• Title/Summary/Keyword: University Sustainability Practices

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Public-Private Partnerships in International Development Cooperation: Avoiding the Pitfalls to Make a Difference

  • Lussier, Dr Kattie
    • International conference on construction engineering and project management
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    • 2015.10a
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    • pp.30-31
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    • 2015
  • PPPs in international development cooperation can be challenging due limited capacities in the country, weaknesses in terms of policy and legislative frameworks, differences in mindsets, values, work ethics and hierarchical structures as well as cultural issues. These can lead to misunderstandings and implementation problems. However, a careful assessment of the situation on the ground, stakeholder analysis and needs assessment can help to identify potential bottlenecks and address capacity constraints that could slowdown operations. A sound understanding of local power dynamics and work practices can help to put in place an exit strategy which will enhance the projects' sustainability. Making sure that goals and objectives are understood in the same way by all partners, establishing an ongoing and respectful dialogue between them, as well as transparent implementation and monitoring mechanisms can also contribute to the PPP's success and increase the likeliness to make a difference in the lives of those in needs.

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Anyang Citizens' Awareness of the Effects of City Parks on City Dwellers

  • Marshall, Tony;Jang, June-Ho;Eom, Boong-Hoon
    • Journal of Environmental Science International
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    • v.28 no.12
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    • pp.1183-1197
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    • 2019
  • This study aimed to investigate educational, social, and environmental effects of city parks on the citizens of Anyang, South Korea. The study conducted a questionnaire survey for 30 days on a sample of 1,080 Anyang residents. Parks can be used for different purposes that have benefits like improving the appeal of the local environment as well as promoting health. The respondents highlighted preferred activities including participating in events, learning eco-practices at school, volunteering, and collaborating with the government to enforce environmental quality laws. The identified effects of parks on citizens according to this study were the benefits obtained from parks in the city, the improvement of their quality of life, and enhancing the environmental quality and sustainability. The study also undertook a correlational analysis to establish the relationship between the citizens' experience in the park and the level of satisfaction they demonstrated in the study for continuity purposes. The data collected was divided into 2 data forms entailed in a comparative analysis chart for the city's 12 parks at different times of the day, and a clustered analysis using 4 data clusters grouped based on the profiles of survey responders. The study concluded that the educational, social, and environmental effects of the parks are significant, suggesting an array of programs that can be used to enhance urban redevelopment and showed the role of parks in environmental awareness for cities in the future.

Estimation of the Level of Sustainable Development in Kazakhstan Regions and Recommendation for its Increase

  • Baimukhamedova, Gulzada S.;Nurlanova, Nailya K.;Akhmetova, Sharzada
    • Journal of Distribution Science
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    • v.10 no.7
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    • pp.23-31
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    • 2012
  • The purpose of this study is to investigate existing world economic science theories and concepts of sustainable development as well as create original system of criteria and indicators to assess potential and conditions for sustainable development from a regional perspective and based on the above justify proposals for public authorities to improve methods of economic regulation for regional development. To achieve the goal evolution process of existing theories and concepts of sustainable development and "green growth" have been studied in terms of its adaptation to the spatial development of Kazakhstan, comparative dynamics of natural resources consumption in the Asia-Pacific region and Kazakhstan were investigated as well. Methodology. World best theory and practice methods for assessment of the level of sustainable development of the country and some of its territories were also studied. We selected the best system of criteria and indicators for assessment of economic, social and environmental sustainability of regional systems. Methods offered in this article are based on traditional and new factors of economic development and conditions for operation of regional systems. Indicators are chosen with a glance to basic goals for future development of regions in Kazakhstan. It is recommended to use two levels of methodology offered by author, namely national and regional, and at the local level later (districts, municipalities, cities). The results. Method offered by the author has been tested based on materials and statistics of regions in Kazakhstan. Suitability and usability of the proposed system of criteria and indicators for measuring of economic, social and environmental sustainability of regional systems was proved. Based on this analysis it was found out that there are regions in Kazakhstan that differ from each other by most of key indicators of sustainable regional development and this tendency is increasing. Conclusions and recommendations. As a result of this analysis, the authors have substantiated a number of proposals on methods of analysis to be used, improvement of methods of regional development, implementation of institutional reforms, as well as improvement of regional statistics. This article provides recommendations that can be successfully used in the management practices by public authorities to implement a new regional strategy focused on sustainable development in future.

