• Title/Summary/Keyword: Sustainability Actions

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Tools to Prioritize Construction Phase Sustainability Actions (CPSAs) and to Measure CPSAs Implementation

  • O'Connor, James T.;Torres, Neftali;Kralik, Nancy;Woo, Jeyoung
    • Journal of Construction Engineering and Project Management
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    • v.8 no.1
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    • pp.22-30
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    • 2018
  • Achieving sustainability targets on construction projects has increasingly become one of the prime strategies for construction organizations. To provide more detailed guidance on sustainability implementation on projects, Construction Industry Institute (CII) Research Team (RT) 304 developed a catalog of the Construction Phase Sustainability Actions (CPSAs). The primary objective of this paper was the development of two support tools, the CPSA Screening Tool and the CPSA Implementation Index, that could be used to enable efficient application of CPSAs, support sustainability-related decisions, and measure CPSA implementation and performance. The authors developed the tools in four stages: conceptual, detailed planning, tool programming, and testing. The tools were then demonstrated on a capital project to confirm their efficacy and applicability. This paper presents the background, inputs and outputs, and the algorithms of each tool. The CPSA Screening Tool can prioritize the CPSAs most relevant to a project; the CPSA Implementation Index enables continuous monitoring of implementation levels.

Institutional Arrangement and Policy Context Underlying Sustainability Actions in the U.S.: Lessons for Asian Regions

  • Hwang, Joungyoon;Song, Minsun;Cho, Seong
    • Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia
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    • v.19 no.1
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    • pp.59-83
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    • 2020
  • This paper examines the actions and the factors driving those actions to reduce energy consumption and enhance energy efficiency taken by United States cities. While not much empirical evidence is available on why governments pursue practical sustainability actions, we attempt to shed more light on this important topic by empirically identifying factors that contribute to concrete actions toward sustainability policies. We adopt political market theory as a basic theoretical framework with policy-making applied to city energy consumption. Using the 2010 ICMA (local government sustainability policies and program) data, this study expands the focus of analyses to evaluate the effect of the form of government on energy consumption and energy efficiency by using multiple regression analysis. The findings show that at the city level, the mayor-council form of government are negatively associated with governments' efforts to reduce energy consumption. However, cities with at-large elections and municipal ownership are more likely to adopt sustainability actions. We also find that a large-scale economy has significant effects on the effort to reduce city energy consumption and improve energy efficiency. This shows that environmental policies are directly connected to locally relevant affairs, including housing, energy use, green transportation, and water. Thus, local level administrators could take an executive role to protect the environment, encourage the development of alternative energy, and reduce the use of fossil fuel and coal energy. These efforts can lead to important environmental ramifications and relevant actions by municipal governments.

Design for Story-making: Conceptual Exploration on Emotionally Sustainable Design

  • Hong, Min-Jung
    • Journal of the Korea Furniture Society
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    • v.19 no.2
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    • pp.141-150
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    • 2008
  • Exploring on two major questions: 'Why do we feel more love for certain objects?' and 'How can design use this knowledge to realize design sustainability?', this article presents an alternative way of approaching the problem of design sustainability from the perspective that our relationships with design objects are of an extended mode of social relations. Recent discussions on design sustainability have transformed the notion of the problem by seeing it as a problem of our basic perception of design objects and our relationships with them. In this light, I propose that design sustainability could not be achieved solely by approaching from a mechanistic perspective, but by re-framing the way we see and relate things around us and by supporting our changes and actions to move forward a more sustainable notion of our relationships with the objects. As a way to realize design sustainability, I propose that design should involve story-making quality that supports our initiatives to build more affectional relations with objects by seeing the objects as entities of communication that tell stories of us, thus reflect our identities and meanings of our lives. Proceeding on the exploration of the subject, I present some of conceptual outlines in forms of an image diary, an interplay-able furniture unit, and a performance instruction that suggest a way for a special story-making process and thus a stronger emotional tie with the objects.

