Feasibility of a GB trial of longer-heavier vehicles (Stage 1)

Many countries across Europe and around the world permit some limited use of a special class of HGVs commonly referred to as Longer-Heavier Vehicles (LHVs) to carry 50% more goods on a single trip than standard articulated trucks, where the roads are suitable. Use of LHVs is has been growing across Europe since the early 2000s and much earlier in countries like Norway and Sweden. Could they be used in GB?  more...

Understanding the Impact of Interacting Risks

Climate change affects many sectors, but the way that climate change risks interact between sectors is not well understood. Risk Solutions are working with climate resilience experts from WSP, ADAS and UCL, helping the Climate Change Committee (CCC) better understand how climate related risks interact and how the effects of risks cascading through systems can affect impacts. The study represents an important new source of evidence for the UK governments next climate change risk assessment.  more...

Water Abstraction Reform

Risk Solutions helped Defra design and test changes to the regime that govern how users can abstract water from rivers and ground water aquifers, in response to increasing pressures from demographic and climate change. We managed a multi-disciplinary team that engaged water users, environmental groups and regulators in the construction of an integrated water resource and economic behavioural model - using the technique of agent based modelling.  more...

Development of a Network Performance Model

The network performance model (NPM) was developed for Highways England by Risk Solutions. It is a software model that supports analysis of traffic performance on the strategic road network (SRN). It is used by the HA national intelligence unit (NIU) to support their analysis of network performance. Highways England uses this type of analysis to characterise the past performance of its roads, as well as to project scenarios about its expected future performance given various road investment strategies.  more...

Developing a Safety Risk Model

Risk Solutions has developed a comprehensive Safety Risk Model that analyses the risks to road users, road workers and Traffic Officers associated with the operation, maintenance and improvement of the Strategic Road Network (SRN) in England. The work involves sophisticated data analytics and visualisation of complex road safety risk.  more...

Foot and Mouth

Following the 2001 outbreak of FMD, Defra imposed a 20-day standstill period prohibiting any livestock movements off-farm following the arrival of an animal. The 20-day rule caused significant difficulties for farmers. The Lessons Learned Inquiry, which reported in July 2002, recommended that the 20-day standstill remain in place pending a detailed cost-benefit analysis of the standstill regime. This was commissioned in September 2002.   more...

Agent Based Modelling: what is the big deal about policy?

This event run by NEKS ('New Economic Knowledge Services ltd' https://www.neks.ltd/) allowed attendees to better understand how ABMs are best used to inform policy and regulatory strategies. It is given by people who have both built and used ABMs. Jonathan Hyde from Risk Solutions presents at the event, describing how our agent based models solve real world complex problems.  more...

Value for money decision support tool for HS2

HS2 Ltd faces many design decisions in the delivery of high speed rail in the UK. Each design decision has cost implications, and crucially, implications for delivery of benefits. WSP and Risk Solutions have created a whole life value tool for HS2. HS2 and ITS contractors are now using the tool to measure and compare the value of various options, and TO inform design decisions to ensure the benefits of HS2 are realised.  more...