Committees

• At the time, O.I.T.A.F. has 5 committees which meet regularly. These committees deal with current technical, administrative, legal and economic topics of the ropeway business. The following committees exist:

  COMMITTEE No. I: Technique of ropeway and technical recommendations

  Chairman: Dipl. Eng. Dr. Peter Sedivy (A)

  Address:
  Bundesministerium für Verkehr, Innovation und Technologie
  BAG, Abt. VI/7
  Radetzkystr. 2
  A-1030 WIEN
  Telephone ++43-1-711622707 FAX ++43-1-711622799
  Email: mailto:peter.sedivy@bmvit.gv.at

  Scope of duties: Elaboration of technical recommendations for the construction and operation of ropeway installations for which no harmonized recommendations and ways of handling technical problems of mechanical assemblies exist.

  Themes: Presently, the following subjects are handled:

• Analysis of technical failures;
• Range of maintenance work;
• Evaluation of guidelines regarding renovations;
• Application of European ropeway standards;
• Observation of new developments in technology and operation;
• Elaboration of technical recommendations for various fields of the ropeway business, that are not registered in the European ropeway standards;
• Execution of technical seminars every two years.

Members deal currently with the following special topics and elaborate corresponding proposals:

• Recommendations for the design of detaching elements for a forced detachment of the grip off the rope in the station (rope pullout test) for detachable systems
• Recommendations for the construction and erection of boarding systems with support of conveyor belts for fixed and detachable chairlifts
• Recommendations which consider the technical specifications of the system FUNITEL.

Members:
Presently, 16 ropeway experts work in the committee which represent 7 European countries (A, D, CH, E, F, I, N) - equally represented by authorities, operators and manufacturers.

In this committee the following

WORK GROUP: Non-public ropeways is integrated.

Material transport ropeways and cable cranes

Head of the work group: Dott. Eng. Achille Bonini

Adress:
Viale Cortina d'Ampezzo 213
I-00135 ROMA
Telephone ++33-06-3314191 FAX ++33-06-3314191
Email: bonini.a@tiscalinet.it 

This group was founded in 1998.

Scope of duty:

Revision of O.I.T.A.F. recommendations (Bulletin no 8) for the construction and operation of material transport ropeways and cable cranes (edition 1980)

Members: In total, 13 ropeway experts from 6 European countries work in this group presently. Equally represented by authorities, operators and manufacturers.

COMMITTEE No. II: Characteristic and inspection of ropes

Chairman: Eric PREMAT (F)

Adresse:
Service Technique de Remontées Mécaniques et des Transports Guidés  
STRMTG 
1461 Rue de la Piscine
F-38400 St. MARTIN d'HERES
Tel. ++33-4-76637878 Fax: ++33-4-76423933
Email: eric.premat@equipement.gouv.fr

Scope of duties:

1. Rope
1.1 rope strength: evaluation methods based on fracture mechanics
1.2 quality of ropes wires: new conceps based on ist correlation with surface defects
1.3 statistic and probabilistic models related to wire quality

2. Track ropes
2.1 risk analysis in track ropes
2.2 intrinsec safety and exogenes harms
2.3 risk parameters: identification and analysis models for exercise situations
2.4 optimation af the track ropes project with reference to safety exigencies

3. Risks on the ropes deriving from ambience (wind etc.)

Members:
In total, 10 ropeway experts from 7 European countries work in this group presently. Equally represented by authorities, operators and manufacturers.

From left to right: Laurent Reynaud, Helmuth Hübl, Hans Michalik, Björn Norberg, Jacques Dubuisson, Rafael Mira

COMMITTEE No. IIIe: Electrical components respectively modules in ropeway installation

Chairman: Dipl. Eng. Fredy Lang (CH)

Address:
Bundesamt für Verkehr
Sektion Sicherheitstechnik und Normen
Bundeshaus Nord
CH-3003 BERN
Telephone ++41-31-3225869 FAX ++41-31-3227826
Email: fredy.lang@bsv.admin.ch 

Scope of duties:

1. Basic rules in technical security
2. Application of programmable control systems and complex electronic systems
3. Safety evidence, design review, inspection tests
4. Use of standards, specially ropeway standards
5. Automatic operation of funiculars and aerial tramways
6. Discussion about accidents, interruptions and occurrences. (Time shall be limited to about 1.5 hours for each meeting.)
7. Special electric parts (inclination measurement, wind speed measuring systems, tower switches, load measurement, door surveillance, lightning arrester, etc.)
8. Maintenance of electric installations
9. Staff instruction

Members:
In total, 15 ropeway experts from 5 European countries work in this group presently. Equally represented by authorities, operators and manufacturers.

COMMITTEE No. IV: Legal, administrative, economic and statistical matters

Chairman: Dr. Horst Kühschelm (A)

Address:
Favoritenstrasse 143/16
A-1100 WIEN
Telephone ++43-1-6079460 Händy ++43-664-5056460
Email: horst.kuehschelm@utanet.at 

Present scope of duties:

• Investigation of economical figures;
• Economical importance of ropeway systems;
• Ropeways and EU - in particular questions of transportation systems in the EU and legal problems concerning rules of competition;
• Inspection, control and maintenance of ropeway systems and its legal basis;
• Liability of ropeway operators and responsibility of the passengers;
• Quality assurance of ropeways.

• Members: In total, 25 ropeway experts from 5 European countries work in this group presently. Equally represented by authorities, operators and manufacturers.

In this committee the following

WORK GROUP: ENVIRONMENTENTAL

Head of the work group: 

Techn. Rat DI. Michael Manhart
Skilifte Lech, Ing. Bildstein Gesellschaft m.b.H.

A-6764 LECH am ARLBERG
Tel.: ++43-5583-2332-0 Fax ++43-5583-2332-30
Email manhart.michael@skiarlberg.at  

COMMITTEE No. VI: Optimization of operation of ropeway systems

Chairman: Eng. Mauro Joyeusaz (I)
 

• Address:
  Cervino SpA
  Corso G. Cesare, 29 bis
  I-10152 TORINO
  Telephone ++39-011-2387611 FAX ++39-011-2387699
  Email: mailto:joyeusazmauro@cervionospa.com

  Scope of duties:

  Elaboration of recommendations or regulations in connection with the operation of ropeway systems

  • Analysis of operational problems with respect to the use of new materials and new applications. Studies about planed or allready used solutions in the various countries. Set up of corresponding standardized regulations.
  • Review of technological trends in rescue systems and elaboration of corresponding recommendations for using them.
  • Analysis of interruptions, occurrences and accidents. Thorough investigation of the cause in connection with the surrounding and work force and methods. Elaboration of recommendations working against these causes or diminishing the effect of it.
  • Analysis of possible difficulties in the application of CEN-standards "evacuation and rescue" and "operation". Elaboration of suggestions for corresponding changes and completion’s.

  Members:

  In total, 11 ropeway experts from 7 European countries work in this group presently. Equally represented by authorities, operators and manufacturers.

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