Introduction. Supporting metal structure is the basis of escalator: drive units, track systems, guard devices, and other components that ensure the escalator operation are mounted on it. One of the most common types of corrosion damage on escalator metal structures is uniform corrosion over the entire surface. This process is characterized by progressive penetration of corrosion from the material outer layers to its internal structure, resulting in a decreased effective cross-section and reduced strength characteristics. As operating loads remain relatively constant, this leads to increased strain.
The implications of this study refer to reduced labor and financial costs of comprehensive inspections of escalator metal structures through introducing remote control methods that provide continuous monitoring of their condition and allow for the automation of calculation procedures, thereby increasing their efficiency without compromising the quality of technical condition assessments.
Materials and methods. Data from a comprehensive survey of escalators of St. Petersburg Metro State Unitary Enterprise have been used, the study being completed by STEK LLC expert organization and specialists from Land Transport and Technological Complexes Department of St. Petersburg State Transport University of Emperor Alexander I (PSUTS). Analysis of design documentation, statistical methods and mathematical modeling has been used in the study.
Results. The functional principle of the proposed visual-optical diagnostics method is to be used as an integral part of a comprehensive corrosion monitoring system aimed at continuous assessment of the operational condition of escalator load-bearing metal structures and early identification of potential failures associated with the development of corrosion damage.
Conclusion. The proposed method provides a comprehensive quantitative assessment of corrosion damage based on three parameters: penetration depth, local (focal) defects, and changes in the mechanical properties of the metal. Expanding the range of characteristics leads to at least a 30% increase in informative value of the results, which allows for a 1.5-fold improvement in the accuracy of predicting the residual life of metal structures.

Introduction. The service life of the hydraulic drive for ground vehicle working parts depends on their timely diagnostics. Failure of the hydraulic system during operation in difficult conditions can lead to significant financial wastes to restore its operability. To prevent sudden failures of hydraulic cylinders, diagnostics should be carried out taking into account the indicators based on the results, which can be applied to define the technical condition.
Materials and methods. The study is based on the use of a transient process (hydraulic support) and fluid flow between the cavities of a hydraulic cylinder with a leakage detection in the piston-sleeve interface and obtaining response characteristics to these factors. It is proposed to use the pressure rise rate (pressure rise angle) as a response parameter. This article provides a theoretical analysis. It has been established that the rate of pressure rise in the drain line can be used as a diagnostic parameter, which takes into account pressure and leaks in the hydraulic cylinder.
Results. As a result of the study, the effect of leakage between the cavities of the hydraulic cylinder on the angle of pressure increase has been established, experiments have also been conducted to determine the effect of pipeline type on the rate of pressure rise due to the influence of the volumetric stiffness coefficient.
Discussion and conclusion. The study has confirmed the influence of the volumetric stiffness of the pipelines on the pressure rise angle. The pressure rise angle for the high-pressure hoses ranged from 43.1 to 40.7 degrees (a difference of 17.5%), inclusive, and for the steel pipeline from 45.7 to 44.5 (a difference of 20.3%), respectively, which indicates the influence of the rigidity of the hydraulic drive pipeline on the pressure rise angle.

Introduction. The destruction of road surfaces and hydraulic structures results from insufficient compaction of bulk soils due to layer-by-layer shallow compaction. There is a need to improve technology and equipment for uniform soil compaction at a depth irrelevant to the layer thickness. The purpose of this research is to determine the gear ratio for the new deep soil compaction device designed by the co-authors.
Materials and methods. Methods of mathematical modeling of the new design based on kinematic schemes for determining the gear ratio have been used. The article discusses the kinematic schemes of the new device with three conical rollers mounted between the carrier, the epicycle (compacted soil) and the drill bit at equal angles. According to the diagrams, the gear ratio is expressed by means of angular velocities of the carrier and the conical roller. As angular velocities are determined, the scheme is constructed to determine the radii of the carrier and the conical roller. The relations between the gear ratio of the new design and its geometric characteristics are obtained.
Results. The Certificate of state registration of the computer program No. 2025660077 has been received. Fragments of the source code of a program for calculating the gear ratio of a device in the Python programming language are presented. The applicability of the research results refers to calculating the torque and geometric parameters of similar devices at machine-building enterprises. The practical significance of the research results is related to the improved design of deep soil compaction equipment which increases the efficiency of road construction machinery.
Discussion and conclusion. The research novelty refers to the introduction of the gear ratio for the new device design. Relations between the gear ratio, the angle between the axes centers and the skew angle of the conical rollers make it possible to calculate the torque of such devices. An experimental model of the new device made according to optimal geometric parameters has been presented.

