BEST PRACTICE CASE STUDY
KEY TRAFFIC SYSTEMS
About INDEX
INDEX (Innovation Delivers Expansion) is a unique demand-led innovation voucher scheme led that invites Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to apply for a voucher to purchase academic support from one of the 13 Higher Education Institutions in the West Midlands. The project is funded by Advantage West Midlands (AWM), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Innovation Vouchers allow SMEs to purchase academic expertise knowledge to develop their innovation and enhance their business.
The Innovation Voucher scheme aims to build links between Universities and SMEs to create a demand led approach to innovation.ABOUT THE BUSINESS: Key Traffic Systems
Website: www.keytraffic.com
Main Contact: Jeremy Ellis
Key Traffic Systems Ltd is the UK market leader in software solutions for Highways and Traffic Management, with over 20 years experience. Since July of 1998, Key Traffic Systems has operated as an independent member of the Key Systems Group.
KTS offer a comprehensive range of Computer Aided Design and Database Applications for Traffic Engineering, Road Safety, Street Lighting and Highways Maintenance Engineering.INNOVATION
Innovation (4) Automotive, Transport and Transport Systems
THE BUSINESS CHALLENGE
Key Traffic Systems were looking to develop a piece of software that allowed Engineering Companies and Local Government Authorities to produce structural designs for road sign installations. This included a specification for clips, channel(s), post(s) and foundation block(s).
The system was required to be capable of calculating a complete suggested installation design, based on choice of individual components, providing also a costing for each where the pricing data for equipment was available. The suggested installation design was calculated to show an overall factor of safety (minimum 1.4), and post usage factors (maximum 1.0). It also allowed users to input/tweak the design criteria, and calculate suitability of user choices from a structural perspective. The software needed to allow for designs using a variety of posts, for example circular and rectangular steel, ‘Lattix’, Jerol (fibre glass) posts, and installations in sloped ground, and cantilevered assemblies.
Calculated results apply to general structural engineering principles and to the European harmonised standards BS EN 12899-1:2007 and wind loading calculations based on BS EN 1991-1-4.
Key Traffic Systems required help from Structural Engineers to identify and verify the formulae and algorithms to be utilised by the program whilst the software, including the user interface, was implemented by KTS.
The project was innovative in so far that it allowed users to produce exact designs conforming to the standards replacing the previous practice of trial and error.
WORK UNDERTAKEN
The Technology Innovation Centre (TIC) provided KTS with pseudo code for structural calculations for subsequent integration into the KTS developed software. The work was presented as procedural flow charts with supporting documentation. The signage structures are assessed in accordance with BS EN 12899-1:2001. The calculations operate for a given number of sign faces and posts with all reasonably anticipated site situations, in terms of loads, properties and response:-
Loads
- Wind loads were determined in accordance with BSEN19991-1-4
- Self weight
Properties
- Locate area centroid for common signage shapes and arrays there of (wind loading)
- Calculation of sectional properties for all common post profiles
- Corrosion minimum wall thickness was considered
- Conversion from column manufacturer data formats to KTS standard
Response
- Temporary deflection in bending and torsion were calculated
- Design margins were reported for all configurations
- The structural foundations were assessed against the basic requirements of BD94/07
Work was conducted over 5 days at the Technology Innovation Centre for the service of the voucher.
QUOTE
“We were very pleased with the way in which the Index voucher scheme operated as it allowed us to gain direct access to the knowledge that we lacked in a straight forward and timely manner.”, Jeremy Ellis, Key Traffic Systems
ABOUT THE HEI: Birmingham City University
Birmingham City University
Perry Barr
Birmingham
B42 2SU
ABOUT THE ACADEMIC
Paul Booth, Senior Technology Transfer Consultant, Technology Innovation Centre
In his role as Senior Technology Transfer Consultant, Paul encompasses a number of diverse responsibilities. The primary role involves working with small and medium sized enterprises within the West Midlands region delivering design and engineering solutions. Paul has created original designs for a number of companies developing customer ideas from concept through to full manufacture.