Advances in Intellectualization of Transportation Infrastructures

TLDR

New‑generation transportation infrastructures are becoming digitalized and intelligent, driven by advances in material science, computer techniques, AI, and automatic control, and many developed countries are actively promoting the application of these intelligence‑based technologies in line with local conditions. The review aims to define, contextualize, and chart the future of intellectualization in transportation infrastructures, covering its scientific foundation, development process, and prospective directions across standards, theory, and talent. The authors systematically investigate current research status and major challenges of intellectualization technologies across the full life‑cycle chain of design, construction, operation, and elimination. Recent achievements in intellectual technologies are illustrated by the Beijing–Zhangjiakou High‑Speed Railway, the world’s first railway built on intelligent construction.

Abstract

Inspired by state-of-the-art material science, computer techniques, artificial intelligence, and automatic control, new-generation transportation infrastructures are becoming digitalized and intelligent. Many major developed countries around the globe are actively promoting the application of innovative intelligence-based technologies in transportation infrastructures in accordance with local conditions. This review begins with a brief discussion on the basic definition, scientific foundation, and development process for the intellectualization of transportation infrastructures. Then, following the whole life-cycle chain of design, construction, operational maintenance, and elimination, the current research status and major challenges presented by intellectualization technologies are systematically investigated. Subsequently, recent achievements in intellectual technologies are comprehensively presented by selecting the Beijing–Zhangjiakou High-Speed Railway—the world's first railway built based on the concept of intelligent construction—as an example. Finally, a discussion on the future development of the intellectualization of transportation infrastructures is provided from the three dimensions of standard systems, theoretical methods, and talent training.