WHAT IS FIDIC?

FIDIC– stands for “Fédération Internationale des Ingénieurs Conseils”

FIDIC’s Headquarter is based in Geneva, Switzerland

THE PARTIES IN A FIDIC CONTRACT

·         Contracting Authority/ Employer

·         Contractor – Contract between Employer & Contractor under Red/ Yellow FIDIC

·         Engineer – Contract between Employer & Engineer

·         Engineer to administer FIDIC Contract on behalf of Employer

FIDIC CONDITIONS OF CONTRACT  -TYPES OF MANUALS

FIDIC “NEW RED BOOK”:

The Conditions of Contract for Construction:

“Which are recommended for building or engineering works designed by the Employer, or by his representative, the Engineer. Under the usual arrangements for this type of contract, the Contractor constructs the works in accordance with a design provided by the Employer. However, the works may include some elements of Contractor – designed, civil, mechanical, electrical and/or construction works”

FIDIC “NEW YELLOW BOOK”

Conditions of Contract for Plant Design – Build

“Which are recommended for the provision of electrical and mechanical plant, and for the design and execution of building or engineering works. Under the usual arrangements for this type of contract, the Contractor designs and produces, in accordance with the Employer’s Requirements, plant and/or other works; which may include any combination of civil, mechanical, electrical and/or construction works”.

FIDIC “NEW SILVER BOOK”

Conditions of Contract for EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction)/ Turnkey Projects

“Which may be suitable for the provision on a turnkey basis of a process or power plant or factory or similar facility, or of an infrastructure project or other type of development, where (i) a higher degree of certainty of firm price and time is required, and (ii) the Contractor takes total responsibility for the design and execution of the project, with little involvement of the Employer. Under the usual arrangements for turnkey projects, the Contractor carries out all engineering, procurement, and construction epc: providing a fully equipped facility, ready for operation at the “turn of a key”.

FIDIC “NEW GREEN BOOK” – THE “MINI-RED BOOK”

Short Form of Contract.

“Which is recommended for building or engineering works of relatively small capital value. Depending on the type of work and circumstances, this form may also be suitable for contracts of greater value, particularly for relatively simple or repetitive work or work of short duration. Under the usual arrangements for this type of contract, the Contractor constructs the works in accordance with a design provided by the Employer or his representative (if any), but this form may also be suitable for a contract which includes, or wholly comprises, Contractor-designed civil, mechanical, electrical and/or construction works".

 

FIDIC “PINK BOOK” -HARMONISED CONDITIONS OF CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTIONS

Issued after several Multilateral Development Banks (MDB) agreed on certain modifications for some Clauses, for better reflecting their financing principles. Used for construction and engineering works, designed by the Employer (as in the Red Book)

Allows the Bank to suspend payments to Borrower – Sub-Clauses 2.4, 14.7 and 16.1

Engineer’s Authority may be unilaterally changed by the Employer – Sub-Clause 3.1

Modifications concerning selection and activity of DAB

BASIC PRINCIPLES AND SELECTION OF FIDIC DOCUMENTS – NEW RED BOOK

Design primarily undertaken by Employer or his agent

Works are to be re-measured

Employer appoints Engineer to administer contract on his behalf

An engineer has the power to vary works, but not change a contract

DAB appointed within 28 days of commencement date and has powers to resolve any dispute and change “determinations” of Engineer

BASIC PRINCIPLES AND SELECTION OF FIDIC DOCUMENTS - NEW YELLOW BOOK

The Employer provides project requirements as defined under item “Employer’s Requirements” (ER)

The “ER” is the basis for the contractor to design and build the project. Errors within the “ER” are the liability of the Employer.

The contract is for a fixed sum and not re-measured.

The contract is administered on behalf of the Employer by the Engineer,

Provision is made for variations by the Engineer.

The general conditions (clauses 1 to 20), except clauses 5 & 12, are principally the same as the red book.

