uST technologies are based on an innovative String Rail. String Rail or Rail-String is an ordinary uncut steel, reinforced concrete beam or truss equipped with a rail head and additionally armed with pre-stressed (extended) strings.

The main horizontal load from stretching is placed on the anchor supports. The intermediate supports take the vertical load. The track structure is characterised by visual ease and grace, and it does not block the skyline, allowing the natural landscapes on the route of the track to remain visible.

Low-cost and eco-friendly transport solutions

The unique value propositions of uST Transport & Infrastructure Solutions are:

• Competitive price compared to other types of overpass transport such as monorail or urban railways (including tram lines in overpass designs), as well as metro and a ropeway.
• High speed of urban transportation (up to 150km/h) and productivity of complexes, transporting up to 50,000 passengers per peak hour and up to 100 million passengers per year, and up to 100Mtpa of cargo.
• uST complexes can be adapted to any construction environment, meaning it can be laid over existing roads and railways, as well as in locations with difficult natural climactic conditions and topography
• Safety, with the possibility of reducing the accident rate of passenger and freight traffic to zero by raising the road above the ground, automating logistics, and equipping rolling stock with an effective anti-derailment system.
• Environmental friendliness as minimal areas of land acquisition are needed for the construction of uST complexes. Rail electric vehicles on steel wheels also have a low energy consumption, and do not release chemical pollution into the environment. Physical pollution such as noise, vibration, electromagnetic, visual, and impact on humans and the natural environment is also reduced.
• Digitalisation of complexes and their integrability into the system of smart cities, including the possibility of laying power lines and fibre-optic information networks inside the uST String Rail track structure, as well as the use of public transport systems in the logic of “digital service on demand”. Examples of this include calling a vehicle via a mobile application, and storing and customising vehicle multimedia systems for the user.

uST passenger and cargo vehicles

The steel wheel electric vehicles, named uPod, are used in the passenger and cargo models.

The model line of passenger vehicles provides a traffic flow of 50,000 people per hour via each overpass road and consists of a uCar and uBus that used for driving on urban and suburban routes.

uCar is a high-comfort vehicle with up to six seats. The custom-made tropical version of the uCar is designed for regions with arid and humid climates, with an upper operating temperature limit up to 55°C.

uBus is a standard vehicle with a modular design. It features seats and standing room, and the capacity can vary in function with the use of additional transport modules.

The range of cargo vehicles moving standard TEU and FEU containers for $0.01 per tonne-kilometre (t-km) contains an uCont serial model. It is a vehicle for transporting sea containers with a nominal length of 20ft and 40ft, which is used for operations at industrial facilities, ports, and mining sites.

The promising  new development of the company is uFlash, with a six-person capacity, that is designed for transportation on intercity and international routes. It is a mass-production model that provides high-speed passenger traffic at speeds of 300km/h-600km/h.

Certification and safety of String Rail vehicles

The company designed and built two high-tech demonstration and certification centers: the EcoTechnoPark in Maryina Gorka, Belarus, and the uSky Center in Sharjah, UAE.

Certification works are carried out at the uSky Test and Certification Centre, in Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park, on an area of 28 hectares.

The TUV SW Standardization Certification has issued a Certificate of Conformity, proving the safety of uSky innovative transport infrastructure solutions, including:

• Track structure and the pre-stressed String Rail transport overpass
• uPod, the steel wheel electric vehicle with an automated control system
• Anchor and intermediate supports
• Passenger and service stations

About Unitsky String Technologies Inc.

Unitsky String Technologies Inc. is an international engineering company that provides design, construction, and maintenance of innovative elevated transportation systems. The head office of the engineering company located in the city of Minsk, Belarus. The company is currently actively working on several commercial projects in different countries.

Dr Anatoli Unitsky is the General Director, principal owner of technology, and coordinator of design at Unitsky String Technologies Inc.

Dr Unitsky says: “We believe that transport should be the solution to problems, not the source of them. Therefore, our company, adopting the best that has been done before us and learning from the mistakes of others, creates innovative, environmentally friendly, and safe transport systems that will also save people time.”