Initiative details
Classic road safety equipment has always been passive, waiting for drivers to lose control, leave the road and suffer an accident against it. In that moment, they are necessary to contain and redirect the vehicle, as well as to reduce its severity and consequences. However, despite their generalized deployment in our roads, we still face deaths and severe injured.
PLUG&META® technology brings a new paradigm for road equipment, allowing the infrastructure to be proactive, to start talking to users and prevent accidents from happening. It also gathers road safety data and events for the road administration.
It is a digital system that can be integrated both into new or existing equipment, for example guardrails, bridge parapets, noise barriers or acoustic wall cladding for tunnels, crash cushions and others.
This worldwide innovation, patented and fully developed by Metalesa, provides active road safety to infrastructure, that is to say, the connected and smart infrastructure will have the capability to autonomous and continuously identify risks on the road (ex: ice, bad visibility, cyclist/pedestrians/animals on the road, excessive speed...) and activate in real time an adaptative LED signalling system to make drivers aware of the risk, and hence, allowing them to anticipate safer decisions. Thanks to PLUG&META® technology, key variables of risk detection, signalling and data collection can be configured from an open intuitive management platform, called PLUG&META® TRACE.
PLUG&META® technology brings a new paradigm for road equipment, allowing the infrastructure to be proactive, to start talking to users and prevent accidents from happening. It also gathers road safety data and events for the road administration.
It is a digital system that can be integrated both into new or existing equipment, for example guardrails, bridge parapets, noise barriers or acoustic wall cladding for tunnels, crash cushions and others.
This worldwide innovation, patented and fully developed by Metalesa, provides active road safety to infrastructure, that is to say, the connected and smart infrastructure will have the capability to autonomous and continuously identify risks on the road (ex: ice, bad visibility, cyclist/pedestrians/animals on the road, excessive speed...) and activate in real time an adaptative LED signalling system to make drivers aware of the risk, and hence, allowing them to anticipate safer decisions. Thanks to PLUG&META® technology, key variables of risk detection, signalling and data collection can be configured from an open intuitive management platform, called PLUG&META® TRACE.
Initiative date
to
Who was/is your target audience?
Children 0-16
Young adults 17-25
Adults
Parents
Seniors
Fleet operators
Car drivers
Car drivers – professional
Emergency services
Public transport
Van drivers
Lorry/truck drivers
Cyclists
Micromobility riders
Powered two wheeler riders (excluding micromobility)
Pedestrians
Topic
Create awareness
Improve vehicles and infrastructure
Organisation details
METALESA SEGURIDAD VIAL
Enterprise
Spain
CARCAIXENT (VALENCIA)
Contact name
CESAR VALERO RUBIO
Telephone number
615652906
cvalero@metalesa.com
Website
Project activities
If you work together with external partners, list the most important partners and briefly describe their role.
- The City of Elche is the owner of the bridge.
- The smart barrier that integrates PLUG&META® technology is a Metalesa development.
- Metalesa will also execute any installation and civil works.
- The smart barrier that integrates PLUG&META® technology is a Metalesa development.
- Metalesa will also execute any installation and civil works.
Please describe the project activities you carried/are carrying out and the time period over which these were implemented.
Bimillenari Bridge is an emblematic access to the Spanish city of Elche (Alicante – Spain). It currently has a non-normative guardrail.
The project intends to withdraw this old barrier and install a new aesthetic, CE marked, urban barrier with connected and smart capabilities. PLUG&META® technology will be plug into Metaurban® barrier to convert it into Metaurban® SMART, a connected and intelligent barrier.
The technological development phase has been under work starting from January 2023. It has achieved the development of up to 6 smart functionalities that accomplish the safety and data needs from Elche City Council administrators.
This road safety needs for the renewed bridge were:
1) automatic detection of vehicle crash against the barrier and real time notification to local authorities.
2) automatic detection of approaching vehicles with excessive speed, and warn both drivers and pedestrians.
3) new pedestrian crossing to improve mobility. Automatic detection of people or animals and warn approaching vehicles.
4) warn users of the combination of both previous things happening at the same time.
5) in winter, possible frost on the road and warn approaching vehicles.
6) configuration of certain time slots to automatically activate signalling and augment prevention, for example, rush hour.
7) air quality detection (CO2 and NO2)
8) manually and remotely activate any kind of light warning to communicate issues to the users
These scenarios will be detected by different sensors and will activate LED luminaires integrated into the barrier as well as vertical backlighted signs.
This technology is integrated into a unique device, which provides a great flexibility and modularity to Elche City Council that can de/activated scenarios, configure any variable and review road safety data and statistics from a web management platform, that has been also developed.
The Metaurban® SMART parapet will be deployed and set in motion during October 2023.
The project intends to withdraw this old barrier and install a new aesthetic, CE marked, urban barrier with connected and smart capabilities. PLUG&META® technology will be plug into Metaurban® barrier to convert it into Metaurban® SMART, a connected and intelligent barrier.
The technological development phase has been under work starting from January 2023. It has achieved the development of up to 6 smart functionalities that accomplish the safety and data needs from Elche City Council administrators.
This road safety needs for the renewed bridge were:
1) automatic detection of vehicle crash against the barrier and real time notification to local authorities.
2) automatic detection of approaching vehicles with excessive speed, and warn both drivers and pedestrians.
3) new pedestrian crossing to improve mobility. Automatic detection of people or animals and warn approaching vehicles.