 

SELECTION OF FIDIC DOCUMENTS – RISK MANAGEMENT

All contracts contain risks for both Contracting Authorities/ Employers and Contractors – There is no risk-free contract

FIDIC attempts to rationalize and allocate responsibilities for main risks

A key requirement is for the Contract Parties to fully understand the FIDIC General and Particular Conditions of Contract that set out their Responsibilities and Risks within a Project

Every risk given to the other party has its cost, no Party assumes a risk for free.

 MAIN DIFFERENCES FROM PREVIOUS FIDIC EDITIONS

The Engineer is no longer to act impartially but is acknowledged to be the representative of the Employer

The Contractor is entitled to require the Employer to provide proof of funds availabilityDisputes Adjudication Board (DAB)

Futuristic Forms Of Transportation We Could See Soon

Planes, trains, and automobiles may have carried us through the 20th century, but these days, they’re old news. The transportation of the future will be more along the lines of magnetic levitation, jetpacks, and zip lines that fit in a backpack and they could be here sooner than you think.

Hyperloop

Picture this: A brilliant billionaire designs the innovative all-electric car, founds a company to resupply the International Space Station, and invents a super-successful alternative banking system. It may sound like the next summer blockbuster, but it’s real life. Elon Musk is the founder of Tesla Motors, SpaceX, and PayPal, and now he’s revolutionizing public transport. He recently unveiled his idea for an ultra-fast, city-to-city transport system that could get you from San Francisco to Los Angeles in just 35 minutes. Hyperloop is described as an elevated steel tube containing aluminum capsules that would travel at speeds over 1,200 kilometers per hour (760 mph), ferrying cars as well as people. Oh, and it would all be powered by solar energy.

The major drawback? The price tag. Musk estimates that Hyperloop would cost $70 billion just to get started. The final expenditure could be a mind-boggling $100 billion. But Hyperloop also has its critics. Many complain that the system is too expensive, too impractical, even too slow.

Nevertheless, the plan is rolling ahead. A start-up named Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Inc. has published a timeline projecting the completion of a Hyperloop prototype in the first quarter of 2015. Only time will tell if this is actually feasible, but who knows? The future could be here sooner than we think.

Nuclear-Powered Cars

Even though everybody seems to be terrified of nuclear energy these days, it could very well be a huge part of our future. And there’s one American company that’s powering headlong into the radioactive transportation business. For years, Laser Power Systems (LPS) has been touting the benefits of thorium, a radioactive element that’s largely responsible for generating the heat at the center of the Earth.

While nations are busy researching thorium for use in nuclear power plants, LPS has a more direct goal: They plan to build a car engine that’s powered by a single, small chunk of the radioactive material. The engine would work by focusing the heat given off by the thorium and using it to turn water into steam, spinning a series of microturbines to generate electricity. Thorium is incredibly dense, which means it holds a lot of energy—an eight-gram nugget would be able to power a car for over 100 years. In other words, you would never have to shell out another penny for gas. Now that’s a future we can all get behind.

Supercavitation

In the world of nautical engineering, no idea is picking up speed faster than supercavitation. Supercavitation is an effect created when a layer of gas bubbles is formed around an object inside a liquid (imagine the submerged hull of a boat surrounded by bubbles). The gas reduces friction by up to 900 times less than the normal amount, allowing the object to move much more quickly than normal through the water.

It goes without saying that a supercavitating boat would be a tremendous asset to any navy fleet. In addition to its high speeds with relatively low fuel expenditure, its speed and shape would make it difficult for sonar to detect. It could even outrun torpedoes. Juliet Marine Systems, a private company in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is trying to make such a boat. Called the GHOST, it is intended for defense—protecting naval vessels, and fending off pirates who might try to attack commercial ships. It could also be an efficient ferry, particularly when moving troops to enemy shores.

