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Conversion of Existing Buildings to Green in Developing Economies: A Preliminary Study for Sri Lanka Focusing on Challenges and Policies
No full textCurrent society is interested in incorporating green technologies into existing buildings with aiming economic, social, and environmental sustainability. This is green retrofitting. However, limited attention has been given to green retrofitting adoption in particular regions, for example, Sri Lanka. Recently, several green retrofitting technologies have been adopted globally, contingent upon policy frameworks. In this light, the current paper intends to identify the obstacles hindering green retrofitting adoption in Sri Lanka and how policies might effectively address these challenges. The study\u27s qualitative research methodology included semi-structured interviews with twelve professionals working in Sri Lanka\u27s green construction industry. Accordingly, 25 possible obstacles that prevented Sri Lanka from adopting green retrofitting were identified. The findings of the investigation showed that policies pertaining to knowledge and information are adequately followed in Sri Lanka and are crucial in reducing obstacles. Furthermore, consistency, timeliness, and diversity of requirements must be taken into account when improving the current “direction-based” and “regulation-based” policies. Finally, certain policies that are not already in place in the country have been identified and recommended for implementation in order to improve retrofitting in the Sri Lankan developing economy. The research findings would be useful for industry practitioners as well as local government in decision-making for implementing green retrofitting strategies and useful reference to other developing economies. This study has prompted further research studies on green retrofitting technologies adoption in developed and developing economies’ perspective in the future
EcoSphere: A Decision-Support Tool for Automated Carbon Emission and Cost Optimization in Sustainable Urban Development
No full textThe construction industry is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, with embodied carbon being a key component. This study develops EcoSphere, an innovative software designed to evaluate, and balance embodied and operational carbon emissions with construction and environmental costs in urban planning. Using high-resolution data from the National Structure Inventory, combined with computer vision and natural language processing applied to Google Street View and satellite imagery, EcoSphere categorizes buildings by structural and material characteristics with a bottom-up approach, creating a baseline emissions dataset. By simulating policy scenarios and mitigation strategies, EcoSphere provides policymakers and non-experts with actionable insights for sustainable development in cities and provide them with vision into the environmental and financial results of their decisions. Case studies in Chicago and Indianapolis showcase how EcoSphere aids in assessing policy impacts on carbon emissions and costs, supporting data-driven progress towards carbon neutrality
Impacts of Circular Economy Practices on the Economy, Society and Environment: A Review in Construction Context
Get PDFThe adoption of a circular economy (CE) model in the construction industry has been instrumental in increasing sustainability, particularly in contrast to the linear economy model. The economic, social and environmental (ESE) dimensions would be vastly impacted by converting traditional construction practices into CE practices. Understanding the relationships between the aforesaid CE practices in construction projects and their respective impacts on ESE is fundamental to successfully shifting towards a circular construction industry. Studies that shed light on this area are limited. Thus, this study aims to identify the relationship between CE practices and their respective ESE impacts to facilitate the rational implementation of CE within the construction industry. An integrative review of the literature was carried out to identify the ESE impacts of CE practices and to establish relationships between CE practices and their respective impacts. Based on the study findings, a relationship matrix was developed. The developed matrix demonstrates that the majority of the CE practices impact capital cost, operational cost, employment, environmental pollution and resource consumption aspects in the construction context. This study will assist construction industry stakeholders in identifying the respective impacts that a CE practice can generate on ESE and selecting practices effectively in their projects to obtain maximum ESE value addition
Using Case Studies to Determine Automatable Activities in Construction Bid Preparation
Get PDFThe purpose of this study is to determine the automation potential of the key activities in the construction bid proposal preparation process. The activities were analyzed for their capability of being fully or partially automated based on a predetermined approach towards developing a bid automation model while aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to industry innovation and infrastructure. Case studies were conducted with two major engineering consulting firms in South Africa to identify and understand the key activities in the bid proposal preparation process. The research reveals that key activities like content review and requirements summary preparation, method statement writing, and bid pricing are capable of being partially automated while activities like project sheet preparation, and standard documents attachment including reference documents can be fully automated. The case study highlights opportunities for automation in producing technical and commercial proposals. This study contributes to existing knowledge by providing an in-depth analysis of the automation potential in construction bid proposal preparation. The research introduces a novel approach to bid automation offering practical insights into reducing manual effort, enhancing process efficiency, and promoting sustainable practices in bid preparation. The findings pave the way for developing advanced automation tools that address both operational challenges and sustainability objectives
Perspective of Professionals on the Periodic Review of Contingency Levels in Construction Projects
Get PDFClient organisations sometimes prescribe contingency levels that should be applied to their infrastructure projects. However, some clients do not have specified periods to review the prescribed contingency levels. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the views of experienced professionals on the recommended periodic review of contingency levels. A survey involving 53 respondents from client organisations was used to obtain data on recommended intervals for periodic reviews of contingency levels in client organisations. The findings reveal a strong consensus on the need for periodic contingency re-assessment, with 98% of respondents recommending reviews every six months or more frequently, aligning with cost-reporting cycles. This reflects a shift toward dynamic contingency management, where regular adjustments throughout the project lifecycle are seen as essential for effective risk and cost control. As projects are implemented in dynamic environments, clients are advised to establish an organisational policy to ensure regular periodic reviews of contingency practices
Remaking Life: The Culture of Chinese Transcontinental Railroad Workers
Get PDFThis paper examines the methods by which Chinese immigrants involved with the construction of the first transcontinental railroad maintained cultural ties to their native China, as well as the changes they made to adapt to their new surroundings. The United States’ first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, primarily at the hands of Chinese immigrants. Despite their massive contribution, no primary documents from Chinese workers themselves are known to exist. Their role in the railroad’s construction was largely forgotten until relatively recently. Chinese workers faced hostile living and working conditions during their life on the railroad. This paper covers multiple realms of culture including diet, recreation, and religion, in addition to their relationships with Indigenous groups
Improving the Circulation of Federal Reserve Banks Research with a Working Paper Digest
Get PDFAcross the 12 regional Federal Reserve banks, more than 400 economists produce hundreds of freely accessible working papers each year. Until recently, there was not a single resource with which to stay current on their release. In response, librarians across the Fed spearheaded a new initiative: A monthly email digest, Latest Working Papers from the Federal Reserve Banks, now delivers new economic research directly to subscribers. In fewer than 30 days following its initial issue in July 2024, Latest Working Papers from the Federal Reserve Banks gained more than 1,300 subscribers in more than 30 countries on six continents. This lightning talk will describe the email digest in greater detail, as a springboard for thoughts about putting routine metadata management tasks to work in greater service to users. You can sign up for the digest here: https://mailchi.mp/2fc0e0a492fa/wpdiges
Serving the Business and Nonprofit Community of Indianapolis
No full textIn this lightning talk, I will discuss the work of the Nonprofit team at Indianapolis Public Library. We run a workshop series twice a year, offer additional classes, and meet with people one-on-one. The library also offers a small business workshop series and individual appointments for prospective business owners