27 Feb 2018

Source: FAPESC

The urban infrastructure project, supported by the Metropolitan Region of Greater Florianópolis (SUDERF), installed in Sapiens Park, gained international visibility. A technical cooperation agreement was signed between SUDERF engineer Aloisio Pereira da Silva and the Institute of Underground Infrastructure of Germany (IKT), one of the largest research institutes in the area of urban infrastructure in Europe. The agreement took place during the opening of the South regional preparatory stage to the 8th World Water Forum in Balneário Camboriú.

The purpose of the term is to continue the research of INFRAVIAS in Europe. The project proposes an innovative solution of urban infrastructure networks with a sustainable and intelligent model of underground ditches. “Since 2015 we have been in contact with Dr. Aloisio Pereira da Silva getting knowledge about INFRAVIAS, which brings a brilliant idea to coordinate the installation and, consequently, the maintenance of underground plumbing. In addition, INFRAVIAS promotes the sustainability of tree and rainwater management as well as the use of other innovative and environmentally friendly solutions, “commented IKT CEO Roland W. Waniek.

The INFRAVIAS project is the result of a doctoral thesis in Civil Engineering from the UFSC and Texas A & M Transportation Institute in the United States. It proposes to reorganize the infrastructure networks, such as natural gas, drinking water, fire fighting system, telephone, cable TV, data, low and medium voltage electricity networks and public lighting, under sidewalks and bike path in a single underground system . Today these nets are located under the pavement, causing various disturbances when they need maintenance. In England, for example, a loss of seven billion pounds per year is estimated in repairs on networks, pavement and disruption of urban mobility.

Another innovation of the project is the use of recycled material, a recycled plastic channel from urban waste, designed by the concept of “safety device against failure”, ensuring safety of the networks and workers. Starting from the concept of Complete Street, sidewalks and accessible bicycle paths are inserted, with physical separation, between the bicycle path and the street, by a garden that collects, stores and filters the rainwater for reuse, making this structure sustainable and transforming the urban environment into a more pleasant place.

“This cooperation term is the beginning of a new phase of INFRAVIAS, with the entrance of new researchers from different areas such as drainage, afforestation, communication, among others. In addition, we will expand the possibilities of installing underground ditches, and who knows, gain scale to show that the system brings socio-economic and environmental advantages to cities, “said SUDERF engineer Aloisio Pereira da Silva.

INFRAVIAS is supported by the State Government, CREA-SC (Regional Council of Engineering and Agronomy) and FAPESC (Foundation for Support to Research and Innovation of the State of Santa Catarina).