The Martin Jetpack

One of TIME magazine’s Top 50 Inventions for 2010 has been called “the world’s first practical jetpack.” Yes, that iconic space-age vehicle is no longer just a figment of your average sci-fi writer’s imagination. Glenn Martin, a New Zealander with a vision, has been working on his jetpack design for over 30 years, and it’s finally nearly ready for commercial sale.

The Martin Jetpack is powered by ducted fans and can fly for up to 30 minutes at a time. It has a maximum speed of just under 74 kilometers per hour (46 mph), and can reach altitudes of 900 meters (3,000 feet). Imagine gliding along nearly a kilometer above the ground, powered by nothing more than the pack on your back. It’s a reality that’ll come first to firefighters and emergency teams, as the Martin Jetpack is currently being developed for use as a first responder vehicle. But don’t worry: It should be available for personal use by sometime in mid-2014—for those who have a spare $200,000.

Velo-City

It would be nice to bike to work every day, but let’s face it—it’s a lot of effort. Well, soon it might get a little bit easier. In 2006, Toronto unveiled plans for a “high-speed, all-season, pollution-free, ultra-quiet transit system that makes people healthier.” In other words, a bike path on steroids. Designed by Toronto architect Chris Hardwicke, the idea was to build an elevated, three-lane tube for bikes. The tubes would be separated by direction, allowing for air circulation that would create a tailwind. Bikers’ efficiency could be improved by as much as 90 percent, and they could reach speeds of 50 kilometers per hour (31 mph). Velo-city, as the project is called, would also be ideal for cold-weather climates, as bikers would be protected from the elements.

Although there was a lot of excitement when the idea was first proposed, velo-city was eventually shelved due to lack of funding. However, although it may be gone for now, it’s not forgotten. Perhaps we’ll have bicycles whizzing comfortably above our heads in the near future.

Next

We’ve all heard about Google’s self-driving car. But have you heard about Next? Part taxi, part Segway, part origami construction with an emphasis on social interaction, Next has to be seen to be understood. Essentially, designer Tommaso Gecchelin envisions a world in which you use your smartphone to call Next, and a self-driving module comes to pick you up. You slide into the configurable seat, and the doors close. Your module scoots along on four wheels until it meets up with a group of other modules.

Then the magic happens: Your seat stays upright, while around you the module rears up on two wheels to connect to the group. A panel opens, and suddenly you have the impression of sitting on a bus or a train. Modules can split off as easily as they join on. As you approach your destination, your module unhooks itself to drop you off seamlessly.

It’s a fantastic idea. Unfortunately, we’ve got a long way to go before we’re ready for Next. In his design plans, Gecchelin outlines the timeline of technologies that have to be developed or improved before Next can feasibly be built. That includes the production of cheap nanomaterials, a consumer self-driving car, a high-capacity battery, and high-capacity, cheap solar panels. All in all, Gecchelin figures we won’t be ready for Next until at least 2025.

Kolelinio

Believe it or not, a zip-line commute could soon become reality with Kolelinio, a concept put forth by Martin Angelov at the TEDx conference in Thessaloniki in 2010. Angelov envisions a network of wires crisscrossing the skies, allowing people to zip from place to place. As he points out, we drive vehicles that can weigh 20 times more than our own bodies, and our roads are expensive to build.

His idea would do away with that, as well as contribute to a greener transportation infrastructure. Travelers using Kolelinio would fasten themselves into a battery-powered seat dangling from a taut steel wire and go whizzing along, staying close to the ground in pedestrian zones and rising higher in areas with traffic.

There are a few drawbacks, however. Kolelinio offers no protection against bad weather, it’s obviously not ideal for people with a fear of heights, and there are a lot of questions about safety. Nevertheless, it’s an innovative idea, and we’ll keep crossing our fingers that someone decides to make it real sometime soon.