Introduction. In the field of auto insurance, there is a significant problem such as the long downtime of cars undergoing repairs because of the delays while approving the volume and cost of repairs between the automobile service centers and the insurance company. Optimizing the algorithm of their interaction will reduce time wastes and increase the efficiency of the process. The purpose of this work is to develop and substantiate an improved algorithm for the interaction of the service station and the insurance company during the repair of cars damaged as a result of an accident, in order to minimize vehicle downtime.
Methods and materials. The paper analyzes the existing algorithm of interaction between the automobile service centers and the insurance company in the framework of auto insurance regulation. The time wastes for unproductive operations (review and approval of repair costs) have been established. A comparative analysis of the current and proposed algorithm for concluding an agreement about volume and cost of repair has been carried out. The description of the object and subject of the study is given –the repair of a vehicle damaged as a result of an accident on car insurance contract, and the algorithms of interaction between the automobile service centers and the Insurer.
Results. The current algorithm of interaction between the automobile service centers and the Insurer has been described in details, and the reasons related to long approval periods have been identified. An alternative algorithm has been developed and presented, aimed at reducing the downtime of vehicles in repair. The fundamental possibility of practical implementation of the proposed algorithm has been proved. A quantitative assessment of the time spent on key approval stages within both algorithms has been conducted.
Discussion and conclusion. The proposed algorithm allows to reduce significantly the downtime of cars in repair by optimizing the coordination processes between the automobile service centers and the insurance company. Practical recommendations on the implementation of the new algorithm in the work of the insurance companies and service centers have been formulated. A promising direction for further research is to test the algorithm in practice and evaluate the economic effectiveness of its application.

Introduction. The article examines current issues of improving the efficiency of automobile service stations in modern conditions. The article provides a statistical analysis of the factors influencing the organization of car maintenance with additional work. The purpose of the study is to establish the dependence of the mechanics or diagnosticians’ waiting time for spare parts to perform additional work during car maintenance at the dealership technical service center on the total number of vehicle visits, the number of vehicle visits for maintenance, and the number of vehicle visits for maintenance when additional work has been carried out.
Materials and Methods. The results of time-loss measurements taken during maintenance work at an existing dealership technical service center have been used in the study. The research has been conducted with the application of descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and linear regression methods.
Results. The study results demonstrate quantitative characteristics of dealership technical service center operations. A statistically significant relationship was established between the facility’s workload and time losses. The strongest and most statistically significant relationship was established between the number of maintenance visits required additional work and mechanics’ time lost waiting for spare parts. The functional relationship between waiting time for spare parts and the number of maintenance visits was clarified.
Discussion and conclusion. The obtained results can be used to optimize work planning and improve the efficiency of operation processes at technical service centers.

Introduction. Improving road safety requires the development of methods for proactive identification of areas with an increased concentration of road accidents. Existing approaches do not sufficiently use the potential of analyzing historical spatiotemporal data to predict accident-prone zones.
Materials and methods. The work uses data on 16,247 road accidents for the period from 2015 to 2024 in Kazan, provided by the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate. The method of spatial clustering over a fixed radius (100 m) with a density threshold of 20 accidents per zone has been applied. Python libraries (pandas, haversine) have been used for data processing, folium and GeoJSON for visualization.
Results. Methodology and algorithm for identifying accident-prone zones have been developed, including the stages of preprocessing geodata, clustering by radius, accident density estimation and zone characteristics by dominant types of accidents. 127 accident-prone zones have been identified, 50 most significant are characterized by concentrations from 21 to 87 accidents. 78% of these zones were found to be located at intersections and areas with heavy traffic. A temporal analysis revealed a peak accident rate in the evening (5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.) and an increase in the number of accidents by 23% in the autumn-winter period.
Discussion and conclusion. The proposed methodology makes it possible to identify objectively accident-prone zones found by the clustering algorithm, taking into account the spatial concentration of incidents. The results can be integrated into navigation systems to generate context-sensitive warnings to drivers. The practical significance is confirmed by the development of a prototype mobile application on the Android platform with the use of Yandex MapKit SDK.
Practical value: The technique gives an ability to reduce labor costs for identifying problem sections of the road and increases the efficiency of resource allocation for road maintenance services. A prototype of an Android-based mobile application has been developed with the use of Yandex MapKit SDK, which provides visual and audible warnings to drivers approaching accident-prone zones.
Originality/value: An integrated approach combining spatial analysis of State Traffic Safety Inspectorate data with the ability to visualize quickly and integrate into mobile navigation services for proactive driver warnings.

