SAFERUP! Sustainable, Accessible, Safe, Resilient and Smart Urban Pavements

Funder

EU Horizon 2020
Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions, Innovative Training Networks

Total value of project

€3,878,868.96

Value to Coventry University

£243,226

Project team

Steve Coupe, Alireza Fathollahi, Sue Charlesworth, Eshmaiel Ganjian

Partners

CELU Eksperts, University of Cantabria (GITECO)

Duration of project

01/03/2018 - 28/02/2022

Website

https://site.unibo.it/saferup/en

Project overview

The overall purpose of SAFERUP! Is to inform the design, operation and installation of the next generation of urban pavements. Using innovative methodologies in material recycling to reduce material use, we will prevent flooding and water pollution from hard surfaces and ensuring a more sustainable and user friendly experience for the users of urban infrastructure.

Project objectives

Train top-level researchers and professionals with high expertise in the fields of recycled, smart and durable paving materials, vulnerable users and road safety, pedestrians accessibility and protection, water management and bioremediation systems, behaviour simulators and life cycle assessment tools, road geothermal energy, energy harvesting and self-sensing technologies.
Increase the employability and help satisfying the rising demand for such qualified researchers and managers making them ready to join industries, companies, research centres, universities and local or national management institutions related to the SAFERUP! topics.
Push forward the scientific frontiers of urban pavements design, construction and management to provide cities with more liveable environments and safer, more accessible and sustainable spaces for mobility.
Consolidate and expand the network of collaborations among the partners through the creation of an integrated, long-term research and training base in the EU that brings together universities, research institutes, industrial companies and stakeholders active in key research, development and management disciplines.
Enhance academia-industry Transfer of Knowledge in both directions and obtain full value from the network by disseminating results in open access peer-reviewed scientific journals, trade magazines and international conferences and developing innovative solutions for the urban pavements of the future.

Impact statement

The project will result in a number of new paving and drainage products, resulting in their installation in the field less than 5 years after the end of the project. It is anticipated that regulators will readily engage with the project, its finding and outputs, to be able to give SAFERUP! research outcomes, products and processed their support. At least 4 peer reviewed open access journal will be submitted and research from the project will be presented at 3 international conferences.

Outputs

Fathollahi, A., Coupe, S.J., El-Sheikh, A.H., Sañudo-Fontaneda, L.A., 2020. The biosorption of mercury by permeable pavement biofilms in stormwater attenuation. Sci. Total Environ. 741. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140411
Fathollahi, A., Coupe, S.J., 2021. Life cycle assessment and life cycle costing of road drainage systems for sustainability evaluation: Quantifying the contribution of different life cycle phases. Sci. Total Environ. 776. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145937
Fathollahi, A., Coupe, S.J., El-Sheikh, A.H., Nnadi, E., 2021. Cu(II) Biosorption by Living Biofilms: Isothermal, Chemical, Physical and Biological Evaluation. Journal of Environmental Management. 282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.111950
Fathollahi, A., Khasteganan, N., Coupe, S.J., Newman, A.P., 2021. A meta-analysis of metal biosorption by suspended bacteria from three phyla. Chemosphere. 268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129290

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