Skylon

The Skylon is being touted as the successor of the Concorde, the plane that traveled faster than sound but was retired nearly 10 years ago. In 2013, the United Kingdom announced plans to spend more than $90 million developing the Skylon, a super-fast plane that could travel at five times the speed of sound and break out of the Earth’s orbit to travel in outer space. It would be able to take off from any runway in the world and could bring 300 passengers from London to Sydney in four hours. Or it could be used to drop off a load of up to 15,000 kilograms (33,000 lb) in outer space—at the International Space Station, for example.

Development has only just begun, and there are some formidable obstacles to overcome. John Hansman, the head of MIT’s International Center for Air Transportation, says, “It looks great from a science fiction standpoint, but it’s really, really tough to do.” Additionally, the $90-million figure is just the beginning—final costs could amount to more than a billion dollars.

However, many scientists and science journalists are optimistic about the project. And if everything goes according to plan, a prototype will be ready by 2017, with the real deal following just a couple years later. After that? “Access to space, access to anywhere in the world within four hours is on the cards,” says Alan Bond, the founder of Reaction Engines, the company behind the Skylon’s propulsion system.

SCARAB

Say hello to the Harley Davidson’s time-traveling nephew. This concept vehicle is sleek and streamlined and vaguely motorcycle-shaped, but it’s also enclosed, with plenty of room for luggage, and it’s powered by either battery, biofuel, or a fuel cell. You can drive it manually, but it can also navigate itself on certain dedicated pathways. Oh, and it’s city-friendly: It drives on four wheels but tilts up on two for easy parking. On top of all that, it’s collapsible.

Designer David Miguel Moreira Goncalves had the urban environment in mind when he drew up his plans. He said in his original report that “the aim of this project was to develop guidelines and a holistic solution for a new system of urban transport, composed of vehicle and infrastructure, in a sustainable way and adaptable to various urban environments.” In other words, he noticed that people prefer personal vehicles over public transportation, so he tried to come up with something easy and environmentally friendly that could still be individualized.

No SCARABs have been built yet, but we’re hopeful that sometime in the near future we’ll be able to hop into one of those babies and go for a hip, eco-friendly spin.

SkyTran

Tel Aviv, Israel is in the heart of the Fertile Crescent, the ancient cradle of civilization. But it’s anything but outdated. Tel Aviv is a vibrant, bustling, 24-hour city—with a major traffic problem. That’s why they’ve set themselves the goal of building aerial magnetic public transportation in the near future. They’re calling it SkyTran. As with many other futuristic transport ideas, the designers of this one had their sights set on the clouds. SkyTran will run on metal tracks six meters (20 ft) above the ground, although they won’t actually be “on” the tracks: The pod-like cars will hang below the tracks, floating along nearly friction-free thanks to maglev (magnetic levitation) technology.

Passengers will be able to use a smartphone app to call a car to the nearest station (picture a staircase going up to a simple platform). Cars can run independently and will take riders as close to their destination as tracks allow. According to SkyTran’s CEO, Jerry Sanders, a SkyTran ride will cost a little more than a bus, but less than a comparable distance in a taxi. Additionally, once solar panels are installed, the SkyTran system will be energy neutral.

SkyTran will be capable of speeds of up to 241 kilometers per hour (150 mph), but it will run slower, at least at first, as riders get used to the idea.

It sounds like something out of a 1950s comic book and, to be honest, the aerodynamic car shape looks like it, too. But maybe we’ll all take a leaf out of Tel Aviv’s book and start zooming around the skies like the Jetsons. The future is now, after all.

Women shop more than Men - A Sterotype

It is a general perception the world over that women shop more than men but what if I tell you this perception isn't fully valid especially in case of metropolitan like Karachi.

Reading this some might think that this article is pro-feminism but let me assure you if anything this blog is pro to it is pure, authentic, simple and transparent engineering concepts and findings, so buckle up as I'm about to present you the findings of our recent traffic analysis that took place at one of Pakistan's leading Super-mart. yes, exactly the one you are thinking about right now.