Introduction. Current guidelines for road traffic monitoring in the Russian Federation do not contain detailed recommendations for the use of traffic detectors, although the rules do stipulate their use. Effective application of traffic detectors is hampered by a lack of knowledge about the empirical evaluation of macroscopic traffic flow model parameters. This article discusses methods for determining macroscopic fundamental diagram models and their parameter values based on data from stationary radar detectors.
The aim of the study. Is related to automation of real-time traffic flow service level assessment and development of practical recommendations for processing data from radar detectors. The research has been focused on road traffic monitoring, in particular, macroscopic diagram models and their parameters determined from the data of radar detectors.
Research Methodology. Uninterrupted traffic conditions on roads of category II approaching Irkutsk have been studied. Stationary radar detectors have been used during monitoring. Traffic volumes and average time speed were determined with a 5-minute aggregation period. Traffic density was estimated as the ratio of traffic volume to speed.
Results. The need for firstand second-order macroscopic models in processing data from detectors has been experimentally proved, which is a key result of the initial research stage. Data characterizing the speed-density and intensity-density relationships for traffic lanes located on horizontal sections, for downhill traffic lanes, and for uphill traffic lanes have been obtained. Objectives for further research to develop a method for processing radar detector data have been specified.

Introduction. One of the current unresolved issues is to determine the potential (total, intensive) transport demand, i.e. the theoretical number of trips that are possible in the segment of the intercity bus transportation market on regular routes.
Materials and methods. The key information for the mathematical model of determining intercity transport demand is the volume of departures and arrivals between settlements. These statistics are available mainly for public transport. Information on overall transport demand, as a rule, is unavailable. For the road network, departure volumes are often calculated as a certain percentage of the total population.
Currently, methods of studying transport demand based on the collection, integration and analysis of large and heterogeneous data generated by various sources in the spheres of human activities represent a promising perspective. Within this approach, the application of information from a vehicle video surveillance system for tracking the intercity traffic flows is being considered. The article formulates a system of equations linking transport communications between settlements and the passenger flow being considered, which is divided into incoming, outgoing, and transit.
When using video surveillance of a vehicle in calculations with the use of the proposed correction factor, we take into account the effect associated with the movement of the observer in space, which is as follows: the objects taken into account by the moving observer will be available to the stationary observer after a period of time, which can be defined as the ratio of the distance between the observers to the speed of the object.
Results. The proposed in the article approach for tracking transport and passenger flows has been tested on an isolated transport corridor, along which passengers travel by road (scheduled and chartered buses, cars), and other modes of transport (e.g., rail) are absent.
Discussion and conclusion. The coefficient of determination of the obtained mathematical model allows us to conclude that it is acceptable, 18% of the variation in the dependent variable can be attributed to unknown, hidden parameters or statistical errors in the initial data.

