Dr. Margarita Martínez Díaz
Dr. Martínez Díaz is an Assistant Professor at the School of Civil Engineering of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) in Spain. She belongs to the area of Transportation Engineering and Territory (department of Civil and Environmental Engineering) and is a member of the “Barcelona Innovative Transportation” research group. Additionally, she is a yearly visiting professor and responsible for the optional subject “Einführung in die Straßenverkehrstechnik” at the Hochschule Magdeburg-Stendal and the coordinator of the EIT Academy Program “Women in Urban Mobility” on behalf of the UPC.
Previously, Margarita was an Adjunct Assistant Professor and a researcher at the Civil Engineering School of the University of A Coruña (UDC) in Spain and also worked as a civil engineer in 2 international construction companies.
Dr. Martínez-Díaz graduated from the UDC, being a significant part of the corresponding research carried out at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and at the Hochschule Magdeburg-Stendal. Her PhD, titled “Highway travel time information systems: from traditional to cooperative driving environments”, was awarded with both the International and the National Abertis Transport Infrastructure Management Awards. Her key research interests are dynamic traffic management, cooperative driving, acceptance and adoption of emerging transportation systems as well as mobility from a gender perspective. Dr. Martínez Díaz is a member of several scientific organisations and committees, as well as of one topic board (Sustainability journal). She collaborates as a reviewer with 9 indexed scientific journals in the field of transportation and as a communicator on mobility issues on a Spanish radio program.
Margarita undertook a 5-month postdoctoral research stay at the Technical University of Munich hosted by Prof. Antoniou and supported by the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst. Now, she is happy to collaborate with the Transportation System Engineering research group from Barcelona.
Publications
- Soriguera, F. and M. Martínez-Díaz (2020). Freeway Travel Time Information from Input-Output Vehicle Counts: a Drift Correction Method Based on AVI Data. IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems. In Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TITS.2020.2992300
Indexing: i.a. Journal Citation Reports, Q1. - Fernández-Ruiz, J., Medina Rodríguez L.E., Alves Costa, P. and M. Martínez-Díaz (2020). Benchmarking of two three-dimensional numerical models in time/space domain to predict railway-induced ground vibrations. Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Vibration (In press).
Indexing: i.a. Journal Citation Reports, Q3. - Martínez-Díaz, M., F. Soriguera and I. Pérez (2019 –online 2018-). Autonomous driving: A bird´s eye view. IET Intelligent Transport Systems, 13(4), 563-579. http://dx.doi.org/10.1049/iet-its.2018.5061
Indexing: i.a. Journal Citation Reports, Q3. - Martínez-Díaz, M., F. Soriguera and I. Pérez (2018). Technology: A necessary but not sufficient condition in future personal mobility. Sustainability, 10(11), 4141. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10114141
Indexing: i.a. Journal Citation Reports, Q2. - Martínez-Díaz, M. and F. Soriguera (2018). Autonomous vehicles: theoretical and practical challenges. Transportation Research Procedia, 33, 275-282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2018.10.103
Indexing: SCImago - Soriguera, F., M. Martínez-Díaz, and I. Pérez (2016). Highway travel time information systems based on cumulative count curves and new tracking technologies. Transportation Research Procedia,18, 44-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2016.12.006
Indexing: SCImago. - Martínez-Díaz, M. and I. Pérez (2015). A simple algorithm for the estimation of road traffic space mean speeds from data available to most Management Centres. Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, 75, 19-35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.trb.2015.02.003
Indexing: i.a. Journal Citation Reports, Q1. In 2nd place in its category (transportation) in the year of publication. - Martínez-Díaz, M. and I. Pérez (2015). Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide: Features and Distinctive Elements. Revista de la Construcción, 14(1), 32- 40. http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0718-915X2015000100004
Indexing: i.a. Journal Citation Reports, Q4. - Martínez-Díaz, M., I. Pérez and L. Romera (2013). Review of warm mix asphalt new technologies. Dyna Ingeniería e Industria, 88, 334-343. http://dx.doi.org/10.6036/5410
Indexing: i.a. Journal Citation Reports, Q4.
Work Experience
| 2021-present | Assistant Professor School of Civil Engineering, Polytechnic University of Catalonia |
| 2003-2020 | Assistant Professor School of Civil Engineering, University of A Coruña |
| 2015-present | Visiting Professor (Yearly) |
| 2003-2010
| Civil engineer Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas S.A. (FCC Construcción S.A.), Galicia, Spain |
| 2002-2003 | Civil engineer Dragados y Construcciones S.A. (currently ACS, S.A.), Galicia, Spain |
| 2002 | Intern Project department, Ciesa Ingeniería S.L., A Coruña, Spain |
Education
| 2015–2018 | Ph.D. in Civil Engineering University of A Coruña (collaboration with Polytechnic University of Catalonia and the Hochschule Magdeburg-Stendal) |
| 2013-2014 | Master of Science in Civil Engineering University of A Coruña, Spain |
| 2005-2007 | Civil Engineering Advanced Studies (Postgraduate studies) University of A Coruña, Spain |
| 1997-2002 | Degree in Civil Engineering (5-year degree, M. Eng. corresponding to 7th EQF level (European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning)) University of A Coruña, Spain |
Recent research projects
Margarita has so far participated in 7 competitive research projects, the most recent being:
- 2020-2024. Platooning of Connected Autonomous Vehicles on Freeways: Microscopic Modeling & Management Strategies. UPC-BarcelonaTech, Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain.
- Budget: 148,000 Euro + VAT
- Third-party funding: Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities
- Topic: design of a microscopic tool to optimise platoon-shaped cooperative driving and define/evaluate its most effective dynamic management strategies
- 2017-2019. Cooperative driving on motorways: management strategies in a mixed system: autonomous and traditional vehicles. UPC-BarcelonaTech, Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain.
- Budget: 141,570 Euro + VAT
- Third-party funding: Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness
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Topic: Cooperative driving and dynamic traffic control under mixed circumstances with autonomous and traditional vehicles
Awards and Scholarships
- 2020: Forschungsstipendium für promovierte Nachwuchswissenschaftler (Postdoc-Programm) – Kurzstipendien. Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst.
- 2018: 1st place in the International Abertis Transport Infrastructure Management Award (dissertation category). Abertis Chairs, International.
- 2018: 1st place ex aequo Abertis Transport Infrastructure Management Award (dissertation category). Abertis España, Spain.
- 2017: 2nd place in the Campus-FIT Awards for novel researchers Research: "Highway travel time prediction by the fuse of data provided by loop detectors with those provided by new tracking technologies". Transport Engineering Forum (FIT), Madrid, Spain.
- 2003: Winner of the Tracim Price for the best degree final project. Tracim, Spain.
- 2003: Winner of the III Fundación Dragados y Construcciones Price for the best degree final project. Dragados y Construcciones S.A., Spain.