Having been established by the resolution of the minister of transport as per January 1st 1993, it is the legal successor of the Czech section of the federal Research Institute of Transport in Žilina. The Transport Research Centre follows on the activity that began in 1954, and, therefore, has more than 60 years of tradition.

Transport Research Centre (CDV)

CDV’s mission is to

• perform research and development activities in the field of transport,
• provide professional independent expertise and service support for ministries (particularly the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of the Environment), regional, municipal and local bodies of state administration and public administration for their strategic and tactical decision making,
• be a support and a tool for transfer of knowledge to commercial organizations with the aim to improve their competitiveness in national as well as international scale,
• represent the resort of transport in international organizations and be active in the field of education.

Vision

The institution’s vision is to be a professional independent institution of European importance, sought for expertise in burning issues of transport and its infrastructure, with the results of work that are acknowledged by professional community as well as by general public.

Awards, certificates

• The reciever of the Human Resources Excellence in Research Award. Receiving this award from the European Commission is a sign of quality in human resources care.
• Winner of a European road safety award - Excellence in Road Safety Award
• Holder of Certificates ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 in research, development, and technological activities for the needs of development and optimization of transport
  system as a whole as well as in individual transport modes, including roads

The Transport Research Centre operates its own laboratories

• Transport Infrastructure Laboratory
• Traffic sign laboratory
• Environmental Laboratory
• Traffic accident laboratory
• Psychological laboratory

Laboratory services are supplemented by a number of tests conducted in non-accredited mode from the fields of both transport infrastructure and environment.

Environmental Laboratory

Reducing the environmental burden

One of the most significant problems of traffic in towns and villages is air pollution with emissions that bear risks for human health. Traffic produces a vast amount of pollutants and burdens the inhabitants with excessive noise.

Selected services are listed below. The list does not cover the whole range of services.

Measuring the quality of air as specified by Act No. 201/2012 Coll., Air Protection Act

We measure the concentrations of the following pollutants in the atmosphere, as listed in Act No. 201/2012 Coll., authorized by the Ministry of the Environment: nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, tropospheric ozone, benzene, solid particles PM10 and PM2.5, arsen, cadmium, nickel, lead and benzo[a]pyrene. Measuring other pollutants may be added.

We can use air quality measuring principles in other locations, for example in city parks. Air quality information may help you to plan, develop and maintain these important green spaces in cities.

Assessment of environmental contamination

We offer complex evaluation of environmental contamination at a specifical location, as well as individual elements of the environment. We use our own laboratories, equipped with top instruments, for taking environmental samples and their processing and preparation for chemical and toxicological analyses. Our lab then provides the resulting qualitative and quantitative determination from a wide range of organic and inorganic substances, including their trace and ultra-trace concentrations.

• Evaluation of air contamination
• Assessment of soil contamination
• Assessment of building materials, secondary materials and waste
• Assessment of water contamination

Measuring the emissions of vehicles in real traffic

Measuring the emissions of vehicles in real traffic contains: the continuous measuring of concentrations of gaseous emissions of O₂, CO, CO₂, HC and NO_x, isokinetic sampling of solid particles, isokinetic sampling of gases, including unlimited pollutants, placed into containers for previously non-specified detailed laboratory analysis of gas emissions, sampling for two different driving regimes, measuring the flow of exhaust gases, measuring the pressure and temperature of exhaust gases. Everything is done using a devicce developed by the Transport Research Centre and the company SEKO spol. s r.o.

The issues of fuels and lubricants

• Specification of the interpretation of emission measuring results,
• Substantiation of the anomalies in emission characteristics of vehicles,
• Influence on the emission factors of vehicles,
• Specification of inputs for emissions modelling (AP development scenario),
• The impact of alternative fuels on the degradation of motor oil,
• Analysis of the technical condition of vehicles based on motor oil.

Traffic-caused emissions balance calculations

Our services involve balancing emissions of mobile sources from road traffic (including emissions of solid pollutants from abrasions and VOC emissions from evaporation from the fuel systems of petrol vehicles), railway, air and water traffic, as well as emissions from off-road sources (agricultural, forrest and construction vehicles, military vehicles, plant care etc.).

Modelling traffic emissions and the contribution of traffic to imission concentrations

The offer involves modelling the flow of emissions from traffic at a specific location and the creation of dispersion studies (modelling the contribution of traffic to the imission concentrations). The input for these modellings is a multi-modal traffic figure. If the client does not have a traffic model available, its creation may be a part of the offer.

Modelling the traffic imission concentrations (dispersion study)

We conduct the calculation of imission concentrations for both gaseous and solid pollutants from traffic in accordance with the SYMOS'97 directive. Primarily, when substances are evaluated, the limits of which are given by the Air Protection Act No. 201/2012 Coll. When required, other pollutants may be modelled, as well.

And more...