The aforementioned graph is the result of a week-long headcount on the store branch located at Tariq Road. Tt is evident from the graph the out of the 100% visitors male customers have the highest percentage i.e 59%  all the rest account for only 41% out of which female customers makes the second highest percentage i.e 31%.

But it is unwise to pen any result because maybe the dynamics of Tariq road vicinity are different than the rest of Karachi

To validate the findings and the have more sound data for the purpose another survey was conducted

This graph consist of a week's worth of head count data of Malir cantonment branch of the store.
it is evident from the graph that out of the 100% visitors male customers have the highest percentage i.e 57% all the rest account for only 43% out of which female customers makes the second highest percentage i.e 29%.
Only a variation of exactly 2% of both the genders from the previous data, coincidence ?. No, but a valid finding.

Hence the stereotype is invalid, baseless and untrue. Therefore, "Men shop more than Women"

What is Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) and why it is important?

What is NMT?

When you listen to the word traffic the first this that comes to your mind is vehicular traffic i.e car, motorcycle, bus, truck etc. but what if I tell you there is more to it, the internet signals travelling through a fibre optic cable, the movement of wind or the movement of sand particles, movement of products on a conveyor belt in a factory etc. all  the elements that travel and cover any distance cause traffic.

In this blog, I will be covering briefly one of the most unpopular branches namely Non-Motorised Transport (NMT). Non-motorized transport includes all the modes of transport that do not work on any sort of motor. some of the major NMT's are mentioned below

• By Walk 
• Motorcycle
• Bicycle
• Wheel Chair (any support vehicle for the disables)

Why it is Important?

Owning a car is a dream of every man for some it is Mehran and for some, it is Lamborghini the point is no matter what socio-economic background a person belongs to, owning a car is a dream of every person. This individual dream has lead to a collective disaster in form of congestion, air pollution, and noise pollution. No matter how much supply you provide the demand will always outflow the supply.
To put a leash on this rampant wolf introduction of regulated NMT is necessary.

This is exactly what the Enrique Peñalosa the mayor of Bogota did, by introducing NMT and expelling all the MT's but mass transit on the congested routes and set a model for the whole world to follow.

Being the trendsetter Envision Engineering is one of the very few consultancies in Pakistan to ever provide an NMT guideline that too for the leading and well-known medical institution.

follow us on:
Instagram:envision_engineering
Snapchat: envision-eng
Twitter
Facebook

Intercontinental Bridges and Tunnels

The ability to drive or hop a train from Alaska to Russia, or from London to New York, is one that will fascinate many. It shouldn’t, though, because it might be possible in the future, thanks to a series of proposals to build bridges and underwater tunnels that would link continents. This doesn’t mean that we presently can’t drive from one continent to another. Turkey is located in both Europe and Asia and has three bridges and a tunnel to allow movement to and from its European and Asian regions. Here are ten more proposed bridges and tunnels to link other continents that are identified as distinct landmasses.

Saudi-Egypt Causeway

Asia And Africa

The Saudi-Egypt causeway is a proposed bridge that would link Egypt with Saudi Arabia. It would include both road and rail networks and would be built over the Red Sea. While its exact location remains in doubt, some believe it will be built between Nabq, Egypt, and Ras Alsheikh Hamid, Saudi Arabia, which are the closest points between both countries, while making a detour at the Saudi island of Tiran. Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdel Aziz hinted at the intention to build the bridge during a state visit to Egypt in 2013. According to Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the bridge would be named “King Salman bin Abdel Aziz Bridge,” after the king. Saudi Arabia’s plans to build the bridge, which is estimated to cost $3–4 billion, is more of politics than necessity. The kingdom simply wants to prove to its regional rival, Iran, that it maintains a strong relationship with Egypt. Besides building the bridge, Saudi will also fund Egypt’s oil needs for five years.