4) warn users of the combination of both previous things happening at the same time.
5) in winter, possible frost on the road and warn approaching vehicles.
6) configuration of certain time slots to automatically activate signalling and augment prevention, for example, rush hour.
7) air quality detection (CO2 and NO2)
8) manually and remotely activate any kind of light warning to communicate issues to the users
These scenarios will be detected by different sensors and will activate LED luminaires integrated into the barrier as well as vertical backlighted signs.
This technology is integrated into a unique device, which provides a great flexibility and modularity to Elche City Council that can de/activated scenarios, configure any variable and review road safety data and statistics from a web management platform, that has been also developed.
The Metaurban® SMART parapet will be deployed and set in motion during October 2023.
Evaluation
What has been the effect of the activities?
See attached letter of commitment of Elche's City Council.
According to Elche City Council, Bimillenari Bridge is an strategic communication node for the city. It overcomes the ravine of Vinalopo, joining together the north of the city. It is daily used by over 25.000 vehicles, reason that explains why the city has decided to address a this project, with the target of detecting real time any incident that may disturb its normal circulation, so that it can be solved as soon as possible.
Current barrier is old and obsolete. It has proved not to be safe neither for drivers nor pedestrians according to UNE EN 1317 standards. In the last years several accidents have broken it. The new barrier is CE marked according to UNE EN 1317 standards, level of containment N1, which means that it has been tested in laboratory at real scale with a 1.500kg vehicle at 80km/h. It hardly moves: work width W1, dynamic deflection 0,4m and severity index A. Impossible to perform better against a crash, impossible to be safer for drivers. At the same time, it is even better and safer for bikes and pedestrians, because the bridge has sidewalks at both sides which are daily crossed by thousands of people protected by the barrier daily. From now on, their safety will be guaranteed.
Finally, the leading-edge technology to be deployed will bring advanced safety features to the bridge. For example, if any vehicle crashes, the barrier and the vertical signs will immediately switch on its lights preventing other vehicles to impact stopped crashed cars, and send notice to local police or health care authorities. Another example, if a person walks on the pedestrian crossing while a car approaches at a higher speed than permitted, the barrier will immediately switch on its lights letting both of them know of the risk and avoiding the run over. And so on with all risk scenarios.
As already mentioned, any of these alerts or events will be recorded for later analysis and statistics, which will allow Elche’s road authorities to take safer traffic decisions.
According to Elche City Council, Bimillenari Bridge is an strategic communication node for the city. It overcomes the ravine of Vinalopo, joining together the north of the city. It is daily used by over 25.000 vehicles, reason that explains why the city has decided to address a this project, with the target of detecting real time any incident that may disturb its normal circulation, so that it can be solved as soon as possible.
Current barrier is old and obsolete. It has proved not to be safe neither for drivers nor pedestrians according to UNE EN 1317 standards. In the last years several accidents have broken it. The new barrier is CE marked according to UNE EN 1317 standards, level of containment N1, which means that it has been tested in laboratory at real scale with a 1.500kg vehicle at 80km/h. It hardly moves: work width W1, dynamic deflection 0,4m and severity index A. Impossible to perform better against a crash, impossible to be safer for drivers. At the same time, it is even better and safer for bikes and pedestrians, because the bridge has sidewalks at both sides which are daily crossed by thousands of people protected by the barrier daily. From now on, their safety will be guaranteed.
Finally, the leading-edge technology to be deployed will bring advanced safety features to the bridge. For example, if any vehicle crashes, the barrier and the vertical signs will immediately switch on its lights preventing other vehicles to impact stopped crashed cars, and send notice to local police or health care authorities. Another example, if a person walks on the pedestrian crossing while a car approaches at a higher speed than permitted, the barrier will immediately switch on its lights letting both of them know of the risk and avoiding the run over. And so on with all risk scenarios.
As already mentioned, any of these alerts or events will be recorded for later analysis and statistics, which will allow Elche’s road authorities to take safer traffic decisions.
Please briefly explain why your initiative is a good example of improving road safety.
This leading-edge project represents the future of smart roads and connected equipment, which will doubtlessly be connected and smart, levering on PLUG&META® technology to deliver safer conditions to drivers, cyclists and pedestrians in cities and roads.
Road equipment will no longer be passive but active, will be a dynamic agent of an “alive infrastructure”, will be detecting risks 24x7 and autonomously in order to activate its adaptative signalling and let people know to avoid accidents or run overs.
Additionally, the system will be continuously gathering data and statistics of detected risks, which will allow authorities to modify road or traffic conditions to safer ones, being able to confirm if such changes have effect.
Road equipment will no longer be passive but active, will be a dynamic agent of an “alive infrastructure”, will be detecting risks 24x7 and autonomously in order to activate its adaptative signalling and let people know to avoid accidents or run overs.
Additionally, the system will be continuously gathering data and statistics of detected risks, which will allow authorities to modify road or traffic conditions to safer ones, being able to confirm if such changes have effect.
How have you shared information about your project and its results?
Elche municipality will use all its communication platforms (press conference, website, social network and media…) to let its inhabitants know of this breakthrough project, the first in Europe, an initiative to be proud of and visit. Such milestone is expected to have a massive impact and be on national press, radio, TV and Internet media for a long time.
Metalesa will equally use all its communication platforms and association memberships to expand knowledge of this project.
Metalesa will equally use all its communication platforms and association memberships to expand knowledge of this project.