Lateral WindAlert
Warning Solutions for lateral winds in roads and railways
WindAlert System:
Mitigating Vehicle Overturning Risk
The risk of a vehicle overturning is influenced by numerous factors, but strong lateral winds are recognized as a critical safety hazard, especially in areas prone to prevalent gusts and high wind speeds.
The basic WindAlert system employs one or more wind measuring stations strategically installed at points of high concern. A common deployment example is at the exit of a tunnel that leads onto a bridge spanning a deep valley between mountains. Under these conditions, the wind is naturally channeled and intensified, creating a significant overturning risk. Vehicles transition suddenly from the wind-sheltered environment inside the tunnel to facing an abrupt, strong lateral wind precisely at the exit.
Before system deployment, Critical Wind Curves (CWCs) are calculated for each specific site or road section. These curves establish the risk thresholds based on the category and size of different vehicle types, taking into account the terrain's characteristics and other relevant factors.
The system works by continuously comparing the lateral wind intensity measurements from each station against the predefined wind thresholds set by the CWCs for that site.
If the measurements exceed the predefined thresholds, the WindAlert anemometric station generates an alert. This wind alert is promptly displayed on a Variable Message Sign (VMS), presenting a warning message to drivers. The VMS should be installed strategically before the tunnel exit or at another point on the road located in advance of the high-risk zone. This critical information can also be transmitted simultaneously to a Data Reception Center, which can broadcast alerts to drivers through other channels (such as radio broadcasts) or by remotely controlling other VMS panels installed along the road.
In the case of high-speed railways, data and alerts from measuring stations distributed along the track are transmitted to the railway manager's Control Center, who will process the data and make the corresponding decisions so that the train reduces its speed to safer values for travel.
The basic WindAlert system employs one or more wind measuring stations strategically installed at points of high concern. A common deployment example is at the exit of a tunnel that leads onto a bridge spanning a deep valley between mountains. Under these conditions, the wind is naturally channeled and intensified, creating a significant overturning risk. Vehicles transition suddenly from the wind-sheltered environment inside the tunnel to facing an abrupt, strong lateral wind precisely at the exit.
Before system deployment, Critical Wind Curves (CWCs) are calculated for each specific site or road section. These curves establish the risk thresholds based on the category and size of different vehicle types, taking into account the terrain's characteristics and other relevant factors.
The system works by continuously comparing the lateral wind intensity measurements from each station against the predefined wind thresholds set by the CWCs for that site.
If the measurements exceed the predefined thresholds, the WindAlert anemometric station generates an alert. This wind alert is promptly displayed on a Variable Message Sign (VMS), presenting a warning message to drivers. The VMS should be installed strategically before the tunnel exit or at another point on the road located in advance of the high-risk zone. This critical information can also be transmitted simultaneously to a Data Reception Center, which can broadcast alerts to drivers through other channels (such as radio broadcasts) or by remotely controlling other VMS panels installed along the road.
In the case of high-speed railways, data and alerts from measuring stations distributed along the track are transmitted to the railway manager's Control Center, who will process the data and make the corresponding decisions so that the train reduces its speed to safer values for travel.