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A Comparative Analysis of Domestic and Foreign Universities' Facility Management for Green Campus - Focusing on the Energy Management - (그린캠퍼스를 위한 국내.외 대학시설관리(FM) 비교분석 - 에너지관리 중심 -)

  • Shin, Eun-Young;Kim, Jun-Ha
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Educational Facilities
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    • v.19 no.1
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    • pp.45-53
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    • 2012
  • Recently, as the environment issue has been stand out, people's interests in energy consumption of the building have been increased as well. Especially, university has been classified as the one of the main causes of excessive energy consumption. Therefore, domestic and foreign universities are trying to build a green campus in an attempt for sustainable development. Since early 2000s, foreign universities have been aware that one of the main causes of global warming is an excessive consumption of energy in universities. Accordingly, they adopted various energy management programs for the conservation. Ultimately, enforcing energy conservation and using alternative energy resulted in lower expense and it was a great help for the universities. On the other hand, excessive consumption of energy in domestic universities has been considered as serious, which led them to become the second main energy consumers in 2010. However, it seems people do not truly recognize the impotance of energy management, therefore, relatively little attention has been paid to this matter. Based on Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design(LEED) rating systems for on-campus building operation and maintenance, this research suggests the evaluation standard to effectively analyze the energy management activity with the best practices conducted in foreign universities and to solve the problem of campus facilities management in domestic universities. The result shows that domestic universities do not have a designated task force for effective energy management and the lack of energy professionals hinders for the long term development. Therefore, domestic universities should recognize the seriousness of the excessive energy consumption and develop low carbon green campus through proactive management practices since this is very essential for domestic universities to get more competitive in this global era.

Influence of Weed Management Practices on Ground-dwelling Arthropod Assemblages in Organic and Conventional Apple Orchards (유기재배와 관행재배 사과원 내 지표 배회성 절지동물 군집에 대한 잡초 관리의 영향)

  • Kim, Jiwon;Jung, Chuleui
    • Korean journal of applied entomology
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    • v.60 no.1
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    • pp.105-114
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    • 2021
  • Ground-dwelling arthropods are important components in apple orchard providing beneficial ecological services of predation and decomposition as well as herbivory. Groundcovers are managed differentially in organic and conventional apple orchards influencing ground-dwelling arthropod assemblages. We conducted 3-year studies to assess the effects of orchard management relative to weed management on the abundance and diversity of ground-dwelling arthropods using pitfall trapping. Most arthropods were classified as higher taxonomical groups and functional feeding guilds, while carabid beetles were classified into species level. Coleoptera was the dominating taxon of all ground-dwelling arthropods. Abundance of herbivores and predators was significantly higher in organic apple orchards than conventional ones. Higher abundance and diversity of carabid beetles were found in organic orchards than in conventional orchards. The abundance of Araneae, Coleoptera, or carabid beetles was negatively correlated to weed management frequency. It was found that ground-dwelling arthropods were more influenced by weed management practices than the farming systems.

Framework to Compute Vehicle Emission Costs Associated with Work Zones

  • Shrestha, K. Joseph;Adebiyi, Jeremiah;Uddin, Mohammad Moin;Sturgill, Roy
    • International conference on construction engineering and project management
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    • 2022.06a
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    • pp.952-959
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    • 2022
  • Active construction work zones will result in longer travel time and/or longer travel distances for road users because of reduced speed limits and/or detours. This results in increased fuel consumption and increased emissions of harmful gases such as Carbon Monoxide (CO), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), and Sulfur Oxides (SOx), which causes discomfort to the environment and road users around the work zone. The impact of such emissions should be considered while designing work zones or determining the number of days the roadway will be allowed to be closed partially or fully. This study develops a methodology to compute additional road user costs associated with such work zones. To achieve this goal, a) an extensive literature review is conducted, b) a framework to compute emission cost is developed, c) emission rates are computed for all counties (95) of the state of Tennessee, and d) a case study is conducted to demonstrate the use of the framework to estimate the additional impact of emission because of the work zone. For the case study conducted, the emission cost was computed to be $10,653.60 for the duration of the project. State DOTs can account for such road user costs while selecting contractors using A+B bidding. Accounting for such impact of emission will also indicate the agency's willingness to consider sustainability as a part of the business practices.

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Use of Recycled Brick Masonry Aggregate and Recycled Brick Masonry Aggregate Concrete in Sustainable Construction

  • Schwerin, Dallas E.;Cavalline, Tara L.;Weggel, David C.
    • Journal of Construction Engineering and Project Management
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    • v.3 no.1
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    • pp.28-34
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    • 2013
  • Use of recycled aggregates in portland cement concrete (PCC) construction can offer benefits associated with both economy and sustainability. Testing performed to date indicates that recycled brick masonry aggregate (RBMA) can be used as a 100% replacement for conventional coarse aggregate in concrete that exhibits acceptable mechanical properties for use in structural and pavement elements, including satisfactory performance in some durability tests. Recycled brick masonry aggregate concrete (RBMAC) is currently not used in any type of construction in the United States. However, use of RBMAC could become a viable construction strategy as sustainable building practices become the norm. This paper explores the feasibility of use of RBMAC in several types of sustainable construction initiatives, based upon the findings of previous work with RBMAC that incorporates RBMA produced from construction and demolition waste from a case study site. A summary of material properties of RBMAC that will be useful to construction professionals are presented, along with a discussion of advantages and impediments to use. Several quality assurance and quality control techniques that could be incorporated into specifications are identified.