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The Evolution of Seismic Engineering and Design of Ultra Tall Buildings in China Innovations and Sustainability

  • Wang, Aaron J.
    • International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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    • v.5 no.3
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    • pp.221-232
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    • 2016
  • With the booming of construction and property industries in China, the demand for high-rises and mega-scale buildings with more integrated building functions, open- and tailor-shaped outlooks, better connections to municipal infrastructures, and higher grades of building importance has been increasing in the past two decades. The seismic design and engineering of such modern mega-buildings face engineering challenges such as hazard mitigation of extreme actions and surroundings, integrated structural frameworks and building skins, complex connections, and overall construction efficiency. It is the work of a new generation of civil and structural engineers to enhance engineering efficiency and achieve overall engineering, environmental, and economical effectiveness for these high-rise projects. This paper elaborates the above topics through case studies on the design and construction of four such developments in China. Some rethinking is conducted on evolution in modern seismic engineering and design through innovation to achieve an acceptable level of overall sustainability and building effectiveness.

Forest Ecosystem Management: Concepts, Principles and Applications (산림생태계 관리: 개념, 원칙 및 적용방법을 중심으로)

  • 손요환;김진수
    • The Korean Journal of Ecology
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    • v.20 no.3
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    • pp.201-216
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    • 1997
  • Forest managers are increasingly being challenged to produce goods and services to society while managing for ecosystem sustainability. Forest ecosystem management is an emerging philosophy to achieve these objectives. We synthesized some basic concepts of forest ecosystem, sustainability in forests and forest ecosystem management, and described the importances of long-term ecological studies. Also we presented few relatively simple principles of forest ecosystem management, strategies, and case studies for integrating forest ecosystem management principles into the forest management planning process. It was emphasizd that in forest ecosystem management process, society, land managers, forest managers, and scientists be entered into a partnership to reshape management goals, redefine objectives, and redirect management actions in response to changing socioeconomic information and evolving bioogical, physical, chemical, and environmental conditions. Agreement or disagreement with our synthesis and opinions on forest ecosystem management is out of the primary objective of this paper, which is to stimulate new and creative approaches to forest ecosystem management as an emerging issue in forestry.

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A Study on Sustainable Laundry Behavior -Comparison between Korean and European Consumers- (국내 세탁행동의 지속가능성에 관한 연구 -유럽과의 비교를 중심으로-)

  • Wee, Jeeweon;Lee, Yoon-Jung;Jung, Hye Jung
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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    • v.45 no.3
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    • pp.525-545
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    • 2021
  • The purpose of this study was to assess the sustainability of laundry practices among Korean households in comparison with European households. A total of 329 responses were collected through an online survey and analyzed using SPSS. Detergent dosing, use of fabric softener, prewashing, rinsing, washing programs, and washing temperatures of Korean households were not optimal for sustainability. Only 11.2% of respondents followed dosage instructions while the majority based on load size. Use of fabric enhancer, prewashing, and rinsing were frequent. Cotton 40℃ was the most frequently used program (81.5%) while eco and cold wash programs were among the least (1.5%). In terms of laundry sorting, load size, drying, and ironing, more sustainable actions were reported. Laundry was often sorted by color, machines were commonly filled, and clothes tended to be air-dried and not excessively ironed. Gender was the primary socio-demographic factor denoting sustainable habits, with males being more attentive to instructions and care labels than females. European households, however, were more sustainable in all areas except for frequent ironing, and education level and employment status were significant factors affecting sustainable practices.

The significance of removing shear walls in existing low-rise RC frame buildings - Sustainable approach

  • Keihani, Reza;Bahadori-Jahromi, Ali;Goodchild, Charles
    • Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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    • v.71 no.5
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    • pp.563-576
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    • 2019
  • According to The Concrete Centre, in the UK shear walls have become an inseparable part of almost every reinforced concrete frame building. Recently, the construction industry has questioned the need for shear walls in low to mid-rise RC frame buildings. This study tried to address the issue in two stages: The first stage, the feasibility of removing shear walls in an existing design for a residential building where ETABS and CONCEPT software were used to investigate the structural performance and cost-effectiveness respectively. The second stage, the same structure was examined in various locations in the UK to investigate regional effects. This study demonstrated that the building without shear wall could provide adequate serviceability and strength within the safe range defined by Eurocodes. As a result, construction time, overall cost and required concrete volume are reduced which in turn enhance the sustainability of concrete construction.