Bridge of The Horns

Asia And Africa

The Bridge of the Horns is a proposed bridge that will link Djibouti, which neighbors Somalia in the Horn of Africa, with Yemen. When completed, it will have six lanes for vehicles and a railroad for trains. Its construction was proposed by Tarek Bin Laden Construction, which is owned by the eponymous half-brother of the infamous Al-Qaeda kingpin. Critics have criticized the construction of the 28.5-kilometer (17.7 mi) bridge, which was initially estimated to cost $70 billion, for its high cost and supposedly poor choice of location, which is an earthquake-prone zone. In 2008, Djibouti’s then–prime minister Dileita Mohamed Dileita denied his government’s involvement in the proposed bridge, saying the project “fell on them from the sky.”However, preliminary works for the bridge’s construction have been completed, and construction is being planned. It will be funded by the Noor City Development Corporation of Dubai, which will also build two cities called Al Noor (City of Light) on both sides of the bridge. There are also plans to build an airport and an extensive road network that will lead from Yemen’s Al Noor to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. This means it would be possible to travel from Africa to Dubai by road. The Bridge of the Horns is estimated to open in 2020 at the cost of $20 billion.

Bering Strait Tunnel

Asia And North America

There have been several proposals to link Siberia with Alaska. The first of such proposals were made in the 1890s when engineer Joseph Strauss proposed the construction of a railroad between Russia and Alaska. Tsar Nicholas II of Russia accepted a similar proposal in 1907, but it never came to fruition due to the outbreak of World War I. The proposal was reawakened in 2011. This time, it is a 105-kilometer underground tunnel that will be called the Bering Strait Tunnel.

The Bering Strait Tunnel would be a network of three tunnels: one to travel from Russia to Alaska, another to travel from Alaska to Russia, and a third in between, which will be reserved for emergencies and will have entry and exit points with the other tunnels. Each of the two main tunnels will have two railroads, one for high-speed trains and another for slower trains, as well as one or two lanes for vehicles. There will also be pipelines for water, gas, oil, and fiber-optic cables. The Bering Strait Tunnel is estimated to cost about $35 billion and would take 12 to 15 years to complete if approved for construction.

Sicily-Tunisia Tunnel

Europe And Africa

The proposed Sicily-Tunisia tunnel would link mainland Italy with Tunisia via Sicily. The proposal involves the construction of a 3.3-kilometer (2.1 mi) bridge to link Reggio Calabria in mainland Italy with Messina in Sicily. Then, Sicily and Tunisia will be linked by a network of Five Underground Tunnels. Four of the tunnels will have traffic moving in opposite directions, while the fifth will be reserved for emergencies.

Researchers at the Italian Agency for Alternative Energies have called on the governments of both countries to build four artificial islands between Tunisia and Sicily with the rocks excavated from the tunnels. They estimated the project to cost $28 billion.

China-Russia-Canada-America Line

Asia And North America

The China-Russia-Canada-America line is a proposed railroad that will run from China through Russia, Alaska, and Canada before ending in the mainland United States. Russia and Alaska will be linked by a 201-kilometer (125 mi) underwater tunnel in the Bering Strait. China claims that constructing the tunnel will not be a problem, as it already possesses the required technology, which it will use to build the Fujian-Taiwan underwater railroad that will link China with Taiwan. Information regarding the plans was revealed by Wang Mengshu of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. No other government official has confirmed the project, and it is unclear whether China has consulted Russia, Canada, and the US regarding it. If the railroad is ever built, it would take two days to travel from China to the United States.

