Grid Engineers

Excited for tomorrow’s Transportation Research Board #webinar on “Impacts, Lessons, and Insights from Recent Roadway Structure Failures.” 🔎 My presentation will focus on what we learned after detailed documentation and analysis of #flood-induced #bridge failures and how these insights helped develop a #risk assessment methodology for scour and flood-prone road infrastructure. This methodology has been embedded in a new #tool created by Grid Engineers for planning infrastructure investments in transport networks. 🔔 The program also includes presentations by Zizhao He from the NYS Department of Transportation and Daniel Murray from the American Transportation Research Institute, followed by a discussion session. 🙏 Special thanks to Rahil Saeedi, M.Sc., PE, from CPCS, for organizing and moderating the event. 📅 Date: Tuesday, July 16, 2024 🕥 Time: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Eastern Time More info, Registration 🔗 https://lnkd.in/d8i5xWNg

#Publication #FHWA #TechnicalReport #InfrastructureResilience We are proud to have contributed to the publication of an essential read for professionals involved in #transport infrastructure resilience led by WSP, #justpublished by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Titled “Improving Transportation Infrastructure Resilience through Post-Event Damage Inspection and Post-Event Engineering Investigation,” the report has been co-authored by Rallis Kourkoulis, Fani Gelagoti, and Maria Antoniou from Grid Engineers, in collaboration with Mabel Chedid, Sissy Nikolaou, and Jeremy Hung. Key Highlights: 📄 Highway infrastructure resilience #framework developed under the FHWA Task Order “Framework for Infrastructure Resilience and Post-Hazard Response.” 🛠️ Introduces a #tool for assessing highway resilience, complete with a demonstration test case. 📊 Details #indicators crucial for evaluating highway infrastructure resilience. 🔍 Presents an improved methodology for Post-Event Damage Inspection, addressing current procedural gaps. 📚 Provides guidance on data categories and methods to support the development of a comprehensive resilience database. 🔗 Link to full report: https://lnkd.in/dm95t7QE

🌟 We just returned from beautiful Corfu, Greece, where we hosted the #ICONHIC Summit in preparation for the upcoming ICONHIC - International Conference on Natural Hazards and Infrastructure. This Summit laid the groundwork for the main event, scheduled for the end of 2025 in the US, aiming to set the #vision and discuss its key #themes: ⚙ #risk analysis tools supporting planning and investment decisions 🚧 functional #recovery and integration of #societal benefits 🌱 gaps and needs towards infrastructure #sustainability 💰 novel #financing mechanisms to mobilize investment at large scale 🏛️ #policy and financial de-risking of climate-resilient investments 🛡️ innovative #insurance models for managing disasters 💵 the role of private capital in bringing climate tech to #market 🙏 We are immensely grateful to our guests, who traveled from the US and Europe to join us, for the expertise they brought to the table: Maria Lehman, Sissy Nikolaou, Laurie Johnson, Terry Smith, Petros Lekkakis, Pablo Nuñez and Guillermo Franco. From Grid: Rallis Kourkoulis, Fani Gelagoti, Marianna Loli, Maria Antoniou, Angelos Tsatsis, and Konstantinos Kotoulas. We are amazed by the #success of this summit, which featured over 12 insightful presentations from our expert speakers. The roundtable discussions that followed were so captivating that they kept us engaged from 9 AM to 6 PM, despite the allure of Corfu’s beautiful beaches and stunning town. We are excited about the ongoing #collaboration to create a truly transformative conference, inspiring innovation and driving the necessary mindset change to address challenges and seize opportunities for sustainable, climate-resilient infrastructure, globally. 🌍🌱 Cheers to the next one! 🥂

🚀 Kick-starting a close collaboration with the KIOS Research and Innovation Center of Excellence of the University of Cyprus and the team led by Prof. Mathaios Panteli, we are set to study climate hazard risks for #energy systems and their #interdependencies with #transportation disruptions. Within the framework of our ReCharged MSCA Staff Exchanges project, Antonios Mantakas and Moris Kalderon will be hosted by Grid Engineers in #Athens to work with Marianna Loli, Maria Antoniou, and Angelos Tsatsis on developing state-of-the-art models to assess #damage, #costs, and #functionality loss for energy infrastructure exposed to flooding. #ResearchCollaboration #Innovation #ClimateChange #EnergySystems #HorizonEurope

Last week, we participated in a technical session titled "Combining #BigData and Private #Financing to Achieve Transport #Resilience," organized by the Quality Infrastructure Investment (QII) Partnership, in collaboration with The World Bank's #Transport Global Practice, during the Understanding Risk Forum held in Himeji, Japan. Marianna Loli's presentation titled “Understanding #Flood Risk in #Data Poor Environments,” outlines our approach to assessing flood risk in the Maputo Metropolitan Area, as part of an #urban development project planned by the government of #Mozambique and funded by the World Bank Group - Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF). Many thanks to Guillermo Díaz-Fañas for sharing the project's presentation, and to Leon Kapetas, of the Resilient Cities Network, and Fátima Arroyo Arroyo for the collaboration. We hope our work provides a useful roadmap for flood risk assessment in similarly challenging environments. The approach is #transferable and can be used to address similar needs in other countries. It facilitates quick preliminary evaluations without extensive data collection, making it a practical solution for data-poor environments.

