Preface

This book offers a concise overview of the methods and criteria adopted for the design of railway infrastructures. Conventional railways are considered together with high-speed railways, tramways, metros, maglev, hyperloop systems, people movers, monorails and rack railways. Every system of transport is described in its main technical characteristics, capacities and construction costs. It is an introductory book to specific topics of the railway engineering field, and thus, the mathematical t...

Productivity Improvements Triggered by Robotization and Internationalization Processes: The Spanish Experience

The robotization and digitalization of businesses are slow and demanding processes requiring significant investments in human capital and infrastructures. The ability of firms to adapt their production and innovation structures conditions the successful implementation of robotics and centralized computing across their value chains. At the same time, the subsequent assimilation of these technologies within their internal R&D activities should enhance firms’ capacity to develop technologica...

Balancing Outdoor and Indoor Soundscapes in a Warming Climate

The acoustic quality of living and working environments can affect health, well-being and quality of life of building occupants. Soundscape methodologies allow a comprehensive characterisation of acoustic perception by people in a specific context, thus guiding the design of built environments that are supportive, rather than not disturbing. However, the management of the indoor soundscape is strongly interrelated with that of the outdoor, urban soundscape, with building envelopes and ventila...

Humanistic tourism: back to humanism in business and society