Transatlantic Tunnel

Europe And North America

The Transatlantic Tunnel is a proposed underwater railroad that would link New York with London, Paris, or Brussels. It was proposed by Ernst Frankel and the late Frank Davidson, who worked on the Channel Tunnel (aka the “Chunnel”) that links England with France. The Transatlantic Tunnel would be built under the surface of the Atlantic Ocean and would be anchored to the seabed by spring-loaded wires. Exactly how far below the surface the tunnel it would depend on how much the North Atlantic warms in the future and thus how many icebergs would be present. If constructed, the tunnel would feature super-fast magnetic-levitation trains that would shuttle between London and New York in just four hours. However, the project has been criticized for its high cost (almost $200 billion) as well as the problems associated with running a 5,600-kilometre-long (3,500 mi) tube across the ocean. According to the Discovery Channel’s Extreme Engineering, the Transatlantic Tunnel won’t be a reality anytime soon because the required funds and technology will not be available before the year 2099.

Darien Gap Highway

North and South America

Guinness World Records recognizes the Pan-American Highway, which stretches from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, as the world’s longest road network. The highway is not a single highway but rather the interlinked highways of several North and South American countries. Yet, it is impossible to drive from North America to South America, specifically at the border between Panama and Colombia, which is covered by a thick jungle called the Darien Gap. Previous attempts to build a highway across the gap have met brick walls in the form natives and conservationists who claim that the highway will destroy the forest. One plan to build a US-funded highway across the gap was thwarted in 1974, and another that was made in 1992 was abandoned. Today, road travelers bypass the gap by either boarding a boat or airplane, although an expedition crossed it in a Land Rover in 1959. But this is almost impossible today thanks to the presence of criminals and drug traffickers in the vast jungle. One proposal to bypass the gap and still have a road network that will connect North and South America is the construction of an underwater tunnel between Panama and Colombia.

Gibraltar Tunnel

Europe And Africa

Proposals to build an underwater tunnel through the Strait of Gibraltar to link Europe with Africa have been in the works since 1930 when Spanish engineers proposed a 32-kilometer (20 mi) tunnel from Spain to North Africa. Spain and Morocco are currently working on building such a tunnel, which will be called the Gibraltar Tunnel. The two countries’ closest points are just 14 kilometers (9 mi) apart. In fact, it is possible to see the coastline of one country from the other. But the tunnel will not pass through this narrow route because of the presence of hardened rock underneath. Rather, it will run from Cape Malabata, Morocco, to Punta Paloma, Spain, a distance of 28 kilometers (17 mi). The tunnel itself will be 40 kilometers (25 mi) long because of bends. The tunnel is estimated to cost €6.5–13 billion, and both countries have applied for funding from the European Union. Before settling for the tunnel, both countries proposed building a bridge but abandoned the idea over concerns that it might not withstand the wind and water currents of the region.

Intercontinental Peace Bridge

Asia and North America

The Intercontinental Peace Bridge is a proposed 88-kilometer-long (55 mi) bridge to link Siberia and Alaska. It was proposed by award-winning structural engineer T.Y. Lin during the Cold War and would be built over the Bering Strait. Lin was so serious about the bridge that he gave President Ronald Reagan a 16-page pamphlet detailing his plans for the bridge in 1986. This move internationalized his idea and won him some fans and critics. He renewed his proposal in 1994 when he upgraded his plans to include a pipeline network to transport oil and gas from Russia to North America. His revised proposal came after Russia turned its attention to the vast, untapped oilfields of Siberia. The Intercontinental Peace Bridge is not Lin’s only proposal to link two continents. He also proposed the construction of a bridge over the Strait of Gibraltar to link Spain and Morocco.

Trans Global Highway

Worldwide

The Trans-Global Highway is a proposed highway to link all the continents of the world. It was proposed by Frank Didik. It is not a new highway but rather the standardization and connection of existing highways and the construction of new highways and tunnels where necessary. If the proposal is ever realized, it would be possible to travel around the world by road. Besides the road, the highway would have pipelines for oil, gas, water, and communication cables. Didik believes that the only hindrance to the achievement of the Trans Global Highway is the hatred among various neighboring states, which will refuse to maintain road networks to their neighboring enemies.

