gonçalves, Jorge; Amin, Shohel ; Vieira, Sandra Cristina Gil ; Lopes, Carlos Manuel Valença MartinsMost of European cities face increasing problems caused by excessive traffic of conventional fuel-based transport modes. To reverse this situation, sustainable urban mobility policies have been promoting soft modes of transport, such as walking. Despite the advantages of walking in reducing traffic congestion and pollution, cities have not always evolved to accommodate the needs of pedestrians. According to the European Commission, in 2020, 20% of road fatalities in the European Union (EU) and 21% in Portugal were pedestrian. Pedestrian fatality rates per million population was 9.7 for all EU countries and 13.1 for Portugal. In European and Portuguese urban areas, 36% and 27% of the fatalities were pedestrians’ and 49% and 56% of all pedestrian fatalities were elderly’s (respectively). In pedestrian infrastructures, crossings are considered the most critical element due to conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians. It is then essential to identify and minimize risk factors that increase the probability of accidents in these locations. The proposed work intends to assess this challenge by using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to create pedestrian severity prediction models and identify road and pedestrian risk factors for accident occurred in or near urban crossings. The official Portuguese database on run over pedestrian accidents occurred between 2017–2021 was analyzed with ANN considering two scenarios: pre-Covid-19 and during Covid-19 period. Results obtained demonstrate that the use of ANN can promote a proactive infrastructure management, suggesting that crossings traffic lights operation, lighting, shoulders and pavement conditions, high speed limits (51–90 km/h) and pedestrians moving in soft modes are critical factors.