Introduction. Modern transport is undergoing a radical transformation due to the introduction of information and intelligent systems. This process is characterized by uncertainty and unpredictability. The article attempts to consider theoretically the process of transition to a new quality. The purpose of the study is to develop a maturity matrix for the Automobile technical system, which would allow us to assess its possible future states.
Materials and methods. To analyze the trends in the development of technical systems, various theoretical models and scales (S-shaped life cycle curve, scale of technological readiness, levels of transport autonomy, etc.) are used today, which do not take into account factors of an economic, social, infrastructural, and other aspects. Meanwhile, such a type of transport as a car is characterized by a high level of complexity, largely determines the state of the country’s transport system, and therefore requires a radically different way of assessment. The analytical apparatus of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TIPS) was used to develop the matrix.
Results. The maturity matrix is presented, which reflects the process of the sequential transition of the functions of the technical system “Automobile” to the supersystem. Each stage of this transition means the reduction of one of the car subsystems, and is currently being occurred in the “Calculator” subsystem. Ultimately, a car (in its modern sense) can be radically transformed by reduction of all subsystems and transferring their functions to an intelligent transport system. As a result, its structure will be reduced to the “Accumulating” subsystem with the corresponding mono-function.
Discussion and conclusion. A theoretical understanding of structure and stages of technical evolution, formulated in the form of the maturity matrix, can be useful in developing a strategy for the progress of automobile construction and road industry.

Introduction. Nowadays, personal mobility devices (PMDs), a new and rapidly developing mode of transport, are increasingly integrated into the urban road network (URN) of large cities and administrative centers. Numerous advantages are associated with this practice, including environmental friendliness, maneuverability, cost-effectiveness, social distancing, route flexibility, etc. However, due to the lack of infrastructure adapted for PMD movement, a sharp increase in road traffic accidents (RTAs) involving PMDs has been observed. To mitigate this negative effect, a mathematical model for assessing the probability of accident occurrence at each identified type of road network objects has been proposed in this research.
Materials and Methods. This article presents the results of mathematical modeling based on the analysis of accident rates at various objects within an urban road network. To achieve these results, the following approaches were employed: empirical analysis of official statistics on RTAs involving PMDs, a classification approach, probabilistic modeling, and regression forecasting. The primary data used in the study included the number of RTAs involving PMDs and recorded at selected URN objects. Particular emphasis was placed on quantitative description and prediction of PMD-related accident rates in mixed urban environments, especially in areas originally not designed for vehicular traffic.
Results. A mathematical model for evaluating accident risk at urban URN objects, accounting for the new transport mode – personal mobility devices – has been developed. The adequacy and predictive reliability of the constructed models are confirmed by coefficients of determination (R²) ranging from 0.64 to 0.92. 
Discussion and Conclusion. The proposed model enables not only assessments of the current accident risk at URN objects but also the identification of temporal trends in its evolution. Thanks to the high accuracy of approximation, the model provides a reliable forecast for the expected number of PMD-involved RTAs at different types of URN objects.

Introduction. Under conditions of sustained growth in motorization and increased loads in urban road networks of large cities, there is a need to improve control methods for signalized intersections. Traditional traffic signal control systems based on fixed timing plans or data obtained from local detectors demonstrate limited adaptability and do not always ensure efficient distribution of intersection capacity under variable traffic flow conditions. The purpose of this study is to develop a method for adaptive traffic signal control at urban intersections based on vehicle navigation data.
Materials and Methods. The study uses data obtained from vehicle navigation devices, including coordinates, speed, and direction of movement. The proposed methodology is based on forecasting the expected number of vehicles approaching an intersection from each traffic direction and estimating their arrival times. Traffic signal control parameters are adjusted within discrete calculation intervals of 15 minutes, taking into account the temporal uncertainty of vehicle arrivals. To improve control stability, a weighting mechanism is introduced, leading to correct record of vehicles arriving within the calculation intervals, as well as residual queues from previous periods.
Results. The results of the study have demonstrated that the application of the proposed method ensures a more balanced distribution of green signal timing in proportion to the expected load of traffic directions, which contributes to increased intersection capacity and reduced vehicle delays. The proposed approach is intended for use within governmental traffic management systems and does not require the installation of additional detectors or video surveillance equipment.
Discussion and conclusion. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of implementing the developed method in the design and modernization of traffic signal control systems in large cities. The research novelty refers to the application of a forecast-oriented approach to adaptive traffic signal control based on navigation data, which expands the capabilities of existing traffic control systems.