Intelligent Transportation System

Intelligent Transportation System

A parking management approach

As human race is advancing day by day convenience is becoming part and parcel of our daily life. What used to be luxury few decades ago now is a commodity of a common man. Similar is the case of the automobile industry the average car that would take months on the assembly line now gets done in just a day even hours hence saving time and increasing supply resulting in affordable cars. Not only this but leasing schemes offered by banks have also added to the convenience in acquiring a vehicle. This ever-increasing number of vehicles on road is causing a plethora of traffic problems out of which the only transfiguration in Parking realm will be further discussed in this blog.

Usually, the facilities may it be recreational, institutional or educational do not have flexible parking space that can be expanded over time. Yes, in some cases the vertical expansion can be done in open lots but that is not usually a feasible solution in most cases.

The most feasible solution is the management of existing parking place to utilize it to its full extent. The question arises how to manage? For that, there are many possible solutions, but the most optimal solution is to manage with the help of an intelligent traffic system.

ITS in Parking

In Urban facilities, it is hellacious and vexatious to find a parking place because of either insufficient parking capacity or insufficient use of existing parking capacity. 90% of the time it is because of insufficient use of existing parking capacity and the remaining 10% it is because of both.

To solve the aforementioned problems Demand management of parking is mandatory and for that purpose, ITS must be implemented.

Parking Demand Management

Demand reduction and supply increment are two widely used methods for demand management. However, another efficient method for demand management is demand control. Demand control is a cost-effective method and demonstrates immediate lasting effects.

The objective of demand control is usually achieved by discouraging the targeted audience by introducing different control measures like introducing Charged Parking and issuing gate passes (RFID Cards). Charged parking and gate pass will automatically reduce unnecessary users visiting a facility resulting in an increment in the available capacity of parking lots. All this can be regulated and managed by Implementation of ITS.

Envision Engineering since its inception have always believed in use of latest technology for resolving issues pertaining Transportation Realm and therefore have successfully designed a PMS based on ITS that has been proposed to be installed in Pakistan’s one of the best Medical Institutions.

 For quires contact us at  faiq@envisionengineering.org 

follow us on:
Instagram:envision_engineering
Snapchat: envision-eng
Twitter
Facebook

FootFall Analysis

In today's world footfall analysis is a basic parameter to judge or ascertain whether the business will be a success or a failure.

What actually footfall is?  

footfall is the measure of the foot that falls over a property or a business i.e how many people visit a certain business or a facility.

How can we estimate footfall ? 

There are many technologies involved in estimation of footfall some of them are listed below:

• Cellphone data tracking 
• Count meters/sensors at the entrance and exit gate 
• Counting via Video 

the acquired data from the above survey techniques is then subjected to various algorithms to estimate footfall.

Is it possible to estimate footfall of a facility that is not yet constructed?

The world over footfall is estimated from physically existent and operational facilities but it does not mean if the world is not doing it we cannot do it. when it comes to engineering it has no bounds and limits.

Envision Engineering delivered a project in May 2018 in which we estimated the footfall of an international standard facility The unique factor of this project is the estimation of footfall of the site which is non-existent and is a combination of various facilities within which includes the following 

• Amusement Park 
• Resort
• Multi-purpose Complex
• Cinema

extensive surveys and analysis in 4 major cities of Sindh were done in this project some of which are listed below:

• Household survey 
• Reconnaissance survey 
• Similar area survey 
• Social survey 
• Condition survey
• Occupancy survey  
• Headcount survey  
• Cinema survey 
• Resort condition survey 
• Resort management survey 
• Amusement Park condition survey  
• Amusement Park Management survey 

With the help of the aforementioned surveys and their analyses footfall was estimated of each and every facility of the project which is not even constructed yet.  

For quires contact us at  faiq@envisionengineering.org 

follow us on:
Instagram:envision_engineering
Snapchat: envision-eng
Twitter
Facebook