Effect of Long Term Fertilization on Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Pools in Paddy Soil

  • Lee, Chang Hoon;Jung, Ki Youl;Kang, Seong Soo;Kim, Myung Sook;Kim, Yoo Hak;Kim, Pil Joo
    • Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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    • v.46 no.3
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    • pp.216-222
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    • 2013
  • Fertilizer management has the potential to promote the storage of carbon and nitrogen in agricultural soils and thus may contribute to crop sustainability and mitigation of global warming. In this study, the effects of fertilizer practices [no fertilizer (Control), chemical fertilizer (NPK), Compost, and chemical fertilizer plus compost] on soil total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents in inner soil profiles of paddy soil at 0-60 cm depth were examined by using long-term field experimental site at $42^{nd}$ years after installation. TC and TN concentrations of the treatments which included N input (NPK, Compost, NPK+Compost) in plow layer (0-15 cm) ranged from 19.0 to 26.4 g $kg^{-1}$ and 2.15 to 2.53 g $kg^{-1}$, respectively. Compared with control treatment, SOC (soil organic C) and TN concentrations were increased by 24.1 and 31.0%, 57.6 and 49.7%, and 72.2 and 54.5% for NPK, Compost, and NPK+Compost, respectively. However, long term fertilization significantly influenced TC concentration and pools to 30 cm depth. TC and TN pools for NPK, Compost, NPK+Compost in 0-30 cm depth ranged from 44.8 to 56.8 Mg $ha^{-1}$ and 5.78 to 6.49 Mg $ha^{-1}$, respectively. TC and TN pools were greater by 10.5 and 21.4%, 30.3 and 29.6%, and 39.9 and 36.3% in N input treatments (NPK, Compost, NPK+Compost) than in control treatment. These resulted from the formation and stability of aggregate in paddy soil with continuous mono rice cultivation. Therefore, fertilization practice could contribute to the storage of C and N in paddy soil, especially, organic amendments with chemical fertilizers may be alternative practices to sequester carbon and nitrogen in agricultural soil.

Numerical Investigation of Residual Strength of Steel Stiffened Panel Exposed to Hydrocarbon Fire

  • Kim, Jeong Hwan;Baeg, Dae Yu;Seo, Jung Kwan
    • Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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    • v.35 no.3
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    • pp.203-215
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    • 2021
  • Current industrial practices and approaches are simplified and do not describe the actual behavior of plated elements of offshore topside structures for safety design due to fires. Therefore, it is better to make up for the defective methods with integrated fire safety design methods based on fire resistance characteristics such as residual strength capacity. This study numerically investigates the residual strength of steel stiffened panels exposed to hydrocarbon jet fire. A series of nonlinear finite element analyses (FEAs) were carried out with varying probabilistic selected exposures in terms of the jet fire location, side, area, and duration. These were used to assess the effects of exposed fire on the residual strength of a steel stiffened panel on a ship-shaped offshore structure. A probabilistic approach with a feasible fire location was used to determine credible fire scenarios in association with thermal structural responses. Heat transfer analysis was performed to obtain the steel temperature, and then the residual strength was obtained for the credible fire scenarios under compressive axial loading using nonlinear FEA code. The results were used to derive closed-form expressions to predict the residual strength of steel stiffened panels with various exposure to jet fire characteristics. The results could be used to assess the sustainability of structures at risk of exposure to fire accidents in offshore installations.

Conjoined Towers for Livable and Sustainable Vertical Urbanism

  • Moon, Kyoung Sun;de Oliveira Miranda, Miguel Darcy
    • International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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    • v.9 no.4
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    • pp.387-396
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    • 2020
  • While tall buildings are an essential building type to accommodate an ever-growing urban population, as buildings become taller and taller, many design challenges arise. As floor spaces are repeated vertically, the occupants' natural horizontal circulation-based social interactions are limited. As buildings become ever taller, safe evacuation to the ground level becomes more challenging in emergencies. With respect to safety as well as serviceability, one of the most fundamental design challenges of exceedingly tall buildings is their structural systems that make the physical existence of tall buildings possible. While many different design solutions can be sought to resolve these issues as well as other design challenges of extremely tall buildings, this paper investigates the potential of conjoined towers to create more livable and sustainable vertical environments. Emphasis is placed on the social and structural capabilities of conjoined towers in providing enhanced social interactions and more efficient ultra-tall structures. The related brief history of conjoined towers is presented. To understand their current status, contemporary design practices of conjoined towers are discussed. Lastly, a new concept of superframed conjoined towers developed for exceedingly tall building complexes is introduced through design studies. Though envisioning future tall buildings is challenging, conjoined towers can be among the strong candidates toward more livable and sustainable vertical urbanism.