Introduction. The technical condition of electro-hydraulic injectors of the fuel injection system has a significant impact on the efficiency and reliability of power units in diesel vehicles. To promptly detect and eliminate any injector failures during operation, it is necessary to follow periodical control and diagnostics procedures. Diagnosing injectors removed from the power unit with special stands is characterized by the highest accuracy, though it allows checking general technical condition of the injectors, without specifying particular faults. In-depth diagnostics with fault localization will affect optimal decisions to be made regarding technical measures during injector repair. The research objective is to evaluate the possibility of increased in-depth failure detection during bench diagnostics of injectors by analyzing the nature of relations between diagnostic parameters and the values of test fluid pressure at the bench liquid accumulator inlet with constant time of control pulses.
Materials and methods. A mathematical model of an electrohydraulic injector is presented in the form of a system of differential equations describing the dynamics of the processes in the injector. During numerical experiments, the pressure of the test liquid at the battery inlet and the following structural parameters were changed within specific ranges: multiplier plunger sleeve gap, needle guide nozzle, and the leakage of the control valve and that of the sealing ring. The time of the electrical control pulses remained constant.
Results. The graphs demonstrating relations between the diagnostic parameters (cyclic delivery, average flow rate of test fluid in the return line and delay time in the end of injection) and the pressure of the test fluid have been presented for different values ​ ​of the structural parameters.
Discussion and conclusion. As a result of the conducted research, differences were revealed in the nature of the relations between some diagnostic parameters and the accumulator inlet pressure with deviations in particular structural parameters. The additional information obtained during diagnostics will allow us to identify deviations in certain structural parameters, which will increase the level of detecting failures. The paper presents a block diagram of the proposed diagnostic algorithm.

Introduction. The reliability of traction electric drive is a key factor determining the operational efficiency of urban electric transport. Bearing assemblies of electric motors remain one of the most common causes of failures leading to vehicle downtime.
Materials and methods. A method has been developed for on-board diagnostics of rolling bearing defects in a traction synchronous motor with permanent magnets (SDM) based on the analysis of stator current spectrum (MCSA) with equivalent three-phase current used to normalize diagnostic features. In the study simulation modeling in the MATLAB/Simulink environment was carried out, covering the range of defect angular dimension from 0° to 8° and speeds from 1500 to 8000 rpm.
Results. The method proposed sets clear limits to efficiency: the maximum speed for reliable defect detection is 5,000 rpm. At these and lower speeds in the stator current spectrum, a peak is observed of the mechanical rotor speed (fr), the amplitude of which correlates with the defect angular dimension. Normalization by equivalent operating current increases diagnostic accuracy.
Discussion and conclusions. The proposed method makes it possible to implement an on-board diagnostic system without installing additional sensors, which is especially important for urban electric buses operating mainly in the range of 2000-5000 rpm. A new method has been developed that integrates normalization by equivalent operating current to quantify the diagnostic sensitivity of the analysis of the stator current spectrum depending on the rotor rotation speed in a permanent magnet synchronous motor and determines the critical speed threshold of 5000 rpm.

Introduction. Permeability of soils and materials is an important parameter in flood protection in urban construction. Any liquid or gas is called a fluid when it moves by filtration through porous soil or material. In flood protection, the main liquid is water, and the main gas is air. This paper substantiates the analogy of groundwater and air movement. The main attention is paid to air filtration in soil or material. A method for determining the air permeability of soil or material for flood protection in urban construction is proposed, substantiated theoretically and tested practically.
Methods and materials. Based on fundamental laws, the analogy between underground water and air movement has been analyzed. The proposed method for determining the air permeability of soils and building materials using a simple but fairly reliable device designed by the author and tested in numerous laboratory experiments, has been considered. The error of the device did not exceed 1%. As a comparative example, the author’s experimental data are given in the form of a graph of air phase permeability.
Discussion. The obtained results on the methodology and practical determination of the air permeability of soil or material for flood protection in urban construction have been considered, comparing them with a review of recent publications related to the research topic.
Conclusion. Thus, the presented work analyzes the analogy between groundwater and air movement. The main attention is paid to the filtration of air in soil or building material. A method for determining the air permeability of soil or building material for the protection against flooding in urban construction has been proposed, substantiated theoretically and tested practically. The research topic is very relevant, the developed methodology and the way of determining the air permeability of soils and building materials are recommended for practical application in the preventive actions against flooding in urban construction.