🎉 Finally, we are ready to share some very exciting #news! #ICONHIC is happening in 2025! After three successful events in Greece , we are making a momentous move across the 🌍 to the US. This transition signifies more than just a change of location; it marks an expansion of ICONHIC’s #scope and #ambition. The ICONHIC2025 Executive Committee will be meeting this July on the Island of Corfu, in Greece, to finalize the conference program and organizational details. 🔔 In the meantime, we need your help! We would like the ICONHIC community to choose the #color theme for #ICONHIC2025. Here's a brief #history of our color themes: we started with navy blue in Crete in 2016, moved to amber orange in 2019, and then to purple in Athens in 2022. ❓ What will be the background of our 2025 event? #Vote to help us decide: 👍Press “like” if you prefer the "Pineapple Yellow" 🍍 ❤️Press “love” if you prefer the "California Wine" 🍷 The poll is open for 24 hours! Vote by Wednesday, June 26th at 3 PM GMT to help us decide the color for ICONHIC 2025. Follow us and stay tuned for more exciting updates!

Join us for a TRB #webinar on 📅 Tuesday, July 16, 2024 🕥 Time: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Eastern Time, if you are interested in methods and tools for analysis of #transportation networks and the social and economic impacts of their failures.   I am excited to present our recent work at Grid Engineers on developing an evidence-based flood impact assessment methodology for transport infrastructure. This methodology, now integrated into a #tool for analyzing transport network #losses and #climate adaptation #investments, has been successfully deployed in various countries, including Asia, Africa, and the US. I look forward to participating in a panel with Zizhao He, from New York State Department of Transportation, Dan Murray, of the American Transportation Research Institute, and Rahil Saeedi, M.Sc., PE, from CPCS. Webinar Agenda: ▶Methodology and Process of Assessing Statewide Crash Data – Zizhao He, NYSDOT ▶Analyzing Truck Travel Pattern Changes After Critical Infrastructure Failure – Dan Murray, ATRI ▶Assessing Flood Impacts on Critical Infrastructure Using Field Evidence – Marianna Loli, Grid Engineers ▶Q&A Session Moderated by Rahil Saeedi, CPCS For more information and to register, visit: https://lnkd.in/dvmjyWyR

🛬 Fani Gelagoti and Rallis Kourkoulis have just returned from Brussels, where they were invited to contribute to a Capacity Building #Workshop organized by JASPERS partnership and the European Investment Bank (EIB). 💶The workshop aimed to support Managing Authorities in fulfilling #ClimateProofing requirements for #infrastructure projects financed by the EU. 🤝 Over 180 #stakeholders, including representatives from line ministries from all EU member states, attended the event, which featured panel discussions and expert presentations. Our contribution centered on sectoral #guidance and #tools to facilitate resilience assessments within the climate proofing framework, based on the results of a recent project funded by JASPERS, covering: ⚡ energy ♻️ waste 🚆 transport 🏙️ urban regeneration 🏢 buildings ℹ For more information on knowledge products and publications, visit the JASPERS knowledge platform: ttps://https://lnkd.in/etQK3p-6 #ClimateChange #Sustainability #Infrastructure #ClimateAdaptation #KnowledgeTransfer #CapacityBuilding #Investments #FinancingInfrastructure 🙏 Massimo Marra, Mila Popova, Elisabet Vila Jorda and Ioanna Kourti

We have many reasons to love "HARMA," the Transport Network Resilience Planning Decision Support Tool that we developed in collaboration with The World Bank. One of these reasons is that it takes us around the world! 🌍  📌 Today, we had the honor of presenting HARMA to #government officials of the Republic of Kazakhstan and leading experts in #transportation, climate #resilience, and #disaster risk management. Marianna Loli, alongside Oceane Keou, the WB Transport Specialist who led HARMA's development and deployment in South Asia and Africa, showcased its #capabilities and #benefits. A heartfelt thank you to the organizers of the #workshop "Improving Transport Infrastructure Resilience in Kazakhstan," especially Guillermo Díaz-Fañas, for inviting us. 🙏 It was an incredible opportunity to connect with decision-makers who can utilize HARMA for planning cost-effective interventions for resilient road networks. 🌟 We hope our presentation inspired innovative #ideas and #optimism for safer mobility, uninterrupted economic activity, and enhanced prosperity in Kazakhstan's future.

Over two intensive days last week, our #Climate #Toolkits for Infrastructure #PPPs reached over 280 stakeholders from public and private entities, representing 43 countries across Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. 🌐 Rallis Kourkoulis, Fani Gelagoti, and Marianna Loli delivered a series of presentations covering five critical sectors: #Roads, #Water and Sanitation, #Renewables, #Hydropower, and Digital #ICT The sessions provided guidance on: 📊 Sector-specific methodologies for assessing climate risk and impacts 🛡️ Planning adaptation measures 🔍 Identifying external risks and assessing their consequences 🌍 Estimating GHG emissions 🌿 Planning for climate mitigation, including nature-based solutions 📈 Assessing project performance with KPIs This comprehensive knowledge product, which includes the Umbrella Document and five Sector-Specific Toolkits, is openly available through The World Bank’s Repository: https://lnkd.in/dxs6RAhG The #workshop was organized by Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF), Global Infrastructure Facility, Quality Infrastructure Investment (QII) Partnership and the IFC - International Finance Corporation, and was designed to accommodate participation across different time zones, ensuring global #outreach. 🙏 We are proud to have been involved and grateful for the collaboration with: Sebastian Molineus, Acting Global Director, IPG Jane Jamieson, Program Manager, PPIAF & QII Aijaz Ahmad, Acting Program Manager, PPP Group, World Bank Mariana Silva, Senior Infrastructure Specialist, GIF Khafi Weekes, PhD, Climate Infrastructure Specialist, PPIAF Helen Gall, Ph.D., Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist, QII Gisele Saralegui, Global Climate Lead, IFC PPP Advisory