Control system modeling of stock management for civil infrastructure

  • Abe, Masato
    • Smart Structures and Systems
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    • v.15 no.3
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    • pp.609-625
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    • 2015
  • Management of infrastructure stock is essential in sustainability of society, and its analysis and optimization are studied in the light of control system modeling in this paper. At the first part of the paper, cost of stock management is analyzed based on macroscopic statistics on infrastructure stock and economical growth. Stock management burden relative to economy is observed to become larger at low economic growth periods in developed economies. Then, control system modeling of stock management is introduced and by augmenting maintenance actions as control input, dynamic behavior of stock is simulated and compared with existing time history statistics. Assuming steady state conditions, applicability of the model to cross sectional data is also demonstrated. The proposed model is enhanced so that both preventive and corrective maintenance can be included as system inputs, i.e., feedforward and feedback control inputs. Optimal management strategy to achieve specified deteriorated stock level with minimal cost, expressed in terms of preventive and corrective maintenance actions, is derived based on estimated parameter values for corrosion of steel bridges. Relative cost effectiveness of preventive maintenance is shown when target deteriorated stock level is lower.

Strategic actions to enhance environmental regulation and management of a coastal community to mitigate climate effects

  • Mao, HAK;Lee, Young-Chan
    • Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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    • v.40 no.10
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    • pp.922-928
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    • 2016
  • Bearing in mind that global climate change is a rising issue, the coastal community of Prek Thnaot, Cambodia has been put on severe effects about natural disasters caused from poor infrastructure and agriculture dependence. This paper proposes to provide and guide a strategic action for the sustainable development path of coastal community in a more continuous manner including a robust resilience to impacts of climate change, natural disasters, and other risks. In doing so, this paper will help environmentally sound management and coastal resources sustainability being sound for socially and economically inclusive development. Proposed fourteen strategic actions for the research should be accompanying with the participation of and cooperation from the local coastal community. Based on the proposed strategic actions, it is critical that the local authorities and other key stakeholders need to accomplish. Providing a good insight for the central government, the strategic action is expected to integrate and prepare a management strategy plan for the local coastal community level. Therefore, this information can be applied to other coastal areas to promote and ensure sustainable protection and management of coastal resources.

A Study on the Records Management for Evidence-Based Accountability of Corporations : Focusing on Sustainability Reports (기업의 증거기반 설명책임을 위한 기록관리 방안 '지속가능성보고서'를 중심으로)

  • Jung, Mi Ri;Yim, Jin-Hee
    • The Korean Journal of Archival Studies
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    • no.48
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    • pp.45-92
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    • 2016
  • Corporations report their economical, environmental, social influences and achievements through sustainability reports. Apart from the financial reports, which are subject to legal restrictions, sustainability reports inform non financial achievements of a corporation, thus the reliability of the information is solely dependent on the corporation itself. The current sustainability reports are of types that cannot include proof or source of the index data, thus they are tended to be regarded as means of publicity. The reliability of the reports is often questioned. This research applied the concept of Evidence-Based Accountability, which will allow the confirmation of accountability through records including contents and context of the tasks. Evidence-Based Accountability means producing and accumulating witness records of actions, then managing the records as usable information and use them as accountability information. Index data from sustainability reports of domestic corporations and web based reports of Vodafone was reviewed. Measures to link task records as proof of index data was studied. To make this possible, record production and acquisition system was redesigned in order to secure required records as evidence. Linked build-up of SR system and RMS was proposed. The proposed system will allow collection and management of records as SR accountability information, and provide the data when necessary. Also, corporate infrastructure was proposed. This infrastructure will build a professional records management system in stages, through organizational system and regulations. Cooperation of staff in this infrastructure will support reliable corporate accountability.